Chapter 16: Eternal Painting, Encounter with the President, Movie Appreciation…

Chapter 16: An Eternal Painting, a Chance Meeting with the President, and Film...

The man on the podium concluded his speech with a warm smile.

The room erupted in thunderous applause. Students below the stage excitedly raised their communicators, and a rapid-fire chorus of camera shutters froze his gentle, handsome face in countless frames.

Soon, these photos would be uploaded to the official forum of Faro Academy, FF, along with gushing praise from the students present, becoming the hottest topic on campus that day.

After the speech concluded, as President Zhu Xuan left the auditorium, some senior students who had come specifically for him reluctantly dispersed, while others immediately flocked to the student council’s recruitment booth in the western section of the venue.

The previously packed club fair area suddenly became noticeably emptier, leaving only those students genuinely interested in joining clubs.

The recruitment war was on.

Recruiters from various clubs immediately jumped into their sales pitches, competing fiercely with exaggerated performances, each eager to claim every passing student for their own.

As the club fair buzzed with activity, Jiang Yunxin turned to Qi Heyin with a smile. "Let’s go, Heyin. We should check out the clubs you’re interested in."

Qi Heyin nodded and followed her deeper into the venue.

The recruitment tactics of the clubs were wildly creative. Along the way, Qi Heyin witnessed members of the drama club and music club performing live, the math association hosting on-the-spot competitions, the anime club hosting a cosplay fashion show, and the debate club engaging in impromptu debates... Everything felt exciting and new to her.

When passing by the Go club she wanted to join, Qi Heyin even saw them holding an open challenge. The club president, acting as the current title holder, publicly declared that any newcomer who defeated him would instantly become the new president.

"That’s their age-old tradition..." Jiang Yunxin whispered in her ear. "Do you want to give it a try?"

Qi Heyin silently observed the long line of challengers in front of the Go club president.

"The queue’s too long," she said helplessly. "I’ll just register for now."

Having said that, she first approached the recruitment staff of the Go/Weiqi Club to fill out an application form.

"The Reading Club is up ahead," Jiang Yunxin gestured toward a certain direction. "Their recruitment theme today is a knowledge quiz. There are some entry requirements, but you should be good at answering questions."

Upon arriving at the Reading Club's area, Qi Heyin indeed answered all the drawn questions correctly. She earned unanimous approval from the club members and, after completing her registration, received a custom-made, delicate keychain as a welcome gift.

At this point, Qi Heyin had successfully signed up for two clubs.

As for the question of "which club to join," after thinking it over last night, she had ultimately decided to join all of them.

So now, only the Painting Club remained.

Her gaze swept across the venue, searching for the Painting Club's location. After a moment, she finally spotted a huge steel-framed painting pavilion set up at the easternmost end of the venue.

Through the open entrance, Qi Heyin could vaguely see paintings of various sizes hanging on the walls inside. The Painting Club members seemed to have set up an exhibition there.

Immediately drawn in, Qi Heyin turned to call Jiang Yunxin, ready for the two of them to go take a look.

Stepping into the large pavilion, she was surrounded by walls painted pure white. Several display partitions stood on the ground, dividing the interior into spacious thematic sections.

Qi Heyin entered through the marked entrance on the wall and followed the guided path on the floor, slowly admiring the artwork along the way.

It was quiet around her—she didn’t see any Painting Club members.

The vast space had only a handful of students, drawn in by the exhibition just like her, silently browsing the paintings on the walls.

Qi Heyin's father was a renowned painter in the empire, a rare nobleman who valued art over power and wealth. This had inevitably exposed her to a romanticized artistic upbringing from a young age, granting her a certain level of appreciation for paintings.

The Painting Club members were still novices, their brushstrokes unrefined, naturally incomparable to her father's technical skill. But when Qi Heyin admired a painting, she preferred to explore the emotional expression conveyed from within the artwork itself.

Her face was calm and peaceful as she quietly looked at each painting in turn, until she turned a corner. Following the path's direction, she entered a new thematic space.

"Ah..."

Qi Heyin's soft gasp suddenly reached her ears, as if seeing something that made her gasp.

Qi Heyin looked up distractedly.

The next second, her eyes flickered slightly.

Before her eyes was an enormous painting that occupied the entire white wall ahead.

On the canvas, broad strokes of red, black, and white intertwined—bold, intense, strangely beautiful and vivid.

This was a powerful visual piece, its deep color contrasts and exaggerated depictions unmistakably conveying the creator's turbulent and impassioned state of mind.

Pulled in by its emotional power, Qi Heyin instinctively stepped closer, eager to appreciate the details of the painting.

The focal point of the image was a dim, hazy light. Beneath it, a beautiful red-and-black butterfly spread its wings to fly, only to find itself ensnared in a spider's web, unable to break free. Unwilling to surrender, it beat its wings desperately, struggling—yet each effort only led to deeper entrapment.

The deep red and black tones expressed despair. Around the light, countless shards of broken glass lay scattered, their fractured reflections creating broken reflections. Each fragment mirrored the butterfly in different poses, capturing every breath and struggle—from its first desperate flutter to its final, dramatic end.

At the top of the painting, a cloudy white liquid poured down, droplets splashing onto the butterfly's fragile wings, gradually solidifying into a semi-transparent coating.

Thoughtful, Qi Heyin's gaze fixed on this white liquid, her eyes narrowing slightly. She leaned in and, to her surprise, realized that the white on the butterfly's wings wasn't paint—it was wax.

So, what cascaded from the top of the painting... was melted wax?

Insightful, she lowered her eyes to the signature at the bottom of the artwork.

"Called 'Eternal'"—Wen Zhimo.

"The painting is called 'Eternal'..."

Qi Heyin stared at the image, murmuring to herself, "Is it because everything will eventually be preserved in wax, kept as a preserved form...?"

"You're quite right."

A clear, gentle voice—belonging to a young man—suddenly spoke beside her.

Qi Heyin turned and found a tall, unfamiliar boy standing there, seemingly having appeared unnoticed. He didn't meet her gaze, instead keeping his eyes on the painting as he spoke without prompting:

"The creator of this piece believes that all precious and beautiful things in this world have eternal worth."

"However..." His voice paused, then continued slowly, "In reality, there are far too many fragile, fleeting beauties that vanish all too soon—leaving only regret."

Qi Heyin nodded in understanding. "So he wanted to express his obsession with preserving beautiful things?"

"...Yes." The boy beside her stared intently at the trapped butterfly, his tone immersed. "Because whether it's the butterfly itself, its countless fractured and fragile reflections under the light, or the desperate struggle captured in this single moment... it's all incredibly beautiful."

"It is our duty to immortalize fragile beauty, to grant it the value of eternity."

Having shared his thoughts, the boy fell silent for a moment before finally coming back to himself. He quickly averted his gaze from the painting, looking somewhat embarrassed as he turned to her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

His face flushed slightly, his voice lowering. "I heard your question and had some thoughts of my own, so I responded without thinking... My apologies for rambling on like that."

Qi Heyin shook her head. "It's fine. I appreciate your insightful answer."

After speaking, she turned her head and gave him a curious once-over.

The unfamiliar young man standing before her was tall and slender, with soft, chestnut-brown curls and dressed in the standard uniform of Faro Academy. However, he had skipped the vest and blazer, only wearing a clean white undershirt paired with black straight-leg trousers, giving him a clean, put-together look.

His complexion was fair, with fine, well-defined features. His round, tea-brown eyes gave him a boyish charm, like a storybook prince who'd never known hardship, making anyone who met him instinctively lower their guard.

Noticing Qi Heyin’s focused gaze, the boy bit his lip nervously, his cheeks still faintly flushed.

He silently lowered his head, still clearly embarrassed to meet her eyes after his earlier intrusion.

He was a bashful guy—Qi Heyin silently concluded.

Yet, he had an unusually deep grasp of art... He must be part of the art club, right?

Thinking this, Qi Heyin scanned the empty room and asked, "Are you from the art club?"

"I was hoping to join, but I’ve been looking around for a while and haven’t seen any members."

Hearing this, the boy paused, the shy blush on his face deepening.

"Ah... I am indeed from the art club," he said, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "I’m the vice president. Sorry, I just got here after class. The other members went to the print shop to pick up club flyers."

"You want to join the art club, right? Mind filling out this form first?"

With that, he led Qi Heyin toward the exit of the studio, pulling a registration form from a cabinet by the door.

Finally, the last club registration was about to be completed. After quickly filling in her details, Qi Heyin looked up and gave a thumbs-up to Jiang Yunxin, who was waiting nearby.

The boy took the form from her and gave it a quick once-over.

His face went still.

"So... you’re Qi Heyin?"

He looked at her, his tea-brown eyes lighting up with recognition and barely contained excitement.

Qi Heyin looked up, puzzled. "You know me?"

"Yeah, I’ve heard your name from my brother—a bunch of times."

Pausing, he hurried to add with a smile, "But this is the first time I’ve met you in person."

"...Your brother?"

"Oh, I think I forgot to mention." The boy answered politely, "His name is Wen Xinglian."

Qi Heyin was surprised. "You’re Dr. Wen’s younger brother?"

"Yes, Qi... senior," he replied, his voice laced with shyness. "I’m Wen Zhimo."

Qi Heyin fell silent.

After a beat, she said, "So that painting earlier was yours."

No wonder the way he'd explained the artist’s intent had rung so true.

"Yes." Wen Zhimo nodded, cautiously asking, "Did you think that painting was striking?"

Qi Heyin answered without much thought, "It was compelling."

She never hesitated to give sincere praise to others.

However... that painting was unmistakably personal in style. The intensely vivid yet bizarre imagery was like a hypnotic vortex, able to unconsciously draw people's gaze. The visceral color palette made it hard to imagine it came from the hands of this quiet, shy boy before her.

She studied Wen Zhimo's face carefully and realized that despite being brothers, he looked nothing like Dr. Wen. No wonder she hadn’t connected the dots earlier when he mentioned his brother.

Still, the identity of "Dr. Wen’s younger brother" gave him an instant credibility boost.

Qi Heyin naturally added Wen Zhimo as a contact and was pulled into the Painting Club’s group chat by him.

"Our club occasionally organizes plein air sessions. Senior Qi, you can keep an eye on the group chat if you're interested," Wen Zhimo said considerately.

Qi Heyin gave him a friendly smile and asked curiously, "Why call me 'senior'?"

"Because I’m a sophomore," Wen Zhimo replied matter-of-factly. "You must already be a junior, right?"

Standing close, she detected a sharp, lingering antiseptic odor from the cuffs of his white shirt—a smell she was all too familiar with from her long stays in hospitals. She realized... it was probably formaldehyde *(formalin solution, used in anatomy labs)*.

"Are you a medical student?" Qi Heyin asked.

Wen Zhimo’s gaze sharpened in surprise, and he followed her gaze to his sleeve.

Remembering something, he coughed lightly in embarrassment. "Ah, you noticed? I accidentally got some on me during anatomy class earlier."

"I am a medical student, same major as my brother," he said, pausing before adding with a smile, "But I’m not as talented as he is in medicine, so I’m double-majoring in economics."

Qi Heyin wasn’t surprised.

The Wen brothers belonged to the Wen family, a renowned medical empire in the empire. They controlled several of Phaeros’ largest pharmaceutical companies and owned thousands of private hospitals across the nation, servicing nearly half of the empire’s daily medical needs. There were even rumors that even the royal family sought treatment at Wen-owned private hospitals.

*This generation of the Wen family had produced a medical genius in Wen Xinglian*, destined to shine in the field of medicine. Naturally, the responsibility of inheriting the family business would fall on the other sibling.

It was hard to imagine this unassuming guy would one day wield influence commanding power.

Wen Zhimo also carried the *buff* of a top-tier Celestial Noble, but fortunately, he wasn’t the male lead from the original novel, so Qi Heyin felt little wariness or guardedness around him.

With all three clubs successfully joined, Qi Heyin’s club-hopping mission had come to a satisfying end.

Watching the constant notifications from the club group chats on her communicator, she felt a budding excitement and contentment for her future campus life.

In the evening, to thank Jiang Yunxin for accompanying her that afternoon, she took her out to dinner at a restaurant off-campus before returning to the university.

She had an evening class that day.

Back on campus, with over an hour left before class, she decided to swing by the comprehensive office building first.

A few days earlier, Shang Wenze had his assistant deliver the access card to his private student council suite to Qi Heyin.

Shang Wenze was true to his word—the suite was quiet, and the study nook was surprisingly roomy, allowing her to study without interruptions.

So, these past few days, whenever she had free time after class, Qi Heyin would haul her study materials here to self-study.

She remembered leaving her major textbook on the desk in the study of the lounge when she left that morning. With her first professional class scheduled for tomorrow morning and some time before her evening lecture, she came back specifically to retrieve the book.

The elevator ascended to the twentieth floor. The doors opened, revealing a brightly lit hallway. Qi Heyin stepped out leisurely and walked toward the lounge with practiced ease.

The surroundings were dead silent. Despite having visited several times over the past few days, she had never bumped into any Student Union members on this floor.

On her first visit, Qi Heyin had struggled to locate the lounge and tried her keycard on several doors. She quickly realized that the card opened not just the lounge but every door on this floor without restriction.

...Could it be that this entire floor was Shang Wenze’s domain?

Musing to herself, Qi Heyin swiped open the lounge door and soon found her textbook on the study desk. After placing it in her backpack, a sudden thirst prompted her to stand up and grab a cup of water from the dispenser.

Sitting on the sofa, she held the cup, sipping the water slowly.

Then, a faint rustling came from outside the lounge door, followed by muted conversation.

...Someone was there?

Qi Heyin’s face twitched slightly. She hadn’t expected to finally bump into anyone from the Student Union on this floor today.

The person sounded like he was on a call, speaking to the other end in a smooth, measured tone.

It was a familiar voice.

Before Qi Heyin could pin down the voice, the next moment, clear words reached her from outside.

"I’m not coming back to fix your mistakes."

The man spoke deliberately, his voice laced with faint amusement, as if he were smiling warmly.

"Since you and Mother chose to go your separate ways and do as you pleased from the start, you should have foreseen this outcome."

"Father, you chose this path yourself. Why throw a fit about it now?"

After he finished, a roar of static crackled—likely the person on the line shouting in rage.

The man outside let the rant play out before responding in the same light tone, "Father, I’ve already said this has nothing to do with me. Don’t forget the agreement you and Mother signed in front of Grandfather. Bastards don’t concern me—however many you spawn out there, none will threaten my inheritance."

"And, Father..." He paused, his tone almost cheerful. "Don’t forget, you were the one who betrayed Mother first. Now you’re even."

Qi Heyin inside the room: "..."

Way too much family drama—she’d just overheard rich-people problems! If only she’d covered her ears the moment she heard voices.

Qi Heyin was mildly horrified. By now, she had recognized the voice and knew exactly who was standing outside.

The conversation outside continued.

"Why would you think I’m getting a kick out of this, Father? I couldn’t possibly bear such a misunderstanding."

Perhaps the other end went off again, because the man fell silent for a moment before letting out a dark, quiet laugh, as if thoroughly amused.

When he spoke again, his tone carried a trace of resignation, but the venom finally bled through—like the hidden shadow of an iceberg, now unmistakably exposed.

"Alright, I admit it. I do love enjoying the drama."

"However, you and Mother are undoubtedly the finest actors I've ever seen. The impressive performance you've put on before me didn’t even require me to set the stage."

"Thanks for the show, Dad," he said with a faint smile. "Afterwards, I’ll have Grandfather take away your remaining three percent of shares. You will divorce Mother—I assure you."

With that, amidst the other end’s filthy, raging insults, the man calmly ended the call.

Setting down the communicator, he let out a relaxed sigh, his face beaming as if in excellent spirits.

Standing before the lounge door, he adjusted his white suit, then whistled a happy tune while swiping his card to open the door.

With a soft *click*, the door slid open.

Hearing the noise, Qi Heyin jerked her head around.

The next moment, her eyes met the man standing at the entrance.

Qi Heyin: "..."

The man: "..."

Seemingly surprised to find someone inside, the smile on the man’s face froze slightly.

His dark eyes sized up the unfamiliar girl seated on the sofa, his usually smiling face now unable to fake even a polite smile.

Qi Heyin felt mortified—not only had she overheard some juicy family drama, but she’d also been busted by the person involved.

"President Zhu Xuan... hello?" she hesitated, gripping her backpack and silently rising to her feet, prepared to run at the first sign of trouble.

Zhu Xuan paused, his deep eyes studying her for a moment.

Quickly regaining his composure, he resumed his familiar gentle smile, though it never touched his eyes. "This student, you..."

He smiled. "Are you a newly recruited member of the student council? My apologies—what I meant was, did your department head forget to inform you? This floor isn’t usually open to outsiders."

"I’m not a member of the student council," Qi Heyin shook her head, explaining hastily. "I’m sorry, President Zhu Xuan. A friend gave me access to this lounge, saying I could study here."

Zhu Xuan blinked, only now noticing the shiny keycard in her hand.

He lowered his gaze, observing the girl before him, who was now edging toward the door—her demeanor nervous and jumpy.

*She definitely heard something*, Zhu Xuan thought.

*That’s why she looks like a deer in headlights.*

His eyes lingered on her face, pausing briefly. Objectively speaking, the girl before him was strikingly beautiful—raven hair, snow-white skin, with an aloof yet striking presence—though her sickly thin frame suggested she’d been ill.

Taking into account the keycard she held, Zhu Xuan quickly figured out who she was.

After a beat, he spoke. "You’re Aze’s friend... Miss Qi Heyin, correct?"

Qi Heyin nodded earnestly. "Yes, President. I’m Qi Heyin."

Zhu Xuan got it.

Now, he bought her excuse.

With a natural ease, Zhu Xuan smiled warmly and held out his hand toward her. "Hello, He Yin. I’ve heard about you for a long time."

"A friend of Aze's is a friend of mine. You can just call me Zhu Xuan from now on."

Faced with his seemingly friendly attitude, Qi Heyin had no choice but to steel herself and step forward to shake his hand.

The earlier incident still lingered in her mind, filling her with lingering awkwardness.

But if Zhu Xuan was willing to shake her hand, did that mean he wasn’t holding it against her?

Her face blank, Qi Heyin looked up and feigned calmness in her voice. "President, I’ve got an evening class, so I’ll head out now."

"Oh? You’re leaving already?"

Zhu Xuan sounded slightly surprised, but he quickly composed himself and replied considerately, "Since Aze gave you access to his lounge, you’re welcome to come anytime in the future."

"I only came by to look for something today. I hope my sudden appearance didn’t disturb you, He Yin."

After a pause, he added with a smile, "As I mentioned earlier, you can just call me by my name."

"No, I’d rather stick with ‘President.’ It’s more proper," Qi Heyin shook her head, politely declining.

"Thank you, President. Goodbye."

With that, she snatched her backpack and bolted past Zhu Xuan like a gust of wind, sprinting toward the hallway.

—Get out. Now.

That was the only thought in Qi Heyin’s mind at that moment.

She’d never been so humiliated in her life, especially when the other party was one of those top-tier Celestial Nobles...

God, she knew there was something off about President Zhu Xuan. That phone call earlier—his tone had been downright vicious, a far cry from his usual polite act.

Now that she’d seen through his facade, would he shut her up for good?

The thought alone made cold sweat prickle her forehead. After all, aside from the two of them, there was no one else on this floor right now.

Her eyes locked onto the elevator display, silently begging the numbers to change faster.

"Student He Yin, wait a moment."

That familiar, gentle voice from behind sent a chill down her spine instead of comfort.

Qi Heyin turned and saw that Zhu Xuan had actually followed her, standing silently not far behind her like a ghost.

"You heard what I said earlier in the hallway, didn’t you, He Yin?" Zhu Xuan asked politely, his voice laced with a faint smile.

So he wasn’t letting her off the hook after all...

Defeated, Qi Heyin turned back, her voice low and sheepish. "Yes, I heard."

"I’m sorry, but I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your call, President."

"I know you didn’t mean to," Zhu Xuan smiled faintly. "I just hope you’ll keep this secret, He Yin. The Zhu family’s dirty laundry shouldn’t be aired."

"After all, to the public, I’m the Zhu family’s golden child—loving parents, a perfect home, the epitome of noble grace. No one knows they’ve been separated for years, secretly spawning a brood of bastards behind my back..."

His tone was casual, but his words carried a growing threat. Qi Heyin stiffened—he wasn’t even pretending anymore.

Since he’d laid his cards out but wasn’t making a move yet, Qi Heyin dropped the meek act.

After steadying her unsettled emotions, she spoke calmly, "I'll keep the secret, don't worry, President Zhu Xuan."

The man looked down at the perceptive girl before him with a faint gaze.

His lips curled into a smile that suddenly turned meaningful, saying softly, "Good."

......

Five minutes later, Qi Heyin finally walked out of the comprehensive office building.

The moonlight was pale, and the cool evening breeze brushed past her ears, bringing a chill and a delayed clarity.

Next time, if she encountered Zhu Xuan alone again, he likely wouldn’t bother keeping up his usual gentle act in front of her, would he?

A male lead who dropped the act entirely seemed harder to handle...

She really hoped she wouldn’t see him again.

It was almost time for class, so Qi Heyin walked to the evening lecture hall and took a random seat.

Tonight’s class was a public elective called *Classic Imperial Films and Art Appreciation*. Just from the name, it was clearly a typical blow-off class.

But Qi Heyin didn’t care if it was a blow-off class—she attended every class. She found the lively atmosphere of watching movies with classmates quite enjoyable.

Since it was an elective, students from various majors and grades were present, making the class harder to manage compared to specialized courses. Additionally, the professor was notoriously lenient with attendance, so naturally, many students skipped.

This was Qi Heyin’s second time attending, and once again, only half the seats were filled. Perhaps due to studying too hard during the day, by evening, many students were slumped drowsily in their seats.

Even the professor at the lectern looked tired, yawning as he scrolled through the list of films to screen before finally selecting a vintage romance film titled *Unrequited Love*.

As the film began, the surrounding lights dimmed, leaving only the faint glow of the screen at the front of the classroom.

With a sweet, breezy soundtrack, Qi Heyin gradually immersed herself in the unfolding story.

About half an hour later,

she noticed movement nearby, as if a few people had taken the empty seats behind her.

Soon after, their hushed whispers reached her ears.

A guy muttered, confused, "Bro Ning, aren’t we going racing today? Why’d we come back for some class after eating?"

"Yeah, Bro Ning," another boy chimed in, puzzled. "I thought it was some important lecture, but this is just some filler class? You made us come all the way back... When have we ever bothered with filler classes?"

Perhaps mindful of the quiet classroom atmosphere, the two boys kept their voices low, but their muttering was still annoying.

Qi Heyin frowned slightly and unconsciously reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"You two, shut it." A slightly irritated male voice suddenly cut in from behind.

"Just watch the movie. Don’t disturb others," the boy said coldly.

With that, the noise behind Qi Heyin ceased.

She relaxed and refocused on the film playing on the screen.

Ji Ningye sat in the back, bored.

He didn’t even know why he’d come. Maybe he’d just heard someone else had enrolled in this course.

Looking around, he took in the sleepy students and the dozing professor at the lectern, thinking to himself—*This really is a pointless class.*

His eyes automatically flicked to the front row, where from this angle, he could just make out Qi Heyin’s profile.

In the dimness, the classroom's flickering light danced across her face. The girl sat by the window, the cool moonlight spilling in and illuminating half of her delicate features. Her porcelain skin glowed softly, her lashes thick and long, her expression calm and elegant.

At that moment, she was watching the film projected on the screen, the corners of her lips slightly upturned as if she were smiling, like she'd seen something that hit just right.

...Was the movie really that good? Ji Ningye quirked an eyebrow.

He turned his attention to the screen not far away, chin propped on his hand as he watched with an air of indifference.

Ji Ningye lived for action, not quiet—his personality was wild and free-spirited. His daily hobbies included drinking, clubbing, street racing, and flexing his wealth to his millions of followers on CONT, indulging in all sorts of over-the-top stunts.

His restless nature rarely let him stay quiet for long.

Because of this, he particularly disliked anything pretentious, slow, or mushy—whether it was the refined concerts and balls hosted by high society, or activities like reading, writing, or composing poetry.

...Including watching movies.

Though he disliked it, Ji Ningye was sharp, with keen instincts and perception. Even though the film had already been playing for over half an hour, after just casually watching for two minutes, he quickly grasped its core theme.

—This was a story about unrequited love.

With that premise, the plot’s trajectory seemed totally predictable. No matter what, it would inevitably end with a cheesy happy ending. What was so interesting about such a dull romance flick...

Ji Ningye thought with disdain, yet his eyes remained fixed on the screen.

As the soundtrack swelled, the story reached its conclusion—the male and female leads, separated by a shop window, shared a knowing smile under the glow of candlelight in the evening.

Above them, the ancient plane tree that had witnessed their meeting and growing affection towered, lush and leafy, its branches stretching skyward as their feelings grew wild. Their tender gazes intertwined, the love in their eyes brighter than the stars...

Only when the film ended and the credits began rolling across the darkened screen did Ji Ningye finally look away.

Coming back to himself, he was almost surprised that he had actually gotten absorbed in it.

He wondered if the two beside him had noticed his unusual focus.

Ji Ningye parted his lips, about to speak, when one of the boys next to him eagerly beat him to it.

"Aww man, Ning-ge, this movie was so good! So heartwarming!"

The boy clasped his cheeks, blushing. "I really wanna experience a pure love story like that too... Is there anyone out there secretly crushing on me? Or someone I can crush on..."

"Just a one-sided crush isn’t enough though. Pure love has to go both ways," the other boy said flatly. "It only works when both the guy and girl are hot, like in the movie. What’s the point of an ugly dude pining alone?"

"Hey, ugly people can dream too!" The teased boy muttered. "I believe someone will eventually see past my plain looks and fall for my interesting soul... and then we’ll just click..."

He paused mid-rant, then suddenly turned to Ji Ningye. "But speaking of hot guys and girls... if Ning-ge here got into a pure love story with that face of his, it’d be way more legendary than anything in the movie."

"Right, Ning-ge?" The boy sucked up, batting his eyelashes.

Ji Ningye’s expression stiffened slightly. "I don’t do unrequited love," he said tightly.

"Huh? Who said anything about unrequited? We’re talking pure love here."

The boy scratched his head, chuckling. "With a face like yours, Ning-ge, why would you even need to pine? Everyone loves you—your female fans on CONT could circle the Empire twice over. Who could possibly reject you?"

Ji Ningye: "..."

He fell silent for a moment, his gaze darkening imperceptibly before he instinctively glanced toward the front row again.

For a moment, Ji Ningye suddenly wanted to stand up and openly ask the girl for her contact information. But after hesitating briefly, he ultimately restrained himself.

Most of the time, he was indeed an over-the-top and flashy person—laughing, cursing, indulging freely.

Yet deep down, he harbored some hard-to-define feelings. Like treasuring the most secret of treasures, Ji Ningye had no intention of exposing these feelings to the world, letting them see daylight.

As the movie screening ended, it was time for class to let out.

After the bell rang, the lights in the lecture hall came back on, and the students quickly packed their belongings, leaving in small groups.

Qi Heyin stood up and followed the crowd toward the exit.

"What? Young Master Ji actually came to class tonight?"

"Are you sure you saw him? Where was he sitting? Man, the lighting was so dim I couldn’t spot him!"

"Don’t worry, I took a photo—I’ll post it on FF later!"

"Aww, Young Master Ji already left... Feels like I missed the jackpot..."

Up ahead, a group of young men and women, their classroom fatigue forgotten, bubbled with excited chatter.

...Young Master Ji?

Catching the key term, Qi Heyin’s eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise.

Had Ji Ningye also enrolled in this elective? She didn't remember that at all.

Wait—during the lecture, when those dudes behind her mentioned "Brother Ning," were they talking about him?

...Had he been sitting right behind her this whole time?