Chapter 29: An Unexpected Encounter at the Art Exhibition

You Chong changed his clothes in the dormitory and came downstairs, having agreed with his friends to play basketball. He was somewhat surprised when he ran into Lin Hexi in the square in front of the cafeteria.

Lin Hexi got straight to the point: “Do you have time on Saturday?”

You Chong replied just as straightforwardly: “I don’t have time.”

Lin Hexi looked at him with a disappointed expression, “Are you really busy, or are you just saying that?”

You Chong, holding the basketball in one hand, looked at him coldly and asked, “What do you need from me?”

Lin Hexi hesitated for a moment, then finally shook his head and said, “It’s nothing.”

You Chong had words on the tip of his tongue but swallowed them back. He gave Lin Hexi a quick glance before stepping aside and walking a few steps forward.

However, he couldn’t help but be somewhat concerned about Lin Hexi’s question, so he instinctively stopped and turned around, only to see that Lin Hexi had already walked far away.

The extra ticket ended up unused, and on Saturday, Lin Hexi went alone to the remote exhibition hall. Perhaps due to restrictions on the number of visitors, there weren’t many people inside. Lin Hexi entered after having his ticket checked and walked along the quiet corridor.

The exhibition hall wasn’t large, but the corridors inside were winding, twisting, and turning deep into the building. The walls on both sides were adorned with beautiful oil paintings and watercolors, all vibrant and lively, with a pure and fresh style. It was evident that the works were created by a female artist.

Lin Hexi slowly rounded a corner and was surprised to bump into You Chong, who was walking toward him wearing a work badge.

He was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure. “So when you said you didn’t have time, it was because you were working here?”

You Chong quickly responded, raised his eyebrow slightly and said, “You wanted to invite me to an art exhibition?”

“Yes,” Lin Hexi admitted readily, then looked at him with a forlorn expression. “Too bad you didn’t come.”

Seeing through Lin Hexi’s pretense, You Chong let out a derisive laugh but said nothing.

Lin Hexi’s lips curled slightly, his expression returning to normal. In a playful and teasing tone, he said, “I ended up with an extra ticket at the last minute. I thought I might just grab someone off the street to come with me, but who would have thought I’d run into you?”

You Chong didn’t respond immediately, instead raising his eyes to glance at him. “Where did you get the ticket for the art exhibition?”

Lin Hexi took a couple of steps forward, his gaze wandering casually over a few paintings on the wall. “Someone gave it to me.”

You Chong displayed a look of expected indifference and replied in a neutral tone, “I thought so too.”

Lin Hexi smiled slightly, not offering any further explanation.

His gaze lingered on You Chong’s profile for a moment as he focused on the paintings. Suddenly, You Chong asked, “Which one do you like?”

Lin Hexi’s eyes moved slowly across the paintings on the wall. He raised his fingertip and let it hover lazily in the air, as if undecided or perhaps doing it deliberately.

You Chong slightly furrowed his brows, feeling a faint sense of impatience rise within him.

Finally, Lin Hexi’s fingertip settled on an oil painting in the middle. “This one, I suppose.”

The painting he chose wasn’t particularly outstanding in terms of color or technique, and it couldn’t be considered one of the artist’s representative works. Compared to those pieces that required significant effort and dedication, this one seemed more like a casual creation, painted on a whim.

The painting depicted a summer scene in a Japanese-style garden. In the background, a bamboo water fountain struck a stone, startling a bird drinking by the pond, causing it to take flight. Inside the house, a boy in a tank top and shorts lay on a tatami mat, his head resting on his arms, his handsome and sharp features just beginning to emerge.

You Chong narrowed his eyes, his emotions unreadable, as he followed Lin Hexi’s finger to the painting on the wall. “Why this one?”

Lin Hexi leaned in closer to study the boy with long limbs in the painting, and he replied with a smile, “Because I guess the artist must really like this one too.”

You Chong’s gaze deepened as he looked at him.

Unaware of the change in You Chong’s expression, Lin Hexi continued to examine the painting closely.

You Chong instinctively furrowed his brows. “What are you still staring at?”

Lin Hexi laughed casually. “It’s not like I’m staring at you.”

You Chong, standing behind, remained silent, though his expression grew increasingly peculiar.

After finishing his tour of the exhibition, Lin Hexi left. As he descended the steps outside the gallery, someone called out to him from behind.

The lighthearted mood from earlier vanished as Lin Hexi turned back with a calm expression.

Ning Nan stood a few steps away, accompanied by a young woman who was unfamiliar to Lin Hexi but strikingly beautiful. Even Lin Hexi, with his high standards, had to admit that Ning Nan’s new girlfriend was indeed very attractive.

After recalling Ning Nan’s unabashed boasting during their professional course, Lin Hexi immediately understood the situation.

Ning Nan invited him to dinner, and knowing there was no way to avoid it, Lin Hexi agreed.

The three of them entered a restaurant next to the exhibition hall. The waiter led them to a table by the window, where Ning Nan and his girlfriend sat side by side, while Lin Hexi took a seat across from them.

During the ordering process, Ning Nan was exceptionally attentive to his girlfriend, but the girl sitting across from Lin Hexi kept glancing at him whenever Ning Nan looked down at the menu.

Lin Hexi felt a sense of unease but maintained a calm demeanor, not letting any emotion show.

Ning Nan, oblivious to his girlfriend’s distracted behavior, remained in high spirits throughout the meal, openly flirting with her in a sweet and affectionate manner in front of Lin Hexi.

Lin Hexi remained composed, his expression unchanging, as if he didn’t notice their presence at all.

It wasn’t until Lin Hexi excused himself to go to the restroom that Ning Nan’s beautiful girlfriend finally stopped pretending to behave.

After washing his hands by the sink, Lin Hexi was about to leave when he noticed that Ning Nan’s girlfriend was waiting outside the men’s restroom.

He abruptly halted, staying just inside the door, and made no move to leave. However, the girl, showing surprising boldness, walked right in and even closed the door behind her.

Lin Hexi stood still, as he spoke with a cold expression, “What do you want?”

Ning Nan’s girlfriend suddenly smiled. “The door to the restroom next door is locked. I came here to wash my hands.”

Lin Hexi stepped aside to let her pass.

She took a couple of steps forward but suddenly stopped in front of him, lightly biting her lip as she asked, “Do you have any tissues?”

Lin Hexi’s gaze remained indifferent. “No.”

She nodded in disappointment but didn’t step away immediately. Instead, she leaned closer to where Lin Hexi was standing.

Lin Hexi frowned and moved to avoid her, but her soft, cool hand gently slid up his arm.

The girl directly embraced his arm, pressing it against the low neckline of her chest.

Lin Hexi was about to raise his hand to break free, but when he caught sight of the half-closed restroom door out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly paused.

The next moment, he raised his lips in a playful smirk, his gaze lowering to her ample chest. “Don’t you already have a boyfriend?”

The girl looked at him with a soft smile, and her eyes gently shimmering. “He’s just a fling. I agreed to be with him only to get close to you.”

Lin Hexi pushed her against the wall, smiling as he lowered his head and asked, “Do you know me?”

The girl’s voice was sweet and alluring. “If you were just average-looking, I wouldn’t have taken notice.”

Lin Hexi’s expression showed satisfaction as he lowered his voice, “Do you think I’m better looking than your boyfriend?”

The girl smiled and countered, “Isn’t that obvious?”

Lin Hexi feigned hesitation. “But your boyfriend seems to really like you, yet here you are, sneaking around to find me.”

The girl wrapped her arms around his waist. “But I like you more.”

As soon as her words fell, a loud, clear bang suddenly came from the restroom door.

A familiar piece of clothing flickered through the gap in the door, and when they both looked up, the door that had been slightly ajar was now forcefully pushed open, slamming against the wall behind it before rebounding back.

Lin Hexi’s smile turned playful as he pushed the girl away from him, leaving her with a casually delivered remark before walking out, “Instead of wasting time thinking about how to seduce me, you might want to consider how you’re going to explain this to your boyfriend.”

Realizing that Lin Hexi had been using her to spite Ning Nan, the girl’s face alternated between shades of pale and flushed with anger.