Chapter 13

Underground Love

On Monday, in the temporary makeup room of Lingchuan Primary School, Lin Qianyou had just finished changing into her costume and applying her makeup.

Today’s scene was a flashback, depicting the story of how the main characters met and got to know each other on campus.

Lin Qianyou was dressed in a blue and white school uniform, with her hair tied in a high ponytail and a light makeup look, appearing pure and full of energy.

The scene being filmed was her confrontation with the third male lead, Zhou Ziqing, in a “girl chases boy” scenario. Right now, they were filming the scene where Lin Qianyou presses Zhou Ziqing against the wall and attempts to kiss him.

“Wait, wait! No, no! Qianyou, you’re supposed to be the campus queen, forcing the kiss, not approaching him gently like this!” Director Li impatiently guided from behind the monitor.

Lin Qianyou awkwardly smiled at him, “Director, it’s my first day filming a kissing scene, and I’m not quite ready…”

Zhou Ziqing, dressed in the school uniform and leaning against the corner of the wall, also seemed a little awkward. Lin Qianyou’s hand was still resting on his shoulder. When she turned to speak to the director, her profile looked stunning — her sharp nose, rosy lips, and the faint scent lingering in the air.

Zhou Ziqing stared at her for a few seconds before speaking up for her: “Yeah, Director, we’re not familiar with each other yet. We should get to know each other a bit more before filming.”

“By the time you two are familiar with each other, it’ll be the next century! Didn’t I give you the script beforehand? Don’t know how to film a kiss scene? Let’s try one last take, but we’ll film the other scenes first. After you go home, study how to film a kiss scene properly. Tomorrow, it needs to be done in one take!” Director Li waved the script at them, urging the female lead and the male lead to go to the classroom to prepare for the next scene.

Lin Qianyou didn’t dare to argue, helplessly pursing her lips and continuing her scene with Zhou Ziqing, who was still staring at her, stunned.

She closed her eyes and slowly moved closer to Zhou Ziqing, while he pretended to be shocked and stepped back.

As her lips inched closer, the fragrance grew stronger. At the same time, there was a sudden noise coming from the hallway — the voices of several adult men who were coming up the stairs.

Filming requires focus, and neither of them looked toward the hallway. Lin Qianyou continued to move closer to Zhou Ziqing, until she suddenly heard Qi Shanglan’s voice —

“Has that student not come to school since this morning?”

Lin Qianyou’s heart skipped a beat, and instinctively, she opened her eyes and looked toward the hallway, but Director Li scolded her for not paying attention to the scene.

This moment was witnessed by several police officers and teachers in the hallway.

The teacher explained, “They’re here filming for a school scene, just ignore them.”

The police officers nodded and walked toward a classroom in the opposite direction on the second floor.

After Director Li finished scolding her, Lin Qianyou turned her head to look toward the classroom.

Sure enough, it was Qi Shanglan.

Today, he was unusually wearing a police uniform, looking capable and upright. He was leaning against the railing outside the classroom, frowning as he listened to the teacher.

The next moment, he seemed to have some sort of radar as he suddenly turned his head toward her, locking eyes with Lin Qianyou.

She was dressed in a blue and white school uniform, with her ponytail fluttering in the wind, her makeup light, making her facial features appear soft. She looked clean and beautiful, like a true student.

He looked at her indifferently, and Lin Qianyou, who had just been scolded by the director in front of him, felt a bit awkward. She forced a smile and waved cheerfully to greet him, but he simply raised his hand in response before turning his gaze away and continuing to listen to the teacher.

“So, he came to school this morning?” Captain Zhang asked the teacher. “And now he’s missing? Could he be in the bathroom?”

“We’ve checked the bathroom, the playground, and the dorms, but we can’t find him anywhere. The classmates don’t know where Fan Ming is either,” the head teacher said anxiously. “We also checked the surveillance footage. We only saw him entering the school, but there’s no footage of him leaving.”

“Have you contacted his parents?”

“We have. They’re on their way.”

“Alright, then ask his classmates again. If we still can’t get any information, we’ll check the surveillance footage again. He couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air,” Captain Zhang said. Then he followed the teacher into the classroom, while Qi Shanglan and He Chuanan waited outside.

He Chuanan, feeling bored, nudged Qi Shanglan with his elbow and curiously asked, “Shanglan, isn’t that Lin Qianyou? The one who brought you the toothbrush and cup last time?” He chuckled twice, teasing Qi Shanglan, “How come your toiletries are with her? Are you sure you’re not dating or living together? Or is it that you’re in a secret relationship and can’t tell anyone?”

Qi Shanglan furrowed his brows and gave He Chuanan a sideways glance. “How many times do you want me to say it?”

He Chuanan pouted. “Fine, fine, it’s just a misunderstanding. I know, I know, I was just curious. She’s a celebrity, after all. Who knows, maybe she’ll become a big star in the future.”

Qi Shanglan didn’t respond. He leaned back, resting both elbows on the railing of the corridor, and casually turned his head to glance toward them.

Lin Qianyou was standing in the hallway, reading her script while acting opposite Zhou Ziqing. The filming crew was inside the classroom, shooting scenes with the male and female leads. Only the two of them were outside.

They seemed to be having a good time, laughing as they read their lines. Lin Qianyou’s hand was over her mouth, stifling her laughter, and then she was laughing so hard she held her waist. In the end, Zhou Ziqing teased her until she couldn’t hold it in anymore, patting him on the shoulder while still laughing.

Qi Shanglan looked away, his jaw tightening, feeling inexplicably irritated.

Captain Zhang and the teacher came out of the classroom, both with worried expressions, clearly having not figured anything out.

“Should we check the surveillance again?” Qi Shanglan asked them.

Captain Zhang grunted in acknowledgment and led a group of people downstairs.

They met Lin Qianyou and Zhou Ziqing at the stairwell. Ordinary people usually feel a natural sense of fear toward the police, so when they saw the officers coming, they immediately stopped laughing and stood properly at the side.

After the group of officers turned and walked down the stairs, Lin Qianyou raised her hand and smiled at the last person walking behind — Qi Shanglan. He looked at her with a faint smile before following Captain Zhang downstairs.

As expected, Qi Shanglan stood out among them, being tall and striking, with a superior face, a well-built body, broad shoulders, and long legs. Lin Qianyou kept watching him until he disappeared downstairs.

“You two know each other?” Zhou Ziqing asked when he noticed Lin Qianyou staring at Qi Shanglan.

Lin Qianyou snapped out of her daze with a slight “ah” and then replied that she did know him, having been caught by him once before.

“Ah? Caught by him? Did you do something wrong?” Zhou Ziqing asked in surprise.

Lin Qianyou immediately waved her hand to explain, “No, no, you misunderstood. Oh no, actually, he misunderstood. He arrested me, Director Li, and my manager and took us to the police station. But later, the misunderstanding was cleared up, and they let us go.”

Zhou Ziqing nodded in partial understanding, “I see…”

After finishing the shoot in the morning, the crew started handing out lunch boxes. Lin Qianyou usually gets sleepy in the afternoon if she doesn’t nap, so she ordered a cup of coffee for herself.

Not long after, the delivery person called to say that the order was placed at the school gate for her to pick up. She thanked them and hung up the phone, then walked towards the main gate of the school.

Next to the school gate was the police office. As Lin Qianyou was about to head back after picking up her food, she happened to spot Qi Shanglan inside the police office.

He was the only one there, staring at a screen and reviewing surveillance footage.

Lin Qianyou looked around to make sure no one else was around, then knocked on the door of the police office. Hearing the sound, Qi Shanglan looked up, and upon seeing her, he gave her a puzzled look, thinking she needed something.

“Can I come in?” Lin Qianyou asked softly.

Qi Shanglan tilted his head slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes, then replied, “You can come in.”

Lin Qianyou then entered with her coffee, unpacking the bag as she smiled and said, “What a coincidence, running into you here.” She inserted the straw into the cup, took a sip, and the rich, bitter coffee aroma filled the small police office, blending with the faint scent she carried, which reached Qi Shanglan’s nose.

The taste was both bitter and sweet. He couldn’t help but furrow his brow and said calmly, “Hmm, what a coincidence.”

His reaction was indifferent, but Lin Qianyou just thought he had a cold personality. She pulled out the swivel chair beside him and sat down, looking at the surveillance footage with him.

“Are you catching a thief? Or something?” Lin Qianyou turned her head, curious, and with them so close, she couldn’t help but admire his well-defined profile.

“Looking for a student,” he replied briefly, not elaborating.

“A student?” Lin Qianyou wanted to ask for more details, but just then, she heard the sound of men talking outside the police office. It was Captain Zhang and the others, who had finished their lunch and were returning.

“Shanglan, your—” He Chuanan opened the door of the police office, and the first thing he saw was Qi Shanglan and Lin Qianyou sitting closely together. He trailed off, the word “Le” drawn out for a long time.

He Chuanan: Damn! It really is a secret relationship!

Qi Shanglan: Damn! How does he always see us? There’s no way to clear this up, not even ^[1]“jumping into the Yellow River can’t wash it clean” (跳进黄河也洗不清), is a Chinese idiom. It means that no matter how hard someone tries to explain themselves, they … Continue readingjumping into the Yellow River.

Captain Zhang entered right behind He Chuanan and also saw Lin Qianyou sitting next to Qi Shanglan. Compared to He Chuanan’s shock, Captain Zhang was more confused—how did she end up here?

But his confusion was quickly replaced by a hint of relief. What a relief, Qi Shanglan had finally figured things out—so this was a relationship?

“Aren’t you that Lin Qianyou from last time?” Captain Zhang asked.

Lin Qianyou immediately stood up from her seat. Wearing her school uniform, she obediently said, “Yes, it’s me, Officer Zhang. I’m here to film a drama.”

“Oh, right, filming a drama, we just ran into each other earlier,” Captain Zhang said with a smile, trying to cover up his awkwardness. He had indeed encountered someone filming earlier at the corridor, but he hadn’t paid attention or recognized that one of them was Lin Qianyou.

“Well, Officer, you guys are busy, so I’ll leave now. Goodbye,” Lin Qianyou said, feeling a bit awkward being the only girl among three men, especially since they had once mistaken her for a prostitute and had arrested her. She smiled, grabbed her bag and coffee, and hurriedly left.

After Lin Qianyou left, He Chuanan slammed the ice-cold cola he had bought for Qi Shanglan onto the table, frustrated. “Damn, Shanglan, you’re unbelievable! You’ve lied to me so many times! If you’re in a relationship, just say it! Why hide it? I’m not some big mouth! Why not tell me the truth?”

“I’m telling the truth. We’re not together,” Qi Shanglan said, opening the cola and taking a sip. His prominent Adam’s apple slid smoothly as he drank.

Captain Zhang looked at the two of them in confusion and furrowed his brow, asking, “What’s going on? Are you two together or not?”

“They are together!” He Chuanan said.

“We’re not together,” Qi Shanglan replied.

The two spoke at the same time. Qi Shanglan glanced at He Chuanan and added, “She was just passing by, curious, and came in to take a look. You guys misunderstood and thought too much.”

“Now I don’t believe anything you say,” He Chuanan said. “But don’t worry, I’ll keep this secret.”

Qi Shanglan: …