He warned with a glance at Bai Xi, “I’ve told you before, not to mention Nian Nian in front of Qin Si. Haven’t you learned your lesson?”

Bai Xi’s face turned pale. “I don’t mention her in front of him. Can’t I even talk about her in private?”

There was a moment of silence.

The bar door was pushed open, and a young man walked in with a hint of poverty about him.

“Is it raining again outside?” Ming ge asked.

Qin Si nodded and casually closed the door behind him.

Ming ge was drunk tonight, holding a glass of wine, wanting to toast everyone one by one. “You little rascals, you’re doing well.”

He patted Qin Si on the shoulder forcefully, squinting, “In the future, if there’s anything we can help with, just ask. Don’t stubbornly resist on your own. During the winter and summer vacations… hiccup…”

He let out a long hiccup, “Remember to come back to Ancheng often.”

Huang Mao hurriedly added, “Yes, also come back to see Nian Nian.”

Xiao Qu said, “She’ll be happy to see you back.”

It was pouring rain outside.

The rain came and went, unexpectedly lasting until the next day.

Lu Nian was a bit nervous, afraid that he would call to cancel the appointment because of the rain.

Fortunately, he didn’t.

They had arranged to meet at two in the afternoon. Lu Nian tidied himself up and looked in the mirror.

“Are you going out with that handsome boy today?” Miao Miao helped her with her hair, teasing.

Lu Nian held her face, answering crisply, “Yes.”

Miao Miao rarely saw her so happy.

She hadn’t been with the Lu family for as long as Zhang Qiuping and the others, and her job was to take care of Lu Nian, so she didn’t usually get involved in other people’s gossip.

She was also from Ancheng and went home when she had time off, so she didn’t know much about Qin Si.

All she knew was that when he came, Nian Nian would be happy.

She was like a canary trapped in a cage.

From childhood to adulthood, from year to year, there were rarely such happy times. Miao Miao couldn’t bear to ruin it.

She said, “The handsome boy really likes you.”

Lu Nian, “Huh?”

How could that be? Qin Si’s attitude towards her was so bad, she suspected that Miao Miao, being her adoptive mother’s real daughter, saw everyone liking her.

Miao Miao pursed her lips and smiled, “He’s very considerate.”

And his thoughts were detailed enough. If Miss Nian Nian could marry such a husband in the future, she would definitely be well taken care of.

Lu Nian, “…”

What made Miao Miao have this mistaken impression of him?

Considerate?

Qin Si and this term seemed to have nothing to do with each other.

b2tpFrom childhood to adulthood, as long as he didn’t argue with others, he was fine, and he never said a soft word.

Could he be considered considerate?

But she finished dressing up, looked in the mirror, grabbed her purse, and had the Lu family driver take her out.

This time, she could legitimately say she was going to buy study materials.

She was in a good mood in the car, swinging her two slender legs, humming a song.

The rain outside didn’t seem to be easing up.

She got out of the car at the entrance of the central mall and immediately saw the young man.

He stood out in the crowd, tall and slender, almost visible at a glance, seeming to be looking at something on his phone.

“Qin Si!” Lu Nian waved to him.

He closed the flight information, stood still, and waited for her to come over.

This is Ancheng’s largest comprehensive mall, with a bookstore on the first floor.

Lu Nian lingered in the bookstore, selecting several books, of course, also considering Qin Si’s opinion.

She finished shopping quickly.

It was still early, and it was raining outside, so there was really nowhere else to go.

Lu Nian felt a bit down.

The two walked in the mall, one in front of the other, when he suddenly said, “Let’s take a stroll.”

Lu Nian looked up.

The young man looked ahead, “I haven’t bought everything I need.”

“Okay, I’ll accompany you,” Lu Nian said, “consider it my reward for accompanying me to buy books!”

There wasn’t really anything he needed to buy, and they finished shopping quickly.

As they got off the elevator, they suddenly saw a crowd gathered on the first floor. Lu Nian asked, “What’s happening there?”

“An event, probably,” he seemed uninterested.

“Let’s go take a look,” the girl pleaded with big eyes.

“…”

He went along with her.

The crowd was packed.

“Ah, StarHit!” Lu Nian’s eyes lit up when she saw the giant plush toy in the center, “Are they holding an event here for StarHit?”

StarHit was a manga that Lu Nian really liked, also known as “Star Strike.”

Lu Nian drew herself and also loved manga.

She secretly read a lot when Lu Zhihong wasn’t around, and there was a pile hidden in the secret compartment of the study.

This was her favorite.

She especially liked the character Lu Jue in it, a deer transformed into a humanoid.

“StarHit” was about to launch a collaborative mobile game, so she guessed they were here to promote it.

“Are there any more audience members willing to come up and try?” the host’s voice came, “This round is ten minutes! We’re still short of two spots. As long as you last more than ten minutes, you can get a limited edition Lu Jue doll!”

“Let’s go in and take a look.” Lu Nian couldn’t walk anymore, “Can we? Can we?”

Seeing her like this, Qin Si…

He couldn’t refuse.

Lu Jue, the character Lu Nian liked the most in “StarHit,” had a cute deer appearance and a super cute humanoid form.

Although he was a bit arrogant and tsundere, Lu Nian loved him.

Lu Nian looked at the Q-version plush toy of Lu Jue, her eyes sparkling.

Lu Jue had two forms, one was the appearance of a little deer, and the other was a humanoid form, which was a highly popular cute shota.

Naturally, it was more popular, so most of the figurines were humanoid, making it especially rare to find one in deer form.

Moreover, this design was particularly cute.

She had never seen it before and remembered it should be a limited edition produced for the upcoming collaborative mobile game launch.

In the center was a red platform with the time written on it, a boy holding a girl horizontally, just coming down from above.

Lu Nian was puzzled and asked a nearby girl who was watching, “Miss, could you please tell me how this event works?”

The girl was obviously also a loyal fan of “StarHit” and excitedly said, “It’s that, the classic pose of Yuyuan and Xinghe from ‘StarHit’! The princess carry. If you hold out long enough, you can get a Lu Jue prize figurine.”

Yuyuan and Xinghe were the male and female leads in the manga, which the official had always heavily promoted, but the most popular character was still Lu Jue.

Lu Nian felt like flipping the table.

What kind of lousy planning was this? Why did you need to do an activity with Yuyuan and Xinghe to get a Lu Jue doll?

After calming down a bit, she asked the girl cautiously, “So, are there any other requirements for this event?”

The girl said, “For fairness, carrying children is not allowed, limited to those over 16 years old. And it seems there are no other requirements, couples, siblings, relationships are not limited, but couples have priority.”

Couples first…

Lu Nian felt completely hopeless.

Where was she supposed to find a boyfriend on the spot? Otherwise, should she just wait here to buy one?

“It’s a pity I don’t have a boyfriend,” the girl said, “It’s so annoying. I can only wait here to see if anyone is willing to come. I’ve been waiting for three hours already, and no one is willing!”

After all, most of the gifts were won by boyfriends, and it wouldn’t be good to resell them.

Lu Nian, “…”

“But the level of this group isn’t very high,” the girl said, “As long as you last ten minutes, it’s enough.”

Lu Nian watched, feeling envious and unable to walk.

She went to ask the girl who had signed up.

“Miss, I’ll pay. Can I buy a Lu Jue?” she asked pitifully.

“Sorry, it’s not for sale,” the girl who signed up said.

She saw a boy standing nearby, “You can try with your boyfriend. It’s not difficult. This group’s longest time is only ten minutes. As long as you last more than ten minutes, it should be okay for your boyfriend.”

She looked at the tall boy with well-defined arm muscles.

He should be quite strong and would have no problem holding the light girl for ten minutes.

Lu Nian, “…”

The problem was not a problem for Qin Si.

He could definitely hold her, but…

He might not be willing, or rather, he definitely wouldn’t be willing.

Qin Si remained silent, and Lu Nian never even considered asking him.

You see, he didn’t even want to touch her, let alone hold her for so long.

“Otherwise, should I go find a random guy to help?” Lu Nian muttered, looking around.

But she didn’t have the nerve to ask a stranger to do such an intimate gesture with her.

Several attempts to speak failed.

Qin Si watched her struggle the whole time. His eyelids drooped slightly. “If you want to find someone, do it quickly. It’s about to start.”

Lu Nian, “…”

“Otherwise, it’ll only be me.” After a while, he said stiffly.

Lu Nian was stunned, completely unable to digest what he had just said.

Seeing her stunned, the boy felt his cheeks heat up again, and stiffly said, “If you don’t want to, forget it.”

Lu Nian’s eyes lit up, and she hurriedly shook her head, “Please.”

“I promise not to think too much or make any inappropriate moves,” she said.

There was only one spot left.

There was still a pair of siblings in front of them.

“Couples first, sorry, would you like to wait for the next group?” The staff girl apologized to the siblings when they arrived.

Lu Nian had originally wanted to say they weren’t a couple, but now the words were stuck in her mouth.

“Did I say anything wrong?” The girl looked at them and smiled, then asked Lu Nian to register her phone number.

Lu Nian, “…”

Lu Nian stole a glance at Qin Si, feeling that asking him to go along with this lie was a bit too difficult for him.

The boy didn’t look at her, standing a bit far away, his expression unreadable.

“Okay, the last couple to come on stage in this group is very young… and their looks match well,” the staff member hyped up the atmosphere, “Moreover, they are very compatible in terms of appearance.”

They seemed to be the most competitive pair in this group.

The boy was tall, and the girl was very slender. Breaking the ten-minute record shouldn’t be a problem.

Lu Nian was only a few pounds away from 100 pounds.

With her small frame, she appeared exceptionally slender.

When he held her, she felt soft, her fragrance emanating continuously, impossible to resist.

His mind was already fuzzy.

His ears were burning hot, and his cheeks were uncontrollably flushing.

He had to suppress it desperately, not letting her notice anything.

But Lu Nian wanted to say something.

She had been staring at the timer behind her and turned to speak in his ear, “Three more minutes!”

Just hold on a little longer, and she would break this group’s record and get her Lu Jue.

“Can you still do it?” she asked softly.

Qin Si’s movements were very restrained as he held her, deliberately avoiding those sensitive areas.

His arms were strong and firm, and the difference in physique between a boy and a girl was evident at this moment.

She realized how petite she was, nestled in his arms, just a small bundle.

Her heart was beating a little faster, but she could only tell herself…

She had agreed not to think too much; he was just helping her.

The girl’s breath was soft, with a faint fragrance, brushing against his ear like a gentle feather.

Every touch of her breath felt like it was being scorched by fire.

His body didn’t listen to him. Whenever she got close and touched him, it would immediately respond sensitively, wanting to respond positively.

This made him uncomfortably different, and he couldn’t even show it.

Every second seemed so long. He was afraid that she would notice his abnormally rapid heartbeat.

“…Don’t speak.” He tightened his arms and his voice sounded hoarse.

Lu Nian thought he was too tired, so she nodded, indicating that it was okay and she wouldn’t disturb him anymore.

Finally, after ten minutes, he put her down, walked away, and didn’t hold her for a moment longer.

The audience applauded, and Lu Nian remembered that she and he had pretended to be a couple.

Afraid of being seen through by the staff, she didn’t think about it and grabbed his sleeve, “Wait for me.”

Qin Si stopped in his tracks, frozen in place.

Someone in the audience laughed.

This little girl was quite adept at acting spoiled with her boyfriend, and it seemed she was used to it.

The staff also laughed, “Can’t you two hold on for at least twice as long? Why did you stop?”

She looked at the boy, who showed no signs of fatigue. She didn’t understand why he had let go as soon as the record was broken.

Usually, boys want to show off in front of their girlfriends, right?

Lu Nian dared not look at Qin Si. She was afraid of giving away the act.

She could only smile awkwardly and say, “He’s thin-skinned and shy. He doesn’t like being so close in front of others.”

The staff member said, “I see.”

She glanced at the boy who had already walked away and was standing alone not far away.

He had a handsome and refined appearance, with a pair of narrow, classical phoenix eyes.

He had a cold and aloof temperament, not easy to get along with… It could only be said that he was different in front of his girlfriend, indeed.

She put a special mark next to Lu Nian’s phone number and praised, “You guys really have a good feeling, very much like Yuan and Xinghe.”

Lu Nian, “…”

She felt increasingly guilty and didn’t dare to answer.

Lu Nian received the Lu Jue doll and immediately hugged it, “I like Lu Jue the most!”

On her Haitu account, she had also posted many fan drawings of Lu Jue, making it well known that she was a fan of Lu Jue.

The staff saw her phone wallpaper, which indeed was of Lu Jue, “Is this?”

The drawing was highly detailed, so much so that they couldn’t tell if it was official artwork or fan art.

The composition was top-notch, and the coloring was very aesthetic.

It was clear that she truly liked Lu Jue, as the expression was captured perfectly.

Lu Nian smiled shyly, a bit embarrassed, “I drew this myself. My skills aren’t as good as the professionals. Please excuse my poor work.”

“No, no, it’s really well done.” The staff handed her a business card, “In the future, let’s keep in touch.”

Lu Nian thanked them and accepted the card.

She took the doll and hugged Lu Jue close, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of her lips.

“Thanks to you,” she said.

The boy remained silent, not saying a word the whole time.

Lu Nian thought, it must have been hard for him.

After all, she was also a girl, and he had always been reluctant to touch her before.

They happened to pass by a café, and she went in to buy two iced coffees, handing him one, “Thanks for your help.”

“Are you leaving tomorrow?”

He nodded.

The afternoon passed quickly, and Lu Nian felt that time flew by too fast.

The rain outside had not stopped, and the Lu family’s car had arrived. Lu Yang asked her why buying study materials had taken so long.

Lu Nian gave some perfunctory answers. When she hung up the phone, the boy was standing not far away, his voice indifferent, “I’m leaving.”

He seemed to have completely returned to his original state, with a calm expression and eyes revealing no emotions, reserved and cold.

Lu Nian, “I’ll see you off.”

“No need,” he said.

The Lu family’s car had arrived, and phone calls kept coming one after another.

Lu Nian couldn’t hold on any longer and could no longer delay.

The rain outside fell like silk threads. He watched her get into the car and leave, moving farther and farther away until she was out of sight before he turned to leave.

The flight was at midnight.

He didn’t plan to have dinner and went straight home by taxi, picked up his luggage, and headed to the airport.

That evening, Lu Nian hugged the freshly washed and dried Lu Jue doll and lay on her bed.

She thought about the day’s events.

In retrospect, being held by Qin Si felt quite nice… He smelled good, and his embrace was warm and firm.

Moreover, she inexplicably felt a sense of nostalgia, as if she had experienced something similar before.

Suddenly feeling shy in hindsight, she repeatedly told herself not to overthink it.

If only he could be a little more gentle.

Many people fall in love during college.

And with Qin Si’s looks, as long as he was a bit gentler, he would definitely attract girls.

Maybe next year he would bring a girlfriend back to Ancheng.

If that happened, would it still be appropriate for her to keep his house key?

Lu Nian’s thoughts wandered aimlessly.

Suddenly, she felt very downcast.

She got out of bed barefoot and picked up the notebook Qin Si had given her.

The girl sniffed, curled up on the bed, and flipped through it page by page.

She had read it many times over the past few days, but this time, something unexpected fell from the title page.

Lu Nian bent down to pick it up and saw it was a note.

The handwriting was messy, but it was Qin Si’s, sharp and bold.

She opened her eyes wide, seeing only one line, “The lock won’t be changed; keep the key if you want.”

Was he talking about his house? Lu Nian was stunned.

Thinking about it, since he gave her the key, she hadn’t used it once.

Did he want her to help look after the house occasionally?

After all, Qin Si had no family, and that house was always just him alone.

Lu Nian’s mood slightly improved. Did this at least mean he would return to Ancheng?

So, when he comes back for winter break, she’ll go in early, have the house cleaned thoroughly, and prepare a delicious meal to surprise him.

Thinking of this, she inadvertently smiled again. After staring at the note for a long time, she carefully folded it and put it in her box.

The sound of rain hitting the window frame was particularly noticeable.

She looked out the window.

It was pitch dark, and the rain had started again. The summer rain poured down like a waterfall, making it impossible to see anything.

He was leaving.

The girl stood barefoot, staring outside.

For so many years, this seemed to be the first time they would be so far apart.

This feeling of melancholy and loneliness was overwhelming.