After dinner, Kuang Ye takes the initiative to washed the dishes and then snuggled under the warm blanket with Mu Wan, holding her close.

“Wan wan, how about I move from the base to the apartment and live with you?”

Mu Wan immediately widened her eyes, thinking, This little brat…

Kuang Ye continued, “I’m not comfortable with you living alone. What if you get sick again like last time and end up lying in bed with no one to take care of you?”

Mu Wan lowered her gaze, realizing she had misunderstood him. But considering the situation—an unmarried couple living together—it was inevitable that rumors could spread. Even if she will say they are innocent and just living together, no one would believe it.

“What about the training of your team?”

“The apartment is only a ten-minute drive from the base. I can just clock in and out every day,” Kuang Ye replied.

Mu Wan hesitated for a moment, her ears turning red. She asked softly, “But there’s only one room. Where would you sleep?”

Kuang Ye leaned down and kissed her earlobe. “What do you think, fiancée?”

Mu Wan: “…” She hadn’t misunderstood the little rascal.

After thinking for a while, she finally nodded. Living alone in the apartment every day made her secretly a little afraid, since she never slept with the lights off. Plus, they were engaged, so sharing a bed was a legal and natural thing.

A flash of triumph appeared in Kuang Ye’s eyes, and a muffled chuckle escaped from his throat. He leaned closer to her neck, his breath brushing against her pale skin.

“Thank you, Jiejie!”

The temperature under the blanket rose a bit. Thinking about the excessive actions of this brat before, Mu Wan suddenly said, “But not today or the next day. You still have to compete in the Fall Season Tournament. I can’t let the virus from me spread to you. You can sleep on the sofa for now.”

Her words sounded dignified, and her reason was entirely reasonable.

Kuang Ye, however, sighed in disappointment and complained in a somewhat pitiful tone, “Jiejie, I’m not afraid of the virus.”

Mu Wan replied, “I’m afraid. Move aside. It’s too hot to be so close.”

Kuang Ye: “…”

It seemed like winning over the beauty would take some effort.

——

A couple of days later, Mu Wan’s fever had mostly subsided. She used WeChat to invite Chu Xiao Yin out.

“Xiao Yin, can I go visit your senior? I’m planning to compete in next year’s Paganini competition and want to ask her for some advice.”

The Paganini competition was held every two years, and O Ruo had participated in it before, so it was a perfect topic to use as an entry point.

Chu Xiao Yin, thinking that O Ruo’s illness shouldn’t be disturbed by too many people and not wanting to make decisions on her own, said, “I’ll need to call her first.”

Mu Wan nodded in understanding.

Soon after, Chu Xiao Yin returned the call, smiling at Mu Wan. “Goddess, she agreed! When should we go?”

Mu Wan replied, “Right now!”

According to Mu Wan’s plan, she wanted to become familiar with the person first. Then, once the person’s brother showed even the slightest tendency to be cyberbullied, she would intervene as a friend. After all, when it comes to cyberbullying…

“Nothing is Worth Anything Without the Internet” ^[1]The phrase “Nothing is Worth Anything Without the Internet” reflects the idea that in today’s interconnected world, the internet has become a fundamental element that underpins many … Continue reading

Thinking that at least she was there to visit, Mu Wan bought two fruit baskets downstairs at the hospital. Entering the hospital room, O Ruo looked just like she had in the interview from her previous life, though her cheeks appeared a little more gaunt.

“Hello, Mu Wan.”

“Hello, O Ruo.”

O Ruo smiled, politely extended her hand to Mu Wan, and then said, “I also participated in the Stern Violin Competition before. I saw you backstage but didn’t have the chance to talk to you. Your violin playing is excellent; the championship was well-deserved.”

Mu Wan’s eyes flickered slightly, a warm feeling rising in her chest. This was a kind gesture to comfort her, especially about the rumors surrounding the championship being rigged. O Ruo seemed like a genuinely kind person.

“Thank you for the compliment. The registration for this year’s Paganini Competition will begin soon. I look forward to competing with you again.”

All three of them were music students and violinists, so they quickly found themselves discussing all sorts of topics related to their field. O Ruo also shared her experiences with Mu Wan regarding the competition system for Paganini.

The Paganini International Violin Competition was divided into three stages: the preliminaries, the semifinals, and the finals. In addition to the required pieces for the competition, the participants had to select six pieces from Paganini’s 24 Caprices to perform.

It’s worth noting that the first place in the Paganini International Violin Competition is awarded based on a set score, and if no participant reaches the required score, the first place will not be awarded. It’s similar to a rule where you need a perfect score of 100 to win first place — even if you score 99 and rank first in the class, you still won’t win the championship.

The three girls quickly became close through their shared passion for music. Apart from Chu Xiao Yin, who consistently referred to Mu Wan as “Goddess,” O Ruo and Mu Wan had already started calling each other “Ruo Ruo” and “Wan wan,” respectively. O Ruo was in her fourth year of university, but after being diagnosed with a malignant tumor, she took a year off from school, so she was around the same age as Mu Wan.

“At this time, O Lan, your younger brother, should be bringing food to his senior,” Chu Xiao Yin suddenly looked at the time and said.

Upon hearing the familiar name “O Lan,” Mu Wan’s mind went blank, like a rusty machine that couldn’t start up for a moment. After a while, she managed to ask in a somewhat absent tone, “Ruo Ruo, your brother’s name is O Lan?”