Chapter 7

Xu Zhinan tilted her head: "What?"

In the initial stages of opening the store, there were indeed difficult times, as it could not match the popularity of larger stores, nor could it compete with the pricing of smaller shops

Xu Zhinan opened her mouth, then closed it again, walking out of the bedroom in silence. She picked up her backpack again, changed back into her shoes, and left.

"Captain." Guan Chi hesitated and called out, "Is there nothing wrong?"

All things that arise from the combination of causes and conditions are unreal and cannot endure

His expression remained unchanged, yet at this moment, his aura inexplicably felt somewhat oppressive, with a hint of sternness unfolding between his brows and eyes, softly uttering: "Hmm."

After he finished speaking, he felt that this guess was completely improbable: "That's not right, the captain doesn't seem like someone who would pay attention to these things."

Gu Congwang lay down on the sofa and ordered a sushi platter for himself: "Do you usually earn enough to eat?"

The studio door slammed with a loud "bang"

Gu Congwang only poured her half a glass: "Why are you drinking today? Are you feeling down?"

Young Master Gu would never treat himself poorly: "I often go to the Chinese restaurant there, and the owner is Chinese. The taste is no different from that in the country"

Xu Zhinan's tattoo shop is situated in the middle

Xu Zhinan has a gentle disposition, a naturally soft voice, and speaks in a low tone, merely smiling as she waved her hand at him.

Xu Zhinan glared at him sulkily and corrected him with a serious expression: "It is not bird language."

... ...

I also wish to see them together, but unfortunately, it seems that no one has ever seen the two of them in the same frame, which is truly a pity

Zhao Qian handed her the phone to look at

I can't believe it, it actually happened, we are in the same frame!

Everyone held their heads up, except for Xu Zhinan, who hung her head down, making it easy to notice her

She was hesitating whether to send a text message to Lin Qingye to notify him, when the front door of the examination room was opened, and Lin Qingye was standing at the entrance

Gu Congwang was taken aback: "What wrongdoing?"

This is precisely the peak time for getting off work, as well as the peak period for food delivery orders. After waiting for quite a while, Gu Congwang's takeaway finally arrived, which included a sushi platter and a bottle of sake.

Immediately, a wave of discussion erupted below

"That is enough." Xu Zhinan smiled slightly, revealing a few small white teeth, "My fees are not low."

Only three people are left in the living room, looking at each other in confusion. What happened?

It should be expensive

Xu Zhinan took a shallow sip of wine, leaned back against the chair, tilted her head to glance at the Buddhist scripture on the nearby bookshelf, and said softly: "I just feel like I am doing something wrong"

14: "Did the program 'I Came for the Song' release an audio today? Is it because they saw the comments below that were criticizing?"

After leaving the Lin Qingye apartment, Xu Zhinan took the subway directly back to the tattoo shop

I cannot say for certain

I know you are back today. Xu Zhinan glanced at Lin Qingye, lowered her voice, and said, "You didn't even let me pick you up at the airport."

She walked across the crosswalk and asked, "How did the exam go?"

I am truly impressed by this solid fan base; as soon as the program news was released, it shot straight into the top ten of the trending topics!

Indeed, no matter how one looks at it, she does not seem like the kind of person who would be involved with Lin Qingye

She hesitated about how to address Gu Congwang in front of Lin Qingye

The small shop, on the other hand, is generally technical, with a lack of strong design sense, belonging to the most ordinary tattoo artists, charging low prices, and primarily targeting clients who have limited financial means but are interested in getting tattoos

Gu Congwang stood at the entrance of the store, dressed in a white short-sleeve shirt and jeans, looking very fresh

Forget it, I will order myself. How is your business going now?

... ...

I already told you about my flight today, why didn't you come to pick me up? I am currently all alone at Yan Cheng Airport!

He said nothing, picked up his guitar, and went straight into his room

This area is also a university town, and after Xu Zhinan was honored as the "Light of Pingchuan," many people came here out of admiration, gradually achieving a promotional effect

Xu Zhinan took out her phone and said, "Then I will order you some takeout."

Where have you just been? Did you come here by subway?

Gu Congwang took out two glass cups from her cabinet and raised the bottle of wine in her hand: "Care for a drink?"

Zhao Qian couldn't stop laughing: "The forum is saying about you and Lin Qingye."

Lin Qingye has not attended class at all this semester, and the modern history teacher does not have a habit of taking attendance, so many people are completely unaware that they are classmates with Lin Qingye in this course

He studied in a 2 + 2 program at university, went to the UK for study abroad in his junior year, and has just returned home after finishing this semester's courses

As she moved her throat, a mouthful of wine slid down her throat in one go, causing her to cough for quite a while: "That's not it!"

Only the sound of Zhao Qian beside me, suppressing her excitement with a sigh, could be heard

"Not bad." Xu Zhinan quickened her pace and raised her eyes to look across the street, "I see you."

The last time she left his apartment was rather strange, and she could not quite grasp whether it could be considered an unpleasant quarrel between them; however, they indeed had not been in contact these past few days

Gu Congwang: "No, it hurts too much"

He shook his head and said hesitantly: "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; they are like dew and lightning. One should view them in this way"

I came back myself! Young Master Gu, in a fit of anger, dropped another line, "I'll go to the store to find you," and hung up the phone directly

Xu Zhinan saw a pair of shoes in the light, she held her breath, her heart racing a little faster

I am truly amazed by you, my dear aunt. Is there anyone as heartless as you? When I was in the country, did I not take you with me wherever I went!

Alright! Quiet down!" the invigilator shouted, "Everyone, take a look around and see if your classmates from the dormitory have arrived, as we are about to distribute the exam papers.

Zhao Qian sat on the other side, leaning over and nudging her elbow with her own elbow

... ...

In the modern history class, there is no specific examination number assigned for the exam; it only requires that there be one seat between two individuals.

Xu Zhinan paused for a moment, glanced back at the classroom, and did not see Lin Qingye

There are primarily four classic styles of tattoos: traditional, school, realistic, and totem.

By the time they arrived, the excellent seats in the last few rows had already been taken, leaving them with no choice but to select seats in the front row corner

Zhao Qian made an OK gesture and said, "I am a professional"

Since that day, Xu Zhinan has not been in contact with Lin Qingye.

Xu Zhinan no longer mentioned this matter, and a few more customers came to inquire about ink wash tattoos. She lowered her head and focused on responding.

Fortunately, during her freshman year, her photos became popular on the campus forum of Pingchuan University, and gradually, people began to inquire about her, learning that she had opened a tattoo shop outside of school

It is quite good here, this area is a university town, with many young people, and there are quite a few who are curious about tattoos. However, in the end, not many actually decide to get one, mainly consisting of some regular customers

I thought you were already in the store, have you been quite busy lately

"Quite impressive." Gu Congwang gave her a thumbs up, "I was actually thinking of sponsoring you by using my precious self to help you make a deal."

Xu Zhinan smiled and took out the keys from her backpack to unlock the store door: "It's hot outside, you can come in first"

Gu Congwang smiled and said, "Alright, then you translate it."

Then he said: "Xu Zhinan, where have you been?"

Xu Zhinan has recently been practicing ink wash tattoos, and has drawn several sketches in her drafts, posting a photo of them on her Moments.

Gu Congwang and she can be considered childhood friends, having grown up together since they were young

The young man has long legs and appears to be somewhat sleepy, with a furrowed brow that suggests a degree of impatience

Hello?" She answered the call

Xu Zhinan did not argue with that Young Master Gu: "So what are you going to do now? Is there no one to pick you up at the airport?"

Although Lin Qingye's previous scandal involving violence is indeed true, this face is truly exceptional

Ji Yan furrowed her brows and said, "Did the captain go home and argue with his mother again?"

There are not many tattoo artists in Yancheng who can excel at this craft, and Xu Zhinan is one of them. Moreover, his skills are indeed impressive, allowing him to retain clients. His original designs, which are unique, are charged at approximately 500 per hour.

She does not often share daily moments on her social media, but due to the opening of her tattoo shop, she frequently posts new works.

The senior sister in her fourth year said, I remember the time when Xu Zhinan first entered the school and was the most popular, when there were even bets on whether the campus heartthrob and beauty of Pingda would spark a romantic connection!

Today is the modern history exam, Xu Zhinan stayed up all night last night, memorizing all that stack of materials. While packing up the exam supplies, she asked, "What are you laughing at? Be careful not to be late for the exam."

Everyone is quite casual about this type of class, whispering and conspiring about the upcoming "mutual assistance" segment

One of the posts features photos taken by everyone over the past four years of Lin Qingye. There are images of singing in bars, attending classes at school, and on the basketball court

Xu Zhinan paused for a moment without answering, and Gu Congwang asked again: "Have you eaten?"

I will arrive shortly as well," Xu Zhinan said, "in five minutes, just exiting the subway station.

Lin Qingye entered with a serious expression, and the other members of the band were all present.

Realistic tattoos pursue likeness and extreme detail, requiring a strong foundation in drawing skills to execute well

Xu Zhinan buried her head lower and lower

Two days later, the official Weibo account of "I Sing for You" announced all the participants of the program, including Lin Qingye, which also stirred up the long-silent fans, who all became lively at once

As she replied, she glanced at Gu Congwang and said, "Why are you eating sushi right after returning to the country? Isn't it said that what overseas students miss the most is Chinese food?"

I will head back first," Xu Zhinan said softly

Xu Zhinan does not like to drink alcohol. Since the previous incident of reckless behavior after drinking, she has been drinking even less. Just thinking about the scenes from when she came out of Lin Qingye's apartment makes her feel inexplicably suffocated

Good. Xu Zhinan changed the filtering criteria to "per capita from high to low"

Lin Qingye brought nothing with him except for a black signature pen, which he placed on the table, producing a faint sound. He then calmly sat down next to Xu Zhinan.

Are we, the campus heartthrob of Ping University, about to lead Ping University out of the academic circle and into the entertainment industry

He just said: "Okay"

The large store has high visibility, a substantial customer base, strong promotional efforts, and many resident tattoo artists. These artists have been in the industry for seven to eight years, possess excellent skills, and attract numerous clients, charging between 2,000 and 3,000 per hour

What is that?" Gu Congwang squinted his eyes and scanned her from top to bottom, "I really can't guess what kind of wrongdoing someone like you could commit.

Soon, regular customers will come to inquire. Compared to common tattoo styles, ink wash tattoos are relatively rare, with a stronger presence of Chinese elements, making them quite special

Upon hearing her say these things, Gu Congwang felt overwhelmed: "What nonsense are you talking about now?"

Then he nodded: "Just a little bit is fine"

The university forum of Pingchuan University is also extremely lively, with the posts highlighted on the homepage all concerning Lin Qingye

Xu Zhinan put her phone back in her pocket and walked back in front of Lin Qingye: "Qingye Ge."

How could you be so inconsiderate? Not only did you not come to pick me up from the airport, but now you expect me to have dinner alone?

"Alright." Xu Zhinan glanced at the invigilator at the podium and added, "Be careful."

Gu Congwang smiled as he saw Xu Zhinan crossing the zebra crossing, raised his arm and waved vigorously, calling out: "Anan!"

The recent incident caused quite a stir. Although Lin Qingye claimed she was his girlfriend, his attitude was truly dismissive and deceptive. Xu Zhinan felt embarrassed by his demeanor and was unwilling to stay any longer

Tattoo shops are mainly divided into three types

Zhao Qian leaned back in her chair, holding her phone and browsing the forum, laughing incessantly

Guan Chi: "What is going on? I haven't seen the captain make that expression in a long time"

Xu Zhinan has a good relationship with him, but it is too good; Gu Congwang even knows her mother, and she does not dare to mention Lin Qingye to him at all

Young Master Gu waved his hand and said, "You really do bring up the very thing I do not wish to mention as soon as you open your mouth"

Lin Qingye scanned the area and walked straight over

After Xu Zhinan finished reading, she returned the phone to her without expressing any opinion, "Let's go, let's go, the exam venue is in Building 2, it's quite far."

Hahaha, indeed, many posts in our forum are often moved to the super topic by fans

It doesn't seem so; it has been quite a while since I last returned.

Ji Yan glanced over and said, "Otherwise, who else could possibly make our captain angry"

Zhao Qian sat in the innermost window seat and leaned over to Xu Zhinan, whispering: "Anan, if you finish quickly later, remember to slide the test paper a bit towards me, just the multiple-choice questions will do."

Xu Zhinan was taken aback and blinked: "What?"

His apartment is located in the city center, and at this time it is the evening rush hour, with the subway station bustling with crowds.

Gu Congwang took a taxi directly from the airport. As Xu Zhinan just exited the Pingchuan University station, she received his call, stating that he had already arrived

Despite having translated it into colloquial language, Gu Congwang still felt it was gibberish and could not quite understand. After a while, he asked, "You haven't experienced a breakup, have you?"

Is there a photo of Lin Qingye and Xu Zhinan together? This could directly be made into a poster! Hurry, let me see it!

She only answered the previous question.

Could it be that you forgot today is the exam

The disparity between the two families is significant. Xu Zhinan's father is a police officer and her mother is a teacher, coming from an ordinary family. In contrast, the Gu family is a prestigious and well-respected clan in Yan City. Gu Congwang is considered a prodigy, having grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth, the beloved young prince of the Gu family, enjoying immense affection.

Xu Zhinan sat down and said, "If you want a tattoo, I will give it to you for free"

In terms of appearance, it is estimated that no university can surpass Ping University, with Lin Qingye representing the male side and Xu Zhinan representing the female side, both serving as prominent figures.