Chapter 2

As soon as she took her first step, she paused for a moment and slowly blinked her eyes

Xu Zhinan has been a well-behaved girl since childhood, coming from an ordinary family with excellent academic performance. Later, after developing an interest in art, she diligently studied and researched, ultimately ranking among the top students and gaining admission to the Fine Arts Design program at Pingchuan University

Xu Zhinan leaned against the door panel, gently exhaling a breath, as her phone vibrated with a message from Zhao Qian

Lin Qingye leaned against the edge of the table and looked at her for a while, then spoke: "A Nan."

Xu Zhinan's heart raced

It is quite thick, likely having been flipped through many times, the cover has become polished, yet the pages show no signs of damage, indicating that it has been very well preserved

"Anan?" Zhao Qian asked, "What happened?"

He folded the paper a few times, transforming it into an airplane, which flew into the pen holder

Meanwhile, the weather changed; the sky, which had just cleared for a moment, suddenly began to rain again. The raindrops fell in a patter, and Xu Zhinan, caught off guard, quickly ran over.

Lin Qingye sometimes drinks too much at the bar, or when he needs to write a song, he simply takes a nap there

"Run?" he asked

She suddenly let out a laugh

The Guanyin Bodhisattva clearly does not look like this

Xu Zhinan pressed her phone against her chest, her steps faltering: "I just remembered that there is something I need to take care of at my store. You can head back to the dormitory first."

It does not matter if you do not look, but once you do, you will notice that the Buddhist scripture is still open

Lin Qingye closed the book and tossed it aside into the corner of the bed, the golden spine of the book still facing her

"Qingye, what do you plan to do after graduation?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed

The young girl lowered her head to look at her phone, the light from the screen illuminating her delicate, upturned nose with a faint powdery blue hue, and her finely arched brows slightly furrowed.

When her eyes were closed, she still dared to be a bit proactive, but as soon as she opened her eyes, she was overwhelmed by the aura emanating from him, unable to meet his gaze directly, and could only look to the side.

Lin Qingye kept pulling her until they reached the door of the studio, then took out the key to unlock the door, pushed her inside, and immediately raised his hand to press the light switch above her head

Xu Zhinan's tattoo shop is not far from the bar, just a few meters away. She ran back to the tattoo shop, unlocked the door, and then retrieved her phone to send a message to Lin Qingye.

Below is a line of small text

"Anything will do," he thought without much seriousness, his pen moving continuously as he continued to write lyrics, casually adding, "How about I tattoo your name?"

Lin Qingye raised his eyebrows, his voice slightly hoarse: "What happened?"

The young girl hesitated and looked troubled, with a backpack slung over her shoulders. Her face was not the gaunt, bony type, but rather small-boned, and she still had a bit of baby fat, which made her appear even more innocent.

In early June, after the rain, there were some small puddles with uneven surfaces beneath.

He exhaled smoke, noticed the gaze, turned his head to look over, revealing a pair of pitch-black eyes from beneath the brim of his hat

The rain outside continues to fall in a gentle patter

After a while, they finally parted. Lin Qingye licked his lips and straightened his back

However, the surface of this narrow alley is uneven, and on the way back, I stepped into countless small puddles.

Water splashed up, hitting Xu Zhinan's exposed calves, feeling somewhat cool

Is it now

Nevertheless, he still gained a group of fans

Xu Zhinan let out a soft exclamation, as the person was pressed down, enveloped by the warmth radiating from his body

Her heart raced like thunder, her eyes remained tightly shut, as if she were an ostrich burying its head in the desert, ignoring the Buddhist scripture on the bedside.

It seems that there is indeed an intention to enter the entertainment industry

Xu Zhinan was caught off guard, letting out a soft exclamation, and had to take a step forward just to barely keep up with his pace

"Don't let others take advantage of you." He laughed nonchalantly and casually said, "Next time, I'll let you borrow this 'nice back' to practice your tattooing skills."

She was taken aback and raised her head: "What happened?"

They also never dared to tell others about their relationship

Xu Zhinan paused for a moment and asked, "What do you want to get tattooed?"

Lin Qingye finished writing the last few words, the lyrics were written on a piece of paper torn from a notebook, the handwriting was messy yet beautiful

The night wind suddenly intensified, revealing a cold and desolate moon behind the thick clouds

Lin Qingye rose to fame early, winning the Golden Melody Award at the age of 18 for his song "Acacia" and becoming the youngest recipient of the award. Initially basking in glory, he received countless invitations from industry insiders, all of which he declined.

Xu Zhinan: I will need a little more time; if you are tired, you may turn off the lights first.

Xu Zhinan buried her face in the pillow, pleading: "Close the book."

Zhao Qian bid her farewell, saying, "Come back early and take care of your safety."

Her relationship with Lin Qingye is quite intriguing

Zhao Qian: I have arrived at the dormitory, are you finishing up soon?

He chuckled, his voice laced with smoke: "No."

Xu Zhinan no longer disturbed him while he was writing songs, she lifted the quilt and sat up on the bed, her gaze falling on his bare back

Xu Zhinan recalled what Zhao Qian had told her in the afternoon—that the Lin Qingye band was going to disband, just as they were about to graduate from their senior year. She had heard that there were intentions to enter the entertainment industry.

The outlines of the lines above are clear, not overly robust or exaggerated, yet they convey a strong sense of power

Qingye has come out

After a moment, Lin Qingye stopped her actions, and the brightness that had been burning above her head also extinguished. Immediately after, the young man leaned close to her ear and spoke softly with his melodious voice

I am unable to take action.

He smirked: "It's time to get down to business"

[ Qingye Ge: Hmm ]

Guan Chi is the drummer of the Acacia Band, and Xu Zhi Nan knows him

The young man had sharp features, with a slender and smooth jawline, a prominent Adam's apple, and a straightforward demeanor, as he lowered his head to kiss her lips

Xu Zhinan closed her eyes tightly, allowing Lin Qingye to take control, feeling as if she were being besieged from both sides, a sense of betrayal and taboo overwhelming her

In stark contrast, Xu Zhinan, after removing his coat, found that the dress underneath was not wet, yet his hair was completely soaked, with strands of black hair sticking to his fair neck, creating a striking color contrast

This is a Buddhist scripture, though it is unclear which edition it is. There are also some illustrations of Buddha figures, with a few lines of text beneath the images

Zhao Qian took a few steps and realized that Xu Zhinan had not followed her, so she turned back to look.

Hmm. He flicked the ash from his cigarette, appearing nonchalant, "Why didn't you let me know you were coming here?"

Just like the rainy day earlier, Xu Zhinan would want to hold an umbrella, while Lin Qingye pulls her to run wildly in the rainy night

Lin Qingye had also entered the bedroom, removed his soaked short-sleeved shirt, turned his back to her, sat at the desk, with a cigarette in his mouth and a pen between his fingers, occasionally jotting down a few notes.

She is aware that she should not indulge, yet she is irresistibly drawn to Lin Qingye.

"Wear my clothes, you can use any of them as a skirt."

Lin Qingye gently brushed her hair back and smiled, saying, "I forgot to give you the hat just now"

The summer rain fell suddenly and swiftly, without any warning, and Xu Zhinan hurried out, forgetting the umbrella in the store

At the same time, the sound of a lighter being clicked outside the door echoed, with a sharp "click".

Hearing the sound, he turned his head to look over, his gaze sweeping from top to bottom across her entire body: "Why are you still wearing this?"

The image of the Buddha statue faced her, with a faint smile embodying Zen, penetrating deep into her heart

Xu Zhinan stared at the text message in a daze for a moment before replying with a simple "Okay"

He lifted the clothes on the coffee table, grabbed the air conditioner remote to turn it on, and glanced at Xu Zhinan, saying: "You should go take a shower first"

On one side, there is a wooden shelf filled with various albums and records, both domestic and international, new and old.

Then, he directly grabbed Xu Zhinan's wrist and ran into the rain curtain

You do not have my clothes here

In the distance, she saw Lin Qingye standing at the side door of the bar, his stature tall and upright

Just as she had neatly styled her hair, it was blown out of place again, revealing her smooth and beautiful forehead. She raised her hand to press down her hair and tilted her head back to seek Lin Qingye's gaze

He bit down on the half-burned cigarette between his teeth, grasped her shoulder to pull her closer, draped his coat over her shoulders, lowered his gaze, and zipped it up to the top

He chuckled softly, no longer arguing with her, and continued to write on the paper: "Then let's not change."

The overhead light shines brightly.

"Qingye, was that drink bill you paid for me just now?" she asked softly

In stark contrast to her, Lin Qingye formed a band at the age of 16, won awards at 18, and during his time of great success, he turned down all invitations. Unrestrained, he continued to perform in bars, attracting groups of beautiful girls who were fond of him. He always lived in the spotlight, flamboyant and unrestrained, proud and rebellious

Xu Zhinan casually made up a reason: "The customer I had this morning was not very satisfied with the tattoo design, so I need to redraw it. The drawing board is still in the shop"

His tone was simply terrible, disrespecting the statue with utter disregard. Xu Zhina was not very happy and, rare for her, allowed a hint of emotion to color her tone in front of him: "That's not true."

Lin Qingye looked at her for a moment and took off his coat

No need. Xu Zhinan smiled and said, "Remember to send me a message after you get to the dormitory."

What about the band

Heaven and earth apart

The junior who came to her tattoo shop in the morning also said he wanted to tattoo her name on his body. She thought it was too childish, but now when Lin Qingye said the same thing, she couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush.

I decided to come here temporarily with a friend

"Is it really unnecessary for me to go with you?"

Xu Zhinan calmed down and looked closely

She had nothing to do, so she took a book out of her bag

Xu Zhinan paused for a moment, raised her hand to brush aside the hair that had been tousled by the wind, and slowed her pace

I suddenly recalled a phrase I had seen before: such a beautiful back, what a pity it cannot be cupped.

It is evident that they are not from the same world

"What are you laughing at?" Lin Qingye asked without turning his head.

Aren't you still at the bar

After taking a shower, Xu Zhinan put on the same dress again and walked out of the bathroom after drying her hair

Little nun, open your eyes

This is saying that she is short. Although Xu Zhinan is not considered tall, she is not short either

Lin Qingye glanced to the side, laughing recklessly, and took a moment to tease her, saying: "Is this the Guanyin of Childbirth?"

Xu Zhinan pressed her lips together and said nothing more, and the room fell silent again

He wore a hat, his body was soaked, but his face was relatively fine

Lin Qingye wore a mask and a hat on his head, his facial features and jawline were sharply defined, and he lazily leaned against the wall with a guitar bag slung over his shoulder

The Buddha spoke of the Eight Sufferings in life: birth, aging, illness, death, the meeting of those we resent, the separation from those we love, the inability to obtain what we desire, and the intensification of the five aggregates

The wind howled through the alley, and Xu Zhinan was wearing his coat, which reached mid-thigh, so he did not feel cold

It was only after a certain twist of fate that she became connected to Lin Qingye by a thread.

He picked up a water pink backpack from beside the wooden table, which contained a book and a water cup, then locked the door again and went out, heading once more in the direction of the bar

Lyrics

Ah... Xu Zhinan looked a bit sorrowfully at the raindrops cascading down in strings from the eaves

The bathroom here is very clean, unlike the messy living room outside

He is always like this, sweet words flowing effortlessly from his lips, making one's heart race uncontrollably, yet when one looks at him again, he still wears that calm and indifferent expression.

Before she could react to this statement, Lin Qingye stepped forward, knelt on the bed, grabbed the Buddhist scripture from her hand, and tossed it aside, the pages rustling as they flipped a few times.

Zhao Qian frowned, expressing her disapproval: "It's so late."

Guan Chi is getting married soon, and it is likely that he will inherit the family business. Tonight might be the last performance for our band. He said this nonchalantly

Xu Zhinan also did not know exactly what kind of poison he had been afflicted with

She stepped in too many puddles while running just now, and several mud stains have splattered on her calves

What is the Guanyin of Childbearing

Watching Lin Qingye remove his mask, revealing a section of his cold white wrist, with clear blue veins visible, he then took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and placed it between his lips, his cheeks slightly sunken, the tip of the cigarette glowing a bright red

Instead of returning to the apartment where Lin Qingye lived, I went back to his studio, which was not far from the bar and could be reached by crossing a small alley

She struggled a few times with a whimper

However, when these three words came out of her mouth, they sounded soft and lacked any deterrent power, instead resembling a form of coaxing.

Not tightly bound, yet difficult to articulate

This studio, which Xu Zhinan has visited several times before, has a very band-like style, with dark wallpaper as the main color scheme, clothes and cushions scattered messily on the sofa, and a complete set of electronic keyboards and drum kits.

He knows very well that it is just a joke

I don't know. Lin Qingye is accustomed to being lazy, yet he possesses the ability to attract attention with his every gesture. Recently, a program producer came to find me, and we are still in discussions.

"Then you are not professional enough," he mocked

At a height of 188 centimeters, most people appear shorter than Lin Qingye, and she nonchalantly curled her lips and said, "Is it really that exaggerated"

Xu Zhinan's heart sank a few beats, and she tremulously raised her arm to wrap around his neck, her ten fingers intertwining at the back of his neck, tentatively initiating a kiss with him.

Xu Zhinan was taken aback; such heavy rain, running back would probably leave him completely soaked

There is a narrow eave above the side door of the bar, just enough for two people to squeeze together

Xu Zhinan walked to his side and asked, "What are you writing"

She let out an "oh" and did not know what to say

It is nothing

"Do you have an umbrella?" she asked

He raised his hand, which held a cigarette, gesturing for her to come over

Xu Zhinan was so engrossed in reading the Buddhist scriptures that he did not notice the sound coming from him