The car was parked in the most secluded corner, the lights turned off, leaving only a dim glow. The two of them were very close, their breaths and heartbeats seemed to echo in each other’s ears, clear and distinct.
“How about staying tonight?” Chu Run’s gentle lips lightly touched the young man’s earlobe, his nose gently brushing against the fair cheek. “I’ll allow you to paint me for the whole night, half-naked.”
“Really?” The young man’s eyes lit up, momentarily forgetting the ambiguous atmosphere.
“Really, I keep my word.” Chu Run lazily squinted his eyes, one hand propped up beside the young man, in a semi-embrace. “You’ll even get breakfast the next morning.”
“Great!” Yin Minglu immediately agreed, his eyes sparkling. He chattered excitedly, “Male God, I’ve wanted to paint you (naked) for a long time. You’re my muse, my source of inspiration. I even created a character in the game, a character who serves as the guide for the protagonist to enter a different world. Despite a difficult life, this character is incredibly powerful, outwardly cold but passionate inside, like a god. Only when the other character dies can the protagonist truly grow and realize the irreplaceable role of the guide in their life…”
The words he spoke seemed like sweet nothings flowing from his lips.
Because their faces were so close, Chu Run could almost see the long, fan-like eyelashes that swept over his own heart.
He paused for a moment and suddenly asked, “I’ve been wanting to ask, what do you think our relationship is?”
Yin Minglu hesitated for a moment and quickly responded, “Friendship?” Idol and a little fan? A game designer and an inspiration muse? He felt like their relationship might be a bit closer.
Hearing this answer, Chu Run squinted his eyes and asked, “So, are all your friends your muses? Do you paint for all of them?” Especially in terms of being half-naked.
Yin Minglu replied seriously, “Of course not. They don’t look as good as you, and they don’t have your physique. They can’t provide me with endless inspiration like you.”
“Then say it again, what’s our relationship?” Chu Run said softly, gently lifting the young man’s chin with his hand.
Blushing as he looked at Chu Run’s handsome face, Yin Minglu corrected himself, “I misspoke. Actually, we’re very, very good friends.”
As these words came out, Chu Run had a deep and mysterious gleam in his dark, captivating eyes, as if he was brewing something, causing the young man to think that he might be angry. However, Chu Run suddenly smiled, a dazzling smile that pinched the young man’s cheek like he was dealing with a mischievous child. “You’re so cute.”
With that sentence, Yin Minglu was awakened, because Chu Run’s husky voice and the way he looked at him were as if he were looking at an innocent baby, filled with indulgence.
For a moment, Yin Minglu, who had never thought about this aspect due to the age difference and their usual interactions, had a ridiculous yet seemingly plausible guess in his mind—was he being pursued?
“Let’s go to my place.” Without waiting for him to hesitate, Chu Run held his hand and stuffed him into the car, conveniently fastening his seatbelt.
So, Yin Minglu sent a message to his family that he was staying at a friend’s place that night, regardless of whether they believed it or not, and then he followed the attractive man.
That night, the city outside the window was brightly lit, and the scene inside was a mature man who had just taken a shower, his short, damp hair carrying a hint of moisture. His features were extremely three-dimensional and handsome, and his slightly narrowed eyes gave off a casual and carefree vibe. His bathrobe hung loosely, revealing a perfectly proportioned physique.
The atmosphere was a bit sultry.
Seeing the beautiful profile of the man, Yin Minglu, holding a paintbrush, couldn’t help but gulp and think that it might not be a bad idea after all.
Especially when the man’s voice sounded languid, and he placed his hand on his waist, asking, “Do you want me to continue undressing?”
Yin Minglu almost nodded, but he quickly regained his composure and shook his head because he was serious when it came to his work. He picked up the brush, and his gaze immediately sharpened as he began to paint. He intended to hang this painting in his own bedroom, to treasure it secretly and admire it discreetly.
Chu Run couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth. With another artist, starting with “passionate love” and ending with “a night of passion” would be the usual scenario when the artist was presented with such an active model. But this artist remained focused on his work, seemingly uninterested in the aspect of a naked man.
He was getting aroused by being painted, and the painter appeared entirely focused and indifferent. Was this a lack of interest in the man or just a lack of sensuality? The man raised an eyebrow, and then, upon noticing the slight blush on the young man’s face, his graceful lips curled up slightly, and he emitted a pleased chuckle from his throat, “It seems there’s still hope.”
The reason was quite simple: the thin bathrobe could no longer conceal the man’s rising excitement. It seemed to grow a little more with each of the young man’s glances. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became much hotter.
After staring for a while, Yin Mingluo decided to leave this part blurry and not continue painting it.
The next morning, the young man, with a messy bedhead, wriggled out from under the blanket and checked his phone. It was already 10 a.m., and he realized he had overslept. Annoyed at himself for not waking up on time, he sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, contemplating. He then remembered that he had spent the entire night painting. He rubbed his eyes and, instead of his biological clock, the first thing that woke up was his growling stomach.
He smelled something delicious and walked into the living room, where he found a thermos of soy milk on the dining table, accompanied by a steaming basket of dumplings. He loved these traditional Chinese breakfast items more than Western sandwiches and hamburgers.
There was also a note next to the breakfast, stating that Chu Run had gone to work and reminding him to eat breakfast. The note ended with a playful suggestion, “When will you come over next? I’ll take you to the mountaintop to set up a tent and stargaze.”
It was obvious that barely an hour after parting ways, Chu Run was already thinking about their next meeting. With his mind still a bit foggy, Yin Minglu read the note several times and felt that each word seemed fine, but it sounded somewhat like a conversation between a caring and proactive girl and a drowsy and slow-witted boy.
Perhaps he was indeed being pursued.
Jiang Mingqin, on the other hand, was eating dumplings as well, but she hadn’t even combed her hair, and she was hurrying to her classroom.
Just a few days after choosing the retest school, before she could resist, Yin Yunqiu had her chauffeur send her there. The rules at this retest school were extremely strict, and they even had a devilish schedule.
5:30-6:00 Wake up and get ready
6:00-6:30 Breakfast
6:30-7:00 Morning exercise at the playground
7:00-7:30 Morning study session
…
21:50 Evening self-study ends
23:00 Lights out and sleep
Every time slot was packed, and if Jiang Mingqin overslept even by a few minutes in the morning, she’d find herself in a long queue at the cafeteria, unable to get a hot breakfast. Without breakfast, her mornings would be spent in a daze, and she wouldn’t absorb the class content at all.
Under such high-intensity conditions, she didn’t even have time to apply makeup. After a few days, she felt like she had lost her voice from yelling.
Especially on one occasion when she was the dormitory duty student, because she didn’t have time, she hastily cleaned the floor. Unfortunately, the grade dormitory supervisor conducted a surprise hygiene inspection and found the room messy. As a result, they deducted half of her conduct points. Furthermore, they discovered a large bag of snacks, cosmetics, tablets, and a cellphone—school contraband—from her closet. She was punished to write a self-criticism, and her communication devices were confiscated, cutting off her contact with the outside world.
But there were benefits too. Her previously weak body began to strengthen through daily exercise. Her menstrual periods, which used to be painful and irregular, gradually became painless. Her hands and feet were no longer ice-cold, and she even grew a few centimeters taller. Her legs and thighs developed muscles due to the daily physical activity, and her appetite increased as she burned more energy.
Facing the mirror, Jiang Mingqin pinched her own stiff little legs and then felt her seemingly thicker waist. She opened her mouth wide, her expression was indescribably horrified.
She had always cared about her slender figure. In her daily life, she always presented herself as delicate and charming. How could she accept that she had gained a size?
So, not even a month later, she cried and complained, saying she didn’t want to study anymore and wanted to go home. However, because Yin Yunqiu had given advance notice and her parents from the Jiang family didn’t care, her request was quickly rejected by the school.
Jiang Mingqin was not the type to sit idly by. Unable to escape from this school, she could only grit her teeth and find a way to adapt in her own comfortable way. For dormitory cleaning duty, she used her pocket money to bribe a poor student in her room to clean for her. In her daily morning exercise, she quickly got close to the class’s sports committee member, using a bit of ambiguity to avoid the morning exercise and maintain her slim figure. However, because she put all her focus on such scheming, her academic performance naturally made no progress.
Three months before the college entrance examination, the school went all out and invited last year’s college entrance examination top-scorer to give a speech. With the almost household-name fame of the young man and his successful experience ahead of his peers, the news of his appearance shook the entire school.
The students in Jiang Mingqin’s class were excited as well. The atmosphere, which had been rigid and serious, became a bit more lively. The girls admired the outstanding young man, and the boys chatted about his games. Without a doubt, he was always a topic of conversation among people.
Hearing this, Jiang Mingqin felt jealous and said to her roommate, “Yin Minglu, he’s really nothing special. He only got ahead because of the resources from his family.”
Her roommate gave her a disdainful look. “Do you think I’m stupid? Even if I don’t play games, I know that the Yin family owns a chain of department stores and a mobile phone company. Yin Minglu is in the gaming industry. If it weren’t for him developing games, the Yin family’s phone sales would have been surpassed by the Luo family long ago.”
The Luo family was a competitor of the Yin family in the domestic mobile phone industry, and the two had been competing for a long time. The only difference was that the heir of the Luo family was not competent. He was always seen in gossip magazines, mingling with female celebrities from the entertainment industry. Investors were often worried about the direction of the Luo family’s business after he took over.
On the other hand, the heir of the Yin family, at a young age, founded a game software company and was riding high on success. His existence was equivalent to a golden signboard, a half-rooted anchor for the shareholders. After all, a person who could run a large game company at the age of eighteen, could he not run the family business well? Moreover, the combination of Yin Yunqiu and Yin Minglu, a father-son duo, one in mobile phones and one in games, mutually promoted each other, just like real estate and construction companies working together shamelessly. People in the industry couldn’t say much about them.
Challenged by this, Jiang Mingqin’s eyes flashed with anger. “What I said is true. I am the legitimate daughter of the Yin family, and he is just a fake.”
Her roommate couldn’t be bothered to roll her eyes at her. “Your last name is Jiang, his last name is Yin. Don’t be ridiculous. How could you be a Jiang family daughter like that? You can’t just change your last name, especially since the Jiang family raised you for eighteen years. How could they change your name just a few days after taking you back? Who would do such a thing? Your mother’s behavior was improper, and the Yin family didn’t hold a press conference for you either, so when you revealed your identity, it naturally lacked credibility.”
“I…” Jiang Mingqin was left speechless. After all, her identity was that of an adopted daughter, and Yin Yunqiu couldn’t possibly change her last name, especially after the Jiang family had raised her for eighteen years. Changing her last name just a few days after returning was unthinkable. Who would do such a thing? Additionally, her mother’s questionable behavior and the fact that the Yin family hadn’t held a press conference for her undermined her credibility when she revealed her true identity.
“Whether you believe it or not, I am the legitimate daughter of the Yin family, and Yin Minglu is the fake one.” She stubbornly said, “Besides, this school is so boring. Instead of inviting motivational speakers, why not hire professional lecturers from the country? He’s just an ordinary top scorer in the college entrance examination, not a professional. What qualifications does he have to stand on stage and give a speech to the entire school?”
Ordinary top scorer in the college entrance examination? Her roommate couldn’t help but shake their head in disbelief. Leaving aside the fact that last year’s top scorers were unanimously recognized as having the highest gold content by experts, as for what the girl said, if a top scorer in the college entrance examination is considered ordinary, what about those who had to retake the exam this year after failing last year? Were they considered lower than dust?
Moreover, the school’s invitation to Yin Minglu was clearly a carefully considered move. His name was widely known, and he had a lot of publicity value. Since his schedule hadn’t been finalized, and they weren’t sure which day he would come, everyone in the school was already looking forward to it. The atmosphere was such that people might mistakenly think that a popular celebrity was coming to hold a concert. Looking at the big picture, it wasn’t an exaggeration since the young man had 30 million followers on Weibo. Many popular celebrities couldn’t even reach that level.
Besides, Yin Minglu wasn’t just an ordinary top scorer in the college entrance examination. He was the cream of the crop among their peers, and his young age, coupled with his youthful appearance, would bring a sense of novelty to the students. They might feel like there was no distance between them. Hearing about his “chicken soup” and success stories from someone their age would likely make it easier for those who had suffered a setback in the previous exam to accept and be inspired.
This was the so-called “celebrity effect.” Everyone seemed to understand this, except for the girl who had a condescending attitude and tone when she said, “What qualifications does he have?”
Her roommates wanted to chuckle. They wanted to say, “First, take a look at your dismal grades and your obscure reputation. You, who are barely known by anyone in this school, have the audacity to diss a celebrity and describe a top scorer in the college entrance examination as cheap, like roadside pork and vegetables? Aren’t you setting your sights too high?”
Realizing they had nothing in common with this person, the roommates silently distanced themselves from her and joined others for discussion.
Yin Minglu’s visit this time naturally had a purpose. He was here to promote a new product; the Yin Corporation had released a new smartphone. Who were the main consumers for smartphones? Besides financially stable adults, a significant portion included the large student population. During the graduation season, students often had the need to upgrade their electronic devices, so smartphone sales typically experienced a significant surge.
Therefore, before the formal lecture, the young man briefly introduced the features of the new smartphone and then proceeded with his usual trademark: a lottery.
After the speech, he randomly selected five attendees and gave them the new product smartphones.
“Ah, ah, ah, rich people!!” With just one sentence, the young man completely ignited the atmosphere at the venue. The excitement was so intense that it seemed like even the ceiling was about to be flipped. Not only did the thousands of students from the entire school go wild, but even the teachers and school leaders joined in. Many students who had skipped the lecture rushed back when they heard about the free smartphones, only to find that the gymnasium, as large as it was, couldn’t accommodate everyone.
Having captured everyone’s attention with his charismatic introduction, the young man proceeded to deliver his speech. Gradually, the audience became immersed in the stories he shared, enchanted by his charisma, and their faces turned red with excitement one by one.
“On the day of the college entrance examination, you don’t need to be nervous at all because you’ll realize that there are always people more nervous than you. For example, during our college entrance examination last year, our class teacher, Old Yu, told us that he was afraid we would fail, so he couldn’t eat or sleep well. He even had constipation for several days. When I imagined him sweating profusely while sitting on the toilet, my nervousness disappeared, and I even felt a bit sorry for him…” The young man chuckled mischievously, causing a burst of laughter from the audience.
It turned out that even top students used to get nervous. Moreover, when the speaker mentioned their own class teacher, everyone couldn’t help but think of their stern-faced class teacher, which instantly made them feel less nervous. The playful tone with which the young man teased the teacher indicated a great relationship with him, making him appear even more relatable.
The stage lights seemed to focus solely on the young man. He was like the center of attention, shining brightly. With just a few words, he could make the entire audience laugh and cheer. Sitting in the audience, Jiang Mingqin was filled with envy.
She thought, why, even after her rebirth, the young man was still so outstanding? What was the point of her rebirth if he remained this way? She even felt like she was doing worse in her second life compared to her first.
She refused to accept this!
She regretted not studying hard in the past few months. Maybe this time, if she put in the effort, she could also become a top scorer in the college entrance examination. She vaguely remembered that in her previous life, experts had said that the reason the previous year’s examination was highly regarded was that the questions were of a hellish level of difficulty. But after the hellish difficulty level, the next year’s examination would be like heaven, with gentle and easy questions.
It sounded almost unbelievable.
It was said that many top students, upon receiving their exam papers, initially thought they had made a mistake and hesitated to answer, fearing that the seemingly simple questions were full of traps. They overthought the simple questions, pushing them in complex and difficult directions, which ultimately led to the downfall of many top students who were used to tackling tough questions.
She still had hope. She might not be able to handle the difficult questions, but because she had studied well in the first two years of high school, her foundational knowledge was solid. If she focused on solving some intermediate-level questions in these few months, she might actually become the top scorer among millions of candidates.
When she went from a zero score to the top scorer, her reputation would be even more sensational than the young man’s.
Moreover, she seemed to remember some of the Chinese and English exam questions. The English essay seemed to be about square dancing with foreigners, and the Chinese exam included writing a letter to the future. She had a vague memory of these topics and found them somewhat familiar, so she began to prepare for them.
“Mingqin, why are you working on these questions? Have you already completed the Huanggang 5-3 and advanced questions assigned by the teacher?” Jiang Mingqin’s desk mate was surprised as he flipped through the girl’s test paper, discovering that she was only working on basic questions that were typically assigned in less prestigious schools.
“Mingqin, why are you working on these questions? Have you already completed the Huanggang 5-3 and advanced questions assigned by the teacher?” Jiang Mingqin’s desk mate was surprised as he flipped through the girl’s test paper, discovering that she was only working on basic questions that were typically assigned in less prestigious schools.
“Don’t touch my stuff.” Thinking that her desk mate wanted to peek at her study secrets, the girl protected her test paper, afraid that if someone took even a quick look, she might lose a few points in the college entrance examination.
Desk mate: “…”
Forget it, she shouldn’t meddle in others’ business.
Soon, the new year’s college entrance examination arrived. When she received the exam papers and eagerly flipped through them, she let out a scream of disbelief. “What? It’s not as expected at all. It’s so difficult!”
Questions about the height of the Venus de Milo statue and the golden ratio were incomprehensible to her. Following that, there was no question in Chinese about writing a letter to the future, and English didn’t ask about square dancing. She had memorized model essays for both topics, but none of them were applicable.
The girl was in despair.
As expected, she failed the college entrance examination again this year, but she couldn’t pretend to faint this time.
Author’s note: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nourishment for my story~
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