Chapter 29

Su Louzhi's face burned at Ji Kailan's matter-of-fact words.

She lowered her eyes, typing: [Then after we get back... I won't change clothes first. I'll let Senior Ji look his fill before I shower.]

Ji Kailan's lips curved at the message. He turned his head forward and started the car.

"Alright," he said. "Since I have Zhi Zhi's word, I'm much more at ease. Let's head back now."

Back at Minghua Yuan, the car had barely come to a stop when Ji Kailan scooped Su Louzhi up before her feet could touch the ground, carried her straight home, and set her down on the sofa.

He sat there, arms circled around her, quietly gazing.

Su Louzhi grew shy under his stare.

Ji Kailan's eyes were too intense. And after this morning, she suddenly realized that she and Ji Kailan were... different genders. Being close to him like this had to mean something.

Usually when she was with him, there was always something to do, no time to think about such things. But today, during the makeup session, she'd sat with her eyes closed for an hour and a half, and her mind had started to wander.

It struck her that she was intimate with her three roommates too, yet she'd never been held like this, for hours on end.

She could accept Ji Kailan holding her like this, perhaps only because... she was used to it.

But when she actually realized that, she was shocked to find that it might be crossing a line.

Su Louzhi was at a loss.

Actually, it wasn't that she'd only just noticed. Her three roommates had told her straight from the beginning that Ji Kailan must have taken a liking to her. Later, on the forum, she'd seen all those guesses about their relationship. Even with her slowness, she knew something was off.

But she couldn't bear to let it go.

Ji Kailan was too good to her. So good that she wanted to be an ostrich, burying her head in the sand, not listening to those "he's got ulterior motives" comments, just wanting to keep things as they were, to always be this good with him.

But could they really stay like this forever?

She wasn't stupid. In her previous life, she'd fought her way alone into the college and major she'd dreamed of—beating out classmates who all attended cram schools. After her rebirth, even finance came to her with ease. Her childhood had made her wise beyond her years. She understood that in real life, many principles applied universally, and coincidentally, she wasn't someone who knew nothing.

At first, even when her roommates pointed out Ji Kailan's intentions, she'd brushed it off with a strange avoidance. She'd asked him before, hadn't she? He said he just wanted to be friends, so they could just always be good friends.

But she truly drew so much security from Ji Kailan.

She admitted it: she was starved for affection.

That was why she loved her roommates—they were all so considerate, making her feel like a person, like someone who mattered.

But Ji Kailan was different. From him, she felt cherished. She could hardly describe that feeling, but without a doubt, she liked it very, very, very much.

Liked it so much it scared her.

Scared of losing the affection she'd once had...

Her thoughts churned.

Su Louzhi lowered her eyes and slowly reached up to clutch Ji Kailan's collar.

A long moment passed.

She seemed to gather her courage, then slowly lifted her gaze to look at him.

Ji Kailan's eyes were deep, and in them she saw something she couldn't read.

This time, it wasn't her ostrich move—she genuinely couldn't understand it. Her life experience had only taught her to recognize malice and pity, but Ji Kailan's eyes held neither.

Even so, she felt they were blazing hot.

Seared by the intensity, she quickly lowered her lashes again.

Ji Kailan looked at the little cat in his arms—how she'd first blushed and dared not meet his eyes, then grabbed his collar, summoned courage to glance up, and quickly retreated. He was unbearably stirred.

He lifted his hand and gently stroked her eyelashes.

These expressive eyes were truly beautiful.

Su Louzhi's lashes trembled at his touch, fluttering uncontrollably. But she didn't pull away, just obediently kept her eyes lowered, letting him do as he pleased.

Ji Kailan's heart surged at the submissive, indulgent creature in his arms.

She was so good.

From the very start, no matter how unreasonable his demands, she silently accepted them. Like this morning, when his actions bordered on harassment, yet she'd come back from the audiovisual room to tell him she'd help calm him. Like now, when he played with her eyelashes, making them itch and tremble, yet she suppressed her instinct to recoil, letting him continue.

His desire stirred again.

But he forcibly suppressed it.

He'd already lost control once this morning. He could feel that Su Louzhi had almost completely softened, but she needed just a little more coaxing. If he got a reaction out of her twice in one day, even she would catch on to his longing.

He didn't want to scare her off.

It wasn't worth it. In just a few more days, he could have her completely melted. Why ruin it all now?

Ji Kailan struggled to control his body's response, and at the last second before he lost composure, he suddenly stood up with Su Louzhi in his arms.

She instinctively looped her arms around his neck.

He carried her back to the guest bedroom and gently set her down on the stool.

"Alright, Zhi Zhi," he said warmly. "I've had my fill of looking. Let me take off your makeup first, then you can change and shower."

Su Louzhi looked up at him and nodded obediently.

Ji Kailan smiled, went to the living room for the makeup remover the elder sister stylist had gifted, and fetched a cleansing cloth from the bathroom.

He returned to Su Louzhi, poured some remover onto the cloth, and wiped her face gently.

One stroke, then another.

That brilliant yet gentle face slowly returned to its original form under his hands.

Like a lotus emerging from water—a pure and lovely beauty.

Ji Kailan admired her, marveling silently.

His Zhi Zhi was truly remarkable. Made up, she was beautiful. Bare-faced, she was equally beautiful. As if created to his exact taste—and not just in looks, but in personality too, as if she were made to fit him perfectly.

Such a wonderful person—

She could only be his.

Once he'd finished removing her makeup, Ji Kailan took a polite step back.

"Alright, Zhi Zhi," he said gently. "I've finished. Go ahead and shower. I'll head back to remove mine and bathe as well."

Su Louzhi nodded obediently.

Ji Kailan slowly backed out of the guest room and closed the door behind him.

As soon as it shut, Su Louzhi stripped off her clothes and entered the bathroom.

She didn't hear that in the master bathroom just one wall away, tantalizing friction sounds never ceased.

Low, husky heavy breathing echoed in the cramped space, occasionally accompanied by two muffled words:

"Zhi Zhi..."

—

Su Louzhi finished her shower, changed into pajamas, and stepped out of the guest room. The living room was empty. She froze, then glanced toward the master bedroom—the door was still shut.

Ji Kailan took longer to shower than she did?

Since she was out anyway, she didn't go back. She sat down on the living room sofa and pulled out her phone. Finals were coming up, and she'd been doing practice questions whenever she had free time.

She didn't know how long she'd been at it when the sofa beside her sank, and the next second, a burning embrace wrapped around her from behind.

Su Louzhi lifted her head and met Ji Kailan's smiling eyes.

"My precious Zhi Zhi," his voice was lazy from his recent shower. "What's got you so absorbed that you didn't even notice I came out?"

Su Louzhi turned and raised her phone for Ji Kailan to see, showing she was reviewing questions.

He glanced, then raised an eyebrow.

"I'm right here beside you, yet Zhi Zhi still wants to read?" His tone held a note of complaint. "If Zhi Zhi has anything she doesn't understand, she can just ask me. I can even highlight the key points for her. Look at me, not your phone."

Su Louzhi's face silently warmed, and she grumbled internally: That's because you took so long in the shower and never came out!

Thankfully, Ji Kailan only teased lightly, not pressing further.

"It's still early," he said. "How about I help Zhi Zhi review?"

Su Louzhi's eyes lit up instantly. She lifted her head and nodded eagerly.

Ji Kailan smiled, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her into the study. Once inside, he switched to holding her with one arm, using the other to grab the textbook, and walked to the computer desk. He settled into the executive chair, placing her on his lap.

He looked down with a smile: "I want to teach Zhi Zhi like this. Is that alright?"

Su Louzhi was speechless. He'd held her like this so many times—why was he only now asking permission? Could she even say no? She was already used to being held.

She nodded slightly.

There was a super scholar willing to teach her right in front of her. She was just being held, which she was already used to, and it wasn't like she'd lose anything. Whatever, as long as she didn't fail her finals.

Ji Kailan looked at her—so docile, leaning into him—and the smile in his eyes couldn't be hidden.

He spoke softly and began to explain the problems to her.

—

Saturday evening was spent reviewing.

Sunday was the same, all day long.

After all, exams were near, and Su Louzhi felt the pressure. Ji Kailan tutored her almost the entire day, more attentive than she was herself.

Once Sunday passed, Monday arrived—the day Qin Qingyan came back. Su Louzhi, bursting with excitement, said goodbye to Ji Kailan at the classroom door and practically skipped toward her three roommates' seats.

As soon as she sat down, she looked at Qin Qingyan with sparkling eyes and held up her phone: [Qingyan, welcome back!]

Qin Qingyan looked at Su Louzhi's expectant gaze, then at the message with just one line of welcome, and couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm back," she said, pulling a beautifully wrapped small box from her bag and handing it to Su Louzhi. "I picked up what you needed."

Su Louzhi's eyes grew even brighter. She took the box and quickly typed: [Thank you, Qingyan!] Along with a huge emoji sticker.

Qin Qingyan waved a hand with a smile. "No need to thank me. It was no trouble. Open it and see if it's to your liking?"

Su Louzhi carefully unwrapped the box, revealing an exquisite fountain pen, intricately patterned. She gently pressed the bottom, and the nib slowly extended.

Mm, it looked expensive.

Satisfied, she placed the pen back in the box, capped it carefully, then sat up straight and focused on the lecture.

—

The class bell rang.

Su Louzhi and her three roommates walked out, and she spotted Ji Kailan waiting at the door. She hurried over and thrust the bag's gift box into his hands, staring up at him with bright eyes.

Ji Kailan raised an eyebrow, accepting it with a smile. "Is this a gift for me, my precious Zhi Zhi?"

Su Louzhi nodded frantically like a pecking chick.

"Can I open it now?"

She kept nodding.

Ji Kailan opened the box, and the instant he laid eyes on the pen, his eyes widened slightly. He lifted his gaze to look at her, surprise and delight in his eyes.

"Thank you, my precious Zhi Zhi," he said softly. "I love it."

Then he picked up the pen, and before everyone's eyes, lowered his head and gently kissed it.

"Whoa—"

Qin Qingyan, Jiang Yi, and Liu Mengting all let out simultaneous gasps.

The surrounding onlookers joined in with jeers: "Whoa!!"

Su Louzhi's face flushed scarlet, and she dropped her gaze, not daring to look at anyone.

Ji Kailan looked at her shy expression, his heart stirring.

He stepped forward and suddenly scooped her up in his arms.

"My precious Zhi Zhi is shy and scared to face people," he announced with a smile. "I'll take her away first."

"Whoa—"

The teasing grew louder.

Even though Su Louzhi had been scooped up countless times before and had learned to instinctively loop her arms around his neck for balance, that didn't mean she could stay calm in front of so many people.

The princess carry in front of a crowd made her heart pound loudly. She didn't know how to deal with the situation, her mind too dazed to function. By the time she could finally think, she realized Ji Kailan had already carried her quite a distance.

She glanced around and saw there weren't many people left, so she gently patted his shoulder, signaling for him to put her down. Once her feet touched the ground, Su Louzhi immediately looked up at Ji Kailan with a reproachful glare, her eyes clearly conveying: Didn't you know I don't like being held in public!

Ji Kailan gazed at her with deep eyes for a long moment before speaking. "Sorry, Zhi Zhi. I was too excited just now."

Hearing his apology, her childish resentment at being shy instantly dissipated, replaced instead by a pang of guilt—as if her being too uptight was limiting Ji Kailan's freedom.

She paused, not knowing how to respond. Say it's fine? She was sure that if she said that, he'd never hesitate to carry her in public again. She didn't know if her sense of shame would be tempered by experience enough to strengthen it, but for now, she knew it hadn't grown yet, so better not.

In the end, she slowly reached out, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face against his chest.

Ji Kailan understood—his Zhi Zhi was letting it go. He smiled, wrapped his arms around her in return, but still confirmed again, "So Zhi Zhi isn't mad anymore, right?"

Su Louzhi breathed in his familiar scent and nodded silently.

—

Two more days of classes passed, and the third day was the New Year's gala.

There had been another rehearsal during that time. This time, Su Louzhi and Ji Kailan weren't stared at by the whole crowd like before, though the sour looks from the shadows were still plentiful.

On the day of the gala, for convenience, Ji Kailan had invited two stylists from Sky Mall's styling salon to the school to do makeup and hair for him and Su Louzhi.

When Su Louzhi came out after changing and getting ready, she still stunned everyone.

Admiring gazes poured in from all directions.

"Ahhh, my precious Zhi Zhi!" Jiang Yi charged forward and shoved Su Louzhi into her embrace. "Today I have a beauty in my arms!"

Liu Mengting coolly added, from the side, "You sure you want to check Ji-shao's expression first?"

Jiang Yi, intoxicated with Su Louzhi in her arms, was in a "whatever happens, happens" state: "Die under a beauty's skirt, die a happy ghost!"

Su Louzhi, embarrassed by her cheesiness, tried to push her away.

Jiang Yi only squeezed tighter, cackling, "This round, I'm playing forced love!"

Liu Mengting continued her calm jabs: "Say that again after taking one look at Ji-shao over there."

Jiang Yi was still stubborn: "I'm just saying what everyone in this room is thinking—"

Then she finally noticed Ji Kailan's gaze. And it wasn't something to miss—it nearly scared her half to death. She jumped back as if burned, springing three steps away.

Su Louzhi finally freed, quickly walked away and looked at Jiang Yi with a reproachful glare.

Jiang Yi clutched her heart dramatically: "No, no! I just thought life was precious, but now I think beauties matter more!"

Liu Mengting, under Ji Kailan's murderous stare, hastily tried to make peace: "Okay, okay, stop fooling around! Jiang Yi, our precious Zhi Zhi is getting shy."

Just then, Qin Qingyan walked over holding a large bouquet, followed by Shen Boyang, who was even more extreme—a bouquet in each hand, nearly obscuring his face.

Qin Qingyan surveyed the chaos with a smile. "Still messing around? You're about to go on stage."

She walked up to Su Louzhi and handed her the flowers. "My precious Zhi Zhi, the first bouquet is for you. May you succeed and triumph!"

Su Louzhi took the flowers with delight, her eyes shining at the beautiful arrangement.

Jiang Yi and Liu Mengting immediately leaned over: "Hey! What about ours?"

Qin Qingyan smiled. "Don't worry, there's enough for everyone." She took the two bouquets from Shen Boyang behind her and handed them over.

Shen Boyang, relieved of the gigantic bouquets, let out a long sigh. "That was terrifying," he commented. "How can a bouquet be that big?"

Ji Kailan stood to the side, his gaze dark as he watched the delighted Su Louzhi.

Misstep.

Zhi Zhi's first bouquet wasn't from him.

The six of them laughed and joked for a while. Since that mixer, they'd all gotten much closer.

Eventually, Qin Qingyan, ever the steady one, spoke up: "Alright, enough. We're going on stage soon. Our precious Zhi Zhi must present the best of herself and dazzle the entire Capital University."

Jiang Yi quickly echoed, "That's right! Zhi Zhi's about to go on. Let's say hi to our comrade guqin one last time, then head down to watch her perform!"

Liu Mengting also chimed in with an idea: "Yeah, why don't we take a group photo or something? Zhi Zhi and Ji-shao are in their performance outfits with their instruments, and the three of us can stand with Shen-shao. It'll be a great memory!"

Su Louzhi's eyes lit up—she loved that idea. She turned to Ji Kailan, her gaze sparkling, as if asking: Would you?

Of course Ji Kailan would. He'd be thrilled to take as many photos with Su Louzhi as possible, preferably just the two of them. But a few friends wouldn't hurt, since they were people Zhi Zhi cared about. He smiled and nodded. "Sure, let's go get the instruments."

No one noticed that in the crowd backstage, a figure flinched for a moment.

Ji Kailan and Su Louzhi headed to the instrument storage area backstage. Soon, they found the guqin and classical guitar covered in cloths. Ji Kailan reached out and lifted the cover.

In the next second, his brows furrowed sharply as his face instantly turned serious.

Su Louzhi's gaze landed on the guqin, and the moment she saw it clearly, all strength seemed to drain from her body. The ancient, elegant guqin that had been perfectly intact—its strings were now all snapped.

Her blood ran cold in an instant.

Her body trembled uncontrollably.

The scene before her overlapped with images from long ago.

Textbooks slashed with knife marks. Homework torn to shreds. The missing water bottle. The silent malice, the grievances with nowhere to be voiced.

She'd thought those were far behind her.

She'd come to this new world, been reborn, met very, very good people. She'd thought she wouldn't be bullied anymore.

But the broken strings in front of her silently told her: it was all her illusion.

"Zhi Zhi!"

Ji Kailan noticed her abnormal state instantly and pulled her into his arms.

He firmly pressed her head against his chest and murmured softly, "Don't be afraid, Zhi Zhi. I'm here. It's fine."

Su Louzhi felt the familiar embrace, and tears suddenly streamed down her face in silence, her whole body shaking.

Qin Qingyan, Liu Mengting, and Jiang Yi quickly sensed something was wrong and rushed over.

"What's wrong, Zhi Zhi?" Qin Qingyan asked worriedly.

Liu Mengting caught sight of the broken strings and drew in a sharp breath. "This is—"

Jiang Yi, the quickest-witted, rolled her eyes and suddenly raised her voice, deliberately loud enough for everyone nearby to hear: "Oh my, could it be that someone thought that if our precious Zhi Zhi's strings snapped and she couldn't perform, they'd get to be on stage with Ji-shao instead?"

She drew out her words, dripping with sarcasm: "Wait, is someone about to volunteer, saying, 'Oh, I just happen to know how to play "Rippling Streams in Blue Mountains," why not let me fill in?'"

Liu Mengting, usually the most composed and soft-spoken, was too angry to care now. She declared loudly, "Really? Is someone really that stupid?"

She sneered. "Looking in the mirror wouldn't hurt. It takes knowing yourself."

At that moment, a longer performance was underway on stage, and both the male and female hosts were resting backstage. Hearing the commotion, they quickly came over to check.

After getting a preliminary understanding of the situation, the female host's face took on a troubled look.

"This..." she frowned. "The program is already scheduled. Now that the strings are broken, we don't have a spare guqin. Xue-mei might really not be able to perform." She paused, then looked at Ji Kailan. "Ji-xuezhang, could you... perform alone?"

The female host was trying to smooth things over, and more importantly, to protect Su Louzhi. She had heard clearly what Jiang Yi said. The snapped strings were far too deliberate, too dirty—someone clearly didn't want Su Louzhi to go on stage. And if Su Louzhi couldn't perform, either Ji Kailan performed solo, or the saboteur wanted to step in. By directly setting the expectation that Ji Kailan could perform alone, she was sealing off any opportunity for anyone to offer themselves as a duet partner.

The male host quickly followed suit, his brow furrowed. "Exactly. The program is set—no additions or last-minute changes. If Xue-mei's strings are truly broken, she can skip the performance." He emphasized, "But we will absolutely not let anyone else substitute for her and perform with Ji-xuezhang."

He knew perfectly well what was going on. As a devoted forum lurker, he was well aware of the relationship between Ji Kailan and Su Louzhi. Ji Kailan hadn't performed in three years; he only agreed this year because of Su Louzhi. If Su Louzhi couldn't perform, would Ji Kailan just let it slide?

They had to set the tone firmly and warn those who'd done this that it absolutely would not be tolerated again.

Ji Kailan listened to the two hosts' words, which subtly sided with Su Louzhi, but his brow remained tightly furrowed. "I've been at Capital University for three years," he said, his voice low. "I didn't perform in the first two years. The reason I agreed this year is that I asked Zhi Zhi if she'd accompany me, and she said yes."

His gaze swept over the assorted performers backstage, his voice turning cold. "Now that Zhi Zhi can't go on stage, I have no reason to either. Cut the program."

"What?" The male host panicked. "But Ji-shao, the program list is already printed and distributed!"

The female host also tried to persuade him: "Right, Ji-shao. The program list has already been handed out to every seat. The students below will see the order and the performers. If a program goes missing, it will cause chaos."

Ji Kailan raised an eyebrow, his tone icy. "What's that to me?"

He gave a cold laugh, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "All I know is that my precious Zhi Zhi has been wronged. And I'm not letting this go."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shen Boyang nearby, and something occurred to him. He spoke slowly, emphasizing each word: "Speaking of which, I paid three million for this guqin. Now that its strings are broken, I could sue for damaging a cultural relic, or I could file charges for illegal damage to another's property."

He looked down at Su Louzhi still trembling in his arms, and his voice softened several notches, as if afraid of frightening her. "If you have the guts to do it, you'd better be ready for the consequences."

——

Author's note:

There's a tiny plot hole here. In the real world, it's not very common for the bathrooms of the master bedroom and guest bedroom to share a wall, but when I was writing it, I got carried away and liked the trope, so I kept it. After finishing, I noticed the flaw but decided not to change it.

(Thanks to a reader's reminder, I learned that such layouts do exist—I was overthinking it! I'll keep the flawed assumption in mind and try to do better research next time.)

Also, for anyone reading this who might worry about encountering instrument damage during a performance—don't worry. Unless it's something extremely niche, schools usually have spare instruments in bulk. To make this plot work, I've assumed that in this world, the guqin is a very, very niche instrument with little cultural preservation.