Chapter 30

Shen Boyang immediately chimed in, stepping forward with conviction. "Don't worry, junior. I know Director Liu of the Capital City Public Security Bureau. I'll give him a call, and I guarantee we'll find the culprit."

He glanced at the guqin with its broken strings and continued, "I know this instrument. Old Ji asked me to help him buy it back then. The reason it sold for three million is because it's a century-old antique. Now the strings are broken..."

He let out a cold laugh, his tone laden with meaning. "Once I talk to Director Liu, I'm sure we'll have the person within days."

As soon as Shen Boyang and Ji Kailan spoke, the atmosphere in the room practically froze.

No one had expected the guqin to be such a precious item. Nor had they expected these two young masters to make such a fuss just to seek justice for Su Louzhi.

The female host sighed inwardly.

She was an avid internet surfer herself, so naturally she knew about the famous campus couple of Su Louzhi and Ji Kailan. Ji Kailan had topped Capital University's Most Handsome Male list for three consecutive years, while Su Louzhi, despite being here for only one semester, had rapidly climbed to the top of the Most Beautiful Female list thanks to her striking looks and shy, silent personality.

But her fan base couldn't match the three years of accumulation Ji Kailan had. Plus, she was introverted and didn't socialize much, so many people had only seen her in photos.

Thus, many admirers of Ji Kailan felt Su Louzhi wasn't good enough for him.

The female host sneered inwardly: Those people couldn't even hold a candle to Su Louzhi.

Looking at Su Louzhi's pitiful appearance now, she felt a pang of sympathy herself. A girl so deserving of affection deserved the best man by her side. Those jealous people, even without Su Louzhi, could never stand next to Ji Kailan. She wondered if that foolish saboteur regretted it now—thinking Su Louzhi was easy prey, not realizing how many people stood behind her.

Qin Qingyan frowned and spoke up, "Zhizhi, don't worry. I won't let you be bullied for nothing." She shifted the topic. "But the most important thing now is: does Zhizhi still want to go on stage?"

Su Louzhi looked up at her with tearful eyes.

"I have a cousin who studies the guqin," Qin Qingyan said. "She's in high school now, preparing for the college entrance exam, so her guqin should be idle. I can call and ask if she'll lend it to you. If Zhizhi has a guqin, she can still perform."

She looked at Su Louzhi seriously. "Zhizhi, do you want to go on stage?"

The male host's eyes lit up, and he immediately cut in, "That's right! Junior Su, if possible, you should go on stage! You've prepared for so long, and during rehearsals, I heard your duet—it was absolutely wonderful! It would be a shame not to perform!"

He was practically using all his persuasive power, because now Su Louzhi was the one calling the shots. If she agreed to perform, Ji Kailan would surely follow. He didn't dare let the show be canceled—the forum would explode! Although today's incident couldn't be hidden, at least this was better than the worst-case scenario.

Su Louzhi listened to the two of them, her tears gradually subsiding. She looked up at Ji Kailan with tearful eyes.

Ji Kailan's heart ached at her pitiful, red-rimmed eyes. He said softly, "Zhizhi, do you want to go on stage? If you do, we'll go as planned. If not, that's fine too. You don't have to feel any pressure. I was only willing to perform because of you in the first place."

Su Louzhi lowered her eyes. If she had a choice, she would have chosen not to go on stage at all.

But now...

She thought of the anxious expressions of the male and female hosts. They were truly afraid the show would be canceled. This New Year's gala wasn't just her and Ji Kailan's stage; it was the result of everyone's hard work. If they threw it away out of selfishness, making the gala a laughingstock, how sad would those who had practiced so hard feel?

And then there were the times she'd spent practicing with Ji Kailan over the past month. The sweat, the chemistry, the moments of smiling at each other...

If she didn't perform, it would feel like betraying all that effort.

She looked up at Ji Kailan and nodded gently.

Ji Kailan immediately hugged her tenderly, stroking her head. "Good. Since Zhizhi is willing, we'll go on stage." He turned to Qin Qingyan. "Thank you for your help, Qingyan."

Qin Qingyan nodded. "No trouble. I'll call now."

She immediately dialed, spoke briefly, and hung up.

"My cousin agreed," Qin Qingyan said. "Her housekeeper will bring the guqin right away. She lives not far from Capital University, so it should arrive within half an hour."

Ji Kailan nodded. "Good. I'm in your debt this time. I'll repay you later."

Qin Qingyan quickly shook her head. "Zhizhi is my roommate; it's my duty."

Shen Boyang patted Qin Qingyan's shoulder heartily. "Thank goodness for you, Qingyan! There are so few guqin players now, even our school doesn't have one. If your cousin didn't play, we wouldn't know what to do."

Jiang Yi and Liu Mengting pounced on Qin Qingyan, bear-hugging her. "Wow! Our Qin Queen is amazing!"

Su Louzhi watched the atmosphere become lively again and finally smiled through her tears.

Seeing this, Ji Kailan leaned down and whispered, "Alright, my little Zhizhi, no more crying. Since the guqin will take half an hour to arrive, I'll have Lisa redo your makeup, okay?"

Su Louzhi nodded obediently.

Ji Kailan waved his hand, calling over Lisa, who had been watching the drama from the sidelines.

Lisa walked over, sighing, "I didn't expect students at Capital University to be so dramatic. I thought people who got into a top university were all studious and well-behaved."

This remark was a slap in the face to all the Capital University students present, who thought indignantly: Who on earth has no sense of what it means to be a student here!

Lisa walked up to Su Louzhi, gently cupped her face, and murmured, "Oh dear, the look of a beauty in tears... I'm suddenly so inspired."

She studied Su Louzhi with excitement. "You just cried, so the redness in your eyes won't fade easily. Let me redo your makeup to give you a real sense of being shattered—guaranteed. When you step on stage, you'll be the center of attention. Everyone will wonder: what happened to our little beauty? Why does she look so wronged?"

Before Su Louzhi could nod, Jiang Yi was already cheering, "Yes! That's it! Make our Zhizhi look absolutely shattered! After the show, we'll expose this and make that saboteur die of embarrassment!"

Lisa slapped her chest. "No problem, leave it to me."

The male and female hosts exchanged helpless glances. Honestly, they and the other performers didn't want to blow this up, but when they heard Lisa planned to make Su Louzhi look pitiful, they really wanted to say: Just leave us out of this!

However, they considered themselves sensible people. Tonight's farce couldn't be hidden anyway, and there was no way to silence the victim. She had indeed been wronged, so a shattered look it was. At least she'd still perform!

—

Lisa said no problem, and she meant it. The guqin arrived backstage at the same time she finished redoing Su Louzhi's makeup. She led Su Louzhi out to show everyone.

Everyone was stunned.

Jiang Yi screamed dramatically, "Oh my god! My Zhizhi is amazing!"

Ji Kailan's gaze fell on Su Louzhi, and he froze. He hadn't expected Lisa's "shattered" look to be like this, but now he saw it.

It wasn't so much "shattered" as it was provocative.

Lisa had emphasized the slight redness of Su Louzhi's eyes and the faint pink of her nose. She'd also added shimmer under her eyes, making it look like a tear was about to fall, turning her into a picture of pitiful, wronged beauty.

Yet her cheeks had been given a normal blush.

For some reason, this triggered a scene Ji Kailan had replayed in his mind countless times.

Su Louzhi beneath him, in the throes of passion.

Her body flushed pink, cheeks rosy, nose tinged red, eyes glistening. A tear trembling at the corner of her eye, as if pleading, as if telling him with her gaze: she couldn't take any more.

Ji Kailan felt his sanity crumbling.

He wanted to press her down beneath him, to take and cherish her. His inner savagery screamed to carry her off so no one could see her like this.

But—

He looked at the people around praising Su Louzhi, watching her smile through her tears, seeing how she seemed to like her new look.

He sighed inwardly.

Forget it.

He'd taken so long to coax this little crybaby out of her tears; he shouldn't make her cry again.

As long as she was happy.

The guqin arrived, the makeup was done, and there was little time left before Su Louzhi and Ji Kailan's performance. Qin Qingyan, after confirming Su Louzhi was fine, led Jiang Yi and Liu Mengting to say goodbye.

"Zhizhi, we'll be waiting in the audience!" Jiang Yi winked at her. "Just wait for our screaming!"

The three of them disappeared into the backstage corridor.

—

The previous act finally ended.

The two hosts walked to the front with perfect smiles, their voices echoing through the venue: "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's stage has passionate song and dance, and dynamic rhythms. But have you ever wondered what it would sound like when a guqin and a classical guitar meet?"

The female host continued, "Please enjoy the instrumental duet 'Blue Stream in the Ravine' performed by Ji Kailan and Su Louzhi."

Thunderous applause.

Su Louzhi and Ji Kailan walked side by side to the front, each holding their instrument.

The stage lights were bright, almost blinding. The sea of dark figures below seemed endless.

Su Louzhi's heartbeat quickened. She unconsciously turned to look at Ji Kailan and found him smiling at her.

His gaze held no stage fright, no audience noise—only her.

Somehow, she felt brave.

She steadied herself and looked at the audience again. There she saw Qin Qingyan, Jiang Yi, and Liu Mengting seated near the front, waving excitedly at her.

Su Louzhi smiled genuinely.

She sat down gracefully, placed her fingers on the strings, and, together with Ji Kailan, played the familiar melody of "Blue Stream in the Ravine."

—

The piece ended.

The applause was even more thunderous than when they came on.

From the applause, Su Louzhi vaguely heard someone shouting "Encore!"

The applause lasted a long time.

The two hosts quickly came on stage and made some joking remarks to smoothly let Su Louzhi and Ji Kailan leave the stage.

Once off stage, Su Louzhi let out a long sigh of relief. She hadn't expected she'd actually have the courage to perform in front of so many people.

She was secretly proud of her progress when Ji Kailan's amused voice rang in her ear: "Zhizhi, let's take a photo together."

He leaned close, his tone tinged with slight disappointment. "We didn't get the chance earlier, and I was so regretful."

Su Louzhi's eyes lit up. Oh right! She'd almost forgotten! They had planned to take a photo, but that was interrupted by the broken strings.

She looked up at Ji Kailan with sparkling eyes and nodded excitedly.

Ji Kailan took out his phone, stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her from behind, and opened the front camera.

Click—

The two of them were captured in a special photo.

—

Their act was near the end of the program. Not long after they finished, the entire New Year's gala was wrapping up. The final act was all performers coming on stage together to sing "Nan Wang Jin Xiao."

Su Louzhi and Ji Kailan, hand in hand, stepped onto the stage once more, surrounded by classmates who had worked together for this gala. They stood together, singing the familiar melody in unison.

Su Louzhi couldn't voice the words, but she immersed herself in the atmosphere—the lights, the song, the applause, and the person beside her holding her hand.

The gala ended, and the New Year's holiday followed. Ji Kailan openly whisked Su Louzhi back to his place, where they spent the holiday together. Since final exams were approaching, they didn't go out; instead, Ji Kailan continued to tutor Su Louzhi.

As soon as the holiday ended and Su Louzhi returned to campus, she noticed people sneakily looking at her. She was puzzled, but that mystery was solved when Ji Kailan dropped her off at the classroom and she saw Jiang Yi.

Qin Qingyan and the others had saved her usual seat. After saying goodbye to Ji Kailan, Su Louzhi sat down, and Jiang Yi immediately grabbed her arm excitedly, leaning in to whisper, "Zhizhi, have you seen the forum?"

Su Louzhi looked at her, confused. With finals looming, why would she be on the forum? She'd spent the whole holiday studying with Ji Kailan.

Liu Mengting, seeing her blank look, added dryly, "Zhizhi is a diligent student, unlike some people."

Su Louzhi was even more confused.

Finally, Qin Qingyan simply told her, "Zhizhi, remember when someone cut the strings of your guqin at the New Year's gala?"

Su Louzhi suddenly remembered. Though it had been days ago, Ji Kailan had comforted her well, and with final exams looming, she'd completely forgotten. Now that Qin Qingyan mentioned it, had the culprit been caught?

Qin Qingyan understood her questioning look and nodded. "Yes, they found who cut your strings."

Jiang Yi eagerly added, "Zhizhi, do you know who it was?"

Su Louzhi shook her head blankly. She'd never looked at the forum, so she didn't know. But shouldn't Ji Kailan have told her? Why was it all over the forum?

Liu Mengting said slowly, "If Zhizhi doesn't know, maybe Senior Ji didn't want to bother you with it. But we thought you should know."

Jiang Yi nodded. "Right. The investigation concluded, and it was a real shocker! It was Liu Yiyi, the dance department's top beauty."

Liu Yiyi? Su Louzhi was utterly confused—she'd never heard the name.

Qin Qingyan explained gently, "Liu Yiyi is the only daughter of the Liu family in City B. They're a minor wealthy family there, so she was probably spoiled. But such a small family is nothing compared to the Qin or Ji families. I once heard Boyang mention a girl who kept harassing Ji Shao—that was likely Liu Yiyi."

Liu Mengting nodded and added, "Liu Yiyi has a history on the forum; she was Senior Ji's ultimate stan and dream girl. She was also the girl who danced 'Xian Chun Hua' at the gala."

Jiang Yi nodded, with a hint of schadenfreude. "The forum is buzzing now. She had her eye on Senior Ji since she first came, and she kept pestering him, which had already annoyed some of his fans. This time she really stepped on a landmine. Senior Shen and Senior Ji were determined to make a big deal of it. They found her even before New Year's—that same night. They just needed to investigate further before making a public announcement. But on New Year's Eve, Liu Yiyi was taken away by police in front of everyone at Capital University."

Su Louzhi was puzzled. Taken away by police on New Year's Eve? But wasn't she still there that day?

Qin Qingyan understood her confusion. "After the performance, you and Senior Ji went straight back to Minghua Yuan, right? Some students stayed on campus for the holiday, and around eleven that night, police arrived, so the students who stayed saw them take Liu Yiyi away."

Jiang Yi continued excitedly, "Right, after Liu Yiyi was taken, the forum exploded. Not long after, Senior Shen made a post under his real name detailing the whole incident, from start to finish. People are still talking about it."

Liu Mengting added, "This time, Senior Shen and Senior Ji must have exerted pressure, so it was handled quickly. Liu Yiyi was charged with intentionally damaging cultural relics, which carries up to three years in prison plus a fine."

Jiang Yi nodded firmly. "That's justice served." After sharing Liu Yiyi's likely fate, Jiang Yi looked around warily, confirming no one was paying attention to their gossip, then leaned in closer, whispering, "Zhizhi, don't you think cutting all the strings at once was a stupid move?"

Su Louzhi looked at Jiang Yi blankly, wondering why she'd suddenly ask that. At the time, she'd been so shocked she couldn't think, and later she'd forgotten, so she hadn't dwelled on it. But now that Jiang Yi mentioned it, she realized it was indeed odd.

That day, all the strings on her guqin had snapped at the exact same spot—clearly cut. That was why she'd been triggered, thinking of the bullying from her past. But now, from Liu Yiyi's perspective, it was indeed a foolish, overly deliberate move. She could have staged an accident that no one would notice, and the blame wouldn't have fallen on her so easily.

Su Louzhi hesitated, then typed uncertainly: [Silent Little Tail: So there's more to the story?]

Jiang Yi snapped her fingers. "Bingo! Now let our gossip queen Mengting take the spotlight! It's not that I don't want to tell you—the story is too complicated and I didn't quite get it—but Mengting says she's got it all figured out!"

Su Louzhi turned her confused gaze to Liu Mengting, and Qin Qingyan also looked on curiously, asking, "Was it her roommate? I heard from Boyang that there were actually two culprits, but the police only took one, so Ji Shao is going after the other."

Liu Mengting nodded calmly. "That's right. After Liu Yiyi was taken away, she was released quickly. She stormed back to her dorm, grabbed her roommate Tan Simin by the hair, and dragged her from under the bed, cursing and hitting her. She was so worked up she didn't even bother to close the door, so everyone heard the whole drama."

She cleared her throat and organized her thoughts. "The forum posts about this were messy, so I'll summarize: Tan Simin also admired Senior Ji, but she never showed it. Instead, she became best friends with Liu Yiyi, who was Ji Shao's biggest stan. Liu Yiyi originally wanted to target Zhizhi, but Zhizhi kept a low profile and gave her no opening. Then, when it turned out Zhizhi would be performing on the same stage as Ji Shao, Liu Yiyi lost control. Her original plan, apparently, was to send someone to intimidate Zhizhi."

Liu Mengting grew indignant. "But Tan Simin talked her out of it, saying there was no chance because Zhizhi was never alone. Then Tan Simin suggested Liu Yiyi destroy the guqin instead. That way, with the performance imminent, no one could produce a new guqin, and Liu Yiyi could swoop in as the hero, playing her violin alongside Senior Ji."

Jiang Yi chimed in, scoffing, "Only a fool would think that. She never considered how weird 'Blue Stream in the Ravine' would sound on a violin."

Liu Mengting imagined the scene and couldn't help but laugh before continuing, "Since she'd never learned the guqin, she chose what she knew. But now that it's all come out, Tan Simin has apparently moved out of the dorm—who knows where she went. Probably too ashamed to show her face."

Jiang Yi continued, "Tan Simin is really cunning. Liu Yiyi's actions were despicable, but if Tan Simin's plan had gone perfectly, the result would have been terrifying. Zhizhi wouldn't have been able to perform, and Liu Yiyi would have played with Senior Ji, but cutting the strings was too clumsy. Senior Ji would've come down hard on her afterward. Only thing is, Liu Yiyi is stupid but has a smart mother. I heard her mother came to the police station to bail her out, told her the whole mess was Tan Simin's doing, so Liu Yiyi stormed back to the dorm to beat her up."

Liu Mengting nodded and added the gossip she'd gathered. "Liu Yiyi is close to her mother; she believed her right away. As for Tan Simin, honestly, if not for Liu Yiyi, I'd never have known her. After this blew up, someone posted on the forum from Tan Simin's hometown, saying they knew a former classmate of hers. They asked around and learned Tan Simin had pulled similar stunts before. She just can't stand others having something she doesn't—if she can't have it, no one else should."

Qin Qingyan frowned through the gossip and commented, "The world has too many people; every kind of oddball exists." She turned to Su Louzhi, speaking softly, "Zhizhi, don't worry. Neither Liu Yiyi nor Tan Simin will be able to stay here, and they'll never show up in front of you. Boyang said he owes you a favor, so he'll handle it. But he also told me Ji Shao is acting too. In any case, you don't need to worry about bad things happening again."

Su Louzhi nodded, saying she understood. Listening to Jiang Yi and Liu Mengting recount the convoluted story and Qin Qingyan's assurances, she felt surprisingly indifferent. When her emotions had surged that day, she'd been agitated, but after calming down, those feelings had faded. Now, hearing the fate of the saboteurs, she didn't feel triumphant or vengeful, just a quiet "Oh, I see."

After all, she'd known from the start that Ji Kailan would give her an explanation.

But speaking of Ji Kailan... she was curious. They'd just said Liu Yiyi had been pestering Ji Kailan relentlessly, but she was with him every day. How had she never noticed anyone harassing him?

She hesitated, then typed out her question.

Qin Qingyan answered directly, "Ji Shao has always been thorough. He probably handled it early so others wouldn't bother you. From what I heard, Liu Yiyi pestered him intensely last semester at the start, but after Ji Shao gave her a lesson, she calmed down. I just didn't expect she still hadn't dropped it and came after you this time."

Jiang Yi nodded in agreement. "I've seen that post. It got dug up again after Liu Yiyi's incident. Liu Yiyi started with the 'a persistent woman wins' routine, confessing to Senior Ji in public. He rejected her without mercy, looking disgusted, saying he didn't even know her. A normal person might've become introverted for life after that, but Liu Yiyi is not normal."

At that, Jiang Yi shut her eyes in disbelief, her tone turning to utter bafflement. "She started to 'coincidentally' run into Senior Ji more often, engineering multiple encounters in just half a month, all in public. So that post has many people sharing their own perspectives. The last one, about a month into the semester, she did it again at the basketball court, and Senior Ji told her straight: whether she likes him is her business, but bothering him is her problem. Since he'd refused her many times and she still didn't get it, he'd have to stop being nice and resort to other means."

Su Louzhi was stunned. So Senior Ji had been harassed before? Somehow, it made sense. Senior Ji was so outstanding that many girls must admire him, so it was natural some extreme ones would appear.

Although Ji Kailan had always been gentle and caring with her, she knew he acted like a cold flower toward others. That did sound like him, but she was curious what he'd done to make Liu Yiyi back off.

Liu Mengting, seeing Su Louzhi's curiosity, said, "No one actually knows what he did. But after that basketball court incident, Liu Yiyi did calm down, so everyone assumed he'd done something."

Su Louzhi nodded, understanding. She was curious, but she figured it was probably one of Ji Kailan's unpleasant experiences, so she shouldn't ask. She put it out of her mind and soon entered finals week.

—

The last exam was scheduled for January 15th. Once it was over, the freshmen would be relatively free, just waiting for the official holiday on January 20th.

To ensure Su Louzhi got enough sleep, Ji Kailan suggested she continue staying at his place even after classes resumed.

"Every night, I'll prepare a fresh glass of milk for you," he said. "You'll drink it and fall into deep sleep, waking up refreshed."

Su Louzhi hesitated at the proposal, but since it was her first college finals, she was nervous, so she agreed.

Thus, Su Louzhi stayed at Ji Kailan's for seven straight days.

On January 7th, the first exam.

Su Louzhi was as nervous as before the gaokao, checking her stationery bag multiple times. But after finishing, she felt relieved. Perhaps thanks to Ji Kailan's excellent tutoring, the exam seemed much easier than she'd expected.

The following days were the same. The exams were far simpler than she'd imagined.

From January 7th to 13th, most subjects were done. Only two exams remained, and after those, she'd be free. Su Louzhi relaxed completely.

But the change came on January 13th.

Ji Kailan was gone.

The reason Su Louzhi was so certain was that since National Day, she and Ji Kailan had been together day and night for three and a half months. During that time, he'd almost always kept her by his side. She'd grown used to it.

So when she woke up on January 13th to find him nowhere in the house, her heart sank.

Usually, at this hour, he'd be in the kitchen making her breakfast. By the time she washed up and came out, breakfast would be on the table, and they'd eat together before he drove her to school.

But today—

The kitchen was cold.

The living room was empty.

The whole house was silent, only her.

Su Louzhi checked her phone repeatedly.

No messages.

Ji Kailan hadn't sent any message about where he'd gone, as if he'd vanished into thin air.

Her fingers began to tremble. She opened their chat and pressed the voice call button.

One ring, two rings, three...

It rang until the system automatically hung up.

She tried again. No answer.

A third time.

A fourth.

Each time, the long beep echoed in her ears, each ring like a hammer against her heart.

Su Louzhi rushed out of the house, ran to the underground parking garage. She thought, maybe Ji Kailan had an emergency and left without telling her, taking the car.

But when she saw his designated parking spot, her blood ran cold. There was his familiar car, sitting right there, untouched.

Su Louzhi stood frozen, as if all her blood had solidified.

She didn't know what had happened to Ji Kailan, why he'd suddenly vanished. But she knew one thing: she understood Ji Kailan. Even if there were a real emergency, he would have told her, not left her to worry like this.

Calm down.

Stay calm.

She took a deep breath, forcing her trembling hands to steady.

Ji Kailan wasn't here now. It was just her. No one to comfort her, no one to rely on.

She had to figure this out herself.

Su Louzhi picked up her phone again and opened WeChat with Qin Qingyan.

With trembling fingers, she typed: [Silent Little Tail: Qingyan, I have an urgent matter. Can you give me Senior Shen's contact info?]

Qin Qingyan replied almost instantly: [Call Me Qin Queen: Contact card]

[Call Me Qin Queen: What's wrong, Zhizhi? Why are you looking for me this early? Did something happen? You can tell me openly.]

Su Louzhi opened the contact card, sent a friend request, and while waiting for approval, messaged Qin Qingyan: [Silent Little Tail: Senior Ji is missing. I woke up this morning and couldn't find him anywhere in the house. I searched every room. I went to the parking garage and his car was still there, untouched. He didn't tell me he was going out. I've called him several times, but he didn't answer... not hanging up, just no one picking up.]

[Silent Little Tail: I just added Senior Shen, but he hasn't replied yet. Qingyan, can you help me contact him?]

[Call Me Qin Queen: Don't worry, I'll call him right away.]

Within a minute, Shen Boyang's friend request was approved: [Shine All Over the World: Hello, Junior Su. I just got Qingyan's call. You're saying old Ji is missing?]

Su Louzhi's hands were still shaking as she typed: [Silent Little Tail: Yes. Senior Shen... do you have any idea what's going on?]

At the top of the chat, "typing..." appeared for a long time. Su Louzhi stared at those words, her heart pounding. She didn't dare rush him, just stared at the screen.

Finally, a message popped up: [Shine All Over the World: I have some idea.]

He paused, then sent another: [Shine All Over the World: But are you sure you want to know?]

Su Louzhi's mind went blank at his words. So Ji Kailan really was in trouble.

She bit her lip, fighting to control her shaking hands, typing character by character: [Silent Little Tail: I do.]

Shen Boyang replied quickly: [Shine All Over the World: Alright. But I can't tell you over WeChat. It concerns old Ji's health. It's not that I don't trust you, but the evidence is too compromising. If someone saw it, it would have a huge impact on him and the Ji Group.]

[Shine All Over the World: I'm coming over now. Are you at Minghua Yuan? The place old Ji bought near the school?]

Su Louzhi read those words, and her body wouldn't stop trembling.

What did this mean?

Senior Ji's health... had a serious problem?

Tears burst forth, splashing onto the phone screen. Her vision blurred, but she forced the tears away, continuing to type: [Silent Little Tail: Yes.]

[Shine All Over the World: Okay, I'm coming over now to tell you in person. Wait for me at his place.]

[Silent Little Tail: Alright... thank you, Senior.]

Shen Boyang said he was coming, and he must have left immediately, but those ten minutes felt longer than a century to Su Louzhi. She clutched her phone, trembling, tears streaming. Nearly every few seconds, she'd light up the screen to check the time, to see if Shen Boyang had sent anything new.

The doorbell finally rang.

Su Louzhi dashed to the door and yanked it open.

Shen Boyang stood outside.

He was startled by the instant opening, faced with a tear-streaked, trembling Su Louzhi.

"Uh..." he paused. "Actually, old Ji isn't in life-threatening danger, so you don't need to cry like this. Why don't you grab a tissue and wipe your tears first?"

At the words "not in life-threatening danger," half of Su Louzhi's worry eased, but the other half hung even higher.

Ji Kailan must be facing something.

At least... he was alive.

That realization finally brought back some rationality. She nodded at Shen Boyang, turned back to the living room, and grabbed a tissue to dry her eyes.

Shen Boyang stood at the door, not entering. When Su Louzhi returned to the doorway, he spoke immediately: "Old Ji has an illness."

Su Louzhi's heart clenched.

"This illness used to flare up once a year," Shen Boyang said quickly, "but recently, it seems to be happening sooner. So when you said he's missing today, I figured it might be a flare-up."

Su Louzhi was frantic. She wanted to ask what was wrong with Ji Kailan, but she couldn't speak. For the first time, she hated being mute.

She scrambled to pull out her phone to type, but Shen Boyang stopped her. "I'll tell you everything at once. Don't rush."

Su Louzhi stopped, but her hands still shook violently.

Shen Boyang, seeing her like this, felt a pang of sympathy and said quickly, "When he has an episode, he can't have anyone around. He self-harms, and each time is worse. He can't have outsiders because no one can get close to him."

"The episode lasts seven days. Afterward, depending on the injuries, he goes to the hospital. Usually, in ten days to two weeks, he returns fully healed."

He paused, locking eyes with Su Louzhi. "Now you have two choices. One is to wait it out, at most half a month. The second is to go find him. But I don't recommend that."

"First, no one has been able to get near him for years. Second, we're not sure if he might hurt someone during an episode. Old Ji's strength is on a whole other level compared to yours. You wouldn't stand a chance."

He sighed. "My advice is to act like you don't know. You have your final exam today. Go take it, then have a few more days of classes, and by the time the holiday starts, he'll be back."

Su Louzhi shook her head frantically, crying harder. She typed furiously, so frantic she made typos: [Silent Little Tail: Senior Shen, please take me to him. I won't take the exam. I just want to see him. I'm so worried about him.]

Shen Boyang looked at the typo-ridden message and her tear-streaked face, and his heart softened. He sighed. "Every time he has an episode, he goes to that villa in the suburbs. I can take you there."

Su Louzhi's eyes lit up.

"But," Shen Boyang's tone grew serious, "you have to promise me. Once you go in, if anything happens, I'll drag you out. That's for your safety."

"When you go in, we'll keep the line open. If I hear any sound suggesting you're being hurt—like things breaking or heavy objects falling—I'll barge in immediately."

Su Louzhi nodded desperately.

Shen Boyang didn't try to dissuade her further. He turned and said, "Alright, follow me."

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Author's note:

To clarify, the male lead's disgusted expression was because he smelled pheromones.

TL Note:

"dream girl" ( 梦女 meng nu) might be confusing for some, basically an extreme fan pretty much