Chapter 45

Shi Ye stared at the bunch of sunflowers, so bright it was almost silly, for a full three minutes. The golden petals, bathed in the dim light of the living room, still stretched out arrogantly, seemingly oblivious to how out of place they were. The rich fragrance of the flowers overpowered the lingering scent of tomato and egg noodles and dish soap, announcing its presence.

"A friend who is happy for you."

Shi Ye examined the card several times, even studying the texture of the paper, trying to find some clues. It was printed in Song typeface, on ordinary coated paper, and the florist's label indicated it was a local chain brand—completely unremarkable. The delivery address and time were her home address, and the payment method was anonymous online.

It was as perfect as a… standard, textbook example of an “anonymous gift.”

The question is, who will send her flowers? Or will they be flowers to congratulate Lin Xiaoyu on being shortlisted?

She picked up her phone, opened Lin Xiaoyu's chat window, hesitated for a moment, and still didn't ask. If it really was Lin Xiaoyu who sent it, asking would only seem strange. If it wasn't Lin Xiaoyu… asking would be pointless.

The system in my brain was as quiet as a chicken, only recording one "external interference factor" and then nothing more. Obviously, this bouquet of flowers was not within the preset scope of its task database and was temporarily classified as "irrelevant noise".

Shi Ye abandoned her research and moved the flowers to the corner—they took up too much space and the fragrance was too strong. She stood for a while between the bouquet and the paper bags that Qi Jin had sent, feeling that her living room was like a chaotic temporary warehouse, crammed with "gifts" from different directions, with different purposes and meanings.

She walked to the window, wanting some fresh air, but her gaze involuntarily drifted downstairs. The street was still busy, with no suspicious vehicles parked and nothing unusual.

Aside from the increasingly tangled mess in her own mind.

The moon necklace around her neck felt slightly cool and warm against her skin. She instinctively reached out and touched the small pendant, her fingertips tracing the smooth, curved surface of the moon.

Qi Jin...

What is she thinking?

Knowing full well that she (Shi Ye) was trying to set her up with Lin Xiaoyu, she still agreed to go watch the game. She gave him a necklace, but showed no reaction to the bouquet of sunflowers that were clearly not from her (at least she didn't send a message to ask about it).

Are they indulging her misbehavior? Or are they waiting for something?

Shi Ye couldn't fathom it. Qi Jin's thoughts were sometimes like the deep sea, calm on the surface but turbulent beneath, unfathomable.

Her phone vibrated. She picked it up and saw a message from Qi Jin, this time containing a picture.

Clicking on it reveals a screenshot of an electronic schedule. The time slot from 2 PM to 5 PM on Wednesday is highlighted in red, with a note next to it: "City Art Center, Hall B, Room 3. Lin Xiaoyu Design Re-competition."

Below that is a line of smaller print: "I will be there on time."

Concise, clear, and devoid of any superfluous emotion.

As if responding to her previous vague message that "Qi Jin might also go," it directly gave a definite answer.

Shi Ye stared at the screenshot, her heart skipping a beat. Qi Jin always did things so... decisively and efficiently. Once he agreed, he agreed, even arranging the schedule immediately, leaving her (Shi Ye) no room for repentance or ambiguity.

She replied, "Okay."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "Xiaoyu is really looking forward to it."

Qi Jin replied quickly this time: "I know."

Two words, and that's it.

Shi Ye put down her phone, walked to the sofa, and sank into the soft cushions. She felt tired, not physically, but mentally exhausted. Acting, scheming, guessing, and fighting against the system in her mind that kept popping up and interfering... all of this had left her mentally and physically drained.

She leaned back on the sofa, closed her eyes, and tried to clear her mind.

But the scene of next week's competition involuntarily flashed before my eyes: Lin Xiaoyu nervously presenting her work on stage, Qi Jin sitting expressionlessly in the first row (she definitely had to sit in the first row), and she (Shi Ye) sitting next to Qi Jin like an awkward mascot, trying to find something to talk about to ease the atmosphere, but the more she talked, the colder it got...

Just imagining that scene made her dig her toes into the ground.

No, we can't just sit here and wait to die.

She needs to add some "spice" to her "matchmaking plan" to make the show... a little more "exciting".

Shi Ye opened her eyes, a desperate glint in them. She picked up her phone again, opened Lin Xiaoyu's chat window, and began typing, her fingers flying across the keyboard:

"Xiaoyu, Qi Jin said she'll be there on time, and she even made sure to clear her schedule. She seems to really value your match. (smiley face)"

She sent the message and waited a few seconds.

Lin Xiaoyu replied instantly, followed by a string of exclamation marks and emojis: "Really?! Senior is so kind! [Tears of emotion] Shi Ye, do you think I should bring you a bottle of water that day? Or prepare a small gift? She came to watch my competition, I should at least show my appreciation, right?"

Shi Ye looked at the message and his lips twitched. Water? A small gift? Lin Xiaoyu's thinking was truly... unique yet simple.

She replied, "No need to prepare anything special. Your good performance is the best way to thank me."

Lin Xiaoyu: "That's right! I'll let my abilities speak for themselves! [Strive] By the way, Sister Shi Ye, what does your senior like to drink? Coffee? Tea? Or mineral water? I'll prepare it in advance, just in case she gets thirsty."

Shi Ye: "...Mineral water is fine."

Lin Xiaoyu: "Okay! [Received]"

Finished one side. Shi Ye switched back to Qi Jin's chat window and continued typing, this time in a much more "natural" tone:

"Xiaoyu was very happy to know that you made time to watch her competition. She said she would prepare well and not let you down. (Laughs while covering her mouth) She even asked me what you like to drink so she could bring you some water."

Click send.

She stared at the screen, imagining Qi Jin's expression when he saw the message. Would he think Lin Xiaoyu was considerate? Or would he see through her (Shi Ye's) clumsy "two-way communication"?

Qi Jin replied quickly.

This time it wasn't a simple "hmm" or "I know".

She replied, "Tell her it's no trouble."

His tone was flat, revealing no emotion.

Shi Ye pressed on, "It's no trouble at all, it's just her kind intention. She'll be very grateful if you go watch her match. (Smiles)"

This time, Qi Jin replied after a while: "You seem to care even more than she does."

Shi Ye's heart skipped a beat. It's here. Qi Jin's sharp edge.

She took a deep breath and typed steadily: "After all, she's my junior, and you are... well, I'm happy for her that you're willing to support her."

By blurring the subject, shifting the focus, and incidentally emphasizing the connection between "she" and "you," it's perfect.

Qi Jin did not reply.

Shi Ye waited a few minutes to make sure the conversation was over before he breathed a sigh of relief and tossed his phone aside.

She leaned back on the sofa, feeling a thin layer of sweat on her back. Dealing with Qi Jin was like walking a tightrope; a single wrong word could lead to utter ruin.

But... there seems to be a strange sense of excitement about it.

It's like knowing there's a cliff ahead, but still being unable to resist wanting to test where the edge is.

She walked to the corner and looked at the bunch of sunflowers again. The golden petals were still blooming carefree.

"A friend who is happy for you"...

She pursed her lips, deciding to ignore it for the time being. Right now, her crazy plan was more important.

Wednesday's match is the first act.

She had to make sure that this first act was "spectacular" enough.

For the next two days, Shi Ye's life fell into an eerie "calm".

Qi Jin didn't come to see her again, but he would send her one or two messages every day, all about trivial things: "Does your foot still hurt?" "Did you take your medicine on time?" "The weather forecast says it will be colder tomorrow, remember to wear more clothes." His tone was calm, routine, and showed no particular emotion.

Shi Ye replied to each question briefly: "It doesn't hurt." "I ate it." "Okay."

Lin Xiaoyu entered "pre-exam sprint" mode, bombarded with messages, all about detailed revisions to the design plan, refining the wording of her presentation, and even agonizing over her hairstyle and lipstick shade for the day. Shi Ye mostly acted as an emotionless "uh-huh" machine, occasionally pulling her back on track when she clearly went off track (for example, when she was debating whether to add a talent performance to her presentation).

The sunflowers gradually withered, the edges of the petals curling and turning black, their rich fragrance replaced by a slightly rotten sweetness. Shi Ye finally couldn't stand it anymore and threw it into the trash can downstairs. As she threw it, she made sure to look around; there was no one suspicious.

The system was quite well-behaved. Apart from the daily routine announcement of the task countdown (21 days left) and the unchanging favorability data, it only gave her a little routine affirmation when she "actively" relayed messages. It did not release any groundbreaking new tasks or reward mechanisms.

Things seemed calm on Qin Ming's side as well, with no new developments. The investigation into Qi Jin's car accident was reportedly still ongoing, but without any significant breakthroughs.

Everything seems normal.

It was so normal that it made Shi Ye feel uneasy.

She always felt that beneath this calm surface, something was brewing, waiting for the right moment to erupt.

Wednesday arrived quickly.

Shi Ye got up early on purpose, changed into the off-white knit sweater and khaki pants that Qi Jin had given her, and paired them with comfortable flat shoes. The moon necklace around her neck was hidden under the collar, with only a slightly cool touch reminding her of its presence.

She looked at herself in the mirror; her face was still pale, but her eyes seemed a little clearer than a few days ago. It could be the medication, or it could be... something else.

She took a deep breath, picked up her bag, and went out.

On the way to the city's art center by taxi, she was still rehearsing today's "script" in her mind: how to "naturally" get Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu to talk more, how to "casually" praise Lin Xiaoyu, how to "cleverly" create a little opportunity to be alone (even if it's only for a few minutes), and then push the scene to an awkward but polite climax.

The art center's B hall was quite crowded, mostly with students and teachers participating in various competitions or exhibitions. The air was thick with the smells of paint, turpentine, and a mixture of tension and excitement. Shi She followed the signs to Hall 3, where a group of people had already gathered at the entrance.

She spotted Lin Xiaoyu immediately.

Lin Xiaoyu was indeed wearing that misty blue dress today. Her hair was carefully styled, and she wore light makeup, looking fresh and radiant. However, she was clearly extremely nervous, clutching a stack of documents in her hand, pacing back and forth in small steps, muttering to herself as if she were reciting a script.

"Xiaoyu." Shi She walked over.

When Lin Xiaoyu saw her, her eyes lit up instantly, and she rushed over as if she had seen a savior: "Sister Shi She! You're here! I was so nervous! My heart was about to jump out of my chest!"

"Take a deep breath." Shi She patted her back. "Have you memorized the script?"

"I've memorized it all! But I'm afraid I'll forget it all when I get on stage!" Lin Xiaoyu said with a mournful face.

"No, believe in yourself," Shi She comforted him, glancing around. "Qi Jin... hasn't arrived yet?"

"Not yet!" Lin Xiaoyu craned her neck to look around. "Senior said she'd be on time, it should be soon, right?"

As the two were talking, the crowd suddenly fell silent for a moment.

As if sensing something, Shi She turned to look in the direction of the entrance.

Qi Jin walked in through the door.

Today she wore a well-tailored dark gray suit, without a tie, and a simple white shirt underneath. Her hair was neatly tied back. She was tall and had a cool, aloof air, attracting a lot of attention as soon as she appeared. But she seemed oblivious, her gaze sweeping across the crowd and landing precisely on Shi She and Lin Xiaoyu.

Then, she walked over.

His gait was steady, his expression calm, and the band-aid on his forehead had been replaced with a smaller, almost invisible skin-colored one.

"Senior!" Lin Xiaoyu immediately stood up straight, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness.

Qi Jin walked up to them and nodded to Lin Xiaoyu: "Ready?"

"Ready, all set!" Lin Xiaoyu nodded vigorously.

Qi Jin's gaze then turned to Shi She, lingering on her for a moment. His eyes seemed to sweep over her neck (the necklace was hidden by her collar) and her clothes before moving away without any particular expression.

"Let's go in," Qi Jin said, leading the way to the entrance of the exhibition hall.

Lin Xiaoyu quickly followed, while Shi She walked at the back.

The exhibition hall was already set up, with the judges' seats at the front and the audience seats at the back. Contestants and their companions entered one after another, and the air was filled with the buzzing of conversation.

Qi Jin found a seat near the front but slightly off-center, where he could see the stage but wouldn't attract too much attention. Lin Xiaoyu, as a contestant, needed to go to the waiting area at the front to prepare.

"Senior, Sister Shi She, I'm going now!" Lin Xiaoyu took a deep breath, clenched her fist, turned around and walked forward, her back view carrying a tragic air of "a hero going forth never to return".

Shi She sat down in the empty seat next to Qi Jin.

There was a seat between the two.

The air was filled with a faint smell of ink and new carpet, along with the humming of whispers from the surrounding crowd.

Neither of them spoke first.

Shi She could sense that familiar, cold yet composed aura emanating from Qi Jin. She sat upright, her gaze calmly fixed on the empty display stand in front of her, as if waiting for an ordinary business meeting.

Shi She quickly went through the "script" in his mind.

Step 1: Naturally start the conversation by praising Lin Xiaoyu.

She cleared her throat, turned to look at Qi Jin, and tried to make her tone sound relaxed and natural: "Xiao Yu seems to be in pretty good spirits today, and the dress suits her very well."

Qi Jin turned his head and glanced at her, his eyes calm and expressionless. "Mm."

Huh? Just one "hmm"? Shi She's prepared follow-up remarks, such as "She takes this competition very seriously" and "She is very talented," were blocked by this single syllable.

She forced herself to continue: "She prepared for this competition for a long time, staying up very late every day."

Qi Jin: "It's a good thing to work hard."

His tone remained calm.

Shi She: "..."

This topic is impossible to continue.

She silently turned her head and stared at the display stand. It seemed that Qi Jin wasn't planning to play along with her "matchmaking" act today and was prepared to be a pure, quiet spectator.

"Alright," Shi She thought, "then we'll just have to play it by ear."

The competition began quickly. After a brief introduction by the host, the first contestant went on stage to present.

Shi She forced herself to concentrate on listening, but her thoughts kept drifting to the person next to her. Qi Jin watched intently, occasionally frowning slightly as if deep in thought, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest of his seat.

When it was Lin Xiaoyu's turn to go on stage, Shi She clearly felt that Qi Jin next to him sat up straighter.

Lin Xiaoyu took several deep breaths before stepping onto the display stage. The spotlight shone on her, making her misty blue dress gleam softly. She still seemed nervous; her voice trembled slightly at first, but as she began explaining her design concepts and works, her eyes gradually became focused and bright, and her voice steadied.

She was talking about a series of designs about "urban memory and rebirth," using recycled materials and combining them with modern technology to give old objects new life and beauty. The pictures and physical models on display were exquisite, and the concept was clear and interesting.

As Shi She listened, he couldn't help but feel proud of Lin Xiaoyu. This girl was indeed talented and hardworking.

She secretly glanced at Qi Jin.

Qi Jin was looking intently at Lin Xiaoyu on the stage, his gaze focused, and there seemed to be... a barely perceptible, extremely faint smile at the corner of his mouth? As if... admiration?

Shi Ye's heart inexplicably tightened.

Just then, Lin Xiaoyu on stage began explaining the most crucial part: the physical demonstration. She carefully picked up a steampunk-style lamp model made from old circuit boards and metal parts, preparing to demonstrate its lighting effects.

Perhaps it was due to nervousness, or perhaps it was a slip of the hand—

The exquisite model suddenly slipped from her hands!

"Ah!" Lin Xiaoyu exclaimed in a short, surprised voice.

The model crashed to the ground!

In a flash, a figure sitting next to the judges in the front row suddenly stood up, took a step forward, and reached out—

Snap!

The model was caught steadily and held in the palm of his hand.

Their movements were so fast that they were almost invisible.

The entire room fell silent for a few seconds.

Shi Ye's eyes widened.

The one who caught the model was none other than—Jiang Chen?!

What's he doing here?! And sitting right next to the judges?! And reacting so quickly?!

Lin Xiaoyu on the stage was also stunned. She stared at Jiang Chen, who had suddenly appeared, her mouth agape, unable to react.

Jiang Chen steadily held the model, looked up at Lin Xiaoyu, his face expressionless, and calmly handed the model back to her, saying in a low voice, "Be careful."

Lin Xiaoyu took it blankly, her face turning bright red to her ears, and stammered, "Thank you, senior..."

Jiang Chen nodded and sat back down in his seat, as if the swift catch just now was an illusion.

The judges and audience seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then a few good-natured chuckles and sporadic applause broke out, easing the awkward atmosphere.

Lin Xiaoyu took a deep breath, composed herself, and continued her presentation, though the blush on her cheeks lingered for a long time.

Shi Ye was still in shock, not yet recovered. Jiang Chen? What was he doing at the design competition? And sitting so close to the front? Could it be… that he was the “secret crush” Lin Xiaoyu had mentioned before? The one who “needed time to consider”? Was he a judge? Or a staff member?

She subconsciously turned to look at Qi Jin, wanting to see her reaction.

Qi Jin was also looking at the stage, his expression still calm, but deep in his eyes, there seemed to be a hint of... understanding?

She didn't seem...surprised?

Shi Ye's heart pounded.

The script... seemed to have deviated from her intended course from the very beginning.

Moreover, it's a bit too biased.