If he didn't leave the dormitory, Lin Qingyan was afraid he wouldn't be able to control his emotions. He ran very fast, and neither Lu Yuqi nor An Jing caught up with him. He didn't know where to go and just wanted to find a secluded corner to be alone.
Lu Yuqi, unable to see anyone, grew increasingly irritated. "Where did they run off to..."
An Jing, who was standing next to him, was also looking around. "Don't worry, let's split up and look for him." There were guards at the entrances and exits, so the trainees couldn't get out. As long as Lin Qingyan was still in the recording base, it would be easy to find him.
Lu Yuqi glanced at the man beside him and sneered, "You don't need to pretend. Your dear brother is probably crying because he's feeling wronged. Teacher An should go back and take care of him."
An Jing glanced helplessly at the person in front of him. This guy usually acted cool and didn't talk much, but when he was roasting him, he was quick-witted. In this industry, who wouldn't be polite to him? No one had ever dared to be so rude to him.
"Kid, instead of wasting your time arguing, why don't you find the person first?" An Jing didn't have time to argue with him. "I'll go to the left, you go to the right, let's split up and find the person."
Lin Qingyan did seem a bit off just now. If something happened to the child, wouldn't Gu Fei hold him accountable? Moreover, he was genuinely worried, not because of Gu Fei.
Lu Yuqi didn't say anything, and turned to look for someone on the right.
...
The dormitory building was unusually lively today, with most of the contestants' families present. This was a surprise arranged by the production team for the contestants.
In contrast, the desolate and dilapidated storage room in another corner presented a stark contrast to the cheerful and lively scene. (Original URL)
The door to the storage room was tightly closed, and it was filled with a lot of useless junk. It had probably not been cleaned for a long time, as it was covered in dust and even had cobwebs, as if it had been abandoned.
Suppressed sobs came from inside, very soft, as if trying hard to hold back, but unable to hide the grievances and sadness within. The sobs lasted only a few minutes before stopping, as if afraid of being discovered.
The corner seat was cluttered with miscellaneous items, obscuring the figure of the slender boy sitting there. It was so quiet that only his slightly rapid breathing could be heard.
Lin Qingyan huddled in the corner, her eyes wet and her eyes and nose red from crying.
Only in a secluded corner could he dare to vent his pent-up emotions without having to pretend to be happy.
He raised his hand to wipe away the tears that hadn't yet dried on his face. As he gradually calmed down, he felt regretful. He thought about how he had treated An Nanyi earlier; his biological mother would probably hate him now...
Lin Qingyan even wanted to stay here and not come out, so he wouldn't have to face it, but he knew he couldn't do that. It was fine if he was unhappy, but why spoil other people's fun?
After a while, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside, as if they were heading towards the storage room. Then someone pushed open the door, and Lin Qingyan sat there stiffly without making a sound.
An Jing stood at the door, glancing around inside. Seeing no one, he tentatively called out Lin Qingyan's name, but there was no response. He figured Lin Qingyan was probably not there.
He was about to look elsewhere when he heard a faint noise behind him. He turned around and saw the person he was looking for standing up from the corner.
The boy's hands were nervously placed in front of him, his eyes red like a rabbit's, looking at him anxiously. He must have just been crying, as his voice was still slightly nasal: "Teacher An..."
An Jing paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Finally found the person."
He walked quickly to Lin Qingyan's side, looked at the person in front of him with concern, and asked gently, "What's wrong? Is there something that's bothering you? You can tell me."
"It's nothing..." Lin Qingyan's eyes darted away. He hadn't expected that An Jing would not only not blame him, but would also come to find him with concern.
He lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes concealing his emotions, and said softly, "I'm sorry, I was just a little unhappy because... my family didn't come. I'm fine now. I'm sorry for making you worry."
An Jing could tell that Lin Qingyan's words were an excuse. "It's okay, everyone has bad days." He patted the boy's shoulder reassuringly. "Come back with me, Lu Yuqi is looking for you too."
"Hmm." Lin Qingyan followed An Jing out, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Teacher An, could you please not let Master Gu know about this? I don't want him to worry."
"Yes, I'll keep it a secret for you."
The two ran into Lu Yuqi on their way. He looked Lin Qingyan up and down, then glanced warily at An Jing. "Why are you crying? You can tell me who bullied you."
Lin Qingyan smiled and said, "No one bullied me. I'm fine now. Go back."
Lu Yuqi simply said "oh" and didn't ask any further questions.
The three of them returned to the dormitory together. When Lu's mother saw Lin Qingyan's pitiful appearance with red eyes, she immediately felt sorry for him and asked what was wrong. Lin Qingyan still smiled and said it was nothing.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally walked up to Song Shuman, lowered his eyes slightly, and called out in a hoarse voice, "Auntie, I'm sorry, I wasted the cake you made."
A hint of surprise flashed in Song Shuman's eyes. She looked at the slender boy in front of her, his eyebrows and eyes lowered obediently, his eyes and nose red, as if he had been crying. He looked very well-behaved, which made people feel sorry for him.
"It's alright, Auntie has some more here." Song Shuman smiled at him, her eyes gentle. It was just a small matter, and she couldn't hold it against the child in front of her.
"Thank you, Auntie."
Looking at him so closely, Song Shuman felt an even stronger sense of closeness, perhaps because of the child's appearance.
Nothing else went wrong. Lin Qingyan walked the red carpet with Lu Yuqi and Lu's mother. They walked in front, and when they took their seats, An Nanyi also appeared.
Wearing a white dress, Song Shuman walked in the middle. Her appearance and temperament exuded gentleness and elegance. She had a faint smile on her face and her eyebrows were slightly curved. If you didn't know her, you would think she was a female celebrity.
Annan, dressed in a white suit, stood beside her.
Both of them were dressed in the same color scheme, like a mother and son wearing matching outfits. Their expressions were affectionate and their movements were natural, making them appear to onlookers like a mother and son with a very good relationship.
As if being tortured, Lin Qingyan's gaze followed them until they signed the autograph board and then sat down next to each other.
An Nanyi was talking to Song Shuman. They were a bit far apart, and Lin Qingyan couldn't hear what they were saying, but both of them had smiles on their faces and seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation.
Lin Qingyan opened his eyes imperceptibly, but his hands, which were resting on his legs, clenched involuntarily. It felt as if a hole had been torn in his heart, and cold wind kept blowing in, making his whole body numb with cold.
It's okay, he told himself over and over again.
After walking the red carpet, there were some more activities, including games, singing and dancing performances, and even magic tricks. These were all lighthearted and enjoyable activities, and the atmosphere was filled with laughter.
Lin Qingyan sat among the crowd, looking as if he had lost his soul, completely unaware of what the host on stage was saying. He was unusually quiet today, which Lu Yuqi noticed quickly.
Lu Yuqi nudged his arm with his elbow and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? You're acting strange today."
"Really?" Lin Qingyan smiled, her lips curving into a smile. Perhaps it was because the lights were too bright, but her exceptionally moist peach blossom eyes reflected the light and curved into crescent moons.
Despite the seemingly joyful smile, Lu Yuqi sensed that Lin Qingyan looked extremely uncomfortable. He figured it was probably because of that drama queen, An Nanyi. Lu Yuqi said coldly, "If you're not happy, don't smile. It's ugly."
"Where is it ugly?" Lin Qingyan murmured softly, "It's obviously very beautiful."
After that, Lin Qingyan didn't lose focus anymore. He laughed when he was supposed to laugh, and was moved when he was supposed to be moved. When he was called on, he interacted with everyone seriously.
After all the procedures were completed, it was already 10 p.m., and the contestants' families left one after another.
Lin Qingyan and Lu Yuqi saw Lu's mother off. When they got downstairs, Lu Yuqi went to the restroom, so Lin Qingyan and Lu's mother stood there and waited.
"Yan Yan, you don't seem very happy today. Is it because your parents didn't come?" Lu's mother looked at the boy in front of her with gentle eyes, just like a mother caring for her son.
"Hmm..." Lin Qingyan couldn't explain the reason, so he readily admitted it. Looking at Lu's mother's kind and gentle gaze, he was slightly touched and tentatively said, "Auntie, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course you can, go ahead and ask."
"If... I mean, if," Lin Qingyan said nervously, "if one day you find out that Yuqi isn't your biological son, what would you do?"
He paused, then added, "It's just a hypothetical situation; it's okay if you don't want to answer."
"That's an interesting question." Mrs. Lu didn't seem to think much of it; instead, she began to think about it seriously. After a while, she replied:
"Hmm... Auntie will probably continue to treat him like her own son. Although Lu Yuqi is sometimes a bit annoying and disobedient, and has been incredibly arrogant since he was little, he is the one I raised since he was a child... Even if we are not related by blood, we have developed a deep bond over the years."
Lin Qingyan paused, somewhat lost in thought, "I see..."
"But why would you ask that question?"
"It's nothing, I was just a little curious."
Lu Yuqi happened to walk over, which ended the topic. The two escorted Lu's mother to the exit, where they happened to see An Nanyi, An Jing, and Song Shuman.
"Yan Yan, that brat Lu Yuqi won't let me hug him, why don't you hug Auntie instead?"
"Okay, sure."
Lin Qingyan politely hugged Lu's mother, and just then saw An Nanyi hugging Song Shuman not far away. "Mom, be careful on the road, and get some rest when you get back."
"Okay, Mom will go now. Anjing, you have to take good care of your little brother."
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