```
"Ding dong."
The phone in the corner chimed, but Qin Guanglin seemed not to hear it, continuing to sketch at the drawing board.
When he painted, he rarely paid attention to messages. If it were something urgent, people would call instead of sending texts or messages.
On the drawing board was a pretty girl standing among flowers, bending down to sniff them, with one hand slightly tucking her hair behind her ear.
It had been a month and a half since the first meeting with He Fang, and during this time they had maintained a frequency of seeing each other once a week. Only the first meeting was somewhat awkward and tense; by the second meeting, the two had completely lost that sense of unfamiliarity.
After outlining the hem of the girl's skirt, Qin Guanglin stepped back a couple of steps to appraise his work, exhaling a long breath of relief.
That girl... gave him a rather wonderful feeling, indescribable and inexplicable, hiding a gentle intellectuality beneath her lively exterior. This intellectuality made him feel exceptionally comfortable in their interactions.
Just like when they met online, they quickly became familiar with each other in real life as well.
Stepping forward again to embellish the girl's hair with the brush, Qin Guanglin nodded in satisfaction before picking up the phone in the corner to check.
Lost and waiting to return: Do you want to watch a movie together?
Forest: Sure.
Lost and waiting to return: How about meeting in a little while?
Qin Guanglin turned to look at the drawing board; it wouldn't dry quickly just after finishing, and using a hair dryer would blur the marks, making the colors gray and affecting the effect.
Forest: A little later, how about four in the afternoon? Let's meet at West City Square.
Lost and waiting to return: Sounds good.
West City Square was closer to He Fang's school, and it would also be convenient to take her back after watching the movie.
Opening the window for ventilation, Qin Guanglin left the studio to wash off the paint on him—as he always ended up looking like a painter with splashes of colors all over after finishing a painting.
"Finished painting?" Qin's Mom was fiddling with her collection of old objects in the living room and didn't look up when she heard him, "Quick, clean yourself up, and come out with me in a bit."
"What for?" Qin Guanglin leaned against the bathroom door, looking back to ask.
"I've heard there are some new items on the old street in West City; come with me to see if we can find something valuable."
"Did Aunt Wang tell you that? I have things to do, ask her to go with you."
He said this and shut the door. Even if he had nothing to do, he wouldn't go. Those old trinkets didn't interest him at all, and going to the flea market was always a torture.
Hmm?
Qin's Mom looked up at the already closed bathroom door, "What could you possibly have to do?"
"Meeting a friend."
"Ask Aunt Wang to go with me then, or she'll snatch up all the good finds." Qin's Mom muttered softly, the little rascal just didn't want to go.
After tidying himself up and sprucing up the studio a bit, Qin Guanglin sat on the living room sofa as Qin's Mom prepared to leave.
"Aren't you free right now?" She opened the door and turned back to look at Qin Guanglin, "Go out for some fresh air, staying cooped up at home all day isn't good for you."
Qin Guanglin sighed, "I'm going out soon, you go ahead."
"Then remember to take your keys when you go out."
"Got it."
The sound of the door closing echoed, and the living room fell silent.
Qin Guanglin picked up his phone to open He Fang's profile and then closed it again.
Quickly, it was three o'clock, and he stood up to look at the painting, then wrapped it in plain paper and put it in a box before heading out.
Still on the bus, Qin Guanglin watched the passing scenery through the window, his fingers gently stroking the box.
What kind of relationship did he currently have with He Fang—friends? Close friends?
Taking out his phone, he thought to inform He Fang that he was almost there, but the large ship icon in the chat window caught his attention.
This ship meant that they chatted very frequently; only the top two people who chatted the most would have this icon.
This ship seemed to have appeared for some time now.
Forest: I'm almost there.
Lost and waiting to return: I am too.
Forest: Have you decided on what movie to watch?
Lost and waiting to return: "Terminator Genisys" interested? I've heard the 3D effects are quite good.
Forest: Do you also like watching the Terminator series? I thought girls usually preferred something light and funny.
Lost and waiting to return: I like all kinds, not picky.
Qin Guanglin was slightly surprised; he had watched every installment of the Terminator series, originally planning to accompany He Fang to a lighthearted comedy and watch this sci-fi movie on his own another day—rarely had he seen or even heard of girls liking the kind of shoot-em-up, time-travel movies. During the previous releases, there were barely any girls in the theaters, just two or three couples.
Now there was no need to grapple with the decision.
Every time he saw He Fang, Qin Guanglin would have the illusion that this girl liked him—she would look around as if searching for something, and then seeing him, her eyes would widen slightly, and then her fair face would bloom like a flower revealing a smile from her heart.
It was very pure, very genuine; Qin Guanglin didn't know if her smile was always like that or if it was because she saw him.
"What's this?" He Fang would never just stand there waiting for him to approach; as soon as she saw him, she would proactively walk over, even if it meant having to walk back again later.
"The promised gift for you." Qin Guanglin handed her the box; he had promised during their last meeting to give her a painting.
Different from what he imagined—he thought the girl would express her excitement, but she only smiled a bit sweeter, leaned slightly closer, and said, "Thank you."
A bit too close, making Qin Guanglin suddenly nervous. He turned his head unnaturally, "Let's go, watch the movie."
"No, I want to take it back to the dorm first; otherwise, it would be too inconvenient to carry it while watching the movie." He Fang shook her head.
"It's okay, I'll hold it for you."
"No, with all these people around, what if someone accidentally damages it?"
Unable to argue against her, Qin Guanglin accompanied her toward Luo City University. Luckily, it only took a ten-minute walk and crossing one intersection to get there.
He Fang held onto the box, unlike her usual way of walking and talking with him; she seemed lost in thought, and he didn't disturb her, trailing a half-step behind her.
It was a subconscious habit of his, often walking half a step behind when with family on the road, so he could always be aware of their movements and respond to potential dangers around them—walking in front would make it hard to react promptly if something happened behind, especially if it was urgent and required turning around.
At the traffic lights, Qin Guanglin looked both ways. There wasn't a car in sight; it would only take a few steps to get across, while the red light meant a long wait. However, He Fang stopped obediently.
Very abiding by traffic rules, this was another virtue Qin Guanglin noticed in He Fang, accompanied by a not-so-flawed fault—
When the green light lit up, her little hand stealthily reached for Qin Guanglin's sleeve, gripping it tightly.
He Fang seemed to get nervous every time crossing a road, needing to hold onto his sleeve, then looking around to ensure no cars were coming before she dared to cross.
```