"What have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you around all day."
On the second day of April, in the school cafeteria, Xia Fan asked Lin Yuan casually.
Xia Fan also glanced at Lin Yuan. Indeed, Lin Yuan had been rare in appearance lately, which always carried an air of mystery.
"I've been painting at the painting agency recently," Lin Yuan replied.
After a quick glance, he nodded with a smile and added, "I didn't expect you to be interested in clubs, but it's good to participate in club activities occasionally. Half of my college life has been enriched by clubs."
Jiangsu was the mainstay of the basketball club at Qinzhou Art Academy.
He had been fond of basketball since childhood and joined the basketball club as soon as he entered college.
"That's right," Xia Fan said. "Our school will have a basketball game next month. As an active member of the basketball club, would you like to represent our department?"
"Not really," Jiangsu simply replied with a smile. "I'm the star player in the drama department. Why should I miss out on the basketball game? Our department's goal this year is to clinch the number one spot!"
"Not always," Xia Fan chuckled. "You were third in your freshman basketball game."
"The guy from the dance department pulled a stunt during freshman year," Jiangsu simply recounted with indignation. "We could have made it to the finals, but that Xuchang from the dance department fouled me and got me injured."
"Wow, you still hold a grudge, and you remember his name so clearly," Xia Fan remarked.
Snorting briefly, Jiangsu simply declared, "Just wait till this year. I'll get my revenge. Xuchang will regret it. You two better cheer for me when the time comes."
"I'll be cheering for the composition department," Xia Fan said.
Jiangsu smirked, "Don't worry, the composition department will be out in the first round."
"I..."
Xia Fan interrupted, "At most, the composition department will make it to the second round."
Jiangsu laughed and said, "Let's not talk about the basketball game for now. When are you starting the auditions for 'Blooming,' Xia Fan?"
"It starts in May this year," Xia Fan replied. "If I make it to the top 100, I might not be able to go home during summer break."
After some thought, Lin Yuan chimed in, "I won't be going home during summer break; I have work."
Jiangsu sighed, "And here we are, just sophomores, but it feels like we're all so busy. Lin Yuan has a job, and we're all striving for our futures. We'll have less and less time together in the future."
"It's still early," Xia Fan reassured. "We have five years in university. By the fifth year, we might be busy with dissertations and job hunting, but at least for the third and fourth years, we'll still be on campus. Of course, if I become popular through 'Blooming,' I might indeed be busy in the future."
"It's not just you..."
Jiangsu trailed off. "My junior year might see me leaving."
Lin Yuan and Xia Fan turned to him almost simultaneously. "Why?"
Jiangsu shrugged. "Like you, I'm thinking about my future. Our school offers exchange programs for juniors. Have you heard of them? When I'm a junior, I might go to Qizhou. You know, Qizhou has the best opportunities for acting majors."
Jiangsu was a theater major.
Qizhou boasted the most developed film and television industry on Blue Star.
Just as many musicians flock to Qinzhou for opportunities, those studying performance arts like to head to Qizhou for career prospects.
"Exchange programs?"
Lin Yuan and Xia Fan fell silent.
Jiangsu smiled. "Don't be too upset. What if I don't get the exchange spot? You know, exchange programs have stringent grade requirements."
"You'll definitely get it," Xia Fan said. "Even though Jiangsu seems laid-back, his academic performance is top-notch among us three."
"I'll take your word for it," Jiangsu said. "Think about it, even if I make my debut through 'Blooming,' we'll still have very little time together in the future. Artists have numerous commitments, and many of our school's stars hardly attend classes. They're always taking month-long breaks."
"True," Xia Fan admitted, lowering his head.
Lin Yuan, Jiangsu, and Xia Fan had been inseparable since elementary school. To avoid drifting apart, they even chose Qin Yi together.
University was the last bastion of ivory in their lives.
Stepping out of this bastion, most people couldn't stray too far from their destined paths. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many college couples breaking up after graduation.
Exchange students? Noted.
Competing in a contest? Starting work early?
These life choices were simply hastening the inevitable.
"That being said, we don't have much time left," Simple said, his tone tinged with sadness.
After lunch, Lin Yuan headed to the painting club.
Zhong Yu, who had been waiting for Lin Yuan, greeted him with a smile. "Great God, how many students will you be teaching today?"
"Two," Lin Yuan replied.
Thanks to the improved teacher effect, Lin Yuan could now teach an additional student each day.
"Alright," Zhong Yu said. "Don't call anyone yet. Have you heard about the exchange program?"
"Exchange program?" Zhong Yu's mention caught Lin Yuan off guard.
"Yeah, exchange programs start in junior year," Zhong Yu explained. "Each department has several spots. Usually, top-performing students get chosen for exchange programs. There are many benefits, like subsidies and exemptions for living expenses and tuition. It even helps with job placement after graduation. I applied for it last semester, but my grades weren't up to par."
Lin Yuan contemplated this information.
Zhong Yu was surprised. "Great God, you don't want to go on exchange... Even though exchange programs are fantastic, Qinzhou is the music capital. We don't seem to have many spots... I'm also curious why you didn't join our art department. It's the perfect fit for a great talent like you."
"Let's focus on class," Lin Yuan said, brushing off the topic.
Zhong Yu nodded, not pressing further, and began calling in students for class.
In truth, there was no need for him to call out at all.
The moment Lin Yuan arrived at the painting club, many members gathered around him spontaneously. Those who had the opportunity to be taught by Lin Yuan today had already prepared benches and eagerly awaited his instruction.
As for the others, they stood by, observing.
Though they couldn't benefit from Lin Yuan's hands-on teaching, they could still glean some insights by watching from the sidelines.
However, they couldn't enjoy the full benefits of the teacher effect.
Lin Yuan didn't chase these people away.
After all, their presence didn't affect him, and they contributed to his prestige.
Lin Yuan had considered teaching multiple students simultaneously.
However, the system stipulated that the teacher's blessing was one-on-one. If Lin Yuan taught a group of students at once, the effect of the teacher's blessing would be diluted.
For this reason, Lin Yuan discarded the idea of maximizing profit and continued with this one-on-one teaching mode.
After teaching his first student for the day, Zhong Yu suddenly spoke up mysteriously, "Great God, we're about to make some big news!"
"What news?" Lin Yuan asked casually.
He wasn't particularly curious about the news Zhong Yu wanted to announce.