The scenery outside the window alternated between light and dark. He fang seemed a little tired. After getting into the car, she leaned on Qin Guanglin and quietly gazed out the window.
Sitting beside her, Qin Guanglin idly twirled a strand of her hair around his finger before suddenly asking, "Can you guess what I'm going to do tomorrow?"
He was still doubtful about metaphysical things and wanted to test whether Dunjia could really predict the future.
He fang adjusted the coat she was wearing and teasingly replied, "I'll give you the call, Teacher He, and you can listen."
"No," Qin Guanglin said, still resistant to calling her "Teacher He." Although he accepted calling her "classmate Qin," the "Teacher" title still didn't sit right with him. "Give it up."
"That doesn't count," she turned to look at him, smirking. "You'll call me sooner or later."
"Impossible."
"Let's see." She leaned on his shoulder with confidence, looking out the window again. "Why don't you start calling me now?"
"Then what should I call you?" Qin Guanglin was caught off guard. He rarely used names, always referring to her as "you" or "yours." But now, with this challenge, what should he call her? Should he start calling her "baby"? Or "dear"? He shuddered at the thought—definitely not.
He settled on "Teacher He" as the safest option.
"I think you can't call me by name at all," she said, lifting her chin proudly. "You need my consent if you want to."
"..." Qin Guanglin didn't want to keep the conversation going. He decided it was better not to call her anything at all.
Instead, he absentmindedly began playing with her hand again. He wasn't sure why, but there was something oddly soothing about holding her small, soft hand. It felt comfortable and delicate in his touch.
As he rubbed her hand, he found himself increasingly charmed by its softness, and suddenly, he had the urge to kiss it.
He fang glanced at him from the corner of her eye. She hesitated. Was he being a pervert?
After thinking it over, he concluded it wasn't weird. It wasn't just her hands he liked—he liked her whole being, and her hands were just a part of her. It was normal to feel this way.
The more he looked at her hand, the more he liked it. Quietly, he leaned down and kissed it.
When he lifted his head, he was met with her gaze. Quickly, he turned his head and looked out the window, trying to act casual.
"Men Sao," He fang chuckled at his sneaky behavior. "I'll train you sooner or later."
"What are you training me for?" Qin Guanglin asked, confused. He hadn't heard the first part of her teasing.
"Nothing, classmate Qin. You're fine," she said, playfully brushing him off.
"..." He could barely understand her teasing and didn't want to ask for clarification.
By the time they got off the bus, Qin Guanglin had already touched her hand several times. He fang slowly walked him to the school, and the streets were busier than usual. The night air was different from his quiet home, where there were hardly any pedestrians.
"Do you want to buy some food for later?" he asked, eyeing a nearby supermarket. He had eaten early, but he might get hungry later.
"No, eating late makes you fat," she replied, shaking her head.
Qin Guanglin looked at her. "You're not fat."
"That's why I have to keep in shape," she said, looking down at herself with satisfaction. "Otherwise, I wouldn't look good in a skirt."
"You really like wearing skirts, don't you?"
Since they first met, she had mostly worn long skirts or casual pants, none of which went higher than her calves.
"Yes," she nodded. "I won't be able to wear them often once I become a teacher, so I'm going to wear them as much as I can now."
"That's true."
As they spoke, they reached the school. She handed him back the coat he had lent her, standing still as she looked at him.
"Go up," Qin Guanglin said, holding the coat close to his chest, ready to watch her go inside before he left.
"Student Qin, did you forget something?" she asked, her tone turning serious.
"What?"
"Think about it."
Qin Guanglin was confused. What had he forgotten?
"On the bus," she reminded him.
"Ah, I remembered!" Qin Guanglin smiled as he recalled their earlier conversation. He had promised her he would kiss her every time they met or parted.
He quickly glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before leaning in and giving her a quick kiss.
He fang smiled contentedly. "Be careful on your way back. I'm going up now."
"Okay."
As she turned and walked toward the building, Qin Guanglin adjusted the coat in his arms and walked out of the school. The night wind was chilly.
Back at home, his mother was already sitting on the couch watching TV. She casually greeted him when he walked in. "If you're tired from your day, you should rest early."
"You should rest early too," he replied, pouring himself a glass of water before heading to his room. After lying on the bed for a while, he reflected on the day's events. He finally turned off the light and went to sleep, missing that soft little body and wishing he could hold it every night.
The night passed without dreams.
When Qin Guanglin opened his eyes, it was already past nine in the morning. As usual, He fang had sent him a "good morning" message at eight, and after replying, he set his phone down and got up to wash up.
Sun Wen had given him a brief introduction to the company. The studio had been established less than two years ago. Despite having only a dozen employees, the boss was meticulous in business, securing several well-known novel IPs for comic adaptations. The future looked promising.
Their appointment was set for 11:00 AM, and Qin Guanglin arrived at 10:30. The studio wasn't far from his home—it took about thirty minutes by bus, though the location was somewhat out of the way.
He didn't come to this area often. As a homebody, he usually went out only when necessary and preferred staying in once his work was done.
To pass the time, he wandered around a bit and then went to Sun Wen's nearby Starbucks to grab a cup of lemon tea. He had wanted to try it since he'd heard so much about it.
It was sweet and sour, but it didn't compare to carrot juice. He took out his phone, sat for a while, and contacted Sun Wen to let him know he was downstairs.
Despite his name, Sun Wen was huge, nearly 1.9 meters tall, and physically imposing. No one would guess that someone like him was meticulous in his artistic work.
Soon, Sun Wen appeared in the distance, standing out as usual. Qin Guanglin stood up to greet him.
"Mosquito, you're here."
"I saw you," Qin Guanglin laughed, and Sun Wen wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "You've gotten weaker. You don't exercise enough."
"I haven't worked out since graduation," Qin Guanglin rubbed his shoulders. It seemed Sun Wen had maintained his fitness routine.
Sun Wen grinned. "Eat first or head to the studio?"
"Let's eat first. I haven't been here in a while, so you pick the place."
"There's a good spot I've been to. The food's great." Sun Wen led the way. "By the way, why did you suddenly want to find a job?"
"More income," Qin Guanglin explained. "Otherwise, it feels unstable."
"Hey, you're not satisfied with what you have? You could change things up, but I don't think it's that unstable."
In their dorm, Qin Guanglin was recognized as the best artist, and the only one who could comfortably live off his manuscripts. His friends often joked about his laid-back life, a little envious of how relaxed he was.
Qin Guanglin smiled. "You could try it."
"I've tried," Sun Wen said, his lips curling. "People look down on my paintings, and I'd starve to death at home if I only relied on them."
~~~•~~~•~~~•~~~•~~~•~~~•~~~•
Qimen Dunjia is a complex and multifaceted system of divination and strategy, with a rich history and diverse applications. Its techniques and principles continue to be studied and practiced by modern scholars and practitioners.
Men sao
Men Sao () is a Chinese term that describes individuals who appear reserved, calm, and even dull on the outside, but possess a passionate, charismatic, and sexy personality on the inside. These individuals are often too shy to reveal their talkative and talented nature to strangers.
In essence, Men Sao refers to a duplicitous personality, where the outer appearance contrasts with the inner self. This concept is often used to describe people who are seemingly quiet and unassuming, but have a hidden depth and intensity.