Early the next morning, Lin Qingqing took advantage of the time her father was out buying groceries to sneak into Lin Murun’s room.
Lin Murun was doing his homework and took off his headphones when he saw her enter.
"Stuck on a problem?" he asked.
"It’s not about homework..." Lin Qingqing stammered for a moment. After confirming that her mother, who had just finished a night shift, was still asleep, she quietly closed the bedroom door.
"Ge, do you have time tomorrow evening?" she asked nervously.
"Is it your boyfriend's birthday?" Lin Murun set down his pen.
Lin Qingqing was stunned. "How did you know? I was just about to tell you. Wu Yichen said he really wants to meet you."
"A friend mentioned it to me last night."
No. 1 High and Experimental High were the top two schools in H-City; it wasn't unusual for students from both schools to know each other.
The young girl nodded and asked in a small voice, "Then will you..."
"I'll go with you," Lin Murun replied.
Lin Qingqing let out a soft cheer of excitement. "Ge, you're the best!"
"Go finish your homework," Lin Murun said.
Lin Qingqing nodded and skipped happily back to her room.
Perhaps because his brain had been allowed to relax the night before, Lin Murun’s study efficiency was exceptionally high today. Aside from breakfast and lunch, he worked non-stop for seven or eight hours, finishing all his holiday assignments in one go.
In contrast, Lin Qingqing, preoccupied with thoughts of her boyfriend, spent the whole day fussing over a birthday card in her bedroom, only managing to finish her biology homework.
Today was supposed to be Lin Murun’s aunt’s day off, but just after dinner, she received a call from the hospital.
"I have to head to the hospital tonight." She gave instructions to the two children while putting on her shoes. "Go to bed early, don't stay up late."
"Mom, I want to go out and buy some snacks," Lin Qingqing said, tugging at her mother's sleeve coaxingly. "My head is spinning after doing homework all day."
Her mother smiled and agreed, taking some cash from her wallet and handing it to the children.
"I heard from your teacher that you're performing in the arts festival? Don't push yourself too hard; buy yourself some snacks." After speaking to Lin Murun, she turned back to Lin Qingqing. "Yesterday's barbecue was quite good. Bring some back for me too."
After the children responded, she grabbed her bag and hurried out the door.
Lin Murun’s uncle poked his head out from his room. "Be safe out there. Murun, on your way back from the music school, pick up a bottle of red ink for me. I'm grading papers and my pen is almost out."
"Okay. The same brand as last time?" Lin Murun asked while putting on his shoes.
"That's right, that brand. The old-fashioned ink is the most comfortable to use," his uncle replied, holding his tea mug.
As soon as they got downstairs, Lin Qingqing excitedly pulled Lin Murun toward a boutique.
"Ge, what do you think I should get him?" she asked, turning to him for advice.
"What does he like?" Lin Murun asked.
"Let me think..." Lin Qingqing murmured to herself after a moment of recollection. "It seems he doesn't have any specific hobbies? He doesn't watch anime, and he's not into sports..." Her gaze swept over the various goods, but she couldn't pick anything out after a long while.
"Qingqing?"
A strange boy's voice came from behind them. Lin Murun turned and met a pair of smiling phoenix eyes.
The moment Lin Qingqing saw the boy, her cheeks flushed red.
The girl tugged at the hem of Lin Murun’s shirt and whispered, "Ge, this is Wu Yichen."
"Hello," Lin Murun said with a nod.
"Hello, Brother Lin," the clean-cut boy stepped forward to greet him.
"I always hear Qingqing mention you. It's finally good to meet you in person." His gaze shifted to the violin case in Lin Murun’s hand, and he asked politely, "Are you going to practice, Brother Lin?"
"Yes." Feeling that staying longer would be intrusive, Lin Murun followed the opening he gave. "You two chat. I'm heading to the music school."
"See you tomorrow then," Wu Yichen said with a wave and a smile.
"See you tomorrow."
It seemed Lin Qingqing had already told her boyfriend that Lin Murun would be attending the birthday party.
"Remember to come home early," Lin Murun reminded her before leaving.
"I know, I know!" Lin Qingqing giggled as she pushed Lin Murun toward the exit. "Go practice your violin, Ge. I'll definitely be home by nine."
When Lin Murun walked into the Xingyue Music School, the receptionist was already asleep at her desk. He picked up the air conditioner remote and raised the temperature by two degrees.
It was the first day of the National Day holiday, and most students had taken leave from the music school to go traveling with their parents. The usually bustling school felt exceptionally desolate today. The doors to the practice rooms on the first floor were all wide open, the rooms dark and empty, without a single student practicing.
Lin Murun carried his violin to the second floor and pushed open the door to the recital hall with practiced ease.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the city lights were beginning to glow. The coffee shop next door seemed to be doing great business; even at this hour, many customers were still waiting for seats.
A new barbecue joint had opened next to the coffee shop. It was a clear night, and the owner had retracted the awning on the balcony. Young men and women were laughing and playing on the terrace, and flames occasionally leapt from the grill. It looked incredibly lively.
Several of the diners were familiar faces—the very classmates who had invited him for barbecue before the holiday.
Shen Hao was waving a skewer and shouting something, while Zhou Xuan sat by the grill, silently and patiently flipping the food. Yu Qianyi and Li Qian were there too; the two girls' cheeks were flushed, likely from drinking.
Lin Murun watched from the window for a moment before withdrawing his gaze.
Just then, his phone rang.
The caller was Yu Qianyi from the barbecue shop across the street.
Lin Murun looked at the screen and, after a moment's hesitation, answered the call.
"Hello! Hello!" Yu Qianyi's voice, accompanied by laughter, flooded into Lin Murun’s ear, sounding particularly boisterous in the quiet hall.
"Lin Murun, we see you!" the girl laughed. "Come over and have some barbecue! Everyone gets a share; Shen Hao is treating today!"
"Thanks, but you guys enjoy," Lin Murun replied.
"Hello? Hello? Lin Murun, your voice is so quiet!"
The background noise on the other end was too loud; the girl didn't seem to hear him and simply shouted at the top of her lungs, "It's settled then!"
"Hello? Lin Murun, are you in the music school across the street?" Zhou Xuan's voice came through the phone. "Want to join us for some barbecue?" he asked.
"You guys go ahead..." Before Lin Murun could finish, Zhou Xuan continued, "Menglai is here too. You can discuss the ensemble piece with her."
"Coming?" Zhou Xuan asked.
Lin Murun looked back out the window and saw several familiar classmates waving at him.
"Come on, we're all classmates," Zhou Xuan said. "I'll come downstairs to get you."
Lin Murun saw Zhou Xuan run downstairs with his phone in hand.
"Eating, singing, and playing games together makes it easier to blend into a new group," Zhou Xuan's voice came through the line. "They're all easy to get along with."
"Okay," Lin Murun replied. "I'm coming down now."
He packed away his violin and turned off the lights in the recital hall.
The receptionist downstairs seemed to have just woken up. She propped up her head groggily and saw Zhou Xuan standing at the entrance.
"Sister Wang," Lin Murun greeted her as he came down.
"Teacher Lin?" She was still dazed from sleep and rubbed her temples. "When did you get here? I didn't even notice."
"Just now," Lin Murun replied.
"Is that your friend outside?" she asked.
"He's a classmate," Lin Murun said. "I'm heading out. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow." She waved at him with a smile. "Have a nice holiday."
"You too," Lin Murun said.
Zhou Xuan also seemed to have had a bit to drink; he looked relaxed and sluggish, as if he might fall asleep on the road at any second.
"Shen Hao saw you first," Zhou Xuan said as Lin Murun stepped out. "He looks like a careless guy, but he's actually very observant. He was afraid you'd think we were isolating you, so he egged Yu Qianyi on to call you."
"To be honest, it's not easy for transfer students to fit in." After a pause, Zhou Xuan continued, "If you're too outstanding, it gives the other students a sense of crisis. If you're too ordinary, you're forgotten in the blink of an eye—especially in the experimental classes at No. 1 High..."
"But fitting in is actually quite easy," Zhou Xuan said slowly. "How does that saying go? 'There's nothing a barbecue can't solve; if there is, make it two.'"
Lin Murun listened quietly.
"I've had a bit to drink tonight, so I'm getting a bit talkative." Zhou Xuan scratched his head and asked vaguely, "How was your old school?"
"It was fine..." Lin Murun recalled for a moment. "But I wasn't very close with my classmates."
"Why?" Zhou Xuan asked. "Were they hard to get along with?"
"Not really."
Zhou Xuan heard Lin Murun say softly, "It was because of me."
As they spoke, the two reached the entrance of the barbecue shop and ran into Shen Hao, who was coming down to buy drinks.
"What took you so long?" Shen Hao stepped forward and hooked an arm around each of their shoulders.
"Boss, add another order of oysters and some grilled tenderloin!" Shen Hao turned and asked, "Do you two want a grilled fish too?"
Without waiting for an answer, Shen Hao told the owner, "Make it one grilled fish then. Send it upstairs when it's ready."
"No problem." The owner checked the items off the menu and asked, "Anything else, handsome?"
"That's enough for now," Lin Murun spoke up. "We can order more later if it's not enough."
"Don't be polite with me." Shen Hao said as he grabbed the menu and added several more skewers before ushering the two upstairs with a couple of bottles of soda.
"You're just in time!" Li Menglai saw the three return and brought over a plate of sizzling chicken wings.
"I just grilled these, try some."
The chicken wings looked excellent—golden brown and very appetizing.
Zhou Xuan handed the phone back to Yu Qianyi and put on a disposable glove.
"I won't be shy then."
He took a bite of a wing.
"How is it?" Li Menglai asked tentatively.
"Delicious." Zhou Xuan stuffed a glove into Lin Murun’s hand. "You try."
Under Li Menglai’s expectant gaze, Lin Murun picked up a wing and took a bite.
The wings had likely been marinated by the shop; they had a garlic aroma, and the meat was juicy and plump. The flavor lingered on the palate.
"It's good," Lin Murun said. Li Menglai immediately broke into a beautiful smile.
"That's good. I thought Zhou Xuan was just humoring me."
Beside them, Zhou Xuan, who was drinking his soda, turned his head blankly. "Huh?"
"Shen Hao said you were practicing at the music school across the street?" Li Menglai asked as she set the plate on the table. "Is it that Xingyue Music School?"
"Yes," Lin Murun said. "I'm preparing the ensemble piece."
"I've heard my cousin mention you." Seeing Lin Murun’s confusion, Li Menglai explained, "My cousin is a full-time violin teacher there. She said there's a 'Teacher Lin' at the school who plays the violin exceptionally well."
"A few days ago, Li Qian said she saw you at the school, so I asked my cousin about it. I didn't expect that 'Teacher Lin' to be you." Li Menglai smiled and asked, "How is the preparation going?"
"It's going alright," Lin Murun said. "If there's a chance, I hope we can perform together."
"I was thinking the same thing." Li Menglai smiled and leaned against the balcony railing. "Actually, I've seen you before."
"In the recital hall of Xingyue Music School," she added.
"During the summer break of our first year, Si Bin used to sit in the coffee shop every day to do his homework. You can see the recital hall perfectly from the second floor of the coffee shop." Li Menglai pointed to the second floor across the street. "I used to go to that coffee shop every day back then."
Lin Murun looked where she was pointing. The lights in the recital hall were out, leaving only darkness behind the glass.
"But he never seemed to notice me." Her voice carried a hint of melancholy.
"You've probably heard about it, right?" Li Menglai asked.
"Heard what?"
"During the summer tutoring, the story of me confessing to Si Bin became known to the whole grade." Li Menglai covered her face and said softly, "It wasn't actually that big of a deal at the time, but a girl happened to see it, and the word got out... It felt very embarrassing."
"You don't need to feel embarrassed," Lin Murun said. "It's normal to like an outstanding boy during adolescence."
Li Menglai smiled. "You're right."
"Liking someone and being willing to let them know takes a lot of courage." Lin Murun looked into her eyes. "Regardless of the outcome, you were very brave."
Li Menglai tilted her head and looked at him for a moment. "Do you really think so?"
"Yes," Lin Murun replied.
Her gaze drifted between Lin Murun and the music school's recital hall. "I remember reading a poem in primary school."
"What poem?" Lin Murun asked.
"You stand on the bridge viewing the prospect / The viewer of the prospect views you from the balcony," Li Menglai recited softly.
Lin Murun: "Is that Bian Zhilin's *Fragment*?"
"Yes," Li Menglai said. "I really like that poem." After a pause, she added somewhat inconsequentially, "Lin Murun, you're a strange person. Why aren't you laughing at me?"
"Why would I laugh at you?" Lin Murun asked.
"Because I overreached and failed my confession," Li Menglai murmured, leaning over the railing.
Lin Murun watched her quietly and said calmly, "That's nothing to be ashamed of."
"You're different from a lot of boys," Li Menglai said, turning back. "You're like a serenade—you can't help but make people feel fond of you."
"Not *that* kind of fondness!" Li Menglai realized her words were ambiguous. "I mean, being around you makes people feel very comfortable."
"You two have been chatting over there for so long, what are you talking about?" Yu Qianyi craned her neck and shouted, "Come over and eat the grilled fish!"
"Coming, coming!" Li Menglai called back with a laugh. "Save some for me!"
