Zhou Ping had just taken a bite of his bento when his phone screen lit up.
He glanced at the message from Song Yuqi, and his chewing slowed by half a beat.
He picked up his phone with one hand and replied.
"Didn't see it, what's wrong?"
It was an almost instant reply.
The next second, Song Yuqi's message popped up, along with a screenshot.
"Someone said I landed a rich husband, you know."
Zhou Ping's pupils suddenly constricted.
The screenshot showed a post from the campus forum, and the bold, red title was glaringly obvious.
【SHOCKING! Aspiring Celebrity Senior Sister Paves Way for Debut, Suspected of Hooking Up with Rich Second-Generation Freshman!】
The chopsticks in his hand clattered onto the dining table.
It was this again.
Zhou Ping's expression completely darkened.
He had been dealing with this kind of nonsense since middle school and was thoroughly sick of it.
Whenever a girl got a little close to him, within two days, similar rumors would surface.
His family just owned a few gold and jewelry stores, didn't they? How did it become a wealthy family that could do whatever they wanted in these people's mouths?
Absurd.
But none of that was the main point.
Zhou Ping stared intently at the chat box.
The main point was that the person who sent this message was Song Yuqi.
What was she thinking?
Was she questioning him? Or simply informing him? Or... was she testing him?
He didn't know how to reply.
Explain? How was he supposed to explain?
Say, 'My family isn't actually that rich'? No one would believe him.
Comfort her? Say, 'Don't mind those people'?
It was too light, like farting.
He picked up his phone, his finger hovering over the keyboard, deleting and retyping, unable to send a single word.
This feeling was a hundred times more uncomfortable than solving a complex physics problem.
Trouble.
Big trouble.
But this time, he couldn't push the trouble away using "energy conservation" as an excuse, like he used to.
The light from the phone screen reflected on Zhou Ping's expressionless face.
The next second, Song Yuqi's message popped up again, carrying a teasing tone, like someone enjoying a good show.
"What, scared silly? My rich husband junior."
Zhou Ping stared at the words, unmoving for a long time.
Then, another message.
"Being talked about like this, does it feel especially troublesome?"
"If you're annoyed, I'll go explain to them. I'll say I was the one who relentlessly pursued you."
Zhou Ping was completely stunned.
Her tone was incredibly relaxed, not at all questioning, but rather more like she was comforting him.
Yet every word felt like a harsh stomp on Zhou Ping's "energy conservation" shell.
This reaction was completely different from what he had imagined.
Finally, Zhou Ping sent an emoji.
A yellow cat holding a rose.
Then he put down his phone, quickly finished the rest of his meal, and went upstairs to the second floor.
He had more important things to do.
To transcribe the melody that had appeared twice in his mind today.
He had studied piano for a few years as a child, and though he later gave it up because he found it troublesome, the basics were still there.
The upright Yamaha piano in the music room was well-maintained; his father always had someone tune it on time.
It hadn't been used much, so it looked as good as new.
Zhou Ping sat on the piano stool, his fingers gently caressing the keys.
Then, the melody poured out.
The moment the first note sounded, he knew it was definitely not an existing piece.
The melody was unexpectedly complex, clearly layered, and full of emotion.
There were passionate parts, gentle passages, and an indefinable sense of mystery.
Most importantly, he could clearly feel that this music had a subtle connection to Song Yuqi.
Whenever he recalled her figure on stage, the melody would become clearer.
When he thought of her relaxed tone when she sent the message just now, a touch of playfulness was added to the music.
What exactly was going on?
Zhou Ping's fingers danced across the keys, completely immersed in this never-before-heard movement.
In the room, only the piano music echoed.
And what he didn't know was that at this moment, Song Yuqi was sitting in her room, staring blankly at that rose emoji.
The malicious comments on the forum were still growing wildly, but her attention was no longer on them at all.
This junior is really interesting... Song Yuqi was able to find out so much about Zhou Ping thanks to one person.
An Chuxun.
Her best friend at this school, a classmate, and a veritable "information dealer."
This morning, Song Yuqi had just casually asked if she knew a junior named Zhou Ping.
Unexpectedly, An Chuxun's reaction was even stronger than hers.
"Zhou Ping?! Which Zhou Ping?! The Zhou Ping from Class 7, First Year?!"
"Damn it, Qiqi, how did you get involved with him?"
And so, in one morning, Song Yuqi pieced together a complete picture of Zhou Ping from An Chuxun.
A legendary figure at school.
At the time, she was still a bit confused.
The junior who bumped into her this morning, who seemed a bit dazed and couldn't even speak properly, was actually this kind of person?
What surprised her even more was that this legendary "lazy scholar" would specifically go to watch her performance.
And even after the performance, he waited alone at the stairwell she used as a shortcut home.
To be honest, when Zhou Ping's "Senior Sister" echoed in the empty corridor, Song Yuqi admitted that her heart skipped a beat.
It was a very unfamiliar feeling, a little tight, and her heart skipped half a beat.
What kind of situations hadn't Song Yuqi seen? People pursuing her lined up from inside to outside the school; what kind of pick-up lines hadn't she dealt with?
But it was Zhou Ping, this seemingly unthreatening junior, who just stood quietly in the shadows, speaking the most direct words in the most ordinary tone, which instead made her a little... flustered.
Her mother's voice from outside the room interrupted Song Yuqi's thoughts.
"Qiqi, you're going to Peninsula for training soon. Aren't you going to have a farewell gathering with your classmates?"
Her mother had mentioned this several times before, but she always found it troublesome and hadn't decided.
But today... a completely different idea suddenly came to her mind.
An idea that became clearer and bolder because of those rumors.
Song Yuqi shuffled out in her slippers.
In the living room, her mother was holding a plate of sliced fruit.
"Mom, we should have a party."
Song Yuqi picked up a piece of apple and crunched on it.
"But it doesn't have to be too big; I'll just invite a few close friends."
Her mother smiled at her words, but then a hint of worry appeared.
"Alright, then... will there be any male classmates?"
Song Yuqi's movements paused. She looked at her mother's cautious expression and suddenly found it a little funny.
The unspeakable words from the forum flashed through her mind, and then the silly yellow cat emoji Zhou Ping had sent.
A strange, rebellious impulse surged up.
"Yes."
She answered crisply.
Her mother's expression indeed became a bit more serious, and she was about to start lecturing.
But Song Yuqi spoke first, slowly adding a sentence.
"Not many, just one."