The song came to an end.
Bai Zhiqian looked at Lin Yang with smiling eyes and a charming smile.
Lin Yang smiled and said, "That was played well."
"Thank you for the praise, Teacher Lin! I'll keep working hard!"
Lin Yang smiled. "Keep it up."
Bai Zhiqian nodded with a radiant smile.
"Teacher Lin, is Jiang University fun?"
"It's alright, I suppose," Lin Yang said somewhat awkwardly.
He couldn't help it; he had been enrolled for over two years now, yet he had never really taken the time to get to know Jiang University.
Mostly because he simply hadn't had the time.
"I want to take the exam for Jiang University too!" Bai Zhiqian said with a beaming smile.
Lin Yang looked at Bai Zhiqian with some surprise.
"With your grades, you'd have no problem getting into Tsinghua or Peking University, right?"
"But I like Jiang University. It's close to home, and it's a prestigious institution. Once I get into Jiang University, Teacher Lin, you'll be my senior. By then, you can show me around the campus." Bai Zhiqian playfully stuck out the tip of her pink tongue.
Lin Yang smiled and said, "By the time you test into Jiang University next year, I'll be a senior, and I'll be even busier. We might not even have time to see each other!"
At these words, Lin Yang suddenly felt a sense of trance.
So he was already a third-year student; time really flew by.
A tiny trace of disappointment flickered through Bai Zhiqian's watery eyes, but it vanished almost instantly.
She said cheerfully, "It doesn't matter anyway. As long as I get into Jiang University, you'll be my senior! If anyone bullies me then, you'll have to stand up for me!"
Lin Yang was amused by her words, and the lingering melancholy in his heart vanished completely.
"Alright, I've got your back then!"
Bai Zhiqian laughed happily.
After chatting for a few more moments, Lin Yang checked the time—it was already half-past six.
He had to leave. Although the time agreed upon with Fu Hongli was seven o'clock, the distance from Nanyuan to Jiang University wasn't short.
Even taking a taxi would take half an hour, let alone riding a bicycle.
Lin Yang certainly didn't want to be late for his first "date."
"Qianqian, our lesson for today has to end here. I have something to attend to this evening. Mention it to your mother later—today won't count toward your lesson hours!"
Hearing that Lin Yang was leaving, Bai Zhiqian instantly pouted her rosy lips.
The young girl's bright and moving face clearly spelled out the four words: *I am unhappy*.
"You have to make it up to me tomorrow night!" Bai Zhiqian said in a coquettish tone.
Lin Yang smiled.
"Deal!"
He didn't have any piano lessons scheduled for tomorrow night, but since Bai Zhiqian put it that way, Lin Yang naturally had to agree.
After all, he could earn money!
After hastily saying goodbye to Bai Zhiqian, Lin Yang rushed out of the villa area in a flurry.
He had originally planned to ride a shared bicycle back, but this place was a fair distance from Jiang University, and cycling definitely wouldn't get him there in time.
Left with no other choice, Lin Yang gritted his teeth and hailed a taxi. Even so, by the time he arrived at Jiang University, it was already six-fifty-five.
Stepping out of the cab, Lin Yang jogged toward the Second Cafeteria.
Jiang University was huge, boasting a total of six cafeterias.
When Lin Yang panted his way to the entrance of the Second Cafeteria, it was already seven-three.
Lin Yang felt rather depressed; despite hurrying as fast as he could, he was still late.
He was just about to call Fu Hongli to ask if she had arrived.
When he raised his head, Lin Yang saw Fu Hongli standing gracefully right at the entrance of the cafeteria.
Dressed in a white skirt, even without a trace of makeup or any jewelry, she was still overwhelmingly, breathtakingly beautiful.
The gentle evening breeze blew softly against her, tangling her beautiful hair and fluttering her skirt.
It also fluttered the hearts of quite a few young men at Jiang University.
Upon seeing Fu Hongli, Lin Yang quickly walked toward her.
"Sorry, the traffic on the way was a bit heavy, so I'm a little late getting back!" Lin Yang said, scratching his head.
Fu Hongli's expression was as cold and frosty as ever, resembling an iceberg that kept people a thousand miles away.
Had Lin Yang not witnessed her gentle side at noon, he really would have thought she was simply that kind of person.
However, at the thought of Fu Hongli's gentleness during their phone call at noon, and the coquettish tone in her voice, a feeling of mild depression welled up in Lin Yang's heart.
The person who could manage to hold a place in Fu Hongli's heart must be exceptionally, extraordinarily outstanding.
Deep down, Fu Hongli was actually somewhat displeased.
She hated people who lacked punctuality. Even though Lin Yang was only three minutes late, late was late.
This was the first time Fu Hongli had ever waited for a member of the opposite sex.
"I hate people who aren't punctual," Fu Hongli said coldly.
Lin Yang nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, my fault. Actually, I hate unpunctual people too. Next time I'll definitely arrive early!"
Damn it, he knew this ancestor wasn't easy to wait on.
Still, Lin Yang knew he couldn't blame her.
He really *was* late.
Fu Hongli wasn't someone who liked to nitpick, especially since Lin Yang's attitude toward admitting his mistake was reasonably good.
Therefore, the slight displeasure in her heart quickly vanished.
Fu Hongli gave a faint nod and turned to walk into the cafeteria.
"Wait a moment," Lin Yang said softly.
Fu Hongli looked at Lin Yang with a suspicious gaze in her charming peach-blossom eyes.
She seemed to be asking what business he had.
Lowering his voice, Lin Yang said, "Even though we're acting, to make it look convincing, you have to give me your hand."
A flash of cold light crossed Fu Hongli's eyes.
We're done for, this ancestor is angry.
Force a smile, Lin Yang said, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to take advantage of you. In fact, if it weren't for the sake of making this act more convincing, I honestly wouldn't hold your hand. After all, before this, I've never even held a girl's hand."
A hint of hesitation appeared in Fu Hongli's eyes.
Holding hands.
As old as she was, she had never held hands with a guy.
Fu Hongli had always believed that holding hands was something only couples did.
And she and Lin Yang were certainly not a couple.
If she had to define their relationship, at best it was an employer-employee arrangement.
Fu Hongli's first instinct was to refuse Lin Yang.
But her gaze inadvertently swept across the surroundings, and she noticed quite a few couples walking toward the cafeteria hand in hand.
Fine. What Lin Yang said was right.
Holding hands really would make this act much more convincing.
Fu Hongli compromised.
Though she wasn't someone who compromised easily.
At this moment, however, she compromised.
She too wanted to play this part well.
Because she was truly being driven out of her mind by certain people constantly harassing her.
She took a deep breath.
Fu Hongli extended her slender, delicate hand, offering it slowly toward Lin Yang under the glow of the setting sun.
Her hand could easily rival Bai Zhiqian's—slender, tapered, and seemingly boneless.
At the sight of this, a collective intake of breath burst out from the surrounding crowd of onlookers.
Lin Yang glanced over casually and clearly saw quite a few people looking at him with eyes full of envy and jealousy.
Such gazes didn't surprise Lin Yang; after all, the person across from him was Fu Hongli.
Ignoring those strange looks, Lin Yang took Fu Hongli's hand with an unrestrained and flamboyant smile.