The next day, Lu Qing was awakened by the vibrating message notification on his phone.
Rubbing his eyes, he took a closer look and saw it was a voice call invitation from Old Li.
"Hello?"
"Hey Qing, I've arranged for someone to contact the Mosse branch. They said you can do a 10-15 minute interview during your research class time next Friday, is that OK?"
"Next Friday at one o'clock, right? Sure, I'll arrive 15 minutes early."
Lu Qing perked up and sat up in bed.
"The person in charge of coordinating there is someone called Gao Ban, seems to be half-Japanese, but don't worry, she speaks Chinese."
"Oh... no problem, I know some Japanese too."
"Haha, is your Japanese actually decent?"
"Come on, I'm not like Wenle."
"That's true. Oh right, the person in charge at Mosse mentioned some guidelines, like not touching the products, not disturbing the staff while they're working, and such. Let me tell you one by one."
"Mm-hmm, go ahead."
Li Mingshi unusually carefully explained for quite a while, then changed the subject, "That's about it. By the way, interview aside, don't forget about that other thing!"
Lu Qing knew he was referring to taking secret photos and smiled, promising: "No problem, if I really see senior sister, I'll definitely take pictures for you."
Make the promise first, and if he doesn't see her, it won't be his fault, right?
Would Miss Mu Xia, busy as she was, really appear before him on Friday?
Impossible.
He was quite pleased with this thought.
"Yoshi, good brother. I'm off to get a massage now, nothing else to discuss, carry on."
"Alright, thanks for your help this time."
He hung up the phone.
Then suddenly realized - why was Old Li getting a massage so early in the morning?
"So this is the world of second-generation rich kids? Terrifying."
He shook his head.
...
A moment later.
Finding the girl's avatar named "Rina" in his friends list, Lu Qing composed a message to send.
"For Friday's class, I'm planning to go directly to the Mosse city store. You can come along if you're interested. Of course, it's fine if you don't come - no need to sign in that day, I can complete the assignment alone."
Since she was his only group member, he felt he should sync his schedule with her.
However, to his surprise, Bai Xing replied instantly.
"Wow?! Senior, you're too quick! It's only the weekend, still five days until next week's class, and you've already arranged the company visit?! Also, if I remember correctly, 'Mosse' should be a top-tier piano brand?! Are you that high-end? What kind of connections do you have?? Can I really participate??" (Emoji: stunned cat meme)
"..."
Seeing the girl's exaggerated reactions, Lu Qing couldn't help but feel exasperated and didn't bother to explain.
He just said: "It's only 5:30 AM, why are you up so early?"
Bai Xing: "It's because senior sent me a private message, I was so excited I jumped out of bed to reply before even getting dressed."
"Stop that. Be serious."
"Fine, I was up late last night, haven't slept yet."
"...Of course."
Lu Qing sighed, "Listen, if you keep pulling all-nighters, even a young body won't be able to handle it forever. You might end up with health problems by the time you're thirty."
"Hmm? Why is senior lecturing me like an old boyfriend? How interesting."
Bai Xing sent a blushing embarrassed emoji, clearly asking for a lesson.
"?!"
When she put it that way, Lu Qing realized he did sound a bit like that, and feeling annoyed but unwilling to admit it, he said: "Fine, do whatever you want, I need to get busy."
"Aw, don't be so cold. Look, I'm still awake and you just woke up - since the timing works out, why don't you come with me to buy breakfast downstairs?"
"..."
Seeing her pushing her luck like this, Lu Qing initially wanted to refuse immediately.
But thinking it through calmly, she was currently the only potential "female lead" candidate around him that he could observe.
If he took this chance to observe her carefully, it might not be such a bad idea.
"Consider it collecting interest," he thought to himself, and typed back "OK."
...
"!"
In the adjacent room.
The girl sprawled on her bed hadn't actually expected her invitation to succeed - she was just joking around, but surprisingly, he agreed.
"Wow, could he actually be interested in me?"
Bai Xing muttered to herself, "If a guy immediately agrees to go buy breakfast with a girl he barely knows, isn't that... proof that he likes her??"
"I see... I understand now..."
"His previous coldness was all an act, he's probably dying to pin me down on the bed and have his way with me. That must be it."
Thinking of this, she licked her lips excitedly, "Looks like I'm about to succeed!"
"Hehe... oh senior, you're not so tough after all! Just wait, I'll have you wrapped around my finger in no time."
Suddenly energized, she jumped out of bed.
Although it was just going downstairs for breakfast, the girl treated it as an important date, preparing as if for battle. In 20 minutes, she completed washing her face, washing her hair, moisturizing, skincare, hydrating, applying foundation, putting in colored contacts, applying lip gloss, setting her makeup, and trying on more than ten dresses. Finally, she sprayed two spritzes of "AuxParadise" sweet Japanese perfume on her earlobes and chest.
How can you tell if a girl cares about a guy?
Simply by seeing if she arms herself with perfect makeup and outfit before meeting him.
Bai Xing's operation level clearly showed that she already considered Lu Qing as her most important potential partner. Otherwise, last time when she pretended to run into him in the elevator while taking out trash, she wouldn't have spent two hours listening at her door for movements from his room.
Knock knock knock.
"Hey, how long are you going to take?"
Lu Qing's voice came from outside after waiting for a while.
"Ah, don't rush senior, coming coming!"
Bai Xing finished putting on her last black ultra-thin over-knee sock, gently pulled up the edge of the sock top with two fingers, then suddenly let go—
With a snap, the sock edge bounced back heavily against the smooth skin at the top of her thigh, making a pleasant sound.
After turning around in front of the mirror and confirming that her girlfriend appeal was maxed out with no problems, she confidently walked to the door and pulled down the security chain.
Click.
"Senior, sorry to keep you waiting~"
The girl covered a yawn with one hand, her small mouth slightly open, making a half-closed eye expression while taking the chance to show off her pretty cherry blossom nail art;
Her other hand adjusted the black platform uniform shoes on her feet, and since she had her toes slightly raised, she could show off the attractive curves of her legs and make him notice her absolute territory.
"Ah..."
Goodness, the scene was so beautiful that Lu Qing didn't know where to look.
The wafting fragrance was a sophisticated blend of lavender shampoo mixed with sweet girl perfume, creating her unique personal scent.
Her gray knit cardigan paired with the ultra-short limited edition herringbone plaid skirt gave off a different kind of obedient vibe.
Her long hair was pink on the outside and black inside, dyed to create a dual-layered effect. Different from when they last met, today she seemed to have carefully dressed up, unreservedly displaying her natural cute and pure charm - there wasn't a single part of her that wasn't attractive.
Indeed, with her qualities, she would definitely qualify as either a female lead or an idol.
Lu Qing nodded secretly.
"Hehe... captivated, aren't you? How can I not win you over?"
Seeing him mesmerized by her, Bai Xing thought smugly to herself, while outwardly maintaining a sleepy confused appearance as she grabbed Lu Qing's arm.
Speaking without any sense of boundaries, she said: "Senior, want to come in and take a look? It's a girl's room, you know."
"No thanks. If you're ready, let's go. I still need to cook for my sister later."
"Oh? I didn't expect senior to be so caring. Your sister is so lucky... I'm really envious."
Bai Xing shot him a resentful glance, her suggestive words and delicate expression perfectly demonstrating the art of modern flirtation.
Fortunately, Lu Qing had been under his sister's charm these past few days, making him highly resistant to the allure of other young women. Even someone as flawless as Bai Xing couldn't easily win him over.
"I'll count to three, and if you keep trying to pull me inside, I'm leaving," he said firmly.
"...Damn it."
The young woman's face darkened as she faced her second defeat.
But clearly, she wasn't about to give up. She reluctantly released his hand and quietly walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind her.
"Don't act like I'm bullying you. You're the one who said we were just going downstairs to buy breakfast."
He glanced at her.
"Fine, fine, I get it. Now that senior has his adorable little sister at home, he doesn't care about his poor lonely junior next door. I understand completely."
Speaking sincerely with sarcastic undertones was her second tactical move.
If he didn't deny it, it would imply he had an ambiguous relationship with his sister; if he did deny it, she could press further by asking the killer question of "who's cuter, your sister or me?" and thus probe his true feelings.
As a professional voice actress and virtual streamer, Bai Xing had mastered the art of teasing men. She firmly believed that with her personal qualities and professional skills, she could easily wrap this mere senior around her finger.
Unfortunately, she had underestimated Lu Qing's peculiarity.
"Indeed, my sister is very cute."
"???"
His confident tone, combined with a matter-of-fact expression that seemed to say "isn't it obvious?" left the young woman momentarily stunned. Defeat x3.
"Wait, senior, are you some kind of sister complex freak?? That's gross, you know? How can you praise your sister so shamelessly in front of others??"
The young woman lost her composure and lashed out in embarrassed anger.
"Huh?"
Lu Qing looked confused. "But that's just how it is. My sister only has me to rely on, and she really is very cute. She's the person who needs my care the most right now, so... even if you call me a sister complex freak or whatever, I won't deny it."
"..."
Well, well, he's completely going off-script and openly admitting it.
Bai Xing felt thoroughly annoyed.
Even though she knew nothing would happen between Lu Qing and his sister, she felt that her own cuteness was being challenged, and that the sister's existence posed a major threat to her future plans.
"He stays home with his sister every day, never goes out to socialize or have fun. His claims about his 'cute sister' must be true."
Bai Xing plotted internally. "This won't do. I must find a chance to see this sister's face and analyze just how troublesome she really is."
The young woman silently followed Lu Qing downstairs, walking together through the apartment complex's courtyard.
At quarter to six, the sky was a pale blue, and the early autumn breeze carried a hint of cold.
In her attempt to dress cutely, she hadn't considered how much the temperature would affect her.
Now, the cold air made her legs tremble slightly, her exposed skin turning pink from the chill, even affecting her walking posture.
"Are you okay?"
Lu Qing noticed her discomfort and asked with concern, wondering if it was because of what he'd said earlier.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me."
Bai Xing walked ahead of him, leaving him behind.
Her delicate figure looked like a fragile flower that might be blown away by the wind at any moment. Seeing her unadorned, pure vulnerability, Lu Qing shook his head and sighed:
"...Really, a young woman's mind is like a kaleidoscope, impossible to see through completely."
He really couldn't understand such changeable girls.
But that was fine - as a research subject, no one could be more suitable than Bai Xing.
"Where are we buying breakfast?"
Lu Qing caught up and asked.
"Hmph, we're going to that Fei Shi Flowing Heart Panini specialty store." The young woman snorted, turning her head away proudly.
"Panini?"
He had thought she meant some ordinary breakfast place selling steamed buns or porridge, but thinking about it carefully, an idol-like girl like Bai Xing naturally wouldn't be interested in such mundane food.
He followed her through several turns, along the road and into a deep alley.
Despite it being before six in the morning, a deliciously sweet aroma of baked goods wafted through the air, making one's mouth water.
Bustling sounds could be heard, and around the corner, at a window counter deep in the alley, dozens of people were already queuing.
"Is it really this popular?"
Lu Qing was surprised, realizing it would probably take at least half an hour to get through the line and buy breakfast.
"Of course. This is the most popular panini shop in the area, and they only open for two hours every morning. After that, you can't buy any even if you want to."
Bai Xing explained, "If senior finds it troublesome, you don't have to stay with me. It's fine to leave me here alone."
"..."
The resentment in the young woman's words was almost drowning.
Lu Qing avoided responding directly and changed the subject: "Do you come buy this every day?"
"Yes, I like sweet things."
She said, still facing away from him.
"I see."
"Does senior want to try? I can treat you."
Though still angry, the competitive spirit in the young woman's heart continued to pull at her, and even though she was shivering from the cold, she tried hard not to show it.
Lu Qing wasn't that oblivious. He looked toward the sophisticated shop window in the distance, thought for a moment, then nodded, "Sure, I'll take you up on that offer."
"..."
The young woman thought she had misheard, thinking to herself how this guy really didn't treat her like an outsider.
Just as she was about to turn around and make a sarcastic comment, she suddenly felt something wrap around her shoulders.
"Eh?!"
A warm sensation spread across her cold shoulders, blocking out the chilly air and reaching straight to her heart.
She froze, her small face showing surprise as she turned to look.
She saw that he had somehow already taken off his black windbreaker and wrapped it around her like a zongzi dumpling.
...
...