Spring Night Kiss.

Xu Zhouye opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling, his chest heaving.

I was covered in sweat and my body ached.

He lay in the dark for a few seconds, cursed, got out of bed, and went into the bathroom.

It's unbelievable, he actually had a wet dream. And to make matters worse, he only got halfway through.

The cold water cascaded down, causing my muscles to tense slightly as it hit my skin. But it was no use; the burning sensation that seemed to seep from my very bones was impossible to suppress.

Her humming sound still seems to echo in my ears.

Xu Zhouye turned off the water, stood for a while, dried himself off, casually put on some clothes, and went out.

At four in the morning, the lights in the gym suddenly came on.

I set the treadmill to its fastest speed, did weighted squats until my legs were weak, and pulled myself up until my arms trembled. Sweat soaked my clothes, dripping onto the floor and forming a small puddle.

Xu Zhouye stopped when it was dawn.

Panting, he propped himself up on his knees and looked down at the sweat stains on the floor.

I still want to see her.

He straightened up, went back to take a shower, and changed into clean clothes. His hair wasn't dry, so he casually swept it back, with a few stray hairs hanging down his forehead.

The atmosphere was incredibly tense.

As the door opened, Lu Yanbai emerged from the room opposite, carrying two cups of coffee.

"Oh, you're up?" He handed her one of the glasses. "Why do you look so pale? Didn't you sleep last night?"

Xu Zhouye took the coffee and took a sip.

"Could you please check the information of all the guests at this hotel?"

Lu Yanbai paused, "Are you crazy? This is a legitimately run resort. You're checking guest information? Are you some kind of lawbreaker?"

"Should we investigate or not?"

"No, it's because of a woman—"

"Should we investigate or not?"

Lu Yanbai looked at him.

Dark circles under his eyes, a taut jawline, and a deep, somber look in his eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'll check." Lu Yanbai gave up. "But it won't be that quick. The receptionist won't just show the list to anyone. I'll have to use my connections."

Xu Zhouye grunted in agreement and strode forward.

"Where are you going?" Lu Yanbai chased after him.

"Just taking a walk."

"Don't wander off. My friend said there's a Pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing) theater on the back street, and a new girl has joined. She's incredibly beautiful and plays the pipa exceptionally well. Let's go see this beauty!"

"I'm not going."

"You're someone who's practically driven mad by your search for women, and you're not even looking at beautiful women?"

Xu Zhouye glanced at him, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Lu Yanbai awkwardly touched his nose: "Okay, okay, I won't say anything. Can't you just keep me company? I've been keeping you company in this remote mountain village for days, and you won't even listen to a Suzhou storytelling performance with me?"

Xu Zhouye paused for a moment, then remained silent.

Lu Yanbai took it as a yes.

The Pingtan Museum is located on the old street not far from the resort. It is an antique wooden building with a flag hanging at the entrance that reads "Yunqing Pingtan".

When Lu Yanbai pulled Xu Zhouye inside, most of the guests were already seated.

The platform is in the middle, not high, and only two or three steps away from the first row of guests.

There is only one chair on the stage.

Nobody's here.

"Sit down, sit down," Lu Yanbai said, finding a table near the front. "I heard this girl came temporarily, and she's incredibly beautiful. Someone took a picture of her yesterday and posted it on WeChat Moments. My friend said her figure and face are absolutely stunning."

Xu Zhouye sat opposite him, propping his head up with his hand, his face expressionless.

He wasn't interested.

His mind is now filled with that scumbag woman who started something and then abandoned it, and the sound she snorted in his dream.

Tea was served, and Lu Yanbai poured him a cup.

"Can you stop looking so serious? If you're out having fun, just start driving—"

He stopped halfway through his sentence.

Because someone came up on stage.

She wore a moon-white cheongsam, her long hair tied up with a white jade hairpin. Holding a pipa in her arms, she walked to the chair and sat down.

The light fell on her face, as if coating her with a soft glow. Her eyebrows and eyes were beautiful, her skin was fair and her lips were red, and there was a hint of languor in her eyes.

"Hey, it's a beauty in a cheongsam!" Lu Yanbai excitedly turned his head and said to Xu Zhouye.

But then he saw that the other person was staring intently at the woman on the stage.

Even when the tea spilled and burned his fingers, he didn't move.

He raised an eyebrow: "Hey Lao Xu, you haven't fallen for that beautiful woman at first sight, have you?"

Xu Zhouye remained silent.

Lu Yanbai couldn't help but tease, "That day someone bumped into your arms, but you didn't look. Now you're looking at it with great interest."

"Is that her in the hotel?"

"otherwise?"

Xu Zhouye clenched his teeth, a hint of regret flashing across his face. He shouldn't have pushed her away so quickly; otherwise, he would have grabbed her much sooner.

"What's her name?"

Lu Yanbai rolled his eyes: "How would I know?"

Xu Zhouye sneered: "If you don't know, go ask."

Lu Yanbai couldn't understand what was wrong with him, why he was speaking so impulsively. But he still called over a staff member to ask, "What's the name of that person on stage?"

The other person replied, "She is our teacher Zhou's apprentice, named Song Qingjia."

Song Qingjia.

Xu Zhouye silently repeated her name.

No wonder he couldn't find that woman anywhere in the capital; she had hidden in Suzhou.

Recalling their eye contact, he was certain that she had recognized him.

But the other person's expression didn't change at all, not even a tremor of their eyelashes. They calmly lowered their head and plucked the strings.

The clear, melodious sound of the zither filled the air, like water droplets falling onto a jade plate.

Xu Zhouye stared at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He lazily poured himself another cup of tea, took a small sip, and his gaze lingered inch by inch, from the hairpin holding her hair up to the exposed slender white neck, and then to her slender waist.

The person on stage played a piece called "Slowly, Slowly," accompanied by a soft and charming singing voice: "Green bricks and painted tiles, white horses treading on new mud..."

Her head was slightly lowered, and the light illuminated her profile clearly.

He had seen this angle before.

She was at this angle when she was beneath him. Her eyes were half-closed, her eyelashes fluttering, her lips slightly parted, and her voice came out intermittently from her throat.

Xu Zhouye's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he took another sip of tea to suppress the sudden surge of agitation.

Not urgent.

Anyway, we caught her.

-

Song Qingjia never expected to run into Xu Zhouye here.

Without the dim lighting, the man's features were even more striking: high brow bones, slightly upturned eyes, and long, narrow, dark, and bright eyes. His entire face exuded a natural roguishness and aggression.

He's an incredibly handsome man.

She recalled the first time he stood on the podium, when the video was shared back in China by the media, instantly causing a sensation online and gaining him countless fans.

F1, paddock, race car driver... these terms, which were somewhat unfamiliar to the public, began to spread like wildfire.

Among his fans, besides those who genuinely care about racing results, a large portion are simply fans who admire his looks.

Song Qingjia had to admit that she was also attracted to this face.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so out of my mind that night.

She pulled herself together, tuned the strings, and began playing.

As soon as the music started, her attention was drawn in, but there was always a gaze on her back, as if it were a physical presence.

He slowly and deliberately swept his gaze over every inch of her body.

Song Qingjia ignored it, letting that gaze linger on her for twenty minutes until the last note fell and applause broke out.

She stood up and nodded slightly.

Her gaze inadvertently swept over the man again, who curled the corners of his lips and raised the teacup in his hand.

A word inexplicably came to her mind.

A peacock spreading its tail feathers.

Song Qingjia couldn't help but smile slightly, then turned and went backstage with her pipa in her arms.

She put the pipa back into its case, closed it, and said goodbye to Zhou Yunqing: "Aunt Zhou, I'm leaving now."

Zhou Yunqing was explaining the repertoire for tomorrow to her young apprentice when she heard this, she nodded and said, "Okay, be at 2 pm tomorrow, don't be late."

"understood."

Song Qingjia took her bag from the front desk and exited the Pingtan Hall through the side door.

The backyard leads to a narrow alley with a cobblestone path and white walls and gray tiles on both sides. It gets dark early, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, making her shadow very long.

She had only taken a few steps when she stopped.

A person was leaning against the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley.

A black shirt, sleeves rolled up to the forearms, hands tucked into pockets. Half his face was hidden in shadow, but his eyes shone brightly, staring straight at him.

Song Qingjia was not surprised that Xu Zhouye would come to ambush her.

I just didn't expect them to be so impatient.

She paused for only a moment before continuing forward, her high heels clicking rhythmically on the bluestone slabs.

Xu Zhouye didn't move, leaning against the tree trunk as he watched her approach.

Three steps, two steps, one step...

Song Qingjia walked up to him, glanced at him sideways, and said, "Excuse me."