Lin Fang had already finished her spicy soup and stood up quickly to leave. As she walked out, she said, “Don’t ask me about your own affairs. I have to hurry back to school. The time I agreed to practice drums with Ma Miao is almost here, and I can’t be late.”
Meatball was unwilling but helpless as Lin Fang had already walked away. Watching her retreating figure, Meatball muttered under his breath, “What’s a girl like you doing practicing drums? That guy clearly has ulterior motives.”
“Who is Ma Miao?” Xiao Guanpeng asked with his mouth, while Qin Yi looked at him questioningly.
“A very handsome student from an artistic family. Young Master Xiao, your lamb soup has gone cold. Let me get you a fresh bowl. Officer Qin, since you haven’t ordered, I’ll bring you a bowl of lamb soup too.”
In a bad mood, Meatball casually changed his way of addressing them, talking to himself without caring about their reactions or whether they even wanted what he was offering. Leaving Xiao Guanpeng and Qin Yi staring at each other, he collected the bowls and chopsticks from the table and headed to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Lin Fang arrived at the school dormitory building. Just as she turned the corner, someone suddenly grabbed her and pulled her up the steps toward the basketball court. The person spoke as they walked, “Lin Fang, you’re finally here! Look, I made twelve drums for you, from large to small, just as you requested. Test the sound—if they’re not good, I’ll redo them.”
From a distance, Lin Fang caught sight of the drums and exclaimed joyfully, “Wow, these drums are so exquisitely made! Just looking at them makes me happy.”
“Of course, you should know who made them,” the person replied with pride.
The two quickly reached the drums. Lin Fang ran her hands over each one and suggested, “Ma Miao, after graduation, don’t bother looking for a job. Just open your own instrument shop—handcrafted, what a great reputation! You’d definitely make money, and besides, you love doing this.”
“Alright, I’ll do as you say. I don’t like being constrained anyway. Running my own business would be better, but you’ll have to help me—I don’t have the money to open a shop,” Ma Miao agreed without hesitation.
“Deal. I’ll definitely help you. We’ll do it together. Enough talk—let me test the drums first.”
On the basketball court, twelve drums were lined up from smallest to largest. The smallest was only the size of Lin Fang’s fist, while the largest had a diameter of about thirty centimeters. Each drum’s side was painted with a cartoon image of one of the twelve zodiac animals—a birthday gift for Xiao Yuanyuan. Lin Fang and Ma Miao tested the sound and discussed possible improvements.
Ma Miao stood at 178 cm tall, with short hair and a well-proportioned figure—neither too thin nor too heavy. His fair complexion and unremarkable individual features somehow combined into a strikingly handsome face, especially when paired with his seemingly casual but meticulously crafted blue-black casual outfit.
After their discussion, the two leaned against the metal basketball hoop, chatting idly despite the cold. Suddenly, Lin Fang burst into laughter—first a short giggle, then louder and louder until she was laughing uncontrollably, leaving Ma Miao baffled. He grabbed her and demanded to know what was so funny.
“Hahaha, I’ll tell you, but don’t get mad,” Lin Fang gasped between laughs.
“Did someone make up another story about me? Go ahead, I won’t be angry—I’m used to it by now. But I need to know who it was and what they said, so I can gauge how my glorious image has evolved in people’s minds,” Ma Miao said with a smirk.
After catching her breath, Lin Fang grinned. “Earlier, I used you as an excuse to get away, saying I had drum practice with you. Someone asked Meatball who you were, and he told them you were a very handsome student from an artistic family. Hahaha!”
Though he claimed he wouldn’t get angry, Ma Miao gritted his teeth. “That little brat! Saying I’m ‘very handsome’ is just another way of calling me androgynous. Just wait till I deal with him.”
“How do you plan to deal with him?” Lin Fang asked, clearly amused.
“I need to think about it,” Ma Miao said seriously.
Lin Fang laughed. “No need to think—here’s a perfect opportunity. Meatball really wants to go to the dance at Dr. Xiao’s hospital but can’t find a partner. I’m not interested in such events and don’t want to be someone’s accessory. But if you were his partner, you could mess with him however you like.”
Ma Miao scoffed. “Don’t think I don’t see through your little scheme. Dr. Xiao must have invited you as his partner, and Meatball’s just tagging along. If you don’t go, what’s the point of us going? With just me and Meatball, we’d either be sitting there watching the scenery or becoming the scenery ourselves.”
Lin Fang chuckled. “Haha, you’re already one of the school’s most dazzling sights—why care about that? With me gone, you’d have free rein to tease Meatball. Don’t think I don’t see through *your* little scheme. You talk like he’s worthless, but deep down, you adore him.”
Ma Miao glared. “Nonsense! With that puny body of his, why would I be interested?”
Ignoring him, Lin Fang mused, “You know, Meatball’s actually quite clever. Saying you’re from an ‘artistic family’ was spot-on—absolutely perfect! Hahaha!”
“Still laughing? I’ll make you stop!” Ma Miao, now genuinely annoyed, chased Lin Fang around, trying to tickle her.
A girl nearly 180 cm tall was already striking, but Ma Miao also had a somewhat masculine face and underdeveloped secondary sex characteristics. In men’s clothing, he looked dashing; in women’s, he seemed like a man in drag. Combined with his preference for short hair, strangers often mistook him for a boy.
Ma Miao didn’t have many friends. Most boys avoided him—his looks and height bruised their fragile egos. Girls, meanwhile, feared being seen as clinging to a “handsome guy,” which wasn’t ideal for young women in their early twenties, hearts aflutter with romantic notions.
Only Lin Fang, with her dual-life experience and mental age beyond forty, could see past appearances and remain unfazed by others’ opinions. She wasn’t ready for a new relationship and didn’t care what people thought.
Most importantly, she admired Ma Miao’s personality. Despite the odd looks he received, he lived freely—bold and straightforward like a man, yet delicate and skilled like a woman. The seemingly expensive clothes he wore were all handmade by himself.
What Lin Fang admired most was Ma Miao’s talent for crafting instruments, which aligned perfectly with her own desires—no longer constrained by market availability.
Meatball’s claim that Ma Miao was from an “artistic family” was a pun on the reversed pronunciation of “veterinarian.” However, Ma Miao’s family wasn’t entirely disconnected from the arts.
Like Lin Fang, Ma Miao came from a rural background. His parents were veterinarians but also had a side talent—whenever there was a village celebration or gathering, they’d perform errenzhuan (a folk duet) or other acts purely for fun, never charging a fee.
While Lin Fang and Ma Miao enjoyed themselves at school, Qin Yi and Xiao Guanpeng had very different moods at Colorful Star Eatery.
Qin Yi didn’t touch the lamb soup Meatball served him, opting instead for a bowl of eight-treasure porridge.
True to Meatball’s word, the porridge was perfectly cooked—soft rice, thick but not sticky broth, crunchy peanuts, sweet yet intact red dates, tender longan flesh, melted lotus seeds, mung beans blended into the soup, and adzuki beans that dissolved on the tongue. The generous amount of sugar matched Qin Yi’s sweet tooth.
Pleased, Qin Yi shared a few dessert recipes he’d learned in his past life, detailing every step so clearly that Meatball instantly regarded him as an elder brother. In return, Meatball spilled everything about his history with the Lin family—especially his interactions with Lin Fang.
When Xiao Guanpeng tried to interject with questions, Meatball dodged or gave vague answers, frustrating him. Why had all his previous tactics failed to make the little rascal talk, while Qin Yi—whom Meatball had just met—earned his trust with a few recipes?
What Xiao Guanpeng didn’t know was that Qin Yi’s soul, Qi Biao, had been raised as royalty, trained in the art of persuasion and leadership. A young general who’d commanded armies, Qi Biao’s psychological tactics far surpassed Xiao Guanpeng’s rudimentary understanding.
Moreover, both Qi Biao and Qin Yi shared Meatball’s biggest passion: sweets. Unlike Xiao Guanpeng, who treated Meatball like a child, Qin Yi engaged with him as an equal, earning his goodwill.
In truth, Qin Yi didn’t know how to handle children. His own harsh upbringing led him to assume everyone matured as quickly as he had.
Leaving Colorful Star Eatery in high spirits, Qin Yi returned to the Qin household, where even his parents’ scolding couldn’t dampen his mood. He remained silent, heading straight to Qin Ran’s room to gather her belongings before turning to leave. Despite his mother’s desperate questions about Qin Ran and Ji Xiaorong, Qin Yi refused to answer.
As he stepped out, hearing his mother’s sobs, he hesitated and turned back. Expressionless, he said, “Ran is my sister. I’ll protect her.”
His father frowned and scolded, “Since you woke up in the hospital two years ago, you’ve changed completely. You barely acknowledge us as your parents—only your sister matters. Yes, we pushed you into a marriage for the family business, but we’re your parents. We’d never harm you!”
Qin Yi’s face turned icy. “My life is my own.”
Without another word, he left the Qin residence. That night, he led the task force to Qiyue County.
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