Rebirth and Conquest

After Chen Haoran left, Chen Yan's dormitory should have returned to its usual quiet state. However, this was not the case. Wen Mu, perhaps spurred on by Chen Haoran, suddenly became "enthusiastic" towards Chen Yan.

When it's time to eat, Wen Mu will go to the cafeteria with Chen Yan. When it's time to attend class, Wen Mu will go to the classroom with Chen Yan. Once in the classroom, Wen Mu will sit next to Chen Yan and listen to the lecture. In addition, Wen Mu has also abandoned his previous 'reserved' style and started to chat with Chen Yan in a way that makes conversation. All of these behaviors make him a model of a good roommate in China.

Chen Yan sat in her seat, tidying up her textbooks. Class had ended, and most of the students had left. Wen Mu, who was next to her, turned around and asked, "Chen Yan, what are we going to eat later?" Wen Mu asked casually; she had become quite accustomed to asking this question over the past few days.

Seeing Chen Yan close the last book, Wen Mu stood up from his seat and said, "Let's go."

Normally, Chen Yan would get up and leave with Wen Mu at times like this, but today, Chen Yan didn't get up. Instead, he looked up at Wen Mu and didn't say anything. He looked at Wen Mu for less than a minute before Wen Mu, looking uneasy, asked, "Wh-what's wrong?"

Chen Yan leaned back on the table, casually placing her hands on her lap, looking at Wen Mu with a half-smile. Only when Wen Mu lowered her eyes somewhat awkwardly did Chen Yan speak, "So, what's been going on these past few days?"

"It's nothing," Wen Mu forced a calm smile. "We're roommates, it's normal to go out to eat together."

Chen Yan sat up straight, reached out and pinched Wen Mu's chin, pulling him close to her face. Wen Mu was startled by Chen Yan's action and opened his eyes wide, but did not struggle.

"To be honest," Chen Yan said softly with a smile, looking into Wen Mu's eyes.

Wen Mu lowered her eyes and remained silent.

"Could it be that you've taken a liking to me?"

Wen Mu suddenly looked up and saw Chen Yan still wearing that ambiguous smile. Then Chen Yan lowered her voice and whispered in his ear, "Back then, didn't you, Young Master Wen, say so confidently that you would buy me? Why aren't you saying a word now?"

"I...I didn't mean that, please don't misunderstand." Wen Mu thought Chen Yan was still angry about that incident, so she quickly tried to explain, "I didn't mean to buy you, I just said it casually, I..."

"Oh, so that's not it." Chen Yan let go of his hand, looking somewhat disappointed. Wen Mu paused and fell silent. Chen Yan picked up the textbook on the table, stood up, and said, "Let's go eat then." With that, she walked out of the classroom.

Wen Mu stood there blankly, wanting to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. After struggling for a long time, until Chen Yan had walked far away, Wen Mu finally lowered his head in dejection. He bit his lip, packed his things, and left.

Ever since Chen Yan and Xi Yichen had that meal, Xi Yichen has become increasingly attentive to Chen Yan, and his 'harassment' of her has become more and more frequent. Some people have this problem: when others are enthusiastic towards them, they don't care at all, but when others are indifferent to them, they find that person very attractive. This is what is commonly known as the 'cheapskate' problem, and Xi Yichen is a severe case of this.

Chen Yan's attitude towards Xi Yichen wasn't exactly bad, but it certainly wasn't good either. Chen Yan didn't want to break off relations with him, so she mostly gave him the cold shoulder. However, it was precisely this cold shoulder that greatly increased Xi Yichen's interest in Chen Yan. Xi Yichen would come up with all sorts of reasons to ask Chen Yan out, and he also liked to take Chen Yan to meet some of his friends, as if this could prove his unusual 'relationship' with Chen Yan. Of course, these friends were all his own close friends, and they weren't the same group of people around Yan Haobo who liked to cause trouble for Chen Yan.

Xi Yichen has a very good friend named Lu Mengli. Xi Yichen's family owns an entertainment company, and Lu Mengli is the company's artist director. Lu Mengli looks to be in his twenties and has a handsome face. Because he has a red mole under his eye, he looks a bit charming.

Chen Yan had met Lu Mengli in her previous life, but that was all; they had never interacted. However, Chen Yan knew a little about him. Lu Mengli was a very resourceful person. In his early years, he was a celebrity agent who had managed several superstars and held a certain position in the entertainment industry.

Upon seeing Chen Yan, Lu Mengli exaggeratedly showed a look of amazement: "This little brother has a very good face, he's very suitable for developing in the entertainment industry. How about it? Do you want to consider coming with me?" As she spoke, she winked at Chen Yan.

Whether it's because he's been in the entertainment industry for a long time or it's just his nature, Lu Mengli always has a smile on his face when he speaks, and he's also very tactful in his dealings with people.

"Alright, you're out for a meal, and you still can't resist trying to poach people from my side." Seeing that Chen Yan didn't speak, Xi Yichen took over.

"Your people?" Lu Mengli looked at Xi Yichen, winked, and looked like he understood.

Lu Mengli seemed genuinely interested in signing Chen Yan, and he didn't stop trying to persuade her throughout the meal, "Honestly, your face is perfect for this. Looking across the entertainment industry, countless people would want to sign me. If you sign with me, I guarantee you'll become a huge star. Plus, your charisma is excellent; with a little polishing..."

"Thank you for your appreciation, Mr. Lu." Chen Yan interrupted Lu Mengli's incessant chatter, smiled, and said, "However, I have no such plans at the moment, I'm sorry."

"No way, you're going to refuse!" Lu Mengli looked incredulous. Indeed, for many people, being a star is something they aspire to. "Is it because of Young Master Xi that he doesn't agree to you signing with me?" Lu Mengli looked at Xi Yichen with a resentful expression.

"Stop slandering me. I can't control how others choose," Xi Yichen explained with a smile. "Alright, they don't agree, so stop talking."

During the meal, the three of them had different thoughts. When they left the restaurant, Xi Yichen went to the garage to get his car first, while Chen Yan and Lu Mengli waited outside.

"This is my business card." Lu Mengli handed a business card to Chen Yan and said in a very serious tone, "I really hope you can reconsider. I think you are very suitable for developing in this direction. Besides," Lu Mengli paused for a moment before continuing, "to be blunt, you are currently working with Young Master Xi and don't want to sign with me, but how long can you stay with him? Don't blame me for being harsh, but even the most attractive face will eventually become tiresome. You have to think about your future."

Chen Yan sneered inwardly. So he really did think of him as Xi Yichen's kept plaything. However, Chen Yan didn't show it on his face. He reached out and took the business card. "Thank you."

At this moment, Xi Yichen's car arrived, and Lu Mengli stopped talking about it. He waved to Chen Yan and said, "I'm leaving. I look forward to seeing you again." Then, he walked to Xi Yichen's car, said a few words of farewell to Xi Yichen through the car window, and left.

The car pulled up beside Chen Yan, and Xi Yichen, sitting inside, greeted her with a smile, "Get in."

Chen Yan casually tossed the business card into the nearby trash can and then got into Xi Yichen's car.

When Chen Yan returned to school, he happened to run into Wen Mu. Chen Yan had just gotten out of the car when he saw Wen Mu standing not far away, looking at him with a shocked expression, as well as a look of heartache and disappointment.

"I'm leaving now, I'll come see you again in a few days," Xi Yichen said with a smile, and drove away.

Chen Yan walked towards Wen Mu, but as soon as she got close, Wen Mu angrily questioned her: "Chen Yan, you're still with him? Why? Don't tell me you've really fallen for him!"

"This is on campus. Are you trying to attract everyone's attention by speaking so loudly?" Chen Yan asked calmly, making Wen Mu immediately deflate. "I... I didn't," Wen Mu said in a low voice.

"That's good. He's my brother's friend. He just went out for a meal. Don't overthink things all the time," Chen Yan explained. She paused, then, seeing Wen Mu looking like a wronged little wife, she couldn't help but laugh. "Are you so angry because I went out with someone else without you? How about this, let's go for a drive too?"

Seeing Wen Mu looking at her in surprise, Chen Yan added with a smile, "But let me make this clear first, I don't own a car."

Chen Yan didn't have a car, but he did have a bicycle. He rode his bicycle with Wen Mu on the back and went for a ride outside the campus.

In the late autumn air, there was a chill in the air. Wen Mu sat quietly in the back seat. Whether it was from the wind or his body being warm, his cheeks were flushed. Wen Mu carefully rested his face against Chen Yan's back, just gently touching her.

"Chen Yan, your back feels warm," Wen Mu said softly.

"It's warm, so lean against me."

"kindness"

Wen Mu relaxed his grip and leaned against Chen Yan. After a while, he tentatively reached out and put his arms around Chen Yan's waist. Seeing that Chen Yan did not object, Wen Mu breathed a sigh of relief, then relaxed his whole body and leaned against Chen Yan.

Chen Yan rode her bike to the art street next to H University. After riding for a while, she stopped.

"What's wrong?" Wen Mu asked, propping his head up in confusion.

"Wait here for a moment, I have something to do," Chen Yan said, handing the car to Wen Mu before walking to the roadside and heading to the painting stall.

"Sir," Chen Yan greeted the painter with a smile.

Since that first meeting, Chen Yan has come here every few days and has become acquainted with the painter. However, the two do not talk much. Most of the time, Chen Yan will sit here for a while, buy a painting, and leave. To this day, the two have not even introduced each other by name.

"You're here. Is that your classmate?" the painter asked with a smile.

"Hmm, what did you paint today, sir?"

The painter took out a rolled-up painting from the side and handed it to Chen Yan, saying, "It was finished yesterday. Take a look."

Chen Yan took the painting, opened it, and looked at it. "Sir, your paintings are becoming more and more exquisite." Then he took out a hundred yuan from his pocket, handed it to the painter, and said with a smile, "I won't sit here today. I'll come to see you again next time."

"Okay." The painter nodded, without saying anything more.

Chen Yan took the painting and walked back to Wen Mu.

"Who is that? Do you know him?" Wen Mu asked.

“A friend,” Chen Yan said, handing the painting to Wen Mu. “Could you hold this for me?”

After Wen Mu took the painting, Chen Yan got back on her bike and took Wen Mu back to school.

...