Oh no! I'm surrounded by female ghosts!

A night passes in the blink of an eye.

The next day.

Instead of choosing a luxurious and ostentatious upscale restaurant, Su Ming opted for a quiet and private private kitchen.

At six o'clock in the evening, Bai Xinglan arrived at the appointment on time.

She wore a simple, solid-colored knit sweater, and her long hair was tied into a neat low ponytail.

Shedding her usual seriousness, she looked very refreshing and was a pleasant sight to behold.

Su Ming was already sitting by the window waiting.

Upon seeing her push the door open and enter, he immediately stood up and pulled out a chair in a very gentlemanly manner.

"Senior, please sit down."

Bai Xinglan said thank you and calmly took her seat.

"Senior, what would you like to eat?"

Su Ming handed over the menu.

Bai Xinglan took the menu, but her eyes remained fixed on the boy opposite her.

"Let's talk."

She placed the menu on the table, looked up, and asked, "Is it absolutely necessary for me?"

That's a very direct approach.

Su Ming smiled helplessly, picked up his thermos and took a sip of tea: "Senior, do you have to be so direct?"

"I admit, I don't simply want to be friends with you."

"From the very beginning, I came here for you."

Su Ming's frankness surprised Bai Xinglan slightly, then she chuckled, "You're much more honest than I thought, and much more capable than I expected."

"Since you know I can tell, why bother staging that encounter at the library?" Bai Xinglan looked at the boy opposite her with some curiosity.

The more she looked at Su Ming, the stranger she felt.

This boy seemed more complex than she had imagined.

He was clearly just a young boy, yet he possessed a mixture of innocence and world-weariness, naivety and maturity, making him a contradictory and enigmatic figure.

At first, she thought it was just a clumsy attempt by a young man to woo someone.

Only now do I suddenly understand.

From their very first meeting, she fell into Su Ming's carefully woven trap.

Even though I could see through it, the other party had already anticipated it.

Su Ming answered with great seriousness: "Because many people are teaching me."

"Don't worry, I won't force you."

"We can start by being friends."

Zhou Zhengyang looked at Su Ming on the surveillance screen.

For some reason, he saw a resemblance between Chen Zhiwei and Su Ming.

Ever since he returned from the book of names, Zhou Zhengyang has been unable to fathom his king's thoughts.

Zhou Zhengyang had no choice but to admit it.

He used to be able to figure out most of Su Ming's thoughts, but now he can't quite understand them.

What he showed was merely a performance.

As for what he's really thinking, it's impossible to see through him or guess what he's thinking.

This is exactly like Chen Zhiwei.

No one knew what she was really planning.

At the dinner table, Bai Xinglan gazed into Su Ming's eyes.

A few minutes later, she let down her guard and unease: "It seems they really taught you very well."

The boy in front of me has a terrifying background.

But he wouldn't force himself; that was a form of self-respect.

He was serious about starting as friends.

After figuring this out, she lowered her head and ordered a few light dishes before closing the menu.

As someone who specializes in psychoanalysis, she is extremely sensitive to people's emotions and eye contact.

Su Ming's eyes were full of affection.

But this deep affection is not the kind of love at first sight; it's more like an unshakable instinct.

Bai Xinglan truly couldn't understand this deep affection.

I have absolutely no idea where this deep affection comes from.

She tossed and turned countless times last night, and she was certain that she had never seen the boy in front of her before.

But the boy's eyes were filled with the affection of knowing you for so long.

Driven by intense curiosity, she asked softly, "Could you tell me about yourself?"

This mysterious boy really piqued her curiosity.

He was like a fog, making people want to push it aside and see what was inside.

Su Ming shook his head, a hint of loneliness flashing in his eyes.

"Senior."

"Some stories cannot be told now."

"Speaking out will change many things."

Bai Xinglan understood Su Ming's meaning.

She didn't ask any more questions.

The rest of the meal was exceptionally peaceful. The two chatted about daily life on campus and trivial matters of coursework, without any probing or tugging, creating a very relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

After dinner, Su Ming escorted Bai Xinglan all the way to the girls' dormitory building.

"I'm going up first."

Bai Xinglan waved to Su Ming: "I really enjoyed this meal."

"I'll treat you to dinner next time."

"it is good."

Su Ming stood there and watched Bai Xinglan enter the dormitory building before turning and leaving.

He walked along the tree-lined path on campus.

Zhou Zhengyang followed him quietly, but felt increasingly strange.

The king is becoming more and more composed, and a certain aura is emerging from him.

This kind of aura is hard to explain.

Until Su Ming called out, "Old Zhou."

Zhou Zhengyang immediately appeared in front of him, all excited.

Su Ming's expression was very strange at this moment.

He's clearly a teenager, yet he has the air of someone who's already old.

He looked up at the sky, his tone full of weariness and sighs from the years gone by.

"Don't you think people are strange?"

"Even though I've only lived in a book of names for a few decades, it feels like I've lived a lifetime."

Zhou Zhengyang had wanted to say this before.

He sensed that beneath the skin of the young man before him lay an aged soul.

Su Ming sighed again at this moment.

"In many novels, I see characters who have lived for hundreds or even thousands of years, yet remain unchanged in the slightest."

Zhou Zhengyang thought for a moment and explained, "Your Majesty, writers will never understand how agonizing it is for the soul to be eroded by the long years. They cannot imagine what it is like for someone who has lived for hundreds or thousands of years."

"Just like them, we will never know what they are thinking unless we become them ourselves."

"Age, experience, and knowledge all change a person every moment."

Zhou Zhengyang couldn't help but reflect on the changes he had undergone over the years.

The impulsiveness of the past has given way to the meticulousness of the present; time never stops carving the heart.

"you're right."

Su Ming raised his hand and touched his forehead with his fingertips.

Su Ming completely sealed and compressed his memories of the book of names from those decades ago.

All the joys and sorrows of their long-term relationship, and the mundane details of their daily life, were compressed and sealed into a single sentence: Chen Zhiwei and I lived a very good life together in the book of names.

Just then, a gust of wind swept past them.

When Su Ming opened his eyes again, it was more accurate to say he had returned than to say he had changed.

The weariness and vicissitudes that lingered around him vanished, and the youthful spirit returned once more.

Young people should have the exuberance of youth.

Looking back at the girls' dormitory, Su Ming's face darkened, and he wanted to slap himself: "Damn it!"

"Why did I send Bai Xinglan back to her dorm right after finishing my meal?"

"Where's the movie? Or are we shopping?"

"If it had been late, I might have been able to take the opportunity to ask her out for the night. I wasted such a great chance."

Then Su Ming looked at the thermos in his hand.

Upon opening it, I found it was still brewing goji berry and red date tea.

"Who among young people drinks this?"

He immediately shoved the thermos into Zhou Zhengyang's arms, then took out a bottle of cola from his backpack and gulped it down.

"Ah, this is the taste! Awesome!"

Seeing Su Ming's expression, Zhou Zhengyang couldn't help but smile.

He still preferred the energetic Su Ming at this moment.

It's like the rising sun, not the setting sun.

So Zhou Zhengyang rubbed his hands together and quickly offered some advice.

"Brother Ming, it's not too late."

"Why don't you send a message to Bai Xinglan and ask her out again?"

He doesn't need to say that.

Su Ming had already taken out his phone to ask Bai Xinglan to go downstairs for a walk, and casually reminded Zhou Zhengyang, "Call me Your Majesty."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

In the dormitory.

Bai Xinglan, who had just returned to her dormitory, opened the chat history and looked at the two completely different conversations. Her doubts grew stronger.

It feels completely different now.

"Could it be schizophrenia?" she murmured to herself.

How could a person suddenly undergo such a drastic change?

Filled with doubt, she quickly tidied herself up and went downstairs.

From afar, I could see Su Ming holding a bouquet of flowers, standing under the streetlight with a bright smile.

Many students passing by stopped to watch and whispered among themselves.

Seeing her come down, Su Ming quickly stepped forward and handed her the flowers in his hand: "Senior, these are for you."

Amidst the clamor of voices around them, Bai Xinglan, holding a bouquet of flowers, gazed at the young man before her.

His demeanor, tone of voice, and overall demeanor were completely different from those of a different person.

Her psychology background instincts tightened instantly. She grabbed Su Ming's wrist and said in a serious tone, "Come with me."

Su Ming was taken aback: "Where to?"

"School counseling center."

Bai Xinglan didn't allow him to refuse, so she pulled him into the psychology room, closed the door, and the two sat down facing each other.

She opened her notebook, gripped her pen tightly, and switched into the mode of a professional psychological counselor, speaking with a solemn and serious expression.

"Su Ming, you must answer all the questions I'm about to ask honestly."

Do you usually suffer from insomnia?

"How many hours do you usually sleep a day?"

"Do you sleep through the night, or do you wake up multiple times in between?"

Seeing Bai Xinglan's current appearance, Su Ming was somewhat lost in thought.

In a daze, he seemed to see Bai Xinglan sitting opposite him, patiently asking questions.