A band, or a battleground?

Qiu Mengxue smiled and said, "I saw what you posted in the group, so I wanted to ask you in person."

Qi Yuan was shocked: "I said we'd chat tomorrow, not tonight!"

“I know,” Qiu Mengxue smiled and nodded, “but I just want to know now, otherwise I might not be able to sleep. So I came to find you.”

Qi Yuan glanced behind her: "Weren't they with you?"

Qiu Mengxue shook her head: "Qianyu and Yiyi didn't come, it's just me."

Qi Yuan frowned: "It's so late, it's not safe for a girl like you to be walking on the street alone."

The girl smiled and said, "But I'm already here. My home is quite close to yours, so it's okay... Anyway, thank you for your concern."

Qi Yuan remained silent for a few seconds.

Qiu Mengxue asked, "Aren't you going to let me in?"

"Never mind, come in."

After entering his home, Qiu Mengxue changed into slippers and sat down on the sofa.

Qi Yuan sat down on the sofa next to her: "What do you want to know?"

After a moment's thought, Qiu Mengxue asked, "What majors can I apply for in the music academy entrance exam?"

Qi Yuan: "There are quite a few majors, mainly divided into performance, creative, theoretical, and education. You can apply for most of them. Do you prefer performance or creative?"

The girl tilted her head: "Which type would you like me to apply for?"

Qi Yuan: "That depends on you. Of course, you decide what major you want to study during your four years of university."

Qiu Mengxue asked directly, "Which major will be most helpful to you?"

Qi Yuan was taken aback: "Huh?"

Qiu Mengxue pursed her lips and said, "It's the biggest help to our band."

“If you’re talking about what helps the band the most, it’s definitely the performance category, including vocals and various instruments…” Qi Yuan said, then realized something was off. “But didn’t you tell me before that you already had an idea of ​​what major you wanted to study in college?”

Qiu Mengxue: "But things are different now than they were back then. What was the Spring Shadow Band like back then, and what is they like now?"

Qi Yuan had to admit that what she said made sense.

As band members, their first two-year contract with Tianhua Entertainment alone was enough to earn them more wealth than an average white-collar worker could accumulate in a lifetime. And the Spring Shadow Band's formation will certainly extend beyond just two years.

Considering the current situation, the previous plans will have to be significantly altered.

Qi Yuan pondered for a moment, then asked, "So, do you want to be just the keyboardist in the band, or do you want to be the lead singer?"

Qiu Mengxue said earnestly, "If possible, I would also like to be the lead singer."

Qi Yuan was slightly surprised: "Didn't you used to not care about this?"

Qiu Mengxue smiled slightly: "But you can also write songs suitable for girls to sing. I hope I can sing the songs you write well."

However, Qi Yuan saw a hint of ambition in her eyes.

He thought this was normal. After all, everyone has ambitions, and as long as he wrote songs, she could indeed sing some classic songs.

However, Qi Yuan did not think about the deeper meaning - if he was not the lead singer and did not have a big enough reputation, how could he compete with a big star like Shen Yihan?

Jiang Yi had previously said that she would do everything in her power. Becoming stronger, able to rival Shen Yihan, and truly help Qi Yuan in his career was Qiu Mengxue's solution.

“Then you could consider pop singing,” Qi Yuan said thoughtfully. “However, I think your voice is already good enough.”

Qiu Mengxue: "So, what if I choose an instrument or compose?"

Qi Yuan shrugged and said, "I can only suggest that you think about it more yourself. As for what's best for the band, I can't say for sure."

"I can only think about it more myself..." Qiu Mengxue murmured, then suddenly stood up.

Qi Yuan asked, "Are you leaving already?"

Qiu Mengxue took out her phone and glanced at it: "It's almost 10:30. I'm not going home now. How about I stay here with you tonight?"

Qi Yuan quickly shook his head: "Then let's forget about it."

Qiu Mengxue narrowed her eyes: "Wait a minute, thinking about it carefully, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with staying here with you..."

Qi Yuan: "Don't forget, what if there are paparazzi staking out my neighborhood? Then it'll be hard to explain."

Qiu Mengxue smiled and said, "If someone had been staking out your place right after 'The Tomorrow Band' ended, I would believe it. But so much time has passed, and not a single photo of you taken has been leaked, which means the security level is very high."

Qi Yuan: "Won't Teacher Su worry if you don't come home at night?"

A hint of hesitation finally appeared on the girl's face.

Just then, Qi Yuan's phone rang. The caller ID showed Jiang Yi.

Qi Yuan held his phone and looked at Qiu Mengxue in front of him.

Qiu Mengxue said in a low voice, "You can answer it if you want, I won't say anything."

Qi Yuan thought for a moment and felt that he really had nothing to be ashamed of, so he answered the call.

Then I heard Jiang Yi's question: "I saw the message you posted in the group. What do you think I should apply for?"

Qi Yuan then looked at Qiu Mengxue in front of him.

The girl looked completely innocent.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

205, have I become the target of the strategy?

"I haven't been to a music academy either, so I can't be sure which major will be most helpful to our band in the future. So I suggest you do more research and think about it yourself..."

When Jiang Yi spoke on the phone, Qi Yuan gave the same explanation he had given just a few minutes earlier.

After hanging up the phone, he looked at the girl in front of him.

Qiu Mengxue was smiling and quietly staring at him.

Qi Yuan said, "Let's go, I'll take you home now."

Qiu Mengxue hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded.

So the two went out, took the elevator, and left the residential area.

Late at night, there were few cars on the road, and even fewer pedestrians. Only in the hot pot and barbecue restaurants around the corner were there a few people gathered.

As the two walked side by side, Qiu Mengxue suddenly asked, "Don't you think I'm a little strange?"

Qi Yuan thought to himself, "Why are you running to someone's house in the middle of the night, and there's nothing urgent about it? It's something we should be discussing tomorrow, and we could talk about it over the phone, but you insist on coming over... How can this not be strange?"

But what he said aloud was, "Why do you think that?"

Qiu Mengxue hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "I don't know why, but sometimes I just want to talk to you. I feel like I'm a little lost about the future with you."

Qi Yuan: "Confused?"

Qiu Mengxue: "Before, even in my dreams, I didn't dare to imagine our current success. Sometimes when I woke up, I would doubt whether reality was real. Do you ever feel that way?"

"The emptiness and unreality that comes after huge success? A little bit, I suppose."

Qiu Mengxue turned to stare at him and said, "So I feel that there are some things I can only talk to you about, and... sometimes I really want to see you. Even if we're not talking about these feelings that only belong to us, I still want to see you."

This effectively shut down what Qi Yuan was about to say.

He wanted to say that there were four people in the band, and they weren't the only ones who felt the same way; he could also talk to Yi Yi and Qian Yu. But he didn't expect the girl's next sentence to be like this.

Compared to before, Qiu Mengxue was clearly much more proactive tonight. She took the initiative to express her feelings, although, due to her lack of experience, it revealed a clumsy and awkwardness.

So how should I respond?

If we follow this line of questioning and ask, "Why do you want to see me?", what will happen next? Will the girl just confess her feelings?

Qi Yuan knew, of course, that Mengxue had feelings for him. After all, unlike Shen Yihan, he had been spending almost every day with Qiu Mengxue and Jiang Yi lately. The details of their interactions, the unintentional glances they exchanged, were enough for him to understand their affection.

He just wasn't sure to what extent these two feelings of affection had reached.

What I haven't figured out yet is whether Mengxue or Yiyi is a better fit for me if I want to develop a deeper relationship within the band.

People often choose to procrastinate on problems they haven't thought through.

So Qi Yuan said in a teasing tone, "Apart from when we go to other places for shows, we see each other almost every day. I thought you would find it annoying."

Qiu Mengxue shook her head: "I don't find you annoying at all, not from the very beginning. The first time we spoke was when Yi Yi took you to the small square, and I was really grateful to you then. You helped us solve a big problem... Although it seems insignificant now, I was very grateful to you at the time."

Qi Yuan: "You're really not being frank. You're very grateful to me, but you didn't say it out loud?"

Qiu Mengxue: "Because before I even said it, you did something amazing. That song, 'Blue Lotus,' was just so good. And then you became a member of our band, and I don't know how to tell you. If it were someone else, I would be polite. But as a member of the band, I feel like, 'This is my teammate,' so..."

Qi Yuan nodded and said, "I understand. Etiquette towards outsiders and attitude towards those close to you are two different things."

Qiu Mengxue was silent for a few seconds, then said, "And after that, the surprises you brought kept coming one after another, not to mention what happened after you appeared on the show. I think everyone is like a book. For most books, I can guess what's going to happen next after flipping through two pages. But you are the biggest exception."

Qi Yuan asked with a smile, "You think you can't figure me out?"

Qiu Mengxue affirmed, "It's like a book where every page brings me a bigger surprise, making me wonder what the next page will be like. When I open it, there's always a new surprise, and they're all beyond my expectations."

Qi Yuan said leisurely, "But no matter how many surprises there are, you'll get numb to them after a while. After that, it'll just be about releasing new songs and making a fuss in the entertainment industry. It shouldn't be hard to guess."

Qiu Mengxue shook her head, staring intently at him, and said, "I don't feel numb at all. No, quite the opposite, I feel uneasy. Because I feel like I haven't done anything special, so how could I possibly make someone as special as you..."

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

Qi Yuan waited quietly.

After hesitating for a while, Qiu Mengxue changed her approach: "I've always been a top student since I was little, the 'other people's child' that other parents would scold, and I also have a talent for music. So I've always been very proud. I never said it out loud, but it's always been there. But after meeting you, I realized that it was just a child's pride at best."

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "There are always people more capable than you. Breaking down your self-confidence and rebuilding it is a necessary lesson in life."

Qiu Mengxue laughed too: "You see, I can't say things like that. So I feel that you're not just good at writing songs, but the depth of your thoughts seems... no, not just seems, it definitely far surpasses mine. Many self-proclaimed mature people in society can't compare to you. Their stuff is just being smooth and worldly, adapting to social reality, but you've seen through many things and can still break through in your own way."

At this moment, Qi Yuan had to admit that when facing such a beautiful girl, talking about things like "depth of thought" and "breaking through in your own way," he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.

In that instant, he suddenly realized a problem.

I vividly remember listening to my roommate talk about dating techniques in my past life. That jerk of a roommate said that when you meet a beautiful woman, don't just compliment her on her looks; compliment her on her mind and taste. Because beautiful women know they're beautiful, but they might not necessarily find that recognition on another level. So you need to be creative and original in your compliments, making her enjoy being with you, to build her favor…

So now, is Qiu Mengxue trying to win him over?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Is Qi Yuan (206) a good boy?

If Qiu Mengxue is trying to win over Qi Yuan tonight, then the window of opportunity for this maneuver is extremely limited.

Because it wasn't far to walk from Qi Yuan's place to hers. In just over ten minutes, Qi Yuan escorted her downstairs.

Qi Yuan stood at the entrance of the corridor and said, "Alright, go upstairs and rest quickly."

Qiu Mengxue stood there and asked, "Aren't you going upstairs to sit for a while?"

Qi Yuan took out his phone and glanced at it: "It's almost eleven o'clock. I have to go to school tomorrow morning, so I need to get some sleep."

The girl pursed her lips and could only say, "Alright then, go back quickly, goodnight."

"Good night."

Qi Yuan waved his hand, but did not turn around.

Qiu Mengxue waited a short while and then asked, "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Qi Yuan shook his head: "No, I'm waiting for you to come upstairs."

"Huh?" Qiu Mengxue was taken aback.

Qi Yuan teased, "Otherwise, what if you don't go upstairs to go home and just follow me around?"

"How could that be!" the girl said, embarrassed and annoyed. "I'm not an ignorant child, how could I do that?"

Qi Yuan smiled but remained silent.

"Okay, okay, I'm going upstairs now. Bye-bye, goodnight!"

Qiu Mengxue turned around and walked quickly inside. After entering the elevator, she watched the elevator doors close, but her gaze lingered on the gap in the middle of the elevator doors.

Feeling lost and disappointed.

After a while, she suddenly came to her senses and realized that she had forgotten to press the elevator button.

Qiu Mengxue slapped her forehead, pressed the button, went upstairs, and went home...