A band, or a battleground?

Qi Yuan: "..."

Qiu Mengxue: "And you're not just pure. Pure geniuses often leave behind a record of being harsh and unapproachable. But you're different. You're mature with others and gentle with your friends."

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "Those people I've beaten up probably wouldn't agree with the word 'gentle'."

Qiu Mengxue emphasized, "The past is the past, the present is the present! Now, you're very gentle with us, and in a very mature and tolerant way..."

As she spoke, the girl's voice became softer, so soft that even those sitting next to her could hardly hear it.

After a long silence, Qiu Mengxue suddenly said, "You know, when I first formed a band with Yi Yi and Qian Yu last year, I wondered if we would participate in shows, attract fans, and become famous. At that time, I didn't dare to think about it, but I couldn't help but think about it."

Qi Yuan: "Now your dream has come true?"

Qiu Mengxue: "It's even more beautiful than I ever imagined. That's why I wanted to prepare a birthday present for you, even if you said you didn't need it..."

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "Don't forget, you already gave me a guitar. I really liked that gift."

"But I feel it's not enough, I feel..."

Qiu Mengxue suddenly stopped speaking at this point. She stared at Qi Yuan, her chest heaving noticeably, and it was clear that she was breathing heavily, as if she were experiencing some intense emotion that she didn't know how to express.

Seeing that the situation seemed a bit dangerous, Qi Yuan simply changed the subject: "By the way, you just said that I'm very mature and tolerant, right?"

Qiu Mengxue, unaware of his sinister intentions, nodded: "Yes."

Qi Yuan: "Then why don't you call me Dad?"

He remembered that in his previous life, he and his roommates often made jokes like this. Usually, these moments would quickly escalate into a situation where everyone was trying to take advantage of each other and teasing each other. Wouldn't that dispel the current ambiguous atmosphere?

However, Qi Yuan never expected that Qiu Mengxue would actually shout it.

To be precise, it wasn't a shout; the girl simply blushed and softly called out, "Daddy..."

Qi Yuan: "..."

No, why does this atmosphere feel even stranger?

Qiu Mengxue stole a glance at him, then looked down at the floor and said, "As you know, I grew up in a single-parent family. Actually, when I was little, I was quite envious of children who had both parents around them."

Qi Yuan was dumbfounded: "No, you still want me to call you Mom?"

Qiu Mengxue chuckled and said, "Isn't this interesting? You call me Mom, and I call you Dad. It's not contradictory at all."

Isn't that contradictory?

It feels like if you actually shout it like that, it might have some other meaning.

Qi Yuan fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Qiu Mengxue quickly added, "It's just something we can call each other jokingly in private, when it's just the two of us. We can't do it when other people are around."

Qi Yuan: "Of course!"

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.

155. Is she really asleep?

For Qiu Mengxue, ever since she uttered the word "Dad," it was as if she had turned on a switch to confide in others.

Then the girl talked about her lonely childhood, her emotional journey as she grew up, the aloof facade she wore to hide her vulnerability, her only friends in high school, and her current career in music…

As we talked, the emotions in my chest gradually calmed down, but they didn't disappear. Instead, they transformed into a more lingering sentiment and an indescribable sense of peace.

Then she gradually closed her eyes, tilted her head, and leaned it on Qi Yuan's shoulder.

"...So I don't have many friends in class. There are many good students in Class 1, and everyone seems to be on edge. They compete for grades and rankings in every exam, and they are even reluctant to explain problems to each other, for fear that others will surpass them in the next exam. The only friends I really made in high school were Qianyu, Yiyi, and you."

As Qiu Mengxue spoke softly, she gently closed her eyes, entering a state between sleep and wakefulness.

She seemed unaware that she was resting her head on Qi Yuan's shoulder.

Qi Yuan responded, "The competitive atmosphere is quite intense, which is normal."

"You seem to see everything as normal, nothing seems to surprise you... *gurgle*..."

Qiu Mengxue could no longer speak clearly, and her voice became increasingly indistinct. But it was precisely this indistinct murmur that sounded like a coquettish plea, making Qi Yuan feel as if his bones were melting.

Wait a minute, this doesn't seem to be the first time tonight, does it?

Qi Yuan carefully supported the girl's neck, letting her fall backward, and gently lay down like that.

Then he stood up, looked at Qiu Mengxue lying on the bed, and said to himself, "Alright, it's time to go."

It's already 11:30 p.m., time to go to sleep.

Even though the three girls' relentless onslaught tonight made it hard for him to sleep, he still had to go back to his room, lie down on his own bed, and force himself to sleep... If that didn't work, he could try the airplane sleep method.

Qi Yuan tiptoed out, closed Qiu Mengxue's room door, and leaned against the wall to let out a long sigh.

Then he took out his room card and swiped it to open his room door.

After inserting the room card and turning on the lights, Qi Yuan took two more steps inside and immediately realized that the airplane sleep method was no longer working.

Because Jiang Yi was lying in the bed.

A girl in a pink gauze dress lay on his pillow, without a blanket.

She wasn't lying upright, but rather on her side with her hands under her head. This posture not only gave her a youthful look but also accentuated her shapely figure.

Jiang Yi closed her eyes, looking like a sleeping fawn, cute and serene.

Qi Yuan was a little worried.

In late August nights in Shanghai, you don't need to worry about catching a cold even without a blanket. Plus, the bed is spacious; even with one girl already sleeping there, there's still enough room for Qi Yuan to sleep comfortably, as long as you don't spread out in a starfish position.

The problem is, if I lie down, wouldn't that mean I'd be sleeping in the same bed as Jiang Yi?

Qi Yuan went to the bathroom, turned on the light, and looked around. No one was there; Ning Qianyu had obviously left, and only Jiang Yi remained in his room.

When Qiu Mengxue knocked on the door earlier, Qianyu was also hiding in the bathroom. Did she discover Jiang Yi's presence?

Qi Yuan shook his head, dismissing the question. Right now, he only had one crucial problem facing him.

He returned to the bedside, looked down at the girl on the bed, and pondered for a long time.

Is Jiang Yi really asleep?

Of course, even if she wasn't pretending to be asleep, once the girl wakes up, there won't be any problems. Just let her go back to her own room.

So how do we wake her up?

Qi Yuan coughed twice, and seeing that she didn't react at all, he said in a normal volume and tone, "Yi Yi, I'm back. Are you asleep?"

The girl on the bed did not react at all.

Qi Yuan raised his voice: "I'm back. You should go back to your room and sleep. It's getting late!"

There was still no response.

Qi Yuan clapped his hands twice more, almost shouting, "Yi Yi, get up!"

There was still no response.

He became even more certain that he couldn't wake her up by simply calling her voice, because no one can wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.

Qi Yuan sighed: "Since that's how you are, then I'll have to resort to some underhanded tactics."

Jiang Yi kept her eyes closed, but her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Qi Yuan stretched out his hands towards her.

Those hands landed on her waist, and then scratched her hard!

Before this, Qi Yuan had witnessed Jiang Yi scratching Ning Qianyu many times. Many times, Ning Qianyu tried to fight back, but she was clearly no match for Jiang Yi's tenacity.

But at this moment, Jiang Yi couldn't help but cry out "Ah!" She opened her eyes in alarm, grabbed Qi Yuan's hands, and tried to struggle and escape.

As for Qi Yuan, waking her up would be enough, but since he had already started, how could he just scratch her once?

This girl is lying in her own bed pretending to be asleep in the middle of the night; she's more than just naughty. We have to crack down on her!

So he continued to chase and scratch.

Jiang Yi quickly grabbed his hands and rolled forcefully toward the center of the bed.

Qi Yuan was certainly much stronger than her. But at this moment, he was bent over, and when she suddenly pulled him like that, he lost his balance and accidentally fell face down on the bed.

Jiang Yi sat up, looked at Qi Yuan lying on the bed, and feigned surprise, saying, "Oh, what are you trying to do?"

Qi Yuan did a push-up to get himself up, then said with a helpless expression, "You were the one pretending to be asleep, but I had to wake you up like this..."

“I wasn’t pretending to be asleep,” Jiang Yi said, sticking to her act. “Sorry, I was waiting for you to come back, and it took me a while, so I accidentally fell asleep.”

Qi Yuan sighed: "Fine, I'll assume you're really asleep. Then why don't you go back to your room and instead wait for me here?"

Jiang Yi: "Because I was interrupted before I could finish speaking. First it was Qianyu, then it was Mengxue... Um, Mengxue called you over, what did she want?"

Qi Yuan: "Just chatting."

Jiang Yi blinked: "Just chatting?"

Qi Yuan nodded: "Yes, she fell asleep, and then I came back. So you wait here for me, is there anything else you want to say to me?"

Jiang Yi thought for a moment, then frowned slightly: "I took a nap, and it seems I've forgotten a bit..."

Qi Yuan: "Then go back to your room and continue sleeping. Get some rest. It's almost midnight."

Jiang Yi obediently got out of bed, but before she left, she suddenly said, "Oh right, I remember now! We're going to perform on stage tomorrow, right? It's such a big music festival, there will definitely be a lot of audience members..."

Qi Yuan: "Hmm, so what?"

Jiang Yi stuck out her little tongue: "I get a little nervous just thinking about it. Can I borrow some of your energy?"

Qi Yuan was both amused and exasperated: "We used to recharge before going on stage, but now it's the night before?"

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.

156 Qi Yuan Land Limited

In the dead of night, Ning Qianyu suddenly sat up in bed.

She found herself unable to sleep.

Whenever I close my eyes, I see Jiang Yi's gaze silently watching me in the darkness, and Qi Yuan's words when I discovered Jiang Yi's gift...

"If giving a gift means you like someone, then you gave one too. Does that mean you like me too?"

Ning Qianyu longed to go back to that moment not long ago, back to Qi Yuan's room, and tell him, "I don't like you at all!"

Whether he truly disliked it or not is another matter, but Jiang Yi was hiding in the bathroom at the time! If only Jiang Yi could hear him say he didn't like it...

That being said, do I really not like it?

Ning Qianyu felt her mind was a jumbled mess, tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep. So she sat up, clutching her head in her hands, and muttered, "Ugh, so annoying!"

Since I can't sleep, I might as well find something to do.

She remembered that she had only completed less than half of her summer homework. Although, given her grades, and especially the commotion that Chunriying had caused this summer, the teachers at school would most likely give her a break, since she was idle anyway, she might as well do some practice problems to relax.

So Ning Qianyu turned on the light, sat down at the table, and found a set of math test papers.

Less than five minutes later...

"It's so annoying, I can't concentrate!"

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.

Meanwhile, in Qi Yuan's room, Jiang Yi was quietly explaining:

"Because there will be a huge music festival tomorrow, and lots of people backstage. That angle also makes it easy for others to see you. If I ask you to recharge then, and someone notices, it could easily become gossip..."

What she said made a lot of sense, but Qi Yuan retorted, "You know it's easy to gossip, huh?"

Jiang Yi said obediently, "So, we won't go to such a dangerous place. Just to clarify, no one will know."

Qi Yuan smiled and shook his head.

Jiang Yi couldn't help but feel a little nervous: "You think... it's not okay?"

Qi Yuan: "There's nothing wrong with it, let's just get it fixed."

He figured it was just a handshake, so what? In the end, the girl was the one who benefited, but he didn't lose out at all!

However, Qi Yuan was stunned the next moment.