The gift she had redeemed was a giant stuffed teddy bear.
Liang Jin pulled away from Shen Keye’s embrace, her heart only then starting to pound wildly.
In the brightly lit midnight streets of Macau, the girl handed the one-meter-tall toy bear to the man beside her and looked up at him. “As promised.”
Liang Jin asked earnestly, “Feeling any better?”
Shen Keye glanced at the teddy bear but didn’t take it. Instead, he lowered his gaze and remarked, “It’s pretty ugly.”
The bear’s dopey, endearing look softened Liang Jin’s sharp edges, making her seem almost gentle.
She really did suit hanging around cute things.
Liang Jin looked like she might get angry. Her eyelids drooped as she said, “I once told my little sister that if you put a teddy bear like this by the side of your bed when you sleep, it’ll turn into a knight and protect you.”
After Liang Wenbin’s affair, his personality had changed completely. During the divorce battles, he turned violent—not just with Liang Jin, but he even slapped Liang Wei.
Kids might not remember much, but they never forgot the sting of pain. Back then, Liang Wei suffered from chronic insomnia, so whenever her sister aced an exam, Liang Jin would take her to a cheap roadside game stall. There, she’d win a little bear and give it to her. When Liang Wei asked what good it was, Liang Jin replied that whenever big sister wasn’t around, she should hug the bear tight while sleeping. In her dreams, it would keep her safe.
Liang Wei had asked, “What about you, Sis? Don’t you need a bear?”
Her sister had answered, “Sis is her own knight, sword in hand.”
The memory smoothed the faint tug at Liang Jin’s lips. She looked at Shen Keye and asked, “Do you really want me?”
Shen Keye watched her steadily.
Liang Jin’s gaze was calm, carrying the tone of a negotiation. “Get me the files on Yanghe Hospital, Shen Keye. Then I’ll consider your proposal.”
~~~
After returning to Hong Kong, Liang Jin dove straight into filming.
According to the doctor, Zeng Zhi hadn’t been doing well ever since her younger daughter fell ill.
“The surgery scheduled for a few days from now… it might have to be moved up,” the doctor said. “Don’t forget to make the payment.”
Liang Jin wrapped up a full day of shooting, changed clothes, and headed back to her dorm. Her roommate mentioned that a guy had dropped off a birthday cake the day before, but by now it had pretty much melted.
Liang Jin opened the fridge and paused. It was a Hello Kitty cream cake, paired with a card that read 【Hakuna Matata】.
It was a line from her favorite childhood movie, meaning “no worries for the rest of your days—it’s our problem-free philosophy.” She twirled the card between her fingers, noting there was no signature. When she asked her roommate, the girl said it had come from some guy named Zhang Xiaoran from another school.
Zhang Xiaoran was one of Shen Keye’s teammates on the training field. Liang Jin vaguely remembered him.
He liked the same movie she did. What a coincidence.
Her roommate leaned against the fridge. “Should I toss this one too?”
The girl let out a flat “mm.” Then Liang Jin said, “I’ll take the trash down later.”
It was already seven in the evening. Night had fallen quietly, and the tall plane trees all around cast swaying shadows in the breeze.
Liang Jin hung up the phone and checked her bank card balance. Her chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.
Wu Lin messaged her: The HKU Basketball Team had just clinched the HKU Championship and was celebrating in Mong Kok. Did she want to come?
Jin: 【Is Shen Keye going?】
Linlin: 【How should I know… Aren’t you two a thing?】
Remembering Shen Keye’s probing words from before, Liang Jin’s eyelashes fluttered. Ever since getting back to Hong Kong, she hadn’t dared reach out to him.
She messaged Shen Keye:
【School Basketball Team victory party—you going?】
【Tonight’s.】
It had been a full day since they’d last seen each other.
Harbor Ballet was riding an unstoppable wave of hype right now, and Liang Jin’s spotlight had shot through the roof. People were even filming her openly on campus with their phones.
A group of passing male students spotted her and started whispering.
One of them jogged right up to her. “Liang Jin, could I get your contact info?”
She stood beneath a plane tree, her black hair loose around her shoulders, wrapped in a black trench coat that amplified her icy, untouchable vibe to the extreme.
“No strangers,” she said coldly.
Rejected, the guy deflated a bit. “I’ve been following you for ages. Back during the movie polls, nobody else thought you’d make it, but I voted for you…”
“I like you.”
The sudden confession brought Liang Jin up short.
Her phone beeped with a new message.
【Sure.】
【I’m at school. Come pick you up.】
The guy waited ages with no reply, then screwed up his courage. “Liang Jin, I saw on SNS that you’re single—that’s why I came over. I don’t care about all those nasty rumors about you. I’ll treat you right…”
His words were cheesy but earnest. The cluster of guys watching burst out laughing, all eyes on Liang Jin’s reaction.
“Sorry,” she said. “I don’t like you.”
The guy’s face froze. He pressed on. “I’ve supported you so much. Just give me a chance.”
Liang Jin sneered. “Where were you when everyone was pointing fingers at me?”
Now that her reputation had improved, did he think he could make his move?
A beep sounded from not far away as someone honked their horn.
Liang Jin’s gaze shifted in that direction, and her furrowed brows suddenly relaxed. It looked like Shen Keye’s car.
He hadn’t even asked where she was going, but somehow he knew she was here—and he’d arrived fast.
The young man leaned back in the black Ferrari with its lights off, as if he’d just pulled up. He sat behind the windshield in a lazy posture, quietly watching her.
His dark eyes betrayed no emotion.
The girl hurried off, and the boy chased after her anxiously, pleading, “…Don’t be so extreme.”
Liang Jin stopped short, fixing him with a cold stare. She knew full well this had nothing to do with him. The girl forced a smile and said earnestly, “Classmate, I have things to do. Please get out of my way.”
“Liang Jin, I…”
“You don’t deserve me.”
The blunt words slipped from Liang Jin’s lips, leaving the boy utterly stunned.
Under the dim yellow glow of the streetlamp, the girl’s slender figure cut a striking silhouette. Her mocking smile lent her an air of extreme indifference, yet it carried a captivating aloofness that drew the eye. She sidestepped him and walked away without a backward glance.
Shen Keye hadn’t locked the car.
Liang Jin slid into the passenger seat without ceremony. “How long have you been waiting?”
The car was filled with his scent. In the dim glow of the dashboard lights, Liang Jin glanced at his forehead, but his bangs obscured it from view.
Her tone softened unconsciously. “How’s that injury from last time doing?”
Today, he wore a black hoodie paired with gray sweatpants. He glanced sideways at her before replying, “Just now, at least three guys were hitting on you.”
Liang Jin replied, “I turned them all down.”
She shot back, “You saw it all?”
Shen Keye let out a cold chuckle.
“I guessed.”
Liang Jin could tell her official boyfriend wasn’t pleased. “You promised me—we’re not going public.”
Shen Keye narrowed his eyes and looked at her. “You hate the idea of being linked to me that much?”
Liang Jin shook her head. “It’s not about hating it… Filming the movie is more important right now…”
She didn’t finish before he cut her off. “I got the files from Yanghe Hospital.”
Liang Jin froze. She turned her head slightly. He looked like he’d just come from class—his bag was stuffed in the back seat, topped with a black notebook and a blue pen.
He tilted his head, his dark eyes cast slightly downward. The sharp, defined lines of his face took on a cold edge in the subdued light.
Shen Keye waited for her response.
Liang Jin hesitated. “Really?”
She wanted those files.
And she was genuinely pleased.
But she’d also told him that if he got them for her, she’d consider moving in together.
She hadn’t expected him to move so quickly.
Shen Keye asked, “Want them?”
Liang Jin murmured her assent.
“How do you want them?” he pressed.
His casual, languid tone carried an undercurrent of danger as his dark eyes fixed on her.
Stunned, the girl leaned in suddenly, aiming to kiss him.
Shen Keye didn’t budge. Just as her lips neared his, he murmured, “The windows aren’t tinted enough. Want to make tomorrow morning’s headlines? Go ahead and kiss me now.”
Their noses were already brushing, the small black mole on his face drawing invasively close.
The young man smiled faintly, a trace of cool mockery in his expression. He drawled her nickname. “Big Star.”
“…”
By the time they reached the restaurant, the private room was already buzzing with lively chatter and drinks flowing freely.
Only the two seats farthest inside remained empty—Shen Keye and Liang Jin hadn’t arrived yet.
Someone piped up. “Is Brother Ye really not dating Liang Jin?”
“Who knows? At the last group dinner, they sure looked like a couple.”
“With all the buzz around Liang Jin right now, it’s impressive. Once that movie hits theaters, she’ll be our class’s star alumna—right alongside Brother Ye.”
“So what’s the deal with them, anyway? Didn’t you see it on SNS? Brother Ye, Big Star, and that dropout Song whatever-his-name-is… total love triangle.”
“…”
Liang Jin caught the tail end of the discussion as she pushed open the door.
She glanced sideways at Shen Keye, who stood not far behind her. She hadn’t expected him to turn down even her own advances.
The two of them entered one after the other.
The room fell instantly silent.
Wu Lin’s face lit up with delight. She patted the seat beside her. “Jinjin, you made it! Come sit here.” She was about to lean in for some girl talk when she spotted Shen Keye trailing behind in his black coat. Her expression faltered, and she clamped her mouth shut.
Once everyone was seated, Wu Lin whispered, “What’s going on? Did you two fight?”
She’d been covering for Liang Jin’s relationship with Shen Keye, not even telling her own boyfriend—but the rumors had her curious. She leaned close to Liang Jin’s ear. “Did you break up?”
Liang Jin gazed calmly across the table at Shen Keye. Li Yibo poured him a glass of water.
“No,” she said.
This celebration wasn’t limited to the small group meal; Li Yibo had also rented a venue in the nearby villa district, planning to head there later for an all-night bash. A chorus of “Sweet!” echoed from the crowd.
The spicy dishes loosened everyone up, and the team members dove back into rehashing the entire tournament. When someone mentioned Song Youhuai, Liang Jin naturally came to mind.
A guy sitting nearby asked curiously, “Hey, Big Star, mind if I ask you something?”
He held his teacup, licking his lips awkwardly. Liang Jin replied indifferently, “Go ahead.” Only then did he blurt out, “Are you… really single?”
The boisterous private room fell utterly silent.
Every eye turned to Liang Jin’s face. She glanced at Shen Keye—he’d swiped her lighter back in the parking lot.
Shen Keye’s long, bony fingers gripped the silver lighter, a smile playing on his lips as he rubbed the “LiangJin” engraving.
Steam rose from the hot dishes on the table. Each time he flicked the lighter open and shut, it gave a crisp click.
Right then, Shen Keye wasn’t even looking at her. Liang Jin answered slowly, “Yes.”
A collective “Whoa!” exploded from somewhere in the room.
Someone chimed in, “Liang Jin, does that mean my buddy’s got a shot? You know my friend is obsessed with you—he’s watched that ballet video you posted for the fan vote hundreds of times.”
“Holy crap!”
Another voice jumped in with a curse. “Hundreds of times? That’s straight-up creepy!”
Liang Jin’s expression stayed cool and detached. She shut it down quick: “Let’s stick to talking about you guys.”
Her sharp tone left the group baffled, but they good-naturedly shifted gears. Someone suggested, “How about we all toast?”
The wine came from Li Yibo’s family cellar—a rare vintage aged decades.
Li Yibo played peacemaker. “Sounds good.”
He was right next to Shen Keye and turned to him. “Ah-Ye, you in?”
Shen Keye pocketed the lighter. He wasn’t thrilled, letting out a cold snort as he brushed it off. “My girlfriend won’t let me.”
The room went dead quiet again.
The gossip flames Liang Jin had just snuffed roared back to life.
Li Yibo, slow on the uptake, whispered, “Ah-Ye, when did you start dating? Jiang Manyu?” He was dying to know but kept his voice barely audible, scared the others might overhear. “I thought you didn’t like Jiang Manyu. How’d I miss this…?”
Everyone figured Shen Keye would dodge the question, but he just sat there, eyes barely lifting, and said offhandedly:
“Two days ago.”
“She chased me.”
Shen Keye gave a cold chuckle, dropping his gaze as he added, “One disobedient little girl.”