Chapter 36: Milky-Skinned Bai Mengyan

Jiang Ye had been wandering around the campus for quite a while. He wasn't in any rush to head toward the Tourism English department building. They had never met, and his company was currently in its startup phase. Bai Lu—no, it should be Bai Mengyan now—wasn't truly dim-witted just because she had a goofy smile. If he wanted to sign her, he had to pique her interest. He touched the notebook in his pocket, which contained intelligence he had spent half a day gathering. Tomorrow, he decided, would be perfect for a "chance encounter."

The next day, the library at the Changzhou Tourism and Commerce College was not exactly grand, but it was tidy and bright. Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows stood camphor trees that remained lush even in winter. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting warm patches of light across the neatly arranged bookshelves and long study tables. The air was filled with the faint scent of paper and ink, accompanied by the low hum of a coffee machine. This was a place Bai Mengyan frequented; it was quiet, perfect for doing homework and avoiding unwanted advances.

Bai Mengyan and Hehe carried a few Tourism English textbooks and workbooks, heading familiarly toward their usual spot by the window. She was dressed in an off-white turtleneck sweater and light blue jeans today, her long hair loosely pinned back, revealing a smooth forehead and graceful necklines. She whispered something to Hehe as they walked, a relaxed smile on her face, her signature canine teeth peeking through.

"Hey, Yanyan, three o'clock," Hehe nudged Bai Mengyan with her elbow, lowering her voice. "That guy has looked at me several times."

Bai Mengyan was stunned. Could that man be blind? With a beauty like her standing right here, he was looking at her best friend? She felt a spark of curiosity and, following the direction Hehe had indicated, glanced over as if by accident.

What met her eyes was not the shy or reckless boy she had imagined. Sitting in the best-lit spot by the window was a young man with an upright posture. He wore a high-quality light gray cashmere sweater with a white shirt underneath, its collar casually undone. The afternoon sun shone generously upon him, gilding him in a soft gold rim, making even the tips of his hair shimmer. His side profile was sharp, his nose bridge high and straight. He was focused on his laptop screen, his long, slender fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard, his expression earnest and devoted.

He was very handsome! But his eyesight was terrible!

"Yanyan, I think I'm in love. He's so handsome!"

"Are you sure he's looking at you?" Bai Mengyan arched an eyebrow.

"Of course! We just made eye contact, and he even smiled at me!" Hehe was certain. "Why don't you go check for me? Just pretend to walk by and suss out the situation?"

"If it's possible, I want to give him a chance!"

"No way, I'm not going!"

"Go on, please! I'll treat you to spicy hot pot tonight!"

"Really?"

"Yes, hurry up..."

Bai Mengyan, feeling helpless, reluctantly agreed. She pretended to go return a book, strolling slowly past the young man. He sat straight, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, revealing a hint of his collarbone. The screen of his laptop was angled slightly toward the aisle. As she passed, she caught a glimpse of the black typeface on the screen: "The Promotion of the Princess" theme song MV storyboard script, followed by several lines of scene numbers and special notations.

Her pace slowed instinctively by half a beat. Her gaze wandered past his nimble fingers on the keyboard and landed on the book spread open beside him. The cover was slightly yellowed, the title "Art of Film Directing" worn to a dull shade. A corner of a sticky note peeked out from between the pages, covered in dense, handwritten pencil marks.

By now, the mission for her best friend was long forgotten. That book on film directing and the words "MV" and "storyboard" on the screen acted like magnets, pulling her in. She had dreamed of becoming a star since she was a child.

In 2012, holding onto her dreams of joining a girl group, Bai Mengyan had traveled to Shanghai with her mother to attend an overseas audition for the South Korean agency SM Entertainment. Although she had practiced singing and dancing diligently and studied Korean beforehand, her lack of foundational training led to her failing the initial auditions. She hadn't even passed the first round, and her girl group dream had been shattered right then and there. It was a sad story.

Bai Mengyan stopped in front of the "Literature and Art" bookshelf not far from Jiang Ye's seat, pretending to browse the spines intently. Her peripheral vision, however, remained locked onto that figure in the sunlight. She watched as he occasionally stopped typing, picked up that book to flip through a page, and then dove back into his writing. She saw him frown slightly when he encountered a problem, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

The timing was perfect.

Bai Mengyan took a deep breath, as if she had finally found the book she was looking for. She pulled out a thick copy of "World Film History" and then, "accidentally," let her hand slip.

"Clatter!" The book landed squarely near Jiang Ye's feet. The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to catch his attention.

Jiang Ye seemed startled, looking up. His gaze fell first on the fallen book, then followed its trajectory to see Bai Mengyan standing by the shelf with an expression of perfectly measured "apology" and "surprise."

*Not a bad performance...*

Their eyes met.

Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, illuminating Bai Mengyan's slightly flushed cheeks and her clear, bright eyes. A fleeting, barely perceptible smile crossed Jiang Ye's face. He stood up immediately, his movements elegant and gentlemanly, and bent down to pick up the copy of "World Film History."

"Excuse me, your book."

He walked over to Bai Mengyan and handed it to her, his gaze resting openly on her face, without a trace of evasion or frivolity.

"Oh, thank you!" Bai Mengyan took the book, struggling to maintain her composure, though her eyes couldn't help but dart toward the book and laptop on his table. "Sorry to bother you. Are you... writing a screenplay?"

Jiang Ye followed her gaze to his desk, the corners of his mouth curling into a sunny, professional smile. "Yes, a storyboard script for a theme song MV."

He turned slightly, allowing her a clearer view of the title on the screen. "I'm here in Changzhou to collect some inspiration, and I thought I'd find a quiet place to work." He pointed to the "Art of Film Directing" book. "Looking for some inspiration."

He paused, his eyes returning to her face with a hint of well-placed appreciation and curiosity. "Are you a student here? You seem... interested in film as well?" He gestured to the book in her hands.

Bai Mengyan's heart skipped a beat. Clutching the heavy copy of "World Film History," she felt her cheeks growing warm. The man before her was not only striking in appearance but also worked in a field she had long yearned for, yet felt was perpetually out of reach.

"Yes, my name is Bai Mengyan, and I'm a Tourism English major." She introduced herself generously, her dimples blooming in the sunlight. "I do have an interest... seeing you write an MV script just now, it felt really impressive."