Shi Yin suspected that Gu Congli might have taken the wrong medication. Ever since running into Liang Qiushi last time, he seemed to be relentlessly targeting her inner fangirl.

However, his expression remained cool and indifferent, devoid of emotional fluctuations—just as it had always been. He appeared to be calmly stating facts, making it impossible for anyone to connect his actions with such intentions.

Still, this didn’t stop Shi Yin’s heart from skipping another beat. She knew his words were likely similar in nature to his earlier statement—”You are my author”—when they had just reunited. Yet, she couldn’t help but secretly feel a bit happy about it.

The Newcomer Award ceremony was on Friday. After she confirmed her attendance, Editor Zhao quickly messaged her on WeChat to double-check.

Once he received her affirmative reply, Editor Zhao put down his phone, leaned back in his chair, and sighed deeply: “Different... truly different...”

The editor sitting next to him noticed his weathered expression and asked curiously: “What’s different?”

Editor Zhao touched his sparse hair, glanced sideways at their Chief Editor—who was seated farthest inside—and, after confirming that the latter was busy and hadn’t noticed anything, whispered: “Shi Yi. There wasn’t a single public event she attended in previous years. But as soon as our Chief Editor stepped in, it was settled immediately.”

That editor was a bit surprised: “Isn’t she the one you used to handle?”

“Yes, the one who drew ECHO .”

Shi Yin had rarely shown up at the editorial office. Even when she did, she would wait for Editor Zhao to come find her. Thus, very few people in the editorial department had actually met her.

That editor couldn’t help but feel curious: “I remember Teacher Shi Yi is female, right? What does she look like?”

Editor Zhao fell silent.

Seeing his contemplative expression, the other editor understood: “That hard to describe?”

“Indeed hard to describe. I’ve always been curious,” Editor Zhao said solemnly. “She has a face that could debut as an idol with just a simple shampoo ad. Why doesn’t she take advantage of that to build her persona?”

Editor: “...”

So, how much does this Teacher Shi Yi dislike washing her hair?

This editor’s thought process and focus points were quite unique, and he also had good interpersonal skills. By the end of the day, everyone in Crimson Moon ‘s editorial department knew that the mysterious Teacher Shi Yi would attend this year’s Newcomer Award ceremony.

And they should prepare themselves mentally because this teacher didn’t like washing her hair.

Of course, the rumor quickly reached Chief Editor Gu’s ears.

Later that afternoon, after a meeting, Gu Congli was the last to leave. As he walked out, he spoke with an intern beside him. Once the formal matters were settled, the intern hesitated before finally speaking up: “Uh, Chief Editor?”

“Hmm?”

“Is it true that Teacher Shi Yi hasn’t washed her hair for months?”

Gu Congli: “...”

Teacher Shi Yi, who supposedly hadn’t washed her hair for months, had no idea that she had already gained fame within Crimson Moon ‘s editorial department long before becoming well-known in the manga world. The rumors grew increasingly exaggerated, on the verge of evolving into, “Do you know why Teacher Shi Yi never makes public appearances? Because she hasn’t washed her hair since birth.”

As a result, everyone was eagerly anticipating seeing her at this year’s Newcomer Award ceremony.

This time, it happened to be Yao Guang Publishing’s turn to host. As the industry leader, Yao Guang Publishing was known for its generosity. They spared no expense, booking the grand ballroom of a top-tier hotel.

Shi Yin owned very few formal outfits and had only two little black dresses suitable for such occasions. She planned to meet Fang Shu to shop for something appropriate, but the next day, a package arrived.

Inside was a small evening gown, complete with matching shoes.

The sender was listed as an independent custom women’s clothing store with no name. Shi Yin was completely baffled and asked Fang Shu, Liang Qiushi, and others, but none of them knew anything about it.

She left it aside, untouched.

Though the outfit was indeed beautiful and perfectly matched her size.

That night, she received a call from Gu Congli.

Gu Congli had been her responsible editor for several months, but this was their first phone conversation. Normally, he either messaged her on WeChat or showed up at her place directly. Shi Yin hadn’t even saved his phone number.

Seeing the unfamiliar number, she pushed her graphics tablet aside and casually picked up the call, absentmindedly saying, “Hello?”

“Do you like the dress?”

Shi Yin paused, stopping her pen: “Chief Editor?”

“Mhm.”

“That dress—you sent it?”

“Mhm.” His voice was light and carried a faint hint of laziness.

It was nine o’clock at night, and the atmosphere was thick with darkness. On Gu Congli’s end, everything was quiet except for the occasional sound of pages turning. Shi Yin deduced he must be at home, probably having just finished showering. He might be lying casually in bed, flipping through a book while calling her.

She imagined the scene, and it vividly came to mind: long legs slightly bent, the loose-fitting pajama strings revealing abs and chest muscles, further down hiding the lines leading to his hips, and below that—

Her face flushed red, and she instinctively slapped a hand over her face. Her hands slipped, and her phone clattered onto the table with a loud thud.

Panicking, Shi Yin scrambled to pick up the phone again.

There was a brief silence on Gu Congli’s end. When she picked up, she heard him ask, “What happened?”

Shi Yin quickly replied that nothing was wrong, licked her lips, and rubbed her still-warm cheeks with one hand.

Being an art student, she was extremely familiar with human anatomy. The mental images she conjured were crystal clear, leaving no room for ambiguity. Whether this was a good or bad thing, she wasn’t sure.

But she had never seen pork in real life—perhaps Gu Congli’s actual body wasn’t as unattractive as she imagined.

Maybe things resembled their owners; perhaps his would look better too.

“…”

Stop.

Shi Yin covered her head and bowed, her forehead bumping against the desk with another dull thud.

Her end made a series of clattering noises for a while, as if she were doing something. Gu Congli remained silent.

When things finally quieted down, he said, “Are you tearing down the house?”

“No,” Shi Yin mumbled, still pressing her head against the desk with one hand, her ears burning red. “I just bumped my head.”

Gu Congli didn’t ask further, completely unaware of the chaotic thoughts swirling in the young girl’s mind. Calmly, he said, “I’ll pick you up on Friday. Get ready beforehand.”

Shi Yin let out a surprised “Huh,” lifted her head, rested her chin on the desk, and looked at the half-finished manuscript on her computer: “No need. Just send me the address, and I’ll go by myself.”

“It’s fine. Other authors are also accompanied by their editors; otherwise, they’d get lost.” Gu Congli casually lied.

Since this was her first time attending such an event, Shi Yin didn’t suspect anything. She tilted her head, pressing her ear against the cool surface of the desk to cool down, and said softly, “Then, I’ll trouble you…”

“Not at all.”

“Then… “

Can I hang up now?

She lay on the table, picking at her fingers, wondering how to phrase it. Suddenly, Gu Congli called her name: “Shi Yin.”

Instinctively, she responded: “Hmm?”

“Remember to wear the dress.”

On Friday, Fang Shu happened to visit.

Shi Yin had originally planned to shop for clothes with her, but now that she had something to wear, there was no need. Miss Fang was still unemployed, having recently returned from Dunhuang. She intended to travel across the country before starting work, knowing she wouldn’t have much time once she began her job.

She arrived in the afternoon. Shi Yin had just finished showering; her hair was still damp, and she sat in front of the vanity applying makeup.

The items Gu Congli sent were casually placed on the bed, still unopened.

Fang Shu came in, opened the box, and paused, looking up: “Is this the outfit provided by your publishing house?”

Shi Yin was drawing her eyeliner: “Gu Congli sent it.”

Fang Shu pulled out the pair of Jimmy Choos from the box, holding them up to her, speechless.

Shi Yin patiently explained: “I transferred the money for the shoes to him via WeChat. I don’t know how much the dress costs; I’ll ask him today.”

“He accepted it?”

“No, so I transferred it again via Alipay.”

Fang Shu’s expression was both relieved and complex: “So, what exactly is going on between you two?”

Shi Yin slowly applied mascara: “What do you mean, ‘what’s going on’?”

“You said you don’t have any inappropriate thoughts about him anymore, right?”

“I also said I just think about it sometimes.”

Still holding the shoes, Fang Shu didn’t say anything.

She had known Shi Yin for many years, understanding her well and aware of how much the high school incident had impacted her.

Privately, Fang Shu didn’t want Shi Yin to have anything to do with Gu Congli ever again.

But fate was sometimes magical, like an invisible thread slowly pulling him back into her life.

Fang Shu pursed her lips, remaining silent for a moment. Watching Shi Yin finish applying mascara, she tossed the shoes onto the bed and rolled her eyes: “Alright, stop brushing. Your eyelashes are almost longer than your hair.”

Shi Yin chuckled, watching her reflection in the mirror: “Zhuo Zhuo.”

“What?” Fang Shu snapped.

“Sometimes, I think I was really stupid back then. Liking someone I shouldn’t have liked and doing so many things I shouldn’t have done. I completely forgot my responsibilities as a student, obsessing over talking to him more. It was utterly foolish,” Shi Yin sighed. “In movies, the heroines always say they don’t regret the silly things they did during their naive teenage years. I’m different—I regret it. Not just because of the trouble I caused him, but also because of how idiotic I was back then.”

Fang Shu was startled.

She knew Shi Yin, and Shi Yin knew her. In that instant, they both understood what the other was thinking.

“If I could go back to that time, I definitely wouldn’t approach him again,” Shi Yin said calmly.

At four o’clock, Fang Shu’s mother called her, asking if she would come home for dinner.

The Newcomer Award ceremony started at five, and Gu Congli and Shi Yin had agreed to meet at four-thirty. Fang Shu had just left a few minutes earlier when the doorbell rang.

Shi Yin was about to put on her shoes when she heard the doorbell. Barefoot, she hurriedly ran to open the door.

As she looked up, she froze.

She had never seen Gu Congli in formal attire before.

Seeing him today, Shi Yin felt that the models in magazines weren’t much to talk about. Indeed, this man’s beauty was a lethal weapon—untouchable, for touching meant annihilation.

She blinked, snapped back to reality, and greeted him: “Good evening, Chief Editor.”

Gu Congli gave a faint “Mhm,” lowering his gaze.

She was wearing the smoke-gray evening gown he had chosen—a strapless piece that accentuated her delicate collarbones and swan-like neck. Her slender waist and soft, flowing hair complemented the dress perfectly. The hem reached just above her knees, revealing her knees and finely sculpted calves.

Her legs had always been beautiful.

From her supple thighs to her knees, her slim calves, and her delicate ankles, every part seemed meticulously crafted—nothing about them was flawed.

Suddenly, Gu Congli remembered the source and beginning of his troubles from many years ago.

In that forum post from First High School, under the cheap cheerleading uniform skirt, there was a pair of flawless white legs that no shadow could taint.

Gu Congli clearly remembered countless replies in that thread, one of which stood out particularly:

—Big sis, what beautiful legs.

Like some kind of plant, unknowingly taking root in his memory.

Causing inexplicable irritation.