Shi Mei was completely baffled.
"Um..." A somewhat familiar voice came through.
Shi Mei looked up to see Conan.
When Conan saw Shi Mei look up, he smiled amiably and said, "Liu Su, you’re the Senior Sister, right?"
Shi Mei nodded, looking at Conan and feeling a growing sense of familiarity, "You are..."
"It’s me," Conan said gleefully as he took off his mask, "I’m Nan Ke, Mu Nanke. I once worked part-time at the Giant Bar and you even once had me pretend to be you so you could escape, remember?"
That reminder made it all come back to Shi Mei.
Realizing who the girl before her was, Mu Nanke, she looked delicate and sweet, with an oval face that was smooth and tender, petite features, and single-lidded eyes that curved into crescents when she smiled, her laughter highly contagious.
The more Shi Mei looked at her, the more pleasant she found her to be.
"So, it’s you," Shi Mei said, slightly surprised, "long time no see. I didn’t expect to see you competing here."
"Uh-huh!" Mu Nanke smiled sweetly, looking somewhat embarrassed, "I thought I was going to be eliminated in my first two competitions and I didn’t dare speak to you. I didn’t expect I’d make it into the top three. If it wasn’t for the exemption I got after entering the top three, which made sure I wouldn’t be eliminated in the fourth competition, I wouldn’t have dared to approach you. Senior Sister, you’re really amazing, so strong!"
Shi Mei grinned, "You’re impressive too. The song you chose this time was great. The fast songs you picked the first two times didn’t suit your voice. I suggest you could try some less popular slow songs."
Mu Nanke’s face lit up with surprise, and she nodded vigorously, but then, her demeanor turned sheepish as she said, "Thank you, but there’s something I need to tell you. It’s about that night, after it, a Mr. Bao approached me even though I told him clearly then that I was not the Senior Sister, but he wouldn’t believe me. It’s been several times now. He keeps following me and I... I find it troubling but I can’t betray you. I hope... you could help me clarify with him, to avoid... him coming to my home again. My grandma isn’t well, last time she even thought Mr. Bao was my boyfriend..." Mu Nanke’s face grew redder as she spoke, "Anyway, it’s causing quite a bit of trouble, please..."
"Oh..." Shi Mei understood and gave a stifled chuckle, "Well, he’s not looking for me, obviously, he’s looking for you."
Mu Nanke became somewhat frantic, "But, I’m not the Senior Sister, he’s looking for you, so I thought you could clarify things with him..."
"He knows," Shi Mei said confidently, chuckling, "It’s just an act. I’ve seen this tactic a lot. He’s just pursuing you under this guise."
Mu Nanke, who was inexperienced in matters of the heart, immediately became flustered upon hearing this, her face flushing as she stammered, "How could it be..."
"If you feel he’s harassing you, then you should express your displeasure directly to him; he will certainly restrain himself," Shi Mei paused before adding, "Is it Bao Gui?"
"This man has a rich romantic life; I hope you don’t get too involved," Shi Mei said as she stood up, patting her on the shoulder, "Be smart."
Bao Gui used to be university classmates with Shi Lingyan, and back in the day Shi Lingyan almost fell for his charms.
Later, due to family reasons, he broke off from his family, left with nothing, and only came into his current status with the support of Shi Lingyan.
Although known as a respectable young man, he actually was a master of the game of love, navigating it without ever getting tangled.
With someone like Mu Nanke, Bao Gui had crushed many hearts.
It was all just a bit of fun for him.