Intentional

Qin Ran admitted to herself that her initial attraction to Yu Shuman was sparked by her smile—that serene moment by the school flowerbed at sunset. It was the beginning of her feelings. People have many moments of infatuation; she could have regretted her impulsive decision to bind herself to Yu Shuman, doubting if she had made the right choice.

But Yu Shuman was the kind of person who made Qin Ran realize she had nothing to regret. The more time she spent with Yu Shuman, the more she was convinced that her decision had been right. And the more she felt this way, the deeper she fell for Yu Shuman, sinking into her emotions with no way out. She often found herself reflecting on how deeply she had fallen.

After lunch, Qin Ran went back to work, while Yu Shuman headed to vocal practice. After a while, she would return to dance practice with her team. When Qin Ran finished her shift, Yu Shuman's group rehearsal had just ended. But instead of resting, Yu Shuman asked the staff for an empty dance room to continue her practice.

Carrying a mop and bucket, Qin Ran found Yu Shuman. She knocked on the door and entered when she heard, "Come in." Seeing Qin Ran in the mirror, Yu Shuman turned around in surprise. "Junior?"

Qin Ran jingled the keys in her hand. "Senior, I need to clean up and lock the door."

Yu Shuman quickly realized she was holding up Qin Ran's work. She wiped the sweat from her face and smiled at Qin Ran. "I'll be done soon, I promise." As she spoke, she noticed her voice was hoarse and reached for her water bottle, only to find it empty after a few sips.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Yu Shuman set the bottle down, but Qin Ran pulled a bottle of mineral water from her pocket, placed her tools down, and walked over. Yu Shuman took the bottle from her, unscrewed the cap, and drank most of it in one go.

"Sorry, I took your water."

"Senior, we need to talk."

Qin Ran's words made Yu Shuman's smile falter slightly, a hint of guilt appearing on her face. She sat down on the floor and patted the spot beside her, inviting Qin Ran to sit next to her. After sitting down, Yu Shuman stretched out her legs and began to massage them.

Seeing this, Qin Ran asked, "Do your legs hurt?"

Yu Shuman paused her massaging for a moment, clearly wanting to brush it off, but she eventually nodded.

"I figured. You've always been like this—once you set your mind on something, you throw yourself into it without a second thought. When you fell behind in your studies before senior year, you worked yourself to the bone to catch up. Senior, it's one thing to push yourself in high school, but if you keep this up now, your body won't be able to handle it."

Sitting on the floor with her knees pulled up, Qin Ran faced the large mirror in the dance room, her reflection showing Yu Shuman's tired form next to her. Qin Ran wasn't great with words; as a socially anxious person, she didn't enjoy talking to others. She often felt that besides having money, she wasn't good at much. She didn't know if what she was saying would reach Yu Shuman, but she knew she had to say it, even if it risked annoying her.

Yu Shuman hesitated, then sighed. She was a straightforward person who didn't beat around the bush or make excuses. She admitted, "I know, but I can't help it. If I don't work hard, I feel like I'll never be able to compete with the others. Many of them have been dancing since they were kids—they're really good. I feel like I'm dragging the team down, and if it weren't for the support from Jiushijiu Entertainment, I'd probably be on the brink of elimination by now."

"So, I'm trying my best because I don't want to let the company down, and I want to earn enough to repay those who helped me." Yu Shuman lifted her head, her gaze meeting Qin Ran's in the mirror. "I also want to make you my assistant. You told me to 'never forget those who helped when you succeed,' and I've always remembered that. If I get a bite of meat, you'll get some soup too. Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't have to do any more hard work!"

Qin Ran hadn't expected Yu Shuman to have these thoughts. Her words were so earnest, filled with emotion, that Qin Ran couldn't help but look away. She buried her face in her arms, turning her head to the side, afraid that if she looked up, Yu Shuman would see the blush creeping across her cheeks.

Yu Shuman was a hard person not to like. Her straightforward, sincere personality was something that drew people in, no matter who they were. Qin Ran was no exception. She buried her face deeper into her arms, her voice muffled as she responded, "Senior, that's why you should take care of yourself. If you overwork and have to drop out, how are you going to take me to the top?"

"Your feet are swollen, your legs ache, and your voice is hoarse. How are you going to perform on stage like this?"

Qin Ran's words might have sounded harsh to someone less familiar with her, but Yu Shuman just chuckled. After sitting on the floor for a while, her legs felt better, so she got up and stood beside Qin Ran, bending down to ruffle her messy hair. "Junior, I get it! I'll adjust my routine, I promise!"

As she got closer, Qin Ran could smell the faint scent of sweat—not overpowering, but still noticeable. The hand on her head was warm and soft. Qin Ran lowered her head and gave a quiet "Mm."

Afterward, Yu Shuman helped Qin Ran clean up the dance room before heading back to have dinner and rest in the dorm. Qin Ran, done with her part-time work for the day, caught a ride back to school with Sister Li. The filming location was far from school, and she barely made it back before curfew. The dorm matron scolded her lightly but didn't make things difficult.

Students like Qin Ran usually had teachers notify the dorm staff about their circumstances. The matron knew she was an orphan who often worked late, so she was given some leniency. The scolding was more out of concern, as they worried about a young girl being out late at night.

Qin Ran kept her head down and hurried into the dorm, thinking, "Maybe I should buy a place off-campus. It's too stressful always cutting it so close to curfew." Mostly, she just didn't want to have to communicate with the matron. After some hesitation, she called her special assistant. Back in her first year of high school, Qin Ran had hired a proxy to manage her donations to Yu Shuman. With more money flowing through her hands in recent months, this person had become her special assistant, handling various affairs.

Her special assistant was a middle-aged woman who had never married, fully dedicated to her career. Initially, she hadn't wanted to work for Qin Ran, but the offer had been too generous to refuse. Even receiving a call close to midnight didn't bother her.

"Special Assistant Wu, I'm interested in buying a flat. It should be on one floor, with a good view, located between my school and the filming base, and have excellent security and property management. The budget is two hundred million yuan or less."

Qin Ran always kept her instructions brief with Special Assistant Wu, who had the skills to meet her needs and provide quick feedback. After hanging up, Qin Ran went to bed early. The next day, after class, she joined Sister Li's carpool again to head to the filming base for her part-time job.

As expected, Yu Shuman's dance practice was interrupted by Qin Ran, who needed to clean the room. By the third or fourth day, Yu Shuman realized that Qin Ran's timing was no coincidence.

With an accusatory look, Yu Shuman asked, "Junior, are you doing this on purpose?"

Qin Ran didn't bother denying it. "I asked Sister Li to assign me to your dance room. Sister Li agrees that you shouldn't be practicing so hard every day—you'll end up hurting yourself." She even used Sister Li's name to give her argument more weight. Yu Shuman had no choice but to cut back on her practice time.

In Qin Ran's opinion, Yu Shuman's dancing was already good enough. Girl group choreography wasn't as demanding as professional dance, and Yu Shuman had decent athletic skills and coordination. After so much practice, she was performing well, easily keeping up with her team members and not dragging them down.

And she looked incredible while dancing. Her eyes sparkled, and her sweat glistened like diamonds in the light. Yu Shuman seemed born for the stage, shining so brightly that it was hard to look away.

Qin Ran wanted to tell her, "You're already amazing; you're doing great." But she couldn't bring herself to say it. She was too shy, and that shyness had kept her from fully embracing the system for so long. Sometimes, Qin Ran wished she could be more assertive, but instead, she found herself retreating into the shadows.

After a few days of part-time work, Special Assistant Wu informed Qin Ran that she had found several properties that met her criteria and asked if she wanted to view them in person. Since it was a place she intended to live in, Qin Ran wanted to see it for herself and choose something she liked.

So, on Saturday, she skipped her part-time job to tour several luxury apartments in Beijing with Special Assistant Wu. Her assistant had excellent taste and skills, selecting places that would appeal to a young woman like Qin Ran. While she found some of the decor a bit childish, she couldn't help but think that if Yu Shuman ever visited, she might appreciate the aesthetic.

Qin Ran shook her head, trying to push the thought away.

—Don't think about it. You and Yu Shuman are impossible!