Chapter 136: Love in the Deepest Details!

Life is like a mischievous child, always fond of playing pranks on people when they are least expecting it.

At the breakfast table, Lin Qingyuan, who was browsing the newspaper, looked up at Qin Luo, then cast his gaze back down to the spread before him with a puzzled expression.

"How strange. Why does this man look so much like Qin Luo?" Lin Qingyuan pointed at the man in the newspaper and asked aloud.

Lin Wanxi turned her head to look, instantly captivated by the image on the page.

Her pretty eyes blinked as she glanced briefly at the Qin Luo sitting opposite her, then lowered her gaze back to her meal, ultimately remaining silent.

Even if she had doubts, she would never ask about them on her own initiative.

"Qin Luo, take a look at this. It really looks just like you," Lin Qingyuan said, pushing the newspaper across the table.

Qin Luo put down the half-eaten stick of fried dough in his hand, reached out to take the newspaper handed over by Lin Qingyuan, and his eyes widened instantly.

The image depicted an elegant and refined man drawing eyebrows for a half-made-up young maiden. Printed as a color advertisement, the picture quality was exceptionally clear. Qin Luo and Chen Sixuan portrayed the scene of lovers gazing deeply into each other's eyes with vivid realism.

In the upper-left corner of the advertisement was the logo of Allure International, accompanied by close-up images of the Golden Pupa Skin Nourishing Powder and Skin Nourishing Liquid, along with promotional copy written in delicate regular script.

Wasn't this the advertisement for *Drawing Eyebrows For You A Lifetime*? When did it start being promoted in the media?

What was even more depressing was that it had fallen into Old Master Lin's hands first, leaving him without even a moment to prepare an excuse.

At this point, concealment was no longer possible. Qin Luo smiled cheerfully and said, "Old Master Lin's eyes aren't playing tricks on him. That person actually is me."

"It's you? When did you go shoot an advertisement?" Lin Qingyuan asked in astonishment.

"A couple of days ago, I happened to have some free time. A friend invited me, so I went to give it a try," Qin Luo explained.

In the end, he didn't mention the name of the person who invited him. He was well aware that Lin Wanxi did not hold a high opinion of Li Qingcheng's character, while Li Qingcheng had no fondness for Lin Wanxi either. The two of them could be described as fire and ice, completely incompatible.

"It's shot really well... Who is this young lady?" Needless to say, this was the question Lin Qingyuan cared about the most.

Qin Luo glanced at Lin Wanxi and said, "She's also a friend of mine, an advertising model."

"Mm, she's lovely. However, if our Wanxi had gone to model, it definitely would have been even better. Don't you think so?" Lin Qingyuan said with a beaming smile.

"Indeed. But I'm afraid Miss Lin wouldn't have the time."

"Perhaps I would have the time," Lin Wanxi retorted, raising her head.

As she spoke, she deliberately cast a sidelong glance at Qin Luo. This fellow was out living it up and enjoying himself, yet he actually dared to use her as a shield. Simply hateful.

"------"

On the way to the school, the two remained silent the entire journey. Lin Wanxi was naturally a woman of few words; even if she didn't speak for a whole day, it wouldn't seem strange to anyone. Qin Luo had a guilty conscience, fearing that if he spoke, he would reveal some flaw, making it impossible to patch up his lies. Thus, he had no idea what to say either.

The car came to a smooth halt downstairs at the School of Biological Engineering. As Qin Luo unbuckled his seatbelt and prepared to get out, Lin Wanxi suddenly asked, "Are you modeling for Li Qingcheng?"

"How did you know?" Qin Luo felt a startle in his heart, though his face remained utterly calm as he asked.

"The Allure International logo is on the ad page," Lin Wanxi said.

"Haha, I suppose so," Qin Luo replied, silently cursing himself for stupidity. How could he have failed to foresee such an obvious question?

Lin Wanxi wanted to say something, but ultimately just sighed and said, "Never mind. You can get out now."

"All right." Qin Luo pushed the car door open and stepped out.

Lin Wanxi sat in the driver's seat in a daze for a short while, preparing to get out and return to her office, when the passenger side door was suddenly pulled open once more.

Qin Luo poked his head inside and said to Lin Wanxi, "Actually, Li Qingcheng and I are just very good friends."

"I know," Lin Wanxi said expressionlessly.

Qin Luo nodded, closed the car door again, and walked away.

Through the rearview mirror, Lin Wanxi watched Qin Luo truly depart this time, the corners of her lips curling upward into an elegant and charming arc.

It was a pity that this moment of breathtaking beauty went unappreciated.

When Wang Zihao saw Qin Luo and Lin Wanxi arriving at work together, a flash of malicious coldness crossed his eyes.

As soon as Lin Wanxi emerged carrying her handbag, he hurried up to her with a smile and said, "Good morning, Professor Lin."

"Morning," Lin Wanxi replied. Her mood had suddenly brightened. On this early morning, it seemed as though everything in the world had grown wonderful, and she no longer felt any aversion to speaking with others—even if that other person was a man.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Lin Wanxi's reply undoubtedly gave Wang Zihao immense courage, prompting him to press on with his questioning.

"I have."

"I wonder if Professor Lin might have some time at noon to join me for a casual bite?"

"I don't have time at noon," Lin Wanxi said. After finishing her two classes, she planned to go out shopping.

"What about the evening, then?" Wang Zihao was not discouraged in the least, maintaining the tenacious vitality and persistent pursuit of a stubborn little cockroach.

Lin Wanxi suddenly came to a halt, turned her head to look at Wang Zihao, and said, "I think my meaning is quite clear to you, and your meaning should be clear to me as well. I don't have time to accompany you for meals. Apologies."

With that, disregarding Wang Zihao's expression, she carried her handbag and gracefully headed upstairs. The heels of her shoes clicked crisply against the concrete floor, exuding a myriad of charms all the way.

"Dammit," Wang Zihao cursed viciously, while his face maintained its usual gentle and friendly smile.

Qin Luo had no idea what had happened after he left. Because he had gone to treat the Dragon King yesterday, he had requested leave from the department for the afternoon classes. To make up for the students' missed instruction, he had voluntarily applied to the department to lecture on *Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnostics* for four consecutive sessions this morning.

When Qin Luo arrived at the classroom, he almost thought he had time-traveled.

With the rise of his reputation in the school, more and more people were coming to audit his lectures. Some were from Capital Medical University, while others had read the news reports about the descendant of the Taiyi Divine Needle and rushed over from other medical colleges just to catch a glimpse of Qin Luo's demeanor.

Perhaps influenced by Qin Luo's idol-like exemplary role, most of the male students in the classroom had started wearing traditional long robes. Cyan was the most common, closely resembling the color of Qin Luo's robe, alongside black and gray. At a glance, it looked like a grand costume party.

Qin Luo stood on the podium, swept his gaze across the students in the classroom, and asked with a smile, "Why are you all wearing long robes?"

"Professor Lin—ah, Professor Qin, we learned this from you."

"Wearing a long robe is cool, and it's easier to find a girlfriend."

"Nowadays, if you study traditional Chinese medicine and don't wear a long robe out, you're too embarrassed to greet people."

"Professor Qin, we are the Long Robe Faction, and you are the leader—"

The students' answers were bizarre and varied, but without a doubt, every single one of them took pride in wearing the traditional robes.

Qin Luo tapped the desk with a blackboard eraser, signaling everyone to keep quiet. Smiling, he said, "Hearing your answers, I am very happy and honored. Of course, my head is also swelling a bit. To enjoy the treatment of an idol without having an idol's face is truly a wondrous thing."

"However, what I want to tell you is that my wearing a long robe does not mean you must blindly follow my example. I merely wish to tell you that you should possess your own correct values, rather than drifting with the tide, blindly following whatever others happen to like."

"Chinese culture has a long and enduring history, and there are many things that must never be lost—whether it is the traditional Chinese medicine you study, or the long robes you wear upon your bodies today."

"This is our culture, and it is also our pride. If we lose our culture, this nation will be left nothing more than an empty shell. If we feel ashamed of our own customs, our national dignity will be trampled beneath others' feet. When we look down upon ourselves, how can we expect foreign nations to hold us in esteem?"

"The fact that you are able to put on these long robes proves that none of you wish to discard our culture or our dignity. I am deeply gratified. However, having this sentiment in your hearts is enough. I suggest that you may choose whatever clothing is suitable for you to wear."

He had no choice but to offer such advice. This group of students were a bunch of pranksters; they actually managed to make the long robes look like stage costumes.

Some of the chubby students wore robes that were far too tight, binding them as tightly as a martial artist's form-fitting training uniform. Other students were so painfully thin that their robes hung loosely and fluttered around them like walking bamboo poles—if someone were to step out in this outfit in the middle of the night and walk through a dim alleyway, it would genuinely give people the impression of running into a ghost.

"Professor Qin, you're advising us to take off our long robes, so why don't you take yours off?" a student asked.

"Because I look quite handsome wearing one," Qin Luo replied.

"------" This answer floored a large swath of the audience.

As the class ended and Qin Luo stepped out of the classroom, Wang Jiujiu and Xiaohua chased after him.

"Professor Qin, I've prepared tea for you," Wang Jiujiu said, taking a thermos cup from her backpack and smiling at Qin Luo.

Qin Luo noticed that the thermos cup was newly purchased. With the arrival of winter, the weather in Yanjing was growing increasingly cold. If he continued using his previous tea cup, the liquid would cool down very quickly. Wang Jiujiu was certainly thoughtful, promptly replacing it with a container capable of maintaining the beverage's temperature.

"Thank you," Qin Luo said, looking at Wang Jiujiu. As he took the cup, even the outer shell gave a warm sensation to the touch.

What Qin Luo did not know was that Wang Jiujiu had been terrified the tea would grow cold, so throughout the entire lecture, she had kept the cup pressed close against her bosom. Only when the end-of-class bell rang did she slip it into her backpack and chase after him.

He unscrewed the lid and took a sip; it was as fragrant as ever.

Xiaohua pulled out a newspaper, pointed to the advertisement page for *Drawing Eyebrows For You A Lifetime*, and giggled as she said to Qin Luo, "Professor Qin, is this man you? Don't try to fool us, okay? Jiujiu and I have been studying it for a long time."

"I suppose so," Qin Luo said with a smile. He feared that the news of him endorsing a beauty product would soon sweep through the entire school.

"Yay! It really is Professor Qin! Professor Qin, this thing called---Golden Pupa Skin Nourishing Powder---such a strange name. Is it really that effective?" Xiaohua asked.

"Yes, it's quite good," Qin Luo replied. He couldn't vouch for other products, but the formula for this medicine had come directly from his own hands. If he claimed it wasn't effective, wouldn't that be equivalent to slapping his own face?

"That's wonderful! I'm going to buy some to use," Xiaohua said happily.

Qin Luo looked at Xiaohua's soft, pinkish cheeks and genuinely couldn't see any reason why she would need to use such a product.

Ah, women, your name is mystery.

Wang Jiujiu took back the cup Qin Luo handed her and rummaged through her backpack once more. Then she pulled out a fluffy object and handed it to Qin Luo with both hands, saying, "Professor Qin, this is for you."

"What is this? A toy?" Qin Luo pinched the furry ball and asked in puzzlement. He had never played with such things since he was a child.

Two heavy black lines appeared on Wang Jiujiu's forehead as she explained, "It's not a toy. It's a pair of gloves. Professor Qin is from the south, so you surely aren't used to the northern cold. I knitted a pair of gloves for you to keep warm."

Qin Luo was momentarily stunned, and said to Wang Jiujiu, "Thank you."

In truth, owing to his physical constitution, Qin Luo never feared the cold. On the contrary, the colder it was, the more comfortable his body felt.

However, Wang Jiujiu's meticulous consideration truly touched his heart deeply.

Qin Luo pulled the furry ball apart and realized these were a pair of gloves. Yet, why did they look so terribly peculiar?

"---I only just learned how. They don't look very nice," Wang Jiujiu said, her face flushing with embarrassment as she saw Qin Luo earnestly scrutinizing the gloves.

"Not at all. I think they're wonderful," Qin Luo said with a smile. To demonstrate just how much he liked the gloves, he deliberately put them on right in front of Wang Jiujiu.

"How is it? Fits pretty well, right?" Qin Luo raised his hands and gestured in front of the two girls.

"------Professor Qin, you're wearing them inside out." Wang Jiujiu felt so mortified she wanted to bash her head against a wall.