Strangers in Sync

Chapter 23:

Hurry up and help the headliner find a partner.

After finishing his noodles, Fang Huaining stood up and noticed a handkerchief on the ground. He considered whether to pick it up to wash it later but hadn't even reached for it when someone else's actions were faster than his—the soiled handkerchief was snatched up and stuffed neatly into a pocket.

So, the handkerchief that substituted for half the taxi fare was being borrowed instead of given? Fang Huaining glanced at Li Ting, who wore an indifferent expression, and sighed internally. This little miser is far too calculating.

On the way back, it was impossible for Li Ting to take another taxi, but fortunately, public transportation in the area was quite convenient. The two stood together, waiting, and for a moment, the atmosphere settled into a silent stillness.

Li Ting was gazing into the distance, and Fang Huaining was doing the same.

Their gazes didn't meet, but Fang Huaining could sense that the other party was aware of his presence; at least, that's how it felt to him. However, he didn't expect Li Ting to suddenly speak up.

"Aren't you curious?"

Fang Huaining paused for a moment before turning his head, unsure of how to respond.

Li Ting's gaze remained fixed ahead, his tone soft and languid, making it difficult to discern any particular emotion as he asked again, "Aren't you thinking about it now?"

"Thinking about what?" Fang Huaining found himself drawn into the conversation by Li Ting's question.

Li Ting hesitated for a moment before continuing, "About... my family."

Before eating the noodles, Fang Huaining had worried about how to handle this awkward topic—whether to completely pretend nothing had happened or to offer a few words of comfort. After finishing the noodles, he thought Li Ting had chosen to ignore the issue, but he didn't expect him to bring it up voluntarily.

"Aren't you curious?" Li Ting asked again, this time almost as if talking to himself, since Fang Huaining hadn't responded.

How could he not be curious? Even when witnessing a quarrel on the street, onlookers can't help but speculate about the situation. Moreover, Fang Huaining had always been puzzled about the person in front of him.

"You don't..." Fang Huaining still wanted to say that if Li Ting didn't want to share, he didn't have to force it, considering they weren't very familiar with each other.

But before he could finish, Li Ting interrupted him.

"They are not my parents. I've been an orphan since childhood, raised in an orphanage."

Li Ting's tone was low and deliberate, as if he were recounting a story.

"My biological father was addicted to drinking, gambling, and other vices, which drove my mother to her death. Afterward, he found several stepmothers for me, but none of them stayed; they left one after another. When I was ten, my biological dad was stabbed to death by enemies on the street because of his gambling debts, leaving behind a mountain of debt. The stepmother couldn't escape either; she was hit by a car and became half-disabled. She came to beg me for help. Seeing her in such a pitiful state, I helped her pay off her debts, but in the end, she couldn't be saved and followed my short-lived biological dad to the grave, leaving me to work everywhere to make up for the significant holes left back then."

Fang Huaining was stunned. "Then... just now..."

"The two people just now?" Li Ting asked as he walked forward, the bus having arrived. "They're just a pair of nosy neighbors."

Fang Huaining watched him board the bus, take out money, and insert it. At the moment the bus door closed, Li Ting turned his head and casually glanced at him.

At that moment, Fang Huaining clearly saw the corner of his mouth lift slightly.

It was then that he realized he had been deceived!

However, the thought that followed closely was another—had he just smiled?

A very faint curve, almost the whisper of a trickster, but indeed, it was a smile...

It wasn't exactly a smile that melted ice and stirred life, but Fang Huaining had said that Li Ting resembled fireworks, and in that instant, it felt like he was watching the fireworks being lit...

...

Not long after, the bus Fang Huaining was waiting for finally arrived. He stood by the door, nearly in the same position as Li Ting had been, gazing out the window, and slowly realized that today the streets were all decorated for the Lunar Valentine's Day, with splashes of red and pink everywhere, creating a picturesque scene for sweet couples to stroll through.

Fang Huaining continued to look and pulled out his phone, opening Little Farm, and found that the accounting directory had indeed been updated.

Cold noodles on Su Mei Street: ￥18.0 x2

Looking at the new entry that had just been added a few minutes ago, along with that '2', Fang Huaining raised an eyebrow with satisfaction.

Tian Dian was off today. When Li Ting returned to the rental apartment, he found Tian Dian sitting in front of the computer, lost in work, yet still managed to glance up and check in.

"Back? Finished the interview? When does the job start? Why not take a few more days off?"

Li Ting remained silent because he knew Tian Dian wouldn't be able to hear him. He took out the cold food, reheated it, and sat down at the only wooden table to eat, reluctantly listening to the overwhelming sounds of speakers blasting all around him.

Li Ting raised his eyes to the nearby computer screen, swallowed the food in his mouth, and suddenly asked, "What is this?"

Tian Dian thought he was referring to the new furniture that had appeared in the house: "The chair? Last night, that couple next door fought so loudly that I couldn't sleep a wink. This place really isn't livable anymore. This morning, they threw all their stuff outside again, so I picked one up and brought it back."

"I mean this," Li Ting impatiently interrupted him, pointing at the computer.

"Oh, a game," Tian Dian replied.

"Where did it come from?" Li Ting asked.

"Just this computer... it's built-in."

"What about the account?"

Tian Dian didn't turn back, but his voice softened: "It's also... built-in."

Li Ting fell silent, and Tian Dian hurriedly explained: "Hey, I just wanted to try playing this game. Who knew the account and password were already saved, and I logged in automatically? But the moment I got in, I got killed by someone. I just wanted to help him get revenge, so I kept playing."

As a result, after several rounds, the main character didn't show up, and Tian Dian simply got lazy and continued playing with that account.

"...I won't be found out; looking at the account numbers, it should just be one of his alternate accounts, with nothing valuable in it. I'm just playing around. If he remembers the account one day, he can take it back anytime."

Perhaps distracted while talking to Li Ting, Tian Dian's character was quickly killed. Undeterred, he stood up to keep fighting back, but it became a cycle of respawning and dying, respawning and dying, as if everyone was targeting him, causing Tian Dian to curse loudly.

"Where are our guild members? Weren't they on time last time? Where have they all gone this time?! Hurry up and send a pro to save me! Damn it, my stomach hurts now."

Li Ting didn't understand online games very well, but he could tell that Tian Dian was playing terribly, unable to even maneuver around obstacles, let alone face enemies.

Just when it seemed Tian Dian was about to meet his end, several bolts of lightning struck from above, and a few players appeared out of nowhere, swiftly taking down the monsters and enemies surrounding him.

Wow, awesome! The big shot is here, the big shot is finally here, but this time he seems even more formidable than last time.

Tian Dian was excited in front of the computer, then he threw the mouse down and ran to the bathroom.

"Wait for me to relax first, then I'll come back and team up with them to clear the dungeon."

But the big shot on the computer was actually scolding him.

Fierce and Plump: "Wang Dazhuang, what's wrong with you?!"

Fierce and Plump: "These noobs can't handle it."

Fierce and Plump: "Did you get too carried away with pleasure yesterday and end up too soft??"

While joking around, Fierce and Plump slowly dragged the big snake king 009 into the group. Liting noticed that besides Fierce and Plump, there were two others: one called "Qian Kun Tian Di" and another called "One Lemon."

Since they had entered a private chat, Fierce and Plump temporarily stopped fighting monsters and messaged Qian Kun: "Hey, let me tell you something. I arrived at the dorm first yesterday, and guess what I saw?"

Qian Kun replied: "What??"

Fierce and Plump continued: "The doorkeeper had collected all the chocolate from our dorm that had been delivered a few days ago. It was a truly miserable holiday!!!!!!!"

Qian Kun responded with a series of laughing emojis: "Ha ha ha ha ha ha."

But Fierce and Plump was at a loss for words: "It's the same every year. When will they finally remember that Lemon has left this place?!!!!"

Qian Kun replied: "Even if they know, they can't figure out where to send it. The research institute doesn't allow entry either."

Fierce and Plump then messaged: "@One Lemon, if you're not planning on moving back, please find a way to help your brothers quickly alleviate this wave of envy and jealousy!!"

Fierce and Plump added: "@One Lemon, you don't seem to be aware of the current situation. Why not just consider a virtual relationship? There are many beautiful girls in the guild. The vice president is attractive, or you could have a master-disciple relationship with your new little sister!!"

Fierce and Plump chattered on for a while before noticing that King Dazhuang was silent, which only fueled their excitement.

Fierce and Plump: "@Big Snake King 009, where are you going?!!? Come and help the big star find a concubine!!"

Fierce and Plump: "@Big Snake King 009, where are you going?!!? Come and help the big star find a concubine!!"

Fierce and Plump: "@Big Snake King 009, where are you going?!!? Come and help the big star find a concubine!!"

...

Initially, Liting was eating slowly while watching them boast, remaining unfazed even when they scolded him. However, when Fierce and Plump began to spam messages, he set down his chopsticks, moved the mouse, and slowly started to drag his character forward.

Immediately, he received a notification:

[You have been attacked by the player "Big Snake King 009" with a bomb; you are dead.]

Fierce and Plump: "....."

Qian Kun Tian Di: "....."

...

Meanwhile, Fang Xialin, who had gone to get a glass of water, returned to find his phone flashing with messages.

Zhao Fangzi: "Xialin, I think Wang Dazhuang's secondary game account has probably been stolen. He just didn't answer my call; hurry and check!!"

Fang Xialin was drinking water and casually logged into Wang Congliang's email, which was their previously registered game email used so that their friends could help level up when they weren't around.

Sure enough, it indicated recent logins from foreign IP addresses, warning him to pay attention to account security.

But Fang Xialin looked at the IP address and felt an increasing sense of familiarity...

Chapter 24: It's Like That

Liting's old school has resumed classes again. No matter how much he wants to skip, he still has to attend the first few classes of his major. The school is small, with only three or four teaching buildings, and the dormitory is a bit far away, located in a repurposed residential building.

Initially, Liting lived in the dormitory for a month after starting school, but he soon found it too expensive and too inconvenient for his work. Due to tensions with his roommates, he unilaterally moved out of the dorm. The foreign language department has a severe gender imbalance, yet despite this, Liting had no friends at school, and it was even less likely that girls would pursue him. After all, who would be interested in a poor, stingy, and introverted student who often vanished without a trace?

The only classmate who could communicate with him was a girl named Liang Yu, who had previously worked with Liting at the same workplace, although they barely knew each other. They had some connection because Liting had replaced her at work a few times and helped her out, so in school, she would occasionally reach out to him in advance to ask for his help with important exams or compulsory courses, ensuring he wouldn't fail.

Today was no exception. After class, Liang Yu walked by and knocked on Liting's desk, saying, "The teacher mentioned yesterday that a two-week report is required, and you won't be allowed to pass unless you submit it, or it will result in an automatic failure."

Liting stopped gathering his belongings and scrunched up his face.

Liang Yu looked at him and asked, "What are you planning to write about? Is it a classic? We only have the original edition of this book in school."

Liting's eyebrows furrowed even more.

Liang Yu spoke again, "I'm heading to the city library this afternoon, although it's a bit far, but they have a better selection. You..."

Liting had already stood up and said, "No need, I'll find something else."

With that, he ignored Liang Yu's further words and left the classroom.

Fang Xialin was also in class today, and the moment he entered the classroom, he was met with enthusiastic gazes from all sides.

The computer science department has a severe male-female imbalance, but the situation is different from Liting's, where there are more girls than boys, making Fang Xialin popular. However, Fang Xialin is also a typical extreme case, as there are more men and fewer women in his environment, resulting in his unpopularity.

Zhao Fangzi was already seated in the back row when Fang Xialin walked over and sat beside him. They listened as Zhao Fangzi and Wang Congliang discussed the possibility of Wang Dazhuang's game account being hacked. Fang Xialin hadn't had the chance to share his thoughts yet, but Wang Congliang had already figured it out himself. Fang Xialin and Zhao Fangzi are not fools; they work in the computer field and wouldn't have forgotten to format a computer before selling it. They both felt regret for their oversight.

"Ugh, even though the account wasn't stolen, the more I think about it, the more frustrated I feel," Wang Congliang sighed.

Fang Huaining refrained from informing his former roommate about the shady transaction he had witnessed at the appliance repair station. After all, the computer had already been sold, and knowing about it would only add to his distress. At this point, it seemed even more inappropriate to bring it up, leaving neither of them aware of who the new owner of their computer was.

Zhao Bang also chimed in, rubbing his chest. "Yeah, I can overlook things like accounts and passwords, but what I regret the most is that all the stock we collected over more than three years is still on that hard drive."

Just like that, it has been taken away. Just imagining that guy browsing through all kinds of content at midnight and reaching the pinnacle of life makes me so frustrated. Who is that lucky guy anyway... Fang Huaining: "..." A shadow sitting alone in the dark suddenly flashed through his mind, the flickering images on the screen casting a dim, ghostly hue across his face. Would he really watch it? Would he maintain his usual expression while watching? Realizing that his thoughts were drifting, Fang Huaining rubbed his forehead. After becoming accustomed to the cold air of the research institute, he found himself dazed after just one class in this unusual heat. To wake himself up, he needed to focus intently, but it was clear that the current coursework was lagging behind Fang Huaining's understanding of the material. As he listened, he couldn't help but take out his phone. Playing games during class was something a top student would never do; it was too disrespectful to his profession. So, to avoid wasting time, he opened a small project related to his studies. Intentionally skipping the accounting section, he entered the backend intending to modify a new feature and was somewhat surprised to find the latest progress on the program update. His current app sharer had actually moved beyond the accounting area and was now working on another small design… a reminder function for a schedule.

Sure enough, when he flipped back to the directory page, he found two more entries in the reminder section. The first entry contained a long list of book titles, at least a dozen. Some were about computers that Fang Huaining had read, with a note in parentheses indicating (to be borrowed). What did he want to borrow these books for? Fang Huaining was puzzled, as these should only be available in their school's library. The second entry read "Fengxinzi Xiaoshe," which seemed to be a place name, leaving Fang Huaining even more confused. His private domain continued to be encroached upon, yet Fang Huaining did not feel unhappy. After scanning the entries, he suddenly realized that the memo he had created was much more comprehensive than the accounting application, but why did the interface look so unappealing? He had randomly chosen the color scheme back then, but why did he pick a pickle green?! It was almost unimaginable now. He wondered if that little money lover had complained about it internally while using it. After a moment of contemplation, Fang Huaining flipped back to the code section and silently began changing the colors… ... With no classes in the afternoon, Wang Fuliang planned to go back to review for his graduate entrance exam, while Zhao Bang continued to play games. When he asked Fang Huaining, he also mentioned that he had something to do.

Everyone thought he was going to the research institute, and they all went their separate ways, but Fang Huaining headed to the library instead. It was the beginning of the semester, and students were still in a relaxed phase, so they didn't have the energy to occupy the place. As a result, Library A was much emptier than it had been before. Just as Fang Huaining was about to look for a quieter spot to sit, he suddenly noticed something in the crowd. He paused and swiftly moved toward a guy in the crowd. The guy was wearing a pair of black-framed glasses and wasn't very tall, but the distinctive bowl-cut hairstyle on his head was particularly eye-catching. Fang Huaining approached and tentatively called out, "Liu Lei?" The bowl-cut guy turned his head in response, and his expression then changed to one of surprise. "You're Liu Lei, right?" After receiving confirmation, Fang Huaining clarified his intention. "Sorry, I'd like to ask if your library card is currently with you?" The bowl-cut guy looked puzzled, saying "Ah?" Fang Huaining explained, "I anonymously received several professional books from someone, and it turns out they were borrowed using your library card. Do you know anything about this?" Liu Lei looked blank. "No, I don't know." "Really? It wasn't borrowed by you? Then who did you give your library card to?" Fang Huaining asked again. Liu Lei chuckled, "I lent it to someone outside the school – you know, ten yuan for two months." Fang Huaining pressed on, "What did that person look like?"

Fang Huaining pressed on. "Um…" Liu Lei suddenly hesitated. "It's a girl, just an ordinary one, nothing special, I don't know her name." This answer made Fang Huaining frown. "Well, I don't mind. Since the books were borrowed and you've seen them, you can return them for me on time. It's fine…" Liu Lei, noticing that Fang Huaining had stopped speaking, quickly added this and turned to leave. He hurried out to the next section and slipped between some shelves, nervously asking a boy holding a book, "Hey, do you know who I just saw?" The boy didn't lift his head. Liu Lei continued, "Fang Huaining!" Although they weren't in the same major, since they were both from the School of Computer Science, he had certainly heard of the top student's name. "He asked me about the library card. So the books on my card ended up with him?" This time, the boy looked over. "What did you say?" "He seemed a bit anxious, pressing me for information. I found it strange, so I wanted to ask you first, which is why I didn't mention anything." Liu Lei wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Li Ting, you borrowed the books, right? Why are you borrowing books for Fang Huaining? It's not like you made some deal again, right?" Two months ago, after Li Ting successfully helped Liu Lei's girlfriend secure a spot on the seventh floor, he suddenly rented out his library card and had just returned it a few days ago.

In Liu Lei's mind, Li Ting certainly qualified as someone who wouldn't engage in business without a reason, which made him a bit worried. He felt the need to check in with him. Liu Lei's expression was particularly earnest; after all, the card belonged to Li Ting. Li Ting couldn't really dismiss it as none of his concern. After a pause, he said, "Someone has been watching him for a while now, and they asked me for help."

Liu Lei suddenly understood the situation and nodded in agreement. "Alright, I won't press further," he said with a sigh of relief, slapping his thigh. "You're right, Fang Xianling is indeed special. Just a brief conversation with him up close has left me feeling dazzled by his good looks. If I were a woman, I'm sure I'd have fallen for him. And even if I weren't, if I liked men, I wouldn't be any exception..."

Hearing the unspoken implications in Li Lei's words, Xilian quietly closed his book and turned to leave.

At that moment, Fang Xianling still had not found his answer. He wandered aimlessly between the bookshelves before returning to the reading area and fortuitously catching sight of a familiar figure sitting by the window.

Fang Xianling's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "He's really come to A Library."

Chapter 25: Appearance vs. Reality

Xilian had a notebook and a book in front of him, studying intently.

Although the library wasn't as crowded as during peak hours, the reading area Fang Xianling had chosen was still bustling, with students occupying most of the seats.

Fang Xianling noticed that there were only two seats left: one next to Xilian and the other behind him. Just as he was about to approach, another guy rushed in, but upon getting closer, he hesitated instead of sitting down.

Fang Xianling then looked up to see Xilian lifting his head, seemingly annoyed by the guy's indecision. In Fang Xianling's view, the expression in Xilian's eyes had morphed from that of a stray cat into that of a formidable predator, exuding a dark, menacing aura that successfully intimidated the guy into retreating to another table.

The only remaining seat was beside Fang Xianling, so he naturally took it without hesitation.

Fang Xianling slowly stood up and walked over to the seat, settling down with ease.

Xilian seemed to notice him but did not acknowledge him with a greeting. He glanced briefly before his gaze returned to its earlier intensity, as if the sharpness Fang Xianling had perceived moments ago was only a figment of his imagination.

Fang Xianling took out his book and began to read. As he perused the pages, a professional instinct compelled him to sneak another glance at Xilian. He was sure that Xilian was reading a computer science textbook, yet the original text was dense and hard to comprehend.

Why was he reading this? Was he interested in computer science?

Fang Xianling quickly dismissed the idea that Xilian was reading the book in front of him simply for leisure when he saw that two other books - a textbook on economics and one on geography - lay next to him. Their content seemed completely unrelated.

Upon closer inspection, Fang Xianling realized that the book in front of him was part of Xilian's notes on a school project he had recorded into his note-taking app. This realization brought a pang of disappointment to Fang Xianling.

But his initial guess was correct, after all. Xilian's school had assigned a project, and most students had chosen a classic novel to read and write about. However, Xilian was different. He didn't care about stories that were either made-up or real. Instead, he found dry and theoretical scientific texts more interesting, and he preferred stories that depicted life and its emotions.

When Xilian took Fang Xianling under his wing during the summer camp, it was due to a habit he had of helping those who needed assistance.

However, Fang Xianling couldn't help but feel a little let down.

As Fang Xianling pondered this, he suddenly felt a pair of eyes on him. Xilian looked up, seemingly confused.

Fang Xianling did not flinch or avoid Xilian's gaze. "You..."

Realizing that he was talking out of turn, Fang Xianling could only point at the book and a few words on Xilian's page.

Xilian responded by tearing out a few white pages from his notebook and handing them to Fang Xianling.

Fang Xianling took the pages and a pen and began writing: "These words are being interpreted in an incorrect manner."

He carefully explained each term before pushing the paper back to Xilian.

Fang Xianling asked, "Do you understand now?"

Xilian nodded seriously, his eyes slowly blinking as his long, dark eyelashes cast shadows on his face.

After a moment, Xilian nodded again, this time accepting the correct knowledge without any resistance.

Fang Xianling felt satisfied.

Both of them then immersed themselves in the books before them once more.

A little while later, Fang Xianling felt an itch in his elbow. He glanced over and saw Xilian poking him with the tip of his pen, then handing him a new piece of paper filled with additional notes. Some of the problems had been underlined in red.

Fang Xianling looked up to meet Xilian's gaze. Having asked for help, Xilian set aside his usually cool demeanor, revealing a softer expression in his eyes along with a hint of humility.

This was unlike the fierce predator Fang Xianling had encountered earlier; instead, he now resembled a small, pitiful cat.

Fang Xianling's expression remained calm. He cleared his throat, took the notebook, and provided him with answers.

This exchange continued several times, and Fang Xianling lost track of how long they had been studying together.

Suddenly, a soft slap echoed through the library.

"You two can stop being lovey-dovey over there! Why don't you take your show outside?"

Fang Xianling jumped, looking up to see a guy pointing at a couple next door.

"This has been going on for far too long."

You two can't even keep your hands to yourselves! Your table is wobbling!"

"Yeah, show your love outside! Can't you people have any decency?"

"Besides, what if you're not feeling it? Can't you two just send each other a text or something?"

"Come on, guys, it's the 21st century. Who sends paper notes anymore?"

The two lovebirds in the corner looked embarrassed, surrounded as they were by the jeering students. They eventually had no choice but to gather their things and leave, retreating with their heads together. Just as they were about to leave, one of the guys couldn't resist responding.

"Nowadays, who even sends paper notes anymore...?"

Fang Xianling's eyes widened, his fingers twitching as he held a thick stack of papers.

Meanwhile, Xilian seemed oblivious to all this, only glancing back at the window before standing up.

Fang Xianling realized that the sun was setting in the western sky, and they had spent an entire afternoon studying together—something they never did during exam periods.

Xilian gathered his belongings, then took the papers from Fang Xianling's hand and neatly tucked them along with his notebook, preparing to leave.

Fang Xianling was lost in thought, only realizing that it was already late in the day...

Fang Huaining also got up, and as he walked out, he noticed that Li Ting was planning to return those books to their original place. Hadn't he written in the memo that he wanted to borrow them? Fang Huaining was puzzled.

"Why are you..."

Li Ting guessed what he meant and replied, "I'm not a student of A University." The truth was, Liu Lei's borrowing card had already been maxed out. He had come today using his girlfriend's library card, but she hadn't received permission to borrow, which was why Li Ting was still there so late.

For some reason, this statement made Fang Huaining feel a bit uneasy. He thought for a moment and suddenly said, "I have one."

Li Ting was taken aback.

Fang Huaining took the books Li Ting was about to return and said, "I don't usually use mine." Besides, he had already found the books he wanted to borrow.

Without waiting for Li Ting to object, he walked ahead toward the door, took his borrowing card from his pocket, and handed it to the administrator.

"Swipe this."

He presented the borrowing card with an air of confidence.

Perhaps Li Ting really needed those books, so in the end, he did not refuse. The two of them walked out of the library together, and suddenly, Li Ting handed something to Fang Huaining.

"Here you go."

Fang Huaining looked and saw that it was his USB flash drive.

He should have casually asked about the software's status, but for some reason, he found it a bit difficult to bring it up.

It was still Li Ting who spoke first: "Thanks, the software works."

Just works?!

That was almost the culmination of Fang Huaining's academic efforts in college.

He felt a bit stifled and thought to himself that one day, he would uncover its true potential.

However, he still maintained his cool demeanor and did not promote himself. He simply said, "The content you looked at today is too specialized. If you are just looking for language exposure, you might as well choose other computer books. I know a few that are relatively easy to understand, but they have a large vocabulary."

Li Ting looked at him, his expression revealing little, but he still asked, "Which ones?"

Fang Huaining lowered his head, tapped on his phone, and sent a website link. "You can download directly from here."

Li Ting nodded.

As they walked through the library towards the campus exit, Fang Huaining noticed a familiar old car parked in the distance—Li Ting's sturdy little electric bike, which had been repaired and returned.

Li Ting stopped, and Fang Huaining also came to a halt. After a moment's thought, he couldn't help but say, "If you have any questions, feel free to let me know."

After saying this, he felt it was a bit abrupt, so he added, "I mean, that software... is for clients. If you try it out and encounter any issues, your feedback would be helpful."

Li Ting showed understanding and suddenly asked, "What about the books?"

Fang Huaining was taken aback, a smile flickering briefly in his eyes. "If you don't understand something, you can ask..."

In the evening, after taking a shower, Li Ting returned to his room to continue writing his thesis. As he opened the newly borrowed book, loose pages began to fall out one by one.

Li Ting picked them up, and two distinctly different sets of notes lay scattered across them, forming complete dialogues. One was familiar and rugged, clearly his own, while the other, though still showing signs of belonging to a male, surprisingly possessed a graceful and refined style, unlike the cold and indifferent demeanor suggested by the person's appearance.

Incongruent.

Li Ting silently defined the person in his mind.

After staring blankly for a while, he suddenly stepped out of his room, shooed away Tian Dian, who was engrossed in a different game, and opened his computer.

"Hey? What are you doing? In a rush for online dating?" Tian Dian asked, puzzled.

Li Ting ignored him, pulled up the URL he had received on his phone, typed it out letter by letter on the computer, and hit enter.

A new website popped up.

It was a place called Lemon Tree.

Different from the cumbersome app Fang Huaining had given him, this Lemon Tree website looked very well-designed, with everything neatly arranged. Clearly, it was a polished version for the public. Li Ting clicked on the directory and found that the categories were simple, containing all the learning materials Fang Huaining had organized, along with some application showcases he had designed, likely his personal website with impressive traffic.

Without having moved far, Tian Dian leaned in and exclaimed, "Wow, what's this? It looks fancy..."

Many things were beyond Li Ting's understanding, but he still browsed through them carefully and found a private section. He was wondering where the items he wanted to download were when his phone buzzed, and a lemon avatar sent over a string of numbers as if by divine revelation.

Li Ting immediately realized that this was the password for the private section.