adbindia Chapter 172: Going with the Flow
Chapter 172: Going with the Flow
Just as they settled on a time for the interview, Ling Zhiwei happened to show up to pick her up.
He was standing in the shade of a tree at the school gate, leaning against a black sedan.
He looked up, and upon seeing his sister, he strode over and casually took the backpack from her shoulder.
He was a well-known figure at the school and a regular in the school newspaper. He and Yu Xinxin had met a few times and recognized each other.
In the past, he had participated in debate competitions, received scholarships, or spoken as a student representative.
His name and photo had appeared on the pages of the school newspaper more than once.
Although the two weren’t close, they were familiar faces to each other.
After they exchanged greetings, Yu Xinxin suddenly froze, staring at the two of them.
Her gaze swept back and forth between Ling Zhiwei’s and Shanshan’s faces. Her expression gradually hardened, her lips slightly parted.
"You... you two..."
She quickly rummaged through her mind for information from past reports.
Ling Zhiwei arched an eyebrow at her and smiled.
One hand was stuck in his pants pocket, the other rested casually on his sister’s shoulder.
"You’re brother and sister?! Wait, how come I’ve never heard about this!"
Yu Xinxin blurted out, her voice a little loud.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the pair in disbelief.
She quickly sorted through all the past interview content about Ling Zhiwei in her mind.
Shanshan, for her part, was a little surprised.
’My fourth brother is popular at the university, with a flock of admirers.’
’Plus, the two of us don’t look alike.’
’When we’re out together, nine times out of ten, people guess we’re dating.’
Seeing the subtle expression on Shanshan’s face, an idea flashed in Yu Xinxin’s mind.
In the last few days, a few posts had quietly popped up on the campus forums.
They said someone had seen Ling Zhiwei getting close to the new transfer student and that they had even eaten together.
At first, she hadn’t paid it any mind; after all, Ling Zhiwei had a gentle personality.
But now, looking at Shanshan’s expression, it seemed there was some truth to the rumors.
Suddenly, it all made sense.
’If word of this gets out, it’ll probably cause an uproar on campus.’
But she didn’t plan on spreading it around. Instead, she found it rather interesting.
’Since I’ve stumbled upon this, I might as well take advantage of the situation.’
"For this interview, why don’t we just pull Ling Zhiwei in for an appearance?"
After she said it, she let out a couple of laughs.
This interview was a routine assignment from the school newspaper, and the original subject was just Shanshan.
But if she could include Ling Zhiwei, the content would definitely be more eye-catching, and the editor would be absolutely satisfied.
She blinked, stuck out her tongue, then turned and scurried away.
Only after confirming no one was chasing her did she relax and slow her pace.
The interview outline in her hand was a little crumpled.
But she didn’t mind at all. The main focus had changed anyway.
"Did Shanshan just come talk to you about the interview?"
Ling Zhiwei had just put down his pen. Hearing a voice from the doorway, he looked up.
It was a classmate from his class, poking his head in to ask.
He nodded and casually put the scratch paper on his desk into a drawer.
Calculations were scribbled all over it; it was the explanation material he had prepared for Shanshan during his lunch break.
"Yeah. Fourth Brother, do you want to be in it too?"
Shanshan stood up from her seat in the back row, patting the chalk dust off her skirt.
After speaking, she even put her hands together in a pleading gesture.
Shanshan nodded encouragingly at him, but Ling Zhiwei immediately waved his hands in refusal.
"Giving you a few pointers is fine, but actually being in it? Forget it. The people at the school newspaper are all new interns. They’ll grab you and grill you relentlessly, asking so many questions you’ll be sweating and barely able to stand."
He wasn’t exaggerating.
He’d been cornered by a school newspaper reporter once after the arts festival two years ago.
For half an hour straight, he was hit with a barrage of questions, ranging from his study schedule to his views on relationships, nearly leaving him speechless on the spot.
Ever since then, he had kept his distance from such public events.
Just recalling the experience of being ambushed like that made him sigh, a bitter feeling rising in his heart.
Even just sitting in a chair, he could feel a dozen pairs of eyes staring at him.
He would rather do two more math worksheets than go through that kind of scene again.
The two found an empty classroom—one to teach and one to listen.
「First period, afternoon.」
They arrived ten minutes early at the unused study room at the end of the third-floor hall.
The window faced south, and sunlight streamed in, falling on the lectern.
Ling Zhiwei stood at the blackboard writing out a problem, explaining his thought process as he went.
Shanshan sat in the front row, her notebook open to a middle page, diligently writing down every key point.
This was also the first time Shanshan had seen Ling Zhiwei without his halo.
Usually, he was always calm and composed in front of others, and his answers to questions were always spot-on.
But now, he would also pause to think and erase steps he had written incorrectly.
This sense of authenticity made her feel closer to him and more willing to listen attentively.
"The key is not to let them lead you by the nose. Who knows what kind of question they’ll spring on you next. If you get one you don’t want to answer, you can just keep your mouth shut, or make something up. No one’s going to really call you out on it. In short, don’t overthink it. Just relax, and you’ll be fine."
Ling Zhiwei placed the chalk back in its tray and brushed the white specks from his cuff.
This was all experience he’d summed up from years of dealing with the media.
He knew Shanshan was smart and would get it right away, so he explained everything in great detail.
Ling Zhiwei rattled off a long list of advice, and Shanshan nodded frequently from her seat.
She organized her notes while silently repeating the keywords to herself.
’These interview skills are more useful than exam formulas; they could be a lifesaver in a critical moment.’
’I should even record this so I can listen to it again later.’
Just as she was listening intently, she suddenly blurted out a question.
"Fourth Brother, if all those little fangirls knew you were such a chatterbox behind the scenes, wouldn’t their illusions be shattered?"
Normally, in the eyes of outsiders, Ling Zhiwei was the epitome of the cold, aloof top student.
He spoke little, his expression was faint, and he even walked with an air of distance.
But the number of words he’d spoken in the last forty minutes was equal to what others might say in a week.
"Oh? Are those fighting words, little girl?"
Ling Zhiwei’s brow furrowed, immediately sensing she was teasing him.
He rested his hand on the edge of the lectern, his body leaning forward slightly.
He raised a hand to flick her on the forehead.
But how could Shanshan just stand there and take it?
Her butt had barely touched the chair when she slid away.
With a light push of her foot against the floor, the chair shot back half a meter.
At the same time, she tilted her head to dodge his approaching fingers and twisted her body with the motion.
She nimbly dodged behind a desk in the back row.
When Ling Anxun trained her, he placed the utmost importance on reaction speed, demanding she remain alert even while eating or drinking.
Now, using those skills against Ling Zhiwei, she handled it with ease.
The two of them immediately burst into laughter and started a playful game of chase.
A flurry of disorderly footsteps echoed in the classroom.
Ling Zhiwei went around the desks to grab her, while she moved back and forth along the wall.
Laughter constantly drifted from the corners, mixed with the sound of desks being slapped and rapid breathing.
They were both personally trained by Ling Anxun, so if it came to a real fight, neither would be intimidated.
But since they were keeping it restrained, it was impossible to tell who had the upper hand.
They knew each other’s habits and rhythms.
Neither was using their full strength, nor were they deliberately trying to overpower the other.
"Heh, not bad. Feeling bold now, are we? Daring to pull tricks on me?"
Ling Zhiwei stood in the middle of the aisle, hands on his hips, feigning a look of authority.
In reality, beads of sweat were already forming on his temples, and his shirt collar had loosened by half an inch.
"Of course. I’ve been putting in extra practice every day, specifically to deal with old foxes like you."
Shanshan leaned against the wall, clutching a mechanical pencil in her hand as a makeshift weapon.
Seizing the moment he was distracted, her fingers WHACKED the nerve on his elbow.