Wei Junze was about to make a move when his phone suddenly vibrated twice.
He let out a soft "tsk" and glanced at the caller ID. Upon seeing the name, his finger hovering over the reject button paused, and he answered the call instead.
"Auntie."
"Mm, I'll be there soon."
With a slightly irritated glance at the seemingly perfect pair across from him, Wei Junze pressed his lips together, his expression darkening as he turned and walked away.
Across from him.
Ji Nian coldly watched the face bending down, drawing closer and closer.
Lu Jinghuai had many admirers at school—she’d even heard there was some kind of fan club—but Ji Nian had never seen anyone actually confess to him.
One look was enough to understand why.
He was the type who seemed untouchable, like a distant painting. Occasionally, she’d overhear girls whispering that while Lu Jinghuai was undeniably handsome and gentle, he was as cold and uninteresting as the light inside a refrigerator—present but devoid of warmth.
Ji Nian couldn’t help but scoff internally: If the person who said that could see Lu Jinghuai right now, they’d never call him ‘uninteresting’ again.
With that thought, she raised her hand and pressed her palm directly against Lu Jinghuai’s face, pushing his approaching head away.
Lu Jinghuai didn’t resist, letting himself be pushed back. But just as Ji Nian was about to withdraw her hand—
Suddenly…
A soft sensation brushed against her palm, sending a tingling current straight through her veins and into her heart. Ji Nian’s entire body broke out in goosebumps.
"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, yanking her hand back instantly.
Lu Jinghuai looked at her with an innocent expression, eerily reminiscent of the time Da Dan, their family dog, had accidentally chewed up Ji Tingzhou’s accessories and crouched guiltily in the corner after being scolded.
Pitiful—but guaranteed to repeat the offense.
Ji Nian smirked humorlessly and swung her hand at him again.
Her intention was to smack his shoulder, but Lu Jinghuai suddenly lowered his head.
So the slap landed squarely on his fair cheek.
Ji Nian hadn’t used much force, but a faint red mark still bloomed on his skin.
"Got anything to say for yourself?"
Even though she’d hit the wrong spot, Ji Nian felt no remorse. She crossed her arms and stared him down.
Lu Jinghuai lowered his eyelids, looking as if he were repenting for something. After a moment, he slowly lifted his gaze.
Ji Nian expected an apology.
Instead, Lu Jinghuai’s lips curled into a faint smile, his eyes half-lidded and slightly dazed as he murmured—
"…So sweet."
Ji Nian: What a flirt.
How had she ever thought Lu Jinghuai was some pure, untouchable ice prince?
Ever since that night, he’d been acting like he was drunk—completely out of character.
System: [The root cause is that he’s finally embraced his true nature.]
And that nature was flirtatious as hell.
"Sorry. It’s my first time liking someone, so I can’t help wanting to get close to you. Don’t be mad, okay?"
He did apologize in the end.
A strikingly handsome blond boy standing on a street corner, meekly bowing his head to an equally stunning girl—the scene drew the attention of passersby sipping their bubble tea, some even pulling out their phones to snap pictures.
"Fine. Next time, keep your mouth to yourself unless I say otherwise."
She tugged Lu Jinghuai’s sleeve, signaling him to follow. Ji Nian had no interest in being gawked at like some zoo exhibit.
Lu Jinghuai positioned himself on the outer side, shielding her from most of the intrusive stares, then tilted his head and asked, "So if you do give permission, I can move my mouth?"
Ji Nian gave him a strange look. "Obviously."
He’d expected her to blush or snap, but her nonchalant reply left him momentarily stunned.
"Want some bubble tea?"
Ji Nian considered it, then nodded, sending him off to buy some.
While waiting, she took a seat on a bench, crossing her legs as she mulled over her earlier conversation with Wei Junze.
Before she could delve too deep, she absentmindedly propped her elbow on her knee, resting her chin in her palm—
Then froze.
This was the same hand Lu Jinghuai had kissed earlier.
Her eyes darkened slightly.
…I don’t actually mind it.
Was it because Lu Jinghuai was good-looking that she didn’t care about the kiss?
Ji Nian immediately dismissed the thought.
Maybe she did like him a little. After all, her heart had tingled when it happened.
When she’d said she needed time to think, it wasn’t a stalling tactic. She’d genuinely been considering her feelings for Lu Jinghuai—even picturing what their future together might look like.
System: […He just wants to date you, and you’re already thinking about marriage???]
It had assumed Ji Nian, with her shamelessly bold personality, would treat romance as something casual. Yet here she was, planning for forever like some old-fashioned idealist.
Was this even in character?
Ji Nian, is this really you?
Ji Nian’s ears burned at the teasing. After a long pause, she huffed, [Shut up… This is what they call loyalty.]
The system pondered deeply, then nodded. [True. Loyal enough to spend your whole life trying to sculpt hemorrhoids into bunny tails.]
As the two bickered, Lu Jinghuai soon returned with the bubble tea—only one cup.
He wasn’t a fan of the drink himself and had only gone to buy it for Ji Nian.
Lu Jinghuai peeled open the straw wrapper, inserted it into the cup, and handed it to her.
Ji Nian thanked him and took it, then lazily asked, "Lu Jinghuai, what do you even like about me?"
At the question, his eyes brightened. He sat beside her, turning to face her as he answered, "Many things."
Ji Nian turned her head, meeting his gray eyes—eyes that held only her reflection.
"At first, it was because you saved me. You pulled me out of that pain, becoming someone irreplaceable—different from family, yet just as important."
"Then, by chance, I saw you in my father’s phone. The world, which had always seemed dull, suddenly felt alive. I think that’s what they call love at first sight."
He chuckled softly before continuing.
"And later, when I met the real you… You’re brave and observant, always noticing what others miss. You pretend to be cold, but you secretly care, helping people in ways they never see—then acting like it wasn’t you."
"You’re strong, too. You face problems that would overwhelm most people our age, standing at the front lines without fear. Even when you falter, you never stay down for long."
"Oh, and—"
Lu Jinghuai’s eyes sparkled with amusement and pride, his gaze no longer just affectionate but admiring.
"Your hands are clever. You’re great at crafts and amazing in chemistry, always surprising everyone during lab experiments."
"You’re funny, even if your jokes are… unconventional. I like that."
"And sometimes, when you look detached, it frustrates me because I can’t read you—but it also makes me want to hug you."
He was about to say more.
But Ji Nian couldn’t take it anymore.
She was no stranger to compliments—after all, her family praised her every day, and she had grown accustomed to it.
But no one had ever showered her with so many words at once like Lu Jinghuai did, his gaze sincere and burning. On the surface, she remained composed, but inside her shoes, her toes curled so hard they might as well have fractured.
Perhaps Lu Jinghuai knew he had already pushed Ji Nian to her limit. Though there was still so much more he wanted to say, he reluctantly held back.
In the end, he left her with one final line:
"I might have been secretly in love with you before I even understood what love was."
