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One moment, she asked if he was tired from running over; the next, she inquired if he needed her company for the long journey back.
Pei Xingyan was suddenly struck by a strange illusion: the more he looked, the more Su Shanshan resembled a bachelor from bygone times who had, against all odds, managed to acquire a wife, now fearing the hard-won spouse might flee if neglected.
While he felt a pang of pity, he certainly couldn’t engage in such a transaction.
“Wait—” He caught hold of Su Shanshan, who was hurrying towards the vending machine, his voice firm. “I need to speak with you first.”
Su Shanshan blinked her eyes in a daze, then nodded softly.
“I don’t know what Tang Xin told you,” he began, “but you must understand that matters of the heart cannot be purchased with money. While I may not be a legitimate professional, what I do is, after all, emotional solace work, not a boyfriend-for-hire service.” He carefully chose his words, striving to avoid agitating this somewhat volatile girl.
“Mm-hmm, I don’t want a boyfriend-for-hire,” she replied. “Those things are utterly repulsive.”
Yet Su Shanshan showed no strong reaction whatsoever; she even seemed to wholeheartedly agree with his statement, nodding in enthusiastic affirmation.
She then made to continue her mission, intending to buy a drink for Pei Xingyan to quench his thirst.
Pei Xingyan was a little dumbfounded, feeling he had made himself sufficiently clear. Could it be that the girl’s comprehension was somewhat lacking?
Su Shanshan returned, cradling two cans of Monster energy drink. With careful hands, she opened one and eagerly extended it to him. “Moisten your throat first,” she urged. “You’ll feel unwell if you go too long without water.”
“Uh…”
Truth be told, Pei Xingyan was wary of the drink; he feared Su Shanshan might have laced it. Yet her gaze was fixed upon him, a look of fervent anticipation in her eyes, almost pleading, imploring him to drink.
He could only bring himself to take a shallow sip.
Su Shanshan’s face lit up. She then opened her own can, lightly clinked it against his, and, with a series of gulps, drank a considerable amount.
Only then did she begin to address Pei Xingyan’s earlier words. “I know, it’s emotional solace,” she said, “but what truly soothes my spirit is needing a boyfriend. I distinctly recall explaining this very clearly to that classmate, Tang, didn’t I? She vouched for it, assuring me there would be no issues, and she even mentioned a triple refund of the deposit if I wasn’t satisfied.”
She tilted her head slightly, a faint trace of confusion and doubt clouding her expression.
Pei Xingyan remembered Tang Xin’s words; it seemed she had indeed said something similar…
But why, then, would she sign a contract stipulating triple compensation?!
‘What the hell kind of thing was that for a person to do?!’
And this Su Shanshan, despite her seemingly naive and sweet demeanor, was actually quite cunning beneath it all. Wasn’t she just outright threatening him?!
Pei Xingyan knew he couldn’t easily extricate himself. A moment’s thought confirmed that anyone willing to spend half a million to secure a romantic relationship was undoubtedly a formidable individual.
“Are you… unwilling?” Su Shanshan asked, forcing a gentle tone as she pressed him. “Or do you… dislike me?” But she was truly incapable of concealing her emotions effectively; her trembling hands caused the drink to slosh and spill.
Pei Xingyan’s mind raced. He had to devise an excuse that would both navigate the current predicament and prevent him from truly committing himself.
A plausible excuse suddenly struck him, and he immediately shook his head, displaying a mix of reluctance and embarrassment. “N-no, it’s not that I’m unwilling,” he stammered. “But as I just mentioned, I’ve never been in a relationship before and possess no experience whatsoever. To undertake such a task feels truly daunting; I fear I won’t be able to perform adequately…”
‘Repulsive! Utterly repulsive! Wasn’t this exactly the behavior of a ‘green tea’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term referring to a type of person, typically a woman, who appears innocent and pure on the surface but is manipulative and scheming underneath.)?!’
Pei Xingyan inwardly scorned his own actions. Only now did he truly grasp the true meaning of ‘selling one’s soul to the devil’ as described in literary works.
Yet, this was the only method available to him now.
For those who harbored beautiful fantasies about love, the more one emphasized purity in her presence, the more delighted she would become. This held true not just for men, but for women as well.
As he had anticipated, upon hearing the keywords ‘never been in a relationship’, a flash of crimson light seemed to ignite in Su Shanshan’s eyes, and her lips curved upwards in an irrepressible, skyward arc.
“It’s alright, it’s perfectly alright,” she gushed. “We can take things slowly. I, I… I can accommodate your every wish. No physical contact for now is perfectly fine, and even if you don’t call me ‘baby’, that’s fine too. You, you don’t be scared; I won’t do anything over the top. If you don’t want to hold hands, that’s fine as well… but I truly feel I like you immensely, just please don’t run away…”
She was terrified Pei Xingyan would flee, and she offered incessant reassurances, her words spilling out incoherently.
Pei Xingyan couldn’t fathom her intense persistence towards him, but he found her proposition somewhat acceptable.
He offered a slight nod. It was akin to a reserved goddess, finally succumbing to relentless pestering, agreeing to give her devoted admirer a chance.
This response sent Su Shanshan into a state of euphoria. She let out a long breath, and within moments, tears welled up and clung to the corners of her eyes.
She longed to grasp the hand of the boy beside her, yet, as if recalling her recent promise, she reluctantly withdrew it.
‘What a perfect portrayal of ‘love is wanting to touch, yet pulling back the hand’…’
Pei Xingyan could only offer her a faint smile, as if to reassure her. His smile was stiff, and he himself felt a pang of awkwardness.
But Su Shanshan returned a brilliant smile, one that seemed capable of illuminating the night sky.
Her complexion was fair and delicate, undeniably beautiful. Her eyes, clearer and brighter than the moon suspended high above, resembled two pools of flowing spring water, while her finely arched brows brimmed with deep affection, carrying the bashfulness of a young maiden.
The curve of her lips was graceful, and her face shimmered with a subtle glow. Her small, rounded nose, with its subtly arched bridge, and faint dimples added an undeniable tenderness and beauty to her countenance. Such beauty was truly captivating.
But the most exquisite feature was her smile. She smiled from the depths of her heart, as if truly gazing upon her eternal beloved.
For a moment, Pei Xingyan couldn’t help but stare, utterly captivated.
“Well, then, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said. “It’s getting too late now… We’ve just sat around foolishly all day, accomplishing nothing. Remember to come find me in the classroom tomorrow!”
Feeling a blush creep up from being stared at, she mumbled a final remark and then pattered away.
Pei Xingyan remembered her heavy shoe soles, and he instinctively called out, “Slow down, be careful!”
Su Shanshan turned around, waved her hand, her smile growing even brighter. Obediently, she slowed her pace, walking and pausing, constantly glancing back. Each time she saw Pei Xingyan still watching her depart, her delight intensified.
Not until she had completely vanished into the night did Pei Xingyan finally relax, then stood rooted to the spot for a long while.
He was undeniably captivated by such beauty, but he was even more perplexed by a strange question.
Why would such a beautiful and wealthy girl resort to such a method to find a boyfriend?
And why did she seem to have fallen in love with him at first sight…
He simply couldn’t comprehend it, and he certainly didn’t believe this was some heaven-sent blessing.
An ominous premonition began to coil around his heart.