Yet, in front of her parents, she was often prone to making mistakes.
Past experiences had taught her that she would undoubtedly be harshly criticized, and perhaps this rare friend might even sever ties with her because of it.
However, all she received was acceptance; that person completely overlooked her errors.
She felt as though she were floating on clouds, and the questions they continued to send her, seeking her guidance, were like fluffy marshmallows, each one a soft, sweet cloud.
A delightful sweetness bloomed within her heart.
The words, âWeâre friends, arenât we?â echoed like a grand, sacred melody in her ears, purifying the muddied depths of her soul.
She couldnât fathom why, despite her numerous, significant mistakes, all of which were her responsibility, the person on the other end harbored no blame whatsoever.
How could they still trust her so implicitly after she had already erred?
She couldnât quite grasp it, yet a strange itch of curiosity stirred within her.
The sense of security she felt from that personâs words was overwhelming; she felt herself on the verge of falling completely.
As this conversation drew to a close, she didnât rush to end it as usual.
Instead, her heart thumping with trepidation, she ventured to ask:
âHow about we meet up sometime? What about tomorrow? My treat for bubble tea.â
Upon seeing the message [Sure~] pop up on her phone, she felt an exhilarating surge of joy, as if she wanted to leap into the air.
She didnât even know why she was so incredibly happy.
****
âPei Xingyan, oh, Pei Xingyan, you truly are a scumbagâŚâ
Pei Xingyan chided himself for employing such tactics on an innocent girl.
Nonetheless, it had worked precisely as he intended; he had drawn a little closer to Lin Xiaoyuâs inner world, and thus, a little closer to resolving her issues.
Truth be told, sometimes the methods of a scumbag were the most effective, provided they consistently stood by their words.
However, these individuals often toiled selflessly, painting a beautiful dream for girls, only to flee in disarray once they had achieved their objective.
It wasnât that they failed to cherish; rather, the dreams they crafted were never destined for reality.
Yet, he wasn’t deceiving these girls for their bodies or money; he was simply considering their psychological well-being.
As long as he maintained self-control and avoided leading them astray in that regard, there would be no problem!
âA scumbag? What scumbag?â Fan Jian, ever the provocateur, began his usual teasing.
âOld Pei calling someone else a scumbag, isnât that the pot calling the kettle black?â
âGo awayâŚâ
Pei Xingyanâs retort was weak and listless.
Although he hadnât moved from his bed, the psychological battle had been far from easy.
He was utterly exhausted.
As if on cue, another task perfectly presented itself.
Su Sansanâs messages chimed once more.
He frowned as he glanced at them, his mind instantly becoming muddled again.
She hadnât uttered any harsh words, nor had she continued her previous insults.
On the contrary, she was terrifyingly gentle now, patiently, sincerely, and tirelessly doting on her âBaby.â
Pei Xingyan distinctly recalled her promise not to call him âBaby.â
âBaby, did you eat breakfast this morning? Should I bring you some?
âBaby, did you sleep well last night? I had a little insomnia last night~
âWhy arenât you replying to my messages? Are you still not up? Are you feeling unwell?
âBaby, I bought you a small gift, but I have to wait until I see you to give it to you.
âWill you come find me in the classroom?
âBaby, why arenât you replying to my messages?
âWhy arenât you replying to my messages?
âWhy arenât you replying to my messages?
âWhy arenât you replying to my messages?
âReply to my messages.
âReply to my messages.
âReply to my messages.
âDo you hate me now?
âYou canât hate me!
âPlease donât hate me.
âDonât annoy me.
âDonât annoy me.
âDonât annoy me.
âŚ
She had resumed her message-bombing.
Being bombarded with repetitive messages was inherently unsettling, but she was doing it by sending countless voice notes, over and over, in a soft, relentless tone.
Pei Xingyan would bet his life that she wasnât psychologically sound if anyone claimed otherwise.
Yet, despite his apprehension, he had to reply.
[Just woke up.]
These three short words instantly halted her extreme behavior.
Su Sansan, as if nothing had happened, greeted him sweetly:
âBaby, why are you only just waking up now? Sleeping in is fine, but an unhealthy routine isnât good for your body~
[A little sleepy.]
âThen you definitely havenât eaten, right? How about I bring you breakfast?
âWhich apartment do you live in? Iâll come find you right now, okay?
âWhat do you want to eat?
She continued speaking, completely absorbed in her own thoughts.
Pei Xingyan vigorously shook his head, thinking to himself that juggling two such âjobsâ was truly not easy.
He once again flipped off the bed, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and tidied his appearance.
Amidst his roommatesâ various sarcastic remarks, he jogged downstairs.
No matter what, he couldnât allow Su Sansan to appear downstairs at his apartment building.
The place was teeming with classmates who knew him, and every additional acquaintance who saw him with another girl would increase the risk of exposing himself to Ye Zifei.
[Letâs just meet at the cafeteria then; I have something I want to ask you.]
He sent the message.
Su Sansan then abruptly fell silent.
She stopped speaking, quiet as a child who knew they had caused trouble.
Pei Xingyan still harbored a question: did Su Sansan completely ignore her previous frantic behavior because she was thick-skinned enough to pretend it never happened, or did she genuinely not remember?
****
Su Sansan stood gracefully before the cafeteria entrance.
Her style today was completely different from last time; she wasnât wearing conspicuous clothes or heavy makeup.
A simple top, loose trousers, and ordinary white sneakers, with a band of translucent white socks circling her ankles, made for an utterlyć¨¸ç´ (TL Note: simple, unadorned) appearance.
Yet, even such a modest outfit could not conceal her beauty.
Standing at the bustling cafeteria entrance, in just a short while, several boys approached her to strike up a conversation or to ask for her contact information.
She paid them no mind, simply craning her neck to look around.
Upon spotting Pei Xingyan, her eyes widened in delight, and she ran towards him.
The boy beside her, still trying out hackneyed pick-up lines heâd learned online, was shoved aside, stumbled, and nearly fell into a patch of grass.
But in Su Sansanâs eyes, it was as if no one else existed apart from Pei Xingyan.
She only cared about running towards him, about throwing herself into his embrace.
She rubbed against him fiercely, then suddenly remembered the agreement she had made with Pei Xingyan.
Reluctantly, she took two steps back, offering a dejected apology.
Pei Xingyan was usually an easygoing person, but at this moment, he wouldnât utter a casual âItâs fine.â
With a girl who so unconsciously shifted to calling him âBaby,â who knew how quickly she might coax someone into a hotel, or even one of the small inns across from the school?
Moreover, Su Sansanâs probes came one after another; if he wasnât careful for even a moment, she would immediately seize the opportunity to overstep the line.
He dared not gamble.
âWhat do you want to eat?â she asked eagerly.
âIâll go wait in line!â
âIâll go; what do you want to eat?â Pei Xingyan countered.
Even such a small gesture moved Su Sansan almost to tears, as if he hadnât merely offered to go queue for breakfast, but had pledged to die for her.
âLetâs be clear first,â Pei Xingyan sighed.
âYouâll use your own meal card for your food.â
She shook her head vigorously, rummaging through the small bag slung over her right side, pulling out her meal card.
She presented it to Pei Xingyan with a mixture of earnestness and urgency.
âUse mine! For you, Baby, from now on, all your meals will be paid for with my card!â