Upon hearing his words, Lin Xiche was momentarily taken aback, and her expression became serious. She stood there for a moment, as if contemplating something. Then she tilted her head and called out to him, “Pipi.”
In Xu Fang’s eyes, Lin Xiche’s reaction seemed like regret, which irritated him for some reason. The next moment, he pursed his lips and covered her mouth with his hand, his tone turning extremely harsh.
“I don’t care if you remember or not.”
Lin Xiche wasn’t afraid of him. She struggled to pull his hand away and then grabbed it, her expression bewildered but also somewhat smug. “Pipi, are you moved and scared now?”
Upon hearing this, Xu Fang, for some inexplicable reason, focused on the word “scared” and retorted with a cold expression, “I’m not scared.”
“Then that means you’re moved.” Lin Xiche’s eyes widened, and she smiled at him teasingly. “I also think I’m very generous. Look, with your temper, I’m still willing to be your girlfriend.”
Xu Fang’s brow twitched.
After a few seconds of silence, Lin Xiche stopped making jokes and poked his chin with her free hand. “Clearly, it’s your birthday, but how come I feel like I received a gift?”
Xu Fang looked momentarily stunned.
Soon, Lin Xiche adopted an expression that said, “You can entrust your life to me,” and continued, “Don’t worry; I’ll be good to you.”
Xu Fang’s hand was still held by her, and a faint warmth crept into his ears. His black eyes flickered with a hint of embarrassment, and his expression stiffened as he didn’t know how to respond. He moved his lips, but before he could reply, Lin Xiche added, “After all, I’m the one who spoiled you like this.”
Xu Fang stared at her with an expressionless face, even though he was genuinely happy at the moment, and he still felt like he was in a dream. However, he couldn’t help but think of hundreds of past incidents and wanted her to think it through.
He hoped she could understand that spoiling someone didn’t mean treating them like a pet.
The two of them spent two hours outside. When Lin Xiche stood in front of the dormitory building and waved energetically at him before skipping inside, Xu Fang checked his phone and noticed it was almost 10 o’clock. He looked up at the dormitory building and quickly turned back.
As for when he started to like Lin Xiche, Xu Fang couldn’t remember. Was it when she unexpectedly cried in front of him when he was hospitalized due to illness? Or was it when she came to his house after finding out their high school entrance exam results, lifted his blanket despite him still being in bed, and said, “Pipi! Are you happy? We can go to the same high school!”?
The situation at that time, he still remembered.
He despised it the most when someone disturbed his sleep, but Lin Xiche had endured his scolding hundreds of times, never once remembering his words, and becoming even more audacious. He had just fallen asleep when she woke him up, and he was ready to explode.
Yet his face was filled with anger, and when he opened his eyes, he saw her.
She was leaning over his bed, her face extremely close to his.
Her eyes were round and large, with a playful shade of brown; her skin was smooth and fair, with the sunlight casting a soft glow on it; her petite and straight nose, beneath which were her rosy lips that formed a pleasant arc when she smiled. She looked exceptionally beautiful and approachable when she smiled, her eyes slightly curved like a crescent moon, with a deep dimple at the corner of her lips. She was beautiful and down-to-earth.
“…” Suddenly, he closed his eyes, intending to tell her to go away, but his words were swallowed back as he had just woken up, and his voice was slightly hoarse. He gave a low response, “Mmm, happy.”
It was the first time he had inexplicably restrained his temper with Lin Xiche.
She seemed somewhat happy.
Well then.
This time, he wouldn’t get angry.
…
…
Whenever it was that he fell in love,
Fortunately, this girl had shown him an uncommon kindness.
She didn’t make him wait too long.
After bidding farewell to Xu Fang, Lin Xiche returned to her dormitory, humming a song happily. She felt an unreal sensation, as if she were floating on air, her mind hazy as though she had been drinking, yet she also felt an endless surge of energy.
Was this the magic of being single again?
Lin Xiche really wanted to find a place to roll around in joy.
She returned to the dormitory.
Today, because she wanted to celebrate Xu Fang’s birthday, Lin Xiche didn’t even start her homework and came out. At this moment, the other three roommates were sitting at their desks, quietly working on their lab reports.
Lin Xiche suppressed the curve of her lips and didn’t bother them, quietly returning to her seat. After tidying up a bit, she went into the dormitory to take a shower before coming out to start her homework.
She was procrastinating, coupled with various distractions, and by the time Lin Xiche sat down at her desk, it was almost eleven o’clock. The dormitory lights were supposed to go out at twelve, but Xin Zidan went to bed early, and they usually turned off the lights around half past ten.
Lin Xiche turned on the desk lamp, casting a warm, muted light that made the surroundings feel serene and tranquil. Everything was quiet, and occasionally, she could hear Chen Han and Nie Yue speaking softly, as well as the sound of keyboards clicking.
She lit up her phone and glanced at it.
Xu Fang had messaged her on WeChat once, precisely at ten thirty, when the lights went out in the National Defense Dormitory.
Xu Fang: [I’m going to sleep.]
He probably meant, “I’ve turned off the lights on my end, so don’t bother messaging me. Even if you do, I won’t be able to reply.”
Normally, Xu Fang wouldn’t bother to tell her. They usually communicated that way; if they were chatting, Xu Fang would let her know when he was going to sleep. But if they weren’t chatting, Lin Xiche couldn’t be bothered to ask whether he had turned off the lights or not.
It seemed like this was the treatment a girlfriend received.
Even going to sleep required a message to her.
Lin Xiche cheerfully replied with a “Goodnight” and then proceeded to open her computer to work on her lab report.
By the time she finished, Lin Xiche noticed that her other two roommates had also gone to bed. The areas not covered by the desk lamps were shrouded in darkness, leaving only Lin Xiche’s spot illuminated.
She stretched lazily, opening the small notebook she had prepared earlier for conquering Xu Fang.
Starting from September 16th, she had been writing one page every day, and now she had nearly forty pages accumulated. To be precise, it was thirty-nine pages.
Lin Xiche turned to the latest page, which was her plan she had written just last night.
DAY 39: October 24, 2011, Monday.
Ordered a fruit cake for Xu Fang and prepared to give him a pair of sports shoes from his favorite brand as a birthday gift. Planning to personally deliver the items to his dormitory and celebrate his birthday. Additionally, if luck is on my side, and there’s a slight chance that his roommates are not in the dorm:
When lighting the candles, turn off the lights. In the dim light, an intimate atmosphere is more likely to create ambiguity. Maybe, by some chance, it will make Xu Fang’s heart flutter.
Before blowing out the candles, let him make a wish and declare that I will make his wish come true, using a gentle approach to gradually win his heart, making him unable to resist and surrender.
…
…
This is too accurate, isn’t it?
Lin Xiche widened her eyes, thinking that her emotional intelligence was truly extraordinary. After devising the right plan, she effortlessly conquered Xu Fang in just thirty-nine days. She was truly amazing!
What should she do next?
Set a small goal.
If she took it one step at a time, the first step should be holding hands.
Ah, Xu Fang had never been in a relationship before, so he probably didn’t know anything about it. That’s okay; she was smarter than him, and she could make it easy for him. She would make him understand that being in a relationship with her was a wonderful and effortless thing.
Holding hands was easy; she could do it anytime, anywhere. So, let’s aim to hold hands within this year.
Then…
Thinking about it, Lin Xiche paused and touched her lips, suddenly recalling the close proximity they had been in today, the almost-touch of warmth and tenderness. Her hand moved up to cover her heated face.
Kissing was something that required the right timing and circumstances. But finding that perfect moment might not be easy.
Lin Xiche scratched her head in frustration, thinking that she was just making a small plan, she hesitated before writing “kiss within three years.” After some thought, she quickly crossed it out and changed it to “five years.”
Looking at the words on the paper, Lin Xiche pursed her lips and put down her pen. She covered her face with both hands, took a deep breath to calm herself, and then lowered her head to look at the warm yellow paper.
Well, since it’s a small plan…
Lin Xiche hesitantly clenched her fists and slowly crossed out “five years,” changing it to “ten years.”
Because of the excitement and stimulation of her spirit, Lin Xiche had a restless night and didn’t sleep well at all. As soon as it was dawn, she woke up, enduring the cold to get up and get ready.
The first class in the morning started at eight o’clock, and it was still early. The other three roommates were still asleep in the dorm. Lin Xiche didn’t dare to make too much noise. She changed her clothes quietly and then left her room.
Lin Xiche went to the cafeteria to buy breakfast, determined to continue her gentle conquest. She wanted Xu Fang to be completely unable to leave her, to become infatuated with her for a long time, and unable to resist.
Let’s start by delivering breakfast.
She bought ten meat buns and decided to give him nine.
This should make Xu Fang understand that she was generous and good to him, right?
Lin Xiche happily carried the breakfast to Xu Fang’s dormitory building, standing under one of the trees. She was about to call him when her phone suddenly rang.
She blinked and looked at the caller ID: “Pipi.”
Lin Xiche thought that this was the power of love; their understanding had become so perfect. She answered the call with a smile, but before she could say anything, Xu Fang on the other end said, “Come down.”
He said it abruptly, and Lin Xiche didn’t react at first.
“Huh?”
Maybe he thought she was still asleep. Xu Fang paused for a moment, his tone not as harsh as before. The voice coming through the phone had a bit more magnetism, making what he said catch her off guard.
“I’m downstairs in your dormitory building.”
“…”
“I bought you breakfast.”
“…”
Leave a Reply