Hearing those stammered words, Lin Xinyu only found her even more adorable. At the same time, he couldn't help looking forward to it—if she were ever able to converse normally with him one day, what kind of scene would that be?
However, Bai Shihan did not see it that way at all. The thought of being falsely accused by him made her feel deeply wronged.
Clearly, the snacks and candies were meant just for him, especially since all these treats were her own—
Bai Shihan let out a cold huff, turned her body away, and ignored the annoying guy next to her.
"Could this be something someone specially went out to buy for me to eat?" Lin Xinyu teased on purpose.
Looking back, even though he never understood why this Little Dilly always had various snacks for him, whenever she helped him out, she would inevitably have someone bring along snacks as well. That habit had never changed.
"N—no, i—it's not!"
Just listening to her anxious tone, Lin Xinyu discovered that when she was flustered, she didn't stammer—or rather, was it only when she was nervous?
"Really, I'm not kidding. I want to court you."
"I—I'm telling the teacher...!"
Although her voice wasn't loud, her stammering had clearly improved quite a bit.
Not only that, the Little Dilly even deliberately put on a fierce expression, trying to scare him off and nip his terrifying intentions in the bud early on.
To her, this series of actions counted as a fierce signal that would surely have some effect—at the very least, it would make Lin Xinyu feel scared.
"You're so cute."
When Bai Shihan's fiercely adorable expression appeared, Lin Xinyu could no longer hold back. He reached out and gently stroked her head.
He truly hadn't expected that Bai Shihan, who would later suffer from extreme social anxiety and be unable to communicate normally, could have such an adorable side to her right now!
Huh?!
He...
In a panic, Bai Shihan instantly shrank into a ball, pulling away from his palm. The rosy blush blooming across her face was clearly visible at that moment.
Lin Xinyu looked like a big bad wolf, suddenly reaching out his paws to pin down a little white rabbit, only for her to escape and hide far away, trembling with nervousness, too scared to even speak—and this time it had nothing to do with stammering.
The class bell rang like a hunter's gunshot, scaring off the big bad wolf that had been within arm's reach.
Knowing that she didn't want to attract the attention of too many eyes, Lin Xinyu stopped what he was doing and behaved, sitting quietly in his seat. Then, under Bai Shihan's astonished gaze, he took out his English textbook and began memorizing vocabulary.
Thinking she must have seen things, Bai Shihan reached out and rubbed her eyes. Confirming that he was actually memorizing words, her initially bewildered expression slowly transformed into joy.
At the same time, her other small hand felt around for the snacks neatly arranged in her desk drawer, gently brushing against them without making a sound.
To her, those snacks were like precious treasures.
...
At noon.
Bai Shihan had wanted to go to the cafeteria alone, but the scoundrel beside her insisted that he wanted to eat alone and refused to let him tag along. To prove him wrong, she had no choice but to let him follow.
In student days, as long as you liked someone, you ought to be bold. At worst, it would only last two or three years; even if things didn't work out, graduation would send everyone their separate ways anyway, so there was really no need to be timid.
If you mustered a little extra courage, and the girl you had a crush on happened to like you back...
As long as you didn't let play ruin your ambition, learned things outside of textbooks, and worked hard together, there definitely wouldn't be any major problems.
"Still brought a lunchbox? Secretly treating yourself to extra food?"
"N—no... just... b—breakfast."
Sure enough, whenever they had a normal conversation, she would stammer. It seemed he could only help correct it slowly; trying to achieve results in the short term might be a bit difficult.
Arriving at the cafeteria, Bai Shihan habitually headed toward the line with the fewest people.
Lin Xinyu knew she didn't like crowds and felt uncomfortable in that kind of atmosphere.
She was still doing relatively all right now, but thinking back to later on, the version of her in his memories could barely interact with people at all. She spent every day locked away at home, handling everything from cooking to chores entirely on her own, needing almost no servants—a state of self-isolation completely cut off from the outside world.
Therefore, during this period of her life, she would rather eat cheap, unpalatable food than go queue up in a crowded place. It wasn't that she lacked money; she simply didn't want to.
"Come on, I'll take you to eat something good."
At first, Lin Xinyu didn't make a move, merely trying to persuade her with words.
Bai Shihan shook her head slightly in refusal, remaining silent.
In the noisy environment, she was like a sheep that had mistakenly wandered into a pack of wolves, cowering and afraid to make a rash move.
"Scared?"
"Mm..."
This time Bai Shihan didn't deny it, letting out a faint sound.
Compared to the big bad guy, the noisy and chaotic surroundings were clearly even more terrifying. She could only place this tiny bit of safety she had left onto him. At least staying with him wouldn't be quite so nerve-wracking and terrifying.
"Want to overcome it?"
Bai Shihan looked up. Lin Xinyu was a whole head taller than her, and the scoundrel in front of her seemed to be voicing the very thing she wanted to do most.
"I... c—can't..."
Before she had even tried, the fledgling hint of anticipation in Bai Shihan's eyes was extinguished by her own mind. Her subconscious told her that this was simply impossible to accomplish.
"The most important meaning of living in this world is daring to try. As long as you dare to take a step forward, you might just succeed. If you do nothing at all, you're destined never to succeed in this lifetime."
Bai Shihan couldn't believe that the big bad guy who only knew how to bully her could actually say such things. Yet it was precisely these words that caused her vanished courage to sprout once again.
"If you ask me, it's just getting food, no need to make a big deal out of it."
Lin Xinyu knew that casual words would help lower her guard; if the atmosphere stayed tense all the time, she probably wouldn't have the guts to do it.
"If you're still scared, I'll hold your hand and walk over. That should make it better."
As his voice trailed off, Lin Xinyu had already made a move, preparing to reach out and take her hand.
Hearing this, Bai Shihan panicked in her heart and bolted. In her view, this was clearly even more terrifying than going over to wait in line!
Don't let her usual timid appearance fool you—in the blink of an eye, she was already standing obediently beside the queue, waiting for Lin Xinyu to come over and get food together.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire!
.
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005. He's Just a Hoodlum!
By this time, Bai Shihan was already standing in line obediently.
Although the big bad guy was right behind her, right now, she felt an indescribable sense of goodwill in her heart.
For Bai Shihan, this was the first time she had ever stood in a crowded line. What's more, there were other lines waiting on both sides as well. According to what he said, this should count as a breakthrough...
From Lin Xinyu's perspective, her fair little hands were wandering aimlessly through the air, with nowhere to rest. Sometimes she clenched them into fists, sometimes she opened them wide, and finally, she grabbed the hem of her school uniform, as if using it to steady her flustered emotions.
"See? Not that scary."
"S—still... scared."
Bai Shihan's voice was very soft, but fortunately Lin Xinyu was right beside her, so she didn't need to repeat herself.
"It's fine. It'll get better after doing it a few more times."
As if thinking of the exact same words from the morning, Bai Shihan parted her lips slightly in surprise. To him, was every problem solved simply by doing it a few more times?
The moment she thought of Lin Xinyu calling her "wife," Bai Shihan hurriedly shook her head.
"N—n—no."
If everything was going to be done a few more times, she wouldn't even be able to put up a defense...
Soon it was their turn to get food. Seeing Bai Shihan instinctively point her finger at two plates of greens, Lin Xinyu stepped up beside her from behind.
"Big sister, could you help dish out some meat for us?"
His gentle tone made the cafeteria auntie's hand steady as a rock while serving the food.
Looking at the handsome young man standing before the window and the shy, head-lowered little girl, the seasoned auntie understood everything in an instant.
"Young man, you need to study hard!"
That said, she didn't skimp on the meat by even a fraction. As for paying, Lin Xinyu wanted to cover it, but Bai Shihan seemed to have guessed it in advance. She paid for his portion along with her own, and then sped away without looking back.
Knowing her family situation, Lin Xinyu wasn't surprised. The only thing he didn't understand was why this timid little dilly hadn't waited for him.
Normally, in crowded situations, her first reaction would definitely be fear, followed by casting a plea for help.
Yet right now...
That was precisely why Lin Xinyu was baffled.
As for how to find Bai Shihan, it was very simple.
In that same familiar corner, the girl wearing a red-trimmed white school uniform was turned sideways, trying her utmost to hide herself.
However, when the bad guy she had defined in her heart appeared beside her, her spirits deflated somewhat.
Found again...
"Hiding from me?"
"Yes... no, n—no, I'm not."
Lin Xinyu was both exasperated and amused. When he was walking over, he had been a bit curious as to why she suddenly and deliberately turned her back to him. Now he finally understood—she just didn't want to be found.
Only—
Could she pick a different place to hide next time?
Did she really think that if she used the same spot and just turned her back to everyone, she wouldn't be discovered?
Actually, Bai Shihan had thought about that question too. For some reason, she felt a bit scared—what if she changed spots and he couldn't find her?
"You need to balance meat and vegetables from now on, no being a picky eater."
Lin Xinyu's words interrupted her train of thought. It was fine if he didn't say anything, but the moment he did, Bai Shihan looked at the lean meat in her tableware, quickly furrowed her brows, puffed out her cheeks, and grew inexplicably angry.
The thought that this meat had been obtained because of his gentle voice calling the auntie "big sister" made her lose her appetite entirely.
"Not eating?"
"Not eating."
Now it was Lin Xinyu's turn to open his eyes wide and look at Bai Shihan in disbelief.
Not only was she not stammering, but even her tone had grown much firmer.
"If you don't eat, I won't eat either."
With that, Lin Xinyu put down his chopsticks. Seeing that she still made no move, he prepared to stand up, resting his hand on the tableware.
"E—eat, e—eat, c—can't waste food...!"
"Really? Then I'll watch you eat."
Lin Xinyu promptly sat back down, staring straight at Bai Shihan with a look that said, "Eat it for me to see."
"Y—you, you, you..."
Only then did Bai Shihan realize that the guy had no intention of wasting anything at all.
"You promised me. Eat up, and once you're done, I'll eat."
"F—from now on, can I... get my own food?"
Picking up a piece of lean meat and finishing it in a small bite, Bai Shihan looked up at Lin Xinyu with pleading, puppy-dog eyes.
"You're clumsy with your words. You have to call those aunties 'big sister' so they'll give you lots of food and keep their hands steady."
"I... I can do it too..."
A hint of determination flickered in Bai Shihan's eyes. She was certainly not going to eat meat won by him calling someone "big sister"!
Lin Xinyu didn't think too much about it, figuring this could also count as an opportunity to help her change, so he nodded and agreed.
Originally, neither of them was eating fast, but upon hearing that the guy was going to feed her himself, Bai Shihan immediately sped up her pace and finished the rest of her meal. She cleaned her plate completely, terrified that Lin Xinyu would find an opening.
"You have to dare to try everything. Just let me feed you once, and you'll get used to it in the future."
Hearing that? How could she possibly let that happen?!
Bai Shihan grabbed her tray, stood up, and bolted.
Don't let the little girl's usual soft-spoken voice fool you—she could really run fast when she wanted to! In the blink of an eye, Bai Shihan was completely out of sight.
The road is long and full of obstacles; it seemed that his idea of making her his wife soon was impossible to realize in a short time.
However, this at least confirmed that his method was definitely correct. She was someone with extreme introversion, and the only way to change that was to use the opposite approach to neutralize it.
...
In the classroom.
Bai Shihan sat up straight early to review her lessons, not even lifting her head when she sensed Lin Xinyu approaching. After making space for him to slip in, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
Hehe, I didn't look up. I'm making progress.
Just as Lin Xinyu opened his mouth to speak, he spotted a note already waiting on the desk:
[At noon, review properly]
Clearly, this was a hint telling him not to disturb her. In response, Lin Xinyu didn't say anything either; he just picked up a pen and replied right on the note.
Meanwhile, covert glances kept stealing over from beside him. Without rushing to expose her, Lin Xinyu slowly folded the note. Just as he was about to pass it over, as if remembering something, he pulled the note back and placed it flat on the desk.
This left the long-expectant Bai Shihan utterly indignant. He really is a bad guy! I'm not looking!
Head down, pen in hand, cheeks puffed out.
The sequence of actions flowed in one smooth motion.
Yet when the note was eventually passed over, she instantly deflated.
Bound by pride, she could only pretend not to see it and continued answering her questions. After a short while, she turned her head to look around, finally letting her gaze rest on the note with the expression of someone who had just discovered it.
She picked it up, her small hands trembling slightly as she unfolded it.
His first time replying on a note...
Upon seeing the contents written inside, Bai Shihan felt as if the note had pricked her hand, letting it drop right onto the desk.
As for Lin Xinyu, he was currently looking at Bai Shihan with an ambiguous expression. Meeting her gaze, he pulled out a textbook, began reviewing earnestly, and periodically made marks with his pen.
He's simply a hoodlum!
Checking it once more, the black and white text clearly showed:
[Alright, Madam Wife]
Confirming that she hadn't misread the contents of the note, Bai Shihan blushed crimson, crumpled it tightly in her fist, and then naturally tucked her small hand back into the desk drawer.
She folded the note in half, trying her best not to make a sound, and finally placed it right alongside the snacks she regarded as precious treasures...
.
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006. Let's Go, We're Going Home [Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Collections]
During afternoon classes, Lin Xinyu behaved very well, neither dozing off with his head down nor reading extracurricular books.
In the past, Bai Shihan would wonder why he could read extracurricular books with such intense focus. She had even tried to borrow them to look through midway, but after he discovered her intentions, he flatly refused, saying she could only read them when she grew up.
Being naturally timid, Bai Shihan could only nod.
When dinner time arrived, no matter how Lin Xinyu tried to coax her with sweet words, this girl insisted on staying in the classroom, saying she would go home and cook after evening self-study.
This created a standoff: the two of them just sat there staring at each other. Perhaps to ease the atmosphere, Bai Shihan fished out some snacks from her desk drawer.
"H—here, for you, eat..."
"Why do you always give me things to eat?"
Lin Xinyu was genuinely curious about this. He hadn't been able to figure out the reason before, and even in the future, she would always keep giving him food.
"I, you, um..."
In the end, Bai Shihan didn't know how to express it, or perhaps she was too nervous to speak, so she took out a pen, wrote down what she wanted to say on a piece of paper, and handed it to Lin Xinyu.
"You need to work hard to break this habit, even though I really like it."
Just as Bai Shihan was about to unwrap the snack package, hearing Lin Xinyu's words caused her fingers to slip nervously, failing to tear it open.
"W—work hard..."
She opened the note.
[You said that eating snacks makes you happy, and being unhappy is very painful, so I'm giving them to you to eat]
Lin Xinyu suddenly felt a stinging sensation in his nose.
He recalled back in high school, he had said things like that purely to coax snacks out of her. He never expected this Little Dilly to take it to heart.
Not only back then, but even later on when his business suffered a downturn, although she hadn't communicated with him, those boxes of snacks were delivered to the company without fail.
At the time, he had thought it was a prank pulled by a rival company trying to laugh at him. Now, the truth had finally come to light.
"So, you always have snacks just to make me happy?"
Amidst the squeaking and groaning of the ceiling fan, the little girl grew a bit nervous, and a blush gradually crept across both cheeks. She wanted to write a note, but remembering what he had just said about working hard, she forced herself to speak.
"I—I'll... eat them myself."
If he hadn't experienced being force-fed boxes upon boxes of snacks by her in the future, Lin Xinyu might actually have believed her. But now, he certainly didn't believe a word of it.
"Here, let me open it for you."
Before Bai Shihan could react, the snack package she had failed to open earlier due to nervousness was snatched right out of her hands by him.
Just as she was about to make a wronged expression, Lin Xinyu tore open the packaging and handed it back to her.
"I also hope that you can always be happy."
"T—then... c—can you not bully me anymore...?"
"Alright."
Bai Shihan took the snack bag and was just about to reach inside to grab a biscuit when she heard him agree, leaving her feeling a bit strange. She looked toward Lin Xinyu's direction to confirm whether he was frowning or unhappy.
"Not bullying you, but... I'm still going to court you."
"Um... huh? N—no, y—you can't do that...!"
When she first heard him say he wouldn't bully her, Bai Shihan hadn't listened too closely. By the time she processed it, she realized something was amiss.
Lin Xinyu didn't push it any further. Even extreme extroversion had its limits; going too far in the opposite direction would yield counterproductive results, which was precisely the truth here.
As for why he dared to treat Bai Shihan this way, it was precisely because the two of them had been desk mates long enough and spent enough time together that he could afford to be this thick-skinned.
If they were still strangers and he suddenly and recklessly declared that she was his wife, forget about talking—the very next step would undoubtedly be asking the teacher to move him to another corner, turning the two of them into strangers worlds apart.
Regardless of everything else, in Bai Shihan's eyes, Lin Xinyu had changed. Even though he was a bit of a scoundrel, judging from his attentive behavior in class all day, he was genuinely trying hard.
Thinking of this, Bai Shihan felt a secret surge of joy in her heart.
Days without having to smell that smoke were wonderful, not to mention that sometimes it was even mixed with the odors drifting from the restroom—an indescribable agony...
When evening self-study ended.
High schools back then were divided into boarders and day students, though most were boarders, with only a rare few whose homes were right across from the school, making their commute much more convenient. Lin Xinyu and Bai Shihan belonged to that rare minority.
Only, the Lin Xinyu of those days was too fond of playing around, missing out on many opportunities to walk home together with Bai Shihan.
In his memories, there was always a girl trailing behind him at the very back. To say she wasn't scared would be a lie, but Bai Shihan only knew Lin Xinyu in her class, so she could only walk slowly behind him until they left the school gates and the crowds thinned out, at which point she would disappear.
Thinking about it now, he really wanted to slap himself twice—what a waste of good opportunities!
"Walking together?"
Bai Shihan, who was still packing her things, paused for a moment upon hearing what Lin Xinyu said, then shook her head.
"N—no need."
She usually walked alone. Although she followed behind him, once they cleared the school gates, she would stop following...
"Really don't need to?"
"Mm."
"Then I'm heading out first. See you tomorrow."
With that, Lin Xinyu gestured for her to move aside and left the classroom under her watchful gaze.
Meanwhile, Bai Shihan sped up her movements, packed her things, stood up, and left.
On the campus grounds.
Students generally arranged to go home together, and almost everyone had a fixed group of friends to hang out with. Lin Xinyu was no exception; his buddy Fatty Kong had been waiting downstairs for a long time.