"Hmph, smooth talker. Anyway, today is only the first day. Let's see if you actually have what it takes to last a hundred days," Wang Qingying scoffed softly.
"Hehe, wanna make a bet? If I last a hundred days, you'll be my girlfriend," Wang Mingyu chuckled.
"In your dreams! I originally said it would take a hundred days just for me to forgive you!"
"But you only said you'd consider it, you didn't say you would definitely forgive me."
"You... you figured that out?" Wang Qingying blinked, looking somewhat in disbelief.
"Yeah, I've been listening to you carefully, after all."
"Then why did you agree to it?"
Wang Mingyu gave her the exact same answer as before, "Because I like you."
Wang Qingying stared blankly at Wang Mingyu, remaining silent for a long time.
"Shall I keep reading?" Wang Mingyu asked softly.
"Mmhmm."
"Once upon a time, there was a little duck.
The little duck was swimming in a pond. It swam and swam, but there wasn't a single friend in the pond, and it felt very lonely.
A little rabbit passed by the pond, and the little duck quickly called out, 'Little Rabbit, Little Rabbit, can you come into the pond and play with me?'
The little rabbit said, 'Little Duck, I'm sorry, I don't know how to swim, I can't play with you.'
A little cat also passed by the pond, and the little duck quickly called out, 'Little Cat, Little Cat, can you come into the pond and play with me?'
The little cat said, 'Little Duck, I'm sorry, I don't know how to swim, I can't play with you.'
Just then, a little frog came hopping along.
The little duck quickly called out, 'Little Frog, can you come into the pond and play with me?'
The little frog said happily, 'Sure!'
With that, the little frog leaped right into the pond.
The little duck had finally found a friend to play with in the water!
..."
Perhaps exhausted from the day, Wang Mingyu's soft-spoken words finally lulled Wang Qingying to sleep.
Wang Mingyu carefully closed the book, tiptoed as if ready to leave, but then walked back.
He leaned over and kissed Wang Qingying on the forehead. "Goodnight, little duck."
*Click—*
After Wang Mingyu left, Wang Qingying slowly opened her eyes.
She gently touched her forehead, a deeper blush spreading across her face as she smiled sweetly.
Wang Mingyu kissed her again, hehe.
No, no, this must be one of his tricks!
Wang Mingyu was definitely still trying to toy with her!
She was not going to fall for that blockhead!
"You're the little duck! Hmph, little frog..." Wang Qingying grumbled petulantly.
The next day.
When Wang Mingyu stepped out to go to school, he was intercepted by a Ferrari Portofino.
Wang Qingying took off her sunglasses from inside the car and beckoned to him, "Get in."
"Morning, did you sleep well?" Wang Mingyu smiled slightly and got into the car.
"Cut the chatter, be quiet in my car." Wang Qingying reverted to her usual overbearing demeanor, nothing like the previous night.
They say people become more emotional in the dead of night, and it turns out to be true.
Since they attended the same university, Wang Qingying drove the car directly onto campus.
"Thanks, love you," Wang Mingyu said, bidding farewell to Wang Qingying after stepping out of the car.
Wang Qingying ignored his sweet talk and let out a soft huff.
Wang Mingyu walked back to the classroom.
Sure enough, Jiang Feng was sitting with Mu Yunxi again, looking like they were chatting and laughing.
Lin Linyu, sitting in the row behind them, spotted Wang Mingyu and waved at him. "Over here, over here."
Wang Mingyu smiled, nodded, and walked over to take his seat. "Thanks for saving me a spot. How's your foot feeling?"
"Hmph, it's fine. Thanks to your treatment, I can just walk slowly now," Lin Linyu said with a faint smile. "Oh right, do you have any plans for this afternoon?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I wanted to walk around the neighborhood, but I'm not sure where to go."
"There seems to be a large shopping mall nearby," Wang Mingyu said after thinking for a moment.
"Then let's go see a movie!"
"A movie? Sounds good."
He remembered that mall had quite a few fun things to do.
"I want to go too! I want to go too!" Mu Yunxi, sitting in the row ahead, chimed in excitedly, raising her hand.
"Sure, you're welcome to join," Wang Mingyu nodded and said.
Lin Linyu pouted, her gaze fixed intently on Mu Yunxi.
She had originally wanted to go with Wang Mingyu alone!
"I guess I'll go too," Jiang Feng said.
Wang Mingyu nodded.
He remembered this plotline was originally supposed to be triggered by Jiang Feng; how did it end up involving him and Lin Linyu, two supporting characters, instead?
What a strange turn of events, but fortunately, it hadn't derailed the plot yet.
What was supposed to happen next again?
In the afternoon, the group headed to the mall together.
While buying tickets.
Wang Mingyu and the other two went to get popcorn, while Jiang Feng stayed behind.
"Well, well? If it isn't Jiang Feng the simp?"
"J-Jiang Feng?"
These two were Jiang Feng's high school classmates—one was a wealthy second-generation heir from the class, and the other was the school belle whom Jiang Feng used to fawn over like a total simp.
"Here to watch a movie all by yourself? Tsk tsk," the rich heir mocked.
"Heh," Jiang Feng sneered crookedly without replying.
"Jiang Feng, have you forgotten how to speak?" the high school belle asked.
"It's normal for this poor loser not to know how to talk. After all, whenever he saw you, he never spoke like a human being anyway. Hahahaha," the rich heir chimed in with further mockery.
"Oh my, tsk tsk, you still haven't found a girlfriend after graduating high school? Oh right, I forgot you're a simp. Simps can't get girlfriends, hahahaha."
When Wang Mingyu and the others hurried back, they overheard the taunts.
Mu Yunxi immediately stepped forward to defuse the situation.
Wang Mingyu simply watched quietly; sure enough, the classic face-slapping trope had arrived.
He used to quite enjoy reading these satisfying face-slapping segments.
He never expected to witness one up close this time.
"Jiang Feng, who are these people?" Mu Yunxi walked up and grabbed Jiang Feng's arm (over his clothes).
The moment Mu Yunxi stepped forward, all the women in the vicinity paled in comparison—she was the female lead, after all.
The rich heir and the high school belle Jiang Feng used to simp for were stunned.
They hadn't expected that a loser like Jiang Feng could actually hook such a gorgeous girl? How on earth?!
The rich heir gritted his teeth and demanded of Mu Yunxi, "Is this your boyfriend?"
"Yes, is there a problem?" Mu Yunxi said coldly.
"You don't know that this guy used to be a total simp?"
"A simp? Indeed, only those who fawn over the wrong person are simps. But in my eyes, he is so gentle and attentive," Mu Yunxi said with a look of pure bliss.
Yet as the words of praise left her mouth, the person she thought of first wasn't Jiang Feng, but Wang Mingyu.
The thought caught her by surprise, but the act had to go on.
Wang Mingyu watched with keen interest, grabbing a handful of popcorn and stuffing it into his mouth.
"Good show, quite entertaining."
Lin Linyu looked a bit confused, failing to understand why Wang Mingyu was acting like he was watching a movie.
Though she didn't get it, she imitated Wang Mingyu's actions anyway.
Eating the popcorn one by one, she curiously watched the lively commotion unfold.
She suddenly had the distinct feeling that they were just supporting characters.