‘How impressive…’
Shen Ran suddenly didn’t know how to respond.
Until this moment, the girl seemed to dimly understand… why Senior Mo Qingqiu had called Su Yichen a “Hunter.”
She also knew why, the moment she met Su Yichen’s eyes upon entering, she had the feeling of being seen through. Even though she had only said one sentence, he seemed to know everything.
“Yes, exactly.”
Shen Ran nodded her head like a chick pecking at rice. “That’s how it is.”
Having said that, she stood up and bowed her head toward Su Yichen. “I beg you to help me.”
“Shen Ran, there’s no need for such formal titles, nor do you need to be so polite. Sit down.” Su Yichen alternated between eating sushi and octopus balls as he spoke.
“I’m still young, not some middle-aged man in his forties or fifties.”
“You want me to help you. I can help, but you have to give me a reason.”
“You have to understand, matters of the heart… are very delicate. It’s not like the exams we usually take.”
“Problems have correct answers, but feelings don’t.”
“So this is quite troublesome. We’re just classmates. For you to ask me for this… there has to be a reason.”
“A reason for me to help you.”
“A reason…”
Shen Ran scratched her head. Her backside, which had just touched the sofa, lifted off again as she stood up.
Su Yichen didn’t rush her. Right now, Shen Ran looked like a jittery mess. In times like these, it was just like being on the toilet — the more you were rushed, the less likely anything would come out.
‘A reason…’
Other than during the college entrance exam, the girl’s mind had never turned so quickly.
‘What reason could move Su Yichen? Money? But I don’t have money… My allowance is only enough for myself…’
‘Introduce him to a girlfriend? But he’s obviously on good terms with Tong Ya, and Lizi is also his childhood friend…’
‘Lizi…’
‘Wait, Lizi…’
‘Senior Qingqiu said… Su Yichen’s grades were good enough to get into the College of Science and Engineering… yet he chose the College of Liberal Arts…’
‘That’s because Luo Yueli is in the College of Liberal Arts…’
‘Su Yichen must like Luo Yueli, right?!’
‘I’ve got it!’
Shen Ran clapped her hands and took two or three steps toward Su Yichen. Leaning her hands on the table, she said, “Su Yichen, the truth is, Jiang Jingjie likes Luo Yueli.”
“He even gave Tong Ya milk tea before, asking her to help put in a good word for him with Luo Yueli.”
“If you help me pursue Jiang Jingjie, it’s the same as helping yourself deal with a love rival.”
“If you like Lizi, I’ll even support you.”
“How about it?”
As for Jiang Jingjie liking Luo Yueli, Su Yichen already knew. He had realized it during that meeting at the snack street.
If Jiang Jingjie didn’t like Luo Yueli, he wouldn’t have made such meticulous arrangements.
Unfortunately, the young man had picked the wrong target. As a roommate, his personality seemed fine for now — actually, quite decent. It was just that Luo Yueli didn’t have feelings for him.
Su Yichen hummed in thought, appearing to be considering it.
As for the fact that he had known about Jiang Jingjie’s feelings for Luo Yueli all along… Su Yichen definitely wouldn’t tell Shen Ran.
Shen Ran watched him nervously from the side, waiting for his answer.
“Your suggestion sounds pretty good.”
Su Yichen didn’t directly answer whether he liked Luo Yueli. Instead, he focused on whether Shen Ran’s proposal was worth considering.
“Now I truly have a reason to help you.”
“Sit down. Let’s talk about this properly.”
“Mm, okay!”
The burden in her heart lifted, and Shen Ran now felt incredibly relaxed. Her voice even sounded much brighter.
She sat down on her sofa and subconsciously picked up a fork, wanting to poke one of the round, plump little octopus balls. But as the tip of the fork was about to pierce the little guy’s belly, Shen Ran’s movements paused.
She looked up and glanced at Su Yichen.
“Eat. You bought two portions of everything; I can’t finish it all anyway.”
“Hehe… thank you!”
Shen Ran offered her thanks, completely failing to realize that she was the one who had paid for all this food. She had even run the errand herself.
She skewered a ball and stuffed it into her mouth. Whether it was the promise of help or the taste of the food, the girl narrowed her eyes in happiness.
Watching all this, Su Yichen’s eyes flickered as he asked, “Shen Ran, what do you like about Jiang Jingjie?”
The sound suddenly echoing in the room interrupted the girl’s thoughts. She dithered for a moment before saying, “I… I don’t know.”
“But when you like someone, you shouldn’t need a reason, right?”
“Mm.”
Su Yichen nodded in agreement. Affection arises without knowing its origin, yet it runs deep — liking someone truly didn’t require a reason.
Love was different from hate. Love didn’t need one, but hate did.
‘Wait, hate needs a reason…’
‘If hatred value was like that, there had to be a reason for it…’
‘Tong Ya’s hatred value didn’t stem from hating me, but there was definitely a cause related to me.’
Su Yichen carefully considered how the hatred value from Tong Ya, Mu Qianqian, and Mu Xia was generated. He vaguely sensed the fundamental root of its increase…
‘Hate’ generated by himself that caused a capture target to feel that emotion… could all be counted toward the hatred value.
Because Tong Ya liked him, she would be unhappy if he got too close to other girls… thus generating hatred value. He couldn’t delve into the specific details yet, but the general direction was definitely correct.
According to the logic of the void realm, it was very likely that the trigger for each girl’s hatred value would be different.
‘Then what would Mu Qianqian’s be?’
Just then, Shen Ran’s voice interrupted Su Yichen’s train of thought. “Su Yichen? Su Yichen?”
“Hmm?”
Su Yichen snapped back to reality in an instant, quickly picking up the conversation that had just been cut off. “Liking someone truly doesn’t require logic, but how to make someone like you…”
“That does require logic.”
“Huh…?”
Shen Ran frowned in distress, looking completely lost. Clearly, Su Yichen’s words had touched upon a blind spot in her knowledge.
“I can teach you these things slowly.”
Su Yichen lightly tapped his fingertip on the table. “But before that, you have to agree to three conditions.”
“Please, go ahead. If it’s within my power, I’ll definitely do it.” Shen Ran became nervous immediately, straightening her back at once.
“Since I’m teaching you, I’m essentially your teacher. You must respect me.”
“Okay, definitely.”
“Good, that’s the first one.”
Su Yichen continued, “Second, do not act rashly. From start to finish, you must listen to me.”
“Mm.”
Shen Ran nodded. Seeing that Su Yichen’s tea was gone, she hurried forward to pour more and then asked cautiously, “Then what is the third one?”
“The third one…”
“Listen carefully, Shen Ran.”
“This is the most important requirement, even more so than the first two.”
“Okay, I’m listening carefully.”
Shen Ran sat up straight, adopting a posture of attentive listening.
“Hmm…”
Su Yichen drew out his tone this time. He pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose and slowly tilted his head back. When he looked at Shen Ran, his eyes suddenly curved, carrying a faint, shallow smile.
“Shen Ran, during the time I’m helping you, you…”
“Must absolutely not fall in love with me.”