Today in Northwater City, a gentle breeze blew, carrying a perfect measure of tenderness.
The breeze brushed against Chu Xiaoxiao’s cheeks, slightly dispelling her wandering thoughts and sobering her up a little.
“Want to go shopping together? Buy some things?” As soon as the words left Chu Xiaoxiao’s mouth, she instantly pictured the scene from a romance movie: two people walking hand in hand under the sunlight.
‘Is this… a date? It must be, right?’
Thinking this, Chu Xiaoxiao, who had zero dating experience, immediately pulled out her phone and sent a message to her most trusted person—her maid, Su Qingwan.
Chu Xiaoxiao: My friend is about to go shopping with that guy who used to chase her. What should my friend do? Any dating tips?
Chu Xiaoxiao: Urgent, reply quickly.
Chu Xiaoxiao: (*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ)
On the other end of the screen, Su Qingwan frowned slightly. She had been Chu Xiaoxiao’s personal maid since she was twelve years old. In her daily life, she could count on one hand the number of boys she’d spoken to—let alone gone on a date with. She didn’t have any tips to teach her young lady.
So the moment she received Chu Xiaoxiao’s message, Su Qingwan opened Doubao AI.
“Doubao, Doubao, a friend of mine is about to go on a date with the guy she has a crush on. How should she make him fall for her again?”
The AI was silent for two seconds, then began its cliché response.
Doubao: User asks for tips on rekindling a crush on a date. Analysis suggests: first naturally showcase your own strengths, then approach moderately…
Su Qingwan glanced at it, immediately long-pressed to copy, made a few edits, and sent it to her young lady.
Su Qingwan: Young Lady, I think you can first show off your strengths. When he’s attracted to your strengths again, you can show a little kindness.
Su Qingwan: Of course, Young Lady, you can also do what I said before—talk about his hobbies, participate in things he loves, gradually melt the ice and deepen the bond.
Su Qingwan: Go for it, Young Lady! ❛‿˂̵✧
Chu Xiaoxiao carefully read the reply, murmuring to herself: “Show my strengths… participate in his hobbies?”
She suddenly realized the reply was directed at her.
Chu Xiaoxiao quickly replied: Why are you cheering me on? I was talking about my friend. Don’t get the wrong idea.
“The young lady is so cute.” With nothing else to do, Su Qingwan stretched after reading the message, tossed her phone aside, and started watching TV.
“Honestly, fussing over dating tips isn’t necessary at all. If you like someone, just confess directly—that’s all.”
Chu Xiaoxiao wanted to argue further, but by then she had already reached the school gate. Ling Cheng was calling a rideshare.
She suddenly realized this was her chance to shine.
“It’s okay, ride in my car. My car is fast.” Chu Xiaoxiao tried to act casual.
“Thanks, I’ll shamelessly take you up on that then.”
Seeing his nonchalant reaction, Chu Xiaoxiao felt a little disappointed.
‘Doesn’t my car even impress him? Don’t boys love cars and stuff?’
Her car was even better than that strange woman’s from the other day. She was clearly more attractive.
But Ling Cheng’s mind wasn’t on the car at all. He didn’t know anything about cars—good or bad. Since childhood, he only cared about games and esports. Right now, all he could think about was that after ordering five more dynamic CGs, his funds were running tight. What was he going to do?
So after getting in the car, he furrowed his brow, wondering if he had another chance to push his satisfaction rate with Lin Wanfeng.
After all, the next bonus tier was a full thirty thousand yuan. With another thirty thousand, he could solve both the remaining voice acting and the game’s music issues.
In the driver’s seat, Chu Xiaoxiao glanced at Ling Cheng in the passenger seat.
Seeing his slight frown, a thought struck her.
‘Could it be… he’s embarrassed? He used to like me so much, and I kept rejecting him. He was already insecure and hurt. Now I’m driving this luxury car—that just reminds him of the gap between us, making him retreat even more.’
Chu Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly. ‘Trying to please someone is really hard.’
But this guy Ling Cheng had persisted for three whole months…
Every day he sent me messages, brought me flowers, or gave me homemade pastries.
And I just found him annoying. Looking back now, I must have really broken his heart.
Thinking this, she tentatively spoke: “Hey, Ling Cheng. That time I threw your gifts on the ground…”
Since he had given up on the mission with Chu Xiaoxiao, Ling Cheng naturally wouldn’t do those things anymore. But he hadn’t officially closed that chapter, so he spoke up.
“Don’t worry about it. I was just being foolish. I won’t do anything like that again to bother you.”
“Huh?! You… won’t do it again?” Chu Xiaoxiao tried to control her emotions, but her nose still tingled.
‘The cookies he made by hand, the cakes, the chocolates… I never even got to taste a single one.’
‘I threw all his feelings onto the ground like garbage.’
‘I don’t know what this painful feeling inside me is called, but I don’t want Ling Cheng to distance himself from me.’
‘I have to make him feel my importance again, and bring him back.’
After Ling Cheng finished buying equipment, Chu Xiaoxiao mustered her courage: “Ling Cheng, want to go to the mall together? I know a really good clothing store.”
She wanted to have a stylish suit custom-made for him—a small compensation, even if it was insignificant compared to the hurt she caused.
Ling Cheng checked the time. It was already four in the afternoon. This young lady actually wanted to go clothes shopping?
‘Once women start shopping, it’s terrifying. At the same clothing store, they won’t leave without trying on at least five outfits and spending over half an hour. If that happens, how will I have time today to test out my new equipment? No, I can’t let her shopping addiction delay my game development time.’
Ling Cheng looked at the newly acquired professional sound card and other gear. He couldn’t wait—he wanted to drag Chu Xiaoxiao back to the club activity room right now to do voice recording. “No need. Let’s hurry back. It’s already late.”
“But that store is really good! You’d look amazing in a suit from there.” Chu Xiaoxiao tried again.
Ling Cheng recalled the horror of being dragged around clothing stores by his mother as a child. Even after he’d already chosen an outfit, she’d force him to try on more—over and over. Childhood weekends were wasted like that.
He absolutely would not let that tragedy repeat, especially now when all he wanted was to test the new equipment.
‘Going shopping with a woman? Is that even half as important as making a game?’
With that thought, Ling Cheng grabbed Chu Xiaoxiao’s hand. “Come on, Young Lady. Let’s try out the new sound card. I need your voice.”
‘He needs my voice?’ The moment her hand was held, Chu Xiaoxiao froze like a doll, her legs too weak to move.
‘So Ling Cheng didn’t want to go to the mall with me, didn’t want me to buy him clothes—because he doesn’t love my money. He only cares about me.’
‘Those girls from high school who hung around me only ever asked me to buy them things. They treated me like an idiot. But Ling Cheng is different.’
‘He likes me so purely. He needs me.’
Thinking this, Chu Xiaoxiao lowered her head and let Ling Cheng lead her back.
If Su Qingwan were here, her jaw would have dropped. Because her young lady hated it when anyone touched her without permission. And now she was actually holding hands with this guy, Ling Cheng!