Faced with her direct and honest confession, even the usually calm Su Ye couldn't help but feel nervous, his words fumbling slightly, "Then, are you willing to be my girlfriend?"
Qiao Ci had originally wanted to say, "We've always been boyfriend and girlfriend." But she felt it might dampen the mood, so she simply nodded with a smile, her expression exceedingly serious, like a solemn vow.
Happiness came too suddenly; Su Ye felt as if he were dreaming.
Did he just get a girlfriend?
His mind went blank. He walked back to his small private room in a daze, turned, and closed the door, needing a moment to process.
Seeing him leave in such a bewildered state, Qiao Ci wasn't angry at all. Instead, she found him even more endearingly soft and cute.
This was how it should be. Boys should be occasionally willful.
Qiao Ci reached out and cleared the bowls and chopsticks from the table, washing them in the kitchen before returning to her own room to rest.
As she reached her bedroom door, she noticed the door next door was still tightly shut. She felt a little frustrated, having expected that after confirming their relationship, her "cub" would let her hug him.
The first hour of dating.
No big hug!
Unhappy.
Meanwhile, Su Ye was sprawled on his bed. He took out paper and a pen, and his vigorous handwriting flowed onto the page.
Title: Relationship Strategy!
Below the title were numbers from 1 to 100.
The first ten numbers recorded Qiao Ci's likes and dislikes.
Numbers 20-40 were filled with notes on how to be a boyfriend and care for a new girlfriend…
The section after number 40 was temporarily blank, awaiting further additions.
This was his first girlfriend, and he felt incredibly nervous, afraid he would do something wrong, afraid he wouldn't be able to keep her, as Xu Wei had said, and she'd be snatched away by someone else.
Having always excelled academically since childhood, he was determined to be perfect in love as well.
He had to become the most devoted boyfriend, the kind Qiao Ci couldn't resist!
By the time he had prepared himself mentally and felt ready to face Qiao Ci, it was already 2 AM.
He then remembered his earlier awkwardness and felt his ears turn red with embarrassment.
He was so mortified, wondering if Qiao Ci thought he was acting strangely…
In the room next door, An Ran, having just finished her clandestine intimacy, lay in Xu Wei's strong arms, pouting with a wronged expression, "I'm not happy. My heart feels so heavy."
"What's wrong?" Xu Wei, holding a cigarette after their session, asked patiently, holding the woman in his arms.
"You confessed to Qiao Ci today. You've never confessed to me~" Qiao Ci didn't deserve for her man to confess to her. It made her furious.
"It was just to support the act. Besides, didn't I say it was a joke?" Xu Wei couldn't understand her train of thought. She had suggested he confuse Qiao Ci and implement a plan without bloodshed. Now why was she complaining?
Women, indeed, couldn't handle important matters and were prone to emotional reactions, unable to distinguish priorities.
An Ran, adept at reading people, knew her words had upset Xu Wei. She smiled and changed the subject, "What do we do next?"
"We'll play it by ear. If things really go south, we'll have to resort to the worst-case scenario. Then, I'll have to rely on you."
"Mhm, no problem."
The next morning, as Qiao Ci opened her door, she was startled by Su Ye standing there. He held a toothbrush and a cup with toothpaste already squeezed onto it, a shy, boyish smile on his face. His voice was clear and crisp, "Good morning, A'Ci. Do you want to wash up and brush your teeth?"
As he spoke, he handed her the toothbrush and a cup of warm water, "Brushing your teeth with cold water isn't good for them. This is water I boiled early this morning; the temperature is just right."
Qiao Ci took them with a strange look in her eyes. What was her "cub" up to?
After washing up, Su Ye led her by the hand to the dining table and handed her a freshly made pancake, "You must be hungry. Eat."
After Qiao Ci finished the pancake, Su Ye took a spoon and brought the simmering millet porridge to her lips, "It's not hot anymore."
Qiao Ci couldn't let him feed her spoonful by spoonful. She quickly took the bowl and finished it in one gulp.
"Why aren't you eating?" Qiao Ci felt a prickle of unease as she saw him watching her with slightly wet eyes.
Her "cub" was acting so strangely today. Had he been possessed?
Su Ye smiled indulgently, "I'll eat after you're done. That way, if you need water or anything while eating, I can attend to you promptly."
Qiao Ci was truly speechless. She pointed at herself and asked, "Me? A giant infant incapable of self-care?"
"Of course not!" Su Ye shook his head with strong survival instincts, unwilling to apply such ambiguous terms to his girlfriend. He continued, "As a boyfriend, one must take good care of every aspect of their girlfriend. That's not being an infant; that's being a treasure."
Unexpectedly, Su Ye had locked himself in his room all night and could now spout sweet nothings so effortlessly. Qiao Ci looked at him meaningfully.
"Very good." She first praised his proactive attitude, then yawned, "I'm still a bit sleepy and want to take a nap. Come over and be my human pillow."
Su Ye froze. The gentle smile he had practiced for so long almost faltered. He stammered, "You, you're still underage. This, this isn't appropriate!"
Qiao Ci couldn't help but roll her eyes, "It's just a hug. What are you thinking, baby? Isn't it reasonable for a baby to need a cuddle to fall asleep?"
Then she answered her own question, "Reasonable! So, come here, boyfriend!"
Qiao Ci pulled the clearly conflicted Su Ye into her room, her face alight with obvious joy.
Her big hug, though delayed, had finally arrived!
Su Ye didn't dare to pull away forcefully, afraid of hurting Qiao Ci. He could only half-heartedly follow her as they fell onto the bed.
Qiao Ci shifted closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, her small, tender face nestled into his shoulder. She closed her eyes contentedly.
Seeing her slowly drift off to sleep, Su Ye was caught between laughter and tears.
He was a physically normal adult man, and she truly had no defenses against him.
Afraid she wouldn't be comfortable sleeping, Su Ye dared not move, maintaining the same position, his gaze gazing tenderly at her sleeping face.
His girlfriend was so cute.
He had to take good care of her, protect her, and not let anyone bully or covet her.
When Qiao Ci woke up, it was already past ten. Her father had sent someone to call her. She asked Su Ye to go inspect on her behalf, to see if anyone was slacking off.
They left together. As soon as they stepped out, they ran into Xu Wei from next door.
Seeing Qiao Ci, he immediately smiled and said, "Are you going to Uncle Qiao's too? Let's go together."
"It's not on the way. I need to take my boyfriend somewhere else first." Fearing Su Ye might feel jealous, Qiao Ci decisively changed their route.
"Is that so? Then I'll see you in the meeting room later." Xu Wei gave Su Ye a provocative glance and turned to leave.
Seeing how popular Qiao Ci was, although Su Ye felt honored, he couldn't help but feel a sense of insecurity. "You didn't say you were taking me earlier. Why the sudden change of plans?"
"Why else? Of course, I want to spend more time with you~" Qiao Ci didn't hold back, sweet words flowing effortlessly from her lips. "Besides, I don't like traveling with strangers."
The word "stranger" clearly pleased Su Ye. He smiled brilliantly in the sunlight, his eyes crinkling, his expression soft and cute, like a large Samoyed.