“Are you thirsty? I’ll go buy you a bottle of water, okay?”
Su Shanshan’s tone was so sweet it could give you a toothache. Ever since she heard the words “never had a boyfriend since birth,” she’d completely changed, fussing over him non-stop.
One moment she was asking if he was tired from running over, the next she was offering to accompany him since it was such a long way home.
Pei Xingyan suddenly had the illusion that Su Shanshan was like one of those old bachelors in the old days who’d finally managed to buy himself a wife, terrified that his hard-won bride would run away if he neglected her even a little.
Although he found her a bit pitiable, there was no way he’d actually sell his body for this.
“Wait—” He grabbed Su Shanshan, who was rushing toward the vending machine, his tone serious. “Let me talk to you about something first.”
Su Shanshan blinked in surprise and nodded gently.
“I don’t know what Tang Classmate told you, but you need to understand, feelings aren’t something you can buy with money… Even if I’m not exactly a professional, what I do is emotional comfort, not boyfriend rental.” He chose his words carefully, trying not to upset this somewhat unstable girl.
“Mm, mm, I don’t want a rented boyfriend. That stuff is disgusting.”
But Su Shanshan didn’t react badly at all. She actually seemed to agree wholeheartedly, nodding in approval.
Then, she turned and prepared to buy a drink for Pei Xingyan.
Pei Xingyan was a little dumbfounded. He thought he’d made himself clear. Was this girl just bad at understanding things?
Su Shanshan came back holding two bottles of Monster. She carefully opened one and eagerly handed it to him. “Moisten your throat first. If you don’t drink for too long, you’ll feel uncomfortable.”
“Uh…”
To be honest, Pei Xingyan was a little scared of that drink. He worried Su Shanshan might have spiked it, but she kept staring at him, her gaze so earnest it was almost pleading.
He had no choice but to take a small sip.
Su Shanshan beamed, then opened her own drink, clinked bottles with him, and took a big gulp.
Only then did she respond to what Pei Xingyan had said. “I know, it’s emotional comfort… But the only thing that can comfort me emotionally is having a boyfriend. I remember I already explained this clearly to that Tang Classmate, didn’t I? She guaranteed me there’d be no problem, and even said if I wasn’t satisfied, she’d pay back triple the deposit.”
She tilted her head slightly, looking a bit confused and puzzled.
Pei Xingyan recalled what Tang Xin had said—it was pretty much the same thing…
But why the hell would she sign a triple compensation contract?!!!
Damn it, what kind of person does this sort of thing?!
And this Su Shanshan, who seemed all naive and sweet, was actually pretty cunning inside. Wasn’t she just outright threatening him with those words?!
Pei Xingyan knew he wouldn’t be able to get away easily. Anyone willing to drop half a million just for a relationship definitely wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
“Are you… unwilling? Or do you… not like me?” Su Shanshan tried to ask gently, but she really wasn’t good at hiding her feelings—her hands shook so much she nearly spilled her drink.
Pei Xingyan’s mind raced. He needed an excuse that would get him through this situation without actually getting himself involved.
Suddenly, he thought of something. He quickly shook his head, showing reluctance but also a bit of embarrassment. “N-no, it’s not that I’m unwilling… But like I said, I’ve never been in a relationship before. I have zero experience. Trying something like this is really pushing it for me. I’m afraid I’ll mess it up…”
Disgusting! So disgusting! Isn’t this just being a green tea?
Pei Xingyan inwardly despised himself. Now he finally understood what it meant in those books when they talked about “selling your soul to the devil.”
But right now, this was all he could do.
People who have romantic fantasies—if you emphasize your purity, they’ll only be happier. It’s true for men, and honestly, it’s true for women too.
Just as he expected, the moment Su Shanshan heard the words “never been in a relationship,” her eyes seemed to flash with red light, and the corners of her mouth curled up uncontrollably.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. We can take it slow. I—I… I’ll go along with whatever you want. We don’t have to have physical contact for now, and you don’t even have to call me baby. Don’t be scared, I won’t do anything excessive. If you don’t want to hold hands, that’s fine too… But I really, really like you, so please don’t run away…”
She was so afraid Pei Xingyan would bolt that she kept promising him things, getting more and more flustered.
Pei Xingyan didn’t understand why she was so obsessed with him, but he could accept these terms.
So he nodded slightly, like a reserved goddess finally giving in to the persistent advances of her loyal admirer.
This response made Su Shanshan overjoyed. She let out a long breath, and in an instant, tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
She wanted to grab the boy’s hand, but seemed to remember her promise and pulled back, embarrassed.
What a classic “love is wanting to touch but holding back” scene…
Pei Xingyan could only give her a stiff smile to reassure her, feeling a bit awkward himself.
But Su Shanshan responded with a smile so bright it could light up the night sky.
Her skin was fair and beautiful, her eyes even clearer and brighter than the moon above, like a spring bubbling up from somewhere, her arched brows full of deep emotion and girlish shyness.
The curve of her lips was graceful, her face glowing, her petite nose slightly upturned, her dimples shallow, all adding to her undeniable tenderness and beauty—a beauty that could steal your soul.
But the most beautiful thing was still her smile—a genuine smile, as if she was truly facing the love of her life.
For a moment, even Pei Xingyan was a little dazed.
“Th-then I’ll see you tomorrow. It’s too late now… I sat around all day today doing nothing. Remember to come find me in the classroom tomorrow!”
She was a little embarrassed from his gaze, tossed out a line, and ran off with little tap-tap steps.
Pei Xingyan remembered her thick-soled shoes and instinctively called out, “Slow down, be careful!”
Su Shanshan turned around, waving and smiling even more brightly. She obediently slowed her pace, walking a bit, stopping a bit, looking back repeatedly, each time growing more delighted to see Pei Xingyan still watching her go.
Only after she completely disappeared into the night did Pei Xingyan finally relax, standing dazed in place for a long time.
He was stunned by such beauty, but what baffled him even more was a strange question.
Why would a girl so beautiful and wealthy use this kind of method to find a boyfriend?
And she acted like she’d fallen for him at first sight…
He really couldn’t figure it out, nor did he believe this was some sort of blessing from the heavens.
A sense of foreboding hovered in his heart.
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