Chapter 36: My View on Choosing a Partner

Shangguan Xiyue’s gaze shifted from Su Liumeng’s face to mine, finally landing with an inquisitive glint in her eyes.

It was the kind of look people gave when they were watching drama unfold—like she was trying to see right through the nature of our relationship.

“It’s getting late. You should really check the time,” I said in a sweet tone, with just a hint of playful irritation.

But the smile that had been blooming on my lips all along swept away all the gloom in Su Liumeng’s heart.

The sky seemed suddenly clearer, and even the air felt sweeter.

“Yeah… it really is late.”

Su Liumeng suddenly didn’t know what to say, mostly just feeling nervous around me.

Shangguan Xiyue quietly stepped back, tactfully giving up the spot closest to me for Su Liumeng.

But I reacted quickly and grabbed Shangguan Xiyue’s arm just as she was about to walk away.

I shot her a fierce glare.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Shangguan Xiyue reflexively glanced at Su Liumeng, who was hanging her head low, staring at the dust on the ground.

With a slightly exasperated tone, she said to me, “The student council has some stuff I need to take care of.”

She was clearly annoyed, thinking, Seriously?

You’ve got all the emotional intelligence in the world, but when it comes to this, you’re just as dense as some clueless teenage boy.

Can’t even tell what a girl’s thinking?

“What’s wrong with you? Still trying to lie to me…” I looked at her like she was some strange creature.

Who was it that came looking for me early in the morning?

If she really had anything urgent, I might as well write my name backwards.

“Who’d believe that crap?”

Faced with my deadly glare, Shangguan Xiyue’s brain instantly froze.

No way.

Girl, are you for real?

I pursed my lips in displeasure.

It wasn’t that I lacked social awareness—I just wasn’t someone who’d abandon a friend for the sake of a crush.

We weren’t even dating yet.

And even if we were, I still wouldn’t just leave a friend who came to see me hanging.

That would be so unfair.

That’s not something a decent human would do.

Suddenly, Su Liumeng lifted her head and grabbed my arm, tugging me forward.

“Didn’t you hear? She said she’s got stuff to do. Come with me—I’ll show you a cute kitten…”

“The zoo called me yesterday. They said they’ve got an adorable little cat.”

Su Liumeng secretly flashed Shangguan Xiyue a grateful smile.

In return, Shangguan gave her a subtle thumbs-up.

In just a split second, the two of them completed a silent exchange of expressions.

As Shangguan Xiyue took on the role of my “old father,” she had truly worried herself sick over my single status.

Who knew how long it would take before she saw results?

Countless sighs echoed in her heart.

*****

Half an hour later.

I held a warm cup of milk tea in my hands, staring at the Siberian tiger in front of me, my gaze slowly softening with affection.

“This…”

“Is this the kitten you were talking about?”

Su Liumeng looked a little embarrassed as well.

She tugged lightly on the hem of my skirt, pulling me away from the big tiger in case it bit me out of the blue.

“The zookeeper told me yesterday it was a cute kitten. He didn’t send any pictures, so I just…”

But I didn’t look disappointed at all.

Instead, I crouched down slowly, picking up some of the feed prepared nearby, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Can I feed him?”

Su Liumeng met my hopeful gaze.

I looked so bright-eyed and pure that it was impossible to say no.

“I think it should be fine…”

Then, without warning, Su Liumeng kicked a nearby staff member.

“Go get your zookeeper over here! If anything happens, you’re dead meat.”

Truly, a young lady of noble birth lived up to her name—the authority she carried was no joke.

Spending time with her lately had almost made me forget what kind of temper she originally had.

Su Liumeng had a habit of kicking people in the back of the foot.

The more she disliked someone, the more frequently they got kicked.

As for me, being her most “annoying” person and living under the same roof every day, I’d probably been kicked by her hundreds of times.

I blinked in mild surprise, then casually looked away.

Meanwhile, Su Liumeng’s heart was exploding in panic.

Aaaaahhh, what the hell am I doing?

Why did I let my true nature slip out again?!

People these days preferred gentle girls.

She began to worry—would I have second thoughts about her?

No, no, it’s fine! It’s not like I’ve ever kicked her before!

Besides, I should know very well what kind of person she was, right?

But then she remembered how she once pinned me down on the sofa and wrestled with me…

Her little hands gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, her whole body twisting awkwardly.

She didn’t even know how to talk to me anymore.

Yep.

Fighting— in the most literal sense.

Sometimes, she’d even bare her little tiger fangs.

Two girls around the same age, who didn’t really get along at first—how could they have never fought before?

“Xiaoyan.”

She walked up beside me, her voice getting softer and softer.

Her small hand clutched the hem of her skirt tightly, never relaxing even a little.

“What is it?”

In front of me, the Siberian tiger was drooling as I held a big piece of food, trying to figure out whether it was drooling at me or at the food in my hand.

So, I didn’t immediately feed it.

I slowly lifted my head and saw Su Liumeng’s rather sad expression.

I said, “It’s not like I’ve never seen you kick someone before.”

“You’re not a bad person by nature. You just have… a different way of expressing yourself.”

I carefully chose my words.

“Compared to others, I actually like your authenticity more—your frankness and how you don’t put on an act. At least you’re not the type to stab people in the back.”

“So, there’s no need to suppress your personality.”

“You’re… Xiaoyu. How could I possibly hate you?”

A sweet fragrance drifted toward me.

Before I could react, the girl suddenly pulled me into a tight hug.

Su Liumeng hugged me so hard she basically threw herself at me—my head ended up buried completely in her softness.

That rich, sugary scent of a young girl instantly made my mind go blank.

All I could hear was Su Liumeng’s trembling voice, full of joy:

“Uuuu… Xiaoyan, you’re so kind.”

“As expected of the person I like.”

“Why didn’t I realize before… you’re so good at taking care of people’s feelings?”

Just as I was about to push her away, I felt something cool on my cheek.

I reached up to wipe it—and only then did I realize it was Su Liumeng’s tears.

I looked up.

“You’re crying?”

“No!” Su Liumeng quickly wiped her face.

“I’m just… really happy. These past few days, I’ve been searching online for how to be a more likable girl. And then…”

Her words trailed off.

“So, when I heard what you said, I was just really, really happy. It made me feel like… I didn’t fall for the wrong person.”

She took a big gulp of air to stop her tears—her “little pearls.”

She was annoyed at herself for being so useless.

Why was it that in front of other people she could be so domineering, but in front of Xiaoyan, she fell apart every time?

Su Liumeng wiped her eyes again, her fingertips still a little cold.

Only after her mind started to clear did she realize—the position the two of us were in was extremely suggestive.

Her face instantly turned bright red.

She quickly pulled away and put some distance between us.

“S-sorry.”

The young lady stammered, trying to explain herself to me, but then she saw that I didn’t mind at all.

Instead, I stood up, took out a tissue, and gently wiped away the tear streaks on her cheeks.

“Why are you apologizing to me?”

I pouted.

“You’re being way too dramatic…”

“We’ve known each other for so many years. Isn’t it only natural that I comfort you?”

Seeing the complex look in her eyes, I felt like I should do something more.

So I gently pulled her into a hug—a soft, fleeting embrace.

This was the first time I had ever taken the initiative to hug someone.

It wasn’t filled with ambiguity or chemistry—it was more like a small gesture of sympathy.

People who are hard to reach… often love in the most humble way.

I could understand her fear and insecurity.

Because this is what love is, isn’t it?

Always feeling like we’re not perfect enough.

Maybe… no one had ever truly taught her before.

And I—what I wanted to tell her was:

Love is growing up through countless moments of feeling “not good enough.”

It’s maturing through that pressure, and even more so, it’s growing through the act of accepting each other’s flaws, again and again.

Because love is both love and favoritism.

It’s both logical… and irrational mutual understanding.

That’s the kind of love I want.

After all, people grow.

And in teaching someone else, we’re also undergoing a mutual selection process ourselves.

Otherwise, why would we call it “trying to be together”?

After agreeing to let her pursue me, I’ve also been gradually getting closer to her—wanting to see a fuller, more objective version of her.

That’s my view on choosing a partner: rational, yet romantic.