“Xi’er, I like you—”
Jiang Xiao cupped his hands around his mouth, his shout echoing out louder than the cheers of the Drama Club members moments ago.
But Song Qiuyu was suddenly stunned.
“Xi’er, I like you!”
He shouted again.
“Xi’er, let’s get back together—!!”
Several voices overlapped, each one louder than the last, their echoes swirling through the night, carried far by the wind, endlessly reverberating in the sky.
Even the trees on the hillside seemed captivated by his earnestness, swaying their branches and shaking their leaves, applauding for him.
Song Qiuyu’s breath caught.
She stared wide-eyed in a panic, countless emotions flooding her heart, and in the end, she only rushed to cover his mouth.
She had to stop him!
Even though, most likely, no one else could hear now, she still didn’t want to see him lost in this self-indulgent affection.
Most importantly, she was a little afraid… afraid that she might waver because of this.
But Jiang Xiao was quicker and caught her hand.
Then he looked at her with a gentle smile and said softly, “Xi’er, have you decided how to answer me?”
“We can only be…”
Song Qiuyu stared at Jiang Xiao, and after two breaths, she pressed her lips together, bit down hard, and spoke harshly.
“Think carefully before you answer.”
Jiang Xiao’s smile faded slightly as he spoke earnestly.
“Although I don’t want to put too much pressure on you, sometimes, I want you to feel a little pressure. After all, you’ve lied to me for Six Years.”
The moment she’d been dreading had finally arrived, and deep inside, Song Qiuyu felt a surge of guilt and remorse so intense she could hardly breathe.
“If you reject me now, although I won’t want to…” Jiang Xiao squeezed her slightly curled fingertips, his voice slow and deep.
“But you have to be ready for my ruthless revenge.”
“Uh….”
Song Qiuyu’s delicate face turned pale.
Jiang Xiao lowered his eyes to her, and seeing her lashes tremble in fear, her small hand shaking uncontrollably in his grip, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
She really did look pitiful.
“I’ll punish you by making you eat my cooking every day, so you’ll get all chubby and healthy, punish you by having to wear the clothes I buy, letting me dress you up pretty every day, punish you…”
Jiang Xiao squeezed her soft little hand.
“Every day you have to be happy, cherished by me, and I’ll even punish you by making you play games with me every single day!”
At this, Song Qiuyu stopped trembling, fell silent for a moment, then lifted her head to look at Jiang Xiao, doing her best to steady her mood.
“Heh. Jiang Xiao, let me tell you a secret.”
Jiang Xiao could more or less guess what she wanted to say, so he waited in silence.
“I’m not the fake intersex you think I am. My situation is far more complicated than you can imagine!” The pure and adorable girl pressed her lips together, her gaze meeting his firmly, her expression full of resolve.
Jiang Xiao listened patiently, and the more he heard, the more the pain in his eyes threatened to overflow.
The confusion in his heart finally cleared up, but getting the answer only made it heavier.
His so-called love felt like a blade, stabbing both himself and her.
If they hadn’t already known this was love, there would have been no way to end things peacefully, nor would they have any future.
“So even if I lost my mind and agreed to you, we wouldn’t do this or that!”
Song Qiuyu declared with ironclad resolve, her tone even firmer.
“At best, we’d just be Platonic, like Plato, respectful and proper. I wouldn’t have your children—not even hold your hand!”
Jiang Xiao glanced at the little hand he was holding but said nothing.
In Song Qiuyu’s imagination, she was a ferocious lion roaring defiantly, but in his eyes, she was just a cute Mother Cat mewling for warmth.
“What’s the point of having such a pretty vase sitting at home, Jiang Xiao!”
Hearing this, Jiang Xiao thought for a while, then let go of her hand and hugged her tightly.
“Mm!”
The sudden warm embrace made Song Qiuyu’s mind go blank, and all the lines she’d prepared vanished.
“It’s very meaningful.”
Jiang Xiao playfully twirled a strand of her hair and laughed beside her ear.
“Don’t think that just because every time I see you I want to hug and kiss you and feel that ache, but you know, I’m pretty innocent at heart.”
At this moment, Song Qiuyu clearly felt Jiang Xiao’s body giving her a more honest answer, and her body instantly stiffened.
Jiang Xiao might be pure, but little Jiang Xiao was not.
“Platonic is fine too!”
Jiang Xiao patted her on the back of the head. “As long as you’re willing to let me be your Boyfriend, I’m already happy.”
Song Qiuyu gritted her teeth. This was blatant trickery! She refused to believe this nonsense!
How could someone satisfied with being a Boyfriend ever accept a Platonic relationship? Even among ten thousand, you wouldn’t find a single one.
Besides, Jiang Xiao, who knows how many times you’ve comforted yourself with my White Silk Leg Photo!
If you have the guts, look into my eyes and swear again, hand on your heart!
But Jiang Xiao was serious.
Now that he knew her reason for turning into a girl was unnatural, and understood her worries, he realized one thing.
What mattered now wasn’t doing those things, but helping her feel at ease, so she could truly see him as her safe harbor, not just—
Not just a hell full of pressure.
“So now, I’ve shared this secret with you, and from now on, treat this Boyfriend of yours as your emotional trash can.”
Jiang Xiao let go of her—he really wanted to see her face.
“You can come vent to me anytime, no need to run here alone and shout anymore.”
Song Qiuyu seemed to accept this, her eyes red and her wavering expression obvious.
But then she said again, “Let’s just be Brothers!”
…..
Xi’er, you… you really are something.
Jiang Xiao stared into her eyes.
Song Qiuyu felt guilty, not daring to meet his gaze.
Even with a heart as hard as stone, today it was close to being pierced full of holes.
This anxious, chaotic feeling was unbearable.
“Alright then, let me put it another way.”
Jiang Xiao grew serious, grabbing her small, delicate shoulders.
Song Qiuyu’s slender body trembled twice, fear overtaking her.
“This is a reward you’ve owed me for Six Years—you have to make it up to me!”
Jiang Xiao’s words instantly reminded Song Qiuyu of being pressed on stage, making her feel weak all over.
Six Years…
In the end, she was going to become Jiang Xiao’s…
“So.”
Jiang Xiao looked at her helplessly, yet a trace of anticipation appeared on his face.
“Be my girlfriend for one week. During these Seven Days, you have to act like you really love me. For someone with your acting skills, it shouldn’t be too hard.”
“?”
Song Qiuyu was dumbfounded.
She was so shocked that his words went in one ear and out the other, and she just stood there in a daze.
“I want you to keep lying to me.”
Jiang Xiao gently shook her twice, bringing her mind back to reality.
“After the week is over, I won’t bother you anymore. We’ll still be classmates, friends, Roommate—pure as snow.”
If Song Qiuyu had a beard, she’d be blowing it in rage right now!
She wanted to report Jiang Xiao for open fraud—he was tricking her over and over! After agreeing to be his girlfriend, how could things remain pure?
Seven Days was enough for all sorts of impure things to happen.
And who knew if he’d stop pestering her after those Seven Days?
Although… although she’d lied too, and her lies were even worse, lasting even longer…
Guilt surged up. She bit her lip, hesitated, then finally looked up at Jiang Xiao with a look of determination.
“Alright, but…”