Chapter 77: A 70% Date 4

Night had fallen, with a bright moon and sparse stars.

The roadside snack stalls had all closed up, and the once lively street now held only a few scattered pedestrians. The silence was so profound it seemed one could hear the moonlight as it poured down.

The streetlights cast a soft glow that mingled with the flickering headlights of passing cars, blending into warm halos of light.

“I’ll walk you home.”

Jiang Chi recited from memory the couple’s handbook he had studied earlier, earnestly extending the invitation. According to the guide, this gesture greatly showcased the boyfriend’s strength, and if luck favored him, the girl might even ask him to stay the night.

“No.” The girl shook her head, refusing quickly and decisively.

Walk her home?

Where to?

Ji Qingchan didn’t have a “home.” She only had Secret Base No. 1 Live Studio Rental and Secret Base No. 2 Dressing Room.

If Jiang Chi were to escort her back, her cover would be blown soon enough—after all, how could she explain the large pile of men’s clothes on the bed and sofa?

Ji Yue Nian muttered silently in her heart.

“Little white rabbit, white and pure~ Two ears standing up, loves to eat carrots and greens~ Darling~ how do you like my song?”

Ahead came a crisp female voice singing cheerfully. Both looked up involuntarily.

Before them, the pedestrian street was paved with small black and white tiles, tightly arranged in neat rows and columns, crisscrossing distinctly like a chessboard.

A lively and adorable girl skipped along, deliberately stepping on the white tiles as she bounced happily, singing with a clear voice. Her lively hopping resembled a joyful little rabbit.

Behind her was a boy who smiled all the while, slightly trailing half a step back, maintaining a protective distance—neither too close nor too far—in case she slipped.

“Be careful, don’t fall.”

“No way~ I’m the jump rope champion~”

Clearly, they were a couple—deeply in love.

Their image was a sharp contrast to the semi-couple formed by Ji Qingchan and Jiang Chi.

A gaze suddenly landed on the girl’s face. Without a doubt, Ji Yue Nian knew who it was. She turned her head to give the blue-eyed boy a warning glare.

“I’m not playing, I’m not that childish.”

Apparently fearing Jiang Chi might act rashly and forcefully carry her away again—just like that embarrassing carousel incident—Ji Yue Nian stretched out her small hand, placing it firmly in front of Jiang Chi, and said loudly, “Let’s go! I’ll walk you home!”

“You’ll walk me home?”

“If not, then what? Should we rate this date on the spot and have a passionate kiss under the streetlight, just like in pure love anime?”

“Don’t be fooled by my height of 163cm; I’m only sixteen now, but in a couple of years, I’ll definitely grow to 183! After all, I’m determined to become a domineering and strong older sister type!”

The dreadlocked girl tossed her wild braids proudly, exuding an untamed, carefree air.

“And a domineering older sister has to care for her innocent little boyfriend. If I don’t walk you home, who else will? You look so fragile; what if some street thug sneaks up and knocks you out?”

Without waiting for a reply, Ji Yue Nian grabbed Jiang Chi’s wrist firmly and led him toward a dark alleyway.

…

On the way back to Jiang Chi’s place,

Jiang Chi remained silent, neither speaking nor moving much, seemingly lost in thought.

“Jiang Chi.” Ji Yue Nian broke the quiet first, taking the initiative to start a conversation. “Do you think a semi-couple like us, who differ a little in values, can really be together? Maybe we should just break up early.”

“I like you now, and that’s enough.”

Their fingers intertwined, and the boy’s voice came again, calm and resolute as always.

The girl responded with a simple “Oh.”

Suddenly, her eyes flickered mischievously, as if struck by a cunning idea, and they brightened.

“Since you say you like me now, let me tell you my standards for choosing a partner.”

“You think love is about tolerance, about mutual adjustment, but I believe love is about growing affection over time, one side overpowering the other—man’s dominance and woman’s submission.”

“Strong, domineering, authoritative—no need for gentleness or caresses, just simple and pure possession and forced love.”

“Have you watched Love Apartment? I love what Hu Yifei said: ‘I want a man who’s either stronger than me or smarter than me. Otherwise, why should he conquer me?’”

“As for why I pursued Jiang Xuezhang before, of course it was because I like teasing innocent boys. After all, I’m set on being a domineering older sister bad girl.”

“Bad girls like to tease little boys but never really fall for them, just like humans don’t fall in love with pets. But bad girls desperately crave a stronger, even more domineering man to conquer them.”

“And I just happen to be a bad girl. My standard for a partner is a possessive bad boy.”

Ever since her “pure and cute junior” persona shattered during that drunken mishap, Ji Yue Nian had been pondering how to handle Jiang Chi.

Should she even continue this “game”?

After much thought and with Su Tian’s suggestion, Ji Yue Nian decided to keep playing.

First, because she’d invested too much to quit halfway, and second… teasing an innocent boy was quite fun.

Now, she stole a glance at the blue-eyed boy listening intently beside her. Jiang Chi seemed to savor every word carefully before swallowing it down, unwilling to miss a single detail.

A small curve lifted the corner of her mouth.

She planned to raise the difficulty for this innocent little boy, then cultivate him into a possessive, obsessive man, and after she cruelly rejected him… disappear without a trace.

The very thought of an epically upgraded Jiang Chi kneeling and sobbing in despair sent shivers of excitement through her whole body—she could barely contain herself!!

Heh heh heh!

So thrilling!!

When they reached Jiang Chi’s door,

Ji Yue Nian smoothed her unruly dreadlocks, declared she wouldn’t come inside, and waved goodbye.

“Wait.” Jiang Chi called after her.

Ji Yue Nian instinctively stopped and turned around. The next moment, she was pulled into a large embrace, the faint scent of male hormones drifting from his chest.

“Thank you for letting me see your truest self. Thank you for allowing me to accept your cleanliness obsession and insecurity. Thank you for giving me this ‘real’ date to truly examine my own heart.”

“Thank you, Ji Qingchan.”

The boy lowered his head and gently kissed the girl’s slightly flushed forehead.

“I give this date seven points.”

“Four points for you, three points for me. I know I’m not perfect, but I will try.”

Watching the blushing girl hurriedly retreat, Jiang Chi’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“I want a man who’s either stronger than me or smarter than me. Otherwise, why should he conquer me?”

He heard her voice again, uttered so strongly and dominantly, filled with lonely resentment and a desperate longing for salvation.

An orphan by birth, with no one to rely on, raised in an orphanage and forced to work through school—she had no choice but to be strong, to become a “bad girl.”

When she shouted that line, she was surely hoping for a strong, domineering man to love her—to save her.

That was Ji Qingchan.

Inside that small body lived a soul longing to be a great older sister, and even more yearning to be loved.

At least, that was how he saw it.

He felt he understood her better now and wanted to know her even more deeply.

Jiang Chi smiled softly. Perhaps now, he too had been captured like a domineering CEO hero in a novel—enthralled by the girl named “Ji Qingchan.”

He turned back, didn’t take the key out of his pocket, and opened the door directly.

The instant the door swung open, two ladies stumbled out and collapsed right in front of Jiang Chi.

“Mom, Aunt Huang, how long have you two been hiding behind the door eavesdropping?”