You said you hated men, why are your eyes now full of love?

The evening glow dyed the western sky a deep red, cool breezes stirring the orange and pink clouds into lavish, silken patterns.

In the blink of an eye, it was time to go home from school.

Passing by various stalls, the air was thick with the enticing aroma of food.

The vendors' cries mixed with the setting sun, painting a picture of the city's vibrant atmosphere just before dusk.

"Boss, two *jianbing guozi."

After browsing the street for a while, Ji Mu finally ended up at this snack stall.

Also, just the fact that they are filling and plentiful makes them extremely cost effective.

"Spam, pork loin, sausage, crispy intestines, and bacon."

He finally stopped, still somewhat reluctantly, after choosing five different meat options.

"Make them both the same, but one without the cilantro and the other without the enoki mushrooms."

"Sure thing."

The vendor skillfully spread the dough on the iron griddle and began to prepare the jianbing guozi.

Ji Mu stood off to the side, pulling out his phone to look up game guides to pass the time.

While he waited, someone gently tugged at the hem of his shirt.

His fingers paused on the screen and his gaze shifted to the girl, who was no taller than his chest.

She looked up at him with pleading eyes, her small, delicate fingers fidgeting with each other.

She clearly had something to say.

"What's wrong?"

"Classmate Ji Mu..."

Ruan Qingqing said quietly, "You don't have to buy one for me."

Ji Mu replied with a "Hm?" and casually slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"Don't you like it?"

"No..." Ruan Qingqing shook her head.

Actually, she liked it very much.

Every time they passed the street vendors after school, she would occasionally be tempted by the delicious food and stop for a moment.

But she would just smell the food and then go to work.

There was little money left at home to pay for her mother's medical expenses.

She had to be frugal.

"Really, I'm not hungry right now."

Money doesn't grow on trees.

Ruan Qingqing understood the value of every penny.

She also didn't want Ji Mu to spend extra money just to take care of her.

"Not hungry?"

The lie in her words was too easy to see through.

Combined with her embarrassed expression, Ji Mu could easily guess her true intentions.

"Alright, I should have just ordered one then."

He feigned innocence and showed the girl the payment screen on his phone.

"But I've already paid, and I can't ask the vendor to refund me now."

As he spoke, the vendor finished making the two jianbing guozi and handed them to him, "Here you go, be careful, they're a bit hot.

This was a rather unfortunate turn of events.

Ruan Qingqing opened her mouth, obviously at a loss for words to deal with this embarrassing situation.

"I can't eat coriander, and if no one eats this, it'll just have to be thrown away."

Ji Mu sighed regretfully.

"Wasting food is a shameful thing to do."

Upon hearing the boy's plan, Ruan Qingqing quickly grabbed the hem of his shirt.

Her delicate, well-behaved face lifted, and just as she was about to speak, the Jianbing Guozi without Enoki Mushrooms was already held in front of her.

"Can this kind-hearted, unsuspecting classmate help me out of this predicament?"

"......"

She took it in amazement.

"Hmm..."

The warm sensation of the Jianbing Guozi in her palm finally awakened her dulled senses.

He must have known that she didn't want to waste the food, so he said it like that.

Ruan Qingqing looked away and fell silent.

Her pale cheeks puffed out, making her look like a little puffer fish.

"Thank you, Clueless Classmate. You really are a living bodhisattva."

Her ears flushed as she heard the boy's earnest and sincere words of gratitude.

"You really, I'm going to cry."

"Crying～"

Ruan Qingqing's resolve broke in an instant.

She broke into a bright smile, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Not at all."

Clueless classmate, indeed.

Ji Mu tore open the package of his Jianbing Guozi and took a bite, noticing the change in the girl's mood. He chewed while asking,

"Not angry anymore?"

The smile on Ruan Qingqing's lips faded.

She fell silent again.

Swallowing the food in his mouth, Ji Mu raised an eyebrow nonchalantly.

She's getting a little cranky.

[Host, this is a good start.]

The system that prided itself on being a master of high emotional intelligence suddenly chimed in.

[You should know that the heroine has been very cautious around everyone lately, but now she's showing her little moods in front of you].

She sighed with satisfaction.

[This is the change that friendship brings!]

"Indeed."

Ji Mu's reply was short, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. The subtle changes in Ruan Qingqing's behavior were a clear sign that she was beginning to open up to him.@@novelbin@@

Actually, even without the system pointing it out, Ji Mu was well aware of the significance of these subtle changes.

Glancing at the platform sign with his peripheral vision, he noticed that the girl was still walking ahead, so he grabbed her backpack.

"We're at the station, and you're still walking forward?"

Ruan Qingqing looked up in a daze, only then did she realize her mistake.

Her face was flushed as she walked over to a bench on the platform and sat down.

She held the Jianbing Guozi in both hands and took small bites, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Ji Mu didn't tease her.

He didn't want to risk making her feel uncomfortable again.

Ji Mu's gaze shifted to the bus schedule on the sign to check how long it would take for her bus to arrive.

He didn't notice the pair of eyes that stared at him unwaveringly.

As dusk fell, the last rays of the sun had already sunk behind the distant hills.

The boy's figure was slender and tall, and the evening light cast a gentle shadow on his shoulders.

Ruan Qingqing often found herself quietly watching him from these unseen corners.

She did nothing, just silently savoring the sense of peace that welled up in her chest.

But the thought of not seeing him for the next two days...

She lowered her eyelids, her fingers gripping the Jianbing Guozi wrapper and sinking into it slightly.

Somewhere along the way, the weekends she once looked forward to the most had begun to lose their appeal.

She didn't enjoy them as much anymore.

"Two more stops and it should be here."

Ji Mu looked at the time on the bus schedule and muttered to herself.

Not bad, the bus is coming pretty fast.

"Ji Mu, do you have any plans for tomorrow?" A soft, gentle voice asked from behind him.

Ji Mu's gaze shifted away from the sign and he replied leisurely, "Not really, I'll probably just stay home and play some games.

After sharing his plans, he walked over and sat down next to the girl and asked casually,

"What about you?"

"I... plan to go to the downtown library tomorrow."

Ruan Qingqing spoke quietly.

"Next month is the second joint exam for the six schools, so I need to gather some materials and study hard."

Ji Mu nodded inwardly.

No wonder the heroine in the original story could drive several infatuated men crazy.

Her diligent and hardworking personality is indeed very attractive.

"But..."

The girl suddenly spoke in a low voice, her expression troubled.

"The downtown area is too big, I don't know how to find the way to the library."

Ji Mu was confused, "Don't you have a map on your phone?"

Ruan Qingqing avoided his gaze, her hand on her knee unconsciously tensed.

"I... can't really understand how to use it."

"I see."

Ji Mu nodded in understanding. "How about I go with you? I can help you find your way."

Ji Mu didn't hesitate.

After a moment of thought, he finally gave the answer she had hoped for.

"How about I take you there tomorrow?"

Ruan Qingqing looked up, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Really?"

Her voice was soft and full of joy.

Even though she was expecting some help, she couldn't contain her happiness.

Ji Mu replied without hesitation, "Of course.”

After all, he could stay home and play on Sunday.

"Tomorrow, I can just look at it as a chance to get some sun."

[No way!]

At that moment, the system, with its keen sense of detection, picked up the hint of a lie.

[The heroine has such good grades, there's no way she can't understand a map].

Ji Mu tilted her head, "So?"

[So...]

The system said confidently.

[She's probably pretending not to understand the map to hide the fact that she's directionally challenged!]

Ji Mu couldn't help but chuckle. Whether or not Ruan Qingqing was actually directionally challenged, he was glad that she had found a way to ask for his help. It was a small step, but it meant a lot.

Translator note: Jianbing guozi is a popular Chinese street food, a type of savory crepe often filled with eggs, scallions, and a choice of savory sauces and toppings, typically served folded into a rectangular shape.