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

The sky was a clear blue.

Maybe it had rained last night.

The damp air had driven away most of the heat, and a cool breeze brushed against their faces, bringing more people out for an after-dinner stroll.

"I must say that the tomato shrimp with scrambled eggs at this restaurant is the best. I noticed that a lot of people go there just for that dish."

Inside the downtown library, Ji Mu talked about the lunch dishes.

"Although it's a bit expensive, the taste is really worth it."

As she sat by the window and looked at the boy in front of her, Ruan Qingqing's eyes were gentle.

The sunlight was just right, and the sound of flutes and zithers could be heard from the forest.

Soothing light music echoed in the room.

In a secluded corner, with no one around, they chatted about their daily lives in voices only they could hear.

Neither of them found it boring or tedious; they simply let time pass quietly by the window.

She suddenly wished that time could slow down.

If only this moment could be frozen, how wonderful that would be.

"Let's go there again next time we have a break."

The boy's voice pulled Ruan Qingqing out of her thoughts.

"What do you think?"

The afternoon light slanted through the window.

He maintained a posture with his chin propped up, exuding laziness.

He was like a cat taking a nap.

Her gaze fell on his rosy lips and she quickly looked away as if burned.

"Mm, okay."

"Alright, it's settled then."

They hastily arranged another meal together.

Ji Mu lay listlessly on the table, his eyes squinting behind his glasses.

He had stayed up until four in the morning, and the music in the library was like a lullaby, making him want to take a nap.

The boy's tiredness was too obvious, and Ruan Qingqing couldn't help but worry. "Classmate Ji Mu, you look very tired."

"A little, mostly because I sleep lightly and the noise from upstairs always wakes me up at night."

He told a small lie and leaned forward into a more comfortable position.

"What about you, silly goose? You seem so energetic. Did you sleep well last night?"

Last night?

Ruan Qingqing's breath caught in her throat.

Remembering the absurd thing she did in the first half of the night, she stammered, "It was... okay..."

Ji Mu didn't notice her guilt; he was too tired to care.

"Really? I'm so jealous of you for having such a good night's sleep." He buried his head in his crossed arms, his lazy tone drawn out.

"But knowing you, silly goose, even if you couldn't sleep, you'd probably spend the time studying, right?"

Hearing this outrageous praise, Ruan Qingqing was dazed for a moment.

"Really...?"

"Yes."

Ji Mu yawned continuously.

The sleepiness in his mind deepened, and his consciousness became hazy.

"I can't take it anymore, I'm really tired. I'm going to take a nap first. Remember to wake me up when you're done with the review."

With this last reminder, his drooping eyelids closed completely.

As he was about to enter a dream where he would discuss philosophy with Zhuang Zhou, he didn't notice the unusual behavior of the person sitting across from him.

The girl pursed her pink lips slightly, her expression showing a complex emotion that was hard to decipher.

My... personality?

Yes, in his eyes, she had always been the image of a hardworking and serious good girl.

After all, how could someone so introverted do something that contrasted so starkly with her pure appearance?

But...

Ruan Qingqing's eyelashes dropped and her thoughts became unclear.

Most people are born with two sides.

Who would know if the side hidden underneath the facade of hypocrisy is far more malicious than the harmless appearance they present now?

Just as she never admitted to being a good person.

Her true self might be dark, or perhaps violent.

Or maybe she harbored the purest malice towards men...

The negative emotions accumulated in her heart were too many, and even she couldn't guarantee what she would eventually become.

But there was one thing she could be sure of...

Her gaze lingered on the boy, and Ruan Qingqing's expression became exceptionally gentle.

No matter what, she would never harm Ji Mu.

He had always been a special being to her.

He was a ray of light suddenly thrown into her world of darkness.

He was the most memorable part of the passing years.

She didn't know the name of this wonderful feeling.

It was as if an invisible net was holding her in place; one foot had just stepped outside the circle, but she hesitated, afraid of hurting herself, and anxiously delayed making a decision.

Undeniably, she wanted to get closer to him.

It was as if a voice from the depths of her soul said:

Close the distance between you, closer...

Outside the window.

The morning sun filtered through the cracks, casting mottled shadows of the trees on the table.@@novelbin@@

The boy in her sight was asleep, his head resting on his arms, his fluffy hair bathed in the fragmented shadows of the leaves and his pale arm covered in a hazy glow.

She leaned down, carefully bringing her face closer.

She gently inhaled the scent of his hair.

The clean and pleasant scent lingered around her nose as she listened to the sound of her heart beating faster in her chest.

'.....'

'Ji Mu, if one day you discover my true personality.

Please... please don't leave me, okay?

The melodious and cheerful melody played in the library, with a soft sigh flowing into it.

The murmurs were almost like sleep talk, mixed with an obsession she hadn't even noticed herself.

————

Noon passed in an instant.

Ji Mu felt like he was dreaming.

In the dream, he was resting on a soft white cloud, and a gentle breeze blew across his face, tickling him slightly.

From time to time, he could smell a faint, elegant fragrance, which made him feel like he was in a violet heavenly garden.

It was wonderful and strange.

As if that wasn't comfortable enough, he turned over and buried his face in the cloud.

A delicate, smooth sensation touched his lips, and he instinctively took a light bite, finding it as soft as jelly.

"Mm..."

The intrusive action caused the cloud to tremble slightly.

A girl's soft gasping sounded above his head.

Huh?

A girl's voice?!

Ji Mu suddenly realized that something was wrong.

He turned around and opened his eyes to see the girl's cheeks flushed red, her beautiful eyes looking at him with a shimmering light like autumn water.

"Silly goose?"

The drowsiness in his mind vanished instantly, and he immediately sat up from his lying position.

"Was that... a lap pillow?"

Noticing that she was sitting on the inside of the bench, and remembering where he had just been lying, Ji Mu understood.

Ruan Qingqing nodded shyly.

"I saw that you were very tired, Classmate Ji Mu, so I thought this might help you sleep more comfortably."

Hearing this, he rubbed his neck.

There was no pain like after sleeping too long in class, and his arm wasn't numb.

No wonder he slept so soundly and peacefully.

"Thank you," Ji Mu said sincerely.

"It's... it's nothing."

The girl didn't dare to look at him, her face still flushed with a lingering blush.

"Have you finished the review?" A glance showed the closed book on the desk, and Ji Mu asked casually.

"Yes."

Her skirt had risen slightly from her earlier use of his lap as a pillow.

"I finished the entire set of practice problems today."

The girl shifted her weight, leaning forward slightly as she propped herself up on her slender arm.

Her skirt slid up a little more with the movement, revealing a hint of thigh, like a flake of snow, creamy and dazzling.

Beneath long, curling lashes, a pair of bright, joyful eyes looked over.

"Isn't it amazing?"

There was an inexplicable seductive undertone to the direct gaze.

It made the system on the side feel parched just from watching.

As expected from the female lead in a romance novel, the unintentionally pure allure she exuded was too tantalizing. Even a saint would find it difficult to resist.

Instinctively, he glanced at Ji Mu.

However, Ji Mu, feeling uncomfortable with the girl's sudden closeness and lack of boundaries, shifted slightly to the side. "Yes, it's amazing."

System: [......]

You have more self-control than Liuxia Hui!

"Since we've finished the review, let's get ready to go back."

Ji Mu stacked the borrowed books into a pile as he spoke and prepared to get up. "I'll return the books."

"No need, Classmate Ji Mu." Ruan Qingqing reached out to stop him.

"How could I bother you with such a small task? I'll do it."

"Hmm?"

With his fingers casually resting on the books, Ji Mu asked, "Didn't you just give me a lap cushion? Aren't your legs numb?"

The girl shook her head, still looking soft and obedient.

"It's okay, I can do it."

Seeing her insistence, Ji Mu let go.

He moved his legs out from under the table to the narrow passageway and motioned for her to go first.

"Go slow, don't fall."

"I-I won't."

Holding the books in both hands, Ruan Qingqing stubbornly stood up and took a few steps to prove herself.

However, the numbness in her thighs made her legs suddenly give way, and she struggled to keep her balance.

The unexpected incident caused her to scream in panic as she stumbled backwards uncontrollably. A strong, swift hand reached out to steady her.

Several books fell to the floor with a "crash".

"Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"

"No..."

Ruan Qingqing buried her head in shame, her voice barely audible.

At that moment, she found herself in an ambiguous position, falling into the boy's arms.

Her hands pressed tightly against his chest, the thin short sleeves offering no barrier. Through the slight obstruction, she could clearly feel the firm muscles of his chest.

Thump, thump, thump-

Her heart raced wildly.

"Tha..."

She raised her hand to thank him, but the messy strands of hair falling across her forehead obscured her vision.

In her moment of confusion, a slender hand gently ran through her hair, brushing the loose strands aside and tucking them behind her ear.

Her blurred vision cleared, and the young man in front of her clicked his tongue slightly.

"I told you to be careful."

To avoid disturbing others who were reading, he dragged out the end of his sentence.

"Don't be so stubborn next time. What if you really get hurt?"

His warm breath brushed against her ear as he spoke.

The originally lazy tone of his voice now carried a hint of tenderness and intimacy.

"Be a good girl, okay?"

His tone didn't sound teasing or commanding.

It felt more like... coaxing.

Ruan Qingqing felt half of her body go numb to the bone.

In order not to show any signs of weakness, she mustered all her strength to move from the boy's lap to the side.

"I'll bring the books back. Just sit here and wait for me." Ji Mu crouched down to pick up the books and then walked towards the counter.

He did not know how much his words and actions had stirred up a storm in her heart.

Ruan Qingqing was half lying on the table.

A cool touch pressed against her forehead, trying to quell the burning heat in her cheeks.

But the memory of the intimate moment caused a fresh wave of red to spread across her skin, as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her face.

This always happened, how could someone so easily disturb her peace of mind?

What a rotten bastard you are, she thought. It just wasn't fair.