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

Time waits for no one.

The sands of time slipped by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the six-school joint examination had arrived.

Ruan Qingqing double-checked all her exam essentials and, after receiving her mother's encouraging words, left the house to catch her bus.

She was lucky—her assigned test center was at Yulan High School.

It must be said that Ji Mu's one-on-one tutoring had helped a lot these past few days. Her grasp of the material was noticeably stronger than before.

When she entered the exam hall, her nerves weren’t as intense as she had expected. Maybe it was because of what Ji Mu had said yesterday, but the moment she received the test paper, a surprising calm settled over her.

It's okay. I've reviewed everything. I even crammed for the subjects I'm weak in. So it’' okay, Ruan Qingqing. Just do your best on the exam!

She took a deep breath, steadied her rhythm, and focused her gaze.

You can do it...

Silently cheering herself on, she picked up her pen, leaned over the desk, and began answering questions with full concentration.

The room was quiet. All around her, students buried their heads in their papers. Only the soft scratching of pen tips broke the silence.

For each test that followed, Ruan Qingqing kept her focus sharp. Even when exhaustion crept in, she pushed through, determined not to make a single mistake.

Time seemed to fly. It felt like an invisible hand was pushing the clock forward.

When the final exam bell rang, she set down her pen and slowly exhaled. The tension she'd been holding in finally eased.

Finally... it's over.

Regardless of the outcome, she had given her all.

Therefore, I have no regrets.

...

Outside the school gates, the streetlamps were already on. The setting sun melted into the horizon, clouds glowing with the last light of day. Ruan Qingqing felt strangely detached from the world around her, like she'd just returned from another life.

It was probably because she always spent a long time reviewing and checking her exam papers after finishing them, which made her late every time.

By the time the bell signaling the end of the exam rang through the classroom, most of the other students had already turned in their papers and left.

Is it... that late already?

Groups of people passed her by. The streets buzzed with cars and voices. The evening breeze carried fallen leaves down the road as she walked alone toward the bus stop.

Vendors called out from their booths as she passed, but she didn’t pay them any mind. She just wanted to get home, soak in the tub, and let the warm water wash away the day’s exhaustion.

In the twilight.

Alone in the crowd, she felt oddly out of place.

But when a familiar figure caught her eye, Ruan Qingqing's steps stopped.

Just one glance was enough to recognize the boy standing there, head down, staring at his phone. His posture was more relaxed than usual, not as straight-backed, but it didn't feel careless… just natural.

She placed a hand on her chest and felt her heart pound like a drum for a moment. The emptiness and loneliness that had filled her heart quietly disappeared.

It was a surprise. A happy one.

He seemed to sense her gaze and looked up, his face framed by those oversized glasses.

"Finished the exam?"

Ji Mu put down his phone and raised his hand in greeting, "I've been waiting for you for a long time."

"Mu Mu!" A smile broke out on her face, and Ruan Qingqing hurried over to him, light on her feet. "Why did you come?"

"I just felt like coming. What, are you not happy to see me?" Ji Mu half-joked, noticing her reaction.

Ruan Qingqing gave him a playful glare. "Of course I am."

She hadn't expected him to wait for her, especially since their test locations were far apart. Given his usual laid-back personality, he should've gone straight home after finishing his test.

But she couldn't deny that she was indeed very happy. Happier than eating a sweet piece of candy.

"You must be tired after a full day of exams." Ji Mu slipped his phone back into his pocket. Seeing that she looked worn out, he made a suggestion.

"Why not rest today and go to your part-time job tomorrow?"

"I already told the manager this morning before the exam that I'd be taking the day off," she replied obediently.

"Oh? Predicting the future now?" Ji Mu looked at her with mock admiration. "Not bad, silly goose."

"I’m not!" Ruan Qingqing puffed up her cheeks.

Honestly, teasing me again.

[Oh, oh, oh, not at all~?] the system drawled mischievously. Something felt strange.

Why do I feel like they're acting like a couple?

Is this reasonable?

The system's advanced intelligent brain couldn't figure it out.

Could this be what friendship at its highest level looks like?

Ummm.

Forget it, too lazy to think about it.

What evil intentions could a kind and innocent silly goose have?

[To be honest, the female lead is really cute like this😋.]

Ji Mu: "..."

Not in this barbershop!

"Mu Mu." Her voice was soft. "How long were you waiting?"

"Not too long. I don't really remember." He gave a vague answer, not wanting her to feel burdened by the truth.

"Why do you ask?" he added.

Ruan Qingqing pursed her lips, having caught on. "I just wanted to know..."

She didn't push further and shifted the subject. "I thought you'd ask how my exams went."

"What's there to ask?"

"Huh?"

"I think with your ability, you'll definitely do well this time," Ji Mu said lazily.

Ruan Qingqing giggled. "The exam results aren't even out yet."

She felt a little embarrassed by the praise.

"Mu Mu, you have so much faith in me."

To her surprise, the boy nodded seriously. "Yes."

Ruan Qingqing blinked, caught off guard.

He leaned casually against the street railing, backlit by the lamplight, his figure melting into the dusk.

He tilted his head up slightly, his voice came soft and gentle, unlike his usual lazy tone.

"Because in my heart, the silly goose is the best girl."

Under the orange glow of the streetlamp, light bloomed outward in soft halos.

It filled the empty little space inside her heart.

Maybe the most moving words aren't flowery declarations or expensive gifts.

Maybe it's the quiet exceptions and the way someone thinks of you, even without realizing it.

"Mu Mu..." Her eyes shimmered as she looked at him. She hesitated, voice barely above a whisper. "Can... I hug you?"

???

Men and women should maintain some distance, right?

Ji Mu decided to use the delaying tactic. "Next time for sure."

But she slowly stepped forward, then threw her arms around him before he could protest.

"Just for a little while, okay?" she mumbled, voice soft and pleading.

"..."

He stared down at her clinging to him in silence.

Since you're already hugging...

It's not like you'll let go if I say no.

"...Fine, go ahead," he said at last, resigned.

He knew what she was like.

And besides, he'd never been the type to enjoy physical contact. Even as a kid, he avoided people, was indifferent to good looks, and only ever cared about money.

After he grew up and left the orphanage, experiencing hardships along the way, his desire to earn money and live a relaxed life had only gotten stronger.

Therefore, he wasn't very used to or fond of such intimate contact with people.

But he also didn't want to embarrass her, so he just endured it.

"Just for a little while, okay?" Ji Mu added.

Any longer would be unacceptable.

"Got it~" Ruan Qingqing tightened her arms around his slim waist and closed her eyes.

Her porcelain cheek pressed against his chest, breathing in the clean scent that clung to him.

It smells so good...

A sigh slipped out from every pore.

It was unbelievably comforting. Like something deep inside her had been triggered. Every time they hugged, her body and heart were overwhelmed with pleasure.

Ruan Qingqing knew that something was wrong with her.

Ever since their first hug, things had been getting out of hand.

But so what?

She was an insatiable demon, after all.

Every lonely night, she thought of him just to fall asleep.

She wanted to strip away all barriers between them, to share something primal and burning.

She wanted him to look at her with love and hunger.

She wanted his pale, clean skin stained and tainted.

She wanted him to never leave.

She wanted... to be the only one in his world.

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