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

Under the hazy moonlight, Ruan Qingqing's thoughts drifted far away, back to the days before her transformation in her previous life.

At that time, her reputation had hit rock bottom.

Due to the covert manipulation by Fu Rongjing and others, many negative rumors spread in the school about her being kept by wealthy men, being a mistress, having affairs, and even going to the hospital for abortions.

The rumors were rampant but unfounded, but her classmates stubbornly believed that she was a slut.

Prejudice is a mountain in people's hearts; once a fixed impression takes root, it won't change no matter how hard you try.

As the rumors escalated, she became a notorious figure, akin to a rat crossing the street, subjected to harassment far beyond what she had previously endured.

Every day, her seat was filled with various unknown, foul-smelling, sticky liquids, which had become a routine occurrence. Sometimes there was even excrement.

In stark contrast to her situation, Ji Mu was the complete opposite.

With top-notch looks and exceptional exam scores, his outstanding qualities made him the center of attention from the moment he enrolled.

Even after he was transferred to Jiangcheng, he was often in the headlines for winning competitions.

In the hearts of many girls, he was an unattainable dream.

If the "aloof flower on the mountaintop" was still within the reach of daydreams, then Ji Mu was like the snow on the peak of Makalu, the moon suspended among the stars in the night sky.

Someone like that didn’t inspire hope. He erased it. No one dared to fantasize they could be close to him.

Even if they wrote love letters with trembling hands, they never had the courage to send them.

Shrinking in the dark corner, Ruan Qingqing was just like most girls.

Hugging the jacket she could never return, Ruan Qingqing watched the young man on television, full of spirit and confidence, and her heart yearned... 

Again and again, she wished that the god sitting above the clouds would look her way.

Just once. Just for a moment.

…

Returning from her memories to reality, Ruan Qingqing felt a moment of disorientation.

No wonder…

She had once wondered what made this boy so compelling, what had her so enthralled in this life.

Now she understood.

She looked at the boy crouched in front of her, face like sculpted jade. Her lashes fluttered slightly, and a new light stirred in her once still, dark eyes.

"Why did you decide to wear glasses?" 

She asked softly, her tone carrying a hint of gentleness she hadn't noticed herself.

Ji Mu found her question somewhat puzzling.

"Do I need a reason to wear glasses? I just felt like it."

He helped her put on her slippers, then stood up and pushed the bowl of wontons on the table towards her.

"Come on, eat. Then go back to bed and rest."

After giving his instructions, he sat down across from her and opened his own portion.

Seeing this, Ruan Qingqing asked curiously, "You haven't eaten either?"

Ji Mu lifted his eyelids and looked at her.

"If someone could take care of themselves when they have a fever, I wouldn't have had to rush over as soon as I got off the bus."

He hadn't eaten much during the competition in another city and had planned to treat himself to a big feast when he was done.

But he hadn't expected his target to cause such a big problem.

Just hearing her faint, barely audible voice earlier had made his heart nearly leap into his throat.

After running around in a panic, he was completely exhausted.

Ruan Qingqing pursed her lips.

Although she didn't have any memories from this life, she was able to glean some information from his words.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"Stop."

Interrupting her impending apology, Ji Mu lifted a hand and rubbed his temple. "Silly goose, I'm not blaming you."

"Hmm?"

"I'm saying this because if you ever find yourself in a similar situation again, you must call me immediately."

She looked confused, so he spelled it out.

"Don't try to carry everything on your own, okay?"

"..."

Peach blossom eyes usually looked flirtatious, and Ruan Qingqing was aware of their deceptive nature.

But... she could clearly sense the sincerity in his deep brown pupils.

"I..."

"Silly goose."

The young man looked at her, his black hair falling over his delicate brow bone, his face half-lit by the moonlight, not diminishing the prominence of his features at all.

His uniquely clear and pleasant voice made even a simple conversation sound inexplicably tender and enchanting.

"I'm worried about you."

Ruan Qingqing leaned uncomfortably on the back of her chair.

The sudden unfamiliar emotion hit her heart.

It was like being trapped in a swamp for so long, caked in filth, only for someone to pull her free and wrap her in sunlight.

It was very warm, but…

She pursed her lips slightly, without much emotion.

It's too late.

In this life, I must have fallen under such an attack step by step.

What do you really want from me?

Her thoughts returned and she bit her rosy lips, seemingly troubled. "But I just want you to take care of me. What should I do~"

The soft, drawn-out ending had an indescribable charm.

Ji Mu: "......?"

As if realizing her mistake, her expression became contrite. "Sorry. I must be really annoying, always hoping that you would pay attention to me."

Ji Mu felt a bit troubled.

Why did her clinginess increase so much after she got a fever?

His stomach growled again. Could they please just eat first? The wontons were getting cold…

He sighed silently.

"Silly goose, I've never said you're annoying. Wanting to be noticed isn't wrong."

He slowed down his speech, trying to make each sentence as simple and clear as possible so she could understand.

"But can you not use this method? Because those who care about you will feel really bad knowing this."

Ruan Qingqing tilted her head.

Such a parental lecture. He sounded like an old man.

She thought that, blankly, then asked mischievously, "So, are you someone who cares about me?"

She expected him to be embarrassed and blush, or at least stammer and deny it like a typical boy.

But to her surprise, he answered seriously.

"Yes, I care."

His direct gaze did not dodge hers, and his tone carried no hint of jest.

"I care a lot."

This unexpected reaction made Ruan Qingqing's heart tremble slightly.

It was like spring cattails rolling through the long forest under the clear blue sky, bringing vibrant life to the sparse vegetation.

Clutching the hem of her skirt, she crumpled it up, momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing her duck her head, fumbling for words, Ji Mu looked away. He couldn't tell what she was thinking anymore and gave up trying to follow her sick-brain logic.

He picked up the plastic spoon and took a bite of the wonton, chewing contentedly before swallowing.

Finally, he could eat.

Indeed, when you're hungry, everything tastes delicious 😋 

But before he could take a second bite, Ruan Qingqing picked up her bowl and sat beside him.

Looking up at him, she said softly, "I want to sit here and eat with you~"

Isn't that the same as sitting across from him?

Ji Mu was puzzled, but didn't ask any further, letting her do as she pleased.

As he lowered his head to continue eating, his pant leg was suddenly lifted and something gently brushed his calf.

The warm touch at his feet caused his hand holding the plastic spoon to pause and his knee to move quietly to the side.

However, the soft sensation followed persistently, rubbing back and forth with increasing frequency.

Unable to stand the teasing any longer, Ji Mu got up from his seat.

He could see the girl's bare foot stretched out, her pink toes slightly curled.

In the face of his silent questioning, the culprit looked innocent.

"Your bowl looks so delicious~"

What was she up to now?

Ji Mu's head was about to explode.

At that moment, he truly felt like he was raising a daughter.

"Are you not very hungry? If you really don't want to eat, you can go back to your room and rest."

Ruan Qingqing shook her head, her eyes staring straight at him.

"My hands are sore~"

Ji Mu: "???"

He had no words.

"They're really sore."

She pouted, tossing in a pitiful expression to match.

"My hands don't have any strength left~"

With her soft features and sad little voice, she was born to act spoiled. Even Ji Mu found it hard to resist.

"All right, all right."

Defeated, he sighed and sat down, scooped up a wonton from the bowl and held it up to her lips. "Open up."

"Mmm~"

The girl half closed her eyes in satisfaction, her legs swinging leisurely under the table.

She took a bite and mumbled indistinctly.

"Tasty~"

Seeing her joyful expression, Ji Mu helplessly reminded her, "Your bowl."

Ruan Qingqing's expression remained unchanged as she muttered, "I don't care, whatever you feed me tastes good~"

That's a bit exaggerated.

As he continued to feed her, Ji Mu secretly grumbled.

It wasn't that he resented acting like a servant, it was just that the girl in front of him felt inexplicably different.

Ever since he bought the wontons and came upstairs, she had been acting strangely.

Whether it was her personality, the way she spoke, or even her aura, it was as if... she had become a different person.

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