Chapter 3

I gathered my courage and looked him in the eye.

“How did you know I’m afraid of the dark? And that I like sugar-roasted chestnuts?”

So Yi looked back at me. A few seconds later, he smiled.

“So Ying mentioned two years ago that you’re afraid of the dark.”

“As for the chestnuts…”

The amusement in his eyes deepened.

“When I was in college, there was a famous shop that sold sugar-roasted chestnuts near campus. Every time I came home on break, So Ying would call and ask me to buy her a few bags.”

“She doesn’t even like that chewy, sugary stuff. The only person I could think of who’d make her care that much was you.”

“Le Qian, you’re So Ying’s best friend.”

You’re So Ying’s best friend…

But I wanted to be her sister-in-law.

For some reason, those two thoughts popped into my head together.

I started and quickly shook my head, trying to fling the thought away.

But it wouldn’t go.

Someone like me, who didn’t matter all that much to him, and yet he remembered my preferences…

Alongside my gratitude, my desire to become So Ying’s sister-in-law seemed to grow even stronger.

So Yi asked, “Any other questions?”

“Yes.”

I was silent for a few seconds, then looked up at him.

“Are you single?”

I’d already confirmed it with So Ying, but it wouldn’t hurt to confirm again.

So Yi clearly paused.

A few seconds later, he nodded.

My heart was beating so fast it nearly leapt out of my chest, but my face stayed calm.

I nodded.

“Then there’s something I want to tell you.”

So Yi: “What is it?”

“I like you.”

“I’m going to pursue you.”

So Yi’s eyes widened slightly.

It was the first time I’d ever seen such a clear look of surprise on his face.

Thankfully, he didn’t seem disgusted or annoyed.

I took advantage of the moment and kept talking in one breath.

“I haven’t figured out exactly how to pursue you yet. I need to think about it.”

“But I definitely won’t bother you carelessly. You can trust me on that!”

“You don’t need to answer me right now. If I made you answer immediately, my chances would be too low…”

“This isn’t a whim. I’ve liked you for a long time. I just think giving up without even trying would be too cowardly…”

I spoke quickly, my voice very soft.

I was practically muttering to myself.

“I have no more questions.”

I nodded at So Yi.

“Well… it’s late. You should get some rest. Good night.”

After that last sentence, I turned, went into my room, and shut the door, all in one smooth sequence.

Leaning against it, I listened for any movement outside.

So Yi stood outside my door for a while, then slowly returned to his room.

At last I could breathe normally again. I let out a long sigh.

Had I gone crazy?

Maybe.

But after living properly by the rules all these years, it felt pretty good to try something crazy for once.

9

I thought I’d be so excited I wouldn’t be able to sleep.

Instead, I slept soundly all night without dreaming.

By the time So Yi got up the next morning, I’d already prepared breakfast, full of energy.

“Ta-da! A breakfast made with love!”

I smiled at So Yi.

“I’m a great cook. You can try it!”

“If you don’t want it, that’s fine. Just leave it there. I’ll take care of it when I get home from work!”

So Yi froze.

“…Thank you.”

I had a morning meeting and had to get to work early.

When I hurried out with my bag, So Yi had just finished washing up. I saw him standing at the dining table, his eyes lowered to the tabletop.

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Oh, my breakfast made with love really did have love in it.

The eggs, toast, even the ketchup on the toast were shaped like hearts.

Standing outside, I sent him a WeChat message.

“It’s a little chilly today. Remember to wear something warm when you go out.”

I added a kitten sticker I’d taken the time to save.

Mm.

Perfect.

…

I’d never pursued anyone before, but somehow, when I was with So Yi, I knew what to do.

I was afraid of being a bother, so I always watched his reactions.

I noticed he finished every breakfast I made with love.

He sent me a message to thank me.

He answered the messages I sent now and then.

One day, he even teased me first…

That morning, I was thinking about how to make a new design for breakfast when a figure suddenly appeared beside me.

A hoarse voice, still rough from sleep, followed.

“So this is how those strange little works of art come to life.”

Startled, I turned to look at him.

So Yi was in his pajamas, still a little sleepy, with his hair all over the place.

But his eyes held a helpless smile.

I felt terrible.

“Did I wake you? I’m sorry. I’ll be quieter next time.”

So Yi shook his head.

“No, it was my alarm.”

He said, “Getting up early really is awful.”

I answered instinctively, “It is.”

“Then sleep in a little more from now on.”

So Yi smiled.

“Sleep is precious when you have to go to work.”

For a moment, I couldn’t tell what he meant.

Was it a tactful rejection, or…?

“I’ll make breakfast tomorrow.”

He said, “I hope the great artist won’t dislike my ugly designs.”

Oh.

He wasn’t rejecting me.

My plan to pursue him had made its first bit of progress.

Wonderful!

10

I had a natural advantage when it came to pursuing So Yi.

By asking So Ying questions in roundabout ways, I learned a lot about what he liked.

The movies he enjoyed, the music he listened to, his favorite foods.

That way, every surprise I prepared for him was just right—so much so he could hardly turn it down.

…

We’d been living together for a month.

Now I could lean casually against his bedroom door and ask,

“A comedy opens tomorrow. Do you want to see it together after work?”

So Yi paused.

“A comedy?”

I knew he didn’t particularly like comedies.

I nodded.

“Mm. I like them.”

“So, want to go together?”

The hand So Yi had been using to tidy things on his computer desk stopped.

He looked up, and our eyes met.

My arms were folded over my chest, my hands tightening a little. My breathing slowed without me realizing it.

A few seconds later, amusement rose in his eyes.

“Sure.”

“What time do you want to see it? I’ll buy the tickets.”

I kept my face calm, but inside, a tiny version of me was jumping up and throwing punches into the air.

…

The next day, before I’d even finished work, I got a message from So Yi.

He said he was meeting some friends, and they’d finish around six. He told me to wait at an intersection near my office, and he’d pick me up.

I didn’t think much of it.

At the appointed time, I brought two cups of milk tea to the intersection he’d mentioned.

Then I saw So Yi coming out of a nearby restaurant with three or four friends.

He spotted me at once and hurried over.

“Have you been waiting long?”

I shook my head.

“I just got here.”

He was about to say something when someone called from a distance,

“So Yi, where did you park my car? I can’t find it.”

So Yi answered, then said to me, “Wait for me a moment.”

He quickly headed over to the other person.

As soon as he left, the three people who’d been talking nearby all looked at me.

I immediately noticed one of the women.

Not for any particular reason—she was just so beautiful.

She had a great figure and striking features.

She looked at me curiously.

“Hey, do you like So Yi?”

I froze, then nodded blankly.

The two young men beside her were surprised.

“Seriously? Xia still has an eye for these things…”

The moment they said that, I remembered!

Back when So Ying told me her brother might be dating someone, she’d secretly shown me a photo of the tall, glamorous woman with long legs.

It was Xia, right in front of me.

Xia… had once pursued So Yi.

She glared at the two men, and they immediately shut up.

A car they’d called arrived just then. The two men said goodbye and climbed in, then drove off.

That left just the two of us.

Xia walked over to stand beside me as if it were the most natural thing in the world, then handed me a mint.

“So Yi is hard to pursue, isn’t he?”

I looked for So Yi but couldn’t see him. I nodded at Xia’s question and murmured, “Mm.”

Xia smiled.

“Don’t be nervous.”

She raised her middle finger, showing me the ring on it.

“I got married two years ago. So Yi and I are friends now.”

She paused and sighed.

“But when I was pursuing him, I felt like a complete failure.”

I froze.

“Why?”

“Because he’s too outstanding.”

Xia shrugged.

“After you pursue him for a while, it’s easy to give up on your own. You start to feel like you don’t deserve him.”

“He doesn’t give you even a little hope, either. He turns you down very decisively, so you start to wonder what’s the point of pursuing him.”

“Do you feel that way?”

I looked at her and shook my head.

“No.”

“Pursuing him makes me really happy.”

She clearly hadn’t expected that answer.

“Why?”

“So Yi is outstanding and considerate. He remembers what the people around him like and knows how to think about their feelings.”

“The more I pursue him, the more good things I discover about him. It makes me feel like I have great taste.”

“Besides, I’m not bad myself.”

I smiled.

“This might sound a little embarrassing, but I really am pretty great.”

“I’m kind, straightforward, and hardworking. I was top of my school in the college entrance exam and got into one of the best universities in the country. I won a lot of scholarships. After graduation, I got a job at a Fortune 500 company. My seniors praise me as a promising junior, and everyone says I have a bright future.”

“Oh, and I have the best best friend in the world.”

“Set aside my family circumstances, and I’ve achieved the best life I could have. I think I’m wonderful.”

Xia stared at me for a long, long time.