Chapter 107: Isn’t This the Ultimate Top-tier Flirting?
Damn it, what the heck are you doing?
I gave you the crayfish to eat, not my fingers!
If it had been some other girl, she probably would’ve already accused you of harassment.
Good thing I’m a boy. I understand what’s important!
As long as I don’t think in weird ways, this is totally normal… right? Yeah, right!!
Lin Yibai pulled her hand back like a scared rabbit, her voice slightly panicked. “You! What are you doing? You bit my finger!”
“I thought that’s how you were giving it to me to eat.”
“You’re a grown man, and you still need me to feed you? There are toothpicks right there, can’t you just use one to pick it up?”
“Oh… ohhh~”
“Oh what?! What are you ‘oh’ing for?!”
“Ha ha.” Xia Changyu held back his laughter, turned his face away, and muttered, “I’ll remember next time. I promise.”
Next time?!
You’re actually thinking about there being a next time?!
You—sigh… whatever.
Lin Yibai told herself to just let it go. After all, she was so beautiful and so attractive. It was normal that some guys would fall for her, right?
But it doesn’t matter!
You liking me is your own problem.
I’m the same gender as you. It’s not like I would ever like you back!
Lin Yibai looked at her fingers. They still felt like they had her rival’s spit on them. She looked like she was about to cry.
Gross. Gross.
My fingers are ruined!
These fingers might as well be thrown away.
She felt it was necessary to remind him not to go further down the wrong path.
You do know you’re falling for a proper, real boy, right? This isn’t going to end well.
She poured another glass of draft beer and said, “Hey, are you treating me this nicely because you’re attracted to how good I look? If so, there’s really no need for that!”
Xia Changyu looked confused. “I’m treating you… nicely?”
Lin Yibai wasn’t the type to forget favors. She said directly, “Isn’t it obvious? I can feel you trying to impress me, always showing off a little in front of me. It’s just like how guys act when they’re chasing after a girl.”
Xia Changyu said, “You’re single, right?”
Lin Yibai replied quickly, “I guess so.”
Hearing that, Xia Changyu smiled confidently. “Then how would you know how guys act when they’re chasing a girl, or what they’re feeling?”
Lin Yibai panicked a little. “Who said I... I mean, maybe you do have some kind of point... Even though I’m not a guy right now, I know I’m not wrong.”
Because... I AM a guy! A full-grown dude!
Even I could clearly feel how much he wanted to please me.
She was telling the truth!
From a guy’s perspective, and in today’s society, guys don’t really get a lot of care or emotional support. Except from their family, maybe.
That’s why Xia Changyu’s need to please her stood out so clearly. It was easy to notice, especially for someone who understood what it meant to be a guy.
Xia Changyu said, “What are you talking about? If you put it that way, then I guess I’ll have to properly explain things to you.”
He lifted his beer glass and clinked it with Lin Yibai’s. After taking a big gulp, he said, “Liking beautiful things is human nature. You can’t argue with that, right?”
Lin Yibai nodded, “That’s true. I won’t argue.”
“And also, you said I treat you well?”
At that, Xia Changyu laughed and said, “You rushed all the way to the coast just to save my life. I feel like I can never repay you. Honestly, you’ve been way nicer to me.”
Lin Yibai said calmly, “I just couldn’t stand them.”
“You really helped me a lot, and you also caught my attention. That’s when I noticed there’s something special about you.”
Lin Yibai asked, confused, “Something special?”
Xia Changyu smiled and continued, “I had a crush on a girl in middle school. Then in my first year of high school, I had another crush. Second year, we changed classes, and I liked another girl again.”
“That many? Stick to one person, you wolf!”
“Haha, let me finish.” Xia Changyu chuckled awkwardly, then went on, “But you have to understand, those were just puppy love. I never felt the urge to actually chase after any of them.”
Lin Yibai saw him looking directly at her and started to feel a little uncomfortable. “So what?”
Xia Changyu took a deep breath and said seriously, “So the problem is you.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
“You won’t even let me chase you.” Xia Changyu took a big gulp of his drink and mumbled, “You’re making me feel so frustrated. When will you finally let me try?”
“......”
Get lost. No way. I swear I’ll never let you chase me.
The topic had clearly hit a dead end.
Lin Yibai had a feeling that if she kept talking, this guy might take the chance to confess or something.
To distract herself, she stuffed her mouth with some meat, then said while drinking, “I think we should just drink instead!”
Xia Changyu: “?”
I just worked myself up emotionally, and now you want to drink?
And her reason was impossible to argue with. She only said one sentence, and it shut him up.
“When we drink, we don’t talk about girls. We drink for the fun of it, okay? If you keep saying these weird things, I won’t even go out to eat with you anymore.”
She must have something on her mind... She was drinking pretty fast too. She was already on her third bottle.
Xia Changyu wanted to order another draft beer. But Lin Yibai stopped him right away.
“If we get another one, that’s a whole box of 12 bottles! Just the two of us drinking a whole box? Aren’t you afraid I’ll get drunk and end up passed out on the street or picked up by some creep?”
If you put it that way... It feels like I should be ordering two boxes instead!
“If I don't drink, how can I have a chance?” Xia Changyu muttered.
“What did you say?”
“Ah… did I say something? I meant—you’re right! Girls should know how much they can handle when they drink. Don’t let bad guys take advantage of you.”
Honestly, Xia Changyu just felt it was a missed opportunity tonight.
Lin Yibai narrowed her eyes. “That bad guy you’re talking about… is it you?”
Xia Changyu quickly waved his hands and joked, “I wish! But I never get the chance!”
“There you go again, bringing the topic back to that.”
“My bad.” Xia Changyu raised his beer and took a big gulp to say sorry.
He had been steering the conversation toward a confession... But Lin Yibai slammed on the brakes.
After they finished, there was still a lot of food left. Lin Yibai packed some up to take home.
The hot weather made her sweat smell a little like beer.
Xia Changyu walked her to the crossing where they would part ways. He hesitated and said, “I could walk you all the way home, you know... You drank quite a bit.”
Lin Yibai shook her head. “No need.”
Xia Changyu sighed. She didn’t give him a chance. She probably never would.
That sigh seemed to catch her attention. She glanced at the countdown on the traffic light.
Lin Yibai thought for a moment, then said, a bit soft-hearted. “Actually, about your ideas on chasing girls, I think you started with the wrong mindset.”
Xia Changyu looked confused. “What did I get wrong?”
Lin Yibai explained. “If you like someone, you should try to win them over. Don’t ask first if you’re allowed to chase them and then decide whether to do it or not. You should go for it first, then see if it works out. I’m just teaching you how to chase other girls, since you seemed kind of hopeless. Of course, this advice doesn’t apply to me. Just don’t use it on me, and we’re good.”
Did she give him a chance or not?
She gave him all the ideas and strategy, and still said not to use it on her?
Too bad.
He’s going to use it on her anyway.