Chapter 173: Why Are You So Nice to Me? Is This Some New Kind of Scam?
Every day, she was being won over, little by little.
Lin Yibai thought this was a really scary thing… because deep down, she was still struggling with it!
She kept reminding herself that she was a guy, yet she didn’t feel uncomfortable about any of this.
Honestly, was she still “normal”?
If she told other people about this, they’d probably call her a weirdo!
But from how it actually felt, if you ignored the gender issue, being with another guy like this was surprisingly… comfortable.
Even the most “straight” guy, if treated this well, would probably give in eventually!
Sigh…
Lin Yibai realized she was overthinking again.
Then she looked at her annoying love rival, smiling like always, and gave herself a mental warning.
‘He’s winning me over a little more each day… stay alert, this might be some kind of new scam… hmm… scam for what? My butt?’
That’s right, watch out for butt scams!
But when she really thought about it, wasn’t this just a case of one person willing to give, and the other willing to accept?
If Lin Yibai herself wasn’t shaken, there’s no way she’d be affected at all, right?
She kept saying “be careful,” yet her body was already heading to the fridge, taking out a cold Coke, adding some ice, pumping in some carbonation, and before long, a cool, fizzy drink was in the hands of her annoying love rival.
“Sss~”
Xia Changyu drank happily and let out a small burp. “Why does Coke always taste better when it comes from you? I usually buy the ones that cost 3.5 yuan a bottle. They only taste good for that first sip, like all the value is in that one mouthful.”
Hearing that, Lin Yibai smiled so brightly that her eyes curved like little moons. She was clearly in a good mood.
“Wait, are you praising me? Even a Coke can be praised? You’re really something.”
Xia Changyu said seriously, “I’m telling the truth! It really does taste better!”
Lin Yibai replied,
“Maybe it’s because of the way I mix it. Most people think Coke is a little too sweet. If you add just the right amount of ice, it balances the flavor and makes it better for Chinese tastes. Honestly, a lot of desserts here have this problem now too. I used to complain that foreigners make desserts way too sweet, like they throw sugar around for free. But now even Chinese pastry chefs are doing the same. I don’t know when this trend started, but I really don’t like it when things are too sweet...”
“Ah—sorry! I’m going off-topic again.”
Dessert achievements: Criticize others, understand them, and then… become one?
Lin Yibai couldn’t even remember the last time she had a dessert that was just lightly sweet and gentle in taste. Now, everywhere she looked, the desserts were so sweet one bite could make her feel sick for a whole day.
Xia Changyu just listened and smiled. When a girl is willing to chat with you about daily life and even random stuff, that just means your relationship has gotten really close.
He grinned and said, “It’s fine. I love listening.”
His smile was calm and full of satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Lin Yibai started checking the skincare and makeup products he had given her.
Even just the light scent coming from the containers smelled so gentle and nice that you could guess these products weren’t cheap.
Unfortunately, they were all in small refill bottles, so she couldn’t see the original packaging. But if anyone actually believed Xia Changyu’s excuse about buying them from some cheap student street stall… well, their brain might need a check.
She guessed they must have cost at least a few hundred, or maybe over a thousand?
Opening the gift and saying you like it is basic manners. Asking the price would just ruin the mood.
Lin Yibai wasn’t someone who cared much about makeup or dressing up. She even used skincare products very rarely. Last time, she had actually gone to Xia Changyu to ask for advice. But even then, she still didn’t know how to use them properly.
She grouped the makeup items to one side, then picked up the remaining skincare items and said, “Why did you give me so many things? There’s toner, lotion, cleanser, eye cream, essence, serum, face cream, sunscreen...”
Xia Changyu answered, “Because for girls who want to take care of themselves, these are all basic must-haves.”
Lin Yibai scratched her head. “But it looks kind of complicated to use... How do I even use all this?”
Xia Changyu finally looked at her directly and asked in surprise, “You... I mean, you’re a girl, and you’ve never used these basic things?”
How was she supposed to explain to this annoying love rival that even though she looked like a girl, she wasn’t exactly your typical one? If we were to talk about “real” and “fake” girls...
Then Lin Yibai felt like her current situation was kind of like being an “incomplete version”. Not fully a real girl yet?
She struggled for a bit, then slowly said, “I usually just use some face wash and lotion… that’s about it.”
(Wait, did I really just say “I” (人家 (rénjiā))? Why am I using such girly words so naturally now?)
[Note: The word 人家 (rénjiā) has three meanings. The literal meaning of 人家 is "that person," "someone," or "other people." In this context, 人家 means "me." It's used by young girls and ladies to address themselves in a cute, innocent or flirtatious tone. It also can used in conversations between best friends and lovers.]
Honestly, when it came to putting a bunch of stuff on her face like real girls did, it wasn’t just that she didn’t have the patience to learn all about skincare. She also just didn’t want to bother with it.
She still thought like a guy! As long as your face was clean, you looked good!
Lin Yibai picked up a small jar of eye cream and handed it to Xia Changyu. “How do you use this thing?”
Eye cream, obviously it goes around the eyes!
But the way she asked was so odd, it made people wonder if something fishy was going on.
Did she really not know how to use it?
Or was she pretending?
Or maybe she was testing him somehow?
Should he keep calm and stay respectful, or was this some kind of trap?
But hey, if someone’s offering, why say no?
It wasn’t like there was anything to lose. Xia Changyu took the jar and explained, “Like the name says, you just put it around your eyes.”
Lin Yibai wasn’t embarrassed to keep asking, “Anything I should be careful about?”
Xia Changyu shook his head, “Not really. Just don’t get it in your eyes.”
Though honestly, her questions were so basic that he started to wonder if she was messing with him.
Even though he liked her, he was being super careful now, like there was danger nearby. One wrong move, and he might make her mad.
After all, girls’ moods could change faster than the weather in June.
Was this really a trap?
Lin Yibai paused for a second and asked again, “I mean... is there a special way to apply it or something?”
Xia Changyu gave a short answer. "Just rub it."
Lin Yibai asked, “How should I rub it?”
Xia Changyu, still too focused on figuring out if this was some kind of trick, didn’t think too much. He just squeezed out some eye cream and gently applied it to the area around her eyes.
Lin Yibai instinctively closed her eyes. She could feel his large hands gently touching her cheeks, and two fingers carefully massaging the skin just under her eyes.
Ah... ahh~~
That feeling…
Honestly, it felt pretty good.
Then came the face cream and the serum. She basically got a free face massage right then and there.
At the end, Lin Yibai picked up a small bottle of perfume, lightly sprayed a bit on her wrist, rubbed her wrists together, and then reached out her hand to him.
She asked, “Wanna try smelling it?”
She was sitting, and Xia Changyu was standing. He could already smell the faint scent coming from her wrist, even without moving closer.
But still, he bent down a little, took her hand gently, and leaned in to smell the perfume from her wrist.
“It suits you really well...”
Ah, wait a second…
As he smelled the soft scent from her skin, Xia Changyu’s mind suddenly froze for a moment. He had been so busy thinking something was suspicious that he might’ve completely missed the chance to really enjoy the moment.
He looked into Lin Yibai's eyes, pure and flawless like gemstones.
So, there was nothing tricky going on. And because of that, he had missed the chance to really feel her face as he applied the eye cream and cream before.
“I...” He looked at the girl. Her eyes were clear, her smile subtle, and a little shy.
Xia Changyu swallowed nervously.
He had to admit it.
Damn it, he was a total idiot!