Chapter 191: An Unbelievably Perfect Temporary Girlfriend Experience
Her first date with a boy.
What kind of feeling is that? Lin Yibai stayed a bit cautious, keeping some distance.
She thought, if she were a real girl, wouldn’t she act more shy?
So... should she also act shy?
If she were a real girl...
Would she be a bit clumsy? Would she rely on the boy? Would she...
Lin Yibai shook her head. She started to think, if she was only trying to copy how other girls act, wasn’t that just fake and silly?
Like trying to draw a tiger but ending up with a dog.
You can copy someone’s face or clothes, but you can’t copy their heart.
Did she really need to learn how girls behave on a date, just based on what she thought girls were like?
But…
She bit her red lips and raised her hand to block the strong sun. Then, deep in her heart, she shouted, ‘Why should I learn from them? What’s so good about copying them?’
Was there some noble quality in how they love that's worth learning? No need to talk about silly things.
Lin Yibai had been in love before. So how could she not know what it feels like?
Instead of asking silly test questions like, “If your mom and I both fell into a river, who would you save first?” It would have been better to be herself and act in a way that aligned with her personal idea of a good partner.
So when she was shopping for sun-protective sleeves, bought an extra pair and carefully wrapped it up.
When Xia Changyu saw it, he smiled and said, “Sun sleeves are for wearing! Why wrap it so nicely? Are you saving it for the New Year?”
Lin Yibai just looked at the price tag. A pair of sleeves cost only a few dozen yuan. Her expression showed some hesitation, like she was unsure.
After a while, she finally said softly, “I wanted to give it to Auntie… But with your family background, I don’t know if she’ll think something this cheap isn’t good enough.”
Xia Changyu was stunned. “What? Give it to who?”
Lin Yibai repeated, “Auntie.”
Xia Changyu was still confused. “Which Auntie?”
Lin Yibai gave him a side-eye and finally said, “Your mother, of course. I call her Auntie, isn’t that fine?”
So the gift was for his own mother?
Even if it wasn’t expensive, just a few dozen yuan, this small thoughtful action felt much nicer than those tricky test questions.
Of course, "Auntie" or not... When Xia Changyu heard that, he just wanted to laugh.
He secretly thought, ‘When you were with my mom before, you didn’t act like this at all! Back then, you called her “sister” so sweetly, it made my mom so happy. No way would she look down on this affordable gift.’
Xia Changyu patted his chest and said proudly, “Don’t worry! Your mother-in-law... I mean, my mom will definitely like you. She’s totally happy with you.”
Lin Yibai: “Such a smooth talker.”
Late July and early August, still way too hot.
The heat wave was unbearable, going out shopping in the middle of the day probably wasn’t the smartest choice. If this kept up, the sun would definitely burn their skin, maybe even peel it.
Luckily, she was thoughtful. She took off her white sun-protective sleeves, which she had just put on, and offered them to the annoying rival beside her... Ah no, now he was her temporary, 24-hour, annoying boyfriend.
But he refused. Just like most guys, Xia Changyu waved his hand confidently and said, “No need! We guys are used to the sun. A little sunlight won’t hurt us. You just wear them yourself.”
Hmph. So that’s what you call “manly pride”?
Was he really being tough? Or was it just some weird way of thinking?
If she hadn’t been a guy before, she might have believed his so-called “manly” excuse. But unfortunately for him, she had already seen right through it!
Still, guys care about their pride. So now, as a girl and his 24-hour temporary girlfriend, how could she help him wear the sleeves without hurting his ego?
First, be gentle and show understanding.
Then, say her point clearly, “Didn’t we agree to act like real lovers for 24 hours? If I give you one of the sleeves, then doesn’t that count as wearing matching couple outfits?”
Then, add a little playful begging, “Wait... are you saying you don’t want to wear it because it looks too girly? Come on, just wear it! Pretty please! Just for a little while? I’m begging you~”
She put her hands together like she was praying, and peeked at him with one mischievous eye, secretly watching his reaction.
Whether it was her words, her tone, or her pleading eyes. It was like a bolt of lightning straight to his heart. He felt like his whole body was floating.
This was an unforgettable kind of romance.
Back when he dated his ex-girlfriend, Gu Xiaoxue, it was all about eating, shopping, and talking about money. She kept bringing up guys she knew who were rich and successful.
But Lin Yibai was nothing like Gu Xiaoxue. They were as different as the clouds and the mud.
One made him feel relaxed and happy. The other only made him stressed.
So who would you choose?
And it wasn’t over yet.
The girl in front of him added her final line, “As my boyfriend, wearing matching outfits with me is just...”
Maybe she felt it wasn’t cute enough, so she took a deep breath, puffed her cheeks, and said, “Wearing couple outfits is a totally reasonable request!”
That was it. No more excuses.
Just answer the question, are you going to wear it or not?
She just wanted him to wear a sun-protective sleeve so he wouldn’t get burned by the sun. That’s all. It was a simple, normal, and even caring reason.
At this point, Xia Changyu felt like, ‘If I say no to her now, I’m not even human!’
“But what about you?” He pointed at the girl’s exposed arm.
But it was no problem at all!
Lin Yibai didn’t even know when it started, but somehow she had become like Doraemon, always able to pull useful things out of her small bag.
This time, it was a jar of sunscreen with no label. She squeezed out a big blob and rubbed it on her arm, saying, “Did you forget? This is the sunscreen you gave me. And honestly, it’s pretty good.”
She rubbed the white cream until it became kind of gooey. To be honest, it looked a little strange. But she still grabbed Xia Changyu’s other arm—
Rubbed it on. Spread it out evenly. Perfect.
She was being so caring, and even whispered like it was a secret, “This stuff is expensive. Don’t waste it!”
Xia Changyu couldn’t help but laugh. “If you like it, I’ll get you another set when we get back.”
Lin Yibai waved her hand. “No.”
Xia Changyu: “It’ll be free.”
Lin Yibai: “I still don’t want it.”
Xia Changyu: “You’re so stubborn. Always so hard to convince.”
Lin Yibai burst out laughing: “You're also stubborn, you never give up.”
He grinned, his eyes sparkling with affection. “You're like a safe box, people can't open it unless they know the password.”
Lin Yibai giggled and replied, “In that case, you'll have to work hard to crack the password.”
The weather was still way too hot, so the two of them went into a cool café with air conditioning to sit and rest.
Xia Changyu said he had something to take care of. But also said he’d be back soon.
Lin Yibai gently brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled, “Go ahead! I won’t count the time you’re away as part of your 24-hour temporary boyfriend shift.”
‘She was just too sweet, I’m crying inside!’
Lin Yibai thought he had to go deal with some business from his startup company. But actually, Xia Changyu ran straight back out into the blazing sun.
Clearly, today he had given all his attention to Lin Yibai.
At the end of a narrow alley, Xia Changyu received some tickets. Then he said, “I can accept paying extra for the tickets, but can you guarantee the service?”
The other man shrugged and replied, “Who can guarantee that? You know the places you asked for are all super popular. Just getting you the tickets was already really hard. As for the schedule and service, you’ll have to figure that out yourself.”
Xia Changyu had worked really hard for this date. He didn’t want anything to go wrong. He didn’t want to see even the tiniest bit of sadness on the face of the girl he liked.
Not even a little.
Time was tight. He had to give it everything he had.