Chapter Fifty-Nine: You Are Wonderful

Cheng Yiran felt a stir in his heart and ran out as well, leaving behind a group of people in heated discussion.

“Mutiann was really out of line, bringing up such painful memories in front of everyone.”

“Exactly. So what if she was taken in? Does that mean she should be timid and self-effacing? Besides, Jiujou is wonderful—kind, gentle, and adorable. She’s much better than Mutiann in so many ways.”

“That’s right. We’ve been in the same class as Jiujou for so long and she’s never mentioned growing up in the Mu family. It’s always Mutiann, flaunting the Mu family name and threatening people. How dare she criticize someone else?”

...

Mutiann was seething with rage. It was supposed to be her birthday celebration; how had it turned into this?

It was all We Jiujou’s fault—everything was because of her.

She glared fiercely at everyone around her before storming out in a huff.

Seeing the main character leave, the others lost interest and gradually dispersed.

The curtain of night had long since fallen, with twinkling stars scattered across the sky, and multicolored neon lights making the road shine brighter.

[Jiujou, Cheng Yiran is following you.] The system prompted.

[Yes, I know.]

If she cried so miserably and he didn’t come after her, she would really start to doubt if her efforts over the past weeks had been in vain.

Ahead, the girl walked while sobbing, her frail figure trembling, shoulders slightly drooped. From his vantage point, she seemed enveloped in desolation, as if the whole world had abandoned her.

His heart suddenly ached. He quickly ran up to her, grabbed her arm, and spoke softly, “Jiujou, don’t run anymore.”

The girl stopped, looked up at him with eyes washed clean by tears, staring unblinkingly. Through her sniffles, she thanked him, “Senior, thank you for helping me today.”

Perhaps she had cried too much—her voice quivered, tinged with delicate vulnerability, making one’s heart melt into a puddle.

He didn’t reply to her thanks. Instead, he gently pulled her into his arms, patting her thin back as he affirmed, “You’re wonderful.”

The girl hadn’t expected the senior she cherished in her heart to embrace her. Her rosy cheeks flushed deeply, and she forgot to cry. Not knowing where to put her soft, slender hands, she clenched them into a loose fist, pressing it against his chest.

“Senior...”

“Everyone knows what Mutiann is like. You don’t need to take her words to heart. Everyone knows you’re great.” His gentle voice seemed to carry a kind of magic, and the girl’s anxious heart suddenly settled, quietly resting in his embrace, breathing in the scent that belonged to him.

After a while, she shyly slipped out of his arms and murmured her thanks, “Thank you, Senior.”

Cheng Yiran looked down at the girl, her face flushed, her bright eyes shining with feelings he understood well. Girls who confessed to him before had shown the same expression. She probably liked him. But what about himself?

Every time they met, his gaze followed her involuntarily. Every time he got close, his heart skipped a beat. Each encounter made him want desperately to prove himself, to let her see his worth. Having never been in a relationship, he couldn’t be sure if this feeling was love, but every time he wanted to say “I like you,” something seemed to choke his throat, and he couldn’t utter a sound. It made him wonder if his feelings for her weren’t strong enough.

Maybe he should wait a little longer—the time wasn’t right yet.

“Yes.” Just a single word, reflecting his mood: he wanted quiet.

The girl noticed the senior’s sudden indifference, pursed her lips, and said nothing, walking beside him with her head lowered.

Cheng Yiran naturally noticed the change in her mood, but he didn’t want to explain. The girl needed to think for herself—did she truly like him, or was it just a momentary impulse? Perhaps it was best to give them both a chance to cool off.

[System, what does he mean?] The girl was a little angry. After Cheng Yiran embraced her, he suddenly became distant. Did he like her or not?

[Jiujou, Cheng Yiran’s luck isn’t strong, so he’s influenced by the plot of the virtual world. In other words, he won’t confess to you until he meets Lin Yuexin. Do you understand?]

[So you’re saying he and Lin Yuexin have to meet. What if, under the influence of the story, he ends up liking Lin Yuexin instead?] She was a bit flustered.

[That usually won’t happen. He only follows the direction of the script, not his preferences. So... don’t give up.]

She knew how to continue her performance now.

Under the lights, the boy and girl walked side by side, neither speaking, feeling as though a world separated them, yet sensing a tacit understanding between them. Their relationship was tangled, impossible to sever or unravel.

Even so, in the days that followed, the two often met at the student council, working together, joining clubs, occasionally taking walks together, as if nothing had ever happened between them.

And according to the system’s observation, Cheng Yiran and Lin Yuexin still hadn’t met, which puzzled the girl. When would their encounter finally happen? Her relationship with Cheng Yiran was neither sweet nor bland—just one step away from breaking through the thin veil of confession, and it was driving her mad.

Damn the plot—it caused nothing but trouble.