Chapter 24: Wen Liang, hurry and save me!

For the next week, Wen Liang did not contact He Tianran once, nor was she easily seen. It was said that her performance class schedule was packed; with the arts entrance exams coming up in February, only about five months remained, and this was a critical period for arts students to undergo intensive training.

During this period of silence, He Tianran thought he would return to his old ways, but he hadn't realized how deeply Wen Liang’s influence on him had integrated into his daily life. This change wasn't just about his personal habits; it was even more evident in his interpersonal relationships.

"Honestly, she shouldn't even have to attend her general education classes this semester," Xue Yong said at the boxing gym, teaching He Tianran basic footwork while bouncing on his toes.

After their "premeditated" blackout collaboration, Xue Yong seemed to admire He Tianran’s quick thinking. He had effectively replaced Wen Liang as the person most frequently in contact with He Tianran, even going so far as to personally ask Wen Liang’s father for permission to teach He Tianran how to box.

"Then why does she still come to class?" He Tianran asked, mimicking Xue Yong's movements.

"Because she’s just too good," Xue Yong replied as if it were obvious, before adding, "By the way, how are things going with Cao Aiqing?"

At the mention of her name, He Tianran’s legs tangled, and he stumbled. "I... I haven't really talked to her much..."

"What?!" Xue Yong stopped moving. "Are you saying you got her contact information and haven't sent her a single message?"

He Tianran replied awkwardly, "...No."

Xue Yong pressed on, "And you don't talk during class?"

"Why would I talk during class? It would disturb others' studies."

Xue Yong stood frozen. After a moment, he said uncertainly, "Did you plan some sort of script? Like playing hard to get or something?"

"Huh?" He Tianran hadn't expected this. He shook his head. "No, no, we just attend class normally. There’s nothing to talk about."

"Is Cao Aiqing your goddess, or what?"

"She is..."

"And you finally managed to sit next to her, with me helping you secure a perfect opening, and now you're telling me it would disturb your studies? Are you out of your mind?"

"...Then what should I talk about?"

Without Wen Liang’s guidance, He Tianran was truly at a loss. Getting her contact information had been his boldest move yet. Imagine a man who, when a girl cries next to him, agonizes over whether to comfort her and ends up just playing a song by Phoenix Legend to mask the awkwardness—could you really expect him to initiate a conversation?

"You need to be thick-skinned! Look at me!" Xue Yong pulled out his phone and flipped through his chat history with Wen Liang. He Tianran saw that, aside from the morning and evening greetings sent like clockwork, there were occasional anecdotes, like how many people he beat up today or getting scolded by a teacher yesterday.

The entire chat interface looked like a one-man show, with not a single reply from the other side.

"Brother Yong, are you writing an essay over there?" A passerby student saw the two whispering, peeked at the screen, and remarked.

"What do you know? This is called persistence," Xue Yong said dismissively.

The student laughed and said, "Come, come, let a worldly guy like me teach you how to chase a girl..."

His remark drew in the other students practicing boxing; it seemed men’s hobbies were consistent regardless of age.

"Tianran, let me tell you, you have to fawn over a woman! Whether it's on a mental level or a physical one..."

The crowd erupted in laughter. Someone chimed in, "Oh, quit it! Junior, listen to me, don't listen to this single loser. Just ask her out boldly. If she agrees, it means she likes you. Have a meal, then go to a movie. Take advantage of the darkness to hold her hand and don't let go. She won't be able to break free, and she'll have to give in eventually!"

He Tianran was stunned. "Senior, isn't that just being a hooligan?"

Someone nearby laughed, "Where do you think the palm print on his face came from?"

Xue Yong grew impatient. "Those are all terrible ideas. They aren't even as reliable as my persistence. I have another move, listen up!" He cleared his throat and continued, "Take me, for example—skip the chatting! As men, we like to get straight to the point. Tianran, just tell Cao Aiqing you like her. Confess directly and catch her off guard! If it works, it works; if not, forget it."

The crowd exploded. Some cheered, fueling the fire: "Right! Fortune favors the bold, Junior, let's take a gamble!"

"If you win, you have a lifetime of happiness; if you lose, at least you have no regrets about your youth!"

"Do you want to be a hero for a minute, or a coward for a lifetime? Go for it, Junior!"

"Young man, you should have the passion to act! Go for it, Junior!"

"Go for it... Go for it... Go for it... GO FOR IT!!"

The group began chanting in unison. He Tianran felt like crying. Confess directly? Why not just ask her to get married on the spot? Save the dating phase entirely, right? Are you kidding me?

But faced with the seniors' overwhelming enthusiasm, it was hard to back out. They say alcohol gives the cowardly courage, but that's just an excuse; if someone doesn't want to do something, no amount of alcohol helps. In this case, He Tianran was truly "drunk"—even without a drop of alcohol, he felt tipsy. This force, more potent than wine, was called *atmosphere*.

He did want to contact Cao Aiqing; that was the most important prerequisite. Lacking worldly experience, he wasn't able to keep a cool head in such a situation. He felt trapped, his heart racing along with the chanting...

"Quiet, quiet! The Junior is starting to send a message!"

The group fell silent, watching He Tianran hold his phone, holding their breath as if they were the ones messaging their own goddesses. His fingers trembled on the virtual keyboard—

"hI..."

Due to his nerves, he messed up the capitalization. Someone who didn't know better might think he typed "HL." He quickly typed it again.

"HI"

The onlookers couldn't bear to watch. Who sends a simple greeting twice?! But no one spoke; they were all waiting for Cao Aiqing’s reply. Seeing the "typing..." indicator on the screen, everyone’s heart leaped into their throats.

"ヾ(≧▽≦*)o What's up?"

"OH!!!!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd. Some were even more excited than He Tianran, as if the confession had already succeeded.

"She replied instantly! She definitely likes you! Strike while the iron is hot!"

"And this emoticon means she's happy to hear from you. Look at the shape of the mouth, how happy she is! The confession will definitely work!"

For a moment, these burly boxers were transformed into masters of emotional and emoticon analysis, and every piece of data pointed to one conclusion—this confession was bound to succeed!

Urged on by the crowd, He Tianran swallowed hard and slowly tapped the keypad...

"What are you all doing?"

At the most critical moment, a long-lost voice rang out. Hearing it, He Tianran felt his confidence instantly return. Through the gap in the dispersing crowd, he saw the short-haired girl he hadn't seen in days, and he shouted from the bottom of his heart:

"Wen Liang, come save me!!!!"