Episode Thirty-Three: I Believe You Don’t Have a Girlfriend

"Classmate Cao, the bomb has been defused, the mission is over, and I've switched back to my normal identity. We can eat in peace now."

He Tianran paused for two seconds, flashed a smile, and sat down. He had borrowed a running gag to fabricate an excuse on the spot. The "bomb" he referred to had indeed been moved to his home, but whether it would actually detonate remained to be seen—at the very least, the probability had significantly decreased.

The refreshed He Tianran did not know that in Cao Aiqing's eyes, this gesture had been interpreted in an entirely different way.

"So, He really cares that much about how others perceive him..."

The girl, unaware of the inside story, engaged in self-reflection. No wonder he had been gone for so long; it turned out he had gone home just to change his clothes because of her offhand joke. This action, akin to arriving early for a date, earned a bit of her favor, gradually dissolving the slight resentment she had felt while waiting.

"A sensitive person like him must have a hard time at school, right? After all, many people's impression of him is just that of a reclusive, strange nerd."

For some reason, thinking this, a sense of... sympathy? ...arose in Cao Aiqing for He Tianran. Actually, it couldn't be called sympathy; it was more accurately described as "empathy." The girl warned herself that in her future interactions with him, she should be more considerate.

"I haven't touched this sago dessert. If you mind, I can order another one for you. I'm truly sorry for making you wait so long," He Tianran said, feeling a bit awkward. It seemed the skills he had learned from Wen Liang weren't all effective.

"Ah, I don't mind! That wasn't what I meant at all. You said you'd be back as soon as I finished eating, but I eat desserts quickly, so... but since you're back now, I can eat in peace!"

*Was she actually afraid of putting pressure on me?*

Watching Cao Aiqing scoop up a spoonful of dessert, He Tianran keenly sensed this. He suddenly realized that Cao Aiqing was very much like him—always considering others after noticing their emotions. And people with this kind of personality often live very tiring lives.

Whenever faced with such situations, He Tianran’s method of coping was silence, whereas Cao Aiqing’s was... compromise?

*Easy to get along with...*

Indeed, someone who puts effort into accommodating others must be easy to get along with. Who would have thought that the "ice-cold" goddess defined by the school would have such a personality in private?

He Tianran ate his pineapple fried rice, his mind flooded with thoughts.

"Actually, that outfit from earlier was what you prefer to wear in private, right? Because it’s not too flashy and doesn't draw too much attention..." Cao Aiqing said, head bowed as she ate her dessert.

"Yeah, but I don't dislike this change either, especially for an occasion like this..." He Tianran chewed his food, neither of them daring to look at the other.

"Oh..." Cao Aiqing replied softly, and then silence returned.

A change of clothes had, by a twist of fate, silenced the atmosphere. This meal was set to end in such a delicate state, but unexpectedly, a disruptor appeared:

"One chicken curry for takeout, light on the coconut milk, deliver it to the guitar shop on the second floor later... Hey, Tianran? You guys are still..."

He Tianran looked up in horror to meet eyes with Boss Park, who was ordering at the entrance. Cao Aiqing noticed He Tianran's strange expression and turned her head as well.

At that moment, a veteran "wizard" who had been single for thirty years felt a thunderbolt strike his heart upon seeing the girl's face. *Why can't this beautiful oval face in front of me overlap with the pretty, sharp-chinned face that was singing in my shop earlier? I haven't even been drinking...*

Seeing the girl turn to look at him, his "little brother" was frantically signaling him. He suddenly understood why his little brother hadn't wanted to eat here earlier. This plot... it was just... it made one want to expose it!

"Ahem—"

He Tianran coughed hard, his eye twitching, but he forced a smile and said, "Boss Park, what a coincidence..."

"Yeah, Tianran. Huh? You've changed your girlfriend again?"

*Girlfriend?*

Cao Aiqing looked at the shocked He Tianran. The boy's legs were already shaking, though thankfully he was seated.

"N-no, this is my classmate..."

Boss Park, a fellow shut-in, approached step by step with an "honest" smile. He picked at his ear and said, "That sounds so familiar. Oh, right, you said the same thing last time you came to my shop. Just classmates, ha-ha-ha."

"..."

*What kind of malicious thoughts could a nerd have?*

*Pah! All nerds have malicious thoughts!*

Faced with the other man's mean-spirited comments, He Tianran gritted his teeth but dared not lash out. Boss Park, watching his little brother's expression, felt as if all the "dog food" (public displays of affection) he had been fed today had been vomited out. Having had his revenge, he felt immensely satisfied.

Not yet content, he continued, "Ah, since you're classmates, you haven't broken up with the last one, right? I think you two are quite a match. By the way, young lady, let me tell you, this kid is a bad egg! Don't you fall for his schemes!"

He Tianran was truly at his wit's end. Boss Park clearly wasn't giving him an out, and his words carried an underlying threat, as if he were certain of He Tianran's relationship with Wen Liang.

"Is he... really your friend?" Cao Aiqing asked, sensing the situation.

He Tianran could only nod in resignation.

"I know you guys like to play these kinds of mean-spirited jokes, but..." Cao Aiqing said quietly, as He Tianran waited for the verdict. "But Classmate He, you really shouldn't be friends with people like this."

"Um... um???"

"Huh???"

He Tianran’s eyes widened, and Boss Park couldn't believe his ears!

Cao Aiqing stood up, reverting to her usual cold and frosty demeanor. She said coldly to the stunned Boss Park, "Sir, you might be having some fun at the expense of the younger generation, but in my impression, Classmate He is a very simple and rational person. Not to mention the things you're talking about, he couldn't possibly have a girlfriend like this. Furthermore, I only trust my own eyes and judgment, so please stop slandering others. It really causes a lot of trouble. We are eating now; could you please leave?"

He Tianran was overwhelmed with complex emotions, unable to speak, while Boss Park stood there, utterly dejected. The "dog food" he had just vomited seemed to have been shoved back into his mouth in an instant.

"If you don't leave, we'll have to go elsewhere. Classmate He, let's go."

Cao Aiqing dropped that line, and He Tianran hurriedly stood up. The two of them left the restaurant just like that.

"Wait... girl... I have video evidence!"

When Boss Park tried to prove something, the space in front of him was already empty. He sighed.

"Sigh, forget it. That girl is speaking up for little He, why am I being so anxious... It's just... damn it, I still prefer little Wen! Waiter, is my curry ready yet?!"

...

In the mall, Cao Aiqing walked briskly, and He Tianran had to jog to keep up.

"Classmate Cao? Classmate Cao?!"

After about three minutes of this, He Tianran finally called out to stop Cao Aiqing, who had been walking with her head down.

"Ah?!"

Cao Aiqing jumped as if startled, let out a small cry, and looked back. Her eyes flickered, and she asked cautiously, "That man from earlier, he didn't follow us, did he?"

"N-no, he didn't."

The girl caught her breath, her hands pressed against her heaving chest. "If he wanted to argue with me, I definitely would have been scared..."

"...You didn't look like you were scared at all just now."

Cao Aiqing stuck out her tongue. "I was faking it! When you run into people like that, you shouldn't be weak!"

He Tianran was momentarily stunned by this stark contrast in her personality.

"Classmate He, you too! You can't just say nothing when you run into a situation like that! You have to stand up for yourself! The more you're like this, the deeper the misunderstandings others will have about you!"

*I wanted to stand up for myself, but what he said was the truth...* Of course, the part about changing girlfriends didn't count.

Seeing Cao Aiqing clenching her small fists to cheer herself on, He Tianran could only nod.

"My grandfather told me that in choosing friends, one should be discerning. For someone like that friend of yours who makes fun of your private life, you don't need to feel embarrassed for them!" Cao Aiqing consoled him, seeing that he remained silent.

"But he really is one of the few good friends I have..."

"I'm your friend now too! Although it might not count as a 'good friend' yet, one day we will be!"

He Tianran stood frozen, his eyes fixed on Cao Aiqing. The girl also seemed to realize she had spoken too abruptly; she crossed her fingers and twirled her thumbs.

"What you said earlier was really mean," He Tianran said, scratching the back of his head and looking away.

"Ah? What?" Cao Aiqing grew nervous.

"What do you mean by 'he couldn't possibly have a girlfriend'? I'm still quite bothered by that."

The girl buried her head low, raised her hands, and made an "X" shape in the air. "Correction! I'm correcting it now! I believe you don't have a girlfriend, so it's impossible for you to do such things, okay?"

"..."

Sure enough, no matter how you phrased it, it was still quite hurtful.