Don't Rush, I'll Pursue My Crush at Their Pace

※ My next story will be "This Dragon Is Absolutely Not a Scallop!" Please add it to your favorites~ Wen Jue told his friend the good news: he'd made major progress pursuing his crush. His friend didn't believe him. He knew Wen Jue was shy and slow to warm up. After "pursuing" Wen Yue for a month, he'd only managed to deliberately pass by and sneak a couple of glances. Wen Jue: "I went to the basketball court and watched him play, out in the open." Wen Jue: "And I asked for his WeChat myself." His friend was impressed: "You asked for his WeChat?! From Wen Yue??" Wen Jue: "His friend's." His friend: "." - Wen Jue added Wen Yue's roommate on WeChat, planning to fish for news about Wen Yue indirectly. The roommate was great in every way, except that he spoke kind of strangely. The first thing he sent after they added each other was: [Sorry, I already like someone.] Wen Jue: [Uh, don't get the wrong idea. I like someone too.] Roommate: [Who do you like?] Wen Jue: [Wen Yue.] Ten minutes later, the roommate replied: [Easy. I'll help you.] - With Wen Yue's roommate's help, Wen Jue made lightning-fast progress pursuing his crush. Wen Jue wanted to thank the roommate, but kept hitting a wall. Wen Jue: [I'm bringing Wen Yue a drink tomorrow. Want me to bring one for you, too? What do you like?] Roommate: [No need. I don't like drinking water.] Roommate: [Just bring one for him.] Wen Jue: [I made too many cookies for Wen Yue. Want some?] Roommate: [No need. He can finish them.] Roommate: [Didn't you say you made them for him?] Roommate: [Why should anyone else get some?] Wen Jue: [I'm going hiking with Wen Yue today. I picked up a very lucky charm for you while I was out.] Roommate: [No need.] Roommate: [You went out with him and picked a good-luck charm for another man?] - Persistence pays off, and Wen Jue finally got together with Wen Yue. Wen Jue went to find Wen Yue's roommate and thank him in person. But Wen Yue's roommate said strangely, "Didn't you know? Wen Yue took my alternate account a long time ago." Wen Jue: "!" Then the person who'd been helping him pursue his crush all along was...? Aaaah! How could this happen? 2026.6.8 Please add my next story, "This Dragon Is Absolutely Not a Scallop!" to your favorites~ Blurb: Dan Bei is a shell spirit. On his first day in human society after taking human form, he follows the address his big brother Cod gave him and goes to make a merfolk his boss. Back when he lived under the sea, Dan Bei had always admired the merfolk most. According to legend, merfolk had human bodies and fish tails, noble character, exquisite looks, and beautiful singing voices... Most importantly, their tears could turn into pearls. Dan Bei had to raise one for a long time to produce a pretty pearl. - When Dan Bei arrives at the merfolk's house, he discovers that the merfolk really are just like the stories say: beautiful, powerful, and successful in human society, too. Clearly, this is the boss fate has chosen for him! Without a second thought, Dan Bei declares him his boss. The boss has a bad temper and a domineering personality, but he's a good person at heart. He gives Dan Bei food and a place to live, and even goes to the trouble of helping him raise pearls. There's just one problem: Every time Dan Bei sees his boss, he instinctively wants to hide under the bed. He's terrified on a purely physical level. - Dan Bei puts a great deal of effort into raising a beautiful pearl. It's perfectly round and smooth, with a gorgeous luster. An ancestral precept says that pearls are the most precious things of all and can only be given to the most important person in your life. So as soon as his pearl is ready, Dan Bei presents it to the most important person in his life: his boss. The boss is very pleased and asks what reward he wants. Dan Bei boldly makes three requests. Dan Bei: "Boss, I want to hear you sing." The boss sings the song Dan Bei loves most. Dan Bei is a little shocked. It doesn't sound very good. The boss must have had a very hard time growing up among merfolk, who are known for their singing. Dan Bei: "Boss, I want to touch your pearl." The boss tosses him a shining golden orb. Dan Bei is a little dazed. It's so huge! The boss must have been in terrible trouble back then and cried an awful lot. Dan Bei: "Boss, I want to see your tail." The boss transforms in front of Dan Bei, and a golden-scaled dragon tail sweeps past him. Dan Bei is stunned. So his beloved boss isn't a merfolk at all, but the most vicious and mysterious golden dragon under the sea! According to legend, the golden dragon is vile and wicked, has killed countless fish, and can wipe out an entire undersea tribe with a snap of his fingers. And everyone who has seen his life pearl has died. ...Dan Bei just saw it and even touched it several times. Dan Bei is so frightened that he pops back into his original form with a bang, snaps his shell shut, and rolls under the bed. The golden dragon catches him effortlessly, taps his tightly shut shell with a knuckle, and says irritably: "Open up. Where's my pearl?" Dan Bei timidly opens a small crack and reluctantly pushes out the pearl. The golden dragon pins down the soft flesh inside the shell and twirls the pearl between his fingertips. "It's mine now." Dan Bei stays curled up inside his shell, watching him toy with the pearl he worked so hard to raise, furious but too afraid to speak. ...Damn you, awful dragon! Give me back my pretty pearl! Theme: Truth and error are opposing yet unified.