The System told her, "Make Ning Yao hate you." You Nan Sui said, "Okay."
So every day, she brought a bottle of warm milk, a sheet of paper covered in worked-out steps, and wiped down the last window when it was her turn to clean. She never looked at Ning Yao while doing any of it. The System's message sounded every day: [Affection -1].
A month before graduation, the System suddenly went silent. You Nan Sui waited three days before asking, "Does she hate me now?"
The System was silent for a long time. [She's... crying.]
You Nan Sui turned around. Ning Yao was standing at the far end of the hallway, tears running down her chin as she stared at her, trembling. "What exactly are you trying to do?"
The System sighed softly. [I'm sorry. I got it backwards.]
--- She wanted you to hate me.
--- But all I wanted was for you to look at me.
Theme: The essence of a secret crush isn't being meek, but being brave.
