A Childhood Friend’s Guide to Taking the Throne

A 10,000-character short story | Childhood friends romance | Blunt-spoken, secretly soft-hearted Chinese teacher x bookshop owner with an incredibly slow reaction time

In every idol drama, the heroine's childhood friend is the neighbor next door: handsome, from a good family, good at school, and always radiating an almost cheat-like air of nobility.

Wen Qian thought about it. It seemed he only barely qualified as handsome, and didn't fit the rest at all. Then he happened to see a post online called [A Guide to Winning Over Your Childhood Friend]. He clicked on it.

Guide No. 1: Get to your childhood friend's place early every day and pretend to run into them. Bring breakfast and go to school together.

Yu Qing'an looked at the person on a tiny electric scooter, a bag of steamed buns in hand, and said wordlessly, "Wen Qian, are you a pig? The traffic cops catch people riding double on electric scooters at the intersection every morning! I have to go watch my students do their morning reading. Don't make me late!"

Failure.

Guide No. 2: When your childhood friend runs into trouble, help them solve it without a second thought and ask for nothing in return.

Wen Qian: "Haven't finished your homework? It's so late. Go get some rest. I'll do it."

Yu Qing'an spread both hands, her eyes challenging him. "Sure. Then help me finish writing my lesson plans."

Wen Qian glanced at the desk, his voice suddenly uncertain. "You know I've been copying your Chinese homework since primary school."

"Heh. So you do know."

Failure.

The guide's ultimate move: Pick the most romantic day, prepare flowers and a gift, and confess your feelings sincerely when the other person is looking their best.

On Valentine's Day, Wen Qian waited outside the school, all dressed up and ready, for Yu Qing'an to finish work. He waited so long he nearly fell asleep before she finally came out.

He was terribly nervous. "Yu-Yu-Yu Qing'an, I..."

"Come on, do you really have to say it today?" Yu Qing'an's face was weary and resentful after just finishing a parent-teacher meeting. "Your Chinese really is awful."

It seemed he'd been rejected again.

The flowers in his hands were taken from him, and in their place was a small, slightly cool hand.

Yu Qing'an: "Did you even read the guide?"

Theme: You can find a wife without fighting or competing