[Short sweet romance | Unrequited love becomes mutual | Both pursue each other | Seeking advance readers]
[Fake social anxiety, real cool girl x Fake gentleman, real campus heartthrob]
If an unrequited crush is a grand adventure,
then... what about secretly flirting?
*
Xu Zhanyan isn't socially anxious, and can be quite the chatterbox around people she knows.
But with her tall build, neat short hair, love of roller skating, and stern silence around strangers, the campus forum voted her "Freshman Cool Girl Top."
No one knows that Xu, the so-called top, worked herself to the bone studying and losing weight just to get into this university for her crush.
Three years after they last saw each other, her crush had traded his round black glasses for square gold-rimmed ones. His casually tousled bangs partly hid his sharp brows, revealing a pair of captivating eyes that drew countless admirers.
She worked up the courage to approach him, hoping to hear him call her "Zhanyan,"
but instead he said, "Are you a freshman? The women's dorms are that way."
She had never imagined that the person she held so close to her heart wouldn't remember her.
Xu Zhanyan crouched in a corner, tormenting ants and muttering to herself.
"Isn't he the top scorer? How can a top scorer have such a terrible memory?"
"It's fine. I'll add him on WeChat anonymously first!"
"The idea is to flirt first and win him over!"
*
After being recommended for graduate school, Cheng Chen took on a deputy class adviser role for the incoming freshmen.
On orientation day, there was a cool, silent girl who stood with her arms crossed, staring at him. His colleague teased that the freshman top had already fallen for him on his first day.
He waved it off. "She's a girl. Don't say things like that."
Then he thought, Kids often act cool on the outside, but are actually socially anxious.
That night, he stared at an outrageous message from someone.
"Hey, handsome. I heard you've been single your whole life for 22 years?
"Don't you get lonely when you're alone at night?
"I'll keep you company for free.
"We can chat by text, pictures, or voice message. Take your pick, hehe."
Cheng Chen frowned. Why do kids these days have two completely different sides? I guess I'll have to make time for some counseling.
Later, he ran his fingers through her short hair and asked,
"Have you sent messages like that to anyone else?"
Xu Zhanyan jolted.
"How did you know it was me?!"
[Reader's Guide]
1. This is a pure-love, short, happy-ending sweet romance.
2. If you run into any melodramatic plot points, they're probably the author pouring sugar into the story with her lovesick brain.
3. A deputy class adviser is a graduate student, not a teacher, who helps the class adviser and counselor manage a group of freshmen in their department.
Theme: Be brave and confess your feelings.
