[Bright, healing dance blogger and quiet, devoted comic artist]
First loves for both | Reunion | From school to the city | Regret and redemption | Equally matched
"Thank you that I got to have you, and thank you that you got to have me."
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1. Ming Ran's girlish crush is an evil, ghostly plus version.
The simplest things are best.
Back in their second year of high school, Xu Song had just transferred in when he topped the "Most Popular" list.
Rumors were flying about his long legs, slim waist, and comic-book looks.
At first, Ming Ran just scoffed. She didn't care.
Until one day at lunch.
She and her best friend and deskmate split up to get things done: she went back to the dorm to do laundry, while her deskmate brought back lunch.
A hectic noon, and who could have it worse than her?
The "house-special beef" her deskmate had worked so hard to get went flying all over the floor.
All because several people had rushed to watch Xu Song feeding cats by a tree.
Her deskmate clutched her chest and staggered dramatically. "The meat! Ranran!"
Ranran stared at the meat. "*... ?"
From then on, Ming Ran declared one-sided war on Xu Song.
Between classes, she'd slip ahead of him to cut in line at the water fountain.
When they met in the hall, she'd pretend to be weak, drop something, and pick it up alongside him.
She'd feed the cats before he could, stealing their affection.
Her deskmate: "Why does it feel like you're picking on an honest guy?"
Ming Ran: "=_= The beef that went flying half a month ago has a question for you."
Her deskmate: "I think I've come up with a new way to pick on him."
2.
Ming Ran's parents absolutely refused to let the family order takeout.
As luck would have it, her older brother was a disaster in the kitchen, but he had a friend who was a master chef.
That friend also had a little brother who was a budding chef.
Over winter break, Ming Ran's parents went on a group tour of the far northwest.
Ming Xi and Ming Ran were once again reduced to living like primitive people.
Ming Ran: "You can't even stir-fry cucumber with eggs? Are you kidding me?"
Ming Xi: "What's wrong with eggs stir-fried with cucumber?"
Ming Ran: "Where's the solid egg? This whole pot is eggshells and egg ribbons."
Ming Xi wiped away a tear. "It's my fault, my fault for not learning a few dishes from someone. My friend is great in every way, except he never stays home. His little brother is all alone. Sigh, it's my fault for not learning more from the kid."
They stared at each other, their brainwaves connecting.
Before long, Ming Ran finally got word that the other party had agreed to "team up."
She and her brother would provide a warm, homey atmosphere, while the other party handled the cooking.
A mutually beneficial living arrangement, fair and square, with no tricks.
On a day when light snow was falling, the doorbell rang.
Wearing an apron and holding a spatula, Ming Ran rushed to the door and bowed. "Welcome, great master chef!"
There was silence outside.
When she looked up again, a face she knew all too well appeared against the light.
Xu Song met her gaze, snowflakes still clinging to his hair.
He took the spatula and said four lighthearted words as he stepped inside.
"Thank you. You may rise."
3.
"At a gathering with mutual friends, the two of them got into a fight before entering the private room.
Ming Ran wasn't mentally ready to come clean, so she repeatedly warned Xu Song not to give them away and to act like they didn't know each other.
They went in one after the other, only to discover that they'd been seated together.
They sat down with awkward smiles, and the room fell as silent as if a supervisor were making the rounds.
Someone kindly offered to switch seats with Ming Ran.
But as soon as she stood up, someone caught her by the wrist. She looked down to see Xu Song gazing up at her with an innocent face. "Shouldn't you leave me a key to your place first?""
--Excerpted from "How to Fail Spectacularly at Getting Your Stories Straight After Secretly Getting Back Together"
| "The tree is your silhouette, imprinting a part of me."
After meeting you, my black-and-white comics gained saturation. From then on, the colors of the world were there for me to see.
*He has a secret crush on her; she openly loves him. They don't confess before adulthood.
*A healthy relationship. They broke up due to reasons on both sides, not because of one person's fault.
(The above details may change with inspiration before the story begins.)
Theme: I belong to myself. Love yourself first, then love me.
