When Wang Jian said that, Wu Kun felt as though he'd just taken a hundred-point critical hit; his whole being wilted.
He shot a helpless glance toward Jiang Cheng, his eyes brimming with envy and jealousy.
Wu Kun slid one hand into his pocket and struck a pose he thought looked deep and cool.
With a sigh he declared, "Back in high school I was on top of the world, one hand in my pocket, certain I could do anything—piss into the wind for three straight metres and never look back. I was the centre of the universe; nothing could stop me."
He sighed again. "Our Class Advisor used to tell us, 'The College Entrance Exam is the fairest thing you'll ever face.' I believed it. I thought once I got to university I'd conquer the world with my talent. But now I know: I can still study for exams, but the gulf between people can't be crossed—not even in looks..."
Before he could finish, a Girl behind him, tray in hand, shouted, "Hey, you're blocking my way—move, please."
The shout broke the spell. Wang Jian and Lu Chuan, who'd been standing nearby with folded arms waiting for the show, couldn't keep straight faces any longer.
They caught each other's eye, fighting laughter, then turned in unison to Wu Kun.
Even Ye Wan, who'd been sneaking glances from farther off, couldn't help cupping her mouth to hide a giggle.
Seeing Ye Wan's playful smile—the first time she'd looked like any other Girl—Jiang Cheng's own lips curved in a faint, almost invisible smile.
Wu Kun shot Wang Jian and Lu Chuan a look that said, What do you two know?
Then, confident as ever, he grinned and turned around.
The moment he saw the pretty, delicate Girl, his eyes lit up.
When Wu Kun still didn't step aside, the Girl frowned slightly and fixed her gaze on him.
That single look convinced him opportunity had knocked.
He smiled, about to speak, but she cut him off again.
"Please move—I need to get through," she said, impatience creeping into her voice.
She gave him a quick once-over, clearly unimpressed.
He didn't look like a scholarship student, she decided.
Her gaze lingered on the battered sandals on his feet and the toes sticking out of them.
Suddenly she delivered a line Wu Kun would never forget: "Don't your feet itch? Those look like chilblains."
His face flamed crimson to the tips of his ears; he wanted the earth to swallow him whole.
His toes wriggled involuntarily, then clenched against the ground, trying to ease the itching ache.
"That's... that's exactly why I can't wear sneakers—they itch too much," he stammered.
"You should keep them warm so they heal," she said earnestly.
After a beat he pressed on: "You seem to know a lot about chilblains—how about we swap WeChat and talk more? Maybe we could even be friends."
"Creep!"
She stalked off. Wang Jian and Lu Chuan were already doubled over laughing.
Wang Jian clapped Wu Kun's slumped shoulder. "Cheer up—next one'll be better. But seriously, man, wear some socks. It's winter and you're in flip-flops; you scared that Girl off."
Lu Chuan nodded. "Exactly. You bit the bullet to buy those AJs and you never even wear them."
Wu Kun waved them off.
In thick Cantonese he retorted, "What do you know? Slippers are every Guangdong man's romance. If she really liked me she'd love all of me—including my flip-flops."
Wang Jian rolled his eyes. "Damn, Wu Kun, you're toxic."
"Twisted logic, but... it kind of makes sense," Lu Chuan admitted.
"Lu Chuan, don't let him drag you down that hole too..."
When Ye Wan, who stood ahead of them, suddenly glanced back at him, Jiang Cheng understood her silent question.
He didn't fully agree with Wu Kun, yet for ordinary people the logic held.
If you didn't want to be manipulated, you had to flip the script.
And for couples who weren't juggling multiple options but aiming for the long haul, it doubled as a screening cost.
Smiling, Jiang Cheng said aloud, "The kid's got a point. If someone truly likes you, they'll be drawn to you no matter what you look like."
Seeing Ye Wan lower her head, Jiang Cheng continued softly, "Have you heard this? 'I love you not just because you're beautiful, but because in a certain moment you give me a feeling no one else can. Even if you don't match every ideal I ever had, I love every version of you.'"
The words struck like a hammer at the softest part of Ye Wan's heart.
A warm current surged inside her: "favorability value +5!"
Coming from a poor family, Ye Wan had carried a deep inferiority complex since childhood.
If anyone else tried to help her she would probably have refused outright.
Years of hardship had shaped her into a quiet, almost mute Girl, yet she offered no strong resistance to Jiang Cheng's kindness.
In her heart she always believed the gap between them was vast.
So she'd never feared he might look down on her; she merely assumed he acted out of pity.
But now, hearing those words from him, a faint, fragile hope fluttered to life—so faint she couldn't pull herself free of it.
She suddenly remembered nights back home when moths would hurl themselves at the dim yellow bulb inside the house, frantically circling that tiny glow.
They seemed lost in that feeble light.
By morning most lay dead on the cold floor.
Their wings and bodies were scorched beyond recognition.
She used to think them foolish.
Why dash toward a warmth that promised only danger?
Now she understood: sometimes, knowing the ending might be grim, you still chase what you desire without hesitation.
After getting her food she didn't slip away as usual but stood quietly waiting for Jiang Cheng.
That surprised him—Little Mute was finally changing.
As ever, Jiang Cheng wasn't sure what he felt for Ye Wan.
But he hated overthinking.
When things were unclear, follow your heart.
Seeing she'd taken only two dishes and a soup, Jiang Cheng didn't pile on extra food.
Knowing her, thirty yuan a day meant every cent would be spent—no waste, no worry about nutrition.
Once they sat down, Wang Jian followed and plopped onto the bench across from them.