"'Coax'?" Song Zhi looked at the utterly bewildered Su Mianmian, shook her head, and sighed. "You defended that scumbag Tang right in front of Mr. Z. Any man would find that unbearable—let alone Mr. Z, given your description of his aloof and distant personality. Even if he feels hurt inside, he's not the type to actually say it out loud." She continued, "It's like there's a thorn stuck in his heart, yet neither of you speaks up or tries to resolve it. If you let it fester like that, your relationship will only deteriorate." She added, "Besides, you bear the brunt of the blame for this whole incident. So, you're the one who needs to swallow your pride and go coax him."
Su Mianmian felt that Song Zhi made a lot of sense; however, the word "coax" felt a bit too—delicate.
Given the current state of her relationship with Gu Yizhou, it didn't exactly feel like they had reached *that* level yet... After thinking it over, she decided that once she got back to the dorm, she would send Gu Yizhou a text message first to gauge his reaction before taking any further steps.
After finishing their meal, the two girls headed toward their dormitory. Just as they reached the entrance, they spotted a familiar figure. Song Zhi, ever sharp-eyed, immediately grabbed Su Mianmian's hand and pulled her in the opposite direction the moment she recognized the person. However, Cheng Yuli was tall and long-legged; taking the stairs two at a time, he quickly caught up with them.
"Zhizhi, I need to talk to you." Song Zhi raised a hand, signaling him to stop. "Student Cheng Yuli, are we close enough for you to call me that? And who gave you permission to use the nickname 'Zhizhi'?" The tips of Cheng Yuli's ears turned a faint shade of red. "In that case—Student Song Zhi—do you have a moment right now? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Song Zhi raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. "I have time—though not much. Just three minutes. Go ahead." Cheng Yuli faltered for a moment, then glanced at Su Mianmian, who was standing beside Song Zhi. Su Mianmian caught his drift and gently withdrew her hand from Song Zhi's grasp. "Um... I'll head back to the dorm first. You two take your time talking."
"Head back? Why? We don't have anything to hide, do we? You can just say whatever you need to say right here." Song Zhi yanked Su Mianmian back toward her, gripping her hand even more tightly than before. Cheng Yuli took a deep breath. "Alright then. Since you don't mind, I'll just say it right here. Student Song Zhi, regarding what happened last Friday night..." "What happened last Friday night?"
Song Zhi narrowed her eyes, then suddenly slapped her forehead. "Oh! Now I remember. You're talking about that time we had drinks, right? Oh, man—sorry about that. My tolerance is terrible; I got woozy halfway through. After I came out of the restroom, I looked around for you but couldn't find you anywhere, so I just headed back."
Su Mianmian's lips parted slightly into a perfect "O." It was the first time she had ever seen someone tell such a blatant lie with a completely straight face. As for Cheng Yuli—his fair complexion went through a rapid succession of color changes, and it took him quite a while to fully process what she had just said.
"Student Song Zhi, it seems my memory differs slightly from yours. I remember it very clearly: back then, the two of us..." "Sorry, but our three minutes are up."
Song Zhi let out a regretful sigh. "My apologies, Student Cheng Yuli, but Su Mianmian and I are in a rush to get back to our dorm. Let's chat another time when we have more leisure." Having said that, she kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, grabbed Su Mianmian by the hand, and brushed past Cheng Yuli.
In the brief instant they crossed paths, Cheng Yuli clearly spotted several dark-red marks on Song Zhi's neck. His thoughts were involuntarily whisked back to that fateful night, and his entire face instantly flushed crimson. ...Walking back to the dorm, Su Mianmian remained utterly baffled. "Zhizhi, what exactly are you trying to do? Why did you lie to Cheng Yuli just now?" Song Zhi gave a cold snort. "Who told him to lie to me first? He didn't even bother to check who *Sister Zhi* is before daring to pull a fast one right under my nose!"
Su Mianmian fell silent for a couple of seconds. "When it comes to matters like this, the girl usually ends up getting the short end of the stick. Don't you want to at least hear what Cheng Yuli has to say first?" "Even if I do get the short end of the stick, I accept it. I certainly don't want to listen to him ramble on with his explanations."
Song Zhi huffed indignantly. "That guy, Cheng Yuli—he's not just spineless, he's downright wicked!
He has a crush on me but is too chicken to admit it; instead, he preyed on my sympathy and secretly got me drunk, thinking that once we slept together, I'd just meekly fall in line and start dating him. *Pah!* He's truly a toad—ugly as sin, yet dreaming of a swan!"
Su Mianmian realized that Song Zhi was genuinely furious this time, so she didn't dare push the issue any further. "I don't think Cheng Yuli is as bad as you make him out to be. Maybe there's just been a misunderstanding." "Student Su Mianmian!" Song Zhi planted her hands on her hips. "How can you turn traitor and side with the bad guy like that?"
Su Mianmian shrank back, tucking her chin into her shoulders. "I was just stating the facts. If you don't want to hear it, I won't say another word." "Oh, and one last thing: Cheng Yuli isn't ugly. You shouldn't unfairly slander him on that point." "Su Mianmian!"
Su Mianmian clapped her hands over her ears and scrambled up the stairs; she felt that if she lingered for even a second longer, Song Zhi's voice would surely bring the whole stairwell crashing down. …After finishing her shower, Su Mianmian lay sprawled across her bed, mulling over how best to phrase a text message to Gu Yizhou. "Gu Yizhou, are you asleep yet?
I wanted to talk to you about what happened this morning. Actually, I…" She had typed out half the message when she decided it didn't feel right; she deleted it all and started drafting it anew. "Gu Yizhou, are you asleep yet?
Regarding what happened this morning, I wanted to apologize to you. I really shouldn't have…" She thought it over again and decided that version didn't quite work either. Frustrated, Su Mianmian blew a puff of air at the bangs falling over her forehead, then picked up her phone once more. "Gu Yizhou, asleep?"
This time, she didn't hesitate; she simply hit the send button. After sending the message, Su Mianmian waited over ten minutes without receiving any response from Gu Yizhou. She found herself growing increasingly anxious, sitting there with her phone in hand, absentmindedly tapping it against her forehead.
Usually, at this time of day, he would be working in his study; perhaps he simply hadn't seen her message? Su Mianmian considered this possibility, but then dismissed it as unlikely. Even if he were working, his phone would surely be sitting on his desk—he couldn't possibly have missed the notification sound. It seemed he really *was* angry.
After thinking it over, Su Mianmian drafted a sincere apology. "Gu Yizhou, I'm sorry. I was wrong." This time, in less than two minutes, Gu Yizhou replied. Four words—succinct and to the point: "What did you do wrong?"
Just by looking at those four words, Su Mianmian could picture Gu Yizhou holding his phone, his face set in a stern, unyielding expression. "Zhizhi said that I didn't take your feelings into account—that I shouldn't have defended Tang Yunzheng right in front of you." This time, Gu Yizhou's reply consisted of only three words: "Zhizhi said?"
Su Mianmian's heart fluttered with panic; she was practically ready to raise her hand and swear an oath. "No, no, no! I genuinely realized it myself, too! I just didn't know how to explain it to you. I was honestly a bit flustered in the moment, and I was afraid you two were going to get into a fistfight right there on the street..." "So?"
This time, the reply was even shorter—Su Mianmian felt she was on the verge of tears. "So, it was just a reflex—I instinctively grabbed hold of you. I'm really sorry! I promise I won't do it again." Then, just as she expected, she received a one-word reply: "Mm." *Mm?*
Su Mianmian felt she had completely killed the conversation—and, more importantly, she still hadn't managed to win him back. Overwhelmed by a crushing sense of frustration, Su Mianmian pulled the covers over her head and went to sleep. The next day, Su Mianmian felt even more despondent. She walked along the path, looking utterly listless.
As she passed the basketball court, she was so distracted that she failed to notice a basketball flying straight toward her—she nearly took a direct hit to the head. "Watch out!" A man in a suit happened to spot her just in time; he reached out and gave Su Mianmian a sharp tug, saving her from disaster.
Once she had regained her footing, the first thing Su Mianmian noticed was the neckline of the man's suit jacket—just like a certain someone she knew, his buttons were fastened with meticulous precision. Her eyes lit up, and she happily looked up. "Gu..." She got halfway through calling out his name before Su Mianmian froze. Although the man standing before her also possessed sharp, striking features, he was clearly not Gu Yizhou. A faint look of disappointment flickered across her brow. Su Mianmian took two steps back. "Thank you for saving me just now."
The man in the suit nodded expressionlessly, his tone cold. "From now on, remember to watch where you're going when you walk. You won't be lucky enough to get saved every time." "Oh." After the man in the suit had left, Song Zhi patted her chest in lingering fright. "Who was that guy? He looked so fierce."
She then turned to Su Mianmian. "Mianmian, what is wrong with you? You seem completely spaced out. Haven't you made up with Mr. Z yet?" Su Mianmian pouted pitifully. "Not only have we not made up, but things actually seem to have gotten worse." "What happened? I told you to go sweet-talk him—did you not do it?"
"I did! I even told him I was in the wrong. What else am I supposed to do?" "Oh, for heaven's sake!" Song Zhi pressed a hand to her forehead. "Mr. Z is your boyfriend, not your academic advisor—why are you admitting fault? Can't you just act a little cute and coquettish, and say the things he loves to hear?" Act cute?
Be coquettish? Say things he loves to hear? Su Mianmian's face flushed with heat as a few familiar lines of dialogue suddenly popped into her mind. "Mianmian, I've made such a huge sacrifice here—don't you think you should consider sweet-talking me a little?" "H-how am I supposed to do that?" "Do you remember what you called me last night?"
"Come on, be a good girl and say it again, won't you?" That was a conversation that had taken place earlier, after Gu Yizhou discovered that Su Mianmian had been referring to him as "Mr. Z" in front of Song Zhi. The night before—while she was intoxicated—she had called him "Husband."