Chapter 3: Balls of Steel
Thankfully, the task only required Wu Yifan to *confess*—not to get a yes. In other words, no matter how Ye Xiwen reacted, as long as he bared his feelings within 24 hours, he'd check the box.
And those enhancement points? They were too tempting to pass up.
Wu Yifan weighed his options, then grunted. Fine. He'd do it.
The task stressed two words: *bold* and *sincere*. Sincere was easy—Ye Xiwen was drop-dead gorgeous, and she treated her staff decently enough. A little self-hypnosis to forget her "Black Widow" reputation, and he could muster up the earnestness. But "bold"? That was trickier.
What counted as bold, anyway? Tossing her over his shoulder and planting a kiss? Definitely not.
Wu Yifan lit a Marlboro, flopped onto his bed, and stared at the yellowed ceiling. Scenes from movies flickered through his head like a broken projector—all the iconic confessions he'd half-remembered.
He could channel Toru in *101 Proposals*: *"Even in 50 years, I'll love you just like this."* Or Manzhen from *Eighteen Springs*: *"I need you to know—there's someone waiting for you, always, anywhere. You just have to believe."*
Or maybe the over-the-top drama of *A Chinese Odyssey*: *"Once, a true love lay before me, and I didn't cherish it. Regret is the worst pain in the world. Slice my throat if you must—but if I had a second chance, I'd say 'I love you.' And if that love needs a deadline? Ten thousand years."*
Ugh. All of it sounded like asking for a beating.
Wait—Leslie Cheung's scene in *Days of Being Wild*! That could work. He'd saunter over, loose and lazy, like he didn't a care in the world, and casually rest a hand on Ye Xiwen's shoulder. Then lift his other hand and say, *"Look at my watch."*
She'd narrow her eyes, confused: *"Why?"*
He'd glance away, feigning boredom, then purr, *"Just one minute."*
She'd wait, then snap, *"Time's up. Spit it out."*
He'd pout, pretend to zone out, then ask, *"What's the date today?"*
*"The 16th,"* she'd say.
Then he'd lock eyes with her, soft and dreamy: *"The 16th. September 16th. The minute before 8 PM on September 16th, 2012—we were together. I'll remember that minute forever, because of you. From now on, we're friends for that minute. And on that? I have to say it: I love you. Even if you say no, we're still friends. You can't change