A Beautiful Face is More Important than Pride.
From Su Zai Zai's Little Fairy Diary
"Jiang Jia, I think our friendship has come to an end." Su Zai Zai pulled out a one-cent coin from her backpack and slapped it on the desk, "This is our breakup fee."
Jiang Jia folded the money and put it in her pocket, casually asking, "Oh? Why do you say that?"
"My crush's name isn't Zhou Xu Yin at all! He's Zhang Lu Rang!" Su Zai Zai became more desperate the more she thought about it. "He must think I'm a fickle woman, one who lights up at the sight of a handsome guy, such a vulgar woman, waaaah..."
That was unexpected. Jiang Jia blinked: "It really is Zhang Lu Rang?"
"Why don't you seem surprised at all?"
"Because I thought he was Zhang Lu Rang from the beginning. He has that high-and-mighty flower vibe."
"...Then why didn't you tell me?"
"You dragged me over that day, calling him Zhou Xu Yin with such certainty. What was I supposed to say? Point at him and tell you he's Zhang Lu Rang? I've never met him before!"
Su Zai Zai deflated instantly: "But... but weren't you the one who said Zhou Xu Yin was more handsome?"
"Based on the description, I'd definitely prefer Zhou Xu Yin!" Jiang Jia replied confidently, "I have no interest in cold and aloof types. I like the playful and nonchalant ones."
"No way!" Su Zai Zai pinched her cheeks, angry. "Even if you like Zhou Xu Yin's type, you must think Zhang Lu Rang is the most handsome!"
"What the heck! Why?"
"Because it's the truth, and you can't deny it," Su Zai Zai declare with even more confidence.
"Get lost, stop trying to change my taste." Jiang Jia slapped her hand away. "I'm telling you, you might meet Zhou Xu Yin and change your mind, you shallow face-obsessed girl."
"Impossible."
"Why not?"
Su Zai Zai replied seriously: "It's just impossible."
Jiang Jia stopped teasing her and smiled: "I didn't expect you to be so adorably loyal."
The room suddenly fell silent.
Su Zai Zai rested her head on her arms on the desk, sighing: "You're right. I'm just an irresponsible person. I need to work on this flaw."
"Huh? When did I say you were irresponsible?"
"You said it last time when I had to give the English practice book to Zhang Lu Rang. You said I wasn't responsible because I didn't hand it to him directly and let someone else do it."
Jiang Jia immediately remembered and teased her: "Hahaha, I remember now! Didn't you tell me you didn't want to go to him?"
"I've changed my mind now."
"Suddenly, I remember that you even said Zhang Lu Rang was 'just okay!"
"...My dear sister, I was wrong."
Thinking about the English practice book, Su Zai Zai was filled with regret: "Oh my god, if I had known he was Zhang Lu Rang, I should have memorized an English essay instead of a physics problem!"
Jiang Jia was curious: "Why?"
Su Zai Zai was full of regret: "When the English teacher asked me to give the practice book to Zhang Lu Rang, she mentioned that his English is really bad. The teacher suspects he might get kicked out of the key class because of it, so she's been pushing him to improve."
"Hahahaha, I didn't know that!" Jiang Jia laughed so hard she was clutching her stomach. "But I heard he's really good in other subjects, so it's surprising his English is that bad."
"That's why I should've shown off my English skills in front of him."
Jiang Jia shook her head: "If you do that, you'll only make him jealous."
Her words were like a revelation, and Su Zai Zai gratefully grabbed her hand: "You're right, thanks for the advice, master."
"But how bad is his English, to make the teacher so concerned..."
Su Zai Zai thought for a moment: "Taking out the listening and speaking parts, out of a full score of 135, he probably only gets around 30 points..."
"...You could get 30 points just by guessing on the multiple choice."
"Come to think of it, it's kind of impressive! He actually managed to score 30 points in English!"
"Oh my god, he's so adorably pathetic! The top student in the key class scores 100 points lower than me in English, hahaha. He really is a beauty, so cute."
"...You're hopeless."
Even though Su Zai Zai had adjusted her mindset, she still didn't have the courage to approach Zhang Lu Rang in the next two days, afraid of making an even worse impression.
She was still trying to figure out a strategy.
As she was thinking, a torrential downpour suddenly began, with heavy raindrops crashing to the ground with deafening noise.
Rainy days always bring a strange sense of melancholy.
Su Zai Zai looked out at the large raindrops falling rapidly outside,then turned to Jiang Jia and sighed before saying seriously, "Jia Jia, I think I'm being too reserved."
She's reserved?!
Jiang Jia was shocked by her level of shamelessness and couldn't help but tease: "You're overthinking this..."
"I really think I'm being too reserved."
"I really think you're overthinking it..."
For once, Su Zai Zai didn't argue back. She thought for a moment and then said, "Don't you think? Although I've been going to the third floor every day, deliberately passing by him so he could see me, and speaking louder around him so he could hear me, I haven't really done anything substantial."
That doesn't count as action?
Jiang Jia suddenly couldn't understand her thought process.
"When we make eye contact, I never dare to hold his gaze for more than three seconds. And when I see him, I get so nervous I can't speak, I just blush and pretend I didn't see him, pretending to be deeply engaged in conversation with you."
"That's normal, because you like him."
"But what good does shyness do?" Su Zai Zai licked her lips, her eyes serious. "I like him, but I don't do anything about it. How can he possibly notice me?"
Jiang Jia was at a loss for words.
"Let me give you an example."
"Go ahead."
Su Zai Zai thought for a moment: "For instance, when you were in first year, two boys liked you. One would blush and run away whenever he saw you, and the other would bully you and call you ugly. Ten years later, which one would you remember more vividly?"
Jiang Jia didn't even need to think: "The cute one who blushed."
Su Zai Zai stared at her for a while, then chose to ignore her: "I think it's the guy who bullied you. This proves that actions speak louder than looks."
"I'm not joking; I'd really remember the cute one."
"Of course, just because I say this doesn't mean I think I'm not good-looking."
"Alright." Su Zai Zai compromised. "Then let's say the bully is also a cute guy. Which one would you remember more?"
Jiang Jia didn't want to choose either: "So why does he have to bully me? Can't he be nice?"
"Don't be so greedy." Su Zai Zai frowned. "You want him to be good-looking *and* nice to you? Keep dreaming."
After the playful banter, Su Zai Zai felt her anxiety creeping back in.
She thought to herself, even if Zhang Lu Rang doesn't like her, she didn't want him to forget her name in the future.
That would be too unsatisfactory. She couldn't accept it.
"Jia Jia, do you believe in those TV dramas where the female lead does nothing, yet still wins the male lead's affection?" Su Zai Zai muttered, "I don't believe it."
She turned to look out the window.
"If I only know how to be reserved and shy, he'll only be stolen away by someone who isn't."
"I found out for you. The key class has their third period computer class this afternoon."
Su Zai Zai smiled and kissed Jiang Jia on the cheek: "Mwah! You really are my little fairy! Beautiful, kind, and sweet."
Jiang Jia wiped her face in disgust: "Since you said this morning that you wanted to do it, why don't you just give it to him in person? It would leave a deeper impression.""That won't work." Su Zai Zai analyzed seriously. "It's fine if I go to his class to look for him, but handing him an umbrella would be too obvious. His classmates would definitely tease him, and I'm afraid he'd be put off."
"...That makes some sense."
"Mainly, I'm worried he didn't bring an umbrella. I don't want him to get wet," Su Zai Zai said, frustrated.
Being half-dry, half-wet is so damn seductive, like a little temptress.
After speaking, she grabbed an umbrella and stood up, walking to the window beside the front door. She placed the umbrella on the window sill.
The bell for class rang just then.
Twenty minutes later, Su Zai Zai raised her hand: "Teacher, may I go to the restroom?"
She
left the classroom, grabbed the umbrella from the window sill, and went downstairs.
Sure enough, both the front and back doors of the key class were locked. Su Zai Zai recalled where Zhang Lu Rang's desk was and tried the window nearest to it. To her surprise, it opened.
A smile tugged at her lips as she leaned in, placing the umbrellaright in the center of his desk. The note on the handle was facing down, so it wouldn't be noticed unless someone picked it up.
She suddenly remembered what that boy had said the other day.
"Hey, Zhang Lu Rang, you're slipping! This week, three girls came looking for Zhou Xu Yin, and only two for you!"
Only two.
The competition wasn't as fierce as she'd thought.
Su Zai Zai chuckled, brushed off her hands, closed the window, and walked back to class.
The rain gradually lessened, the clouds slowly dispersed, and the sun, previously hidden, began to peek out, casting a faint light over the wet earth.
Su Zai Zai returned to her seat.
Jiang Jia turned to her: "All set?"
"Yep." Su Zai Zai rested her chin in her hand, smiling. "Jia Jia, I won't be going home to shower this afternoon."
"Huh? What are you planning?"
Nothing much.
It's just that, if he comes to return the umbrella...
Then she'd get to see him again.