You Should Have Told Me You Don't Like Sweet Girls - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The three of them arrived at Jiang Nianyi’s walk-in closet. Looking at the walls and racks full of princess dresses, bubble dresses, and tiered dresses—a dizzying array of sweet-style clothes—Qin Shuangyuan was the first to offer her opinion. “I would never wear any of this in my life.”

Although the style was a complete departure from her own, Su Yu was very accepting. “The clothes that would attract my future wife are indeed very pleasing to the eye.”

Jiang Nianyi leaned close to Qin Shuangyuan. “See? I told you she couldn’t be stopped.”

Not only was she unwilling to cut her losses, but ten oxen couldn’t drag her back now.

Qin Shuangyuan sighed in frustration. “Both of my friends are hopeless romantics.”

Jiang Nianyi: “…Doesn’t your own person not like you either?”

Qin Shuangyuan: “That’s different. She’s very good to me now. She just needs to get to know me better.”

Jiang Nianyi looked at her, then quietly walked over to Su Yu. “Yu Yu, what do you want to wear? Just take whatever you want.”

“No need,” Su Yu shook her head. “I’ve already told Granny Yuan. Just tell her where these clothes came from, and she’ll take care of the rest.”

Granny Yuan was the Su family’s housekeeper. She had watched the three of them grow up and was like family to them. They trusted her completely.

Jiang Nianyi: “You want all of these? Are you trying to become Senior Shi’s Magical Yu Yu?”

“Magical Yu Yu?” Su Yu was confused. “What’s that? I just want to use a different look to get the senior’s attention.”

“Well, that’s what a Magical Yu Yu is…” Jiang Nianyi didn’t explain further. She circled Su Yu, looking thoughtful. “But just changing your clothes isn’t enough. You need to do your makeup and your hair…”

“Of course, my Yu Yu looks amazing even without makeup, but her aura just doesn’t match these clothes.”

Su Yu looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt dress with red embroidery on the collar, paired with red high-top boots. Her straight black princess-cut hairstyle made her look sinister when she smiled and cold and fierce when she didn’t. She was the complete opposite of a sweet girl.

She looked at Jiang Nianyi through the mirror, her face scrunched up in a frown. “Then what should I do? I don’t know anything about that.”

Jiang Nianyi patted her chest. “That’s why I’m here! When it comes to being a sweet girl, I’m an expert. From now on, I’ll be your exclusive sweet-style designer. Leave it to me, I’ll handle it!”

Su Yu scratched her chin and laughed. “I’ll leave it to you, then, my exclusive sweet-style designer.”

Jiang Nianyi cleared her throat, adopting an expert’s demeanor. “Alright, for the sake of my friend’s romantic future, I will use all eighteen years of my sweet-style experience to train you into a proper sweet girl in no time!”

Su Yu walked over to the sofa by the bed and sat down, leaning back with her legs crossed. Her posture was relaxed and domineering, but as soon as she sat down, a clothes hanger tapped her on the thigh.

Jiang Nianyi, the strict expert, said, “Sweet girls can’t sit so domineeringly. Get up.”

“Is the training starting already?” Su Yu was a little slow to react.

“Or would you rather wait for Senior Shi to be stolen by someone else before you start?” Jiang Nianyi folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

The image of Shi Xueqian and Lu Yuanyuan walking side by side into the professor’s office just a moment ago flashed through her mind. Su Yu immediately stood up, like an obedient, well-behaved student.

For the next two days, Su Yu’s every move was under Jiang Nianyi’s watchful eye.

“Yu Yu, mind your posture!”

“Su, don’t mess with your clothes!”

“Su Yu, don’t touch your hair!”

…

Su Yu only had one class on Monday morning, in the fourth period. This was the third time since the semester began that she had gotten up early on a Monday. All three times were for Shi Xueqian.

The first time was to find out which gate Shi Xueqian entered the school through and at what time. The second was to confirm that she used the same gate and time. Today was the third time: to dress up as the sweet girl Shi Xueqian liked and surprise her by meeting her at the school gate.

When she saw Shi Xueqian, Su Yu walked over.

“Yuanyuan, if you have any questions, let’s discuss them at the library at noon. I don’t have time right now,” Shi Xueqian said without even looking up. She simply walked around Su Yu and continued on her way.

Yuanyuan?

Lu Yuanyuan?

Su Yu raised an eyebrow. It seemed Shi Xueqian was the one giving her a surprise. Not only did she not look at her, but she also called out Lu Yuanyuan’s name.

Yuanyuan… Su Yu ground her teeth as she repeated the name. Calling her that so intimately. When did their relationship become so good?

She was annoyed. Extremely annoyed.

She wanted to crush Lu Yuanyuan into dust…

No, the focus right now wasn’t Lu Yuanyuan. It was getting Shi Xueqian to see her.

Su Yu took a deep breath, put on her trained sweet-girl smile, and went to block Shi Xueqian’s path.

“Yuanyuan, stop being so difficult… okay?”

The last two words came out on pure momentum.

It wasn’t Lu Yuanyuan.

It was Su Yu.

A gradient-colored princess mini dress, long and fair legs exposed, a pair of French-style round-toed Mary Jane heels with pearls. This was indeed the sweet look she had been practicing. But…

It wasn’t Lu Yuanyuan. It was… Su Yu?

That beautiful face, which always carried a hint of a sinister aura, was now fair with a pink undertone, topped with a high bun. She was so sweet that it seemed like pink bubbles should be floating around her.

It really was Su Yu…

What happened these past few days? Why had Su Yu suddenly turned into the type of person she hated the most…

Su Yu smiled sweetly and tilted her head. “Senior, let’s get to know each other again~”

“My name is Su Yu, a freshman in the Drama Department~”

Shi Xueqian looked at her strangely. “Are you possessed?”

Wait…

An image of Su Yu fiercely beating someone up, a person who always got her revenge, suddenly flashed through her mind…

So… Su Yu had gone to great lengths to learn about her. She knew that Shi Xueqian hated sweet girls, and now she was intentionally dressing up like this to get back at her for her rejections?

A flash of disgust crossed Shi Xueqian’s face. She didn’t take Su Yu’s outstretched hand and looked at the sweet girl blocking her path with a blank expression. “I believe I made my feelings very clear last time.”

This reaction was completely different from what Su Yu had expected. In her imagination, Shi Xueqian would at least be visibly stunned. But there was nothing.

“Of course, I know what you meant,” At least she remembers who I am! Su Yu suppressed her delight. She put on a serious face. “Then let me also make my intentions clear.”

“I like you very much, senior. I’m going to pursue you.”

Their eyes met. The autumn wind blew yellow leaves from the branches, and they fluttered down, settling between the two.

“Junior, I’d advise you not to waste your time,” Shi Xueqian said in a flat tone.

“How would I know if it’s a waste of time if I don’t try?” Su Yu smiled. “Please be prepared for me to bother you for a long time.”

“It seems you’ve never faced any setbacks in life, have you, junior?”

“That’s true,” Su Yu said, thinking seriously for two seconds. She had always gotten what she wanted, so she had never really experienced any setbacks.

She cupped her face in her hands, tilted her head, and leaned closer. Her clear, dark eyes reflected Shi Xueqian’s face. “Senior, I’m so sweet and cute, would you really have the heart to make me face a setback?”

Shi Xueqian took a step back. “I’ve said everything I need to say.”

She put on her earphones and walked past Su Yu towards the library.

Su Yu followed her without hesitation.

“Senior, don’t you think the weather is nice today?”

“Senior, are you listening to music?”

“Senior, look! I found a heart-shaped leaf!”

“Senior…”

Ignored, ignored, ignored. Everything was ignored.

She pretended not to hear her when she spoke and just walked around her when she blocked her path.

That is, until a person holding a workbook appeared. Shi Xueqian took off her earphones and patiently explained a problem to them.

One person, two, three…

This was something Shi Xueqian went through every morning. Boys and girls would approach her under the guise of asking for help, but in reality, they all liked her.

Su Yu pouted and stood to the side. Getting rejected and ignored so early in the morning was bad enough, but she also had to deal with so many rivals. The only good news was that Shi Xueqian clearly had no romantic interest in these people. She was just a kind academic star helping a classmate.

“Can you understand when I explain it this way?”

Unlike her cold, aloof exterior, Shi Xueqian’s voice was gentle and patient. This was the third time she was explaining the same thing, but the junior still shook her head, her eyes glued to Shi Xueqian’s face as she subtly moved closer.

Su Yu took two steps forward, but then remembered something and stepped back.

Having observed Shi Xueqian for almost half a month, she knew better than anyone that most of the time, Shi Xueqian was like a wandering spirit. Only at moments like this would she seem to come alive. But at other times, she was like a robot strictly following a program, prone to self-destructing when things went wrong. She was a contradictory person in a very complex state. But she was also a little mysterious.

“Ten more minutes…”

Su Yu stepped forward and placed a hand on the junior’s shoulder. “Hey, class is about to start. Why don’t you ask the teacher if you still have questions?”

Her smile was one hundred percent sweet, but her eyes were sharp and cold.

The junior wanted to protest, but her eyes met Su Yu’s, and she shivered. She thanked Shi Xueqian and ran off.

Su Yu then grabbed Shi Xueqian’s hand and started running. “Senior, hurry! You don’t have enough time!”

If Su Yu had looked back at that moment, she would have seen that the cold moon behind her had broken through its shell, revealing a look of undisguised shock.

The campus path was almost empty in the morning. When they passed a few students carrying books, Su Yu gave them a glare, which made them freeze in place.

The wind carried the falling leaves, and they swirled in the air before settling on the ground.

They ran to the cafeteria, which was on the way to the library. Su Yu quickly placed an order at the counter. “Ma’am, to go, please.”

She grabbed the to-go bag and pulled Shi Xueqian away again, like a gust of wind.

When they arrived at the library, Su Yu immediately checked her watch. It was not yet seven. They had made it.

After running for seven minutes, Su Yu wasn’t even out of breath. She looked up and saw that Shi Xueqian was breathing heavily and her lips were pale. She immediately took out the warm milk, put a straw in it, and held it to her mouth. “Take a small sip to calm down.”

She then used her other hand to gently pat Shi Xueqian’s back, as if taking care of a child.

“Why are your eyes red?” Su Yu immediately became nervous. “Senior, are you not feeling well? It’s all my fault. I made you run too fast. Tell me where you feel sick, or should we go…”

“I’m fine,” Shi Xueqian said, closing her eyes. “The wind just made them watery.”

Su Yu let out a sigh of relief and handed her the bag of breakfast. “I was in a rush, so I just ordered whatever. Eat well so you can study hard.”

Shi Xueqian opened the bag, looked inside, and then at Su Yu. “Just whatever? It’s all my favorite foods?”

“Whatever” was not the case! Su Yu had observed and taken notes for half a month to learn what Shi Xueqian liked. The only exception was the milk, which Shi Xueqian would often look at but never buy.

Of course, she couldn’t let Shi Xueqian know that.

“Really?” Su Yu asked, feigning surprise. She tilted her head and smiled. “Doesn’t that just prove that I’m fated to be your type, senior?”

Shi Xueqian didn’t say anything else. She took out her phone. “I’ll transfer you the money.”

“No… wait!” Su Yu immediately took out her phone, but instead of a QR code for payment, she showed a QR code for adding a friend.

Shi Xueqian looked at her.

“What’s wrong?” Su Yu asked, feigning ignorance. “Don’t I have to add you as a friend to transfer money?”

“The note you slid under my study room door last time? I threw it away,” Shi Xueqian said slowly, her voice pleasant as a spring breeze, but her words sharp as a knife. She hadn’t added her as a friend last time, and she wasn’t going to this time either.

Su Yu understood. She had left her contact information on the note and asked Shi Xueqian to add her as a friend, but now, half a month later… it had been thrown away.

The girl who had just been running through campus like a ray of sunshine suddenly looked like a wilted eggplant. Shi Xueqian glanced at her heel, put away her phone, took out some cash from her backpack, and put it in Su Yu’s hand. She said, “Thank you for today, but this is enough,” and turned to enter the library.

Su Yu looked up with a start, just in time to see Shi Xueqian’s back as she got on the elevator.

???

She just wanted to act a little pathetic to make Shi Xueqian feel bad and add her as a friend. She didn’t expect her to just leave and give her a few bucks. Her hand slowly tightened around the cash. How heartless.

Who needs a few bucks anyway?

A few bucks? Feeling the unfamiliar texture in her hand, she looked down. In her hand, wrapped up in the cash, were a small bottle of iodine, two cotton swabs, and two adhesive bandages, all crumpled up.

As if she felt something, Su Yu suddenly felt a sharp pain from her heel. She turned to look at her blistered heel, then back at the iodine, cotton swabs, and bandages in her hand.

See~ she’s not that heartless after all.

Su Yu walked into the library and sat in her usual spot. She placed the items on the table, took a picture, and sent it to a group chat called “Barbie’s Three Charming Princesses.”

The name was a joke from the third princess, Jiang Nianyi. The other two princesses complained about it but never changed it.

The Sweetest Princess of the Universe: “Disinfectant! Yu Yu, what’s wrong! Are you hurt? Send me your location! I’m coming right now!”

The Coldest Princess of the Universe: “This is suspicious.”

The Sweetest Princess of the Universe: “Wow, it’s the first time our second princess hasn’t complained about her group chat nickname. Screaming and confetti-popping emoji”

The Coldest Princess of the Universe: “Just goes to show that habits are a scary thing.”

The Most Sinister Princess of the Universe: “Senior Shi gave me this. She then briefly explained what had happened.”

The Most Sinister Princess of the Universe: “I didn’t even notice, but she’s paying such close attention to me, she cares so much about me~”

The Coldest Princess of the Universe: “Diagnosis: hopelessly romantic emoji”

The Sweetest Princess of the Universe: “Drag her away, she’s a lost cause emoji”

The Most Sinister Princess of the Universe: “You don’t have to tell me, I already know. Senior Shi and I are a perfect match~”

The Coldest Princess of the Universe: “But… does Senior Shi usually carry this kind of stuff with her?”

The Sweetest Princess of the Universe: “I think it’s normal. Just in case. For example, I always have an umbrella and a pack of tissues in my bag. And because she had them, her hottest suitor got to use them today. Winking emoji”

The Most Sinister Princess of the Universe: “She’s not a hot suitor, she’s a future wife.”

The Sweetest Princess of the Universe: “Ew~”

The Coldest Princess of the Universe: “Can’t even look.”

Su Yu’s fingers happily tapped on the table. She looked thoughtfully at the items, then at the closed door of the study room. She pushed the items to the side, not bothering to treat her wound, and took a book on directing out of her bag to read.

At eight o’clock, the closed door opened on time. Su Yu immediately stood up, but then she said, “Ouch,” and sat back down. The library was quiet, and even though her voice wasn’t loud, it reached Shi Xueqian’s ears.

The white figure in her peripheral vision looked over, just as she had expected. The two of them made eye contact through the gap between the bookshelves.

Su Yu made a pained face, looking pitiful enough to melt anyone’s heart. She said softly, “Senior, it hurts so much.”