I Like You

"We're not going to finish all this."

Chen Yanxi glanced at the large amount of food still left, then at Wang Ge, who was rubbing his stomach as if he were already full, and asked, "Can we pack this up to take away?"

"Take it away? How about we try a little harder and finish it?"

"No need to force ourselves." Chen Yanxi shook her head. "Let's take it with us. I saw that you still have some vegetables at home. With these added, we won't have to go out to eat tomorrow."

Wang Ge's eyes lit up. "So you're handling tomorrow's meals?"

"Mm."

Chen Yanxi nodded lightly. "I'm staying at your place. I can't just do nothing, can I?"

"I'm really looking forward to your cooking."

"Then I'll do my best not to disappoint you."

"Hahaha."

Wang Ge couldn't help laughing. "Xixi, you're much cuter now than you were when you were all cold and aloof."

Chen Yanxi pursed her lips and said nothing.

Wang Ge glanced at the time and said:

"It's time to go, Xixi. It's about time for our movie."

"Okay."

It was a simple romance film called Eternal Love.

Since it was Saturday, there were quite a lot of people at the cinema.

Most of them were young couples.

The movie had been quite successful. When the director's name slowly rose onto the screen at the end, many girls were already leaning against their boyfriends and crying.

Some young couples were hugging and crying together.

As it happened, there was a young couple sitting right in front of Wang Ge and Chen Yanxi. The girl was clinging to her boyfriend's arm and wiping away her tears with soft sobs.

Her boyfriend was gently comforting her beside her, saying things like, "There, there, don't cry. I'll definitely treat you well. My love for you will last forever..."

Wang Ge glanced at the couple in front of them, then at Chen Yanxi, who remained calm from beginning to end.

Chen Yanxi returned his gaze with a questioning look.

Wang Ge scratched his head and thought for two seconds. Then he suddenly lunged over and hugged Chen Yanxi's arm, pretending to wipe his eyes. "Sob, sob. Xixi, the movie was so touching. We should be like the people in the movie and keep our love eternal, never parting, okay?"

With his Acting Skill already at level 4, his fake crying actually looked fairly convincing.

Chen Yanxi pushed his head away and said helplessly, "Stop fooling around..."

"Can't you comfort me like they're doing?" Wang Ge nodded toward the couple in front of them.

"They're a couple. We're not."

"Whatever, whatever. One day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of affection. We were at least a couple for a day, even if it was fake..."

Wang Ge started acting shamelessly.

Chen Yanxi rubbed her temples, utterly helpless against him.

She had no choice but to sigh and ask, "You want comforting?"

Wang Ge's eyes immediately lit up, and he hurriedly nodded.

Then he heard Chen Yanxi say:

"Movies are all artistically embellished. Wang Ge, eternal love has never existed in the real world. Everything has a shelf life, and love is no exception."

What are you doing? Can't you say something nice? Wang Ge was left dumbfounded. "That's your comfort?"

"Yes."

Chen Yanxi nodded. "Normally, when someone feels sad because of a movie, it's because they've become immersed in the sorrowful atmosphere created by the movie's world. As long as you pull them back into reality, they naturally won't remain sad over a fictional movie."

Because the cruel reality contained even more things worth grieving over.

"That's... simple and brutal." Wang Ge couldn't help complaining. "Xixi, you really don't have a single romantic bone in your body."

"I just believe you have enough psychological resilience to withstand such a brutal method of consolation." Chen Yanxi smiled faintly. "Besides, you aren't really sad because of the movie."

"...I really appreciate your trust."

Wang Ge replied sourly.

After the movie ended, the two of them left the cinema.

They weren't in a hurry to go back. They unanimously decided to take a walk together.

The nights in May weren't as stifling as the days. The temperature was fairly cool, and occasionally a refreshing breeze brushed past, gently lifting the girl's hair.

Wang Ge, growing a little too bold, tried to take the girl's hand, but she smiled and dodged him.

"Our relationship is already this good. Holding hands isn't too much to ask, right?"

Wang Ge still refused to give up and wanted to try again.

"No."

Chen Yanxi refused without the slightest hesitation.

"...What a cheapskate."

Wang Ge muttered childishly.

"I'm angry, Chen Yanxi. I've decided not to talk to you for one minute—if you don't come and coax me, it'll become two minutes."

Chen Yanxi was caught between laughter and tears.

She was seriously beginning to wonder whether Wang Ge had some kind of magical button.

Maybe pressing it once would instantly switch his personality, seamlessly changing him into someone else.

Otherwise, how could anyone explain why this guy's personality was so changeable?

When they had first met, he had clearly been a sincere and kindhearted young man.

Later, he had gradually become a shameless little rogue who spouted nonsense all day.

Occasionally, he could also seem very reliable and gentle.

And now he was acting like a child.

Perhaps human beings were simply combinations of countless complex and varied things.

Wang Ge just happened to be a little more complicated than most.

Chen Yanxi found it somewhat amusing, so she deliberately said, "It's pretty nice that you can stay quiet for two minutes."

"How can you say that about me!"

Wang Ge widened his eyes. "Chen Yanxi, you have no heart!"

Chen Yanxi chuckled softly.

"I never thought you were this kind of person, Xixi. I completely misjudged you. I'm turning from a fan into a hater. Well, unless you say that you like me, then I'll forgive you."

"I like you."

Chen Yanxi said it so directly that Wang Ge failed to react for a moment. He let out a startled "Huh?"

"I like you."

Chen Yanxi repeated herself and asked with a smile, "Can you forgive me now?"

Wang Ge stared at her in shock. Judging by his expression, he looked as if he were about to shout, "Wretched demon, reveal your true form!"

"Are you really the Chen Yanxi I know? Did something possess you?"

He had merely been spouting nonsense out of habit. He had never expected Chen Yanxi to actually respond.

"Well, it's not really unreasonable."

Chen Yanxi spoke with a smile. "I'll be staying at your place for two days, after all. I have to say something nice to curry favor with you, my landlord, don't I?"

Only after Wang Ge processed that did he say, "Fine, that's a very convincing reason. I almost believed you—if I didn't know that you had no emotional intelligence and didn't understand social etiquette."

"Although I am somewhat introverted and don't like socializing, I shouldn't be as hopeless as you make me sound, completely lacking emotional intelligence, should I?" Chen Yanxi thought about it and said.

"Having a little emotional intelligence and having none at all are basically the same thing... Hey, forget about that for now!"

Wang Ge waved his hand, then shoved it back into his pocket and asked expectantly, "Can you say what you just said a few more times? Preferably with my name included. I love hearing it."

"Isn't something like that only meaningful the first time you say it?"

"Who cares whether it's meaningful? I like hearing it. Say it two more times~"

"All right."

Chen Yanxi thought about it. Since she had already said it once, saying it two more times wouldn't matter, so she indulged him.

"I like you, Wang Ge. I like you. I like you."

After saying it three times in succession, she lightly gathered the long hair beside her ear, covering the slightly flushed earlobe, and asked, "Satisfied now?"

"Haha, satisfied, satisfied."

Wang Ge laughed smugly. He pulled his phone from his pocket and showed Chen Yanxi the recording interface on the screen.

He pressed the play button, and the girl's gentle confession came from the phone:

"Wang Ge, I like you."

"I like you too, Xixi."

Standing on the bustling street, Wang Ge responded with a brilliant smile. "Let's be together."