Lift Your Chin (Revised)

Liu Chang'an stood at the door, holding the doorknob, and gently turned it.

He released his grip and let out a breath.

Bai Hui's figure is not actually very suitable for wearing the relatively formal and serious Ming Dynasty attire.

As Liu Chang'an pondered these random thoughts, sensing the desperate gambler's resolve behind him, he was indeed somewhat surprised.

In his eyes, Bai Hui was actually a very proud and proud girl, a reserved Leo.

Liu Chang'an was certainly not a fortune teller or an astrology enthusiast; he just knew a little about everything. Many of Bai Hui's personality traits probably matched the characteristics of a Leo found online.

I like you too.

Bai Hui's heart skipped a beat, her blood surged, and she trembled involuntarily. A feeling of weakness spread through her body in an instant, forcing her to clench her fists. Her fingernails pricked her palms before she regained her strength and opened her arms again to hug Liu Chang'an without letting go.

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Those words seemed like a hallucination, unbelievable to her... If this were true, she must be the daughter of God. And at this moment, Liu Chang'an succumbed to God's will. Otherwise... how could this be?

"Between people, it's simply a matter of liking, not liking, or disliking. The fact that people often hang out together and become friends ultimately stems from some kind of liking, or perhaps the other person possesses qualities that the person admires, or there's an appreciation for their excellence, or the interactions are fun, engaging, and relaxing."

Liu Chang'an turned around and gently pressed Bai Hui's shoulder.

"I... I... I meant the same thing, it means a friend likes me." Bai Hui said in a panic. Sure enough, God's favor doesn't easily favor ordinary girls. Just like many moments in life, it's better to prepare for the worst, then the feeling when you actually face it won't be so bad... It's the feeling of having hope, even feeling like you've gained something, and then having that hope shattered, feeling like you've lost something, that's the most painful.

Even if they manage to maintain a calm demeanor, they are probably already feeling so depressed that they can hardly breathe.

"No, you confessed to me." Liu Chang'an's finger lightly traced Bai Hui's cheek. "So proud."

Bai Hui felt a tingling, numb sensation on her cheek where he had brushed against her cheek, which then warmed up and felt like it was being burned by fire. Why didn't this person give her a way out?

So... so... did his "I like you too" mean he was also confessing his feelings?

Forget it, stop being delusional. Bai Hui raised her head, her eyes swirling with moisture, met his gaze, then looked away, biting her lip and lowering her head.

"Fine, go ahead and confess, but I have a girlfriend, and I can't accept it." Liu Chang'an opened his arms and gently hugged Bai Hui.

Bai Hui was pulled into his arms, and for a moment she felt as if she had shrunk. She hid in his warm embrace, no longer caring about what he was saying. She simply closed her eyes, pressed her cheek against his clothes, and could hear the beating of his heart in his chest, each beat tugging at her heartstrings.

I never thought he would accept my confession, so I wasn't surprised or disappointed by his answer.

Thinking he would agree to be her boyfriend from then on was truly unrealistic... Bai Hui has always been a very realistic girl.

To Bai Hui's surprise and shy sweetness, he actually pulled her into his arms. This was something she had never expected, and it was an unexpected delight.

Even if it's just a friendly, comforting hug... at least it shows that it's a hug that proves the closeness of their relationship.

After such a hug, even if he leaves this room, he probably won't keep his distance when we meet again.

Will he be more distant and polite when we chat in the future?

If I invite him for tea again in the future and want to talk about the Book of Songs, he won't refuse, right?

Thinking this, Bai Hui opened her arms and hugged him, lowering her head to feel the embrace that might end soon, like Little White being held by the ears by a hunter, clutching a carrot in her hand and desperately munching on the leaves.

"It's perfectly normal for you to have feelings for me... I usually assume that women I frequently interact with also have feelings for me, so generally speaking, even if I knew you liked me, I wouldn't treat it as anything special. I'd still interact with you as usual." Liu Chang'an sighed softly. "You probably understand this kind of trouble. If you find out someone likes you and then avoid them, keep your distance, the end result will be that all your friends are the same sex, creating an imbalance."

Although the current atmosphere made Bai Hui feel shy and sweet, what he said still made Bai Hui both amused and annoyed, making it difficult for her to listen to him calmly without refuting him.

"Even if it's someone of the same sex, it's perfectly normal for them to like me. Just like among your female friends, there are definitely some who have those feelings for you." Liu Chang'an wasn't being self-righteous; it was simply a fact.

"Yes, there is." Bai Hui remembered a girl in her class who would come to their dormitory from time to time. Sometimes, the way she looked at Bai Hui was infatuated, as if she were infatuated with an extremely beautiful and cute girl.

"So... I promise you, we'll still be friends, and I won't let this become an awkward and unpleasant situation." Liu Chang'an released Bai Hui. "I'll stay here for now... Go make some tea, and after we finish, we'll take some photos, just like always."

"Okay," Bai Hui said quickly, her cheeks flushed. She was no longer so nervous, nor did she feel the fear of waiting for judgment. Even though she had been rejected, she felt much more relaxed.

"But my chin... I took a picture, and my chin needs to be fixed." Bai Hui saw that Liu Chang'an had changed his clothes, which meant that she was the one who had only taken the picture and hadn't changed her clothes.

"It's very simple." Liu Chang'an spat on his fingertips and then hooked Bai Hui's chin.

Bai Hui had never had her chin touched like this by a man before. She used to think that this gesture, which she only saw in movies and TV dramas, was incredibly tacky... But when Liu Chang'an touched her chin, Bai Hui realized that this gesture could actually make a girl's heart race. This gesture would change the angle from which she looked at him, giving her a different perspective than usual. For a moment, she felt a little flustered and at a loss, as if she only knew to wait for him to lower his head next.

He didn't. He released her chin. Bai Hui blushed from her wild thoughts and unconsciously touched her chin. But she didn't feel the burning pain that comes with a cut. She was surprised and ran to the mirror to look at herself. There was no scar at all.

Could it have just been an illusion? It must be, otherwise how could she have recovered so quickly? Bai Hui turned to look at Liu Chang'an, her face beaming with smiles.

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Please stop scolding me; I didn't want to write so slowly either.