Strategy

"There's really no such thing!" Mei Sinan tried hard to put on a look of surprise, attempting to deny Ding Jiali's guess, but it looked entirely like a desperate liar making a final struggle.

"So it's still the secret crush stage, and you haven't confessed?"

"No!"

"You confessed, but she said no?"

"No! There's nothing like that!"

"She has someone she likes?"

Mei Sinan suddenly fell silent.

Ding Jiali let out a laugh. He popped open a beer can in his hand, and the foam inside violently surged out over the top. Ding Jiali casually shook his hand. "Bro, what's there to hide about this kind of thing? All this 'no' and 'not really'... Let me tell you, when it comes to matters of the heart, you shouldn't bottle things up by yourself. Speak up and we can all figure it out together. Collective wisdom is the real way to go."

"...Just let me have a moment to think, Jiali," Mei Sinan covered half his face with a headache. "I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Are you even a man?" Ding Jiali frowned. "If you sit here thinking back and forth by yourself, are you going to win the girl over? So what if she likes someone else? Even if she's already taken, it doesn't stop you from keeping up the effort. Don't forget you're a man! What is love? Love is hormones, it's when the time comes and people start having reproductive instincts. Think about how animals court in nature. Have you ever seen elk duels? Those guys risk their lives just to mate, but when you meet someone you like, you turn into a shy little girl... How are you supposed to emit charm in front of the opposite sex like this? Huh?"

"...I," Mei