He Felt Like She Was Flirting with Him Again

Wen Ce's voice was a little low. "Why don't you have any friends of the opposite sex?"

"Because when I was little, my mother said I was pretty, and any member of the opposite sex who approached me was bound to have ulterior motives." Luo Lianqing's voice was flat. "I didn't believe her when I was young, so she taught me a lesson her own way. For a long time after that, I couldn't really get close to the opposite sex..."

She stopped looking at Wen Ce and stood up, reaching for the water he had barely touched. "Let me get you some fresh water."

She walked over to the side, poured out the water in the glass, and replaced it with warm water. "It wasn't until I grew up that I realized what my mother taught me was wrong, but by then, it had basically become a conditioned reflex. I spent a long time in treatment, and I'm much better now, but I guess I also missed the best time to make friends, so I don't really have any friends of the opposite sex."

Luo Lianqing set the glass down in front of Wen Ce. "All I can say is that most of the men I meet now probably still have other intentions toward me."

She smiled and met Wen Ce's gaze again. "But you feel different. Though there's another, more important reason: you look a lot like a childhood playmate of mine, which naturally makes me like you."

"Of course, she was a girl, so what I wanted to ask just now was whether you have any sisters. An older or younger sister?" Luo Lianqing looked at him expectantly after she finished.

Unfortunately, Wen Ce shook his head. "No, I'm an only child. I do have a female cousin on my father's side, but she's over ten years older than me, so I don't think she could have been your playmate, could she?"

Disappointment appeared on Luo Lianqing's face at his answer. "Oh, I thought..."

Her emotions didn't fluctuate much, and she spoke of the past as lightly as drifting clouds and a gentle breeze, yet for some reason, Wen Ce's heart ached for her a little.

He didn't know what kind of mother would tell her own child that anyone of the opposite sex who approached her had ulterior motives.

He didn't even dare speculate about how her mother had taught her that lesson.

Perhaps he was being too conspiracy-minded, but Wen Ce still couldn't help imagining the worst.

His gaze was probably too obvious, because Luo Lianqing noticed.

She tilted her head and looked at Wen Ce. "Do you feel sorry for me? There's really no need. It's pretty normal not to have friends of the opposite sex, right?"

Her last sentence was a little hesitant.

But Wen Ce nodded. "Pretty normal. I don't have any either."

He glanced at Luo Lianqing and added, "Though now I have you."

Luo Lianqing seemed a little happy to hear that, and her emotions showed clearly.

Wen Ce realized that ever since she said they were friends, she seemed to have placed him within the boundaries of what she considered harmless.

Though he still didn't know how she drew those boundaries, or what he had done to deserve being considered her only male friend.

His emotional intelligence had apparently never been very high in this regard. He could only sense that Luo Lianqing seemed more genuine now.

"I honestly don't know whether the way we interact as friends is right. Miaomiao and I hit it off right away and can talk about anything. I feel like you're quite similar to her. Oh, Miaomiao is the girl from last time. You've met her. It's just that you both feel very harmless to me."

Luo Lianqing blinked. "Good thing you don't have a girlfriend right now, or it would probably be hard for us to be friends."

Her boundaries were quite clear.

Wen Ce couldn't help asking curiously, "How do you decide who's harmless?"

"Well..." Luo Lianqing smiled. "You didn't tell anyone about those previous times, which means you're not someone who particularly enjoys wagging his tongue. And I'm quite pretty. Generally, even if I'm not their type, most people seem to let their imaginations run wild when a beautiful woman approaches them. Of course, I don't mean everyone, but you didn't."

Luo Lianqing looked at Wen Ce and spoke very seriously. "And then there's that questionnaire just now. If you really had any bad intentions, after our previous encounters and me inviting you in to fill out a questionnaire, you'd probably have assumed I wasn't a respectable woman. But you didn't. Aside from being embarrassed at the beginning, you didn't show any other emotions. I think you're someone I can be friends with."

Wen Ce: ...

"Don't you think that test of yours was a little risky?" Wen Ce sighed. "You let someone right into your home. If they really had other intentions, you wouldn't even have a chance to fight back."

Luo Lianqing blinked, then suddenly took a tiny alarm out from the sofa where she was sitting. "This. I had it in my hand the whole time."

Wen Ce looked at the alarm and fell silent for a moment. One press would automatically send her location, alert the police, and sound a siren. It was indeed quite safe.

"Besides, I really have studied sanda. Against ordinary men, taking on three at once wouldn't be much of a problem."

"Most importantly, you really are the only man I've ever brought home. I already felt you weren't a bad person before this. Don't underestimate a girl's sixth sense."

Luo Lianqing explained very seriously, but Wen Ce still thought she was too naive. If she met someone with deeply concealed intentions, she would simply be inviting a wolf into her home.

In the end, though, he didn't dwell on the issue. Instead, he told her seriously, "Don't test people this way again. It isn't safe."

Luo Lianqing nodded, looking very obedient. "I probably won't meet another man I want to be friends with anyway."

"Not women either," Wen Ce couldn't help cautioning her. "The opposite sex isn't the only source of danger. Society these days is still pretty complicated."

Watching him caution her so seriously, Luo Lianqing suddenly smiled. "Wen Ce, so you're not always so cool and distant?"

Wen Ce froze for a moment and realized that he had indeed talked a little too much tonight.

Mainly because once Luo Lianqing's facade of calmness, intelligence, and high emotional intelligence was torn away, she was a little... silly.

He couldn't help worrying a little. How had she grown this old without being tricked away? Was it because she was lucky?

After she finished smiling, Luo Lianqing thanked him very seriously. "Thank you. I know you're worried about me, but I'm older than you. I'm not actually stupid."

She looked at Wen Ce's face. "For some reason, I just have my guard down more around you. Only you."

Wen Ce's heartbeat quickened a little. He felt like she was flirting with him again.

"Oh, right. I have a gift for you." Luo Lianqing suddenly remembered something, stood up, and ran into her bedroom before coming back out with a box.

It was quite large. She set it in front of Wen Ce. "We're friends now. This is a gift for you."

Looking at the box on the floor, Wen Ce really wanted to ask what it was.

But he still hadn't asked by the time he left.

Luo Lianqing stood in the doorway and said goodbye, only closing the door after she watched him enter the apartment opposite hers.

She had made a male friend today. She was very happy.