Wen Ce, Would You Like to Like Me?

An uncontrollable smile spread across Luo Lianqing's face. She turned toward the screen and murmured a soft assent.

Although she really wanted to show off to Egg Yolk, that would be too childish.

She managed to control herself, at least.

Luo Lianqing had always felt that her life was actually quite dull. There always seemed to be plenty of people around her whom she knew.

More precisely, there were a great many people who knew her, but she had too few friends.

Counting Alice, who was abroad, and Miaomiao, there was now one more: Wen Ce.

She really did spend a long time with Egg Yolk every day. In her originally dull world, Egg Yolk had always kept her company.

So she had grown used to treating Egg Yolk like a person, which was why they would argue and sulk.

But just now, she had suddenly felt that she was rather childish.

She hoped Wen Ce wouldn't think she was strange.

She really did rarely care so much about what someone thought.

Wen Ce was different, because she liked him.

The movie on the projector began playing horror-movie sound effects.

Their flirtatious conversation ended at that moment.

Foreign horror movies actually tended to rely more heavily on gore.

Egg Yolk seemed a little uncomfortable with it. After watching for a while, she jumped off Wen Ce's lap and left.

She even seemed to find it too loud here.

Wen Ce turned to look and discovered that she had slipped into the bedroom on her own and even pushed the door a little further shut.

He almost wondered whether this cat had become a spirit.

Seeing him turn away from the movie, Luo Lianqing followed his gaze into the room, then started to get up. "Hey, Egg Yolk..."

But Wen Ce reached out and caught her wrist. "It's all right. There's nothing much in the room."

Luo Lianqing had intended to bring Egg Yolk back out, but the moment Wen Ce caught her like that, her mind seemed to forget everything.

Did this count as being alone together now? Even Egg Yolk wasn't here. There were only the two of them left.

Wen Ce gave her a little tug, signaling for her to sit down.

Luo Lianqing sat down. The distance between them seemed to have shrunk a little.

Wen Ce didn't release her wrist. He only said softly, "I'm a little scared."

Sure enough, not only did the person beside him not pull her hand back, she even reached out with her other hand to comfort him somewhat clumsily. "Don't be scared. If you're really scared, we can switch to something else."

Wen Ce shook his head. "It's all right. You want to watch it, and it's already started."

Luo Lianqing tried persuading him a few more times, but when he insisted, she stopped.

It was just that she couldn't concentrate on the rest of the movie at all.

Because Wen Ce never let go.

Holding her wrist, Wen Ce felt it gradually warm from slightly cool to the same temperature as his own body.

Luo Lianqing didn't pull her hand back, and he didn't let go of his own accord either.

His thumb brushed across that smooth, delicate wrist as though by accident.

His grip would even tighten slightly whenever a frightening scene appeared.

Then she would reach out with her other hand to comfort him.

The movie ran for over two hours, nearly three.

Partway through, Wen Ce finally felt Luo Lianqing move her hand. Her small voice reached him. "My hand's a little numb..."

Wen Ce lowered his eyes to the wrist in his grasp. Reluctant as he was, he still let go. "Sorry. I'm a little scared."

Luo Lianqing shook out her hand. Staying in the same position really had made it a little numb.

Wen Ce glanced at her and met her smiling eyes.

Then he saw her hold out her hand again. "Could you hold my palm instead?"

As though he hadn't expected her to say that, Wen Ce fixed his gaze on her outstretched palm. Suddenly, he chuckled softly, reached out, and took that hand. He gently rested it on his leg.

"This is called holding hands."

Hearing him say "holding hands" in that low voice, Luo Lianqing felt as though her whole body was about to explode.

Her heart was beating terribly fast.

The palm of the hand he had just taken was already beginning to burn.

They were holding hands.

Wen Ce felt their joined hands beginning to grow hot. His throat felt a little dry.

Oh, what had Zhou Chi said again? Not being averse to physical contact...

What else was there? His heart was beating so fast that it was interfering with his memory.

Wen Ce gently pressed his other hand over his heart.

Then he heard Luo Lianqing say quietly, "Could you turn the air conditioning down a little? I'm a bit hot."

Wen Ce tightened his hold on her hand, then picked up the remote beside him. "Okay."

With two beeps, the air conditioner was turned down a little.

The small hand in his moved gently.

Wen Ce instinctively tightened his grip a little, then, afraid of hurting her, loosened it slightly in the end.

His thoughts, however, ran wild. I've already turned the air conditioning down. Is she still hot?

The air conditioner must be bad. It needs replacing.

As he thought this, the small hand in his moved nimbly. Then, slowly, he felt fingers slipping between his own, one by one.

Their hands were now clasped with all ten fingers interlocked.

Luo Lianqing's voice was little more than a breath. "This is called interlocking all ten fingers."

Wen Ce couldn't help turning to look at her. Her head was lowered, and she wasn't watching the TV. Even in the flickering light of the projection, he could tell that she was shy. Her face was very red.

Now was the moment, wasn't it?

Wen Ce's wandering thoughts suddenly came running back on their own.

"Luoluo, we're holding hands..."

But what came out wasn't what Wen Ce had intended to say. After all, confessing his feelings had been a blind spot throughout all twenty-one years of his life.

Although quite a few girls had confessed to him, he had never taken it to heart.

Now Wen Ce felt a little regretful. If only he had listened, he wouldn't have reached this moment wanting to confess but not knowing how to begin.

Hearing his voice, Luo Lianqing raised her head to look at him and met his puzzled expression.

No, if Wen Ce asked her why they were holding hands, how was she supposed to answer?

Ah, right, what had Miaomiao said?

Whoever strikes first gains the upper hand!

If that didn't work, she could cry. If crying didn't work, she had to act cute...

Miaomiao had said she was pretty. No one could resist her...

Luo Lianqing was panicking now too, with no time to think through causes or consequences.

She only knew that Wen Ce was the first person she had ever liked, and she couldn't let such a good opportunity slip away.

"Wen Ce, I don't hold hands with other people, especially not with our fingers interlocked like this, so would you like to like me?"

Luo Lianqing heard her own heart pounding wildly. She was terrified that if she said another word, her heart would leap straight out of her mouth.

"I, I like you. It's just, you're different, so would you like to like me..."

That last sentence no longer had the confidence of the one before it. It sounded a little weak.

But she had already said it. Although she really was so nervous that she was on the verge of tears, she still finished what she had to say.

"You like long legs, and my legs are really long. My figure isn't bad either. Although I can't cook, I can learn. Would you consider me?"

Wen Ce looked at Luo Lianqing, who had blurted everything out in one breath. Her eyes were now brimming with tears, all watery, making her look pitiful beneath the light.

It was as though her tears would fall the instant he opened his mouth to say no.