The news from Sheng Kuang exploded in Lin Jing’s mind like a series of thunderbolts, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.
Over the years, it wasn't as if no one had confessed to her.
Back when she was in the fifth grade, still half-understanding what love was, she had received a box of lollipops from a boy in the next class. He was tall, and as he handed her the large tub of lollipops, he tried to imitate a male lead from a TV show, flicking his hair which was barely long enough to be called bangs. He said to her, with what he thought was a cool demeanor, "Lin Jing, if I said, I want to have a home with you?"
She had really wanted those lollipops. But upon hearing his words, she swallowed, and with a reluctant gaze, shifted her eyes from the lollipops to the boy’s face. She asked incredulously, "Don't you have a home yourself?"
The boy was utterly speechless. After a long pause, his face flushed, he stammered, "I, I mean, I..."
Lin Jing was anxious to go home and finish her homework and watch the anime she hadn’t finished. His stammering made her a little impatient. "If you want to say something, can you say it quickly? I need to go home and watch Sailor Moon."
The boy fell completely silent.
Lin Jing gave him a strange look. "If you're not going to say it, I'm leaving."
Seeing her about to leave, the boy grew a little anxious. "Lin Jing!"
Lin Jing turned her head perfunctorily. "Yes?"
Within three seconds, she wanted to turn her head back. Fearing she would leave, the boy, in a moment of desperation, closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and blurted out, "I like you!"
After saying it, the boy held his breath, not daring to open his eyes.
About three seconds later, seeing no reaction from the person in front of him, he slowly opened his eyelids.
As their gazes met, Lin Jing calmly nodded. "Oh, I know."
The boy looked at her in disbelief. "That's your reaction?"
"What else?" Lin Jing was even more incredulous. She looked down at herself. "I think you're right. I like myself quite a lot too."
Then, the boy who had confessed to her for the first time in her life was made to cry by her.
After that, it was in junior high that someone else pursued her. By then, she had read plenty of romance novels and understood most things. When facing a boy’s confession, she had learned how to refuse them politely.
After doing it so many times, she had become numb to rejections. She could reply without batting an eyelid, her face impassive, "Thank you, I'm truly sorry, but I don't have any romantic inclinations at the moment."
If they were persistent, she would add, "Even if I did in the future, I probably wouldn't consider you."
But at this moment, looking at Sheng Kuang's messages, the words that would normally come to her mind effortlessly, she couldn't type a single one.
The phone, untouched for a long time, automatically locked.
Lan Tingting turned off the last desk lamp in the dorm and climbed into bed.
The room was dark and silent. After staring blankly for a long time, Lin Jing blinked, touched her phone, entered her password, and the screen unlocked, displaying her WeChat chat with Sheng Kuang.
She had genuinely never thought about it in that way. Sheng Kuang suddenly telling her he was pursuing her, she truly couldn't process it.
Imagine it: someone you considered an idol, someone you always looked up to, suddenly leans in and tells you he wants to pursue you.
It was like a scene from a TV drama.
It wasn't just her that couldn't wrap her head around it for a moment; it made her feel like she was dreaming, flustered and lost.
She didn't like stringing people along, nor did she like playing games. Her thoughts were simple: like is like, dislike is dislike.
But she realized that with Sheng Kuang, she felt a bit conflicted.
Before she could even sort out her own feelings for him, she found herself not wanting to reject him.
Lin Jing felt a little unethical, and she scorned herself slightly. In the end, she still didn't reject Sheng Kuang, and found a casual remark to send.
Xiao Jing酱: Is this considered a confession?
Sheng Kuang, who had probably been waiting by his phone, replied instantly upon seeing her message.
miracle: No.
"..."
Lin Jing felt like she had been choked.
This wasn't considered a confession?
If it wasn't a confession, did that mean she didn't need to bother thinking about whether to reject him or accept him?
For some reason, Lin Jing felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart. She let out a long sigh of relief.
She suddenly felt that this was quite good, saving her the trouble of agonizing over what to do.
The phone vibrated again.
miracle: I just want to get in line early.
Lin Jing opened her mouth, about to type a question asking what line he was referring to, when two more messages popped up on the screen.
miracle: When you decide you want to have a boyfriend, remember to consider me.
miracle: Including in the game, when you want to find a partner, remember to consider me too.
miracle: The priority kind.