Chapter 33

Ying Nian felt that her relationship with Yu Linran wasn’t something that could be simply described as just a fan and idol. After all, they had met in private so many times. What kind of fan gets to have one-on-one dinners with their idol, casually chat, and even play games together?

It couldn’t be called intimate, but at the very least, they could be considered “friends.”

Their positions were different, but after each interaction, Ying Nian’s attitude toward Yu Linran had unknowingly shifted. From her initial nervousness and awkwardness, she had gradually become more at ease.

But—

While the gap caused by their unequal status had diminished, it couldn’t shield her from the sting of a blow when faced with it directly.

Ying Nian led Yu Linran to the restaurant, but from the moment they sat down, the atmosphere felt a little off. She hadn’t noticed at first while they were ordering, but as the meal went on, she slowly began to realize he wasn’t acting like his usual self.

When Ying Nian spoke to him, his responses were indifferent. She knew he was a man of few words, but something felt different this time. When the food arrived, he barely ate, hardly touching his chopsticks. No matter how much she joked or tried to lighten the mood, his expression remained cold, without a hint of the usual warmth.

“Captain…” Ying Nian, growing uneasy from his behavior, set down her chopsticks. “Are you in a bad mood today?”

Yu Linran took a sip of water and replied with two flat words: “No, I’m not.”

“Then why aren’t you eating? Is it because the food here isn’t to your taste?” Ying Nian had carefully chosen this place, thinking he’d definitely like it, but now… she felt a bit deflated.

“It’s fine,” he said.

“Should we order something else?”

“No need.”

“…” She pressed her lips together. “Then… how about we go for a walk later and grab something else to eat?”

He replied, “We’ll see, let’s talk about it later.”

Ying Nian completely lost her appetite. With the atmosphere this awkward, how could she possibly keep eating?

Yu Linran, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to her discomfort. He picked up a piece of dessert with his chopsticks, placed it on his plate, and then took out his phone, engrossed in whatever he was looking at.

She cautiously spoke up, “Captain…”

Yu Linran looked up, “What is it?”

The cold tone sent a wave of unease through her, tightening her chest. Her lips trembled slightly, and her voice dropped, “Nothing.”

She lowered her head and continued eating in silence. Across from her, Yu Linran remained focused on his phone. She mechanically chewed the food she put into her mouth, but it tasted like nothing.

What exactly had she done to upset him?

Ying Nian couldn’t figure it out, and a wave of frustration and hurt began to rise within her.

By the time the meal was over, it felt as though she had swallowed a pound of sand.

As they stepped out of the restaurant, she didn’t dare suggest going for a walk or mention anything else. They simply walked side by side in silence.

As she spotted a dessert stand up ahead, Ying Nian quietly asked, “Captain, would you like an ice cream cone? I…”

“No.” He cut her off bluntly.

The words “I’ll go buy it” never made it out of her mouth. Ying Nian silently swallowed them back.

They walked past the dessert stand, but Ying Nian didn’t stop, and Yu Linran didn’t ask.

With each step, her feet felt heavier, and what had once seemed like perfect weather now felt cold and unwelcoming. She could feel the wind creeping into her collar, chilling her entire body.

As they passed by various street food stalls, Ying Nian kept asking Yu Linran if he wanted anything.

Roasted sweet potatoes, boiled corn, lamb skewers… each time, Yu Linran’s answer was the same—no. His expression showed clear disinterest in conversation, and the cold air around him created an aura of unapproachability, as if warning people to stay away.

Ying Nian had no idea why Yu Linran was in such a bad mood.

What made her feel even worse was that, in this storm of “keep your distance,” it was clear that she, too, had been placed in the “do not approach” zone.

What was supposed to be a nice evening had completely fallen apart. To Ying Nian, every expression, every movement from Yu Linran seemed like a signal that he wanted to leave. But because she stubbornly didn’t mention it, he hadn’t brought it up either.

As they passed by a convenience store, Ying Nian, feeling deeply unsettled, hesitantly asked, “Captain, I’m going to buy some water. Do you want any…?”

His answer, once again, was just two words: “No need.”

Ying Nian could no longer force a smile. She quickly walked toward the store, feeling heavy-hearted.

Inside the store, Ying Nian grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and paid for it, but her feet felt like they were weighed down by a thousand pounds. She couldn’t summon the energy to walk back.

Her emotions were getting harder to control. She set the water down on the counter and told the cashier, “I have more things to buy,” before turning back to disappear between the shelves.

She picked up a few bags of chips, but as she stood there, she struggled to hold it in. Her nose tingled, and before she knew it, tears started falling.

The more she tried not to cry, the harder it was to stop. Her breathing became short and hurried. She raised a hand to her chest, trying to calm herself, but her tears kept flowing like they cost nothing.

She didn’t want to make a sound—it was too embarrassing. She had never been like this before. Her feelings of frustration and sadness were all mixed together, her face scrunched up, crying silently, with only the soft sound of her quickened breaths filling the air.

“Are you buying this?”

The familiar voice suddenly rang out. Yu Linran had somehow entered the store without her noticing and now stood beside her.

Ying Nian instinctively turned in the opposite direction, but as soon as she took a step, someone grabbed the back of her collar.

Yu Linran, holding onto her collar, pulled her back.

Ying Nian didn’t want to meet his eyes. She struggled to break free, but she couldn’t. He dragged her in front of him, and she started crying even harder.

Yu Linran stared at her for a moment, with his brow furrowing slightly. “Why are you crying?”

Ying Nian didn’t respond, biting her lip as she continued crying.

“Speak,” Yu Linran said.

“…” She still didn’t say a word.

“If you don’t talk, I’ll leave.”

She stayed still, silent, the only response being her tears flowing more and more.

“Ying Nian.” Yu Linran’s voice became more serious.

He reached out to brush away the bangs covering Ying Nian’s face, but she sharply turned away from him.

“Then go! What’s the big deal?” she sobbed, “I’m so mad… so mad!”

Yu Linran frowned, “What are you mad about?”

“You’re seriously asking me? You’re really asking me? I… I just finished the conference, exhausted, everyone else is resting, sleeping, I didn’t even have a drink of water, and I rushed over to see you… worried you’d been waiting for too long… I even spent ages picking the restaurant, afraid you wouldn’t like it, and after reading the menu, I went through all the reviews! And what do you do? You show up with that cold face! I don’t owe you anything! If you didn’t want to see me, you shouldn’t have agreed! You could’ve just not come, why show up and act like this…”

Ying Nian let it all out, pouring out the frustration she had bottled up throughout the night, crying with tears blurring her vision.

Who wasn’t a little princess, after all?

At home, no one had ever treated her like this. Aside from Ying Zhaoguo, who else could ever make her suffer even a little? And even when Ying Zhaoguo upset her, she always managed to frustrate him just as much.

Sure, she was a fan, and yes, spending time with Yu Linran was something that could make her overjoyed in her dreams… but that didn’t mean she deserved to be treated like this!

She rarely cried, the number of times she’d shed tears in a year could be counted on one hand. The older she got, the less she cried. But now, Ying Nian’s temper had flared up—it wasn’t just anger, it was true hurt and frustration.

Ying Nian grabbed a bag of chips from the shelf and stormed toward the exit.

“Dinner’s over. Captain, you can go back now! Let’s just go our separate ways—go find somewhere cool to hang out!”

After paying, she stubbornly walked off on her own.

She made it down one street before stopping, her face stinging from the cold wind. Standing there, all her strength suddenly drained away.

“Not leaving?”

Yu Linran’s voice suddenly sounded from behind her. Startled, she turned around and saw him standing right behind her.

Ying Nian hadn’t noticed anyone behind her earlier, and she had tried hard to listen for footsteps, but she hadn’t heard a thing, which is why she had stopped, feeling both dejected and upset.

Who would have thought he’d really be right behind her?

Her nose tingled, and the tears welled up again.

Yu Linran sighed, clearly a bit helpless. “How old are you? You cry at the drop of a hat.”

“I don’t cry at the drop of a hat…!” Ying Nian choked out between sobs, still trying to argue with him. “It’s because you’re so infuriating!”

Yu Linran took a pack of tissues from his pocket, pulled one out, and handed it to her. “Bought these at the convenience store. Wipe your tears,” he said. “You’re not that tall, but you sure walk fast. By the time I finished paying, you’d already disappeared.”

“You were just being slow!” Ying Nian took the tissue and wiped her tears, not missing the chance to snap back.

“Your temper’s really growing, huh? Learning to talk back now?”

“You’re not my teacher, so why can’t I talk back?”

Yu Linran sighed silently to himself. It seemed she was really upset today—her temper was no small thing.

“Let’s go,” Yu Linran said, taking the lead as he started walking.

Ying Nian was caught off guard. “Where?”

“You said you wanted to walk around and eat something else, right?” A faint smirk tugged at his lips. “If we don’t go now, you’ll probably start crying again later.”

You’re the one who’ll cry! Ying Nian kept her head down, too annoyed to say anything, and followed behind him.

Not far ahead was a snack street. As soon as they entered, Yu Linran bought a candied hawthorn stick and handed it to Ying Nian.

She reluctantly took it. “I don’t want to eat this…”

“Just hold it,” he said, not allowing her to refuse.

As they walked further, Yu Linran glanced over at her. “Want to try some sticky candy?”

“No, it’s too sweet…” She frowned, but before she could finish, Yu Linran was already at the shop, buying a box of sticky candy in two flavors—osmanthus and black sesame, both of which smelled quite nice.

He also got her some cotton candy, osmanthus cake, coconut juice, and yogurt… By the time they’d walked halfway down the street, Ying Nian’s hands were full of snacks.

“Cap-cap-captain—” she stammered, seeing him about to walk toward another shop. She quickly called out to stop him, “I can’t eat all of this!”

Yu Linran turned back. She glanced down at the pile in her hands and muttered, “And they’re all sweets… only kids like this stuff. I’m already grown up…”

“You’re not?” Yu Linran raised his eyebrow. “With how much you cry, I’d say you’re at most three years old.”

Ying Nian glared at him. “Then, since you’re two years older than me, that makes you five?”

He gave a faint, teasing smile. “Quick with the comebacks, aren’t you?”

The street was bustling with people, and the signs from the various shops flashed in different colors, with bright storefronts one after another.

In the glow of the neon lights, Yu Linran and Ying Nian stood by a shop, talking.

“Your taste has really been declining lately,” Yu Linran remarked.

His sudden comment left Ying Nian confused. “What?”

Yu Linran’s gaze lowered slightly. “That guy on your phone’s wallpaper—he’s really average looking.”

Ying Nian finally understood. “Really? That’s my friend’s idol! She’s a huge fan of his!”

Yu Linran raised an eyebrow. “Your friend’s idol, and you use him as your wallpaper?”

“I lost a chess game to her.” Ying Nian pouted. “She saw my wallpaper and insisted her idol was better looking. She dragged me into a chess match, and we bet that the loser had to change their wallpaper… I accidentally lost to her…”

Ying Nian was too focused on looking down while talking to notice Yu Linran’s narrowed eyes. When she looked up, his expression had returned to its usual calm and indifferent state.

“The signed shirt I gave you last time, did you lose it?” he suddenly asked.

Ying Nian was confused as to why he brought it up but answered honestly, “No, I still have it.”

“Make sure you keep it safe.”

She stared at him, dumbfounded, unsure of what he meant by that.

“That flashy item, I’ve only signed one, and it’s for you,” Yu Linran’s gaze, though calm and seemingly devoid of emotion, carried an inexplicable intensity that made Ying Nian feel nervous.

He added, “I’m not easy to deal with. Once you’ve accepted something from me, without my permission—quitting the fandom is not allowed.”

Ying Nian blinked, stunned and confused. Who said anything about quitting the fandom??

Yu Linran extended his hand toward her. “Your phone.”

Ying Nian, still not fully understanding, obediently handed him her phone. He gestured for her to unlock it, and then opened the camera, taking a selfie.

After he was done, he handed the phone back to her.

“The guy on your wallpaper is too average. Change it. Use this one,” Yu Linran said.

Then, with complete confidence, he added, “I look better than him.”