Chapter 8: Love After Dating

Previously, she had seen pictures of Yan Mo on the school forum and in Yuan Qin’s memories, but they didn’t have nearly the same impact as seeing him in real life.

No wonder half of the girls in school were die-hard fans of Yan Mo. Who could resist such a devastatingly handsome face?

Shu Xin certainly couldn’t. It only took her three seconds to completely fall for him.

Faced with such a close-up beauty attack, Shu Xin felt her brain heating up, and her mouth seemed to move on its own.

“Senior, can I ask if you have a girlfriend?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Yan Mo was momentarily stunned. His lips curved slightly, and a glint flashed through his eyes behind his glasses, so quickly that it was impossible to catch.

“No.”

“Then what do you think of me? Would you consider dating me?” Shu Xin paused after speaking, observing Yan Mo’s reaction. Seeing that he wasn’t repulsed, she continued.

“Although we just met and aren’t very familiar yet, we can start dating first and gradually develop feelings. These days, people say ‘marry first, love later,’ right? We can try ‘date first, love later.’”

Yan Mo raised an intrigued eyebrow. Even after hearing such a bold confession, his expression remained unchanged.

It was only after she finished speaking that Shu Xin’s brain caught up to what she had just said. But she couldn’t take it back now—otherwise, it would seem like she wasn’t serious about dating. That wouldn’t do if she wanted to win over this high-caliber boyfriend.

She had no choice but to brace herself and wait for his answer, her heart pounding wildly.

Just when she thought it might leap out of her chest, Yan Mo finally spoke.

“Alright, I agree.”

“Huh? Huh?!” The unexpected answer caught Shu Xin off guard, and she couldn’t hide the astonishment on her face.

“Ding—” The elevator doors opened.

It was her floor.

Before stepping out, Shu Xin quickly exchanged phone numbers with him and then entered her apartment in a daze.

Everything had happened so fast, so suddenly, and it all felt surreal. It wasn’t until she received a friend request on WeChat that a sense of reality finally set in.

Yan Mo’s friend request came with a simple, direct note—just three words: “Your boyfriend.”

Those three words filled her vision, and the delayed wave of excitement and joy made her want to scream in happiness.

Considering the thin walls of her apartment, she restrained herself. But that didn’t stop her from bouncing around in glee.

She accepted the friend request, and immediately, a new message popped up.

Y: You took so long to accept—I thought I got the number wrong.

Little Fairy: No, no.

Little Fairy: I was just too happy… I still can’t believe it. You actually agreed to be my boyfriend.

Yan Mo looked at the message on his phone, amusement flickering in his eyes.

Y: That happy?

Y: Do you have any plans for tomorrow morning?

Little Fairy: No. Why? Something up?

Y: Didn’t we say we’d develop feelings? Let’s have breakfast together. How about 7 a.m.?

Little Fairy: Okay, boyfriend! See you downstairs at seven tomorrow morning!

Yan Mo set down his phone, grabbed his change of clothes, and headed into the bathroom.

His decision to agree to Shu Xin’s proposal wasn’t impulsive—it was attraction at first sight. Shu Xin’s looks fit his taste in every way.

He was a normal man; he had never planned to stay single forever. Having his own standards for a partner was completely reasonable.

He had never dated before simply because he hadn’t met anyone who interested him. Now that he had, he saw no reason to hesitate.

Meanwhile, Shu Xin’s elation came to an abrupt halt the moment she saw herself in the mirror.

Someone please tell her—what on earth was this ridiculous appearance?!

Her messy hair, which had come undone after her fall, stuck up in wild tufts. Paired with her silly-looking dinosaur onesie, she looked anything but smart.

And she had made her bold confession looking like this?!

Heavens, strike me down with lightning already!

This was the complete opposite of the impression she had wanted to leave on Yan Mo.

And now, she couldn’t help but wonder—had Yan Mo agreed to date her because she looked so dumb that he felt sorry for her? Maybe he didn’t want to crush her confidence and hurt her fragile heart?

No way! She couldn’t let it be like this!

Tomorrow, she had to show up looking flawless and change Yan Mo’s perception of her!

But…

Reality was cruel.

Because Shu Xin had stayed up late picking an outfit, she overslept the next morning, completely missing her alarm.

It wasn’t until Yan Mo knocked on her door and, after receiving no response, called her twice that she finally woke up. Half-asleep, she answered the call and heard his voice.

In that instant, it was as if lightning had struck her brain, jolting her awake.

She shot up from bed in a panic, bolting out of her room without even putting on her slippers. She flung the door open to see her brand-new boyfriend standing outside, dressed in sportswear, clearly having just finished his morning workout.

“S-sorry… I overslept…”

She glanced at Yan Mo, ashamed of her laziness, and immediately lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.

She was the one who had asked him out, and yet she had overslept on their very first date! Unforgivable!

If the roles were reversed, she would be fuming!

What if he broke up with her before their relationship even began…?

“It’s fine. Go put on your shoes first. Standing barefoot on the floor might make you catch a cold.”

Looking at the dejected girl in front of him, Yan Mo couldn’t resist reaching out and ruffling her messy bed hair.

She was just too cute—he couldn’t even get mad. If anything, he just wanted to scoop her up in his arms and cuddle her.

But it was too soon for that. He didn’t want to scare her away.

Clenching his right hand slightly, he savored the soft sensation of her hair before stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

Seeing that her boyfriend wasn’t angry, Shu Xin happily gave him a quick hug before scurrying back to her room to put on shoes and freshen up.

In less than 12 hours, Yan Mo had already seen her twice in the most ungraceful states possible. At this point, she gave up struggling.

Whatever! Let fate decide!

She might be a mess, but she was a free spirit!

While her mind ran wild, her body acted obediently. She hurriedly got herself ready, finally putting on the carefully selected outfit from last night.