A pampered young lady from a wealthy family is reborn, choosing a rich wife over a rich man.

Gu Huai's lips moved, as if he wanted to explain something.

But unable to find the right words, he finally managed to squeeze out a dry sentence: "Well... um, I haven't used a phone watch for a long time."

Meng Zhixue blinked.

The boy's embarrassed appearance was completely different from the cool and arrogant boy on the court a few minutes earlier who had coldly said "no," which inexplicably made her laugh.

Her complex emotions were shattered, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud, her eyes crinkling.

Her smile made Gu Huai's ears turn even redder.

The young man's embarrassment and feelings were mixed together; his thin lips were pressed into a straight line, making him appear very nervous.

A pair of dark eyes stared intently at her, yet dared not urge her, and simply stood there in front of her.

While blocking her path, he himself seemed to be the one who was trapped.

She trapped me.

"Sister..." Gu Huai's ears turned bright red as he grabbed her canvas bag, his face cold but his eyes warm. "Give me a chance, can we exchange contact information?"

"If you don't give it to me, I have ways to find out about you from other people."

Meng Zhixue: "This..."

I froze for two seconds.

Looking at the handsome young man in front of her, she asked directly, "You...did you fall in love with me at first sight?"

Gu Huai was taken aback, but quickly suppressed his embarrassment and nodded: "Almost, about the same..."

He then affirmed and repeated, "Yes, that's me!"

He didn't know why, even though he had never been interested in dating, his heart started pounding the moment he saw her.

In an instant, he forgot everything.

He threw the ball and sprinted towards her, impulsively blocking her path.

This must be love at first sight, right?

What else could it be?

Because he fell in love at first sight, when he stood in front of her and listened to her speak, he couldn't help but look into her eyes and at her lips.

The images that flashed through his mind were all of the passionate kisses between the male and female leads in movies and TV series that he had seen before.

He... wanted it too...

I really want to.

"Ah..." Meng Zhixue said, "I'm sorry, I don't like people younger than me. Besides, you're probably still a minor, right?"

Gu Huai felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and it was a series of blows.

To others, he appears aloof and cold.

But Meng Zhixue knew that he was just a little slow on the uptake.

It took him a while to react, and he stammered, "No... I'm not little anymore, I'm very big..."

Meng Zhixue: "..."

Gu Huai: "...?"

Eyes facing each other.

Meng Zhixue couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh out loud again.

……

After parting ways with Gu Huai, Meng Zhixue followed the "food map" in her memory and had a hearty meal at a small stir-fry restaurant near the school gate.

Restaurants near the school are known for their large portions and satisfying meals. This Sichuan stir-fry restaurant, while not exactly a feast for the eyes and the palate, is quite delicious.

Meng Zhixue sat near the door of the stir-fry shop, with a plate of boiled pork slices and a plate of dry-fried green beans in front of her, along with a large bowl of rice, and ate her meal with great satisfaction.

She used to feel like her stomach was a bottomless pit, and she was always hungry, but not anymore.

I don't know if the owner gave her too much food, but she was already stuffed even though she hadn't finished more than half of it.

She put down her chopsticks, picked up the plum juice beside her and drank it slowly, looking out through the slightly greasy glass door.

Suddenly, her almond-shaped eyes widened as she saw the tall boy in a dark red jersey standing next to the utility pole across the street.

Gu Huai stood next to the telephone pole, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a net bag containing basketballs. He seemed to be observing her, but he was mostly just spacing out.

Upon meeting her gaze, he quickly shrank back, turning his back and hiding behind the telephone pole.

But for a man over 180cm tall to hide behind a thin telephone pole is practically futile.

He probably knew it himself, so after acting foolishly for a second, he turned back.

He even waved to her casually, appearing completely relaxed.

Meng Zhixue: "...??!!!"

She almost choked on the plum juice.

She put down her cup, paid the bill, and went out. Just as she reached the store entrance, Gu Huai strode up to her.

The boy's jersey was soaked with sweat, and his bangs were still wet, clearly indicating that he had been following her and drying off in the sun for quite some time.

He stood three steps away from her, the redness on the tips of his ears still lingering, but he pursed his lips, said nothing, and just looked at her.

Cool, arrogant, and stubborn.

Meng Zhixue took a deep breath and decided to make her point more clearly.

They even used a name that might have infuriated him...

"Little friend..." Meng Zhixue softened her tone, trying her best to make her voice sound like a reasonable and mature elder, "I'm serious, little friend, we really, really aren't suitable for each other."

"You don't look like a student at our school; you're probably a high school student, right?"

"It's too early for you to be thinking about dating. You should focus on your studies and prepare for the college entrance exam."

Gu Huai frowned, looking down at her with a slightly dead gaze: "Don't call me 'little kid,' I'm not little anymore! I've already asked, you're only one year older than me, just one year!"

"You don't need to worry about it affecting my grades if you're with me, absolutely not!"

Meng Zhixue tilted her head to look at him, a certain possibility forming in her mind, her expression slowly becoming indescribable: "...Is it because there's no more room for descent?"

Gu Huai paused for two seconds.

Then, he turned his head away and burst out laughing.

When the boy smiled, his eyebrows relaxed, and his cool and arrogant demeanor was washed away by the smile, revealing the brightness that should be present at his age.

He quickly turned his head back and stared intently at her.

He reached out and tugged at his sweat-soaked jersey, raising an eyebrow as he said, "You're right, my performance is indeed average, but it's not that bad either; it's been quite consistent."

"So you don't need to worry about affecting me at all. Just tell me if you want to talk to me, and I'll handle everything else myself."

He took a step forward, standing closer to her. The boy's scorching heat emanated from him, more radiant and intense than the summer sun.

Meng Zhixue: "...No."

She resolutely refused.

She really wanted to say, "If I talk to you, I'm afraid your mother will beat me to death," but she couldn't.

For Gu Huai, this was their first meeting. She was a complete stranger, so there was no way she could know anything about his family or his home.

She could only swallow her words and rephrase them: "Um... I'm sorry, I really don't want to date my younger brother, so you don't need to waste your time on me."

Gu Huai, however, showed no intention of giving up.

He gazed intently at her, his dark eyes filled with a youthful stubbornness and earnestness.

The afternoon breeze ruffled some of the stray hairs on his forehead, but he didn't raise his hand to brush them away. He just looked straight at her and said, "Sister, I'm serious."

"I admit my love at first sight looked like lust..."

It seems that it was indeed lust at first sight.

"But I won't give up easily, and one day you'll agree," he said.

After a pause, Gu Huai added arrogantly, "With me around, no one dares to chase you, unless that person wants to die."

"If you don't want to be single forever, then you'll have no choice but to come to me."

His tone carried the domineering and arrogant air typical of young people, but strangely, it didn't annoy people; instead, it made them feel cute.

So adorably silly.

Meng Zhixue: "..."

Thank you so much.