I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

"of course."

"Being with me means I can no longer be fickle."

"I've always liked you."

"You only like me?"

"Only you."

"Alright, I will never forgive you if you lied." Shen Xi stretched out a hand to the boy expressionlessly, her meaning couldn't be clearer.

The two looked at each other silently.

Cheng Fei decisively took the girl's slender hand and gently stroked it. When she couldn't help but tremble, he suddenly let go of her.

"Teacher Shen, what's wrong with you? Shouldn't you be aloof and reject me at a time like this? How can you be so honest? Your image as the most aloof and unattainable person in Yinghua has collapsed."

"As expected, it was all a lie that you liked me." Shen Xi turned her face away and sneered.

"It's true that I like you, but I did lie to you about leaving, hoping you would ask me to stay and tell me that you've always been protecting me as the eldest daughter of the Shen family, and that Lin Xuanqi wouldn't dare to be serious with me." Cheng Fei shrugged.

"How could you have such a thought?" Shen Xi frowned.

"I'm just guessing, so did you secretly protect me or not? I really want to know." Cheng Fei gazed into her pure, dark eyes.

Silence fell again.

Shen Xi lowered her head and bit her lip as if hesitating. She took a deep breath and looked up at him.

Just as she was about to speak, Nagasaki Asuna, who had been silently leaning against the escalator, spoke first, "Good evening, you two?"

Cheng Fei turned around as if he'd been cursed. "Nana? When did you get here?"

"You were standing here just now? It's just that Cheng Fei didn't see you." Nagasaki Asuna walked onto the flying bridge with her hands behind her back, tilting her head and revealing an innocent smile.

Cheng Fei looked at Shen Xi with surprise.

The aloof girl with long, dark hair didn't look at him, but instead squinted and stared at Nagasaki Asuna.

"Teacher Shen, you've gone astray! You're actually trying to trick me into talking." The boy sighed in regret.

Shen Xi snorted coldly and packed the equipment on the table back into its box. "Goodnight, cowardly and hypocritical Cheng Fei."

After saying that, he ignored the boy who seemed to want to say something but hesitated and quickly left.

After Shen Xi's footsteps faded into the distance, Cheng Fei shook his head and sighed, "Nana, classmate..."

"She doesn't want to be friends with me. She tried to trick me into talking as soon as I arrived," Nagasaki Asuna complained.

"At least wait until she finishes saying what she just said."

"I can't let her finish speaking." Nagasaki Asuna turned her face away, puffing out one cheek, and huffed.

"Really?" Cheng Fei raised an eyebrow and casually pinched the girl's cheek.

"Cheng Fei, if you could only choose between her and me, who would you choose?" the girl asked softly, looking up at the girl.

"I'm already facing this kind of problem?" Cheng Fei asked in surprise.

"I mean, what if?" Nagasaki Asuna tilted her head with her hands behind her back.

“Then I choose Lin Xuanqi.” Cheng Fei said seriously, “Sorry, none of you are as rich as her.”

"And then you'll take care of me?" The girl blinked happily.

"Then we'll release you back into nature. Anyway, you won't have any mental problems if you don't become an idol," the boy said seriously.

"It seems Nana still needs to work harder to make Cheng Fei so reluctant to tell me even a lie." Nagasaki Asuna's frustration lasted only a second before she immediately cheered up.

"Alright, go back to sleep." The boy ruffled her hair roughly; the soft, coffee-colored hair felt wonderful to the touch.

"I want to sleep with Cheng Fei." The girl clung to him without hesitation.

"Please leave as gracefully as Shen Xi did." Cheng Fei pushed her away.

After a long and drawn-out struggle, they finally managed to get the girl back to her cabin.

……

186. Safety Words (Part Two)

The next day, early in the morning.

The leaden-gray clouds hung low, the sea was a deep blue, the temperature was low, and not even seabirds could be seen.

In contrast, the cabins on the Miriam were comfortably warm.

A cool and aloof young woman, dressed in light-colored pajamas, sat in front of a dressing mirror, drowsily combing her hair. Her waist-length, dark hair was as smooth as the finest silk.

The room door was opened without warning.

Cheng Fei walked in carrying a tray, closed the door, and placed the steaming seafood porridge and yogurt in front of the girl. "Good morning, Teacher Shen."

Shen Xi frowned as she looked in the mirror, her expression one of disgust as if she were seeing a scurrying rat. "How did you get the key?"

"Milian gave it to me." Cheng Fei shrugged, standing behind her, admiring the slightly naive girl in the mirror, still a bit sleepy from just waking up. "Teacher Shen, shall I help you comb your hair?"

Although it was a question, the boy didn't give her a chance to refute it and simply snatched the comb away.

Shen Xi narrowed her eyes and sat upright without moving.

"Teacher Shen, do you know? I think you were 30 percent cuter than usual this morning." The boy said seriously as he combed her hair.

"They've been using sweet talk since this morning; they're really persistent." The girl said expressionlessly.

"I came all the way here to bring you breakfast and comb your hair. Even if it's just sweet talk, I hope it will touch your heart."

"Is this all the sales pitch we're using today?"

"Don't you like it? Just tell me which one you prefer."

Shen Xi shut her mouth and didn't speak.

"Speaking of which, Ms. Shen, when Nana came over last night, weren't you afraid that I would really grab your hand and run away?" Cheng Fei asked curiously.

"Only those with a guilty conscience are afraid," Shen Xi sneered.

"Then can I take that you're serious? As long as I'm devoted to you, are you really willing to come with me and marry me?" Cheng Fei pondered.

"If you have the ability, then talk about it. The more you try to test the waters here, the more ridiculous it becomes," Shen Xi said coldly.

"Teacher Shen, please give me another chance like last night, and I won't let go of your hand again." The boy suddenly became serious and opened his palm to the girl.

The atmosphere in the cabin fell into a deathly silence.

Shen Xi looked up and gazed into the boy's eyes, her pure, ink-black pupils slightly narrowed.

After a long while, just as the girl took a deep breath and was about to make a move, Cheng Fei preemptively withdrew his hand.

"Teacher Shen, you were smitten just now, weren't you? Sigh, if you like me, just say so. Why are you being so coy all the time?" He said with a hint of smugness. "But I'm sorry, running away in this situation isn't my style, so I was just joking."

"Sure enough, he's spouting nonsense again." Shen Xi's pretty face turned icy cold as she gritted her teeth and kicked him.

“Teacher Shen, although I know you’re trying to be cute, I still suggest you wear shoes when you kick.” The boy lowered his head and smacked his lips. “I’d be heartbroken if your feet got hurt.”

When Shen Xi kicked, her fluffy slippers remained in place, revealing her fair and delicate feet.

"Get your filthy, disgusting eyes off me." Realizing the problem, the girl quickly put her feet in her slippers and glared at him fiercely.

"How did you get so filthy and vulgar again? I didn't say anything, although it's true that your feet are small and cute."

"Shut up."

"I'm not really interested in that, but I have to admit that your pink and tender feet are indeed very attractive, Ms. Shen."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Xi's brows furrowed, and the word "disgust" was practically written all over her face. The girl took a deep breath and said, "I told you to shut up and stop venting your ugly, shameful desires on me."

"Oh, Teacher Shen, I can't even praise you."

"Ha, I know what you're fantasizing about. There are disgusting perverts like you in this world."

"Teacher Shen, I only glanced at it. You're being too sensitive."

"Even if I'm sensitive, it's just a stress response after you've provoked me countless times," Shen Xi said angrily.

"You kicked me barefoot first, so in a way you're trying to seduce me, Ms. Shen. You should be more careful and not let your guard down just because you like me." Cheng Fei continued to comb her hair.

"What do you mean, 'you'? It's vulgar and disgusting enough that you're trying to brainwash me with this victim-blaming theory. It's absurd." Shen Xi felt like she couldn't take it anymore, and she sneered as if mocking herself. "But the last sentence is right. I really was crazy to let a man who barged into a girl's room early in the morning without permission comb my hair. Heaven knows what kind of beastly things you would do to me next."

"Teacher Shen, do you know that I've always found it interesting how you talk? Even when you're really angry, you can still scold me in a clear and logical way."

"Cheng Fei, I'd like you to leave." The girl's tone turned cold.

"Teacher Shen, I was wrong, I was just joking."

"Just kidding, just kidding. You're joking all day long, that's why you can't believe a word you say." The girl turned her face away irritably and shut her mouth tightly.

The air in the room suddenly became a little tense.

Cheng Fei carefully examined the girl's expression through the mirror, combed her hair, and said softly, "If this makes you feel insecure, I'm sorry."

"You've said sorry enough times, but has there ever been a single time you were sincere? Especially recently, those three words have become utterly unbelievable coming from your mouth." Shen Xi met his gaze in the mirror and sneered.

"That's a bit much. I admit I sometimes brush you off, but there are times when I'm being sincere." Cheng Fei straightened up.

"Well, I hope so."

"Shen Xi, let's make another promise." The boy suddenly sighed.

"Here we go again. Use whatever tricks you have. I'm pretty tired of hearing them anyway." The girl remained unmoved.

“From now on, when I call you by your name, I promise I’ll be speaking seriously and there will be absolutely no sweet talk.” Cheng Fei looked into her eyes in the mirror and said, “Actually, you may not have noticed, but this has always been my principle.”

"You've only called me by my name a handful of times, which means you've been lying to me the rest of the time?" Shen Xi sneered.

"Teacher Shen, with your always calm mind, you must know that your 'that is' is completely illogical. Are you saying this on purpose to hear me refute you? I have to admit that this is also quite cute."

The girl remained silent with a cold expression.

"Anyway, it's settled then. This is our second safe word. Calling you by your name means I'm not lying to you, Shen Xi." The boy raised his index finger and gestured for her to be quiet in the mirror.

"I never agreed to any safe words from you in the first place." The girl frowned.

"Teacher Shen, we agreed on the word 'I hate you' last time, but you haven't even tried it once in all this time. Do you not like saying 'I hate you,' or are you deliberately not saying it?" the boy asked curiously.

……

187. Cheng Fei's suggestion came from the heart.

"It's precisely because I don't want you to have your way that I'm even less likely to use any safe words," Shen Xi sneered.

“But if you don’t tell me, how am I supposed to know you don’t want me to have my way?” Cheng Fei shrugged.

"Enough, I don't want to play these word games," Shen Xi said coldly.

"Fine, whatever you want, but Shen Xi, I like you. This is an example," the boy said casually.

The girl was taken aback, then sneered, "So the truth is that you like me, not love me."

“It’s sometimes hard to distinguish between liking and loving. People always give the word ‘love’ too heavy a meaning. So, although I’ve told you I love you before, I’ve decided to say ‘like’ this time out of caution. I hope you understand that this is to ensure the credibility of this safe word, not to imply that my feelings for you are not deep enough, Ms. Shen.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the beautiful and delicate-looking girl in the mirror turned her face away, her eyes sparkling.

Cheng Fei observed her with great interest, "Are you shy?"

"After all that talk, it all boils down to him being too guilty to say anything too definitive. Cowardly men only have grand excuses." Shen Xi stared at him expressionlessly.

"Teacher Shen, so you really want me to tell you I love you? How about this, you tell me 'I like you' right now, and I'll sincerely tell you 'I love you.' Isn't that a good deal?"

"You're dreaming. Stop being so self-righteous. Nobody here likes you." The girl glared at him defiantly.

"Teacher Shen, you really are all talk and no action. How long have we been like this? If you deny even the basic fact that we like each other, you're just fooling yourself." Cheng Fei carefully combed her bangs, watching her dark eyes blink from time to time.

Shen Xi's silence lasted only a moment. "Stop trying to impress me with your clumsy rhetoric. Before discussing this kind of issue, find out who is the one who is all talk and no action and who is fickle all day long."

“I understand, Ms. Shen. You’re just worrying too much. You don’t know that many girls these days don’t consider these things. They’ll do anything to get together first, hoping to turn their half-heartedness into wholeheartedness through their own efforts.”