You said you hated men, why are your eyes now full of love?-Chapter 52 - Challenging the girl’s weakness

Saturday.

The morning air was warm and bright, carrying a soft breeze through the gaps of moss-covered stone. In the dappled sunlight, tender green buds swayed to the rhythm of the wind.

Ruan Qingqing woke up early and began rummaging through her wardrobe. Her daily routine revolved around school and part-time jobs, leaving little time for dressing up. Because of this, whenever she did put effort into her makeup and dressing, she was especially meticulous, which proved to be quite time-consuming.

Over two hours later, the girl in the mirror wore an off-the-shoulder dress, the hem of which swayed slightly at her calves, accentuating her graceful curves. Her jade-like skin carried a faint blush, while her full, rosy lips were as enticing as a freshly ripened peach.

Despite staying up until nearly 3 a.m. the night before, she showed no signs of fatigue. On the contrary, her energy and mood heightened as time went on.

It's just a study session at Mu Mu's house. Why am I so excited?

She silently scolded herself for being so easily flustered, but her hands didn't slow down as she packed her things. Test papers, a data cable, lipstick, disinfectant wipes, earphones, and...

Her gaze drifted toward the bedside drawer, landing on a small, square, plastic-wrapped item. A deep flush crept up her cheeks.

She had accidentally noticed it while shopping at a nearby grocery store the night before. Originally, she'd planned to pay and leave, but as soon as she thought about visiting Ji Mu's house tomorrow, she seemed to be possessed by a mischievous spirit.

Before she realized it, she had already put it in her pocket.

Oh, my God.

Ruan Qingqing, what are you doing?!

How could you do something so... so shameless?

If Mu Mu finds out, what will he think of me?

No. Absolutely not.

Her last shred of shame loudly protested her actions.

But even as she blushed and looked away, her hand swiftly tucked the item into her bag.

If anything could describe her frantic, awkward movements at that moment, it was the phrase: "A clumsy denial resulting in self-exposure."

She lowered her head guiltily, slung her pink backpack over her shoulder, hastily put on her shoes, and hurried out the door.

She never noticed how light her footsteps had become.

...

Following the location Ji Mu had sent, she took the bus. Along the way, a few passersby stole glances at her. Some held wonder, admiration, and others even jealousy...

She ignored them, her thoughts entirely focused on the excitement of their meeting.

After about half an hour, Ruan Qingqing arrived at the entrance of Ji Mu's apartment.

Taking a small mirror out of her bag, she carefully smoothed out a few strands of wind-tousled hair and applied another light coat of lipstick. Her rosy lips looked vibrant and luscious as if coated with syrup, plump and glossy.

Even she felt the urge to take a bite.

Is this… too calculated?

Suppressing her rising embarrassment, she reached out and pressed the doorbell.

Ding-dong—

Ding-dong—

After a few rings, a familiar voice came from inside.

"Coming."

The soft slap of slippers against the floor grew nearer, sending her heart into a nervous flutter.

Swish—

The door swung open.

Ruan Qingqing's cheeks dimpled with a smile. "Mu—"

Her voice abruptly stopped, the smile freezing on her face.

Standing in front of her was a completely unknown boy.

His features were strikingly handsome, almost exaggeratedly so. Beneath his eyebrows were a pair of amber, almond-shaped eyes, and the high bridge of his nose added to his defined appearance. The hallway light illuminated his pale skin, and the red mole at the corner of his eye gave him a look like a manga character enhanced by a filter.

"...S-Sorry!"

After staring for a second, Ruan Qingqing quickly snapped out of it and hurriedly apologized, "I must have the wrong room. I'm really sorry!"

How strange. She had clearly heard Mu Mu's voice from inside...

Suppressing the doubt that flashed through her mind, she decided to leave the apartment and check if she had misread the address the boy had sent her.

Just as she turned and took a few steps, the voice behind her stopped her in her tracks.

"You're not in the wrong room, silly."

That voice...

Ruan Qingqing turned her head slowly.

The overly handsome boy in front of her had one hand in his pocket, looking at her with a lazy attitude. The more she looked at his casual demeanor, the more familiar it felt.

She opened her mouth in a daze, an unbelievable thought coming to her mind.

"Are you... Mu Mu?"

The boy hummed noncommittally. "What, you don't recognize me anymore?"

Th-this...

How could anyone recognize him?!

Ruan Qingqing's mind was in turmoil.

Who would have thought that the inconspicuous boy from school would look so different just by taking off his glasses? That manga-like face was the complete opposite of his usual dull appearance!

She had just been marveling at the idea that a guy this stunning even existed.

But to realize that this person was none other than the boy she spent every day with?

Her heart pounded wildly, so hard it sent tremors down to her fingertips. She bit her lip, pressing a hand against her chest in a futile attempt to steady herself.

Seeing Ruan Qingqing frozen in place, Ji Mu wasn't surprised.

In his previous life on Blue Star, women would often stare at his face for ages. Some would even blush and murmur strange things like, "I've arrived…"—whatever that meant. Their reactions were always exaggerated.

Compared to them, his mission target had much better self-control and only spaced out for a second.

"Don't just stand there. Come in and change your shoes."

Ji Mu raised his chin slightly, motioning her to enter. "I've been waiting for you."

"...Mmm."

A small, hesitant sound escaped from behind him.

His gaze flickered.

"How about it, system? Did the heroine's aversion to men change just now?"

[Not even a little, host].

Ji Mu mulled it over.

Actually, appearing before her without glasses this time was a small test.

Although the system had repeatedly assured him that the affection detector wouldn't malfunction, it was better to be safe than sorry.

If the target's aversion score had changed just from seeing his appearance, that would prove that her feelings for him were more than just friendship. It would also mean her supposed androphobia wasn't exactly as it seemed. And if that were the case, then the cause of the Prajna Instrument's data fluctuations would be something worth investigating.

But now, the system said that there was no change...

[Heh, see? I told you, host! How could a product of the Time-Space Management Bureau be wrong? It's guaranteed reliable!]

The system sounded so smug that it was practically floating.

[Until the heroine's aversion to men hits zero, she's locked in a state of 100% androphobia. As for her feelings for you, it's purely platonic friendship with no trace of romantic interest.]

[Sure, you're good-looking, but Ruan Qingqing isn't lacking in charm either.]

After all, she's one of the heroines of this novel world. Her resistance stats are high.

How could she go weak in the knees just by looking at your face? She's not that shallow.

[If you ask me, you're a little too confident, host~]

Hearing this, Ji Mu slowly exhaled a deep breath. "You're right, System."

Being cautious was good, but only when applied correctly.

The System had always been on his side, with no conflicting interests, and their objectives were aligned. Repeatedly doubting it was indeed somewhat disrespectful to the super AI.

"It seems I've been overthinking things."

With that thought, the last trace of doubt in his heart disappeared.

Meanwhile, in the system room...

After listening to the conversation between the main system and the host, the subsystem hesitated to speak.

Let's just say...

The Prajna Instrument showed no change in the heroine's aversion to men.

But why...

Why did the hidden corruption score suddenly skyrocket?!

Seeing the value jump to 1000%, the subsystem's circuits buzzed with alarm, a deep sense of panic filling its electronic processor.

It wanted to inform the main system about it, but it remembered the previous warning from its Big Brother.

If it mentioned anything about the hidden corruption value again, it would be put directly into confinement.

After hesitating for a moment, the subsystem decided to pretend that it hadn't seen anything.

After all, Big Brother had said before that it would be fine.

So it should probably... be fine... right?

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