CHAPTER 72: CHAPTER 69

[Sweet Candy]

[It comes from a bitter accident, yet emits a tempting sweet fragrance]

[Feed it to someone, and before the sweet milky scent fades away, they are more likely to agree to your request]

[This probability is determined by the difficulty of the request itself]

[Note: It can’t create miracles, but if used well, you will definitely get a surprise]

Wow! What perfect timing!

Han Lie was very surprised and felt that buying this ice cream was definitely the right choice.

He casually pocketed the candy and turned back to his original spot.

Tofu and Pan Ge had already finished eating. They hadn’t waited for Han Lie on purpose, instead waving from afar.

"Han Lie, we’re heading out first, bye-bye!"

The few early birds around were all watching Pan Ge and Han Lie with surprise. The great beauty was incredibly famous, and the Soft Rice King was no slouch either. In their grade, not many people didn’t know them.

Plus, with Xi Luting lying there sniffling, everyone sensed a huge whiff of gossip.

But Han Lie was completely unmoved, waving goodbye as calmly as ever, "See you!"

Tofu and Pan Ge left arm in arm, whispering to each other.

No need to ask; they were definitely discussing the audaciously resolute Xi Luting. Neither of them was the type to spread rumors. However, they had seen Xi Luting’s "ferocity" with their own eyes, so gossiping a bit with a friend didn’t count as slander.

And then there was Yu Yun, terrified that Xi Luting would steal her man...

That settles it. Little Cucumber’s fame is going to explode today!

The reason she cried so hard was precisely because she had guessed this outcome, right?

Pride is fleeting; social death is eternal.

...

Returning to the table, Han Lie told Yu Yun to leave, "Yu Yun, you go to the classroom first. I’ll sit with her for a while."

Yu Yun really didn’t want to leave, but she knew it was impossible. Xi Luting probably hated her to death by now, and Han Lie was a man of his word. No longer struggling, she simply stood up.

"Alright then. You comfort Ting Ting well. I’ll go save seats for us..."

Her expression was tender, her figure supple, her tone gentle.

Just look at that spirit—indomitable!

Even knowing her personality and her scheming nature, Han Lie still wanted to give her a thumbs-up.

This girl was a formidable character, truly capable of achieving her goals!

Watching her walk away, Han Lie sat down with a plop and patted Xi Luting’s back again.

Xi Luting shuddered violently, crying out with a sob, "You go away too!"

Tsk! Why didn’t you say that when Yu Yun was here? Such a tsundere!

Han Lie knew what was going on and didn’t mind, still smirking as he patted her again, "Be good. Get up, I bought you some ice cream."

"Take it away! I don’t want it!"

Han Lie coaxed her patiently, "Take a bite, and I’ll tell you how to deal with today’s situation."

"Really?"

Xi Luting sat up with a flutter, looking at Han Lie expectantly. Her eyes blinked rapidly, her long, thick lashes adorned with tiny teardrops, making her look exceedingly beautiful.

Most women look unsightly when they cry, but not Xi Luting. Fox eyes are relatively long and narrow, with a slight upward tilt at the ends, so she usually appeared too seductive and coldly beautiful. But after she cried, the lines around her eyes softened. Coupled with the shimmering gleam in her eyes, it created a kind of pitiable purity that was especially soft and alluring.

Han Lie carefully examined her face, his heart thumping vigorously. This girl, so beautiful it was beyond comprehension, was a goddess he wouldn’t have dared to dream about in his previous life. And now, she was his Little Cucumber, whom he teased and bullied in all sorts of ways, both openly and covertly.

There was nothing more satisfying and thrilling than this.

"Really. Good men never lie to women." Han Lie nodded vigorously, his earnest expression exuding strong boyfriend energy. After a moment’s thought, Xi Luting decided to believe him.

She took the cone, her eyes brimming with tears, and opened her mouth wide, taking a huge, crisp bite.

"How do we solve it? Tell me!"

"Easy!" Han Lie snapped his fingers. "Let’s go public!"

His confident look made Xi Luting unconsciously nod in agreement.

Three seconds later, she finally reacted and asked in a daze, "Go public with what?"

Han Lie replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Publicize your preferences, of course! So what if that’s what you like? It’s nobody else’s business—can they even control that?!"

SPLAT.

The ice cream fell from her hand, lightly hitting the table.

Xi Luting ignored the cone. Her face wooden, she wordlessly grabbed Han Lie’s arm, suddenly opened her mouth wide, and bit down fiercely.

Holy crap!

Han Lie shuddered in fright, hastily pulling his hand back, narrowly escaping being bitten.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I’ll bite you to death! Is this your brilliant solution?!"

"Yes! What else can you do?"

"I..." Xi Luting was so angry her eyes turned red again, and she looked like she was about to weep.

Yet, Han Lie stood his ground, not feeling there was any problem at all.

"Look, you’re afraid of public opinion, scared of being laughed at. So why not just embrace the recklessness? Once you give up on caring, people will be shocked for a moment at most. Then, if you just put on a cold face and act a little more imperiously, who’ll dare laugh at you, huh?"

"Eh?!"

Xi Luting was stunned.

That kind of made sense, didn’t it?

Although it was twisted logic, upon closer reflection, it wasn’t an entirely unviable strategy, albeit a ruthless one.

"So I should... really act like a Queen from now on?"

"Why act? What fun is there in pretending?"

"Get lost! You definitely have ulterior motives!"

Han Lie was extremely indignant, his face full of grievance. "Why are you burning bridges? If you act like a Queen, I don’t gain anything. Even if you wanted to, I wouldn’t!"

Xi Luting was choked with frustration, rolling her eyes.

"Stop it! This rotten idea was all yours. I never wanted to be any Queen!"

Her voice couldn’t have been more coyly innocent.

She looked up at Han Lie again; indeed, the expression on that dog of a man’s face was complex, to say the least.

Xi Luting felt completely hopeless.

"Forget it. No more explanations; you’ll never understand!"

Han Lie sighed and stopped joking and bickering with her. Instead, he tenderly patted her shoulder, his voice suddenly becoming very gentle.

"I really don’t understand, but I believe you have your reasons, so go ahead and do it. Does other people’s understanding matter?

"It’s important.

"But if they don’t understand, should you stop doing what you need to do?

"No way.

"You don’t need to explain anymore. Be yourself, okay?"

SWISH. Tears blurred her beautiful eyes.

Xi Luting couldn’t understand why she was so prone to crying today.

"Mmhmm!" She nodded vigorously, feeling extremely warm inside.

Though that dog of a man was usually detestable, he was more reliable than anyone when it truly mattered. This was the true quality, magnanimity, and sense of responsibility of a real man. It was incredibly rare.

Through teary eyes, the Han Lie before her seemed to merge with the Han Lieye in her heart, becoming clearer and more significant.

She clumsily wiped her tears, then stared blankly as Han Lie took out a piece of candy, carefully unwrapped it, and tenderly placed it by her lips.

"The sugar will soothe your mood..."