My Strange Tale Love Strategy Simulator

Monday, June 16th.

There are less than four days left until the mission deadline.

Zhang Ying asked his mother to take four days off for him, citing the pressure of the upcoming college entrance examination. His mother's expression at the time was quite intriguing. She raised one eyebrow, looked him up and down, and her eyes clearly said, "You still feel pressured?"

But in the end, she picked up her phone and sent a text message to the substitute teacher asking for leave.

Early in the morning, Zhang Ying sat at a breakfast stall near the school gate, stuffing xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) into his mouth. He was dressed in a formal suit, with the top button of his white shirt fastened, the cuffs neatly ironed, and a black canvas bag slung across his shoulder. He looked clean and sharp.

The phone screen on the table was lit up. He chewed on the bun skin while typing in the search box: dating guide, must-visit spots for couples, recommendations for dating hotspots in Okura City.

"Everyone says that everyone will have this once in a lifetime, but if a date doesn't go well, it's like you're doomed. The pressure is really immense."

He sighed, picked up the bowl of sweet tofu pudding in front of him, and took a sip. The proprietress then brought over a steamer of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), the steam hitting his face.

After finishing breakfast, he hailed a taxi and headed straight for the highest-rated amusement park in Okura City. In the taxi, he booked two tickets through a ticketing app.

One for myself, and one for Li Ziqing.

Logically, Li Ziqing, being a monster, should have been able to enter without a ticket. However, Zhang Ying still bought a second ticket at full price, which she was entitled to.

On a weekday, the Okura Amusement Park wasn't crowded. The plaza at the entrance was deserted, with a few cartoon characters listlessly basking in the sun by the flowerbeds, and even the background music was played softer than on holidays.

The ticket inspector sat idly behind the window, his elbows propped on the table, watching a sparrow hop around at the gate.

"Hello, it should be opening hours now, right? I booked tickets online, am I allowed in?"

The ticket inspector was startled. He turned around and saw a burly young man standing in front of the window, holding a cell phone and asking him questions.

The sparrow was startled by his voice and flew away.

The ticket inspector couldn't understand how such a big boy could have gotten here so quietly, but out of professional ethics, he didn't ask.

"Oh, it's opening hours now. Just let me scan your e-ticket."

"I bought two tickets. The other person probably can't come now, so I'll scan both."

The ticket inspector took the phone, scanned it twice, then paused, looking up at him: "The e-ticket is valid for one month. Are you sure you want to scan both now?"

"I'm sure, let's scan them all."

The ticket inspector didn't say anything more. The turnstile beeped twice, and the green light flashed twice. He watched Zhang Ying walk in, scratched the back of his head, and muttered to himself, "It's strange that one person can scan two tickets to get in."

Zhang Ying didn't hear that. He quickly walked to a deserted corner near the amusement park entrance, where several ginkgo trees with newly sprouted leaves behind the flower bed were blocking the sunlight.

He raised his wrist, and the jade bracelet gleamed with a warm, dark light in the sunlight.

He closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink into the bracelet.

"Li Ziqing".

After waiting for a while, there was no response.

Zhang Ying opened his eyes, looked down at the bracelet, and was puzzled. He could clearly feel that he had made contact with Li Ziqing through the bracelet, but why was he not receiving a response?

He was about to try again.

A cool breeze brushed against the back of his neck. But it didn't seem like a breeze; it was a coolness more concentrated than a breeze, sweeping across his skin as if someone had stopped very close behind him and gently touched his shoulder with an icy hand.

Zhang Ying's body trembled uncontrollably. He turned around.

A girl in a white dress stood behind him, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat pulled low, but it couldn't hide the smile beneath. A few strands of hair were blown by the wind, brushing against her profile, which was illuminated by the sunlight. The curve of her lips was very faint, so faint that it seemed as if it had been blown open by the wind, not curved by her own will.

Zhang Ying's heart pounded, then another, followed by a rapid, erratic beating that he couldn't even count. A thin layer of heat rose on his cheeks, spreading from his cheekbones to his ears. He spoke, his voice stammering.

"Hello... It's... We meet again."

"Didn't you call me out?" Li Ziqing tilted her head, her straw hat tilting slightly as well. "Why are you so shy?"

"Yes, yes." Zhang Ying coughed twice, lightly biting his teeth and secretly casting a calming spell. He suppressed his surging emotions, managing to do so, but the heat in his ears hadn't completely subsided.

"Sorry for calling you out so soon. I hope I didn't disturb you?"

Li Ziqing gently shook her head. "It's okay. I was feeling a bit bored staying at school all the time." She looked down at her feet; her white sandals were firmly planted on the concrete, but there was no shadow around her. "Thank you for bringing me out."

She withdrew her gaze, then suddenly tiptoed and twirled. The hem of her white dress billowed, its edge brushing against the newly blooming roses in the flowerbed. She stopped, the hem swaying gently twice from the momentum. She placed her hands behind her back and leaned slightly forward.

"How do I look in this dress? It's my favorite one."

Zhang Ying watched her skirt fluttering in the sunlight without saying a word.

"It's very beautiful," he said sincerely. "It suits you perfectly."

"Thank you." Li Ziqing lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands, bowed slightly, and performed a graceful curtsy. Her movements were light and graceful, as if she had practiced it many times, no, perhaps she had never practiced it at all.

I just waited in my head for too long.

Zhang Ying took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He pulled his hand out of his trouser pocket, which was still clenched into a fist, and patted his chest.

"I apologize for not inviting you on a date beforehand. Now, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Zhang Ying, I am eighteen years old, and I am a student at Dacang No. 1 Middle School."

Li Ziqing reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair that had been blown by the wind behind her ear. "You don't need to apologize. On the contrary," she paused, her voice softening slightly, "I'm very grateful that you invited me on a date."

She lowered the hand that had just finished tucking her hair, placing it neatly in front of her with her other hand. "My name is Li Ziqing. If we calculate based on my age when I was alive, I'm also eighteen. My real age—" She blinked, "It's a secret."

Zhang Ying looked at her. The girl in front of him had eyes that crinkled when she smiled, tilted her head when she spoke, and would subconsciously press her skirt down when the wind blew it up.

She is not the silent girl with her face buried behind her knees in the CG, nor is she the figure standing by the window staring blankly at the gray sky.

Perhaps she's always been like this. It's just that before, no one gave her a space to laugh.

Now is not the time to feel sorry for her; Zhang Ying's task today is to make sure this princess has fun.

Zhang Ying smiled and extended his hand to the girl in front of him. "So—now, would you like to go on a date with me?"

Li Ziqing placed his hand on his. Her fingertips were cool, resting on his palm.

"I'd love to," she said.