He tricked the female lead into becoming his boyfriend, but then went on to criticize the male lead.

At first, Sang Jiuning focused on doing practice problems and reading books, but before long, she felt uncomfortable all over.

She always felt a deep, cold gaze falling on her from time to time, silently enveloping her.

She didn't dare to look up and meet his gaze, so she buried her head and frantically worked on her problems, pretending to be focused.

A full hour passed, and the figure beside me suddenly stood up.

Sang Jiuning secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling relieved: thankfully, he got bored and was about to leave.

The invisible pressure that had been pressing down on me was finally about to disappear.

She let out a long sigh of relief, feeling that even the air around Wen Zhaoci was oppressive and stifling, making her feel tense all over.

She stretched lazily, glanced up casually, and froze instantly.

Wen Zhaoci did not leave. He was carrying a takeout bag in his hand and turned around to walk towards her.

He placed the paper bag on the table, took out a cup of milk tea, and said in a deep, gentle voice, "I ordered this for you, taro boba milk tea, 70% sugar."

A glint flashed in Sang Jiuning's eyes as she instantly remembered her escape plan—

She establishes herself as a capricious and demanding character, picky, difficult to please, and with a strange temper, driving the male lead to the point of breaking up with her.

The opportunity is here.

She immediately frowned, her face showing disgust, and said in a deliberately cold tone, "I don't like sweet things."

Wen Zhaoci remained calm and composed, taking out a cup of tea from the bag: "Then you can drink this, unsweetened, iced oolong tea."

Sang Jiuning was still not satisfied and persisted in playing the role of a demanding girlfriend, pressing her relentlessly: "I like coffee."

She was certain the man had only prepared two cups, and that would surely stump him.

Unexpectedly, Wen Zhaoci twitched her fingertips slightly and took out another cup of sealed cold brew coffee from the paper bag, saying calmly, "Coffee, no sugar."

Sang Jiuning: ...

They were utterly defeated on the spot.

She was inwardly wailing.

Has this big shot really never been in a relationship before?

Her taste predictions are frighteningly accurate; no matter how picky she is, everything is prepared in advance.

The carefully crafted persona of a pretentious narcissist collapsed right from the start.

The girl silently accepted the cup of cold brew coffee and took a small sip.

It has an extremely bitter taste upon first sip, with no sweetness whatsoever.

The coffee was bitter, but her heart was even more bitter.

Before she knew it, it was 11:30. Sang Jiuning glanced at her phone and immediately made an excuse to get up and pack her things: "I have to go eat with my roommate, I'm leaving now."

In Wen Zhaoci's eyes, all the little girl's awkwardness, pickiness, and eagerness to avoid him were just the shyness and awkwardness of a newly established relationship.

Today was our first time meeting in person, and she was well-behaved and quiet throughout, which was already quite perfect.

He didn't want to push her too hard; there was plenty of time. He could figure out her likes, habits, and little quirks gradually.

So he simply replied with a "Mm".

He got up and naturally followed her out.

As soon as the two stepped out of their seats, they bumped into several of Wen Zhaoci's roommates.

The bespectacled boy at the front of the group lit up, his tone a mix of teasing and surprise: "Brother Ci, who's this girl? Is she your girlfriend?"

Sang Jiuning's heart tightened; it was exactly what she feared had happened.

She deliberately hid in the most secluded corner of the library, not wanting to be seen by others or to have a public relationship with Wen Zhaoci, but she still bumped into one of his acquaintances.

Wen Zhaoci turned his head, his gaze sweeping lightly over his roommate, his tone confident and unabashed: "Yes, she's my girlfriend."

Now that things have come to this, Sang Jiuning has no way out.

She could only force a sweet and obedient demeanor, raising the corners of her lips to politely greet them: "Hello, I'm Aci's girlfriend, Sang Jiuning."

The bespectacled, cheerful guy instantly perked up, grinning ambiguously: "Not bad, Ci-ge! You kept it well hidden. Your mystery girlfriend has finally shown herself? When did you two get together? None of us brothers heard a thing!"

The tall guy next to him chimed in, teasing, "Yeah, yeah, just confess!"

Wen Zhaoci glanced at the two of them with cold eyes, her aura slightly subdued, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable warning: "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

As soon as he finished speaking, his roommate immediately stopped joking.

He then turned to Sang Jiuning, all his coldness vanishing, and his voice softened and gentle: "Let's go."

Sang Jiuning felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly lowered her head to follow.

All the way, I felt scrutinizing gazes coming from all directions, burning my cheeks and making my ears turn red.

This completely contradicted her initial plan to distance herself and quietly break up.

Now, not only has he not received a share of the profits, but his identity has also been exposed by his friend.

Given Wen Zhaoci's reputation at University A, it won't be long before the whole school knows that the aloof and celibate Young Master Wen has a girlfriend.

As I walked out of the library, my roommate, still unwilling to give up, called out from afar, "Ci-ge! We're having a dorm dinner tonight, bring your girlfriend along! Let's get to know each other!"

The tall boy chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, it's more fun with more people!"

Sang Jiuning's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly waved her hands, hurriedly refusing, "No, no, I have something to do tonight, so I won't go."

She absolutely refused to integrate into Wen Zhaoci's social circle; the more she interacted with him, the harder it would be to break up with him later.

Wen Zhaoci's deep gaze fell on her flustered and evasive face, and he had already seen through her desire to escape, but he did not point it out. He simply said to his roommate, "We'll talk about it later. She has class this afternoon."

"Okay, okay!"

Her roommates, sensing the situation, stopped bothering her and winked at Sang Jiuning before leaving, saying, "Goodbye, sister-in-law!"

After everyone had walked away, Sang Jiuning breathed a sigh of relief and muttered softly, "Your roommate is really enthusiastic."

Wen Zhaoci continued walking, her tone indifferent: "They've always been like this."

The two walked silently to the cafeteria entrance. Sang Jiuning stopped, mustered her courage, and tried to slip away again: "Um... my roommate is still waiting for me in the cafeteria, I..."

"Together."

Wen Zhaoci interrupted her directly, her tone leaving no room for argument, and then took the lead in walking into the cafeteria.

Sang Jiuning had no answer and could only follow.

As she walked down the street, a new, wicked idea suddenly popped into her head.

The male and female protagonists in the original book were supposed to be attracted to each other and be a perfect match.

Su Qingyan is the female lead in the original novel, and Wen Zhaoci is the male lead; they are the official couple.

If I could bring the two of them together and make them fall in love with each other early on, then I could gracefully exit the scene.

Thinking about it this way, she calmed down a bit and followed Wen Zhaoci into the noisy cafeteria.

As soon as she stepped into the cafeteria, several familiar and eager gazes fell on her.

It was her three roommates, Tang Tongtong, Qin Ying, and Su Qingyan.

The three of them sat in popular seats by the window, waving vigorously at her from afar, their eyes gleaming with eager anticipation for gossip.

Sang Jiuning felt a chill run down her spine and wished she could disappear on the spot.

Hearing Zhao Ci seemed completely oblivious, and walked straight toward their seats with his upright posture.

"Jiu Ning! Over here!" Tang Tongtong shouted excitedly.