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

Sang Jiuning rolled her eyes and made up a reason on the spot.

I...I need to go to the student council to help organize materials.

Student council affairs are complicated; I can't possibly follow them all the way, can I?

Just when I thought I could get rid of him, ZC's message popped up again: "Which student council? I happen to know the vice president of the student council, I'll go check on their work."

When Sang Jiuning saw this message, she almost threw her phone away.

How come he knows everything?

This protagonist's halo is just too strong!

She gritted her teeth and replied, "Student Union, Publicity Department."

She prayed in her heart that he wouldn't actually come.

All afternoon, Sang Jiuning was restless, glancing at the door every now and then, afraid that familiar figure would suddenly appear.

Fortunately, Wen Zhaoci did not show up until she finished organizing the materials.

Sang Jiuning breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed she had finally shaken him off this time.

But as soon as she stepped out of the student council office, she saw Wen Zhaoci leaning against the window in the corridor. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on him, outlining his tall and straight figure, which made the girls passing by turn their heads frequently.

He saw Sang Jiuning and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Finished with work?"

Sang Jiuning: "...What are you doing here?" "Waiting for you."

Wen Zhaoci straightened up. "The vice chairman said there's nothing to help with in the publicity department today, so I'll wait here for you to go back together."

Sang Jiuning: "..."

She now seriously doubts that yesterday's "take it slow" was her hallucination.

On the way back, Wen Zhaoci started his "feeding" mode again, asking her what she wanted to eat for dinner one minute, and mentioning a new coffee shop that had opened near the school and said it was pretty good.

Sang Jiuning was overwhelmed by his questions and could only give him half-hearted answers.

Upon reaching the dormitory building, Sang Jiuning felt as if she had seen a savior and quickly said, "I'm here, you can go back now."

"Um."

Wen Zhaoci nodded, but showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he took out a small box from his pocket and handed it to her, saying, "This is for you." Sang Jiuning took it with a puzzled look, opened it, and found an exquisite necklace inside with a small star as the pendant.

"What...what are you doing?"

Sang Jiuning was startled and quickly shoved the box back at him, saying, "It's too valuable, I can't accept it!"

"It's not valuable," Wen Zhaoci pushed the box back into her hands, her eyes serious. "When you asked to add me as a friend before, you said that I was your star boyfriend, the star that illuminates your world. Seeing this is like seeing me by your side."

Sang Jiuning: "..."

Who wants to see you! She just wants to get as far away from him as possible right now!

"I really can't accept this," Sang Jiuning said firmly. "We've only... we've only just started dating, it's not appropriate to give such an expensive gift."

Wen Zhaoci looked at her intently, remained silent for a few seconds, then raised his hand and ruffled Sang Jiuning's hair. Her hair was so smooth; he wanted to touch it again.

He handed the box to Sang Jiuning, his eyes darkening slightly, and said calmly, "Were you lying before?"

Sang Jiuning was taken aback by his question, and her cheeks instantly turned bright red.

Of course she remembered how many compliments she had uttered back then, such as "You are the star that lights up my world" and "Being your girlfriend is the greatest luck of my life." Looking back on those words now, she could practically dig a Barbie dream castle out of her toes!

But she never expected that Wen Zhaoci would take those words seriously and still remember them to this day!

"I...I was back then..." Sang Jiuning stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time. She couldn't very well tell him that she had said all those things to steal the female lead's "simp," could she?

It wasn't said to the male lead.

Seeing her embarrassed expression, Wen Zhaoci's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible smile, but it quickly disappeared, and his tone remained calm: "Since it's not fake, then accept it."

Looking into his unquestionable eyes, and recalling her own "bold words" from the past, Sang Jiuning felt trapped in a dilemma.

His attitude left no room for argument. He forcefully shoved the box into Sang Jiuning's hands, and then, as if afraid she would refuse again, he reached out and ruffled Sang Jiutang's hair, took a step back, and said, "It's getting late, let's go upstairs."

After saying that, he turned and left without waiting for Sang Jiuning's reaction.

Sang Jiuning held the small box in her hand, feeling it was burning hot.

Back in the dormitory, Tang Tongtong and Qin Ying immediately surrounded him, their faces full of gossip.

"Jiu Ning! You're finally back! Quickly tell me honestly, what did you and School Heartthrob Wen do at the Student Council this afternoon? Also, what nice thing did he give you? Show it to me!"

Tang Tongtong, with her sharp eyes, spotted the small box in Sang Jiuning's hand at a glance.

Sang Jiuning sighed, put the box on the table, and said listlessly, "Don't even mention it, he's driving me crazy."

She told the two of them everything that had happened that afternoon, except that Wen Zhaoci was a bit clingy and that she wanted Wen Zhaoci to "take it slow".

After listening, Qin Ying said thoughtfully, "I think School Heartthrob Wen is serious about you. He even prepared a gift for you, how sweet is that!" "Sweet? What's so sweet about it!"

Sang Jiuning wailed, "This is a sweet burden! You have no idea how omnipresent he is now; I feel like I have absolutely no personal space left!"

Tang Tongtong picked up the box on the table, opened it, and exclaimed, "Wow! A star necklace! Isn't this the one you complained about on your WeChat Moments saying you really liked it but couldn't bear to buy? School heartthrob Wen is so thoughtful!"

Sang Jiuning leaned closer to take a look, and it really was!

She had indeed seen this necklace before and thought the design was very unique. She casually posted on her WeChat Moments, "I love it, but unfortunately my wallet won't allow it." It costs 16,000 yuan.

The original owner had accumulated tens of thousands of yuan in credit card debt because she kept buying counterfeit dresses and occasionally a luxury handbag. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come here struggling to find a part-time job.

I never expected Wen Zhaoci to have seen it and even remembered it!

What's going on with this guy? Sang Jiuning's feelings became even more complicated.

On the one hand, she was troubled by Wen Zhaoci's "relentless" pursuit; on the other hand, she had to admit that his actions were indeed very attractive.

"Jiu Ning, aren't you being a little too resistant?" Qin Ying asked cautiously. "Wen, the school heartthrob, is such a great guy; so many people are lining up to pursue him. Don't you like him that much?"

Sang Jiuning opened her mouth, wanting to say, "It's not that I don't like it, it's that I can't like it," but she swallowed the words back.

She couldn't very well tell them that she was trying to steal the female lead's "male lead" and was now in a difficult situation.

"I...I just feel it's too fast," Sang Jiuning made an excuse, "I'm not ready yet."

"What are you preparing for? When it comes to relationships, isn't it all about enjoying the passion while it lasts?" Tang Tongtong patted her shoulder. "Listen to me, don't overthink it. You're already in a relationship, so go out and see how things go with Wen the school heartthrob. Maybe you'll discover how great he is!" Sang Jiuning smiled bitterly. They didn't understand; the male lead was destined to be the female lead!