Hearing System 999’s notification, Jiang Nian became excited as well.
This was incredible!
Sure enough, direct offline contact really was the key. She had worked so hard annoying Lu Zhiheng online before, yet he still had not started disliking her.
Jiang Nian decided to strike while the iron was hot. “Then let’s leave the way we address each other like this for now. You’re not allowed to forget it in the future either!”
“You asked earlier if I had something important to say in person, right?” She looked at Lu Zhiheng and declared confidently, “I thought about it, and from now on, we need to meet and go on dates three times a week, with each date lasting at least two hours!”
“Otherwise, who would believe we’re ‘seriously’ dating?”
For ordinary young couples living in the same city, Jiang Nian’s request was not particularly difficult. But for Lu Zhiheng, it was practically forcing the impossible on him.
Although she was called an Ex-Girlfriend, the two of them had never really been an actual couple in the original story. It was only because the Supporting Female Character had always wanted to make the relationship real, constantly and deliberately crossing boundaries. This included, but was not limited to, checking up on him around the clock, pretending to be sick so Lu Zhiheng would carry her, pretending to be drunk and attempting to force a kiss, and so on.
Those incidents were only later overwritten by better memories after Lu Zhiheng met the Female Lead.
As the Male Lead of a hit campus novel, Lu Zhiheng not only possessed high intelligence, but also remained disciplined and hardworking in daily life. In the eyes of both teachers and classmates, he was someone who combined talent with diligence.
Aside from attending classes normally, most of his life revolved around working on projects with his advisor. The Computer Club he had joined during his freshman year also needed him to solve difficult technical issues. On top of that, at the beginning of his junior year, he had founded his own studio focused on researching and developing artificial intelligence aimed at public welfare.
It was precisely because of this that Lu Zhiheng had become a rising business elite in Jing City immediately after graduating from university.
When Lu Zhiheng heard her request, his first thought was that dating three times a week would take up far too much time.
—Not to mention that he might not even have the time to come out at all.
In Lu Zhiheng’s current project group, everyone else was at least a graduate student, while he alone was still a third-year undergraduate. His advisor thought highly of him and had made an exception by bringing him into the team.
That also meant he needed to spend a great deal of time studying advanced material beforehand just to keep up with the pace of the group.
After speaking, Jiang Nian merely stared directly at Lu Zhiheng, waiting for his reply.
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass windows, making Jiang Nian’s eyes look like pale amber wrapped in water, sparkling brightly.
Lu Zhiheng unconsciously avoided her gaze and remained silent.
He and Jiang Nian were only a nominal couple. Most of the time, he merely needed to say he already had a girlfriend in order to reject others. Dating did not really seem necessary.
For some reason, something that should have been easy to refuse suddenly failed to come out in front of her.
Perhaps it was because after Jiang Nian became his “girlfriend,” he truly had been spared a lot of trouble. He did not want to ruin the hard-earned peace he had finally gained.
【Male Lead Lu Zhiheng’s dislike value +1. Current total dislike value: 2.】
【Go, Niannian! We have to make the Male Lead think we’re unreasonable and troublesome!】
Faced with such an expectant expression, even his rejection instinctively softened midway. “I’m usually very busy. Three times a week might…”
In truth, Jiang Nian was not thinking about anything complicated at all. She simply felt that if she kept looking at his face, maybe she would eventually find something that did not fit her aesthetic tastes. Then she could focus on that flaw whenever she acted up toward Lu Zhiheng, reducing her sense of guilt.
Unfortunately, she could not find a single flaw. Even his skin looked great. As expected of the Male Lead.
As though she had not heard his compromise at all, Jiang Nian simply said, “Then make time for it. Or I could go find you instead!”
—As long as they met, that was enough. Only then could she effectively continue her “output.”
Lu Zhiheng fell silent for a few seconds before finally nodding. “I’ll try.”
The answer was not definitive, but for Jiang Nian, it already counted as having an excuse. It would make it much easier for her to go find Lu Zhiheng in the future.
Jiang Nian lowered her eyes, hiding her satisfaction with her own acting skills.
Before transmigrating here, she had only been an ordinary university student who spent years traveling back and forth between the hospital and home. Thankfully, she usually enjoyed reading novels and watching cheesy short dramas online in her spare time. Otherwise, she truly would not have known how to act as such a dramatic Supporting Female Character.
Lu Zhiheng’s gaze rested on Jiang Nian.
She seemed… quite satisfied with such an ambiguous answer?
There was a smile hidden between the young girl’s brows and eyes, as though she was deliberately suppressing it.
Was this really something worth being that happy about?
Still, since he had already agreed, he would do his best to fulfill his promise.
Lu Zhiheng himself was not someone who actively initiated conversation topics. At this moment, Jiang Nian also remained silent, while the surrounding customers chatted enthusiastically, making the atmosphere at their table feel somewhat strange.
He frowned slightly. A couple acting like this really would make it easy for others to see through them.
Lu Zhiheng looked toward the QR-code menu on the table. After scanning it, he placed his phone down and pushed it toward Jiang Nian. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Of course! I’ve wanted to try this dessert shop for ages!” Jiang Nian snorted lightly before picking up the phone to browse the menu. “Then I won’t hold back!”
Jiang Nian picked a matcha citrus mini cake and a mango coconut specialty drink for herself. Afterward, she handed the phone to Lu Zhiheng. “See if there’s anything you want.”
Lu Zhiheng made his choice quickly. He only ordered an iced Americano.
He had never really liked desserts, but fortunately this shop also served coffee.
Just after the two finished ordering, a shop assistant older sister walked over holding a set of plush dolls. “Hello! Sorry to interrupt you two! I noticed the items you ordered happen to be included in our new combo set. Would you like to switch to the combo instead?”
“Not only is it more affordable, but you can also get these two hugging plushies. They’re especially suitable for couples!”
As she spoke, the shop assistant demonstrated the dolls in her hands. When the brown little dog and the white kitten were brought close together, the magnets inside attracted one another, causing the two plushies to stick tightly together as if they were hugging each other and refusing to let go.
—It was actually pretty cute.
Jiang Nian glanced at Lu Zhiheng. Seeing no objection from him, she said, “Mm-hm, then switch us to the combo set!”
The shop assistant older sister smiled as she handed the plushies to Jiang Nian. “Alright! Wishing you two a long and lasting relationship too! Your order should be ready in about ten minutes.”
It was so rare to see a couple whose looks matched each other this perfectly! This was truly a blessing for her eyes!
Jiang Nian thanked her politely, though inwardly she thought that a long-lasting relationship was probably impossible.
Three months later, Lu Zhiheng would likely be so annoyed by her that he would desperately want to break up!
Lu Zhiheng, meanwhile, showed little reaction. He merely lowered his head to glance at the time before asking, “Does today count as one of our dates?”
Jiang Nian stopped playing with the plush dolls and asked in return, “Do you think it counts? Were your previous dates like this too?”
Lu Zhiheng paused briefly before replying calmly, “That depends on you. I’ve never dated before.”
Looking at the sincere expression on Lu Zhiheng’s face, Jiang Nian suddenly found herself unable to say anything sarcastic.
So in other words, she was actually the first person to go on a date with the Male Lead?
Although the Supporting Female Character’s original setting included a troublesome ex-boyfriend, that character had actually been fabricated just to get closer to Lu Zhiheng.
They were both simply people who had been single since birth. Neither of them had the right to laugh at the other.
“In that case…” Jiang Nian slightly raised her brows and said, “Then it’ll depend on my mood, boyfriend.”