“It’s not really deceiving.”
They were like love experts giving Yuchi Yishu advice.
“You can do it even without saying a word.”
“Yeah. Invite both the school beauty and your sister out and don’t say anything. Then, the three of you have a meal together where you sit next to the school beauty. Just like that, she will make her own assumptions without even hearing anything from you.”
“He’s right. Yuanyuan will definitely assume that you guys are together. If she really has feelings for you, she will automatically think of that kind of relationship.”
For some reason, Yuchi Yishu felt like it was a lousy idea. But in order to help Yuanyuan understand her feelings, there did not seem to be another way.
When Tang Yuanyuan returned home that weekend, Mrs. Tang cradled her small face with a heavy heart.
“You actually lost weight. You were too hard on yourself, Yuanyuan.”
When Mrs. Tang first heard about Yuanyuan’s little secret, she was a bit worried. But when she saw how confident and determined Yuanyuan was, she held back from saying any discouraging words. As long as her daughter was happy, everything was fine.
“Mom, I wasn’t that hard on myself. I just tried to exercise every day and got rid of the junk food I used to eat.”
She used to eat way too much—all sorts of desserts like chocolates, biscuits, cakes, and ice cream. Apart from that, she also ate a lot during her three meals, including fried food and various savory foods.
Ever since she got rid of those, her diet became a lot cleaner and her skin also improved.
“That’s good to hear. All those things weren’t healthy to start with. It’s okay to eat them occasionally, but it’s unhealthy to eat them every day.”
“Yeah, Mom. Look; isn’t my skin better than before?”
“Yes. Not only is your skin better than before, but you’ve also gotten a lot more beautiful.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Tang Yuanyuan cuddled up next to Mrs. Tang, hugging her neck and kissing her on the cheek. Then, she said bashfully, “Yishu invited me out today. He said he’s taking me to the amusement park.”
“Yishu?”
“Yeah.”
Mrs. Tang looked slightly astonished. “Does he know how you feel?”
Tang Yuanyuan suddenly blushed and shook her head. “No, Mom. I’m not an adult yet. Plus, I haven’t lost all the weight yet, so I can’t tell him.”
She wanted to approach him with her best self so he would accept her.
Mrs. Tang called her out, “You’ve already lost a lot of weight. How much longer are you going to keep this up for?”
Tang Yuanyuan replied seriously, “I still have 20 pounds left to reach my goal. According to my research, I can’t lose weight too quickly or my skin will sag. I can only lose weight slowly.”
“I should be able to reach my goal once I become an adult.” She was anticipating it. At my coming-of-age ceremony, Yishu will definitely send me a gift.
“There’s still half a year left. Aren’t you afraid that Yishu will find a girlfriend before then?”
Tang Yuanyuan shook her head. “He won’t. Yishu doesn’t like anyone. When I went to his school last time, I heard that he has never accepted a gift from a girl.”
“Really? Is he really popular at school?” Mrs. Tang asked, but answered herself, “That does sound about right. Yishu is as handsome as his father. It would be weird if he weren’t popular. But you; don’t be so stubborn. If you like him, you should tell him sooner. Don’t wait until he gets taken by someone else, then feel sad about it.”
“It won’t happen, Mom. Yishu won’t like just anyone.”
Tang Yuanyuan maintained her opinion. She had a feeling that she was special to Yuchi Yishu. It was something other people could not experience, and only she could.
If that were the case, she also had a higher chance compared to other people.
She continued to get her hopes up.
Because they were going to the amusement park, Tang Yuanyuan put effort into dolling herself up for the first time. But she soon realized that the dresses she had at home did not fit her anymore.
Mrs. Tang made a phone call and a housekeeper quickly brought over a whole load of new dresses, jewelry, and shoes to the Tang residence for Tang Yuanyuan to choose from.
“Here, my darling; hurry and try these on. Pick what you like and dress up beautifully, then go on your date with Yishu.” Tang Yuanyuan started to blush.
Thus, she chose a silver-white, puffy, princess-style dress. She had fair skin so the dress made her look dazzling—like there was a silver lining around her.
“Mom, does this seem a bit over-the-top?”
“How?” Mrs. Tang adored her daughter to the bone. Hugging Tang Yuanyuan, Mrs. Tang leaned down and stuck her face next to Tang Yuanyuan’s face, and they both looked in the mirror together.
“You look especially stunning in this outfit. Just wear this and show your best self to the person you like. That way, he will inevitably be drawn to you.”
Tang Yuanyuan, who had already lost 20 pounds, felt like she looked good for the first time. Her figure was clearly more defined than before.
She started to look forward to the trip to the amusement park that afternoon.
When it was time, Tang Yuanyuan was already standing by the door and waiting with her phone in her hand. Upon seeing the familiar car, she started waving her small hand enthusiastically.
Once the car stopped, she sprinted toward it.
“Yishu.”
After he opened the door and got down, he was surprised to see how she looked that day. His eyes deepened slightly.
She wore a silver-white, princess-style dress and a pair of medium-high heels. Her chin was also sharper since she lost weight and her eyes were as clear as day. On that hot afternoon, she still waited patiently, then looked up at him as she called out his name.
Yuchi Yishu did not know what got into him, but his hand hesitated briefly before he walked up toward her.
“It might be a bit sunny later. Did you bring sunscreen?”
“I did.”
“Okay.”
As usual, Tang Yuanyuan waited for Yuchi Yishu to open the door for her. She was ready to sit in the passenger seat, but she saw him open the door to the backseat instead, which she found odd. “Yishu?”
“Sit at the back.”
He sounded slightly stern. “There will be someone sitting in the front later.”
“Oh.” Though she was a bit disappointed, she still got in the backseat.
She placed her small hands flat against her thighs and poked them together nervously. I thought it was only going to be the two of us on this trip to the amusement park today. I didn’t think there would be someone else.
“Yishu, are we going to pick up Chufeng?”
“No.”
Tang Yuanyuan looked at him with her eyes wide open.
“It’s someone you met last time.”
Someone I met last time? She tried to recall but could not quite remember.
“You’ll know once you see later.”
Soon, after making several turns, the car finally arrived outside a coffee shop. From a distance, Tang Yuanyuan saw a charming and fashionable woman walk out.
When she finally caught a glimpse of the woman’s face, Tang Yuanyuan’s expression changed.
