CHAPTER 59: CHAPTER 59: FILTER SHATTERED

The majority of the expressions Li Jing had seen from Zhou Li before were shy smiles. The first time he saw her genuine, natural smile, he indeed felt somewhat amazed.

It was like a flower bud finally in full bloom, displaying all her beauty in the breeze.

Li Jing said to Zhou Li, "You look beautiful when you smile; you should smile more often."

"Oh, really..."

Receiving compliments face-to-face, Zhou Li’s cheeks instantly turned red like ripe tomatoes. She instinctively responded casually, but inside, she felt a sweetness like honey.

Perhaps it was Huang Jun and Li Jing’s easy-going nature, or perhaps it was the constant praise from them, Zhou Li also felt more confident in their presence. Gaining courage, she looked at Li Jing and asked the question she most wanted to:

"Li Jing, what kind of girls do you like?"

As soon as the words were spoken, Huang Jun, who was nibbling on a lamb chop, paused, with an immediate gossiping look on his face. Though he didn’t speak, he had already silently perked up his ears, eager to hear Li Jing’s reply.

It’s coming, it’s coming. Why do I love gossip and commotion so much...

This is simply one of life’s greatest pleasures!

Li Jing ignored the overly excited Huang Jun sitting beside him, looking at Zhou Li’s clear and expectant eyes that subtly radiated with a glow, and didn’t rush to answer.

Seeing Li Jing’s calm gaze, Zhou Li paused for a moment, her initially expectant smile gradually faded a bit. She seemed to have guessed his answer and her eyes dimmed. Just as she was about to speak, she finally heard Li Jing’s response.

"Actually, what you want to ask is whether I’ll be in a relationship in the near future, isn’t it?"

Having already heard from Huang Jun about Zhou Li’s feelings, Li Jing could naturally guess the purpose behind her question.

"I..."

Realizing her thoughts were exposed, Zhou Li’s eyes became flustered, and the courage she had painstakingly gathered instantly dissipated, unsure how to respond.

"I don’t want to lie, nor do I want to deceive any girl."

Li Jing observed the eyes evading him and calmly expressed his thoughts:

"I just want more freedom now, not wanting to be burdened by relationships, comfortably enjoying my own life, so I won’t be getting into relationships...

Do you understand what I mean?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Li’s hands clenched tightly on her legs, lowering her head in silence, making it hard to discern her expression.

After a long while, she finally said softly, "I... should understand."

Meanwhile, Huang Jun’s eyes widened upon hearing Li Jing’s reply. Just as he was about to speak, he was silenced by Li Jing’s gaze.

Ultimately, he could only silently rant beside him:

Damn, Jingzi you went too far!

It’s a girl who’s had a crush on you for ten years! You guys are also the couple I’ve supported for years!

You used to be clueless, but you can’t still be clueless now!

Your answer really hurt Zhou Li, I protest!

Li Jing glanced at Huang Jun who was waving his hands and silently mouthing, feeling baffled, then looked at Zhou Li again:

"But if your question is simply about what kind of girls I like.

My answer is straightforward too: beautiful ones, with good figures, aligned values, who get along well, I like them all."

Seeing Zhou Li raise her head again and look at him in surprise, Li Jing sincerely smiled and said: "Maybe you think I’m a scumbag, but that’s indeed my true thought.

And your qualities definitely fall within the range of girls I like."

Holy crap?!

No sooner had the words left his mouth, Huang Jun’s eyes widened even further!

Damn! Is this the legendary playing hard to get?

Jingzi, have your girl-chasing tactics become so masterful?

Upon hearing, Zhou Li at first widened her eyes, a hint of joy flashing past, but soon it was replaced by confusion and complexity.

After that, owing to Li Jing’s frankness, the originally harmonious meal between the three suddenly became awkward and tense, making Huang Jun feel particularly uncomfortable as a bystander.

If not for fearing a beating from Li Jing, he would’ve loved to engage in a full-body muscle showcase to liven up the atmosphere.

Until the end of the meal, Zhou Li didn’t say anything again, merely eating her food silently, though she didn’t actually eat much.

Finally, Zhou Li softly thanked them for the treat and then left on her own, bowing her head.

Originally, she wanted to say a few words to Li Jing before leaving, but seeing his calm face, her words faltered. In the end, she bit her lip and turned away decisively.

Leaving the restaurant, Huang Jun watched Zhou Li get into a car and leave, regretfully saying: "Jingzi, your perfect image has crumbled. In her eyes, you’ve always been an impeccable figure, and this scumbag remark completely shattered her illusion of you."

While Li Jing also felt somewhat apologetic to Zhou Li, he didn’t regret it: "This is still better than deliberately maintaining an image and deceiving her.

It’s also fine; after my virtual perfect image collapses, she might find it easier to accept the real men around her."

Upon hearing, Huang Jun paused, then placed both hands behind his head, acknowledging: "That’s quite true. All these years, she’s treated you as the perfect pursuit target, making it nearly impossible for any other man to catch her eye.

But now, she should also understand that no one is perfect, and the standards for the other half won’t be so high anymore."

As he spoke, Huang Jun seemed to realize something and suddenly turned to Li Jing, saying seriously: "Jingzi, I suddenly feel that what you’re doing is right.

If you intentionally maintained an image in front of her, stringing along her feelings without defining the relationship, that would be true jerk behavior."

As he said this, Huang Jun’s face turned serious, and his tone gradually became solemn: "And what you just did, I, the future star, top internet celebrity, professional fitness athlete, and gossip king Huang Jun, would call you... a real man!"

After hearing his words, the corner of Li Jing’s mouth twitched:

"Do you have to praise yourself seven or eight times before you can finally compliment me?"

"Hey, not necessarily."

Huang Jun grinned: "These are all my titles, to show respect to you, of course, I need to recite my titles first. It’s just like how it is on TV."

Li Jing walked out, saying lightly: "Then you should add another title."

"What?"

"The muscle man with debts of a million and repressed vanity."

"What the heck?! Forget the rest, but I don’t accept ’repressed vanity’!"

"You’re not repressed?"

"With such positive energy, I should definitely be openly vain!"

"..."

...

Inside the rented house.

After returning home, Zhou Li threw herself onto the bed in frustration, burying her head in the pillow, her mind thoroughly confused.

The boy she had been reminiscing about over the years shattered the filter she had on him completely in today’s meeting.

"What he meant was... it’s okay to like, but unwilling to invest emotions in a relationship..."

Zhou Li tightly clutched the pillow, her eyes turning slightly red with grievance: "How could he think like that..."

Her mind was as chaotic as a tangled mess. Unable to make sense of it no matter how much she thought, she turned over on the bed, took out her phone, found the intelligent software she usually chatted with, feeling complicated and a bit sad, she asked:

"Xiaoli Xiaoli."

"I’m here, master."

"What if the person I’ve always liked is... a jerk?"

"If you like a jerk, first calm down and think, then keep your distance, and improve yourself."

"But I really like him, what should I do?"

"I can offer two suggestions: first, analyze the reasons for your feelings. Second, set boundaries for yourself. Then decide your next step."

"Analyze the reasons for my feelings..."

Zhou Li put down her phone, staring blankly at the dim ceiling, listening to the sound of traffic from the street outside, inevitably recalling the scenes of talking with Li Jing back in school...

She was self-conscious and shy, with no friends, and Li Jing was the first to genuinely talk to her rather than just patronizing her.

She wasn’t as good academically as Li Jing, yet he would patiently help her with anything she didn’t understand.

And once during a PE class, she sprained her ankle, and he supported her to the infirmary...

He was like a bright sun, lighting up her formerly dark and lonely high school days.

Thinking of this, Zhou Li felt her mind clear up a little, her previously lost eyes gradually focusing.

She bit her lower lip lightly, taking a deep breath: "No matter what Li Jing is like, these actions he did are facts, aren’t they...

And it seems he never talked about anything emotional with me.

I’ve been fantasizing for years, molding him into the image of a perfect partner, and he just shattered my illusion with honesty...

In this light, he actually didn’t do anything wrong, instead, it was I who morally blackmailed him..."

Thinking this, Zhou Li sat up, recalling her behavior at today’s dinner, suddenly a bit regretful of her impulsiveness and subsequent silence.

After agonizing for a long time, she finally made up her mind, picked up her phone, reopened the chat with Huang Jun, and typed: "Huang Jun, can you send me Li Jing’s number? I want to add him as a friend."

...

At the same time, Huang Jun was lying on the bed in the high-end hotel reserved by Li Jing, looking at his phone. After receiving Zhou Li’s message, he suddenly sat up like a startled carp, eyes wide in disbelief, and exclaimed:

"What the heck?! A plot twist?

Is this really Jingzi’s strategy of retreating to advance?

Jingzi, are you some kind of woman hunter?!?!"