Chapter 25
Do you think I'm cute?
As if genuinely concerned for Wei Jiangxue, Mi Rui'an looked at her trembling eyelashes and continued to persuade her: "These teaching materials are not very convenient for self-study; it's best to have someone guide you."
As soon as Mi Rui'an drew closer, Wei Jiangxue inevitably recalled how she had once buried her face in his chest, inhaling the unique fragrance of roses. Didn't Mi Rui'an mind at all? And now, had their distance crossed the line of normal social interaction? If they got any closer, they would really bump into each other!
Damn it! She's supposed to be a dominant Alpha in the ABO world, so why is she completely helpless against Mi Rui'an?! This damn protagonist setting is so unfair!
Every cell in her body was feeling the unique and domineering aura emanating from Mi Rui'an. Wei Jiangxue just wanted to escape. She felt that if things continued like this, something strange would happen between them.
With her back almost pressed against the cold wall, Wei Jiangxue had nowhere to retreat. She mustered her courage, took the initiative, and reached out to cover Mi Rui'an's incessantly chattering mouth, preventing her from saying anything more disturbing.
"...You're too close!"
After she shouted it out, she realized that Mi Rui'an had already quieted down when she covered her mouth.
Because she used so much force, Wei Jiangxue could even feel the shape of Mi Rui'an's lips.
In the projection that 233 had shown her, the first thing Wei Jiangxue noticed was Mi Rui'an's small and delicate lips, with full and beautiful lip pearls and a deep red color, like a flower.
Now, those lips that Wei Jiangxue had glanced at several times were pressed against the soft flesh of Wei Jiangxue's palm.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Mi Rui'an struggled slightly, her lips opening and closing as if kissing Wei Jiangxue's palm.
Wei Jiangxue's ears turned so red they looked like they could bleed. She involuntarily let go and stepped back, moving away from the area filled with the fragrance of roses.
"You, you..."
"Me?" Mi Rui'an seemed unable to understand Wei Jiangxue's deliberate distancing, and took a few steps forward to close the distance again, asking, "What's wrong with me?"
"Your face is so red, like an apple."
I really want to take a bite.
I really want to kiss you.
But no, not now. Mi Rui'an regretfully shifted her gaze back to Wei Jiangxue's eyes; perhaps she should find someone to fix this idiot Alpha's eyes first.
Even the most fastidious person wouldn't have anything to criticize when they see Mi Rui'an, especially since Wei Jiangxue seems to have always had a good impression of her. Once her eyes recover, her goodwill will definitely increase dramatically.
Let's not rush things now, look how scared you've made people...
Startled by Mi Rui'an, Wei Jiangxue jumped to the side, bumping into the sofa in the living room. She then grabbed the back of the sofa to support herself and avoid showing weakness. Sure enough, once she was away from Mi Rui'an, control of her mind gradually returned.
Could it be that the fragrance Mi Rui'an uses every day has some kind of magical effect? Otherwise, why does she feel her mind become sluggish and unresponsive every time Mi Rui'an gets close to her?
This time it was especially dangerous; for a moment, she almost thought she was going to drown in the rich scent of roses.
"No, you're fine." Wei Jiangxue bit her lower lip, clenching one hand into a fist and pressing it against her chest. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, while her heart pounded loudly.
Mi Rui'an didn't really do anything; she just didn't quite understand how to maintain normal social distancing.
"I'm not teasing you anymore, so how about you seriously consider my self-recommendation?" The rose scent suddenly faded away, leaving only a faint trace in front of Wei Jiangxue.
Wei Jiangxue was stunned for a moment. Just now, the other party's every move... Wei Jiangxue suddenly understood Mi Rui'an's intention. It turned out that he was just asking her if she wanted to invite a teacher. It seemed that he was offering himself up.
Mi Rui'an must be really short of money, to the point that she's actively asking her roommate for a job.
The agreement between the book-writing agency and Wei Jiangxue only required her to follow the plot diligently, score points accurately, and avoid being out of character. As for other things, they did not explicitly prohibit Wei Jiangxue from hiring the main characters to do work; otherwise, when she hired Mi Rui'an as a stylist before, 233 would have warned Wei Jiangxue.
She reached out to pat Mi Rui'an's shoulder, but found nothing.
Wei Jiangxue was a little embarrassed for a moment, but her hand, which had missed its mark, was quickly grabbed by Mi Rui'an.
"Hmm?" Mi Rui'an gave an ambiguous hum. "Have you made up your mind?"
Wei Jiangxue held her hand and said solemnly, "Of course I'm happy that you're willing to be my teacher. Don't worry, we'll calculate the tutoring fees according to market rates, and you won't be shortchanged."
Since she is not short of money and is currently experiencing financial difficulties, it is really unfair for Mi Rui'an to be living in such a low-rent apartment.
233 glanced at the mission data, confirming that Wei Jiangxue was free to choose in this matter. Wei Jiangxue would naturally choose to lend a hand; as long as it didn't affect her mission, she'd help if she could. Mi Rui'an was a good person; if they weren't destined to be adversaries, Wei Jiangxue would be happy to be friends with someone like that.
Mi Rui'an was taken aback, looking at Wei Jiangxue's sympathetic expression, somewhat puzzled.
But since Wei Jiangxue has agreed, there's no need to worry about anything else; Mi Rui'an can figure it out little by little later.
She reached out and took Wei Jiangxue's hand, her fingertips brushing against the other's soft palm: "Well... thank you for the job opportunity, Xiao Wei."
Then, Wei Jiangxue heard Mi Rui'an utter a cold sentence: "There's still a while before you have time to do your makeup and styling. Every second counts when it comes to studying, so let's start now."
"Huh? Don't you need to prepare lessons?" Wei Jiangxue looked surprised. She had originally planned to take it slowly, at least not starting today.
Furthermore, one-on-one tutoring usually requires lesson preparation, right? What's the point of just starting out?
“I studied these textbooks you bought back in junior high,” Mi Rui’an chuckled. “I forgot to mention, I skipped a grade and completed all my undergraduate credits by the time I was eighteen. After that… well, I’m more than capable of teaching these basic courses. If you’re worried that I’m just a slacker, consider today a trial lesson, it’s free.”
Wei Jiangxue fell silent, somewhat regretting her thoughtless words. She realized she shouldn't have questioned the protagonist's talent. She herself was preparing for the college entrance exam at eighteen, while the protagonist had already graduated from university.
[System 233: She's pursuing a double degree. By now, Mi Rui'an has obtained every certificate you can think of. There's no way around it; she's a prodigy favored by the world's consciousness, a prodigy with extraordinary talent. Don't worry, it's not too late for you to start working hard now. When you return to your original world, your age won't have changed.]
Wei Jiangxue's mind suddenly cleared—her age wouldn't change, so didn't that mean that while everyone else's time was frozen, she was the only one who could move freely? Such a good time was perfect for learning as much as possible!
Thinking of this, Wei Jiangxue secretly asked the system in her mind: "Is this mission really only for three months? Can we have more time?"
It's been almost a month now, and Wei Jiangxue calculated that she can only study for a maximum of two months.
【System 233: ? 】
[System 233: Wait, you're not in a hurry to go back? Tsk, theoretically it's possible, because our mission progress isn't based on time, but mainly on your mission completion rate and score. If you want to stay here a little longer, then just stretch out some missions.]
Wei Jiangxue was overjoyed: [That's great! Mainly because I believe you. Although I also want to go back sooner, knowing that staying here allows me to learn more, I'm shamelessly tempted. Anyway, I'm really torn! It would be great to learn more skills to support myself…]
[System 233: So it's that popular internet meme, right? You wake up one day to find the world's IQ has dropped a hundredfold, while yours remains unchanged. Now it's like you've been studying hard in another world for three years, while time has stopped in the original world. When you return and make your appearance, they'll all be blinded by your brilliance.]
"You can't describe the decline as a hundredfold..." Wei Jiangxue suddenly seemed to have been choked and stopped talking.
She realized that she had accidentally blurted out her true feelings, and Mi Rui'an was still beside her.
"What do you mean, a hundred times? Who are you talking to? You were just spacing out. I said several things, but you probably didn't hear me, did you?" Mi Rui'an asked sarcastically.
“I wasn’t talking to anyone, I was just spacing out!” Wei Jiangxue hurriedly shook her head. “You know, people who live alone for a long time are prone to developing mental problems, so I try to talk to myself.”
The fabricated excuse sounded even more absurd, and Wei Jiangxue was filled with regret; she should have kept quiet.
"Oh~" Fortunately, Mi Rui'an did not pursue the matter further, and even changed the subject, "Xiao Dong, take the book to your Xiao Xue master's room, and then prepare two cups of warm water."
Wei Jiangxue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She would have to be careful next time she talked to 233, and try not to multitask in front of Mi Rui'an.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. There’s no suitable table in the living room, and your room is probably almost completely filled with my skirts right now.” Wei Jiangxue stuck out her tongue shyly. “My room might be a bit messy. You and I can have class at the table in the corner. I’ll remove the things on it later.”
Wei Jiangxue only had two tables in total. One was added later for her live streaming business, and the other was the initial belongings of the character she played.
On the old table were the cannon fodder's belongings, which she and 233 had sorted out together. Wei Jiangxue couldn't see them at the time, but based on 233's description and touch, she could tell that the cannon fodder's belongings included a notebook, a photo album, and a locked wooden box. The rest were all clothes and accessories.
233 says that cannon fodder is merely a tool to serve the protagonist. Therefore, before Mi Rui'an arrived at the low-rent housing, the cannon fodder characters were just a concept. They only gained physical form and fictional memories when they were needed. When Wei Jiangxue came to this world to play a specific role, she would inherit that false memory.
However, with inexplicable emotions, Wei Jiangxue chose to carefully preserve those things, even though they had no owner at all.
“Let me help you,” Mi Rui’an said, taking the box from Wei Jiangxue without further ado. “Where should I put it?”
"A corner is fine."
"Are these... all your old things?" Mi Rui'an raised an eyebrow as she looked at an item in the open cardboard box.
Wei Jiangxue asked, puzzled, "Yes, what's wrong?"
"No, I saw your photo album was open. You look quite different when you were a child than you do now..."
“…How is it different? Girls change a lot as they grow up.” Wei Jiangxue was a little puzzled. So, did those things automatically fill in information related to her?
"The photos in the album are a bit...distorted? Your expression is so serious," Mi Rui'an said uncertainly. "You're cuter now."
Along with those words came Mi Rui'an's warm fingers.
She gently pinched Wei Jiangxue's cheek, then pulled away immediately.
"Oh, she's blushing, how cute."
[System 233: Emergency Mission—Do something that will surprise the protagonist.]
Wei Jiangxue was first startled by Mi Rui'an's actions, and then startled by 233.
Why the sudden assignment? Was it meant to catch Mi Rui'an off guard? What could she possibly do?
She instantly reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, yelling incoherently, "Why are you touching my face?! You think I'm cute? You think I'm cute and you still want to touch me? You have to pay me!"
As she spoke, Wei Jiangxue hurriedly stepped forward and instinctively reached out to touch Mi Rui'an. After finding her face, she returned the favor by touching her face as well.
Her movements were as swift as a breeze carrying the fragrance of freesia, brushing against Mirren's cheek.
Even in retaliation, he didn't retaliate fiercely; at most, he just rubbed Mi Rui'an's face, leaving Mi Rui'an standing there in a daze.
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