After Running Away From Her Wedding, The Tsundere Young Lady Went Crazy - Chapter 5

“Love is war”

With only a wall separating them, Ji Songshu locked her door.

The moment she let out a sigh of relief, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Now that she was the only one left in the house, she could finally forget everything and get a good night’s sleep.

A person cannot stay away from their hometown for long, and her most cherished hometown—the warm embrace of her blankets—welcomed her back.

This sleep was so sweet and deep that she felt like a newborn baby who had forgotten the world. By the time she woke up, it was already eight o’clock. The house was pitch black; Pei Jiyue hadn’t returned, giving Ji Songshu a sense of peaceful solitude.

Her stomach began to growl, so she climbed out of bed and cooked herself a bowl of instant noodles for dinner.

While stirring the noodles, she suddenly caught sight of the ring on her middle finger. The sapphire shimmered brilliantly through the rising steam. She froze as if struck by lightning, the chopsticks slipping from her hand.

She realized she was supposed to go on a date tomorrow!

In truth, she had never been in love and was completely clueless about the subject.

What exactly do people do on dates? What should she wear? Did she need to prepare a gift? Was it okay to only eat instant noodles tonight? Would her face be puffy tomorrow? Ji Songshu began to bite her nails anxiously, failing to notice that the water in the pot was nearly boiled dry.

After thinking it over, she decided it was best to seek help from someone with experience. She pulled out her phone and began typing away.

The person on the other end replied instantly: “What, what, what! How could you wait until now to tell me about such a huge event!! Let’s meet and talk!!!”

Half an hour later, Ji Songshu walked into a coffee shop named “Enchanting Brews.”

The place made her feel a bit uneasy.

Glancing around, she saw a familiar figure sitting by the window. she immediately jogged over, slowing down as she approached, and crept up to pat the person’s shoulder. “Qingqing!”

The person called Qingqing turned around, not startled at all, and instead pulled a wild face.

“How did you find me?” Ji Songshu asked, feeling a bit slighted.

The person—Ye Qingyu—raised an eyebrow. “Because I installed my family’s latest tracking device on you.”

As she spoke, she laughed, a dimple appearing on her cheek.

Ji Songshu ignored the joke, pulled out a chair, and sat across from her, complaining, “Why did you insist on meeting at the coffee shop where I work part-time? Just being here makes me feel a little nauseous.”

“Because I was craving the latte here!” Ye Qingyu giggled. “Niannian, how did you suddenly ‘bloom’?”

“Bloom?”

“Before, so many people liked you and you didn’t accept any of them. I even tried to introduce you to my rich and beautiful childhood friend, but you weren’t interested. Now, out of nowhere, you’re going on a date? Who is this ‘wild person’ who kidnapped our Niannian? Confess everything!”

“It’s nothing like that…” Ji Songshu trailed off, unsure of how to start.

Ye Qingyu was her best friend, but she had never told her about her complicated family background, let alone the current situation.

Ye Qingyu stared at her troubled face for a moment and sighed. “Fine, fine. Our Niannian is all grown up and has her own secrets. If you don’t want to say, then don’t. How is the other person? Not some big fraud out to steal your money or your heart, I hope?”

“She’s the young lady of a wealthy family. I met her once before. She seemed quite helpful, but her personality is a bit difficult to handle.”

“If you ask me, Niannian, you have nothing to worry about. You’re so beautiful and have such a great figure—big chest, slim waist, and a curvy backside. Is there any woman in this world you couldn’t handle?” Ye Qingyu pumped her fist. “If she dares to look down on you, I’ll help you beat her up.”

“But I’ve never been on a date. I don’t know what we’re actually supposed to do.” Ji Songshu looked miserable, burying her chin in her arms and looking up at Ye Qingyu expectantly.

“Dating is just eating, watching movies, chatting, and sleeping together,” Ye Qingyu patted her head. “Don’t worry, I knew you wouldn’t be able to handle it, so the thoughtful President of the Global Ji Songshu Fan Club has already prepared everything for you.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a beautifully wrapped box from behind her, squinting her eyes mysteriously. “Open it and see.”

Ji Songshu opened the packaging to find an earbud inside.

“What is this?”

“This is your ‘cheating’ earbud. It has DeepLove built-in—a romance AI model my family’s company just developed. It has studied millions of dating cases and classic romance novels. It’s currently in the internal testing phase, and I’ve snuck it out for you to use.”

“If you find that the conversation is dying or you don’t know what to say, just ask it.”

“Also, tapping it four times activates an automatic alarm. If anything urgent happens, stay safe. If she tries to take you to a hotel, absolutely do not agree.”

“Thank you, Qingqing.” Ji Songshu was moved to tears; she really wanted to give Ye Qingyu a huge hug.

She agreed with that last point—she had no intention of actually developing any physical relationship with Shang Keyu.

After all, her aunt had said she wouldn’t actually be made to marry Shang Keyu. Besides, Shang Keyu didn’t seem like the type to be so direct or impatient.

“By the way, have you thought about what to wear tomorrow?” Ye Qingyu asked.

“Just something normal, like a shirt and jeans.”

“No, no, no,” Ye Qingyu wagged her finger with a serious expression. “Niannian, you have to understand that ‘Love is War.’ Love is a bloodless battle, and the date is the front line. You can’t go without armor!”

With that, she pulled another paper bag from behind her. Ji Songshu began to wonder if her friend had a magic pouch hidden behind her back.

“This is an outfit I personally selected with my superior aesthetic taste. It’s guaranteed to ‘slay’ any woman.”

Ji Songshu peeked into the bag and was stunned. It was a pale pink camisole knit dress. It looked so narrow in her hands that she doubted she could even squeeze into it.

“This size is too small; I won’t be able to wear it.”

Ye Qingyu patted her chest and guaranteed, “Knit dresses are all like this. You’ll see once you try it on at home.” She then used her hands to exaggerate an S-shaped curve and gave a thumbs up.

Ji Songshu believed her. After returning home and taking a shower, she began to try it on.

The knit material was extremely elastic. Once it was on, it clung tightly to the exquisite curves of her body. Ji Songshu blushed at the sight of herself in the mirror.

“Should I really wear this? Is this really appropriate…?” she murmured.

A voice suddenly answered: “You look very beautiful right now. However, based on success rate analysis, I suggest lowering the neckline slightly; it will be more attractive to your date.”

Ji Songshu jumped, looking around nervously. It took her a moment to realize the voice was coming from the earbud Ye Qingyu had given her.

She picked up the earbud and looked at it curiously.

“Please place me in your ear.”

Ji Songshu did as instructed.

The earbud repeated the advice about lowering the neckline.

Only then did Ji Songshu notice that the chest area had a V-neck design. If she pulled it down, it would reveal a large area of her snowy white and full cleavage.

She quickly pulled the fabric back up.

The earbud asked: “What are your romantic requirements?”

“I want someone to take the initiative and confess to me,” Ji Songshu said.

“Instruction received. Switching to Conquest Mode.”

“Body scan beginning… Results: Age 19, height 167cm, weight 56.1kg, blood pressure 109/80mmHg, pulse 83 bpm, measurements—”

“Stop, stop, stop!!!” Ji Songshu cut it off urgently. “Leave me some privacy.”

“Understood. Measurements [Redacted]-[Redacted]-[Redacted]… Diagnosis: Excellent physical condition. The most suitable conquest method for you is—”

“Seduction.”

“Isn’t there a more civilized way?” Ji Songshu scratched the back of her head. “I can’t do that.”

“Would you like to switch to Juvenile Mode?”

Ji Songshu: ?

It felt like she was being mocked by a machine.

“…Yes.” After hesitating for a while, she accepted.

“Switched to Juvenile Mode. Daily usage limit for this product will be shortened to two hours. Warm reminder: Please avoid underage dating.”

Ji Songshu: “…”

“Switch back to Adult Mode, and just block everything below the neck.”

“Switching complete.”

“Blocking complete.”

“Please ask me if you need assistance. I will provide the optimal plan based on the specific situation. Wishing you a pleasant date.”

“I’m counting on you tomorrow, let’s go!” Ji Songshu yawned, pulled up the covers, and prepared to sleep.

But with her first-ever date approaching, she couldn’t fall asleep no matter what. She tossed and turned, the sound of the blankets rustling clearly audible in the quiet room.

Finally, she pulled up a few episodes of her favorite childhood cartoon, “Toast Cat and Bagel Rabbit,” and managed to muster up some sleepiness.

It was a night of light sleep.

The light outside the curtains gradually brightened. At nine o’clock, Shang Keyu sent a message saying she was almost there.

Ji Songshu was woken up by the vibration of her phone. Checking the time, she hurriedly changed her clothes and put on her equipment.

Her long hair fell over her shoulders. She tucked one side behind her ear, revealing a single feather earring, while the other side was completely covered by her hair to hide the earbud.

Before leaving, she checked herself in the mirror one last time. This skin-tight outfit still made her feel a bit self-conscious, but she believed Qingqing wouldn’t steer her wrong.

Looking at the person in the mirror, a whimsical thought struck her, and she asked:

“Magic earbud, magic earbud, who is the most beautiful person in the world?”

DeepLove replied: “Beauty is subjective, and everyone’s definition of ‘most beautiful’ may differ. However, by various definitions, you are beautiful.”

The compliment made Ji Songshu beam with joy, and much of her tension dissipated. She patted her chest and told herself:

It’s okay, Ji Songshu. You’re not really here to fall in love or get married. You’re just completing a mission on a target. Just treat it like a game.