The Lady I Flirted With Is Here - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Bait

“Heart Arsonist?” At the thought of that serious-looking host who actually spent the whole day cracking dirty jokes, Lin Xian nearly choked on her own spit. Then she imagined the “Masterpiece” biting a rose, looking at her with a lingering gaze and saying: “I am the Heart Arsonist.” She almost gave herself goosebumps with that mental image. Too scary!

Since Lin Xian had already added her on WeChat, it was only natural to discuss it with her bestie. She recounted everything that happened yesterday from start to finish, not forgetting to add some “oil and vinegar” to describe exactly why the Masterpiece was so beautiful, while also venting her rage over the scumbag’s actions she’d heard about last night.

The story was so full of twists and turns that the Northeast girl went from excitement to shock. Eventually, she grabbed a bag of chips and climbed onto Lin Xian’s bed so the two of them could gossip properly. By the time the story reached its end, the Northeast girl nearly slapped Lin Xian: “Are you stupid? You only thought to add her WeChat now? Xiao Lin Xian, your head must have been caught in a door for you to retreat at the last second. And don’t give me that noble excuse about being afraid she has a girlfriend!”

The Northeast girl spoke earnestly: “The golden rule of chance encounters is: if you meet a celestial being, never let them go. I’d rather accidentally add a married woman than let a single one slip away. Besides, so what if she has a girlfriend? If it bothers you, you can just delete her later. My fear is that this ‘god-sent encounter’ you managed to charm will be wasted on your wooden head, losing you a top-tier beauty for nothing.”

The Northeast girl’s lecture actually hit home. Lin Xian couldn’t help but feel regretful; if it hadn’t been for the drama with Little Cherry, she might have truly lost her chance with the Masterpiece. Looking back at her life later, she would have had nothing but a beautiful silhouette lingering in her heart.

Filled with a bit of nervous excitement, the two of them opened the Masterpiece’s WeChat profile.

The Northeast girl tapped on the avatar and made a definitive judgment: “A silhouette of a cat. Lin Xian, take notes: even if she doesn’t like cats, she’s definitely an individualistic, proud, and aloof character.”

Lin Xian nodded, her pen flying across her notebook: Cat. Individualistic. Aloof/Tsundere.

The Northeast girl then opened the Masterpiece’s Moments and scrolled through them from top to bottom. “Tsk. You said she’s good-looking? There’s not a single selfie here, not even a photo taken by someone else.”

Lin Xian had only glanced at it briefly earlier in her mindless excitement, but now she looked properly. “There really isn’t. Could she hate having her picture taken?”

The Northeast girl nodded. “Possibly. It could also mean she’s introverted, or she doesn’t want to reveal too much personal info. Or… she’s a mensao (closet flirt/outwardly cold but inwardly passionate).” For some reason, the Northeast girl smirked. “Hehehe, good-looking people who are mensao are all like this. They want others to fantasize about them, only to catch them off guard when they finally meet.”

“How do you know that?”

The Northeast girl replied, “My cousin is exactly like that. Proud, aloof, and looks like a cold goddess. It’s a pity she’s not a lesbian, otherwise, I would’ve introduced her to you long ago.”

Lin Xian swallowed the words she was about to say. Hehe, she really had been about to ask why such a great person hadn’t been introduced to her yet.

While talking, they accidentally clicked back to the chat interface. When the Northeast girl saw it, she finally couldn’t resist slapping Lin Xian on the back. “Look! Look! She messaged you and you haven’t replied? It’s been half an hour!”

“What? Really?” Lin Xian looked hurriedly.

Jiu Wu: Who are you? Did you add the wrong person?

Lin Xian collapsed onto the bed, muttering, “I’m doomed. She doesn’t even know who I am. What do I do? Is she going to delete me?”

The Northeast girl grabbed Lin Xian and pulled her upright. “What are you overthinking for? She’s already added you, she can’t run away. Hmph, I’m telling you, this ‘Sister Goddess’ of yours is definitely a mensao. She passed your friend request but is pretending not to know you. Didn’t you say everyone in the group was looking for you because Liu Liu called you out? Wasn’t she there?”

“She was,” Lin Xian said with a look that suggested the answer was obvious.

The Northeast girl stared at her steadily. Suddenly, Lin Xian’s IQ returned to normal. “You mean…?” Her eyes crinkled.

“Exactly!” The Northeast girl smiled wickedly. “She’s playing it cool with me. It seems she’s a little dissatisfied with you, Xiao Lin Xian.”

“In what way?” Lin Xian’s IQ dropped again.

The Northeast girl wanted to crack her head open to see what was inside. Usually, Lin Xian was the “Little Zhuge Liang” (master strategist) of the dorm, but today she was like a frozen computer that wouldn’t refresh.

Patiently, the Northeast girl analyzed it for her: “Didn’t you ask for her group name yesterday because you wanted to add her? Then you ran away without doing it. You just spoke in the group, and she replied immediately. There are hundreds of people in that group; other than Little Cherry—whom she probably already knew—you’re the only one she actively engaged with. And you? What did you do?”

“First, you ignored her in the group. Then, you didn’t add her at all, and instead spent the whole night chatting with her friend! If I were her, I’d suspect your target was her friend all along!”

“Impossible!” Lin Xian immediately protested. “Little Cherry is pretty, but I was just admiring her. She’s not my type.”

“Oh~” The Northeast girl laughed. “So she is your type, right?”

Lin Xian pursed her lips, wanting to shake her head and hide, but realizing she’d be seen through anyway, she resigned herself and nodded with a red face. “Yes… she’s my type.”

“No wonder, no wonder. No wonder you’re blushing like a blossoming peach tree and acting like an idiot. The ‘iron tree’ that’s been single for seven years is finally blooming; it’s no surprise the software is lagging.” The Northeast girl sighed, finally beaming like a proud mother. “You idiot. You hadn’t even found a partner yet, so why did you have to come out to the teachers and parents in your freshman year? I still remember your mom chasing you around the teacher’s office to hit you.”

At the mention of the past, Lin Xian’s eyes dimmed slightly. Fortunately, that was all over now. She remained quiet.

The Northeast girl became serious: “Lin Xian, give me the honest truth. Do you truly like this person?”

Lin Xian thought for a long time before finally nodding solemnly. “I do. It’s the first time in twenty years I’ve felt like this. I’ve never met someone so beautiful, not even in real life. It feels surreal. How did I even meet her?”

The Northeast girl laughed. “How else? Shared interests. You both went to see Liu Liu. If you ask me, it’s not impossible for her to become my ‘Little Sister-in-law’ in the future.”

“What are you saying!” Lin Xian turned bashful. That phrase “Little Sister-in-law” poked at a hidden hope, making her face turn as red as sunset clouds. Then, she asked curiously, “How is that possible?”

The Northeast girl smiled mysteriously. “I’ve navigated the sea of love for years. Though my sexual orientation is a bit different from yours, romance follows the same patterns. Do as I say. I can’t guarantee the long-term future, but I can give you a guarantee that she’ll take the bait and meet you.”

The Northeast girl shared her method. After listening, Lin Xian was skeptical. “Will this really work? It sounds unreliable. What if she really runs away?”

The Northeast girl was blunt: “If you really like her, it’s all or nothing. If she falls for it, you two have a chance. If she really runs away, then she wasn’t that interested in you to begin with.”

Lin Xian took a deep breath and made the call. “Fine! Let’s do it!”