"Awake already?"
When Shen Lang woke up in the morning, Zhao Zikang was just coming back with breakfast, unpacking it and placing it on the table.
"Come and have breakfast. I got some soy milk, fried dough sticks, and buns."
Like most guys who are shy and a bit insecure, Zhao Zikang is actually really caring and attentive when it comes to his loved ones and friends.
"Hey, thanks, bro."
Shen Lang grabbed a bun and cheekily teased, "If I were Li Qianqian, I'd have been with you ages ago."
"Forget it, dude."
Zhao Zikang shot him a disdainful look and started scrolling through Douyin on his phone.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
Shen Lang opened it to find Li Liushi standing there with a few steaming buns and two cups of soy milk, carrying a heavy shoulder bag and wearing an old, loose school uniform. She was smiling brightly.
"I brought you breakfast. Want some?"
"Boss, you're a bit late this time."
Shen Lang pointed to the plastic bags on the table and playfully said, "We're already eating."
Li Liushi glanced at Zhao Zikang with a hint of unspoken irritation, as if feeling that her breakfast delivery was being overshadowed.
Zhao Zikang felt a bit creeped out by that fleeting look. He thought he might have imagined it, but when he looked again, she had returned to her sweet, innocent self.
"No way."
Zhao Zikang shook his head with a smile, thinking he must have been mistaken. A girl this pure and kind wouldn't have such a cold, rejecting look.
"Want some soy milk?"
Li Liushi smiled again, handing the soy milk to Shen Lang with a bit of stubborn cuteness.
"Alright, alright, just give me everything."
Shen Lang took the breakfast from Li Liushi, waved his hand, and urged, "Go to school already. Stop focusing on me all the time. Do you really want to be my mom?"
Li Liushi smiled understandingly and walked into the elevator, turning back a couple of times.
"She brings you breakfast every day?"
Zhao Zikang asked casually.
"Since we confirmed our relationship, pretty much every day."
Shen Lang took a sip of soy milk, sounding nonchalant.
"Damn, I'm so jealous."
Zhao Zikang's face was practically green with envy.
He'd be more than happy if a girl who looked as beautiful as her and had such a great figure bought him breakfast and cooked for him every day.
"I don't get it. You're not exactly a heartthrob, and you used to be this gloomy guy who rolled around in his sleep like he was training. How did these two girls even fall for you?"
Zhao Zikang was puzzled.
Shen Lang thought for a moment and gave an example: "You remember that guy Gu Yang from our class in college?"
Zhao Zikang nodded. "Yeah, that dude was really handsome and came from a rich family with an e-commerce business."
"Well, do you remember how he pursued our class monitor for four years and still didn't win her over? In the end, she ended up with some average-looking guy from the Economics department?"
"Of course."
Zhao Zikang nodded vigorously. "Our forum was saying that guy was like a toad wanting to eat swan meat. Gu Yang even thought about finding someone to teach that guy a lesson."
"Why do you think Gu Yang couldn't get the class monitor, but that average-looking guy did in just a few weeks?"
"I don't get it."
Zhao Zikang shook his head seriously, looking very intent.
Shen Lang raised a finger: "Simple, it's all about demand!"
"Demand?"
Zhao Zikang repeated the term quietly, then shook his head in confusion. "I don't get it."
"It's a simple formula. Gu Yang's family was rich, right? But don't forget, the class monitor's family was also well-off. How did Gu Yang pursue her?"
Shen Lang tapped his fingers on the table: "He was always buying flowers, putting up banners, or flaunting his wealth. The class monitor didn't care about any of that. She probably thought it was childish and definitely wouldn't want someone like that as her boyfriend."
"Now I get it a bit."
Zhao Zikang started to understand. "So, how did that other guy win her over?"
"I'm not sure, but I can guess."
Shen Lang took a sip of soy milk and continued: "Let me ask you, what was the class monitor's personality like?"
"Her personality? Hmm…"
Zhao Zikang thought for a moment and said, "She was a bookworm, always either in the library or studying, and she was really good at academics."
"That's what I mean by demand."
Shen Lang said directly: "And remember how she always turned down Gu Yang by saying she just wanted to focus on her studies and wasn't interested in dating?"
Zhao Zikang nodded. "Yeah, I remember. She turned down Gu Yang and went straight to the library."
"So, the guy who ended up with her had the right approach."
Shen Lang highlighted: "He must have guessed that she only cared about studying and wasn't interested in dating in college. So, he used the excuse of studying to get close to her, figured out her interests, and gradually won her over."
"Damn, if that's the case, he played a huge game."
Zhao Zikang marveled at the strategy, but then suddenly countered.
"Wait a minute. I remember the class monitor said she wasn't going to date anyone in college. Why did she end up with this guy then?"
"Seriously?! Do you actually believe that? When she said she wasn't dating, she just meant she wasn't interested in those guys."
Shen Lang laughed, saying: "Unless she's a cheerleader or has some issue, how could she not date if she met someone she liked?"
"Damn, I didn't know chasing girls was so complex."
Zhao Zikang mumbled, then suddenly became curious.
"I want to know how Li Liushi pursued you and how you ended up agreeing."
"I don't know. She only moved here two months ago, and we've only been together for less than a month."
Shen Lang said honestly: "She's pretty, has a great figure, so when she confessed, I said yes."
"Man, that's pretty shallow."
Zhao Zikang was indignant. "You agreed just because she's pretty? Didn't you even try to understand her personality?"
"Isn't it obvious? She's so pretty and has a great figure. Why wouldn't I agree?"
Shen Lang shrugged and said disdainfully: "Besides, if she didn't have a pretty face, why would I bother understanding her inner qualities?"