I Really Didn’t Want to Increase My Favorability!

“Those things from back then are in the past now. It was my fault. If I don’t help out now, what kind of person would that make me?”

“Thank you, sister. But I also had my share of the blame back then.”

“No need to say that, sis. It was his fault.”

As she spoke, Ji Yun’s mother shot a fierce glare at Ji Yun’s father before turning back to continue the conversation with Xu Lin. Most of it was about his family background, and Xu Lin shared what he could.

Given their young age, Aunt Yao and Ji Yun’s parents didn’t bring up marriage or serious dating, but their tone made their intentions clear—they were sizing up their potential son-in-law. Xu Lin did his best to present himself well, though he didn’t have much to brag about.

Right now, the most he could mention was his work as a novelist and the fact that he was opening a small shop. But the shop wasn’t even operational yet, and whether it would turn a profit was uncertain. While he was confident, it didn’t mean others shared the same optimism.

“By the way, your mala tang shop—is it the one on Xinghuo Road?”

“Yes, it’s part of a franchise.”

“I saw something about it on my phone the other day. There was news about a young shop owner helping catch a thief. Was that you?” Ji Yun’s mother suddenly recalled a news story that had been widely shared in her social media circles a few days ago. The report included only a few blurry photos.

“I just happened to see the thief in the act. I’m no detective,” Xu Lin replied modestly. Then it hit him—his little shop had gotten some great publicity from this incident.

“Do you need money for the investment?”

“No, I’m good. I didn’t invest much in the first place. I have stable income from writing, so I’m just giving this a try. If it turns a profit, great. If not, no big deal—it’ll be a valuable lesson for me.”

“When I was your age, I didn’t have that kind of boldness,” Ji Datong, Ji Yun’s father, nodded approvingly. For the first time, he genuinely liked Xu Lin as a potential son-in-law. A young man should have drive, but it was rare to find someone with both confidence and humility.

“How long can you keep writing novels?” Ji Yun’s father asked.

“It depends. A long project could take several years; shorter ones are done in a few months or half a year.”

“That’s not bad. You can use it as a side income while studying or working,” Ji Yun’s mother chimed in, her eyes lighting up.

Earning 20-30,000 yuan a month wasn’t a small sum! She had thought Xu Lin was just a bright student, but now she realized he was already a golden prospect—a steady earner with mature manners. If his family was decent too, he’d be a great match. Ji Yun liked him, and if they both got into good universities, it would fulfill a lifelong dream for her and her husband.

The group continued eating and chatting, and time passed quickly.

“We adults have some things to discuss. Xu Lin, why don’t you go with Ji Yun to her room for a bit?”

“Alright…” Xu Lin nodded.

Following the indifferent Ji Yun to her room, Xu Lin casually sat on the edge of her bed. He glanced at a poster on the wall—it was a shot of him from a short film he had done in Jinling, a handsome side profile.

“Ji Yun, I…”

“I just put it up for fun. I’ll tear it down tomorrow.”

“Don’t!” Xu Lin reached out to stop her, but Ji Yun dodged him.

“Clean up your mess first before coming to me.”

“And what do you want me to do?”

Xu Lin dropped his playful expression, grabbed a low stool, and placed it next to Ji Yun’s legs. He then sat down, lowering himself so that he was two heads shorter than her, looking every bit the picture of someone trying to appease her.

Ji Yun shot him a glance, her face showing a mix of anger and exasperation. After a few seconds, she sighed.

“If I tell you to cut ties completely, wouldn’t that make you an utterly irresponsible jerk? But if you take responsibility, neither Sister Chu nor I would ever agree to it.”

“But if you insist on being with Qin Yunhe, then we’ll never have anything to do with each other again.”

Her tone was unusually serious. Xu Lin understood her meaning—if he decided to take responsibility, he shouldn’t mess around with other girls. Even so, Ji Yun remained gentle, despite her anger. She wasn’t pushing him into being a complete scumbag.

“I just don’t know what to do,” Xu Lin admitted.

“You mean you just can’t control yourself… At least Sister Qin wouldn’t lose control.”

Even though Ji Yun was fuming inside, as an inexperienced high school girl, she couldn’t bring herself to use harsher words.

“Yes, yes, most of it’s my fault,” Xu Lin conceded. Then, noticing Ji Yun’s piercing glare, he quickly lowered his head. “It’s all my fault.”

“Hmph! Ugh… Arguing with you won’t change anything. I said it earlier today: as long as you love me, I’ll stand by you until the end.”

Ji Yun squinted at him, taking a deep breath. “But I’m still really mad. So you’d better leave for now and let me cool down.”

“You can go chat with the great superstar Chu.”

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll go to your house and slap you in the face?”

“Not afraid. I know Superstar Chu too well. She’d probably just leave Linshui altogether.”

“And you’re still not scared?!”

Ji Yun couldn’t figure out what was going on with Xu Lin. He knew he had messed up, yet he still talked so casually about it. Now that she knew, she’d have to talk to Sister Chu, and if things got awkward, he’d be the one breaking everything apart.

Or… was Xu Lin really planning to choose her and only her? If so, it was acceptable, but she couldn’t help feeling sorry for the others involved. This put her in an odd emotional state, while Xu Lin, crouching there, looked entirely at ease.

“Stand up!”

“Okay.”

Xu Lin obediently stood, and Ji Yun also got up, pointing at the door. “You should go home now.”

“Alright.”

Xu Lin headed to the door without hesitation, showing no sign of lingering.

“Wait… You’re just going to leave like that?”

“Didn’t Class Monitor Ji say she wanted some quiet time?”

“You’re acting dumb on purpose! I—” Ji Yun raised her hand in frustration, ready to smack him, but Xu Lin leaned forward, deliberately offering himself up.

Ji Yun froze, completely thrown off guard. Her anger cracked, and she nearly laughed despite herself. She lowered her hand.

“You haven’t washed your face today, have you?”

“I did. Used a cleanser and everything.”

“…”

“Alright, alright, don’t be mad anymore. Xiao Xu’s little accident doesn’t change the fact that you’re still the empress. Why are you angry?”

Xu Lin leaned closer, putting on the act of a humble eunuch, making Ji Yun’s lips twitch upward despite herself.

“I won’t argue with you. Getting angry only hurts me.”

“Exactly.”

“But… why did Teacher Su forgive you when she found out about this?”

“I don’t know either.”

Xu Lin was genuinely puzzled. He’d expected Su Qingwan to give him the cold shoulder for at least half a year, yet things had smoothed over surprisingly quickly.

“Forget it. I’ll find a chance to talk to Sister Qin myself.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Didn’t you call me the empress? Well, I need to show some authority.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

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