Lost in the Otherworld

To get straight to the point, it seems that Gao Yang might be bidding farewell to his lifelong singlehood.

It all started two days ago.

Two days ago, Wang Zikai, Gao Yang's close friend, swiped Gao Yang’s phone and sent a lengthy, 300-word “confession of love” to Li Weiwei, intending to prank him.

By the time Gao Yang discovered it, it was too late to retract. Although he quickly sent a message to clarify, Li Weiwei didn’t reply. Moreover, for the next two days, she didn’t talk to Gao Yang and even avoided him at school.

Gao Yang and Li Weiwei grew up together as childhood friends, their families living close by. They met in kindergarten and later moved to Licheng together, attending the same high school—a bond that seemed destined.

According to his memories before the age of six, Gao Yang indeed had a crush on Li Weiwei. When he first saw this little beauty in kindergarten, he secretly vowed to marry her when they grew up. Unfortunately, before he could realize this dream, Gao Yang was whisked away to another world.

Over the years, thanks to Li Weiwei, Gao Yang had often been the subject of envy and resentment from the boys in his class.

Naturally, Gao Yang harbored deep feelings for Li Weiwei. To say he liked her wouldn’t be inaccurate. After all, who wouldn’t be attracted to a beauty? But he had never seriously considered pursuing her. If one were to be sentimental, it might be that he simply lacked that “spark.”

In just two months, their classmates would graduate from high school and go their separate ways.

As Gao Yang’s best friend, Wang Zikai couldn’t bear to see this—well, to be honest, he was just bored and decided to “matchmake” the two, which led to this prank.

Now, two days later, Li Weiwei finally replied on WeChat: “I accept.”

Gao Yang’s emotions were a whirlwind. He thought to himself, didn’t I already explain that Wang Zikai sent that as a prank? Why did you ignore that message?

No, I need to explain again...

WeChat chimed again: “Shall we meet today?”

Gao Yang hesitated for a moment before replying, “Sure.”

...

2:00 PM. Shanqing District. Dawen Plaza.

When Gao Yang arrived, Li Weiwei had already been waiting for a while.

On this rare weekend, Li Weiwei wore a light green sweater, her usually tied-up hair now cascading softly over her shoulders. As the wind blew, her hair and the hem of her skirt fluttered gently. She pressed a strand of hair behind her ear and waved happily at Gao Yang, “Over here, Gao Yang, over here!”

The spring breeze was warm and bright, and the girl’s smile bloomed like a flower.

In that moment, Gao Yang could somewhat understand the feelings of the guys in class who fawned over her—he really didn’t know how lucky he was.

Gao Yang walked over with a smile, “Sorry, I’m late.”

“It’s fine, Qingling and I took a quick stroll first. I also picked up some study materials at the bookstore and got two books for you,” Li Weiwei said.

It was only then that Gao Yang noticed a tall girl with a ponytail standing not far behind Li Weiwei, casually playing with her phone, one hand in her pocket.

The ponytailed girl was named Qingling, standing 1.67 meters tall, a sprinter in their class, and Li Weiwei’s best friend.

Besides that, Qingling was also recognized as the school’s goddess.

Her beauty was beyond question, but what was truly remarkable was that despite being out in the sun daily, her skin remained as fair as snow—a stark contrast. Thanks to her long-term training, the curves beneath her tight sportswear exuded an aesthetic beauty that was a feast for the eyes, and her long legs were a lethal attraction for any guy.

Interestingly, though, unlike Li Weiwei, who frequently handed out friendzone rejections, Qingling had almost no suitors. The reason? She never spoke to boys. More accurately, whenever she looked at a guy, her gaze carried a visceral disgust, as if she were staring at a fly.

Over time, everyone knew she had androphobia and wisely kept their distance.

However, Gao Yang suspected it wasn’t androphobia; she was probably just a beautiful... lily.

Sensing Gao Yang’s gaze, Qingling put down her phone and looked up, meeting his eyes. The strength of her aura, the depth of that disgust... made Gao Yang feel like not just a fly, but one that was hovering around filth.

“Qingling, want to join us?” Li Weiwei called out.

“No thanks, you two have fun.” Qingling smiled at Li Weiwei with an angelic tenderness.

Double standards! Such blatant double standards!

...

That afternoon, Gao Yang and Li Weiwei enjoyed a day filled with milk tea, movies, and barbecue, a day as pleasant and fulfilling as one could hope for.

Late at night, Gao Yang walked Li Weiwei home. On the deserted road, Li Weiwei walked ahead. After a while, she suddenly turned around, “Hey, are you having second thoughts?”

“Huh? Second thoughts about what?” Gao Yang asked.

Li Weiwei blushed, “About confessing to me.”

“Weiwei, actually…”

“I thought you’d be happier when I accepted,” Li Weiwei tilted her head slightly, her gaze filled with doubt, “But then again, maybe it’s true what they say—you guys lose interest right after you win a girl’s heart? Realizing you never really liked her in the first place.”

“No, it’s not that, actually…”

“Gao Yang,” Li Weiwei narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him, “What’s going on with you today? Are you hiding something from me?”