"Unwilling? Or do you want to practice with your sister? Hmm, if you really do that, everyone will believe you actually like her."

Can’t avoid your sister, huh?

"How could I possibly practice with my sister? It makes no sense. It’s not that I’m unwilling—it’s just irresponsible. Feels like I’d take all the benefits," Lin Shu said, scratching his cheek.

"There’s no choice. We shouldn’t have gone this far, but you, you dummy, kissed Gu Chuchu. Faking a couple just jumped from normal to hell mode."

Su Nuan raised her hands high above her head, palms flat on the table.

"If we quit now, all our effort is wasted. The time and energy we spent are sunk costs. We have to push through. Small sacrifices are unavoidable."

Lin Shu had indeed spent so much time faking a relationship with Su Nuan. One reason he couldn’t accept Gu Chuchu’s confession was his lack of time for romance.

Luckily, being with Su Nuan wasn’t tiring. She wasn’t clingy or moody. Plus, she boosted his grades. Dinners with Yang Chao and Hou Fei were replaced by Su Nuan. He even played fewer games. The only real extra time was walking her home after evening study.

"I warned you endlessly to be careful! She’s kissed your forehead and nose already," Su Nuan scolded, poking Lin Shu’s forehead and nose with her slender fingers. "You have zero crisis sense. She’d devour you whole. With your height difference, Gu Chuchu couldn’t reach your lips without your help."

"I didn’t expect Gu Chuchu to actually kiss me."

Normally, people just pretend, right?

"You still don’t grasp how much Gu Chuchu likes you. She had vague feelings for you. When faced with a confession, she turned to you first. Your actions made her sure of her feelings. Now she’s chasing you harder and hotter," Su Nuan said, spreading her hands helplessly.

"We must help Gu Chuchu reject Daben’s confession and stop her bullying at school. Even if I can’t accept her feelings, I can’t ignore her suffering."

Waiting for worse things to happen would be too late. School bullying scars a lifetime.

Lin Shu hated bullying deeply. From elementary to middle school, he’d seen it constantly. Fighting violence with violence only created new bullies and victims. Often, the only escape was transferring schools. Prevention was best.

"No choice. That’s just who you are. You deserve to be liked."

Su Nuan’s sarcastic tone hinted at something deeper.

"So when do we start that practice…"

"Sooner the better. Gu Chuchu might test our relationship tomorrow. And the day after, you’re picking up your sister, right?"

"Yeah. I’ll be back the same day, but I still need to arrange her stay."

"With a sister, girlfriends and juniors take a backseat, huh? No time to waste. Let’s practice right after this."

Su Nuan lowered her head and quickly ate the half-cold meal. She elegantly wiped her glossy, red lips with a napkin. Since she’d mentioned kiss training, Lin Shu’s attention had been stolen by those thin lips. He recalled the accidental brush that evening. Just thinking about it made his face flush and heart race.

"Huff…"

Su Nuan blew into her palm and sniffed. Food smells lingered. She frowned.

"Rice stuck to your mouth?" Lin Shu reminded her.

"Where?"

"Corner of your lip."

Su Nuan touched but missed it.

"The other side."

"Here?"

"Let me."

Impatient, Lin Shu wiped her lip with his finger, picking up the grain. He cleaned his finger with a tissue.

"Not eating it?"

"I’m full. Not that hungry."

"What a waste. I’ll rinse my mouth first. You do the same—it’s only fair. Watch my bag."

Tonight’s restaurant was fancier than recent ones, with a restroom inside.

Lin Shu rinsed his mouth with water from his cup, spitting into a bowl.

Su Nuan took longer than expected. She’d washed her face too. Her bangs were damp as she dried them with tissue. She sat beside Lin Shu, facing him, and closed her eyes. Practice had begun.

At the playground, Su Nuan had taken the lead. But Lin Shu couldn’t always rely on her guidance. As a man, he had his pride.

Nervously, he placed his large hand on Su Nuan’s slender shoulder. He leaned in slowly, clumsily. His heart pounded violently.

Su Nuan’s delicate body trembled slightly. Her long lashes fluttered. Lips pressed tight, a faint blush colored her cheeks. She was nervous too.

Their ragged breaths mingled.

This is practice. This is to reject Gu Chuchu’s confession. This kiss has no feelings. Lin Shu repeated it like a mantra. His forehead brushed her damp bangs.

"Kids these days…"

"Is that Yizhong’s uniform? Yizhong’s gone downhill. Not the good school it used to be."

"Right? Who knows how many get into Qinghua or Beida this year. It’s getting worse every year."

Two aunties walked by, chatting loudly. Su Nuan instantly buried her flushed face in Lin Shu’s chest.

Lin Shu grabbed both backpacks, slung them over his shoulder, and pulled Su Nuan’s small hand. They fled the restaurant, letting the night wind cool their faces.

"Couldn’t you finish faster?" Su Nuan complained. "Almost a minute, and you still hadn’t kissed me."

"What can I do? I’ve no experience. Too fast wouldn’t work, right?"

"Crowded places are out. We’d look like idiot couples. Let’s practice after lights out. In the dark, we won’t see each other’s faces and won’t be shy. When faking for Gu Chuchu, we can just close our eyes. Once we’re smoother, we’ll take photos or videos for her. That should make her give up."

"Going this far should work. We’ve even kissed. No reason not to believe we’re a couple."

Gu Chuchu wouldn’t give up easily. No need to tell Lin Shu that. Su Nuan had thought proposing kiss training was absurd, but she’d covered it well. Thanks to Lin Shu being dense—it was a blessing and a curse.

Let Gu Chuchu be our stepping stone. Until we become a real couple.