thefictionvixens 035 Romance Script
035 Romance Script
As Lu Mingfei and Ling walked out of the Equipment Department building, the setting sun was burning on the horizon.
His stomach growled again, and Ling glanced at him sideways before quickening her pace. Her arm was like a vise, firmly gripping Lu Mingfei's arm.
"Zero, I'll leave, I can walk by myself." Lu Mingfei tried to struggle.
Zero's arm remained completely still.
Dinner time is the liveliest time of day at Kassel College, and the hall is almost full. Whispers come from all directions, making Lu Mingfei's scalp tingle, and he wished he could erect an absolute defense to repel all those gazes. But the girl beside him was very composed, and she pulled him to an empty table and even pulled out a chair for him.
"sit."
Lu Mingfei sat down obediently, his back ramrod straight, like a primary school student facing his homeroom teacher. Ling sat down opposite him, picked up the menu, glanced at it, and then directly recited a list of dishes to the waiter.
The food arrived quickly. Ling pushed the plate in front of Lu Mingfei, arranged the chopsticks, and even folded a napkin into a small triangle and placed it beside him. Lu Mingfei felt like he was sitting on pins and needles; the gazes around him felt like needles pricking him. He lowered his head to eat, wishing he could bury his face in his bowl.
Several girls tried to approach him and inquire about his romantic history, but Zero cleanly and decisively turned them away.
"I won't interfere with his past, but I'm responsible for his present and future." Zero put down his teacup. "Does anyone have any academic questions? If not, please don't disturb our meal."
With just a few words, he not only perfectly asserted his dominance but also tactfully shut down those gossipy girls.
Lu Mingfei put down his chopsticks and took a deep breath: "Zero, I think..."
"Finished eating?" Zero looked at the half-eaten rice left in his bowl.
"I'm done eating," Lu Mingfei said decisively.
Ling stood up, walked around to Lu Mingfei's side, and took his arm again.
"Let's go."
"Where to?"
"Let's take a walk," Zero said. "A walk after dinner helps with digestion. The sun is almost setting now, so it's a good time for a stroll in the sunset. Then you can take me back to my dorm."
Zero looked up at him: "Is it okay?"
Each word in this passage is normal on its own, but when put together, it sounds like it was copied directly from a dating guide.
"Zero, you don't need to do this." Lu Mingfei lowered his voice. "The task Lu Mingze gave you to take care of doesn't require you to go to this extent. Really, you don't need to force yourself."
Zero was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Is there something you're unhappy about with me?"
"No!" Lu Mingfei quickly waved his hand. "Everything you do is impeccable. But the better you treat me, the more scared I become. Do you understand? It's like... like I'm being led by the nose like a puppet. The better you treat me, the more I feel like I'm not myself."
Ling thought for a moment and then released Lu Mingfei's arm.
Lu Mingfei breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that this young lady finally understood what he meant. But before he could even finish letting out that sigh, Ling's hand reached out. Her five fingers unreasonably slipped between his, their ten fingers interlocking tightly. Her hand was colder than Lu Mingfei had imagined, her knuckles slender yet strong, like the vines of a clematis, soft yet resilient.
"This is walking side by side," Zero emphasized, "not being led by the hand."
Lu Mingfei looked down at their clasped hands, his mind blank.
not like this.
He cried out inwardly. This isn't how it's supposed to be! Campus romance dramas don't portray it like this at all. They're supposed to first struggle to find common ground, tentatively testing each other's boundaries, then experience several coincidences filled with misunderstandings, going through a long and agonizing tug-of-war, before finally realizing their feelings for each other while sheltering from the rain one day, then cautiously holding hands, blushing, their palms sweating, and finally, naturally intertwining their fingers. Isn't that how it's always written in those clichéd youth dramas?
How could you skip all the steps and break through someone's bottom line without any reason?
—But the force in your hand is so strong, you're holding on so tightly, leaving no room for retreat.
"Let's go," Zero said, taking his hand as they left the restaurant.
Lu Mingfei was being pulled forward by Ling in a daze. Ginkgo leaves drifted down around them, one of which landed on Ling's hair. Lu Mingfei saw it but didn't dare to reach out and pick it, because he was afraid that if he did, he would break this eerie dream.
He wanted to say something to break the silence, but all the words that came to his lips were: "Zero, don't you think we're moving too fast?"
Zero thought for a moment and said, "Not happy."
"Hurry up!!"
"Speed is relative," Zero said. "If you walk slowly and I walk fast, then it's fast. You should walk faster."
Ling led him along the central avenue, past the library, past the clock tower. Students they encountered along the way cast surprised glances; some whistled behind him, others took out their phones to take pictures. Lu Mingfei felt like a prisoner being escorted to an execution ground, only this execution ground was called "Love."
But in the eyes of the gossip-obsessed crowd around him, this demon king who had single-handedly overthrown two major gangs appeared languid, one hand in his pocket. His slightly drooping eyes exuded a world-weary disregard for human life, and his entire being radiated a terrifying aura that kept strangers at bay.
And Zero Romanov, the infamous Russian ice queen of Kassel, was like a submissive wife who had lost all her sharp edges. She obediently clung to the Demon King, completely controlled by his large hand. She was, in a blatant display, a shy young girl utterly melted by the violent Demon King, left only to follow him meekly!
"My God, this is such a perfect match..." Behind an oak tree by the roadside, a girl was biting a straw, her eyes sparkling with fervent light.
The two finally arrived at the girls' dormitory building and stopped their incredibly sweet stroll.
The number of prying eyes around them instantly doubled, and gasps of shock came from the bushes.
Ling turned around and finally let go of Lu Mingfei's hand. She stood on the steps, at eye level with Lu Mingfei.
"Say goodbye to me, but you should now show resistance to separation."
"Huh?" Lu Mingfei was stunned.
"Then, you need to use aggressive actions to close the distance," Zero added expressionlessly, "pat on the head, or hug. And you need to pair it with a line that will raise your heart rate."
Lu Mingfei finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"No, where did you get all these deadly tactics from?" He rubbed his temples in pain. "Is it insider information from the boss again?"
"The psychology of love among mixed-race people and fifteen highly-rated romance movies." Zero's tone was confident, even carrying a hint of a drill sergeant instructing new recruits. "Execute it."
"I won't comply," Lu Mingfei refused decisively. "That's too stupid. We just took a walk; there's no need to make it seem like a life-or-death situation. The process is over. See you tomorrow."
He turned and tried to run away.
"stop."
Ling didn't give him a chance to fool her. She took a step forward, wrapped her arms around Lu Mingfei's waist, and pressed her cheek against his chest.
"See you tomorrow."
After saying that, she turned and walked into the dormitory.
A gentle evening breeze blew, and ginkgo leaves swirled around Lu Mingfei's feet. He stood there, watching Ling's petite figure disappear behind the door.
-----------------
"Boss, you be the judge! What kind of relationship is this?"
In the café on the first floor of the library, Fingel was giving a passionate presentation to Nono while biting on a straw.
"So you went to stake out the place like a stalker today?"
"This is what you call meticulous investigation by journalism students..." Fingel shrank back into his chair guiltily. "Do you think their behavior is normal?"
Nono glanced at him. Despite his rubbish, Fingel was actually quite perceptive.
Lu Mingfei's PTSD made him unable to handle the coquettishness and probing of a normal girl.
But the way zero is different.
"Neither of these two is normal," Nono said. "But a straight shot with a critical hit is something Lu Mingfei can't withstand."