Li Xinya sat on her bed, diary open, hair messy from tossing and turning all night. She hadn't been able to stop replaying Yuxuan's cold expression in the library.
"He thinks I'm hiding something from him… and it's all because of Rule #6. Stupid, stupid! I need to fix this, fast."
She grabbed her pen and scribbled desperately:
Rule #7: When words fail, smile! A perfect girlfriend always stays cheerful, no matter what.
She nodded firmly. Yes. If I just act happy, maybe everything will go back to normal.
The Next Day – Classroom
Xinya approached Yuxuan's desk with her brightest, most forced grin. "Good morning, Yuxuan~!"
He looked up briefly, gave a quiet "Morning," then returned to his notebook.
Her smile faltered for a second, but she quickly stretched it wider. "So! The weather's great today, right? Haha! Don't you think it's great? Sunny! Wonderful! Amazing!"
Nearby, Mei Ruo gave her a side-eye. "…Xinya, why do you look like you're in pain?"
"I'm f-fine!" she squeaked, her smile twitching.
Lunchtime – Another Interruption
Determined not to give up, Xinya carried a small dessert she'd bought for Yuxuan. She placed it on his desk with a dazzling grin.
"I thought you might like this! Sweet things for a sweet boyfriend~ Hehe!"
Before Yuxuan could respond, Zhao Lin strolled over, snatching the dessert. "Oh? For me? You shouldn't have."
"Zhao Lin!" Xinya cried, flustered.
He smirked and bit into it. "Mm. Not bad. Thanks, girlfriend material."
Yuxuan's chair scraped against the floor as he stood, his eyes darkening. "Stop calling her that."
The tension was electric. Students nearby whispered nervously.
Xinya panicked, plastering on her shaky smile. "E-everyone calm down! Haha, see? Smiling fixes everything!"
But Yuxuan didn't smile back. He simply walked out of the classroom, leaving her standing there with her "rule" crumbling around her.
That Night – The Diary Again
Xinya clutched her diary, her hand trembling as she wrote:
Rule #7: Smile through everything.(FAILED completely. Smiling doesn't fix misunderstandings.)New Rule: If I want to keep him… I need to be honest, even if I'm scared.
Her pen hovered over the page as she whispered to herself, "But… will he even listen to me now?"