The two left the art academy.
As Xiang Ran thought about Liu Shuyao’s earlier actions in the classroom, a headache began to throb at his temples. Was this just normal classmate interaction? It didn’t feel like he was taking advantage of her, did it?
What had gone wrong? Why was everything becoming so complicated?
Liu Shuyao didn’t seem to understand how to restore their memories. He just wanted to put an end to this absurd situation as soon as possible!
Xiang Ran, unusually downcast, realized this wasn’t a math problem with a single solution.
The Fatty, oblivious to Xiang Ran's mood, had shaken off his earlier drowsiness and was now bursting with excitement.
“The school beauty really is stunning! Her looks are off the charts.”
“The girls with her are pretty good-looking too, but when Liu Shuyao stands there, you can't focus on anyone else.”
“And she smiled several times today! She's nothing like the rumors on the forum that say she’s hard to approach. Don’t you think someone’s just spreading lies? They can’t stand seeing her excel and are trying to tarnish her reputation!”
The chubby guy rambled on for a while, only to realize that no one around him was paying attention—probably hadn't absorbed a single word.
He slapped his palm down on the table.
" Brother Ran, the meeting's over! Still thinking about your data visualization?"
He glanced at Xiang Ran. "Isn't that girl you were talking to earlier the Debate Society president Zhao Ying that Brother Dong always mentions?"
"I think she seems pretty easygoing, not as domineering as he said!"
"By the way, how do you completely reject someone?"
The chubby guy's last few words were cut off as Xiang Ran interrupted him. Turning to see the troubled expression on Xiang Ran's face, he realized he was genuinely perplexed.
"You just turned someone down, and it seemed fine! A beautiful girl added you on WeChat, and you didn't even look up!"
"That's not the kind of rejection I'm talking about."
"Then is someone from our class asking you for help?"
Xiang Ran was academically strong and usually approachable, so it was common for classmates to seek his assistance with coding issues. This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
This wasn't anything unusual.
"You can just tell them you're busy with art department stuff when they ask for help with coding."
"Think about it—compared to the class flower, anyone else would definitely be the second choice, right?"
The chubby guy earnestly analyzed the situation, convinced he had provided the best solution.
But Xiang Ran still frowned, clearly unsatisfied with his friend's answer and feeling even more of a headache coming on.
He trudged ahead, pondering other possible solutions, when the chubby guy grabbed the strap of his backpack. Following the direction of his finger, Xiang Ran glanced over.
The dense foliage concealed a single building in the distance: the library.
"You’re so conflicted; why not just ask Turing?" the chubby guy said seriously, rambling.
To everyone’s surprise, Xiang Ran actually agreed with this suggestion.
He turned and headed straight for the library.
"Wait, you’re really going?"
"Hey, he’s a pioneer in computer science, not exactly a socialite."
The chubby guy hurried after him as he spoke.
Since entering college, he had only visited the library once, just to glance around, and had no intention of borrowing anything, so he was completely unfamiliar with the classification system inside.
Xiang Ran came here often, but only for research, which didn’t help with his current problem.
The two stood in front of the guide map by the entrance, and the chubby guy spotted a section labeled "Social and Interpersonal Relationships."
He pointed it out, and they headed over with clear goals.
As soon as they reached the shelves, the book covers dazzled them with a riot of colors. The chubby guy was quickly drawn in, and before Xiang Ran could finish checking both rows, he had already picked up a book.
“The Inferiority Complex! Adler coined the term 'inferiority complex' to explain how feelings of inferiority develop and their impact on personal growth. It teaches individuals how to transcend these feelings and properly pursue a sense of superiority, ultimately surpassing oneself and finding meaning in life.”
Listening to the chubby guy's enthusiastic reading, Xiang Ran's face turned pale. After a long pause, he finally asked, “You really think this is what I need?”
He started to doubt why he ever believed this guy, thinking the library would have the answers! What kind of teammate is this?
Noticing Xiang Ran's shift in mood, the chubby guy scratched his head. “Just to be clear, I think you’re a great guy, and you don’t have those problems.”
“However! Isn’t it true that you’re worried about how others perceive you? Worrying about a bad impression is just a fear of being disliked, right? And that fear might stem from some feelings of inferiority.”
His argument flowed smoothly.
Okay!
It was his fault for not explaining himself clearly.
But he didn’t even know how to articulate it!
Just then, he noticed another book hidden behind the chubby guy.
“What are you hiding back there?”
Caught red-handed…
How to Make the One You Love Fall in Love with You 2
Xiang Ran looked at the blue cover and instinctively shook his head. This was even less reliable.
“Do you really believe in that? I suggest you read Fundamentals of Computer Theory a few more times; that’s much more realistic.”
“I just think the summary looks good, and it’s selling so well for a reason. You should believe me.”
“Well, you still need to start from the first one, right?”
“I couldn’t find the first one; it must be checked out. Looks like this book is pretty popular!”
Xiang Ran shrugged. “I don’t deny its functionality; I just don’t think it’ll work for me.”
It seemed this trip had been a waste. He was about to leave when he suddenly thought of something.
“Is there a brother book to this one?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is there a book titled How to Reject Someone Who Loves You?”
The chubby guy glanced at Xiang Ran, feeling he might have taken his studies too far.
“That title sounds like it wouldn’t sell at all.”
As they left the library, Xiang Ran still decided to borrow Touch in Interaction Design. After all, he didn’t want this trip to be completely pointless; he hoped to find something useful for his data visualization project.
The chubby guy watched as Xiang Ran registered at the borrowing desk, and he kept rambling all the way back to the dorm.
“How was your meeting this afternoon? Did you meet anyone interesting?”
Today, the dorm was unusually full.
Qi Dong knew Teacher Li had assigned them some tasks, so as soon as they walked in, he started gossiping.
Sure enough, the chubby guy, having bottled up his frustration all afternoon, was now bursting to share everything that had happened, insisting the others weigh in on it.
“What do you think? Is this reasonable?”
“He's looking for books on inferiority, yet when he rejected a girl today, he acted all high and mighty! I really didn’t see any inferiority complex!”
“The girl even came over to ask for his WeChat, and he told her to just message in the group if she needed anything!!!”
"What kind of outrageous statement is that?!"
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