Cysvhhz 103

Mike followed Gu Zhan's plan to the letter, and before long, he caught the dog's attention.

Jane, who had been playing with the dog, naturally noticed Mike as well.

Gu Zhan observed Mike from behind the glass window of the café. When Mike faced Jane, he didn’t appear as introverted as he had claimed. Perhaps his skills as a lawyer were at play, as he seemed to have a good conversation with Jane, both of them smiling throughout.

Eventually, Mike said something that made Jane laugh and nod. He gave her the remaining sausage he had and turned to say goodbye before walking back toward the café.

As he approached Gu Zhan, his expression grew increasingly excited, and his face reddened.

Anyone watching might have thought Gu Zhan was the object of his affection.

Mike exclaimed, “I found out her name! Her voice is so beautiful, like a yellow warbler in the trees…”

Gu Zhan coolly interrupted Mike’s endless praise, saying, “Great, you’ve taken the first step. The second step is to run into her at her doorstep, so she knows you’re her neighbor.”

Mike was forcibly restrained, but his excitement was clearly still simmering.

After a moment of quiet, he said, “She goes to work at the town school every morning. She brings the kids morning pastries; I can run into her then.”

Gu Zhan raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? She’s likely in a hurry to get to work and might not have time to chat.”

Mike replied, “I’m sure! She loves kids and usually arrives quite early.”

“Alright,” Gu Zhan said. He didn’t know Jane well, but since Mike was so adamant, he decided to trust him. “Let’s aim for tomorrow, then.”

In this story, time moves quickly in unimportant areas, just like in the game.

After parting ways with Mike at the café, Gu Zhan found himself on the street, and the surrounding scenery began to blur and rush by. The sun, moon, and stars spun above him.

In the blink of an eye, it was the next morning.

Even though today’s plan didn’t involve him directly, as the facilitator, Gu Zhan still needed to be present to ensure Mike didn’t mess things up. His ability to leave the library depended on it.

Before they parted yesterday, he had asked Mike for his address. Upon arriving, he casually sat down on the edge of a flower bed.

To Jane, he was just a passerby—if she noticed him, so be it.

Jane lived in a row house next to Mike's, and early that morning, she was busy in her yard, trimming the flowers and plants.

She had changed into work-appropriate clothes, her agile figure moving busily about.

Just watching her, Gu Zhan understood why both Mike and the man in the tailcoat were smitten with Jane. She embodied everything beautiful in the world. Just observing her at work brightened the day, filling it with vibrant life and positivity.

Gu Zhan didn’t know if someone like Jane existed in reality, but this portrayal of her must have required a lot of thought from the author. The writer clearly adored Jane, giving her the best and happiest attributes in the world.

Gu Zhan glanced over at the neighboring house, which appeared neglected compared to Jane’s meticulously kept garden. Mike’s place was dismal.

The small yard had nothing but a patch of grass, and a tree in the corner had already withered away.

Could these two really be a match?

Gu Zhan couldn’t say for certain, especially since he was unaware of the entire context of the story or the author's intent.

There were too many missing pieces of information; he could only take one step at a time.

Mike didn’t emerge until after Jane had finished tidying the yard and had gone inside to grab a basket of pastries. Only then did he step out of his room.

He kept his head down, and as he reached the doorway, he accidentally bumped into Jane.

Both appeared surprised, and from Mike’s expression, it seemed he was apologizing to her.

Jane didn’t seem upset; instead, she smiled at Mike. To make amends, he helped her carry the basket of pastries, and they walked toward the school together.

Their figures walked side by side, chatting comfortably, signifying that their relationship was progressing positively.

Gu Zhan let out a sigh of relief.

The hardest part was over. For Mike, figuring out how to interact with Jane wasn’t the issue; it was taking that first step.

From here on, it was up to them.

If Mike was indeed the author’s chosen protagonist, he should know how to pursue a relationship.

Outside help could only facilitate their introduction.

---

After this point, Mike didn’t summon Gu Zhan again.

Gu Zhan became a ghost in the town, homeless and wandering aimlessly.

He didn’t have much money on him, but fortunately, he had no pressing needs for food or shelter, so he wandered about, taking in the sights.

This little town wasn’t very large, and after “a few days” of exploring, Gu Zhan had gotten to know most of the townsfolk.

To his surprise, many people in the town admired Jane.

Whenever she went out, various men, dressed in different styles, would approach her to say hello, offer assistance, or even give her gifts. However, Jane politely declined nearly all of them, and the rejected men didn’t seem annoyed; instead, they gazed at her retreating figure, more enchanted than ever.

Some would even sneak over to her window when she wasn’t outside. It was no wonder Mike had noticed; there were simply too many people doing this, possibly five or six in one night.

Gu Zhan didn’t know if Mike was the protagonist, but it was clear Jane was the heroine of this story.

Gu Zhan wandered aimlessly outside for several days and realized that time in the book wasn’t standing still.

He began to feel a slight hunger.

It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was there.

Gu Zhan quickly understood that the timeline in the book corresponded to the outside world’s timeline.

Having entered the library at midnight, and with dawn approaching, it was indeed time for him to eat.

Based on this, he couldn’t delay any longer.

Just then, Mike found Gu Zhan again.

He looked anxious as he said, “There are too many people around Jane. I want to confess my feelings to her and solidify our relationship.”

During this time, Gu Zhan had been observing Mike and Jane.

They were getting along well and could joke with each other like friends.

Mike accompanied Jane to the school every day to deliver pastries, and she even invited him over for dinner in the evenings.

Among all the people pursuing Jane, only Mike had this privilege.

Perhaps Jane had feelings for Mike.

If their feelings were mutual, then all that was left was for him to find the right moment to confess.

Having reached this stage, Gu Zhan couldn’t understand why Mike was still hesitating.

“Why not just find a suitable moment to tell her? When you go to dinner tonight, as long as the atmosphere is right, you can say it.”

"But..." Mike was still hesitating.

Gu Zhan was feeling a headache; he really didn't understand the need for someone like Mike, who had such a hesitant personality, to be in a relationship.

But he had to get out of this book.

Gu Zhan had to brace himself and said, "If you think you don't have the courage, what do you need? Should I help you convey it?"

"No." Mike wasn't so hopeless; he declined Gu Zhan's suggestion, "Confessions like this need to be done by the person themselves."

Gu Zhan asked, "Then what do you need?"

Mike thought for a moment and said, "I need to spend two days alone with Jane. We should go to a quiet and beautiful place to chat. Being in a relaxing environment will make me less nervous, and maybe I’ll be able to say it."

Gu Zhan replied, "But she has to go to school every day for work. Are you sure she has time to go to a quiet place with you?"

Mike thought for a moment and said, "Yesterday, Jane mentioned that she has the day off tomorrow and the day after because of school break."

Gu Zhan looked at him with a calm expression.

Mike felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Sorry, it's also because Jane talked about wanting to go out to the countryside that I had this idea..."

Gu Zhan really didn't think much of this indecisive man.

Even if his hesitation stemmed from love for Jane.

"Since that's the case, I'll help you arrange it; you just need to invite Jane," Gu Zhan said. "Tomorrow, right? I hope you can confess by tomorrow night. I have other matters to handle and will be leaving this place soon."

"Okay, I understand." Mike nodded.

Gu Zhan then began to busy himself helping Mike.

He rented a small castle in the countryside in Mike's name, right next to a forest that was home to a famous tourist destination with beautiful streams and flowers. It was a place Jane, who often tidied her garden, would definitely like.

He also stocked the castle with plenty of wine, hoping Mike would understand the saying, "Wine encourages the timid," and muster the courage to confess to Jane.

After finishing all this, Gu Zhan squatted at the castle entrance, rubbing his increasingly painful head.

He was in a bad mood, internally wondering if this Mr. Mike, unable to even confess on his own, would also need help when he married Jane, and during their wedding night, would he have to be pushed from behind to complete the task…?

Fine, fine, he knew he was being a bit too irritable.

Gu Zhan took a deep breath, pushing those chaotic thoughts back down.

His physical hunger was becoming more pronounced, and he knew this was his last day. If Mike didn’t successfully confess, he might not be able to go back.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. The next morning, Jane arrived at the castle with Mike in a horse-drawn carriage.

Gu Zhan had been waiting in the forest beside the castle, watching as Mike invited Jane into the woods to play. After dark, the two returned to the castle together.

This night felt particularly long. Gu Zhan sat on the forest floor, counting the stars in the sky.

One, two...

Finally, dawn arrived.

As the sky began to lighten, Gu Zhan stood up and walked around in the forest, anxiously waiting for the first light of day.

Finally, when it was a reasonable time for people to wake up, Gu Zhan couldn’t wait any longer and headed to the castle entrance to knock on the door.

It was Mike who opened the door. He looked at Gu Zhan and smiled, "Thank you for helping us; Jane accepted my confession, and we’re together now."

Hearing this, Gu Zhan breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked behind Mike and found the hall empty; Jane was not inside.

Mike said, "Jane is still sleeping."

"Ah..." Gu Zhan was a bit surprised. He thought the two who had successfully confessed would be glued together.

But the phrase "Jane is still sleeping" made him think of some topics that were not very appropriate to discuss during the day. Could it be that last night...

It seemed that even the shyest man didn't need help from others when it came to the wedding night.

Gu Zhan said, "Then congratulations to you both."

Mike's smile was restrained and gentlemanly. He nodded at Gu Zhan and said, "Jane still needs to rest, so I won’t leave for now. Thank you for your help. Do you need any reward?"

Perhaps this gentleman was eager to return for their wedding night, making it clear he wanted to send Gu Zhan away.

Gu Zhan replied, "It's fine, sir. I'm just a helpful person, so no reward is needed."

He didn't want a reward; he just wanted to complete this side quest quickly and leave this place.

Mike smiled and said, "Thank you for helping me, kind person."

The moment Mike finished speaking, Gu Zhan heard the long-awaited system prompt.

【Congratulations on completing the side quest <Mike's Romance>. Let's congratulate this couple... um, anyway, they have become a couple. The love story has come to an end, but life has just begun.】

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