Chapter 240: Long Live the Lick Dog! |
“I know what I’m saying might sound like I’m just fooling myself.”
Mu Mei looked at Zhang Juntang, clenched her fists, made a cheering gesture, and her face was full of determination:
“But if you don’t even have that much awareness, then you shouldn’t be a lick dog!”
“It’s basically impossible to get the reward you want with the smallest cost, the least effort, and the bare minimum of input.”
Zhang Juntang nodded her little head vigorously—Seniors really were Seniors, they had so much experience!
She glanced at Jiang Linyuan, who was still drinking water and resting, then looked back, gathered her courage, and asked again:
“Then… then, Senior, how do you take a secret crush to the next level? I mean… when it feels like that person is so far away from you.”
Mu Mei put on her baseball cap, her expression solemn:
“If you’ve fallen for someone out of reach, you’ve got to have thick skin! Otherwise, are you waiting for a pie to fall from the sky?”
Zhang Juntang’s heart pounded wildly:
“But… but I’m scared…”
“That’s how secret crushes work. Fifty percent delusion and thirty percent fear. Only the rest is actual liking.”
Mu Mei raised a finger and gently waved it in front of Zhang Juntang:
“Ninety percent of the time you’re lost in random thoughts, and only ten percent you muster up courage. That’s a lick dog failing in their duty!”
Mu… Senior Mu really understood me!
“Then… what if you get gently turned down? What… what do you do?”
“Are you planning to give up too?”
“No… no.”
When Senior rejected me, it didn’t really affect me much. I can still secretly film him.
Even though I want to take it further, it’s still not bad now.
“The more they reject you, the more serious they’ll be about their feelings once you win them over. They’re the kind of good men worth being a lick dog for!”
Mu Mei grew more and more excited, her words filled with genuine passion:
“As long as you keep your dignity, don’t make principled compromises, what’s wrong with being a lick dog for someone you like?”
“Doesn’t he have enough value in your heart to make it worth your effort? Is saving face really more important to you than he is?!”
“Answer me! Junior Zhang!”
“No… no!”
Zhang Juntang’s face flushed red, and she mustered her voice to reply.
“Great! That’s the unstoppable momentum we need!”
Mu Mei patted Zhang Juntang’s shoulder with eager anticipation.
I am the King of Lick Dogs, meant to crush all worldly love affairs. Now, I’ve finally seen a successor, and I’m truly gratified.
“Junior Zhang, let’s exchange WeChat privately later. I’ll send you the document with all my lick dog experience from these years.”
“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!”
Zhang Juntang nodded her head like it was a precious treasure, her expression very serious.
It warmed Mu Mei’s heart.
Finally, someone who gets me.
Back in my lick dog days, my roommates disapproved, my crush responded coldly, my friends tried to talk me out of it—but I still said what I had to say!
Being a lick dog makes you regret it for three years! Not being one makes you regret it for a lifetime!
“Junior Zhang, I hope that one day, you’ll end up with the person you like, surpassing the master with your skill!”
“By then, all lick dogs will be inspired by your success story!”
The idiom “hoping a friend becomes a lick dog” had come to life in that moment.
Zhang Juntang stood straight, her gaze resolute:
“I… I will!!”
Hearing this answer, Mu Mei’s joy and excitement were beyond words.
When she said these things to her roommates, they all called her an idiot, but Junior Zhang was different!
She understood me! We were cut from the same cloth!
A scholar dies for one who appreciates them! My path is not lonely!
I’ll help Junior Zhang become the Lick Dog King! I’ll silently support her all the way!
This! This was the legacy!
“Junior Zhang! Shout with me! Let’s be lick dogs together!”
“Let’s… let’s be lick dogs together!”
The two bonded in mutual admiration, their feelings genuine.
Huang Taoyan, who had snuck over intending to talk to Zhang Juntang, saw this scene and stood there dumbfounded.
She didn’t know what to say. All her thoughts condensed into four words.
Xingnan, you’re amazing.
“Cousin, don’t learn everything from this senior of yours!”
Huang Taoyan yanked Zhang Juntang over.
The kid was already gullible enough—and you’re still messing with her head!
Mu Mei ignored her. There was no talking to someone who wouldn’t understand. She just looked at Zhang Juntang:
“Junior Zhang, don’t push yourself too hard. Take it slow.”
“If you’re not pushing yourself, then what? Using your hands?”
Huang Taoyan chimed in without thinking.
Mu Mei looked at her, utterly shocked.
She didn’t know what to say. All her thoughts condensed into four words.
Xingnan, you’re amazing.
Zhang Juntang’s face was bright red. She covered her face with her hands, speaking with shame and indignation:
“Cou… cousin… I don’t know you…”
This lousy cousin, have you already forgotten all those assists I gave you?
Huang Taoyan grabbed Zhang Juntang and pulled her aside, far away from Mu Mei:
“That senior of yours has some twisted thinking. Don’t listen to her.”
“But… but I think what she said makes a lot of sense.”
“What sense? A lick dog’s effort is about making the other person aware of your feelings. Does Jiang Linyuan not know what you’re thinking?”
“…Maybe… he doesn’t know enough!”
“Even if he knew more, it wouldn’t matter! It’s just wishful thinking on your part!”
Huang Taoyan said irritably:
“Just be direct. Go and sleep with him. That’d be more useful than being a lick dog!”
“…Is it really useful?”
Having just absorbed Mu Mei’s teachings, Zhang Juntang’s face was completely red, but her courage had multiplied.
Come to think of it, secretly doing something like that should be based on the same principle as secretly filming… right?
“You… sigh…”
Huang Taoyan looked at her, let out a long sigh, and raised her hand, not knowing what to say.
“Why didn’t you say you liked him earlier? Why didn’t you act sooner? If you had spoken up sooner…”
At this point, she grabbed her hair in frustration.
“Cousin… you don’t need to worry about it… this… this is my own business.”
“…”
Huang Taoyan was silent for a moment:
“I owe you this much.”
“The bullying… I didn’t know about it back then either.”
“Come on, back then it was just you and me at home. Not even noticing was already my failure, wasn’t it?”
“It was… my fault for not speaking up.”
Zhang Juntang said in a small voice.
Back then, she was timid, afraid of causing trouble for others, too weak.
Now, had she changed?
She should have.
Senior Mu was right—she needed the awareness to be a lick dog!
Cousin was also right—she needed to act more directly!
She… she was going to be brave for once, too!
“What are you two up to?”
Jiang Linyuan walked over and looked at Zhang Juntang, who was hanging her head.
He could hear the commotion from afar, and now she was just drooping her head.
“Click!”
Zhang Juntang suddenly raised her camera and took a photo right in front of Jiang Linyuan.
“Taking an ugly shot of me?”
Jiang Linyuan thought for a moment and asked.
What kind of crazy thing was this little lunatic up to now?
“It’s just… I think Senior Jiang looks handsome. I wanted to take a picture.”
Zhang Juntang stammered.
Jiang Linyuan was speechless. He thought it was something serious.
“We’ve rested enough. Let’s head inside for some indoor shots, maybe go to the library.”
Mu Mei stepped up again at this point and stretched.
Being a lick dog… you had to pick the right person to get results.
Good luck to you, Junior Zhang.