NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1
Chapter 1: The 99th Confession:
At the entrance of the girls’ dormitory at Magic City University of Finance and Economics, a handsome and well-built young man stood holding a bouquet of roses and gazing upward.
Many people paused to look at him, but upon recognizing his identity, they quickly averted their eyes, as if this scene was all too familiar.
A freshman who had just joined the university asked an older student for advice. Seeing the young man with the roses, he couldn’t help but express his curiosity.
“Hey, look! Someone’s confessing at the girls’ dorm!”
“Where? Let me see… Oh, it’s Qin Luo. Never mind.”
“Huh? Do you know that guy?”
“You’re new here, so it’s normal you don’t know him. His name is Qin Luo.”
“Is he famous?”
“It’s not about being famous. He’s… very special. How should I put it? Do you know Ji Yan?”
“Of course! I’ve heard she’s the acknowledged beauty of our school. Too bad I haven’t seen her in person yet… Oh, I get it. He’s one of her suitors, right?”
“You could say that, but he’s different from the others. Do you know how many times he’s confessed to Ji Yan?”
“No idea. A lot?”
“Counting today… this would be the 99th time.”
“Holy crap! Is he that stubborn?”
“That’s why he’s famous. Our school beauty is known for her aloofness. Many have tried to impress her, but no matter how handsome or wealthy they are, they all give up after being rejected.”
“And Qin Luo?”
“He’s the only one who keeps trying, no matter what. At first, people laughed at him. Then, they started to admire him. Now, everyone is just used to it.”
The senior paused and then suggested with a smile, “Hey, want to place a bet?”
“What kind of bet?”
“There’s been a thread on our forum taking bets on whether the school beauty will accept Qin Luo’s confession. Rejection is one-to-one odds; acceptance is one-to-one hundred.”
“Holy crap, the odds are that high… Well, considering how cold she is, there’s no way she’ll accept his confession. I bet a hundred yuan that he’ll fail again this time.”
“Why not take a chance? Even the coldest woman could be moved after 99 confessions. What if he succeeds?”
“You have a point. Alright, I’ll bet 100 yuan that he succeeds!”
The senior smiled appreciatively.
Other onlookers recognized Qin Luo and either walked away indifferently or stayed to watch out of curiosity, wondering how today’s confession would turn out.
The dormitory manager poked her head out of a window and sighed, “Qin Luo, give it up already. You’ve tried so many times. She won’t agree to it.”
Qin Luo smiled and replied, “It’s okay, ma’am. I believe she’ll understand my feelings one day.”
The dormitory manager sighed again and said no more.
Meanwhile, in room 606 on the sixth floor, three girls entered, chattering excitedly to a girl lying on the bed.
“Ji Yan, Ji Yan, Qin Luo is confessing to you again!”
“This time, he’s got a huge bouquet of roses. So romantic!”
“I’ve kept count; this is the 99th time. He’s so persistent!”
Ji Yan didn’t respond. She got up silently and walked to the window. Looking down, she saw Qin Luo. Just then, Qin Luo looked up, and their eyes met.
Qin Luo smiled gently, while Ji Yan averted her gaze and sat back down, expressionless, seemingly unmoved by Qin Luo’s 99th confession.
Jia Ting, one of her roommates, sat beside her and said, “Ji Yan, maybe you should just say yes? I think Qin Luo really likes you.”
Another roommate chimed in, “Yes, boys have confessed to you before, but they all gave up after a few tries. No one has ever been as persistent as him, confessing 99 times.”
The third roommate added, “Exactly! This is true love. If it were me, I’d have agreed long ago.”
The three roommates chatted on, clearly envious of Ji Yan’s ninety-nine confessions.
“Ji Yan!”
Downstairs, Qin Luo’s voice rang out.
“This is my 99th confession to you. I like you. Please be my girlfriend!”
He called out passionately, his voice clear and sincere. Even some students downstairs cheered him on, shouting, “Say yes!” and “Go for it!”
Ji Yan’s three roommates also urged her, saying she should just accept him already.
Ji Yan remained silent, but her gaze kept drifting toward the window. Her cold, beautiful face showed a hint of concern.
Not only did others hope she would accept Qin Luo, but she herself had long thought about saying yes. When she first met Qin Luo, she assumed he was just another admirer drawn to her looks, no different from the others who pursued her. She found him annoying at first.
But she quickly realized that Qin Luo was different. No matter how she rejected him, no matter how sharp, cold, or firm her words were, Qin Luo always smiled and returned the next day to confess again. Once, ten times, thirty times, eighty times… up until today, the ninety-ninth time.
Even though Ji Yan had never accepted, her feelings for Qin Luo had subtly grown through these 99 confessions. Sometimes she thought about accepting him. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it, because she realized she liked the feeling of being constantly confessed to by Qin Luo. When he was late, she even found herself wondering why he hadn’t shown up yet.
Ji Yan knew she shouldn’t have such strange feelings, but she had to admit she liked being pursued by Qin Luo.
One last time… this will be the last time!
Ji Yan bit her lip, as if making a decision, and told her three roommates, “Tomorrow will be his 100th confession. I’ll accept him then!”