How should I tell you that I love you?

Chen Ze was not lying. His third girlfriend was indeed an older woman.

They met at a restaurant, and after discovering they lived in the same apartment complex, they gradually grew close. That woman was beautiful—not the "ice queen" type, but simply older than him. She looked a bit like the celebrity Xu Ruohan, possessing that fresh, "oxygen-like" beauty typical of Korean first-love archetypes.

They were together for nearly a year, and during the time they lived together, she truly taught him a great deal. Later, due to a minor misunderstanding compounded by her being reassigned to work in Shanghai, they fell out of sync and parted ways on bad terms.

One could say that his third girlfriend was the most normal, most natural relationship Chen Ze had ever earnestly pursued; it felt as though everything from their meeting to their end followed a natural progression. The misunderstanding stemmed from the fact that she earned more than him, and her superior seemed to hold her in high regard. Once a seed of doubt is planted in the heart of an insecure man, the end of the relationship becomes inevitable. Since that time, Chen Ze had poured his heart and soul into making money, and by the time he looked back, he found he could never go back.

Playing Truth or Dare, everything he said was the truth, just rearranged and edited using a montage technique to alter the delivery. The reality was that he had been immature and sensitive, driving his third girlfriend away. It was a given that she would find another boyfriend, but in his retelling, it became her dumping him. It was a fact that she taught him things; it was also a fact that she turned around and taught someone else.

However, Gong Bingyan didn't seem to care about his third girlfriend; she raised concerns about the fourth. Gong Bingyan remembered him saying "exes," plural. Didn't Chen Ze say he had four? Yet, Chen Ze still wasn't lying. In his heart, the third was the only "ex"; the rest were merely one-night stands or ambiguous flings that didn't rise to the level of a real relationship.

As for the fourth…

"The fourth is the current one. I'm currently trying to walk into her cinematic world, attempting to become the male lead."

Chen Ze set down his glass as if telling a story, and the heroine of that story was looking at him intently.

"Pfft—"

Gong Bingyan laughed. After understanding what he meant, she gave a thumbs up, a flicker of joy in her eyes as she said warmly, "I never said I was willing to be your girlfriend."

Despite her words, there was absolutely no sign of her keeping him at a distance. Chen Ze smiled and said, "Actually, I've always felt that a romantic relationship shouldn't be rushed; it needs to come naturally, you know?"

Picking up the dice cup again, Chen Ze toyed with it, preparing to roll once more. Looking at the beauty, he added, "What’s meant to be will come eventually; it’s just a matter of time. Do you believe I’m going to win this round?"

"I don't."

Gong Bingyan was rebellious by nature; she seemed to enjoy the feeling of going against Chen Ze, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Chen Ze remained unperturbed, shaking the cup: "Then dare to make a bet?"

"Bet what?"

"If I win, you take back what you just said and tell me your impression of me. If I lose, I’ll tell you my impression of you within three seconds."

Gong Bingyan didn't hesitate at all. In fact, it wasn't just her—no girl could resist that. No one can resist how others perceive them, unless they are truly indifferent and genuinely uninterested. But this was a bar. Girls who come to bars aren't necessarily without morals or bottom lines, but they are certainly not exempt from worldly vanity.

"Then I'll pick 'odd' again this time."

"Alright, 22 points. You lost."

Chen Ze placed the dice cup down for her to see. It was actually 21 points, but in the dim, alluring light of the bar, who would notice such a small trick? Giving Gong Bingyan a fleeting glance, Chen Ze covered the cup and gripped it tightly, emphasizing with urgency, "You lost. Answer me within three seconds: what was your first impression of me? Quick, quick, quick!"

"Interesting, handsome... fun."

It was just that Gong Bingyan was no match for Chen Ze. Under such strong psychological suggestion, it felt as if she had truly lost. The forced urgency, which left no time for deception, allowed Chen Ze to obtain an answer close to the truth.

Picking up girls is the same as war or business competition: know yourself and know your enemy, and you will be invincible—including knowing how the enemy perceives you. Gong Bingyan’s final stutter felt somewhat genuine. Chen Ze gave a wry smile, picked up the wine bottle, and poured her a drink: "I feel like you aren't complimenting me."

"I never said I was complimenting you."

Gong Bingyan rolled her eyes and said. Then, the two clinked glasses and took a sip. Being a good sport, she added, "I choose Truth. Ask away."

A bet is a bet, and a game is a game. Gong Bingyan was much more straightforward than many other girls.

This time, Chen Ze didn't rush. He took a piece of watermelon, popped it into his mouth, chewed, and said softly, "Let's go back to the previous question. I asked why you were drinking alone, and you said you were cheated."

Speaking of this, Gong Bingyan didn't show any sadness; instead, she looked annoyed. Reclining on the sofa, she said, "I ran into a scumbag who was two-timing. He wouldn't admit it, so I felt it was pointless and kicked him to the curb."

Gong Bingyan said it with a haughty air, and combined with the fact that she was rich, beautiful, and had a great figure, it didn't seem like a lie.

"What a jerk. Where is he from?"

Chen Ze’s mind stirred as he asked casually. Gong Bingyan wasn't drunk yet; she remained clear-headed, the corners of her lips curling up: "Beat me, and I'll tell you."

Seeing this, Chen Ze nodded. He won again, but he caught Gong Bingyan completely off guard.

"Say one curse word you want to say most right now. Pretend you're cursing that scumbag. Let me hear it."

Gong Bingyan had been prepared to answer the previous question; she didn't expect Chen Ze to change tactics, which took her aback. Once she realized this counted as a "dare," she didn't refuse, her eyes narrowing coldly.

"Go fuck your mother."

Gong Bingyan's voice wasn't like the sugary-sweet girls of the South, but it was still soft; she was no silent bride. But when this curse word exploded from her lips, it gave Chen Ze quite a start. He secretly marveled that this girl was truly bold.

However, what is a "scumbag"? A scumbag is someone who can provide emotional value. After Gong Bingyan swore that, even if nothing else could be guaranteed, she definitely felt something for Chen Ze now.

"Sorry, I wasn't cursing you. I was cursing the scumbag. Let's keep drinking."

"You don't need to explain. I know."

Chen Ze clinked glasses with her and took a sip. He won again, and seeing her choose "Truth," he asked, "You don't look very old. You probably aren't working yet, right? Where do you go to school?"

After asking, he saw Gong Bingyan looking at him quietly, her red lips pursed against the rim of her glass. He added, "If you think it's too personal, you can just say the name of the city. If it's local, just say local."

"I go to school in Seoul."

Although Gong Bingyan dressed in a sexy and glamorous way, she was only eighteen this year. In South Korea, people often mature that early. She was an idol trainee in Korea, had been training for two years, and was currently attending the School of Performing Arts Seoul.

"Seoul? Korea??"

Chen Ze already had information on Gong Bingyan, but he acted as if he had just found out, even appearing slightly surprised.

"Yes."

Gong Bingyan nodded without further explanation, still maintaining a certain level of vigilance toward Chen Ze. Chen Ze naturally wouldn't press her directly. After they clinked glasses and drank again, he smiled lightly: "This is the first time I've met a girl studying abroad in Korea. Let's talk about something outside of the game. Your Korean must be pretty good, right? How do you say 'I like you' in Korean?"

Upon hearing this, a flicker of inadvertent hesitation and excitement crossed Gong Bingyan's eyes. Not long after, she leaned in and whispered:

"좋아해 (Jo-ah-hae)."

"나도 좋아 (Na-do jo-ah)."

Gong Bingyan was just about to look up when she was startled by the response in her ear, and she saw Chen Ze looking at her with doting eyes.

She had said: I like you.

He had said: I like you too.

Chinese is Subject-Verb-Object; in most cases, "I" and "you" must be added before and after "like" to express the context. Korean is Subject-Object-Verb, and in the absence of a specific relationship or a need for formal respect, when two people are face-to-face, the "I" and "you" are unnecessary in colloquial speech.

Therefore, according to a formal translation, Gong Bingyan said "like," and Chen Ze said "also like." Like whom? Who likes? It is easy to cause misunderstandings in Chinese. But Korean colloquialism is casual like that; they only use the "I" and "you" strictly in important situations or when speaking to superiors/seniors to show respect.

It was precisely because of this that Gong Bingyan was surprised not only that Chen Ze knew Korean, but that he had responded so perfectly.