Don’t Mind Me, I’m Just Moody

Reckless and carefree.

Curled up on the sofa, she slept through the morning. The guests who came and went caught sight of this pretty and adorable girl, sleeping peacefully like a kitten, her eyes closed in quiet slumber. The long lashes on her delicate face shimmered with tiny streams of light. Her tousled, straw-colored hair contrasted with her fair skin, basking under the dappled rays of sunlight filtering through the shop, giving off an enchanting glow. She resembled a pure and noble little princess, evoking tenderness from anyone who happened to glance her way. Many couldn’t help but steal a few extra looks, though none disturbed her rest.

Not that she could be woken anyway-Song Xiaoni was the kind of girl who could sleep through anything. Even if someone sold her off, she probably wouldn’t notice.

However, there was one man who seemed to linger in the store longer than normal, his gaze subtly yet persistently fixed on Song Xiaoni’s face. At first, Li Te was busy attending to the other customers and didn’t give it much thought. But when all the other patrons had left and the man remained, Li Te followed his line of sight and noticed his intense focus. The man had been holding the same keychain in his fingers for quite some time.

Raising an eyebrow, Li Te shifted slightly and, without a trace of annoyance, positioned himself to block the man’s view.

“Sir, do you like this keychain, or would you prefer to take a look at a different one?”

He gestured toward the keychain in the man’s hand. The man reluctantly pulled his gaze away, casting a quick glance at the person who had interrupted his appreciation of the sleeping “kitten.” He handed over the keychain, then fished out his wallet to settle the payment. On his way out the door, he took one last glance at the corner of the shop where the girl still lay asleep.

His lips curved into a subtle, ambiguous smile.

Finally, the person on the sofa stirred slightly, slowly opening her eyes. Stretching her arms, she gave a big, satisfying stretch.

“Awake now?”

Li Te leaned casually against a shelf, watching as she twisted her neck and swayed her waist. Though she’d slept deeply, it was far from a comfortable nap; her whole body felt stiff and achy.

“Ugh, I feel so sore,” she grumbled, pouting in frustration.

“Well, of course it’s not as comfortable as your big, cozy bed at home. Stop being difficult and just let Shi Zijun take care of you from now on.”

Having grown up with Song Xiaoni, Li Te was naturally well aware of her quick-to-ignite, quick-to-extinguish temper. Although he wasn’t particularly close to Shi Zijun, in the few limited encounters they’d had, Shi Zijun had always worn a guarded expression toward him-a look that clearly broadcasted his intent to shield Song Xiaoni from any and all outside interest. That fiercely protective demeanor made Li Te feel genuinely grateful. He was truly happy for Song Xiaoni. To be loved and cherished by someone like that-what could be more wonderful? Girls were meant to be doted on and cared for. A man ought to open his arms and protect the woman he loves; otherwise, what right did he have to talk about love? What right did he have to promise devotion?

By all accounts, Song Xiaoni was lucky. The two of them had left their hometown together, both getting into college and graduating in the same city. Not long after their graduation, Song Xiaoni moved into a luxurious mansion befitting her new role as a pampered princess, living a life of leisure without ever needing to lift a finger. Occasionally, she and Shi Zijun had little spats-harmless quarrels born from spending too much time lovingly wrapped up in each other. These minor disagreements merely added a spice of variety to their sickeningly sweet relationship and never caused any real damage.

Li Te, on the other hand, chose not to return to his hometown after graduating. His hometown-the poverty-stricken county he came from-lacked opportunity and ambition. It was one of the many nationally recognized impoverished counties in the country. There were no industrial developments to drive the economy forward, nor any significant cultural or historical heritage to draw tourism. The locals simply “made do,” living a peaceful, unassuming existence in their small communities, each guarding their modest plots of farmland, carrying on the same lifestyle their ancestors had for generations. It was a place more suited for hermits seeking escape from the world. The village where Li Te and Song Xiaoni had grown up had maybe a hundred or so households, the kind where one shout at the entrance of the village could echo across the entire place. If he hadn’t left, perhaps he too would have conformed-marrying a local girl, having children, and living a simple, uneventful life from birth to death.

But after being accepted into college and spending several years immersed in the bustling vibrancy of a modern, thriving city, he knew he could never go back. He only wanted to carve out a small corner for himself in this noisy, crowded metropolis-a place where he could settle down and find someone to love and cherish. He didn’t dare dream of anything too grand. A life like Shi Zijun’s, so lavish and extravagant, was so far out of reach it felt almost fictional, a fantasy beyond the realm of someone from his humble, ordinary background. He didn’t allow himself to entertain unrealistic dreams; he focused on taking small, steady steps forward to build the life he wanted, piece by piece. A warm and loving home-this, at least, was something he believed he could provide.

Refusing to work for others, Li Te tapped into the savings he had accumulated from years of part-time jobs during college and the brief employment he had after graduating. He even borrowed some additional funds from Song Xiaoni to open this small accessory shop. By most people’s standards, it wasn’t the kind of endeavor a young man would typically pursue. Accessories weren’t exactly a “manly” choice of business, and it might seem trivial or even lack ambition. But for some reason, Li Te had always been captivated by the joy on Song Xiaoni’s face whenever she browsed through shiny, sparkling trinkets. The happiness and contentment radiating from her in those moments left a deep impression on him, lingering in his heart for years. When the idea of starting his own business first took root, his very first thought was to open an accessory shop.

On opening day, watching Song Xiaoni flitting around the shop, her eyes lighting up as she marveled at the dainty little ornaments, touching this and picking up that, she looked like a blissful little angel. At that moment, Li Te felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. He knew full well that in his life, Song Xiaoni would only ever exist as a “girl next door” type-more of a sister figure than anything else. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel genuine joy whenever he saw her smile. He simply wanted her to be happy, and that was enough for him.

In this city, Song Xiaoni was his only good friend, his little sister in spirit. But because of Shi Zijun’s domineering nature, the two of them didn’t often meet. Honestly, as long as Song Xiaoni was happy, whether they saw each other or not didn’t really matter. Still, there were times when Li Te couldn’t help but think about his own life-so lonely, without family or close friends. Day after day, he worked tirelessly, shouldering all the struggles and hardships on his own. When he was exhausted, there was no one by his side to comfort or share the burden. When he fell ill, no one was there with a glass of water or a dose of medicine. If only he had someone to love and someone to love him back, how sweet and satisfying life would be.

Living alone and hustling in a big city required one thing above all-strength. Strength was the only thing that kept him going, and he had no choice but to keep being strong.

These thoughts often hit Li Te in the stillness of the night, when everything around him was quiet.

To him, Song Xiaoni seemed to have an incredibly happy life. But the clueless girl didn’t know how good she had it; she neither appreciated it nor cherished it. He often pretended to sound like an elder, giving her serious, heartfelt advice about being grateful and seizing the moment. She couldn’t just let herself act recklessly with her whims. Once or twice was fine, but if she kept it up, it could wear down someone’s patience. He didn’t want to see the day where Song Xiaoni ended up in tears, heartbroken and filled with regret.

But he wasn’t Song Xiaoni, and Song Xiaoni wasn’t him. The happiness he perceived for her wasn’t necessarily what she truly cared about.

“Stop meddling in my business. I’m hungry-go buy me some food.”

It was a bossy command, delivered with all the entitlement of a princess.

And surprisingly, Li Te didn’t dislike it. In fact, he rather enjoyed it. The more imperious and demanding Song Xiaoni became, the happier he felt. Somewhere along the line, he had started to find a strange joy in being bossed around by her. This guy… could he secretly have some kind of masochistic streak?