Chapter 45: A Healthy Partnership Requires Our Joint Effort!
When Lin Tian heard the words “boyfriend and girlfriend,” he froze like a deer caught in headlights.
Then, the young man let out an exasperated sigh.
So that was what it was all about.
Looking at the shy and bashful Gan Yan Yu covering her face with her hands, he realized it was clear as day.
Actually, this was just another one of Gan Yan Yu’s “very Gan Yan Yu” behaviors.
In her eyes, she and Lin Tian were merely partners, perhaps not even friends. Yet, they seemed to be doing things like “very disruptive” activities all the time—Lin Tian cooked for her at home, ran with her, and practiced music and played instruments together in his house.
This clearly went beyond their partnership agreement.
Sure, Lin Tian was popular, but definitely not lacking in girls, right? Imagine if someone found out that a girl spends most days at Lin Tian’s place; wouldn’t that make him look bad?
Hence, Gan Yan Yu had been tactically retreating every time they got close.
But she didn’t know…
Firstly, Lin Tian had no other girls around him.
Secondly, Lin Tian’s growing popularity at school was linked to all the gossip about their relationship.
Pondering on it, Lin Tian could see where Gan Yan Yu might be coming from.
Clearly, having such close encounters isn’t good, both for him and her reputation. For instance, dragging this 18-year-old girl along for drinks and chats, much less helping her with some foot massages, wasn’t something a decent guy should do.
Alright, maybe it was fun, but still.
Moreover, his feelings towards Gan Yan Yu weren’t exactly pure.
They were stuck in this awkward situation because:
Back then, they had skipped over becoming friends and just jumped straight into being partners.
A partner! What a broad term!
On the big scale, they were revolutionary comrades, sharing the same joys and sorrows, and heading to the same university.
On a smaller scale, they couldn’t even decide if they were friends or not.
So, Lin Tian had to figure it out:
What exactly is a “partnership”?
“Why do you think so? In my opinion, partners should act like this,” Lin Tian said.
“Gee?”
Gan Yan Yu looked up, eyes wide with surprise.
“I feel like a partnership is more than just a friendship. There’s trust and collaboration. Isn’t that awesome?”
“That’s true, but…”
“But getting too close might cause me trouble, right?”
Lin Tian frowned and leaned forward, tightening the little space around the young woman.
Squeezed against the ground, Gan Yan Yu covered her head, emitting a helpless and slightly aggrieved sound.
“Yes.”
“You great head!”
Lin Tian gave her a playful tap on the forehead.
She clutched her forehead and wailed in protest.
“Did you ever ask me? How do you know I’d be bothered? By making decisions for me without considering my thoughts, aren’t you essentially ignoring them?”
Her argument was so reasonable it made Lin Tian speechless.
He released her, standing with his hand extended. After some hesitation, she cautiously took it. With a firm grasp, Lin Tian lifted her up from the floor.
He really made her anxious!
Usually articulate, but under pressure, she became like crying Lin Daiyu.
Lin Tian continued with seriousness.
“If we eat together, run together, that’s normal. We shouldn’t act awkward just because we’re partners!”
“So being small couples does not bother you?” Gan Yan Yu asked weakly.
“Uh…”
He was genuinely stumped.
So Gan Yan Yu was determined to stick with her stance. It must have been the foot massage incident that triggered her.
Makes sense, though. Such delicate Gan Yan Yu wouldn’t let anyone else handle her feet, yet she let Lin Tian do it.
It was enough to make her think.
Not necessarily against Lin Tian, but she felt conflicted.
If their roles were swapped, imagine Lin Tian feeling awkward when thinking about his sweet wife massaging his legs after a long day at work.
“Then how about,” Lin Tian thought deeply, finding a solution.
“To avoid any discomfort and protect your reputation, next time we’re hanging out—”
“Yeah?”
“If one of us feels we’re crossing the line, we just shout ‘stop’ and everyone stops, how’s that?”
Without waiting for her reply, he added,
“But this means we need to trust each other as genuine partners, okay? No running off every time with some lame excuse and leaving me to doubt everything.”
Lastly, Lin Tian added on the positives,
“We are collaborators in music creation. Only healthy interaction can lead to better works…”
Gan Yan Yu twirled her hair, making a thoughtful face and nodded.
“Okay!”
Upon hearing this, she felt somewhat guilty. She realized she had acted immaturely.
They were partners, facing challenges together. They needed communication.
Lin Tian’s reasoning was brilliant.
Their relationship could only be healthy if everything was settled. That meant better works together.
“How insightful of you, Lin Tian.” She admitted, feeling a bit down, “Unlike me, I’m too inexperienced, always clueless when faced with issues.”
“It’s fine, then. Agreed.” Seeing her finally less tense, Lin Tian smiled and said,
“From now on, remember to call stop if anything goes beyond the line.”
“Sure, sir!”
She clasped her hands over her heart, as if making a pledge.
Her beautiful face showing resolve,
“I will!”
“Since we’ve sorted our relationship, should we change our nicknames?”
“Nicknames?”
“Yeah, do you like being called ‘Teacher Gan’?”
To be honest, he called her “Teacher Gan” as a bit of pique—
Rude girl, always so polite!
I’ll play polite as well then, calling you at arm’s length!
Surprisingly, she wasn’t bothered by it at all.
“Change it then,” Gan Yan Yu suggested.
Though not directly answering, it was clear she did not like it.
“What about ‘Yan Yu’?”
(End of Chapter)
