Chapter 326 Appearance Fee
The popcorn bucket that was once filled to the brim now lay empty, with only a few stray kernels left at the bottom. Lionel was taken aback. 'She ate it so quickly!' he thought to himself.
"It's okay," he sighed wistfully, leaning back against the chair with a hint of melancholy.
However, he wasn't ready to give up just yet. He discreetly shielded his phone with his hand and continued searching.
Method Two: Watching a Movie (2).
If the movie is emotionally moving, the boy should prepare tissues in advance. Tenderness and gentleness are the best ways to win a girl's heart. Gently wipe away her tears and offer your shoulder, so she can lean on you.
As the movie reached its halfway point, Lionel noticed sporadic sobs from the audience. He waited, anticipating Emma's emotional reaction. However, to his surprise, she remained dry-eyed. Unable to contain his curiosity, Lionel leaned over and whispered, "Isn't it touching?"
Emma whispered back, "Look at how ugly the male lead cries, with his teeth showing! It's hilarious!"
Lionel was speechless. The man next to him patted his shoulder, "You've been holding those tissues for half an hour. Can we borrow one?"
Lionel handed him the whole pack. The man quickly took a tissue and gently wiped the tears from the woman beside him,"Don't cry. It's okay."
Lionel let out a deep sigh. When the movie ended, Emma excused herself to the restroom, and Lionel took out his phone, silently contemplating his next move.
Method Three: Arcade.
If the boy has skills with the claw machine, he can take the girl to play. Let her try first, and when she fails multiple times and feels disheartened, the boy should step in to help. This will make her admire you.
There was an arcade on the fourth floor of the mall. Lionel suggested, "Do you want to check it out?"
"Sure," Emma replied. Lionel took out his phone and bought two hundred dollars' worth of game tokens. He considered himself quite good at the claw machine, having watched some tutorials before.
With a basket of tokens in hand, they walked into the bustling arcade.
"What do you want to play?" Emma asked.
"The claw machine," Lionel replied. Emma raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in her eyes. 'A grown man playing the claw machine? But it was fine. They could grab a few to give to Luann.'
They stood in front of a claw machine, and Lionel, following the guide he had read, inserted the tokens. He suggested, "Why don't you try first?"
Emma decisively moved the claw, lowered it, and grabbed a toy. Lionel was stunned. It must be a coincidence. They say many vendors adjust the claw's grip strength, making it possible to grab one only after hundreds of tries. 'Could it be that Emma was just lucky?'He thought.
"Do you want to grab another?" Emma grabbed another one. Lionel cleared his throat and pointed to the claw machine next to them. "I think this one is cuter. Try this one."
Emma continued grabbing. Ten minutes later, they had ten toys in hand.
Lionel, in disbelief, inserted the tokens and tried himself. The first attempt was empty. The second time, he grabbed one but couldn't lift it. The third time, he lifted it but it immediately fell.
The situation grew somewhat awkward. Blinking innocently, Emma said, "Lionel, just tell me which toy you want. I've been playing this since I was a kid and have mastered it! I can get you not just ten, but even a hundred if you want."
Lionel muttered, "I was careless."
After leaving the arcade, Lionel silently opened his phone and uninstalled Google.
"Big liar!!"
The entire afternoon left Lionel with a deep sense of defeat. After dropping Emma off, he returned to school and collapsed into bed, falling asleep until his roommate woke him for dinner.
Lionel sat up, shook his head, and recalled the dream he had just had. He couldn't help but message Emma.
"I just had a dream."
Emma quickly replied, "What kind of dream?"
"It was about you."
After sending it, he anxiously awaited Emma's response. He had made his feelings quite clear. 'Surely she understood his intentions by now?'Lionel thought.
Ten minutes passed without a reply from Emma.
"Could she be shy?" Lionel speculated.
"Lionel, are you coming or not? If we wait any longer, all the seats in the cafeteria will be taken," said a dark-skinned, muscular boy who had just put on his shoes, tapping the frame of Lionel's top bunk.
Lionel responded softly, got out of bed, and casually pulled on a gray-blue striped shirt.
The boy couldn't help but show a bit of envy. In their dorm, Lionel was the fairest and the most handsome. In the entire college, he was considered one of the top heartthrobs. Everything seemed to suit him perfectly, as if he were born to be a clothes model.
"Lionel, you're so good-looking. Why don't you have a girlfriend? Are your standards too high?"
Lionel smiled warmly, "I'm already pursuing someone."
The boy asked curiously, "Really?"
He naturally draped his arm over Lionel's shoulder as they walked out together.
"Who's the lucky lady?"
Lionel didn't hide it, as they had been friends for several years. He said,"Emma."
The dark-skinned boy frowned and asked, "Emma? The one who studies art? The one who dropped out?"
"Yes."
"I've heard of her," the boy said, his expression a bit complicated. "She seems difficult to win over."
"Why?" Lionel asked, puzzled.
"I don't know how to put it. She just seems quite unique and straightforward. A guy from our department once pursued her, went through a lot of trouble to get her contact info, and sent a long confession.But she just replied with 'Thanks!' and that was it."
Lionel remained unfazed, "Maybe she didn't like him and was too embarrassed to reject him outright, so she responded that way."
Just then, his phone chimed. He unlocked it, and the dark-skinned boy peeked over.
They saw the conversation together:
"I just had a dream."
"It was about you."
Emma replied, "Pay me for my appearance fee. I can't just go for nothing!"
Lionel and the dark-skinned boy fell silent.
The boy coughed awkwardly, seeing Lionel's not-so-happy expression. Tentatively, he said, "Bro, do you think she might be too embarrassed to reject you, so she's pretending not to understand?"
Lionel didn't respond but actually sent her some money.
"For the appearance fee, plus a coffee treat."
'She would understand now! He had made it so obvious!'
However, the transfer was returned.
Emma replied, "I'll treat you instead, so we're even."
