Chapter Nine: Slow Down, Pause, Then Speed Up — The Key Is to Apply the Formula

Look…
Getting anxious, aren’t you?

After saving the video as an mp4 file, Horace deliberately ignored “Little Stinky Treasure’s” messages.

Little Stinky Treasure_: “Brother! Brother… are you still there?”

When Horace ended the video call and stopped replying, Zhang Runtian grew truly anxious.

She had put in so much effort!

Even roped in her best friend to dance with her, making such a big sacrifice.

But when it came time to make her request, the other party just vanished?

The worst part was…

She had just been boasting in front of her best friend that she would have him under her control.

How embarrassing!

As expected…

Her best friend, Li Xiuyan, wiped the sweat from her brow, looked at the QQ chat window on the screen, and asked with a puzzled expression:

“Tian Tian, why isn’t Brother Horace responding? Don’t tell me he left right after watching us do aerobics…”

“Oh, come on! Brother Horace manages so many groups and writes novels too; he must be really busy.”

Zhang Runtian defended herself nervously:

“Maybe he’s…

Looking up information about me online right now, figuring out how to help me!”

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she pouted cutely, but inside she felt quite frustrated.

She had always come from a good family and attended an elite school.

Among the boys orbiting around her, not one wasn’t a little prince at home—yet all were completely under her spell.

And as for those boys she met online, that was even easier.

All she had to do was post a beautiful photo, and they might as well have been licking the screen.

But today, with this “Brother Horace”… how could he bear not to reply?

She hadn’t even asked for help yet, and he was already pretending not to see her messages?

Moreover, from what she knew of him, doing this kind of thing was no trouble at all—just sending a mass message or two, no big cost to him.

Many cunning girls managed to keep men wrapped around their finger precisely because they carried a finely tuned sense of measure.

They evaluated every target from multiple dimensions.

That way, when they asked for gifts or favors directly or indirectly, they struck just the right balance—never pushing too hard.

This sense of proportion often made men feel guilty and see the girl as considerate, stirring up a desire to work harder and treat her even better.

Another ten minutes passed…

Horace leisurely tossed aside his empty instant noodle container and then headed to the bathroom for a quick visit.

Only then did he return to his computer screen, glanced at “Little Stinky Treasure’s” repeated message asking if he was there, but still didn’t reply.

“It’s been so long! Tian Tian, your Brother Horace must have run off.”

Li Xiuyan, now back in her pajamas, looked fresh and charming, her long hair nearly reaching her waist, and a hint of determination in her eyes.

She looked at her disappointed friend Zhang Runtian and offered some comfort:

“Men online are just unreliable, Tian Tian. Don’t wait for him. Be more realistic. Aren’t there plenty of boys at school chasing after you?

Like that Tao Lifu guy—he’s still in high school but serves as translator for IOC president Rogge.

I’ve heard a lot of people say he’s crazy about you. Is that true?”

“He’s just a bookworm, nothing special. We’re just ordinary friends.”

Though she claimed not to care, Zhang Runtian’s lips curled into a subtle smile as she said, “I don’t date in high school, but making more interesting friends doesn’t hurt.”

Goodness!

Did you catch that?

Every word the goddess says requires careful interpretation.

When she says he just studies, that’s a polite way of saying she finds his family background lacking.

When she says she doesn't date, it means she hasn’t yet met someone who truly moves her and meets her standards.

When she says she wants more interesting friends, it means she finds her current circle too small and is casting a wider net.

But Li Xiuyan, more innocent, didn’t pick up on these subtleties and nodded in agreement:

“Yeah! Although society is more open now and many high schoolers date, we’re still students. We should focus on studies and think about relationships after college.”

Just then, Horace’s reply came, a bit delayed.

Beep beep! Beep beep…

Horace Not Alone: “Sorry! I just took a shower…”

Finally, a reply. Yet Zhang Runtian’s heart was full of resentment.

Horace had left her hanging so long, making her look bad in front of her best friend.

So she decided to punish him by sending a sulky “not talking to you” emoji.

But then Horace’s next message made her lips involuntarily curl into a smug smile.

Horace Not Alone: “Sorry! Sorry!

It’s just that since my little sister asked for help, I had to quickly freshen up and get ready to sincerely assist.

Go ahead, tell me! Whatever you need, Brother’s got you.”

This was Horace’s tried-and-true technique after years of practice.

When a girl is upset, he’d use this formula:

First, a sincere apology + a reason or excuse to make her feel better + a verbal promise to help.

This tactic never failed Horace.

Sure enough, Zhang Runtian pouted, then turned to her best friend and said:

“Yan Yan, see? I told you Brother Horace wouldn’t ignore me. He just went to take a shower.

And it was specifically to help me, that’s why he showered.”

Li Xiuyan frowned at the weak excuse: “He seems to be at an internet cafe. Can you even shower there? And what does taking a shower have to do with helping you?”

“He said he wanted to be sincere, you don’t understand! Boys get self-conscious around girls they like. A shower makes them feel more confident.”

Zhang Runtian didn’t care if the excuse was reasonable; she was just happy inside.

Then she quickly sent over her request.

Little Stinky Treasure_: “Brother Horace, you manage so many groups. Could you help me send these links to the groups? Ask everyone to speak up and condemn the classmate who exposed my photos and those spreading them.”

Horace Not Alone: “No problem. Leave this little matter to me.”

With that, Horace sent the messages to all the groups.

He thoughtfully took screenshots of the sent records and sent them back to “Little Stinky Treasure” to show how loyal he was.

When pursuing a girl, the key is a “slow, stall, then quick” rhythm.

Slow—when she’s anxious to contact you, whether for help or a date, the more urgent she is, the slower you act.

Stall—when it comes to the crucial point, don’t agree immediately; that makes your effort seem cheap.

Instead, get ahead of her and stall the pace.

Either disappear for a while, making her even more anxious or annoyed,

Or emphasize how complicated and difficult the matter is, showing your own struggle.

This way, when you finally agree, it highlights how much you value her and the sacrifices you’ve made.

Quick—after the stall, the girl’s mood is usually poor, maybe thinking you’re playing games.

This is when you deploy the formula:

Sincerely apologize, explain your absence or difficulty—something like “I just had to sneak out my dad’s secret stash of twenty thousand” or “I asked all my friends about your matter.”

This instantly lifts her from the emotional low.

Then, most importantly, swiftly fulfill your promise.

No dragging, going straight to the point, maximizing her satisfaction.

After such a performance, who wouldn’t be pleased?

This leaves a far better impression than immediately agreeing to any request and looking desperate.

Sure enough…

Looking at all the screenshots Horace sent showing the completed mass messages, Zhang Runtian happily wiggled her tender white feet and told her best friend:

“Yan Yan! Who says online men are unreliable? Look how good Brother Horace is to me… You’re not allowed to badmouth him anymore!”

…