Chapter 38: Possessiveness
It was just past 9 a.m. when they stepped out of the neighborhood and headed straight for a breakfast stall nearby.
Chen Cheng had already eaten, but An Yuan hadn’t even had a sip of water before being rushed out of the house.
"Boss, a bowl of Dingbianhu."
The breakfast stall was small, with tables and chairs set up right on the sidewalk. An Yuan casually picked a seat, and just as he grabbed a pair of disposable chopsticks, the owner had already placed his breakfast on the table.
Chen Cheng sat across from him, resting her chin in her hands, staring at his face out of boredom.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You’ve got a pimple on your nose."
"Probably from staying up too late. I already put some cream on it."
An Yuan blew on his steaming hot breakfast, then glanced at Chen Cheng’s outfit and teased, "It’s the weekend, you don’t have to wear your uniform. Why not wear a skirt for once?"
"I don’t like skirts."
"I do."
"Then go find a girlfriend to wear one for you. Why are you telling me?" Chen Cheng rolled her eyes, crossed her legs, and looked down at her phone. She grumbled, "My parents were arguing again this morning and woke me up. So annoying."
Family issues weren’t something a kid could do much about.
An Yuan thought for a moment and just shrugged. "Once you’re in college, it’ll be better. Besides, your dad isn’t home that often anyway. Just endure it for now."
"Guess I have no choice."
"Speaking of which, I met a really pretty junior at the sports meet. Her legs are super long!"
Chen Cheng curled her lips, uninterested. "And how does that concern me?"
Seriously?! Why does this guy have such insane luck with girls? Is being handsome all it takes?!
"She was the one who asked for my number, by the way." An Yuan bragged, showing off in front of his friend. "Here, I’ll show you her profile pictures."
"Not interested. Get lost."
An Yuan held his phone out anyway. "Didn’t you say you’d help me pick?"
After spending so much time around Chen Cheng lately, his guilt had been getting worse. Luckily, he had met a girl who fit his taste, and better yet, she was the one who made the first move.
Once he got a girlfriend, maybe he wouldn’t have such inappropriate thoughts about his best friend anymore…
Despite herself, Chen Cheng sneaked a glance at his phone screen.
The girl in the photos had her hair tied up in a short ponytail and was tall and lean. She wore a short skirt, showing off her long, toned legs. Judging from the faint muscles in her thighs, she could probably crush a person’s waist if she tried...
Although her chest seemed a little flat, the girl's appearance was not bad. Without makeup, she was of an above-average standard, with fair skin, a sunny and a bit silly smile, and a youthful and lively temperament all over her body.
Compared to the girl's lively and sunny appearance in the photo, Chen Cheng, this introverted homebody, felt deeply inferior.
"Her chest is small." Chen Cheng snarked. "And she looks kinda dumb, like a clueless little bird."
"Being a little dumb is good. Less scheming."
Fair point. Li Wanyi had been way too clever for her own good, that’s how she had An Yuan wrapped around her finger.
Looking at the pictures, Chen Cheng couldn’t find any real flaws in the girl. Her looks, body, and personality all seemed fine. She could only mumble sourly, "So, are you going to ask her out during the break?"
"Didn’t you ask me out first?"
Deep down, Chen Cheng didn’t want An Yuan to date anyone, but as a friend, she had no right to object.
She could only stick to her usual excuse. "But what about after the college entrance exams? Long-distance relationships are tough."
"Why are you worrying about a long-distance relationship when nothing’s even happened yet?"
An Yuan took back his phone and continued eating. But when he looked up again, he noticed that Chen Cheng had her head down, playing on her phone with a blank expression. Even though she tried her best to hide her disappointment and act indifferent, he could see right through her.
She looked like a little stray cat about to be abandoned.
"She’s easy to get along with. If things work out, you two might even become best friends."
"You’ve barely met her a few times, and you’re already saying she has a good personality..."
An Yuan picked up on a hint of jealousy in her voice.
Lately, Chen Cheng’s attitude toward him had been a little weird. He could understand, after all, she had turned into a girl and probably felt uneasy and needed comfort. But wasn’t she being a little too clingy?
Shouldn’t a guy’s natural reaction to a friend getting lucky with girls be some grumbling and teasing? Why did she sound so bitter... almost like she was jealous?
"Chengzi, don’t tell me you like me?" An Yuan asked in a joking tone.
"???"
Chen Cheng looked up in utter disbelief, as if she had just seen a ghost.
"What? Me? Like you?" She made a disgusted face and turned away. "Give me a break. First of all, I used to be a guy, at least mentally, I still am. You seriously think every girl has to like you? Get over yourself. That’s just gross."
She wrinkled her nose and shot back, "If anything, I should be asking if you’re the one drooling over me. The way you stared at me in that skirt the other day, your eyes practically popped out of your head, like some creepy pervert."
"N-no way! Seeing you just reminded me of your old face before you changed, that’s all." An Yuan certainly couldn't admit it, and said righteously, "Besides, you wore that skirt just to mess with me, right? So why wouldn’t I look?"
"Oh? So, you admit I used to be kinda handsome, huh?"
An Yuan straightened his back proudly. "You were alright. Not as good-looking as me now, though."
"I was better than you back then." Chen Cheng smirked, then hit back, "You greasy old man, where do you even get this confidence? Let me tell you a secret, baldness is genetic. You’re gonna lose your hair sooner or later."
"That was seborrheic dermatitis! I was just too busy to treat it back then!"
"Nope, it’s genetics!"
"Seborrheic dermatitis!"
After a few rounds of arguing, An Yuan finally figured it out.
Just as he suspected, even though Chen Cheng had been acting clingy and jealous around girls lately, she had never even considered liking guys. The mere thought made her defensive.
It was the answer he expected, but for some reason, he still felt a little... complicated. He wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved or disappointed.
"Alright, I’m done eating. Let’s go."
An Yuan grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth, then stood up and called out to his friend.
"Oh~ Where to?"
"Let’s take a walk around Walmart. Didn’t you say you wanted to buy clothes?"
Chen Cheng jogged to catch up with him. "I’m broke. All my money’s with you. So, when do I get my first cut of the profits?"
"What do you think I am, a miracle worker? It’s only been a few days. Investments take years, okay?" An Yuan rolled his eyes. "I’ll buy for you. How about some cute short skirts?"
"Ew, no thanks. My closet is already full of skirts. Let’s get some men’s clothes instead."
An Yuan patted his pocket smugly. "The money’s with me, so I get to decide."
"It’s my money, okay?"
The two bickered as usual, but this time, Chen Cheng lagged a step behind, her eyes filled with uncertainty.
On one hand, she was happy for An Yuan. This girl he met was decent, and while it was too soon to say if she was a good person, at least she was enthusiastic and took the initiative.
But on the other hand, she was worried. What if An Yuan got too caught up in his new relationship and stopped caring about her?
Maybe she should find a way to ruin it...
The thought popped into her head out of nowhere, making her feel guilty. She glanced at An Yuan and shook her head, trying to push the idea away.
No, no! Am I being too possessive of my best friend?!