Chapter 48: A Solo Game Round!
The atmosphere in the room was a bit awkward.
Luckily, the bedroom door was left open, letting some of the ambiguous tension drift out. With that, the mood softened a little, and the two of them focused on their own homework in silence.
Chen Cheng tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, tilting her head slightly as she struggled with a math problem. She scribbled drafts, flipped through her notes, and searched for the right formulas. Although there was someone right next to her she could ask, she stayed quiet.
Meanwhile, An Yuan was busy copying a six-hundred-character classical text, ten times. His hand was cramping from all the writing.
But copying text didn’t require much brainpower, which left him with just enough energy to sneak glances at the girl beside him.
She was completely absorbed in her work, her lips slightly parted as she focused on the problem. The soft glow from the desk lamp reflected off her lips, making them look glossy and plump. Up close, her fair skin was flawless, smooth and delicate like a freshly peeled egg.
Her facial features were perfectly balanced. Her eyes, shaped like peach blossoms, had a slight upward tilt at the corners, adding a hint of charm. Her long, curled lashes fluttered lightly, almost like they could steal a man’s soul. But the glasses on her face gave her a scholarly air, blending elegance with innocence. Her slightly confused expression and clear, naive gaze made her seem like a blank sheet of paper.
Though, of course, An Yuan knew Chen Cheng was far from innocent.
This girl had a knack for finding “spicy” art and certain illustrated books. She was way better at it than he was. If anything, she was pure only in body, twenty-seven years old and still an untouched virgin, but her mind? Yeah, no. She was a pervert.
“Ugh! This is so hard! The teacher who made this question must be insane!”
Chen Cheng suddenly groaned in frustration, burying her head in her arms and knocking it against the desk with loud thuds.
“My brain is so damn rusty!”
An Yuan jumped at the noise. “Hey, if you can’t solve it, just ask me! Why are you torturing yourself?”
“It’s more satisfying if I figure it out myself!”
“Alright, give it here. I’ll teach you.”
With a huff, Chen Cheng shoved the paper toward him, puffing up her cheeks in annoyance as she propped her chin on her hands and stared out the window, sulking.
“Come over here and listen.”
“An Yuan! Is that how you talk to Chengcheng? She’s a guest!”
Auntie's roaring voice came from outside.
An Yuan immediately shrank back. No matter how old you got, parents always had a way of making you feel small. He lowered his voice, softening his tone.
“This was a question from last year’s college entrance exam. It is pretty tough, but our teacher went over it last week. I’ll explain it to you.”
“…Oh.”
Chen Cheng dragged her chair closer and flopped onto the desk, resting her head as she watched him write on the draft paper.
Like a tiny kitten lying on the ground…
Now that she was closer to this human furnace, Chen Cheng twitched her nose. The warmth from his body made her cheeks flush slightly. She couldn’t help but steal another glance at him.
She had to admit, An Yuan really had a great physique. The long-sleeved shirt highlighted his toned figure. He wasn’t bulky in a way that was intimidating, nor was he lanky like a twig. His muscles were just the right amount of defined.
She was never a fan of those overly muscular gym bodies. A naturally fit, active physique was perfect. Too bad she was lazy as hell. When she was a guy, she barely had any muscle. Now, as a girl? Yeah, she didn’t even try.
Meanwhile, An Yuan was explaining the problem, but she wasn’t paying attention at all. Her entire focus was on his body.
Was she jealous? Or just… intrigued?
A few minutes later, An Yuan finished his explanation. “Did you get it?”
“An Yuan, do you have abs?”
“???”
An Yuan stared at her, completely baffled. He looked down at himself and found her staring directly at his body.
“I’m trying to teach you a math problem.”
“Let me feel them!”
An Yuan instinctively crossed his arms over his chest, as if he were a defenseless maiden about to be taken advantage of. “Are you insane?”
“Come on, just let me take a look!”
He didn’t actually mind that much. Lifting the hem of his long-sleeved shirt, he took a deep breath and tensed his abdomen. Faint lines of abs barely surfaced on his stomach.
“Oh wow! I never noticed you actually have abs!”
Getting complimented on his physique by a girl put An Yuan in a great mood. He smirked. “You sound like a total creep right now.”
“I’m just jealous, that’s all.”
Chen Cheng lowered her head and pulled up her own outerwear and white undershirt, checking out the slight bulge of her stomach as she sat down.
"Wait… but I'm supposed to be really skinny."
“Everyone has a bit of a belly when they’re not sucking it in.”
Especially for women, it's normal to have a bit more fat around the abdomen compared to men. Even fitness girls find it hard to get rid of it completely.
Besides, An Yuan actually thought Chen Cheng’s little tummy was kind of cute.
“Really? I think I saw something like that on TikTok.”
Chen Cheng wrinkled her nose, suddenly feeling a little off. She straightened up. “Where’s your math homework? Give it to me so I can copy it. Once I’m done, I’m heading out.”
“I literally just explained the problem to you, and you didn’t listen—”
“Hurry up, hurry up.”
Footsteps sounded from outside.
The two of them instantly straightened their backs, heads down, pretending to be completely absorbed in their work.
An Yuan’s mother walked in with a plate of fruit. Apple, pear, watermelon, all neatly cut into bite-sized pieces with toothpicks stuck in them. She placed it on the table and peeked at the two “diligent students” before leaving, casually closing the door behind her.
To give them some privacy.
“…Why did your mother close the door?”
Chen Cheng muttered, but as soon as it shut, she actually felt more at ease. She relaxed and pulled her legs up onto the chair.
Grabbing An Yuan’s math homework, she glanced at the difficult questions and nodded in understanding.
Yep. She had no clue how to solve this. Not in this life, not in the last one.
As she copied the answers, a familiar sensation crept up on her.
Like embers finding dry wood, a warmth quickly spread through her body.
A slight heaviness in her lower abdomen… a subtle, throbbing pulse deep inside…
She had experienced this just last night. In this state, even An Yuan looked handsome to her. Masculine, charming, and weirdly attractive.
Male and female desires were so different. But they were both equally annoying.
Chen Cheng glanced down at An Yuan's lower body, noticing a vague bulge in his wide school pants... She shook her head violently, trying to shake off the dirty thoughts that had surfaced in her mind.
Sure, she sometimes missed having certain male privileges… but she was not about to start fantasizing about that!
“…What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m leaving!”
Chen Cheng shot up and frantically shoved her textbooks and homework into her bag.
Thankfully, as a girl, her… reactions weren’t as obvious. At worst, her face was red, her ears were burning, and her legs felt a little weak.
She had to go home and take care of this, alone. No way she was letting something like this happen again in front of a guy. Disgusting!
“Don’t forget your jacket.”
“I know!”
An Yuan watched as Chen Cheng rushed out the door, scratching his head in confusion.
Why was she suddenly acting all distant and flustered?
And that reaction just now…
Even though An Yuan was still an inexperienced virgin, he wasn’t clueless. He had a suspicion about what was going on with her.
…No way.
Chen Cheng hated men with a passion. Even getting confessed to made her recoil in disgust.
There was no way she was experiencing the same dirty thoughts he did… right?