Chapter 71: Explain in Detail
"Are we heading back now?"
Standing in the hallway, Chen Cheng’s mother gently pulled her daughter, who was hiding behind her.
"Bye, Auntie~"
Chen Cheng reluctantly called out in a sweet voice.
"Aww, such a good girl~ Now hurry back to bed, you have school tomorrow."
An Yuan’s mother said with a playful tone, her smile forming crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes.
I’m not a kid anymore…
Chen Cheng muttered in her heart. She glanced inside at An Yuan and gave him a meaningful look. Not sure if he would understand, she quickly lowered her head and sent him a message on her phone.
"Let’s go out for BBQ and drinks tonight! Gotta celebrate your 18th birthday properly!"
The earlier birthday dinner with the elders was just a slightly fancier hot pot meal. The real birthday party would be with friends!
After leaving An Yuan’s house, Chen Cheng followed her mother upstairs, already planning how to sneak out later.
"Chengcheng, are you going straight to bed when we get home?"
"Yeah."
"I have to head to the hospital later."
Her mother had rushed home from the hospital just to attend the birthday party.
Chen Cheng was secretly happy but still asked with a hint of concern, "Going back again? How’s Grandpa?"
"The doctor told him not to eat before surgery, but he went ahead and ate a bowl of noodles. So now the surgery is postponed until tomorrow. I need to stay with him tonight."
Oh…
After getting home, her mother watched as Chen Cheng washed up and went to bed. Only then did she leave for the hospital.
But as soon as the front door clicked shut, Chen Cheng poked her head out of her room.
"Mom? She’s gone?"
She dashed to the living room window and peeked outside toward the apartment gate. Unfortunately, the dim lighting made it hard to see.
Did An Yuan’s mother say something to her mother? Her mother probably thinks she’s dating An Yuan now…
Thinking back to the conversation about the bride price, Chen Cheng started pacing anxiously. Could it be about last weekend? Did she somehow know An Yuan was hiding in my room? Pretending not to know anything but actually knowing everything?
Feeling uneasy, she flopped onto the couch and pulled out her phone to text An Yuan.
Wait, why was she even panicking?
If nothing happened between us, then there’s nothing to be afraid of, right?
Okay, fine, maybe we weren’t entirely innocent…
"Ding-dong~"
Chen Cheng instantly shot up from the couch and dashed to the door. She swung it open to find An Yuan standing in the hallway, holding a pack of beer.
"I thought we were going out?"
"It’s better to drink at home. What do you want for BBQ? I’ll order for you."
"It’s your birthday, of course, you’re treating!"
It had been some time since Chen Cheng had a drink. Even though she wasn't a heavy drinker, she used to treat beer like a regular drink every few days, enjoying the refreshing taste of chilled beer and the slight intoxication.
Especially on sleepless nights, a little drunk helped her fall asleep, though it never made for a comfortable rest.
Without waiting, she eagerly cracked open a can, tilted her head back, and finished nearly half of it in one go. Then she let out a long, satisfied sigh.
"Ahh—so good!"
An Yuan sat beside her, scrolling on his phone as he placed the BBQ order.
"I’ll clean up the trash later. You should drink less, you have class tomorrow."
"Got it! Just a little so I can sleep." Chen Cheng raised her beer can. "Cheers! Happy birthday!"
"Cheers."
Leaning on the couch with one hand, Chen Cheng shifted toward An Yuan. "Did you order chicken legs and sausage?"
"Yeah."
"I’m still pretty full from eating cake, so just a little BBQ, enough to go with the drinks."
"I ordered about twenty skewers. Should be enough, right? If not, I can cook something to go with the drinks."
An Yuan glanced down at the small head leaning way too close to him and casually pushed her back.
"Drink less. You can’t even handle much."
"Says who? I can drink a thousand glasses without getting drunk!"
"You barely handle six beers."
Chen Cheng was drinking too fast, she hadn’t even finished a whole bottle before her face turned a deep shade of red, glowing like a ripe fruit bursting with juice.
An Yuan finished placing the BBQ order and, seeing her downing her drink so eagerly, got up and headed to the kitchen. "Want me to make some stir-fried eggs and sausage to go with the drinks?"
"Yes! But be careful, don’t leave any traces."
He sliced up some sausage, cracked two eggs into the pan, and within minutes, brought the dish back to the living room.
Chen Cheng glanced at the plate, took the chopsticks, and leaned in for a closer look. "The eggs aren’t crispy enough, and the sausages too. I like them a little more charred."
"You sure have a lot of complaints. Eat it or don’t."
An Yuan rolled his eyes, but his gaze inadvertently landed on her legs. Her skirt had bunched up, the hem pressing against her thighs, revealing her fair skin wrapped in white stockings. The thighs was slightly squished under its own weight, looking soft and plump.
In an instant, he grabbed a couch pillow and covered his lap.
Why was he reacting like this? He didn’t usually get this flustered around other girls.
"What are you looking at?" Chen Cheng caught his gaze.
"Nothing."
Seeing his calm expression as he took a sip of beer, she narrowed her eyes mischievously. Holding the hem of her skirt, she lifted it slightly. "Wanna take a look?"
"Hey! Cut it out!"
That finally cracked An Yuan’s composure. His usual cool demeanor shattered, and he hastily turned his head away, though his eyes couldn’t help but dart back toward her.
Satisfied with his reaction, Chen Cheng smoothed down her skirt, the corners of her lips curling up. "Relax, I was just testing you. We’re practically brothers, what are you getting all shy for? Weren’t you the one who said you see me as ‘one of the guys’?"
For years, she had always been the one getting teased by An Yuan. Now, it was finally her turn!
"Keep messing around and see if I don’t punch you," An Yuan grumbled, voice raised in frustration.
"You can’t hit a girl! Otherwise, I’ll tell your mom!"
"I see you as a guy, so it doesn’t count as hitting a girl."
Chen Cheng immediately backed down, moving half a meter away from him on the couch.
She knew he wouldn’t actually hit her. Ever since elementary school, they had always quarrel, but never seriously fought. Still, it was better to play it safe, no need to push her luck.
Just then, the delivery arrived.
An Yuan got up to grab it, placing the food on the table. Meanwhile, Chen Cheng, who had been acting all cautious just moments ago, perked up at the sight of food and excitedly leaned forward.
"Where’s my chicken leg?"
"Here."
Munching on BBQ and the stir-fried sausage and eggs, Chen Cheng continued drinking at full speed. In just under half an hour, she had already downed four or five bottles.
The alcohol was starting to hit her. Her flushed face grew even hotter, her vision blurred slightly, and her head felt dizzy. Even the way she sat on the couch became a little unsteady.
Her voice turned soft and slightly husky, laced with a lazy drunken slur. Clutching a beer can in both hands, her unfocused eyes drifted toward An Yuan.
"An Yuan~ I think I’m getting a little drunk…"
"Then stop drinking and go to bed."
An Yuan turned to look at her. Her upper body was swaying from side to side, her big, round eyes blinking in a daze. She looked clumsy and adorable.
"My alcohol tolerance isn’t this bad, is it? I used to handle six bottles just fine."
"Maybe it’s because you’ve turned into a girl?" An Yuan, who was also starting to feel tipsy, shook his head hard to clear his thoughts.
"An Yuan…"
"What now?"
Lying back on the couch, Chen Cheng gazed up at him. Maybe it was the alcohol, but the words she had always buried deep inside suddenly spilled out without a second thought. "So annoying…"
"What is? The upcoming exams?"
"It’s annoying to think about how you used to have a fiancée…" she mumbled, resting her head against the sofa. "You know how to cook because of her. You know how to take care of girls because of her. You never used to be this thoughtful, it’s all because of her."
Seriously? He already moved on from that, why can’t you?
An Yuan could practically smell the jealousy in the air. He had never realized how possessive Chen Cheng could be. Just as he was about to comfort her, she suddenly asked in a confused tone.
"What does it feel like to be intimate with a girl? Have you done it? I never got to experience it before turning into one. If you know, explain it to me in detail."
"Drink your damn beer! Or better yet, go to sleep!"