Chapter 89: Chen Cheng’s Stir-Fried Noodles
A warm, firm touch. A strong, masculine scent filled the air.
Chen Cheng’s head was tilted back as An Yuan held her in place, deepening the kiss. But instead of resisting, she felt an unexpected thrill, like she was being conquered, possessed… and she didn’t hate it.
Her feet lifted slightly off the ground, toes pointed, her body pressing closer to him. She clutched at An Yuan’s collar as if trying to climb onto him, wanting to be even closer… just a little closer.
Her eyes turned misty, a blush crept into the corners of her eyes. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and her bright eyes were now brimming with desire, like a peach blossom waiting to be plucked.
That was… until An Yuan tried to part her lips.
………………………………………
This is so awkward.
I just kissed my childhood best friend. My sworn brother.
AAHHH!! I’ve only been a woman for a few months, and I’ve already been taken?! Isn’t this happening way too fast?! What if An Yuan thinks I’m just some perverted creep?! What if he thinks I’m too easy?!
Chen Cheng screamed internally while pretending to focus on stirring the noodles in the pan. But no matter how much she tried to act normal, she kept stealing glances at An Yuan.
Her lips still carried a faint trace of him, sending her heart into a wild, frantic rhythm.
She might have been a virgin in her past life, even at twenty-seven, but her first kiss had been taken long ago by some girl.
Back then, she had only thought of it as two soft pieces of skin touching, nothing special. But this…
"Salt, soy sauce, MSG. You can add a little sugar too."
"Oh, okay."
She opened the cabinet, grabbed the soy sauce, and poured it in. All while sneaking peeks at An Yuan’s face.
Mouth-to-mouth was one thing, but he tried to go for a full-on French kiss?!
She had only ever seen that kind of thing in TV dramas. It looked romantic, sure, but experiencing it firsthand? No way. She had panicked and instinctively pulled away… Besides, An Yuan hadn’t even brushed his teeth!
Would he be upset? He wasn’t blushing at all. He looked way too calm.
Could it be that he's experienced and kissing doesn't affect him anymore?
Before she could think any further, the soy sauce bottle was snatched out of her hand.
"How much were you planning to pour? This is gonna be inedible."
"Huh?"
"Let me handle it."
An Yuan took one look at Chen Cheng’s flushed face and dazed expression, her mind clearly elsewhere, and sighed.
She wasn’t even paying attention to the food anymore. He had no choice but to push her aside and take over.
But even standing at the edge of the kitchen, she was still getting in the way. So, without hesitation, An Yuan lifted her by the armpits and carried her out of the kitchen.
Now alone, he tried his best to save the overly soy-sauced, nearly pitch-black noodles.
"Just go sit in the dining room."
"Oh… okay…"
She responded, but instead of moving, she just stood there in a daze. Her gaze dropped, and her fingers absentmindedly brushed her lips.
There was still a lingering warmth.
Should she… should she not have pulled away?
Before long, the noodles were ready. An Yuan placed two plates on the table. The color was, well… unappetizing, to say the least.
Still, most of the dish was made by Chen Cheng, so he took a bite out of respect.
…Well, at least it was edible.
Honestly, considering her current mental state, the fact that it was even edible was already impressive.
"Chengzi?"
"Oh, coming."
Chen Cheng finally sat down, but her thoughts were still a jumbled mess.
So… were they a couple now?
Before, even though they were close, she could still convince herself that they were just good friends. Hugs, leaning on each other, that was normal between best brothers, right?
It only felt ambiguous now because… she had become a woman.
Now, they've already kissed. There’s no way this is just friendship anymore!
Chen Cheng sat there, her mind still spinning.
She glanced at An Yuan just as he stole a look at her. Their eyes met, and he quickly looked down, stuffing his mouth with noodles in a panic.
To be honest, her lips had been unbelievably soft, carrying a faint, sweet scent that made him want to sink deeper into the kiss.
However, Chen Cheng's intense struggle from before made him worry that he had gone too far and made the girl angry.
She’s not mad… right?
The two of them ate in silence. The stir-fried noodles were drowning in soy sauce, looked completely unappetizing, and were way too salty, but neither of them cared. Their minds weren’t on the food at all. Instead, both were still replaying the kiss in their heads, wondering what the other was thinking.
Then suddenly, the front door swung open.
Chen Cheng’s mother walked in, carrying grocery bags from the supermarket. The first thing she saw was the two of them sitting at the dining table together.
Her brows furrowed slightly. This guy sure knows how to take advantage of an opportunity. She was only gone for a little while, and he had already come to spend time with her daughter.
And… was it just her, or was the atmosphere in the room a little weird?
"Chengcheng!"
"Ah? Mom!"
Chen Cheng panicked, jumping up from her seat as if caught red-handed. She hurriedly tried to explain, her voice stumbling over itself.
"A-An Yuan heard I had a fever, so he came to check on me at lunch—"
"I know."
"I made stir-fried noodles, Mom! Try it! It’s actually pretty good!"
Her mother glanced at the plate of blackened noodles and twitched at the sight. Then she looked at An Yuan, who was still eating without a word, and hesitated.
"...Good?"
"Yeah! It’s my first time cooking!"
Her mother gave her a skeptical look, then turned toward the kitchen with some concern.
"At least you didn’t blow up my kitchen?"
To her surprise, the place was still clean.
Seeing her daughter so enthusiastic, she didn’t have the heart to refuse. With some reluctance, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks and took a bite.
Her expression changed instantly.
She turned to An Yuan, now full of admiration.
You can actually eat this?
"It’s… okay, I guess?"
"Yeah, not bad." Her mother forced a smile, not wanting to hurt Chen Cheng’s feelings. "I already ate outside. Is your fever any better?"
"It’s pretty much gone."
Her mother reached out and touched Chen Cheng’s forehead, still burning hot.
"You call this ‘fine’?!"
"It’s just a mild fever. I just checked, and it’s not even 38 degrees yet."
Of course, most of the heat on Chen Cheng’s face right now had nothing to do with the fever. It was pure embarrassment. The more nervous she got, the redder and hotter her face became.
Her mother squinted at her, then at An Yuan. Wait a minute… were they up to something just now?
"An Yuan, why aren’t you eating at home?"
"Uh…"
"Mom! He’s teaching me how to cook!"
That didn’t make him sound any more reliable.
Her mother looked at An Yuan again. So, his cooking skills aren’t much better, huh?
Since her daughter was standing up for him, she couldn’t exactly tell him to leave. She started unpacking the groceries while keeping a close eye on An Yuan.
She wasn’t against her daughter having feelings for him. In fact, she actually thought An Yuan was a decent kid. But they were still in their senior year of high school. They couldn’t let their grades slip, and they definitely couldn’t let anything reckless happen before the college entrance exams!
"Chengcheng, since you’re always sticking to An Yuan, you should at least learn from him. Look at his grades, they’re excellent. He works so hard."
Chen Cheng knew this lecture by heart.
In her past life, every time An Yuan came over, her mother would always compare the two of them.
"I’m improving too, okay?"
She grumbled, then sneakily kicked An Yuan under the table.
An Yuan jolted so hard he almost knocked over his chair.
Both mother and daughter turned to look at An Yuan, and he awkwardly sat back down, saying, 'I was just thinking about something...'"
But in reality, his mind was completely occupied with Chen Cheng. Even if he looked calm on the surface, inside, he was a total mess.
"If you don’t do well on your exams, you won’t get into the same university as An Yuan." She sighed, shaking her head. "Then we'll see how you cry."
"That won’t happen. Definitely not."