Chapter 94: Want to Eat You Up
"Ahh, that hits the spot!"
Chen Cheng downed an entire bottle of beer in one go. She drank too fast, without any food to go with it, and as a result, her face quickly flushed red from the alcohol.
She was already feeling a little tipsy.
It was the perfect state, just enough to shake off the awkwardness of being old friends, without feeling restrained, and just enough to blur the tension of their ambiguous relationship without making it feel too strange or forbidden.
Some things, some words, were actually harder to say or do precisely because they were too familiar.
Chen Cheng blinked slowly, her gaze a little unfocused. She tried to widen her eyes to steady her vision, making her usually bright and lively eyes appear glassy and a little dazed, with a faint hint of vulnerability.
"Don’t drink so much."
An Yuan seemed a little stiff. He tossed an entire plate of lamb slices into the hot pot, waited a few seconds, then scooped them out with a strainer. He placed half the portion into Chen Cheng’s bowl.
"Eat some meat. Don’t get drunk."
In reality, he also often felt uneasy around Chen Cheng, even more troubled than the oblivious Chen Cheng. However, he was better at managing his facial expressions, rarely letting his disguise slip, to avoid being laughed at by her.
"Mm, I won’t drink anymore. One bottle is enough."
Chen Cheng knew her limits and had no intention of getting drunk and making a fool of herself.
She turned her attention to the New Year’s Eve variety show playing on the TV, scooped up a piece of lamb, dipped it generously into peanut sauce, and popped it into her mouth.
"You bought so much food, how much did it cost?"
"Used my mom’s money. I pre-ordered a set meal from the hot pot restaurant."
Ordering delivery wasn’t as easy back then as it would be in the future. If they could’ve used a supermarket app, it would’ve been much cheaper.
"What’s the plan for tonight? Are you staying over at my place?"
"I’ll just sleep on the couch. Your couch is a little wider than mine."
"Hmm, that works too." Chen Cheng chuckled. "Still, my mom totally thinks we’re dating. And surprisingly, she just let it slide! I thought she would definitely scold me for that."
Then, as if remembering something, her expression suddenly turned serious.
"But my dad, he absolutely cannot misunderstand. I feel like he’d actually break your legs."
An Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t you used to not get along with your dad?"
"That was before! Now, I’m his ‘little princess’!" Chen Cheng straightened her back proudly.
The way she kept saying things like "think," "misunderstand," carried the subtle shyness of a girl experiencing first love.
Normally, after getting tipsy, Chen Cheng would just speak without thinking, but tonight was different. Her mind felt unusually clear. Or at least, she thought it was clear.
...Maybe she hadn’t drunk enough?
She grumbled to herself but also worried about making a fool of herself if she overdid it. That would be too embarrassing to face An Yuan tomorrow.
Stealing a quick glance at him, she found no clues on his face. It was the same calm, unreadable expression as always. So, she lowered her gaze, but his loose winter pants made it hard to tell whether the slight movement was just fabric creases... or something else.
She shifted her seat, moving a little closer to An Yuan.
Then, she opened up the coat draped over her shoulders, casually stretching out her legs right in front of him.
The contrast between her black stockings, her shorts, and the pale skin of her thighs made for an eye-catching sight.
Let’s see if you can ignore this!
If he doesn’t react, then what’s the point of being a man all these years?!
But An Yuan, completely unfazed, calmly poured more meatballs into the hot pot and added some noodles.
"Want some noodles?"
"No!"
"Then wait for the broth to boil before cooking more meat."
Chen Cheng rolled her eyes and picked up her bowl, waiting for the meatballs to cook.
"An Yuan…"
Just as she was about to say something, her words suddenly got stuck in her throat.
She looked down in shock, his hand was resting on her thigh.
She suddenly felt a little panicked, forcing herself to stay calm as she lowered her head and focused on eating the freshly cooked meat in her bowl.
But then, she clearly felt An Yuan’s hot hand sliding up and down her thigh. He stroked it twice. Then even gave it a gentle squeeze.
It was as if the warmth from his palm had spread directly to her face. Chen Cheng’s cheeks turned a deep, rosy red. She quickly lowered her head, letting her hair fall over her face to hide the blush creeping up to her ears.
"Look at you, acting all shy but still flirting with me on purpose."
An Yuan teased her with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Screw you! Who knew you’d actually dare to touch me?!" Chen Cheng snapped back, baring her sharp tongue. "Pervert! Taking advantage of your own friend!"
Then, as if to prove a point, she lifted both legs and rested them directly on An Yuan’s lap.
"And how exactly am I ‘flirting’ with you? I can put my legs wherever I want! None of your business!"
"Alright, alright. None of my business."
"Damn right!"
Chen Cheng huffed, but the next second, she felt An Yuan’s hand slip behind her waist.
Before she could react, he pulled her into his arms with a firm motion.
Startled, she squeezed her eyes shut, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.
When she opened her eyes again, she realized she was now sitting sideways on his lap.
The sharp-tongued girl who had been snapping at him just moments ago suddenly fell silent, like a small kitten being gently held by the scruff. She sat quietly in his embrace, her face buried against his chest, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. Her fingers fidgeted nervously, and her feet, dangling in the air, swayed back and forth.
An Yuan, like a total creep, buried his face in her hair and took a deep breath.
"W-what the hell are you doing...?" Chen Cheng’s voice trembled. "Let me go~"
She could have easily jumped away with a small movement, but somehow, she felt too weak to move. Instead, she just melted into his arms, not even trying to resist.
Outside the window, the booming of fireworks filled the night sky.
From the TV, the New Year’s countdown echoed through the room. Hosts, performers, and the audience counting down in unison, followed by the deep, resonant chimes of the clock.
An Yuan took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart.
"How about... we stop being just friends?"
"Huh? Then what, you wanna be sisters? Should I help you cut it off?" Chen Cheng blurted out nonsense, trying to cover up her embarrassment.
"No. Be my girlfriend."
"......"
She went quiet.
Lowering her head even further, she rested against his chest. Her voice was so soft it was almost impossible to hear.
"I don’t want to date. I don’t want to get married. I don’t want kids. I’m used to being alone."
An Yuan wanted to respond, but she kept talking on her own.
"The little money I make isn’t even enough to support myself. My mom wants to buy an apartment with an elevator. My dad keeps pressuring me to get married. I feel so exhausted all the time... The only thing I can do is hide in my tiny rental, bury my head, and cover my ears like none of it exists..."
Her voice shook, tinged with suppressed tears. Her shoulders trembled, and her words spilled out in a messy, incoherent jumble.
"I envy you. You have a stable job, a fiancée, a home of your own... And I only have myself. I’m free, sure, but I can’t even step out of my own apartment. I’m weak. I have no backbone. Sometimes, I think... maybe it’d be easier if I were just a pretty vase, just something nice to look at. Or maybe if I just had an accident and… just died, it’d be easier..."
She let out a shaky breath before continuing.
"But even being a woman isn’t that easy. Even dying means having to start over again, suffering through something even worse. That first month after coming back was miserable. I was terrified I’d changed into someone else, terrified I’d be forced into marriage and childbirth, terrified that one day, you’d leave me behind…”
"I feel like I can’t live without you anymore. But that’s wrong, isn’t it? I’m supposed to be independent..."
An Yuan tightened his arms around her.
"We promised to stay together for life."
He was sure now.
This wasn’t just about physical attraction.
He wanted to protect her. He wanted to keep her safe from everything that could hurt her. The urge to shield her from the world surged through his body. His mind and heart were screaming the same thing.
He wanted to walk by her side, all the way to the end of the road.
Then, he felt a sharp little bite on his neck.
Chen Cheng’s teeth lightly sank into his skin, sending a mix of pain and ticklish tingles down his spine.
"I want to eat you up..."
"So you’ll never be able to leave me again."