Chapter 95: I Win!
"Dong~ Dong~ Dong~"
The countdown bells for New Year's Eve rang from the TV, mixing with the sound of firecrackers and fireworks outside. The noise was so loud that it was hard to hear anything else.
Chen Cheng nibbled at An Yuan's neck, a soft, almost licking sensation, her pointed teeth causing a faint, sharp pain.
"An Yuan... I hate being alone. I’ve had enough..."
She let go, her gaze lowering as tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. She choked back sobs, her vision blurring as her eyes filled with tears.
"I wanted to be independent. I wanted to be the strong one. I wanted to be a man... But in the end, even my body turned into a woman... I just can’t do it."
An Yuan pressed her head against his shoulder and whispered, "It’s okay. Just let me handle it."
Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe he had finally let go of all the hesitation. He stopped thinking about how they used to be just brothers, stopped feeling guilty, and no longer cared about the awkwardness of confessing to his best friend.
"We're brothers. We went through everything together. We’re lovers. And one day, you'll be my wife... Whatever you can't do, whatever flaws you think you have, I’ll handle it. And whatever I struggle with, you’ll be there to help me. We were always meant to complete each other, right?"
"But..."
"No 'buts.' You’re not holding me back, and you’re not just some pretty decoration. There’s nothing to be afraid of. We promised, we’ll stay together for life. As a couple."
An Yuan held Chen Cheng tightly, feeling her trembling, her unease, her fear. He buried his face deep into her hair.
Making that promise should’ve felt like a heavy responsibility, but instead, it felt lighter than ever.
He looked down at the girl in his arms, at her delicate pink lips, and couldn’t resist leaning in.
"You brushed your teeth, right?"
Chen Cheng looked up at him, tears still rolling down her cheeks.
"......"
An Yuan’s expression turned blank. Without a word, he picked her up from his lap, set her aside, and got up to head to the bathroom.
Seriously? Couldn't you just hold it in a little longer?
Why do you have to ruin the moment?
How the hell was he supposed to kiss her after this?!
Just as he stood up, Chen Cheng grabbed his arm.
"It’s fine even if you didn’t..."
She wiped the tears off her cheeks and, within seconds, her sobbing turned into shy embarrassment. She pressed her legs together tightly, avoiding his gaze.
"I just find it... a little gross."
"Then deal with it! I didn’t complain about your alcohol breath."
An Yuan pushed Chen Cheng down onto the couch, leaned over her, and kissed her.
It was aggressive, as if he wanted to claim her completely, like he wanted to devour her whole, just like she had said she wanted to do to him.
A faint feeling of breathlessness, a tingling sensation along the roof of her mouth, the deep intertwining of lips and tongues. It made her mind go blank, as if she were melting into him.
That overwhelming masculine presence, that burning passion, that suffocating possessiveness...
Her hands instinctively reached up, clinging to the back of his shirt, fingers gripping the fabric tightly. A soft moan escaped from deep in her throat.
In nearly thirty years of life, she had never been taken like this before.
She didn’t know how long it lasted. When it was over, Chen Cheng collapsed on the couch, her eyes unfocused and filled with tears. She had completely lost the strength to resist.
Dazed and defenseless, her clothes slightly disheveled, she lay there, vulnerable to whatever An Yuan wanted to do next.
"Huuh..."
An Yuan exhaled heavily, forcing himself to stay in control.
"An Yuan..."
"Hm?" He didn’t even bother wiping the lingering taste of her from his lips as he looked down at her.
The girl was a complete mess. Her top had been pushed up to her chest, revealing a stretch of smooth, pale skin and her flat belly.
She seemed even more drunk now, her eyes hazy as she looked at An Yuan. Her voice thick with concern, "So... are we officially boyfriend and girlfriend now? Did you just confess to me?"
"Yeah, I confessed."
Chen Cheng suddenly burst into laughter. "Wow, you have no self-control at all! A little bit of teasing and you couldn’t hold back? You just blurted out a confession!"
"Yeah, yeah, I lost. You win, okay?"
"I always win! Both times, you’re the one who couldn’t resist kissing me first!"
That strange, competitive energy between them, like two close friends who just had to one-up each other.
And that smug, bratty smirk of hers... Damn it, he wanted to tame her.
An Yuan clenched his teeth, looking away, feeling more and more annoyed by how cocky she was now.
Damn it. He really lost this time.
He could already imagine it. Chen Cheng would never let this go. She’d bring it up over and over, probably even joke about it at his funeral.
Chen Cheng tried to sit up, but her limbs were too weak, and she ended up collapsing into An Yuan’s arms again.
"Happy New Year~"
An Yuan’s expression softened. He forgot all about his frustration and gently stroked her hair. "Happy New Year."
"This is nice... I wish I could just stay in your arms forever..."
Safe. Comfortable. So cozy that she felt like she could fall asleep right there.
"If you want to, you can stay as long as you like."
"But... there's something poking me underneath."
An Yuan’s eye twitched. Trying to suppress his embarrassment, he teased, "Then how about you help me take care of it?"
"Ugh, pervert! That sounds like something straight out of a bad romance comic!"
Click!
The front door suddenly swung open.
Chen Cheng’s mother stepped inside, taking off her shoes as she called out, "Chengcheng, are you asleep?"
She looked up, and immediately saw Chen Cheng sprawled across An Yuan’s lap, while An Yuan sat there frozen, giving her an awkward smile.
In a flash, Chen Cheng sat up straight, sitting formally with her hands placed on her thighs, sitting as upright as possible.
"......"
The three of them stared at each other in complete silence.
Her mother’s eyes looked at the tear stains on Chen Cheng's cheeks, as well as the trembling, yet-to-fall teardrops at the corners of her eyes, and the lingering pink flush on her cheeks...
Their clothes were still in place, more or less, but who knew if something had happened? After all, her daughter’s face still carried the unmistakable look of someone feeling... a little too satisfied.
"Mom, w-we were just... eating hotpot for a late-night snack!" Chen Cheng blurted out, trying to cover up the situation.
An Yuan sighed. That explanation just made things worse.
Her mother gave An Yuan a long, unreadable look before finally saying, "Be careful... and don’t stay up too late."
If it had been some random punk, she would’ve shut this down immediately. But An Yuan? She had practically watched him grow up.
She couldn’t even come up with a reasonable excuse to separate them, other than maybe worrying about their grades.
"Wait! Mom!"
Now she just sounded even more guilty...
An Yuan quickly pressed a hand against Chen Cheng’s leg, forcing her back down before she embarrassed herself further.
As they watched her mother close the door and leave, Chen Cheng was still fuming. "We didn’t even do anything! What does she mean, 'be careful'?! Is she worried I’ll bite your tongue off or something?"
An Yuan suddenly felt a little... tempted.
"What?" Chen Cheng eyed him suspiciously and pulled her coat tighter around herself, pressing her knees together. "Don't even think about it! I’m not ready!"
"Where's your mind at? You really think I’m that kind of guy?"
"Who knows?! Now shut up and eat! Then go to sleep!"
And once she got back to her room... she’d have to use a little help from her toy, before An Yuan completely messed with her head.