Chapter 96: How Big?!
On New Year's Day, the first rays of the new year’s sunlight peeked through the gap in the curtains, gently illuminating the girl’s face.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she half-opened her eyes, letting out a yawn while snuggling deeper into the blanket. Curling up her legs, she could feel the chill in the air. The weather had gotten even colder. The exposed parts of her skin felt the cold morning air.
Shivering slightly, she pulled the blanket over her head, burying her entire face in the warmth.
So cold... she didn’t want to get up.
Still half-sleep, Chen Cheng's mind drifted back to the night before, when An Yuan had confessed his feelings to her. A wave of joy bubbled up inside her, making her giggle softly under the covers.
"Almost thirty, and he still get flustered so easily. Hehe~"
"He’s totally enchanted by my beauty, huh?"
Hugging the blanket, Chen Cheng rolled happily on the bed.
But then, a thought struck her. Since they were now officially a couple, what about An Yuan’s... um... physical needs?
He can handle that himself!
Determined, she sat up, stretched lazily, and casually grabbed An Yuan’s coat, draping it over her shoulders. Walking barefoot to the window, she yanked open the curtains.
The sun was already high in the sky, bathing her in warm golden light. Her hair shimmered with a soft glow as she took a deep breath, gazing out at the buildings across the street, the distant rolling hills, and the light morning traffic below.
She felt more refreshed than ever. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. She had never felt this hopeful about the future. Spreading her arms wide, it was as if she were embracing the sunlight, embracing the girl she had fully become.
"Wake up~ It’s already past eight! The sun’s shining right on your butt!"
"The door wasn’t locked."
An Yuan pushed the door open, about to make a joke, but his steps stopped. His attention was completely captured by the sight before him.
Chen Cheng stood bathed in the morning sunlight, her bright smile radiant like a starry sky. She turned slightly, her hair swaying with the gentle breeze, and flashed him a sweet, heart-melting smile.
"You’re in a great mood today?"
"Mhm! It feels... special."
She blushed slightly, then took a few small steps forward, gently wrapped her arms around his neck, and stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on the lips.
"Good morning~"
But instead of responding, An Yuan suddenly froze, his expression stiff.
"Uh... um..."
Chen Cheng was also taken aback, looking up in a daze at her mother, who was holding a mop and bucket, about to enter her room to clean.
"......"
Her mother sighed, shaking her head as if lamenting how times had changed.
"Mom..."
Chen Cheng’s face instantly turned bright red. She quickly let go of An Yuan, stepped back, and awkwardly hid her hands behind her, trying desperately to change the topic.
"Weren’t you up all night playing mahjong? You haven’t slept yet?"
"I’ll take a nap in the afternoon. Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep tonight."
"I’ll do the cleaning! Let me do it!"
Desperate to make up for the awkwardness, Chen Cheng eagerly reached for the mop. But her mother simply moved it aside, avoiding her grasp. Sighing, she walked into the room.
"I’ll do it. You know the saying, 'a married daughter is like spilled water,' how could I possibly let you do the cleaning?" [1]
"All these years, and I’ve never seen you act so affectionate toward me."
"Mom~"
Taking a deep breath, Chen Cheng hesitated for a moment before stepping closer and planting a quick kiss on her mother’s cheek.
Now that she thought about it, the last time she had done this was probably when she was in kindergarten.
It was super embarrassing... but also kinda nice?
Her mother’s ears turned red, but she suddenly burst into laughter, playfully pushing Chen Cheng away.
"Alright, alright, stop pretending! Go eat breakfast!"
"Okay!"
Chen Cheng, feeling like she had just been granted a royal pardon, grabbed An Yuan and ran out of the room.
Once outside, she grumbled in a hushed voice, "Why didn’t you warn me?!"
"I was taken aback too, you know."
"What was there to be taken aback by?"
"You’re too beautiful. I got distracted."
An Yuan was trying to sweet-talk her, but Chen Cheng wasn't impressed, and gave him an eye roll.
Breakfast was obviously bought from Shaxian downstairs, a set of mixed noodles, wonton soup, and small steamed buns, and mother even specially put some tomato sauce in a small dish, for dipping the small steamed buns.
Adding a bit of broth to the slightly clumpy noodles, she stirred them casually before looking up.
"I still have a lot of homework. Help me with it this morning, and in the afternoon, let’s go out for a bit?"
"You actually want to go outside?"
"Not exactly. My mom said she’s taking me shopping for new clothes today, so I figured I’d rather have you take me instead. Or… we could both suffer and go together?"
An Yuan thought for a moment. "Then let’s bring my mom too. That way, both families can go. It's almost New Year, and I need new clothes too."
"Great! If Auntie comes along, my mom won’t have time to torture me." Chen Cheng sighed dramatically. "You know how terrifying it is to shop with her. She can drag me through an entire street trying on every single outfit."
She actually liked wandering around at night, aimlessly strolling through the streets. But shopping with her mom? Not so much.
Their conversation barely lasted a few minutes before an unexpected silence fell between them.
It wasn’t that they ran out of things to talk about, they could go from gaming to military history, from space exploration to international relations without skipping a beat.
But now, both of them had suddenly remembered the heartfelt words they exchanged last night. And neither knew how to bring it up.
But… was there even a reason to feel awkward?
Fidgeting with a strand of her hair, Chen Cheng hesitated before mumbling, "Last night… you weren’t just saying those things because you were drunk, right?"
"I only had two bottles." An Yuan smirked. "Meanwhile, you were crying like a baby~"
"Shut up! I’ll bite you!"
As always, Chen Cheng was easily flustered. She bared her teeth, pretending to attack him in embarrassment.
Her appearance, hairstyle, mannerisms, and personality hadn’t changed. But to An Yuan, there was something subtly different about her.
She looked cuter, prettier. Every little expression, every movement had a liveliness to it. A youthful charm that hadn’t been there before. She no longer seemed like the quiet, gloomy homebody she once was.
She had truly stepped out of her old shell.
Yet, traces of her past still lingered, remnants of the person she used to be. No matter how much time passed, those marks wouldn’t completely fade.
"You’re not as different as you feared you’d be."
Chen Cheng paused, looking down at her slender hands. "Really?"
"Yeah. You’re still just as annoying."
"Screw you!"
She kicked him playfully, then propped her chin on one hand, spacing out as she ate.
The truth was, whether she liked it or not, whether she rejected it or accepted it, the twenty-seven years of memories from her past life wouldn’t just disappear.
She was still herself. She could never become someone else.
“Don't you find it uncomfortable?”
“Uncomfortable? Why would I?” An Yuan said with a smile, “I've almost forgotten what you used to look like.”
As if Chen Cheng had always been a girl, just as she was now.
Chen Cheng, with a straight face, tried to plant a fake memory in An Yuan's head. "I was super handsome! Way better-looking than you, and eighteen centimeters, super big!"
"You think I believe that?"
"Don't believe me? Go back and take another look then?” Chen Cheng snorted. “Since you've forgotten, what I say is the truth."
"But I’m nineteen centimeters."
"Then I was twenty!"
Driven by a completely unnecessary sense of competition, Chen Cheng blurted out her response without thinking.
But the moment the words left her mouth, she froze.
Her eyes widened in shock, and she hesitantly glanced down at An Yuan’s lower half, her expression a mix of disbelief, embarrassment, and curiosity.
Wait! HOW BIG?! Was he serious?!
Who on earth could handle that?!
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TL Note:
[1] "嫁出去的女儿泼出去的水"
This chinese idiom is often used to describe the idea that once a daughter is married, she becomes part of her husband's is no longer considered a member of her own family. It implies that once a daughter is married, she is no longer under the care and responsibility of her parents.