Chapter 98: It’s All An Yuan’s Fault!
"You wouldn’t believe it! Those two fell asleep together this afternoon, sitting side by side. Ahh, my heart almost melted just watching them~"
It was a lively night at the busiest street market in town.
Up ahead, Chen Cheng’s mother linked arms with An Yuan’s mother, whispering gossip. Behind them, An Yuan was confidently holding Chen Cheng’s hand, while she, blushing furiously, kept trying to shake him off.
"It’s so nice~ They’re young, carefree, and just following their hearts. Thinking back to when I was seventeen or eighteen... "
An Yuan’s mother suddenly grinned and changed her tone. "Hey, in-law~ Why don’t we start discussing their wedding?"
"What in-law?!" Chen Cheng’s mother rolled her eyes. "They’re not even officially together yet! Who knows if your An Yuan will change his mind once he gets to college?"
"An Yuan?" An Yuan's mother sighed and glanced back at the two kids. "He keeps insisting that he’ll go to the same university as Chen Cheng."
"That won’t work! If he doesn’t get into a good school, how’s he supposed to support Chengcheng in the future? He’s just being impulsive, and you should've tried to stop him from doing something so rash."
An Yuan felt their gazes and looked up for a second. That brief distraction gave Chen Cheng the perfect opportunity. She pulled her hand free and, in frustration, kicked him in the leg. "Are you crazy?!"
With their mothers nearby and a crowd bustling through the night market, she was way too embarrassed to be holding hands with An Yuan in public.
"I think they’re talking about us," An Yuan said, watching the two older women whispering. He smirked at Chen Cheng. "Maybe they’re planning our wedding?"
"Yeah, right! You still have four years before you’re even legally allowed to get married!"
"We can have the wedding first and get the marriage license later. That’s pretty common in small towns, isn’t it?"
Chen Cheng froze, eyes widening. Now that she thought about it, in small-town and rural areas, this kind of thing was pretty normal!
Wait… if they had a wedding, wouldn’t that mean the wedding night too?!
She had always assumed marriage was something for the distant future, five or six years later, after they had stable jobs and lives. She had never seriously considered it happening so soon!
Sure, she often used her close buddies as inspiration for stories, but she wasn’t ready to be the main character in one. Especially if it meant being pinned down by An Yuan.
Besides, in her past life, she had been a virgin for 27 years. And now, after just three months of being a girl, she was supposed to just give it all away?! That felt way too reckless!
"No, no, no! Way too fast! Let me take my time, at least! Right now, the most important thing is studying for the college entrance exams!"
Thankfully, her mother called her from ahead. "Chengcheng! Come inside and check out some clothes!"
"Coming!"
Chen Cheng immediately abandoned An Yuan, jogging to catch up and slipping into the women's clothing store with her mother.
Women's clothing had so many more options compared to men’s.
Cool and stylish, cute and sweet, elegant and sexy... As Chen Cheng lifted her head, she scanned the outfits hanging on the walls and displayed on mannequins. Naturally, she gravitated toward the black, edgy, and more gender-neutral styles.
"Mom! That trench coat—"
"Ugh, so ugly! Girls should wear something with prettier colors."
Chen Cheng pressed her lips together. Even when she had been a guy, her mother had hated her all-black wardrobe.
"Look at this padded jacket! It’s pink and super cute!"
"......"
Instinctively, Chen Cheng turned to An Yuan for help. Only to find him rubbing his chin, staring at a mannequin dressed in yoga pants.
This pervert! He just wants to see my legs!
But then again… yoga pants were pretty trendy these days.
In high school, it didn’t matter since they had to wear uniforms. But once she got to college, campus streets were filled with girls wearing yoga pants. Long, straight legs, perky curves, all wrapped up tight. It was distracting.
Still, there was no way she was wearing something like that. Too form-fitting, too revealing. It felt like wearing nothing at all, like body paint. Way too embarrassing.
"Xiuying~ This skirt would look great on Chengcheng, don’t you think?" An Yuan's mother called out. "Look at this one."
"It’s winter!"
"Just wear thick tights underneath. It’s not like our winters are that cold."
Chen Cheng’s mother was convinced and turned around with a smile. “Come on, go try it on in the fitting room.”
"Ugh..."
Chen Cheng pouted in protest.
To be fair, her mother and An Yuan’s mother had decent taste.
She preferred cool, stylish outfits, but she also liked sexy and pretty ones. Ones she could wear at home, just for herself, to admire in the mirror, maybe even strike a few teasing poses… or mess with An Yuan for fun.
But the biggest problem? She never got to choose for herself.
That feeling sucked.
It was clear that in this parallel world, as a girl, she hadn’t yet gone through a rebellious phase. Her mother was too used to controlling everything about her.
And that had always bothered her.
"Nope. I don’t like it," she said, turning her head away.
Back when she was a guy, her rebellious phase had lasted from middle school at fourteen all the way until she transmigrated at twenty-seven. The first two years had been especially rough, constantly butting heads with her mother. That’s why, after graduating college, she had moved to a different city instead of staying at home.
It wasn’t until she started making her own money that she finally earned the right to talk to her mother on almost equal terms, where her mother learned to compromise instead of just forcing kindness on her.
"How do you know it doesn’t look good if you don’t try it on?"
"I don’t like it. Just give me the money, and I’ll pick out something myself."
Her mother’s face darkened instantly. The gentle, warm smile disappeared in a second, replaced by a sharp frown.
That expression, one of suppressed anger and cold authority, was too familiar. It was the same look she wore when fighting with Chen Cheng’s father.
Seeing that face, Chen Cheng had the sudden urge to just turn around and leave.
"Alright, alright. Chengcheng’s old enough now, she doesn’t have to like the same things as us." Thankfully, An Yuan's mother stepped in, smoothing things over for her future daughter-in-law. "Let her and An Yuan pick something out together. That way, we won’t have to bother with it."
An Yuan, noticing the tension, quickly chimed in. "Exactly! Let us choose. Less trouble for you, and Chengcheng will be happier."
Chen Cheng’s mother shot him a sharp glare.
This brat must have corrupted her daughter! She used to be so obedient, now she was getting more and more difficult to handle!
"???"
Why was she glaring at him? What did he do?!
An Yuan was completely baffled but could only give an awkward laugh.
"You can’t control your kids forever," An Yuan's mother said as she pulled Chen Cheng’s mother away. "She’s almost an adult now..."
Watching the two elders leave, Chen Cheng let out a sigh. Her mood for shopping was completely ruined.
She had overheard An Yuan's mother’s words, and it made sense why An Yuan was always close to her, willing to listen to her advice. It seemed like he had never even gone through a rebellious phase.
"Why can’t my mom be like yours?"
An Yuan grinned and slung an arm around her shoulder. "You can call her ‘Mom’ now too, you know. She’ll even give you a red envelope."
"You’re insane."
Annoyed, Chen Cheng shoved his hand off.
She could compromise. She wasn’t that stubborn, rebellious kid anymore. The one who used to skip school, go on hunger strikes, or stay overnight at internet cafés just to defy her mother. But at the same time, she selfishly wanted to live on her own terms.
"Am I being childish? I’m already this old, and I’m still acting rebellious."
An Yuan thought for a moment, then said encouragingly, "Not at all. You’re grown up now, which means you shouldn’t have to listen to your mom about everything. It’s good to set some boundaries."
"Then I’ll just tell her you taught me that."
An Yuan’s face fell in horror. "So that’s why your mom glared at me just now! She looked like she wanted to kill me!"