Chapter 78 Confession
Peng Chengyi froze, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and she even forgot to breathe.
"...You...you want to pursue me?" She reacted several seconds late, her voice trembling, her eyes darting around in a panic. "You...you're trying to help me get over my heartbreak, right? You're such a good brother."
Chen Yubai looked at her helpless expression, a smile slowly spreading across his eyes, lazy yet with a hint of certainty: "Of course not."
He paused, his tone suddenly softening, and his expression becoming more serious: "Peng Chengyi, I like you, so I don't want to be your childhood friend or buddy anymore, I only want to be your boyfriend."
The moment those words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze.
Peng Chengyi's heart skipped a beat, as if struck by some kind of electric current. She froze on the spot, her fingertips trembling slightly.
She never expected that Chen Yubai would fall in love with her so quickly.
Could it be that her recent makeup, the carefully chosen dress, or the bottled water she gave me had some effect?!
This effect is simply too outstanding!
Seeing her staring blankly with her mouth agape, not responding for a long time, Chen Yubai reverted to his usual lazy demeanor and casually joked, "However, if you'd like to call me 'brother' like you did in high school, I'd be happy to."
The word "brother" was uttered softly in his low voice, the ending syllable tinged with laughter, so ambiguous it almost seemed to melt away.
Peng Chengyi suddenly snapped back to reality, feeling as if she had been burned by something.
Her ear tips gradually turned red, and the heat spread down her neck to her collarbone. Even the hand holding the knife and fork tightened involuntarily, almost as if panic was seeping through her fingers.
"Who, who wants to call you brother!" She glared at him, raising her voice.
Chen Yubai raised an eyebrow, and the smile on his lips deepened.
He gave a soft "oh" and softened his voice, saying, "Sorry, this is my first time pursuing someone, I'm not very skilled, please bear with me."
Upon hearing this, Peng Chengyi's heartbeat completely went off track.
She subtly pinched her palm with her fingertips, trying to make her voice sound normal, but her breath still trembled slightly: "You, you shouldn't talk like that, I... I can't take it."
Chen Yubai hummed in agreement, lazily raising his eyes with an overly innocent tone: "But didn't you say you like gentle women?"
The last syllable of that sentence lingered softly, like a thin thread gently tugging at her heart.
"No, no! I still prefer you the way you are!" Peng Chengyi hurriedly shook her head, her tongue almost tied in knots with panic, and the tips of her ears were so red they were about to bleed.
"Oh—" Chen Yubai responded thoughtfully, a smile slowly spreading across his lips. "So you like me too?"
His tone rose slightly, as if he were joking, or as if he were making a firm confirmation.
Peng Chengyi froze, her head buzzing, her face burning red. Unable to decide whether to admit it or deny it, she simply shut her mouth and lowered her head.
Upon seeing this, Chen Yubai's smile deepened.
He stopped teasing her and simply cut another piece of steak, placing it on her plate: "Eat up, or it'll get cold."
“…Hmm.” Peng Chengyi hurriedly forked the steak, took a bite, but couldn’t even taste it. She only felt that her mouth and heart were burning.
However, after the meal, Chen Yubai's words and actions were no different from usual; he was lazy and casual, as if the previous confession was just an illusion.
As Peng Chengyi walked out of the restaurant carrying the takeout bag, she watched his retreating figure as he paid the bill and suddenly felt a little annoyed.
Should she have accepted his confession just now?
At the time, she simply didn't want him to realize that she had fallen for him first, so she pretended to be reserved and didn't respond to him, wanting to wait for him to pursue her before agreeing.
But what if he finds pursuing her too troublesome and gives up?
In the taxi on the way back to school, she stared blankly at the lights outside the window, not even noticing when he paid the fare.
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Yubai got out of the taxi and looked back at Peng Chengyi, who was still sitting in the car.
"Huh?" Peng Chengyi hurriedly pulled herself out of her reverie and quickly got out of the taxi. "I wasn't thinking about anything, I was just a little sleepy."
"You little pig, you get sleepy as soon as you're full," he joked as he closed the car door.
“You’re the pig! You’re always sleepy even when you’re not full. I’ve looked for you ten times, and eight of the time you were asleep.” Peng Chengyi puffed out her cheeks.
"It's your fault for coming to see me either early in the morning or in the middle of the day," Chen Yubai shrugged.
"Otherwise what? Would I go looking for you in the middle of the night?" Peng Chengyi rolled her eyes at him.
"I don't mind you coming to see me in the middle of the night." He chuckled, his voice carrying a hint of teasing.
"..." Peng Chengyi took a few seconds to react, then her face flushed red as she said, "I would never go looking for you in the middle of the night!"
"Oh, back in our senior year of high school, you knocked on my door quite a few times in the middle of the night," he teased casually, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"I only went to ask you a math question! Can't you be a little more innocent!" She blushed, her cheeks turning bright red, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"What did I say?" He blinked innocently. "You're the one who misunderstood."
"..." Peng Chengyi choked, then said angrily, "I didn't think anything! You're leading me astray!"
The two bickered all the way to the dormitory building. Peng Chengyi snatched the packing bag from his hand fiercely: "I'm at the dormitory, goodbye!"
"Hmm." Chen Yubai paused, glanced at her slightly trembling, thick eyelashes, and casually added, "Don't forget, I'm pursuing you."
Peng Chengyi's heart skipped a beat, her breathing became slightly erratic, and the worries that had been temporarily hidden by their bickering vanished completely in an instant.
She turned her back to hide her embarrassment, pursed her lips, and said to him reproachfully, "My brain works much better than yours, so I won't forget."
After saying that, he picked up his pace and hurriedly ran into the dormitory building.
Peng Chengyi's breathing only calmed down a little after she entered the dormitory.
She gently placed the takeout bag on the table, her fingertips still trembling slightly, and her voice unconsciously carried a hint of cheerfulness: "Does anyone want some late-night snacks?"
"What kind of late-night snack?" Wu Xian was already sitting on the top bunk, excitedly peeking her head out from under the covers, her eyes sparkling.
"Just... steak or something," Peng Chengyi said.
Fang Hao, who was watching a show, turned around at the sound and immediately noticed the restaurant logo on her bag. She took off her headphones and exclaimed, "Holy crap, isn't this that famous steakhouse with an average price of four figures per person? Chengcheng, you're really hiding your true talent!"
Peng Chengyi's cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her head and gave an awkward, embarrassed smile: "No, no, it was Chen Yubai who treated us..."
"Wow, your childhood friend is so generous!" Wu Xian excitedly climbed off the bed.
Even Yang Yuqing, who was reading a book, couldn't help but put down her book and peek over slightly.
“Actually…” Peng Chengyi opened the package, hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t help but share with them, “It’s because he wanted to pursue me, so…”
Before he could finish speaking, Fang Hao stood up excitedly: "I knew it! I've always had a good eye for these kinds of things!"
She smiled and teased Peng Chengyi's arm, "So what do you think? You, do you actually like him a little?"
Peng Chengyi's fingertips tightened, her cheeks flushed an uncontrollable light pink, and the tips of her ears turned red as well. She responded softly, her voice as light as a mosquito's buzz: "But... I haven't agreed to him yet."
“There’s no need to agree so quickly! Let the guy pursue you a bit more, then he’ll know how to cherish you more!” Wu Xian said with a smile.
“I think so too.” Fang Hao nodded in agreement, his tone mature and experienced.
The dormitory lights shone with a warm yellow hue, and laughter floated lightly in the air.
After the late-night snack was distributed, the dormitory lights were turned off, leaving only the moonlight filtering in through the gaps in the curtains.
Peng Chengyi lay in bed, her heart still pounding with excitement. When she closed her eyes, Chen Yubai's words of confession floated into her mind again. The more she thought about it, the hotter her heart felt, almost too sweet.
She couldn't help but bury her face in the pillow, tossing and turning for a long time, but she was still too excited to fall asleep.
I couldn't help but pick up my phone from beside my pillow, intending to scroll through my WeChat Moments to kill time while I couldn't sleep, when a WeChat message popped up at the top of the screen.
Chen Yubai: Are you asleep?
Peng Chengyi's heart skipped a beat. She bit her lip and, feigning composure, tapped the screen: "What?"
Chen Yubai: "Are you having trouble sleeping?"
He hit the nail on the head right away, and Peng Chengyi was too embarrassed to admit it, so she could only bite the bullet and lie: "No, I was actually asleep, and you woke me up."
A few seconds later, a faint message came from the other end: "Don't you always turn on Do Not Disturb when you sleep?"
Peng Chengyi choked for a moment, then finally managed to say, "I forgot today."
There was a moment of silence on the other end. She stared at the line "The other party is typing" for a long time, her heart pounding in her chest.
After a while, a video suddenly popped up on the screen, showing him holding a guitar.
Chen Yubai: "Just in case you can't sleep, here's a lullaby for you."
Peng Chengyi paused, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, before quickly replying, "I don't need it!"
Chen Yubai: "Never mind if you don't need it. Goodnight."
Whether it's because their relationship has changed or not, Peng Chengyi now feels a subtle ambiguity in the "goodnight" messages he sends her.
She stared at the screen with restraint for a long while, her fingertips hovering lightly over the keyboard before cautiously typing back: "Goodnight."
She thought he had probably recorded a video of himself writing something to put her to sleep, just like he did the day before high school started. But when she opened it, a soft guitar melody flowed out.
In the video, he sits leaning against the headboard, his shirt collar loose, the light shining down from one side, casting a soft glow on his face. His slender fingers glide gently across the strings of a piano.
As the intro faded, he hummed softly—
Fascinated by your eyes
The Milky Way has traces
...
How much further must it take to enter your heart?
How much longer until I can get closer to you?
...
Let me tell you a dream
How could this be?
Having you
His gentle, husky voice rippled through the headphones, carrying a slight magnetism, like the wind brushing across the water, so gentle it left no trace.
Peng Chengyi felt her heartbeat being pulled by the melody, pausing slightly before echoing back.
Damn, how can a dog be so romantic?
Peng Chengyi gripped her phone, her ear tips burning slightly.
She slowly lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips hovering over the screen for a moment before clicking the loop playback.
The night was gradually filled with his singing, and her consciousness, too, quietly sank into a dream in that soft melody.
-
Ever since Chen Yubai made it clear that he wanted to pursue her, their relationship has quietly returned to the way it used to be, where they were inseparable.
She would go to the cafeteria for breakfast, and he would always wait for her downstairs in the dormitory, hands in his pockets, leaning lazily against a tree.
Even though he didn't have any classes that morning, he still showed up on time, as if "accompanying her" had become a matter of course.
Sometimes their classes were on different campuses, one in the south and one in the north, and he would always appear out of nowhere, waiting for her at the classroom door on time, just to have lunch and dinner together.
At first, Peng Chengyi wanted to be a little reserved.
But every time Chen Yubai appeared, Fang Hao and the others would immediately exchange glances, smile meaningfully, and then scatter without saying a word.
She didn't even have a chance to be reserved; her heart raced wildly at his ambiguous "Let's go."
In these ambiguous yet sweet days, time seemed to be quietly blown away by the wind, and before you knew it, more than half a month had passed.
The summer heat grew stronger, even the cicadas' chirping sounded sticky and made people restless. The University of Washington had officially entered finals week, the library was brightly lit, and rows of students were buried in notes and a sea of problems.
Peng Chengyi sat by the window, her fingertips lightly turning the pages of her notebook, but her gaze kept drifting to the side.
Chen Yubai was writing a problem with his head down. The light fell along the ends of his hair, casting a soft glow. His deep-set eyebrows drooped slightly, and his raven-feather-like eyelashes cast a faint shadow on his handsome nose.
Her gaze involuntarily slid down, stopping at his slightly pursed lips, and a thought suddenly popped into her mind—
What would it feel like to kiss those lips that look so aloof and ascetic?
The thought flashed through her mind, and she felt as if she had been electrocuted; the tips of her ears quickly burned, and she hurriedly lowered her head.
Oh no, oh no.
Ever since I realized I liked him, those not-so-pure fantasies have always popped up unexpectedly.
But the two of them are clearly not boyfriend and girlfriend yet.
Although he is the one pursuing her now, it seems that she holds the initiative.
But he didn't bring up confirming their relationship again, leaving her completely at a loss as to how to proceed.
Besides, she didn't actually expect him to chase her for so long.
I just didn't know how to bring it up, which is why it's dragged on like this.
Does she have to be the one to say it directly—"Chen Yubai, I want to be your girlfriend"?
Just imagining the scene made her face burn with embarrassment.
Aaaaaaah!
If only I had agreed to it at the steakhouse!
Peng Chengyi was in a state of agitation, and he scribbled randomly on the draft paper with his pen.
"What's wrong?" Chen Yubai suddenly turned his head, his gaze falling on her scribbled draft paper. "Can't solve the calculus problem?"
"Huh? Um..." she mumbled in response, pushing the workbook toward him.
"Which question?" He naturally reached out and took it.
Peng Chengyi pointed casually, her heart pounding like a drum. Chen Yubai glanced at the question, then slowly raised his eyes: "Were you sleeping in class?"
"Who's sleeping!" she retorted immediately, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Then how could you not solve such a basic problem?" He raised an eyebrow and lightly tapped the problem with his fingertip.
Peng Chengyi then saw the question she was pointing to, and it was indeed ridiculously easy. Her ears turned even redder, and she stammered, making excuses: "Maybe...maybe I'm a little sleepy, and my brain just can't process it."
Chen Yubai gazed at her fluttering eyelashes, then simply closed the workbook: "Then go back and rest."
“…Okay, sure.” Peng Chengyi replied helplessly and obediently followed him to pack his schoolbag.
The two walked out of the library side by side. The night unfolded like a gentle curtain, and the streetlights shone one by one, their light falling on the ground like shallow golden puddles.
Chen Yubai suddenly slowed his pace, his seemingly casual voice mixed with the cicada chirping: "Is something on your mind?"
Peng Chengyi's heart tightened, her fingertips gripping the backpack strap, and she turned her face away: "N-no...why do you ask?"
"I noticed you seemed distracted while you were studying." He turned to look at her, his tone calm, yet it was as if he could see right through her.
"I don't have anything on my mind..." She pursed her lips nervously, then suddenly caught a flaw in his words and mustered a bit of courage to retort, "I think you're the one with something on your mind, aren't you? You're always absent-minded when you're studying, otherwise why would you keep observing me?"
Chen Yubai smiled, the moonlight scattering across his face: "I'm pursuing you, who else would you look at?"
The tone was matter-of-fact, as casual as breathing.
Peng Chengyi's face flushed red, and even her steps became a little unsteady. She bit her lip, her heart in turmoil, and after holding back for a long time, she couldn't help but ask in a low voice that was almost carried away by the night wind: "Then, how long are you going to keep chasing me?"
Chen Yubai paused slightly, turned his head, and the light from the streetlamp slid down his profile, casting a faint shadow on his thin eyelashes.
"Isn't that up to you?" His gaze was fixed on her face, his voice lazy yet tinged with a hint of caution. "How long do you want me to keep pursuing you?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Dog head with rose in hand]
The lyrics in this article are quoted from "Mercury". Thanks to 66475663, Soleil, Tears Wet Pig Trotter Rice, 75981039, 818411, Today I Want to Slack Off and Willow Dark for feeding me the nutrient solution!
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