Chapter 79 First Kiss
Peng Chengyi's breath hitched, her gaze darting away in a panic. Her fingertips gripped the bag strap tightly, and she stammered, "I...I think it's...that's about right."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yubai's lips slowly curved into a smile: "About the same, how much different?"
His voice rose slightly at the end, like a feather brushing against the heart, both tingling and itchy, causing Peng Chengyi to turn her face away involuntarily, her ears burning.
Afraid that saying "now" would seem too hasty, she hesitated for a moment before whispering vaguely, "It'll be... a day or two less."
"Oh—" Chen Yubai drawled out the last syllable, his smile deepening. "I understand."
Not knowing what he had learned, Peng Chengyi was too embarrassed to ask.
The lights of the dormitory building ahead were getting closer and closer. She quickened her pace as if fleeing: "I'm going upstairs now, bye!"
Chen Yubai stood rooted to the spot, his hands in his pockets, watching her flustered figure gradually disappear into the light.
An irrepressible smile welled up in his eyes, quietly spreading in the night breeze.
-
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains and cast a dappled light on my pillow.
Peng Chengyi wasn't fully awake yet; she first reached for her phone beside her pillow. The screen lit up, her finger paused for a few seconds, and then she opened WeChat. Chen Yubai's message lay quietly at the top—
"Are you up? Shall we go have breakfast together?"
His tone remained neutral, without mentioning "girlfriend" or showing any extra expression.
Peng Chengyi stared at the line of words, feeling a strange emptiness in his heart.
Although she said "one or two days" last night, if we're being vague, today has already passed a day.
He didn't show any reaction, as if he wasn't in any hurry to be with her at all.
Peng Chengyi pursed her lips, feeling a bit stifled. She put down her phone, slowly climbed out of bed, barely having the energy to even wash up.
As I changed my clothes and went downstairs, the leaves on the trees in front of the door were swaying gently in the morning breeze, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Chen Yubai stood under the shade of a tree, his simple black T-shirt outlining his slender shoulders, and his legs beneath his shorts showing off their smooth lines. Sunlight dappled across his face, making him appear excessively handsome.
Peng Chengyi suppressed the slight resentment in her heart and walked over as if nothing had happened: "Let's go."
"Hmm," Chen Yubai replied softly, his tone lazy.
Just as she was about to walk forward side by side, he suddenly raised his hand and took her hand in his.
The temperature of his palm was clean yet burning, like a cluster of fire gently burning between her fingers.
Peng Chengyi froze, her heart pounded, and her breathing became erratic.
Her fingertips curled up unconsciously, and she turned her face blankly, looking at him with a flustered and bewildered expression.
Chen Yubai lowered his eyes, a smile in them, his voice low and husky as if polished by the wind: "What? Can't we hold hands?"
He paused, his gaze fixed on her face, a slight smile playing on his lips, and added leisurely, "It's been a day already, so we can be considered boyfriend and girlfriend now, right?"
Peng Chengyi was stunned for a moment, her mind went blank for several seconds, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest.
A mix of sweetness and shyness welled up unexpectedly on her cheeks, and she could only lower her head to hide it, muttering, "What a day! It's only been one night..."
Chen Yubai glanced at her bright red ears, and a smile slowly spread across his eyes.
Feeling her slightly stiff hand soften, he tightened his grip, his tone casual yet incredibly gentle: "I can't wait, is that not okay?"
“…Whatever you want.” Peng Chengyi said softly, but the corners of her lips still couldn’t help but curve upwards, her fingertips trembling slightly, and she finally grasped his hand in return.
The wind swept through the treetops, and the morning light shattered into a gentle glow between their intertwined fingers.
-
They had just confirmed their relationship when final exams came one after another, leaving them with very little time to be alone and cherish each other.
Reviewing, memorizing, and doing practice questions filled every spare moment, so at first glance, the days we spent together didn't seem significantly different from when we were just friends.
In addition, when walking around the campus, he would very naturally reach out and gently take her hand.
His warm palm enveloped her, his fingertips occasionally caressing the back of her hand in an ambiguous way, bringing a secret and reassuring flutter.
After finally finishing the last exam amidst the chaos, I'll be busy packing my bags to go back to Linbin for summer vacation.
Considering that their relationship had just been established and was not yet stable, and in addition to Peng Weiguo's university's ban on dating, Peng Cheng thought it over and discussed it with Chen Yubai, and decided to keep their relationship a secret from both of their parents for the time being.
Anyway, looking back on every summer vacation in the past, the two of them would almost always get together to do homework, play games, and just laze around.
Now they've simply changed to a more intimate name to continue being inseparable, but keeping it private doesn't seem to affect their ability to share this long and sweet summer that belongs only to each other.
However, when Chen Yubai actually stepped into the house and was warmly invited by Peng Weiguo to have dinner together, Peng Chengyi realized that she couldn't really relax at all.
During the meal, the way he looked at her always carried a faint smile, and his gaze clearly contained an intimacy that went beyond friendship, so intense that she could hardly resist it.
Her cheeks flushed uncontrollably, and to hide her panic and embarrassment, she deliberately avoided eye contact with him and even intentionally refrained from speaking to him.
This clumsy pretense only made the atmosphere at the dinner table more subtly ambiguous, turning what should have been a warm and cozy home-cooked meal into one with an awkwardness that was hard to explain.
"I'm full, I'm going back to my room!" Unable to eat any more, Peng Chengyi hurriedly finished the last few mouthfuls of rice in her bowl and almost impatiently put down her chopsticks.
"Aren't we going to eat another hairy crab? Your dad specially asked a colleague to bring one back from Yangcheng Lake." Zhou Lifang was taken aback.
"I'm not eating, it's too much trouble," Peng Chengyi said, standing up.
"Could you please help me remove the crab meat?" Chen Yubai said, holding the crab-removing tools. He looked up, his tone relaxed, but a faint smile played on his lips.
...What's wrong with this dog?!
Are they afraid that people around them won't notice that their relationship has changed?!
Peng Chengyi's ears burned, and she glared at him gently with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance.
Chen Yubai simply blinked innocently, his slender fingers still fiddling with the crab-removing needle, as if his overly considerate words from just moments ago were perfectly natural.
Fortunately, Zhou Lifen didn't notice anything amiss and, as usual, smiled and remarked, "Look at Xiaoyu, how thoughtful she is."
"...Well, he's the most considerate. Let him take care of you two. I'm leaving." Peng Chengyi chuckled dryly, quickly got up, and fled from the dining table as if escaping.
Before entering the room, Chen Yubai's respectful words drifted over from behind: "Aunt Zhou, if you don't mind, I can help you remove the crab meat."
"Oh, no need, no need, just eat well yourself!"
...
Peng Chengyi's lips twitched slightly. He walked into the room, even more speechless, and closed the door, shutting out the laughter and conversation from the living room.
The room fell silent instantly, with only the evening breeze sneaking in through the gaps in the curtains, carrying the heat of midsummer and gently brushing against her burning cheeks.
She picked up her phone, opened her WeChat chat with Chen Yubai, and started typing furiously: "I give up, can you just be honest for once!"
He was probably still focused on disassembling the crab, and his phone was silent for a while before she felt the vibration in her palm and received his reply.
Chen Yubai: "What happened to me? I don't think I did anything wrong, did I?"
Peng Chengyi bit her lip and typed quickly: "You keep staring at me!"
Chen Yubai: "?"
Chen Yubai: "I'm sitting right across from you, who else should I look at? Your dad?"
Peng Chengyi was taken aback by those words and couldn't refute them for a moment. She couldn't very well tell him directly that his ambiguous gaze made her heart race and her cheeks burn, could she?
Then his tail would be wagging so high it'd be in the sky!
Perhaps it's because, from childhood to adulthood, I've always been used to competing with him in everything.
Even now that she's in a relationship with him, the thought of not wanting to lose still lingers in her heart.
Therefore, ever since they confirmed their relationship, she has been trying her best to pretend to be calm, not wanting him to easily realize that he only needs a subtle look or an unintentional gesture to easily stir her heart.
In the end, she could only type a line in the chat box with a hint of helplessness: "Anyway, when my parents are around, don't say those overly considerate things."
Chen Yubai's reply popped up quickly, with his characteristic self-righteousness: "I just wanted to try and make a good impression on them. We can't be in a secret relationship forever; we'll get married sooner or later, right?"
Marry...?!
She had only been dating him for less than a month, and apart from holding hands, there had been no substantial progress, yet he was already thinking about things so far in the future!
Peng Chengyi's breath hitched, and her heart started pounding uncontrollably again.
She gripped her phone tightly, her fingertips tightening slightly. It took her a long time to calm her chaotic emotions. Pretending not to have seen his last, earth-shattering remark, she replied nonchalantly, "No need to try. Your favorability rating with my parents is already high enough; you're practically a perfect scorer."
Chen Yubai: "Oh, please thank my parents for their affirmation when you have the chance."
Peng Chengyi: "..."
-
Since her parents were both home during summer vacation, and not wanting to arouse any suspicion, Peng Chengyi had no choice but to go to Chen Yubai's house instead.
Perhaps because the two were no longer just friends, when they were alone in the bedroom, sitting on his bed with its dark blue sheets, there was an indescribable ambiguous atmosphere in the air.
The sunlight outside the window was cut into strips of bright shadow by the Venetian blinds, falling on the ground and also on his lowered, thick black eyelashes.
Peng Chengyi's finger slipped, and she pressed the wrong chord again. She simply pressed the string, glanced at him, and said in a deliberately lighthearted tone, "How about we go to the living room and play games instead?"
Chen Yubai slowly raised his eyes. The bass strings were still vibrating softly. He leaned back in his chair and said in a low, lazy voice, "You've only been playing this instrument for a few minutes? You're already tired of it?"
"Uh... I suddenly feel that playing games together is more fun." Peng Chengyi looked away, unconsciously twirling the hem of her clothes with her fingers to hide her guilty conscience.
Chen Yubai stared at her evasive long eyelashes for a few seconds, a faint smile playing on his lips. Finally, he put down the bass and turned off the buzzing speakers: "Alright, let's go play games."
The air conditioner in the living room was set low, and the air blew out slowly from the vents, carrying a slight coolness.
Chen Yubai picked up the controller and sank into the sofa, the soft cushions sinking slightly with his movement. He casually scrolled through the game list on the screen, his profile clearly visible in the television light: "What to play?"
“Double…” Peng Chengyi wanted to say “Double Couple”, but the words suddenly stopped in her throat. The scene of accidentally hitting his sensitive spot flashed through her mind, and her cheeks flushed. She quickly changed her words, “Kirby, I guess.”
"So you're not going to play two-player anymore?" Chen Yubai raised an eyebrow and glanced at her leisurely, clearly still remembering the embarrassing thing she did back then.
Peng Chengyi's breath hitched. He forced himself to remain calm and said dryly, "I'm not playing anymore. I'm afraid your skills are too bad, and I won't be able to resist wanting to grab the controller from you."
Hearing this, Chen Yubai chuckled, leaning casually deeper into the sofa, his tone lazy yet tinged with a hint of malicious mockery: "It's alright, anyway, it's just a matter of avoiding accidental injury..."
He paused deliberately, and when he turned to look at her, a playful glint appeared in his eyes: "Now you can take responsibility for my life too."
Peng Chengyi's face flushed, and she could almost feel the heat spreading from the tips of her ears all the way down her neck. She quickly turned her face to the side, pretending to concentrate on gripping the controller tightly, and muttered softly, "Who's going to be responsible for your life... You should start the game already."
Chen Yubai smiled noncommittally, his slender fingers pushing the joystick on the controller, and finally opened "A Couple's Journey".
As the game began, Peng Chengyi was quickly drawn into the rhythm, the heat on her face gradually subsided, and she regained her usual relaxed demeanor.
As she operated the controller, she would glare at him every now and then, her tone disdainful: "You're jumping too fast! You've blocked my path... Ah! I fell!"
"It's because your technique is lacking; you jumped too slowly." He leaned lazily against the sofa, his long legs casually stretched out, his tone carrying an undisguised teasing tone.
"What's wrong with my technique?" she retorted, turning her head with wide eyes. "It's because you're not in sync with me!"
"Then you jump over first, I won't move." Chen Yubai chuckled and put down the controller.
"You wait." Peng Chengyi snorted, sat up straight, and focused all her attention on the game.
After trying for a long time, it was still sent down by the middle row of changing boards.
"Am I supposed to wait forever?" Chen Yubai yawned lazily, a playful smile curving his eyes. "Do you want me to help you get through this?"
"I can do it myself!" Her small face was tense, her eyes were very stubborn, and she pushed the joystick with her fingers, still trying undeterred. "Don't interfere with me."
Looking at her earnest yet anxious expression, Chen Yubai's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he couldn't help but smile.
He chuckled silently, got up to grab a can of Coke from the refrigerator, and then slunk back down onto the sofa.
He hissed as he pulled the tab, the cool bubbles exploding in the air. He'd just tilted his head back and taken a swig when Peng Chengyi jumped up from the sofa beside him: "Success!"
She turned her head triumphantly and raised her chin at him: "See, I can get there by myself!"
"Hmm." He smiled slightly, as if teasing, "My girlfriend is the best."
His teasing remark made Peng Chengyi's heart skip a beat, and her face flushed involuntarily. She could only snatch the Coke from his hand and pretend to casually cover it up: "You do have some sense. I'm so hot from playing, give me a drink."
She tilted her head back and took two sips, the cool bubbles sliding down her throat. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, Chen Yubai casually reminded her, "I just drank this."
Peng Chengyi paused, her heart skipping a beat. She pretended not to care, pursed her lips, and said stubbornly, "It's okay, I don't mind."
After saying that, he deliberately took another sip, as if to prove something.
"Oh." Chen Yubai paused, then said lazily, drawing out the sound, "But does this count as an indirect kiss?"
"Pfft—" Peng Chengyi almost choked, spilling a few drops of cola on her clothes. She frantically wiped it off, her cheeks and neck turning crimson. "W-what nonsense are you talking about…"
"Doesn't that count?" He raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on her moist lips.
Peng Chengyi squeezed the Coke can; the cool touch calmed her racing heartbeat slightly.
"If you insist on saying it..." she lowered her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, "maybe, I guess so."
She paused, took a deep breath, and pretended to be calm as she looked up, her gaze lingering on his shoulder. Her voice trailed off as she said, "But we're boyfriend and girlfriend now, so what's wrong with an indirect kiss? A real kiss wouldn't be a problem either..."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yubai narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze darkening little by little, like the deep sea being covered by the night: "A real kiss is also okay?"
"What's the problem? We've been talking for over a month... By that pace, isn't it?"
Locked onto by his burning gaze, Peng Chengyi forced herself to remain calm and straighten her back, but unconsciously tightened her grip on the Coke can in her hand, making a soft metallic sound.
"Oh?" Chen Yubai tilted his head slightly, his voice low and tinged with amusement, as if gently probing, "So you do have a timetable in mind."
"Um..." Peng Chengyi pursed her lips awkwardly, her heart pounding, but she stubbornly retorted as if to cover it up, "Do you have a problem with that?!"
Actually, when she and Chen Yubai confirmed their relationship, she asked Fang Hao for advice, wanting to know how long it usually takes to get to the point of kissing, so that she could be mentally prepared.
Fang Hao said that every couple is different. Sometimes, when the atmosphere is right, they might kiss within a few days.
So, in the first few days after she got together with Chen Yubai, she was actually quite nervous, especially when he walked her back to her dormitory from the library every night.
To avoid appearing timid, she spoke very quickly and frequently when she and he parted.
This may have also damaged the so-called ambiguous atmosphere to some extent. Throughout the entire exam week, he didn't test her even once, unlike Ke Xingjian.
While she felt relieved, she also felt a little disappointed.
Does she think she's not attractive enough to him, which is why he hasn't had the urge to kiss her?
As she was lost in thought, Chen Yubai gently rested his elbow on the back of the sofa, leaning forward slightly without making a sound, his body carrying a faint scent of soap as he lightly brushed against her hair.
"Just curious," he said casually, yet his tone was persistent and undeniably intriguing, "how did you arrange this schedule?"
"...What, how was it arranged?" Peng Chengyi looked down helplessly, pretending to concentrate on drinking her cola. The cool bubbles slid down her throat, but they couldn't calm her rapidly beating heart.
"For example, how many days did you originally plan to date..." Chen Yubai's voice lowered, tinged with a lazy laugh, "...before kissing me?"
When the word "kiss" was uttered, the last syllable was extremely soft, yet it seemed amplified, lingering in the air.
Peng Chengyi's breathing became erratic, her fingertips gripping the can tightly, the metal edge slightly deformed from her pressure.
She tried to explain in a panic, her voice weak and feeble: "Who...who wanted to kiss you? I was just stating an objective fact based on the typical progression of a relationship, it doesn't represent me..."
Her voice grew softer and softer, her eyes darted around, and the tips of her ears burned bright red. Her flustered yet stubborn appearance was like that of a kitten cornered in a corner, utterly adorable.
Chen Yubai's Adam's apple bobbed, and he suddenly reached out and snatched the Coke can from her hand.
The can made a crisp sound as it collided with the coffee table. Peng Chengyi was slightly taken aback. Her fingertips, now without protection, curled up helplessly, but he took the opportunity to tuck them between his fingers.
"Anyway, it's just..." She opened her mouth, but before she could finish her rebuttal, he suddenly lowered his head and silenced her incessant chatter.
Peng Chengyi was startled, as if her mind had been struck by a "buzz," and all her thoughts instantly turned into a blank.
Chen Yubai's lips lightly covered hers, with a tentative warmth, shallow and as light as a feather.
Yet it was more unsettling than any touch.
His breathing was somewhat erratic, yet he was extremely restrained, as if he were merely confirming something through this very light touch.
Peng Chengyi barely dared to move; only her thick, long eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a startled butterfly.
Chen Yubai paused for a moment, stepped back slightly, and whispered to her from a distance, "Close your eyes."
These two words, like a spell, made her suddenly close her eyes.
Darkness amplifies other senses—
His warm breath brushed against the corner of her lips, and he held her fingers gently yet firmly. The second kiss carried the sweet scent of cola.
They never kiss deeply, awkwardly remaining at the stage of lips touching.
Occasionally, when trying to change the angle, the tips of their noses would accidentally bump into each other.
When the game character on the TV started spinning automatically because no one was controlling it, Chen Yubai finally stepped back a little.
As dusk settled outside the window, their foreheads touched, their breaths mingling gently in the dim light, each feeling the other's rhythm in their chests.
"The next step..." His voice was still hoarse, as if it had been sanded, "How long do we need to date?"
Peng Chengyi's cheeks were flushed, like clouds dyed with the sunset.
Her head was spinning, and her heart was still pounding. She couldn't understand his question at all: "What's the next step...?"
Seeing the innocent glint in her moist eyes, and her lips, reddened by his touch, like newly blooming roses, Chen Yubai's Adam's apple bobbed heavily. He suddenly stood up from the sofa, his movement so swift it stirred up a breeze.
"Never mind, forget I asked." He awkwardly reached up and touched the back of his neck, his fingertips lingering on the stubble for a moment. "I'm going to the restroom."
“…Oh.” Peng Chengyi pursed his lips slightly, his burning heat still lingering on them.
Only after he turned and strode towards the restroom did she dare to gently lift her eyelids and secretly follow his gaze.
The soft white light from the television flickered in the dimly lit living room, outlining the faint contours of his profile and revealing his flushed ears.
That was the look she had only ever seen him when he had a high fever.
As the bathroom door clicked shut, Peng Chengyi slowly withdrew her gaze, her lips curving into a faint smile that she couldn't suppress.
The cushions under the sofa still retained the warmth of where the two of them had sat. She picked up the Coke on the coffee table, which was no longer very cold, and took a few sips before finally recovering from the shyness and excitement of their first kiss.
She glanced at the wall clock; it was almost dinnertime. She got up and asked, pointing towards the bathroom, "Should I go home for dinner?"
"Hmm." A muffled response came from the bathroom, as if through the sound of running water.
"Do you want me to turn off the game console for you?" she asked again.
"Hmm," he replied briefly, his voice even lower than before.
Peng Chengyi turned off the game console, and the living room fell into an even deeper silence the moment the screen went dark. She couldn't help but turn her head to look at the closed door and asked, "Why aren't you coming out yet? Is your stomach upset?"
"No." His voice was a little hoarse, with a barely perceptible hint of anxiety. "You should go home and eat."
“…Then I’m leaving.” Peng Chengyi pouted, thinking to herself that this dog really cared a lot about his image. She had seen all kinds of people like him, so who would care if he was squatting in the toilet?
However, perhaps he was too embarrassed to go to the bathroom, or perhaps he was just shy after kissing her?
Unexpectedly, even after she recovered, he still hid and refused to come out.
This dog is so innocent.
Peng Chengyi paused, then suddenly recalled Wu Xian's initial assessment of him—
A pure and innocent virgin is a treasure.
Hehe, she's struck gold!
With a smile playing on his lips, Peng Chengyi plugged the two controllers back into the Switch charging dock, then, as if hiding some sweet secret, turned and left his house lightly.
In the bathroom, Chen Yubai finally let out a long sigh of relief when he heard the door close. He then leaned back against the cold tiles.
He slowly closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing gently.
My mind is filled with those lingering images—
Her lips were moist, her eyes were red and glistening with tears, and her soft little hands gripped his T-shirt tightly.
The sweet citrus scent lingered in her hair, and I could almost hear her soft, panting breaths, which tickled my heart like a feather.
The sound of flowing water was soft and gentle, but it couldn't drown out his increasingly heavy breathing, which echoed in the small space.
Gradually, he seemed to hear her sweet and alluring voice calling his name, with a long trailing tone.
Chen Yubai groaned, and a warm, damp sensation spread through his palm.
His forehead was damp with sweat as he leaned against the tiled wall to calm his breathing. His chest was still heaving violently when there was a sudden knock on the bathroom door.
"Chen Yubai? Are you alright? Why aren't you answering?"
"If you don't say anything, I'm opening the door!"
Chen Yubai's body stiffened abruptly, as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked through the frosted glass door at the anxiously swaying figure, only then realizing with shock that the call he had just heard was not what he had imagined at all.
She had returned sometime earlier and was now trying to break down the door to rescue him, who was disheveled, utterly wretched, and completely unpresentable.
-----------------------
Author's Note: pcy: My boyfriend is a pure virgin [eared bunny head emoji]
cyb: fuck
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