257. Confession
“Be my girlfriend?”
Is this a confession? It counts as one, right?! This…
Lin Nan’s brain crashed, leaving her with a blank slate. The chocolate she was holding fell to the floor, but she didn’t even notice. She just stared at Chen Yao on the sofa, dumbfounded.
Her face turned a bright red in an instant, her brain sounded alarms like a 24-hour news channel, and her mouth opened and closed without any words emerging.
Should I just reject him outright?
But deep down, she knew she had feelings for Chen Yao, even if she had never been in a relationship before and wasn’t quite sure if what she felt was love or just a weird emotion.
She watched Chen Yao stand up and instinctively took two steps back, only to bump her head against the wall.
Am I really considering accepting him?
After almost twenty years as a man, Lin Nan truly struggled with the thought of kissing a guy or even discussing life’s mysteries with one. Even though she was becoming more feminine by the day, just the idea of being with a male still sparked feelings of awkwardness.
As Chen Yao approached her, his skin seemed to radiate heat, and her eyes widened with a mix of fear and anxiety.
She had planned to think about her feelings for Chen Yao later, maybe a few years down the line, once she could fully accept her identity as a woman. But she had never expected him to confess so abruptly?!
Chen Yao had no clue what Lin Nan was thinking, but at least she looked shy—her eyes filled with astonishment and maybe even a glimmer of something like secret delight. Seizing the moment, he decided to press on, even if his own legs felt like jelly.
“Um… I really, really like you.”
As someone with a thick skin, Chen Yao had completely forgotten the last time he blushed.
“You’re not gay, are you?”
He had imagined all sorts of responses from Lin Nan, but he never expected that question.
He froze for a moment, watching as Lin Nan started to regain her composure. Suddenly realizing that if he let her calm down, he might lose this golden opportunity.
Must say something—anything!
What to say…
For the first time, he regretted not reading romance novels or watching youth dramas, otherwise, he would have a treasure trove of sweet nothings to throw at her, and Lin Nan would have no chance to cool off.
“No, I… I only started liking you after you became a girl… right?” His words stumbled out awkwardly, and he wanted to slap himself.
What am I even saying?!
But Lin Nan’s face turned even redder at his awkward confession, and she stood there frozen, not moving for what felt like ages.
“I don’t know how to say this.” Chen Yao looked down at her toes. “I just really like you, for no particular reason.”
He suddenly noticed her feet twitch, and when he looked up, she was shuffling along the wall as if trying to make a stealthy exit.
Given Lin Nan’s personality, it made sense she’d want to avoid the situation.
Chen Yao anticipated this and suddenly lunged forward attempting a dramatic wall slam, but all he managed to do was crash into the wall headfirst.
Rubbing his aching nose, he turned to Lin Nan, sporting a look of embarrassment.
How did she react so quickly?!
“Um… um…” Lin Nan nervously fiddled with her outfit, avoiding eye contact with Chen Yao. “Can we just think about it?”
“Maybe you’re just being impulsive, right?” she mumbled, taking another step back. “Maybe after spending this time together, you’re mistaking your reactions for feelings… right? I understand guys.”
“Why don’t you go watch some of that stuff in the bedroom and cool off first?”
Remembering her earlier antics to unlock her magic powers, Lin Nan added, “When I kissed you and confessed, I was just messing with you. I didn’t mean it… I…”
Her brain was a chaotic mess, and she couldn’t tell if she was speaking nonsense. Her language skills had collapsed, her face was blazing, and she felt like she might faint at any moment.
Chen Yao was only half-listening, caught in a daze watching her.
“And you might have accidentally misunderstood our best-friend status…”
Taking a deep breath, Lin Nan finally shook her head. “Can we both just think about it for a while? Let’s take some time apart to cool off.”
“I don’t think we need to cool off.”
Chen Yao replied.
“But we really do…” Lin Nan whispered to herself, sounding more like she was convincing herself than him.
She almost nodded in agreement, but to others, this might just be a carefree college fling or a boring pastime, or even just wanting someone to hang out with.
But for her, thoughts of marriage, having kids, and the future popped into her head in the blink of an eye.
Maybe the awkwardness and tension had reached a boiling point, or perhaps the earlier crash had stripped away her dignity. As she talked, Chen Yao surprisingly grew more composed.
He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression relaxing. “I don’t think there’s anything to consider; I’ve thought about this enough.”
Lin Nan didn’t respond; she just stared at the ground, her fingers nervously twisting her clothes.
Chen Yao recognized her avoidance.
That’s just how she was—when faced with problems, her first inclination was to run away, but when a real issue came up, she faced it head-on.
Who knows what goes on in a woman’s head?
After waiting for what felt like an eternity without an answer, he knew this was no time to back down.
He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Lin Nan kept her head down, focused on her toes, her mind racing. She wanted to reject him but found herself at a loss for words. She wanted to agree, but it felt too hasty.
Just then, a shadow loomed over her.
Instinctively, she sidestepped to dodge it, but as soon as she took a step, she felt hands grip her shoulders, locking her in place. She looked up, eyes wide, and exclaimed, “What are you doing?!”
With just a few steps back, she found herself slamming into the wall again, leaving no room to retreat. She froze, her eyes wide with surprise as he wrapped her in his arms.
She was dazed, her body pressed against Chen Yao’s, feeling the heat radiating from him.
Her hands were at a loss, unsure of where to put themselves.
A wave of intense embarrassment washed over her, making her head spin, and she found herself staring blankly at the furniture behind him, her eyes filled with confusion.
Chen Yao tilted his head down, his lips brushing against her earlobe as he whispered softly, “Lin Nan, I like you. Be my girlfriend.”
Her sensitive ears tingled from his warm breath, seemingly activating something inside her that instantly softened her rigid body.
Finally regaining her senses, she suddenly shoved him away hard, catching Chen Yao off guard, and ran straight into the bedroom, slamming and locking the door behind her.
Breathless, she leaned against the door, and then, her legs turned to jelly, she collapsed onto the floor.
