625. So Good to Have You Here
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In his embrace, the soft body carrying a subtle milky scent was stimulating Chen Yao’s sensitive areas, causing his heart rate to escalate uncontrollably. Instinctively, he wanted to do something that he usually enjoyed, but at that moment, he noticed Lin Nan’s hands trembling slightly.
He leaned down, peering at Lin Nan, whose head was buried in his chest.
Her long hair concealed her cheeks, but through the fabric, he could feel waves of warmth cascading downward.
Chen Yao’s body froze, and the hand he intended to use to hold Lin Nan stayed suspended in mid-air, refusing to move.
He was at a loss, unsure of what to do or say to Lin Nan at this moment.
Why is she crying?
The thing he feared most in life was probably Lin Nan’s tears. The last time he saw them was when her father had kicked her out…
“Hey, don’t cry!”
“Was my drawing that ugly? Did it make you cry in horror?”
He desperately attempted to crack a witty joke, hoping to make Lin Nan laugh, but she remained motionless in his embrace.
“Why are you crying out of nowhere?” Chen Yao mused aloud. Although the two drawings did take some effort, they weren’t exactly tear-jerkers, were they?
With no other options, he placed a hand on Lin Nan’s back and gently patted her, mumbling, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. There’s nothing to cry about! If my mom finds out, I’m dead!”
After a long time, Lin Nan finally lifted her head, her eyes slightly red, but it was clear she hadn’t been crying.
Chen Yao started to wonder if he had misinterpreted the situation.
“I’m not crying!” Lin Nan insisted, pursing her lips and turning her head away to gaze out at the pouring rain outside.
Scratching his head, Chen Yao was genuinely perplexed by Lin Nan’s thoughts.
Back when Lin Nan was still a dude, he could pretty much read her mind, but ever since she transitioned into a girl, it had become increasingly difficult.
For some reason, Lin Nan’s expression seemed softer now.
He found himself absentmindedly playing with his computer, although his eyes occasionally darted over to Lin Nan, his mind wandering.
Could it be that my usual bro-ish behavior suddenly struck her as romantic?
Or maybe my scribbled card accidentally brushed against her sensitive spots?
My parents wouldn’t be lurking around outside, would they? If they found out I made Lin Nan cry, would it turn into a mixed doubles match of emotional catastrophe?
As he contemplated while sneakily glancing at Lin Nan, Chen Yao’s thoughts grew more absurd.
Ah, my wife is just too cute! I really want to give her a kiss.
Before he knew it, the computer screen had lost its appeal; he rested his cheek on his hand, leaning to one side and staring intently at Lin Nan, who was seated beside him.
Lin Nan caught his unabashed gaze and sighed helplessly, “What’s so interesting to look at?”
“Can’t I appreciate my wife?” Chen Yao shot back without missing a beat.
Who’s your wife? She’s at best your fiancée!
She silently rebuked him in her mind but chose to stay quiet, giving him a glare before returning to gaze out at the rain.
Perhaps because her parents had often been absent during her childhood, or maybe due to living independently since junior high, Lin Nan always seemed anxious and insecure, a certified pessimist.
She had a knack for imagining the worst possible outcomes for anything.
For instance, when she first became friends with Chen Yao, she imagined how dramatically they might part ways someday, so she always agreed to his requests to the best of her ability.
Even with her parents, she had noticed their conflicts and feared they might divorce, leading her to strive to keep things spotless whenever they returned home, trying to be the glue holding their marriage together.
With Lilith possessing her and bestowing upon her magical powers, gradually transforming her into a woman, her insecurities only deepened.
And now, being in a relationship with Chen Yao, she found herself distrusting love and marriage even more due to her past experiences. Lin Nan often envisioned how it would feel if Chen Yao no longer liked her and kicked her to the curb.
People change; even the happiest couples can end up divorcing for various reasons, turning into foes or even worse.
From the time they confessed during winter break to now, Chen Yao still treated her most of the time like a close buddy, with only occasional romantic flare-ups. Besides the initial excitement, their life had settled into a routine, making it hard for Lin Nan to feel Chen Yao’s affection.
Perhaps Chen Yao just had a more subdued way of expressing his feelings.
She trusted that as long as their relationship remained intact, he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.
But what if he did…
This could be called being mindful of potential dangers or some sort of overthinking due to being overly stuffed.
Yet in those cards and drawings, Lin Nan felt a long-lost warmth of genuine affection from Chen Yao.
She knew fully well Chen Yao’s drawing skills; to create such intricate pieces clearly required a lot of heartfelt effort. Those two drawings had taken him two months to complete, infused with who knows how much of his emotion.
“So, you really weren’t crying because of me, were you?”
Turning her head, Lin Nan glanced at the sheepish Chen Yao, raising an eyebrow and giving him an annoyed stare.
If she was, she certainly wouldn’t admit it!
She also felt a little ridiculous for crying, but that thought stayed stuck in her throat.
Lin Nan opened a drawer and took out a small clip, neatly organizing the three cards by date before carefully clipping them together. She then retrieved a transparent bag and placed them inside.
“I promised you there’d be drawings every year.”
“Since when have I ever lied to you?” Chen Yao replied with utmost confidence, “Two drawings every year! A deal’s a deal!”
Lin Nan nearly protested. After all, he tricked her into thinking they were just fooling around back then!
But that felt too embarrassing and made her seem foolish, so she held her tongue.
“A few years from now, maybe decades, we’ll look back at these drawings,” Chen Yao said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “By then, you might forget you were ever raised as a boy.”
As if I could forget! Especially this year—it’s like a surreal story!
Not only has my life turned magical, transforming me into a woman and my best friend into my fiancé, but the world is also filled with all sorts of bizarre happenings. It’s almost laughable how reality makes less sense than fiction!
Lin Nan shifted her chair a little closer to Chen Yao.
Leaning her body against him, resting her head on his shoulder, she found a cozy position and continued to watch the rain outside.
Chen Yao also put his mouse down, tilting his head to look at Lin Nan resting on his shoulder, gently leaning his cheek against her hair.
“It’s so good to have you here.”
He murmured, his hand gently running through Lin Nan’s long hair.
“Mm…”
