The car stopped in the outdoor parking lot of a large shopping center in Changwan.
Xiao Chen took Yu Na to the mobile phone experience store on the first floor.
She asked in puzzlement: "Why are we here?"
Xiao Chen said: "To get you a new phone."
"......" Yu Na was shocked and hurriedly pulled his arm: "No need, I'll bring a power bank from now on."
She tiptoed and whispered in his ear: "I promise I won't ignore your messages anymore."
Her breath surrounded him, and Xiao Chen's breathing stopped for a second.
Like a spoiled rascal, he stubbornly spat out two words: "Don't want."
An enthusiastic sales assistant came over: "How may I help you?"
The new phone model had just been released not long ago, so the price was the highest right now, over ten thousand yuan.
However, when he paid with his card, his eyes didn't even blink.
The sales assistant packaged up the phone. Seeing that the two customers had outstanding looks and extraordinary temperament, and looked great together, she handed the phone bag to Xiao Chen with a smile: "You two make such a nice couple!"
Xiao Chen took the phone and chuckled politely: "Thank you."
Yu Na: ?
Back in the car, Xiao Chen stuffed the phone package into Yu Na's hands, "Use this from now on."
"......Okay, thank you."
Xiao Chen ignored her thanks.
Yu Na couldn't help but ask again: "What message did you send me?"
He was a little embarrassed: "You'll know when you get home and check, won't you?"
Xiao Chen changed the topic: "Are you hungry? Let me take you out for a meal?"
"No, I ate quite a lot at lunch, don't have much of an appetite now." Yu Na was desperate to find out what message Xiao Chen had sent and said, "I want to go home."
On the way to Huating No.1, Xiao Chen felt anxious and conflicted.
Should he confess his feelings or wait a little longer? The two different thoughts kept wrestling in his mind.
He had never confessed to anyone before and admitted that he wasn't very good at talking to girls.
He had always relied on actions to convey his feelings.
So now, he didn't know what to say for a confession.
He didn't know how to confess romantically like in TV dramas either, and most importantly, there was no time to prepare.
But waiting any longer seemed even more agonizing.
He now understood Yu Na's feelings for him and had also figured out his own emotions. He didn't want to keep waiting.
Even one more second would be torture.
Questioning without the right would be the most fragile.
The car slowly drove into Huating No.1.
When they arrived downstairs, Yu Na opened the car door to get off, "I'll go up first."
"Wait a second—"
Yu Na: "What's the matter?"
Xiao Chen got out of the car after her.
The neighborhood was very quiet, without any noise at night either.
They both tacitly lowered their voices, but in this tranquil environment, even the slightest sound stood out exceptionally.
Xiao Chen stood in front of her, his heart racing wildly.
But when he saw her bright and enticing eyes, his emotions calmed down considerably.
"Yu Na."
Yu Na had one hand in her pocket, fidgeting anxiously with her fingers, "Hmm."
Xiao Chen asked: "Do you remember I told you before to learn to take care of yourself?"
Yu Na blinked twice, "I remember."
That day, Xiao Chen had persuaded her to negotiate with her parents and compromise.
She felt that he didn't understand her at all, so she was very disappointed.
How could she not remember?
"Now I want to take that back."
Yu Na looked up, waiting for his next words.
"You don't need to learn to take care of yourself," Xiao Chen said. "From now on, I will take care of you."
Like a scorching hot day finally welcoming a cool rain;
Like parched land sprouting clear springs after ages;
Like the first ray of sunshine penetrating endless darkness.
Xiao Chen had never felt so relieved.
Yu Na stood in front of him, staring at him blankly.
In fact, when Xiao Chen complained about her not replying to his WeChat messages earlier, she had already vaguely guessed.
But she didn't expect Xiao Chen to say it so directly.
"You......" She was completely unprepared and whispered, "What are you doing..."
In the past, Xiao Chen would have rolled his eyes at her and mocked her low IQ.
But not this time. He seemed to attach great importance to this ceremony.
All previous casualness and frivolousness were taken back, replaced by a rare serious look that few had seen from him before.
He said solemnly: "I like you."
Yu Na's eyes grew hot in an instant, her vision turning blurry.
She had waited so long to hear these words.
She suddenly remembered when she first saw him under the locust tree in the UK years ago. It was love at first sight that lingered in her memory for years.
Since then, no man had made her feel that way again.
Yu Na had thought she would have to settle for less for the rest of her life.
But when it truly came to settling, she couldn't go against her own wishes.
After reuniting with him, she thought she had forgotten those old feelings. But his every frown and smile still tugged at her heart.
Yet she no longer had the same courage as before to keep her feelings hidden deep inside.
Even the tiniest bit of sweetness made her happy for a long time.
This was the most blissful yet bitter experience she had. She was the only audience for her own little theater, freely acting out this story.
She had never thought her one-sided crush would get reciprocated.
Now the long-awaited scene appeared right before her eyes. But Yu Na didn't know what to say anymore.
Just then, Xiao Chen gently grabbed her shoulders, his voice low and pleasant, and uttered the most common yet agonized line — one he had struggled the most to say:
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
Yu Na suddenly remembered the wishes she had made at the scenic spot this morning: hoping her crush would be reciprocated.
She had hidden Xiao Chen's initials in the wish because she was afraid God wouldn't know who she liked.
"Xiao Chen..."
"Hmm?"
Inexplicably, Yu Na said: "The wishing place we went to this morning at the scenic area, do you remember it?"
Xiao Chen was baffled. "I remember."
"Do you need to fulfill your wish there?"
"......"
Xiao Chen was mentally prepared, but never expected this to be Yu Na's response.
She had completely thrown him off.
Xiao Chen honestly said: "I don't think so. You still have one wish left unfulfilled, don't you?"
Yu Na: ???
"You—" She pointed at his chin in astonishment. "How did you know I made two wishes!"
Xiao Chen: "......"
Damn.
He had slipped up big time.
Yu Na pouted: "You peeked at my wishes!"
Xiao Chen: "......"
He suddenly realized a serious problem — that he wasn't bad at talking, he just became tongue-tied in front of Yu Na.
Yu Na was too embarrassed that he had exposed her innermost thoughts.
She struggled free and acted coy: "I'm ignoring you now!"
She wanted to storm off pretentiously.
But before she had taken two steps, Xiao Chen swiftly grabbed her arm. Not waiting for her reaction, he pulled her arm towards himself.
Caught off guard, Yu Na stumbled right into his embrace.
"You sure you want to ignore me?" He held her and rubbed the back of her head scoldingly. "Hmm?"
Xiao Chen had her locked in such a tight embrace that she couldn't even process his words anymore.
She recalled that night they had hot pot together. While Xiao Chen was cleaning the kitchen, Yu Na stared at his back from the dining table, fantasizing countless times about hugging him from behind.
Just imagining it felt sweet.
She hid in his arms and secretly looked up.
The man she had liked for so long had finally become her boyfriend.
And she no longer had to be his little sister.
From this moment on, she was his girlfriend.
Yu Na suppressed the urge to smile. "Xiao Chen..."
"Hmm?"
"Can I..." She hesitated. "Pinch you?"
"......?"
Amused, Xiao Chen asked: "Why do you want to pinch me?"
Yu Na: "I want to see if I'm dreaming."
Xiao Chen: "Tsk, why don't you pinch yourself instead?"
Yu Na shamelessly argued: "Because it hurts..."
Xiao Chen: ?
His inner thoughts: I'm so inexperienced. So this is what it's like to date?
