Could Xiao Xi actually like me?
Ning Yuan stared at Xiao Xi’s expressionless face, her demeanor almost giving off a hint of jealousy, leaving him momentarily dazed.
No way, right? Am I just imagining things?
This woman, who was a little too rough around the edges, definitely not cute... They’d known each other since college, and she’d always bullied him a bit, though her punches barely hurt. Over time, he had completely stopped seeing her in a romantic light.
In truth, they were on good terms; otherwise, they wouldn’t be working at the same company or living in the same building. But their relationship felt more like that of close buddies rather than anything romantic, and he’d never really thought of her as a woman.
As she walked toward him, Ning Yuan instinctively tensed his arm muscles, bracing for a punch.
But Xiao Xi simply set the pork ribs down on the table, silently lowering her head to eat, her eyes unreadable.
So it was just a misunderstanding.
There’s no way she could actually like him...
He breathed a sigh of relief, then shot a glare at his sister, realizing he’d acted a bit too sheepish. He didn’t want to lose his image as the strong older brother in her eyes.
Straightening up, he casually said, “About a week from now, right? I’ll take a day off and take you to school.”
Ning Chu was looking down at her phone, texting Lily to share the latest intel she’d gathered, making sure Lily wasn’t oblivious about “home invasions.”
Although, technically, Lily was the one doing the invading first.
“Sure, I’ll invite Lily along then.”
Across the table, Xiao Xi suddenly ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) coughed twice, causing Ning Yuan to tense up, fearing a punch.
Even if it didn’t hurt, getting hit repeatedly had left him with a conditioned reflex.
“So, is this like a blind date with your sister’s classmate?” Xiao Xi asked with a sly smile.
“Well... kind of?”
Under her gaze, Ning Yuan felt a twinge of guilt but didn’t want to appear weak in front of his sister.
He hastily added, trying to shift the blame, “My mom and grandpa have been pushing me to start dating. I mean, I’m twenty-six, if you count my lunar age.”
“A cougar chasing a cub.”
“Come on, she’s not that much younger than me, right?”
“You think you, a lazy slob who needs me to sort out his trash, could have any girl interested in him?”
“I’m just too lazy to sort it... and you’re not much better. Next time, I’ll cook and show you what real food is! You call this slop?”
“Then aren’t you just a pig eating slop? You’re insulting yourself!”
Watching their back-and-forth banter, Ning Chu noticed her brother was clearly losing the argument.
Can’t quite understand it...
Although she had become a girl, she’d never actually dated one, so who knew what was going on in another girl’s mind?
Ignoring her brother and Xiao Xi’s banter, she glanced down at her phone, where Lily had texted her back.
“Is your brother always this soft?”
“Not really? He seems only soft when he’s around Xiao Xi?”
“Oh, I get it—he’s a masochist! I haven’t even tried anything that wild yet!”
“???”
Or maybe you’re just worried he’ll leave a mark that your family will notice?
“No way! Your brother’s a masochist, and I am too; that’s a no-go~”
Lily’s lack of filter online was something Ning Chu had grown used to; she always spoke without restraint or shame. Lily didn’t seem to take her thing with Ning Yuan too seriously either—it probably felt no different to her than chatting with strangers online for a laugh.
After all, they hadn’t even met in person.
Ning Chu looked up, feeling like a third wheel as the two continued their bickering. She hesitated for a moment before standing up.
“You done eating?” Xiao Xi immediately noticed her movement.
“Yeah, I should head back. Bye~”
“Let’s exchange contacts, maybe we can game together sometime.”
“Sure~”
Watching Ning Chu leave, Ning Yuan suddenly felt the urge to escape too. But just as he opened his mouth, Xiao Xi returned from the cabinet with a bottle of baijiu, her eyes shining with excitement.
“Come on! We haven’t had a drink together in ages! Have one with me!”
“It’s the middle of the day...”
He sighed.
“You didn’t refuse when I kept you company while you were feeling down, did you?”
Xiao Xi quickly filled a couple of small cups, then pulled out some peanut and sunflower seed snacks from the drawer. She sat in Ning Chu’s seat, hooking her arm around Ning Yuan’s neck. “Come on! Cheers!”
“Fine, fine.” Ning Yuan took the cup with a helpless smile, taking a small sip. He glanced at her, curious, and couldn’t resist testing the waters. “My sister thinks... maybe you like me?”
“As if!”
“That’s what I thought.”
Xiao Xi downed her entire shot, which was easily an ounce of baijiu, in one go.
“You babysitting your drink or what? Bottoms up!”
Ning Yuan, taken aback, swallowed his drink, promptly choking and coughing several times.
“I need to use the bathroom.” He got up, his face flushed from the alcohol.
As he disappeared, Xiao Xi’s gaze sharpened. She picked up the bottle, took several swigs straight from it, and then quickly swapped his cup for a larger one, filling it to the brim.
For once, her normally impressive drinking capacity felt like a burden.
When Ning Yuan returned, he noticed her staring intently and explained, “I sat down to avoid messing up the toilet for you.”
“Not like I care about that at home...”
He muttered as he sat back down, and after only a few more sips, he was starting to feel tipsy, his eyes taking on a slightly dreamy look.
For some reason, the rough-around-the-edges woman beside him seemed more attractive than usual.
A small head leaned gently against his shoulder.
“Thought you could hold your liquor better,” Ning Yuan said, turning to see Xiao Xi resting her head on him, her usually pale face now flushed, with her full lips slightly parted. Her sweet, feminine scent seemed stronger than ever, stirring something in him.
“Ning Yuan~ Help me upstairs.”
“Don’t try to take advantage of me now~”
Xiao Xi hooked her arm around his, the soft curves of her body pressing against him.
In this moment, he should have been the one benefitting, yet he felt like the tables were turned on him.
Despite being a man, his self-control was wavering, and his body reacted involuntarily. Feeling embarrassed, he forced a polite smile and carefully helped her to her feet, guiding her up to the bedroom on the second floor.
As they reached the bed, Xiao Xi went limp, tugging Ning Yuan down with her, causing him to land on top of her.
“Wait...”
Facing Xiao Xi beneath him, Ning Yuan panicked, trying to pull himself up, but the drunken Xiao Xi, surprisingly strong, held him in place.
Her beautiful eyes, though unfocused, stared directly at him.
She bit her lip, nervously. “Ning Yuan, I like you.”
“!!!”
What the...
He froze mid-movement, his mind going blank.
She means it?
This is way too sudden!
But he’d already set up a meeting with Lily, and now this?
Wanting them both... might just get him killed.
