Chapter 171 169. Gentle Su Peng [1/10]
“I like you.”
Su Peng’s eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled faintly, deep black pupils filled with unmistakable affection.
An Han froze mid-motion, staring at him in disbelief as her brain briefly shut down.
Th-This… this is a confession?!
Ever since her affection level had passed eighty, she had known that Su Peng liked her. Still, this confession was far too sudden, leaving her at a complete loss.
She could clearly feel the sincerity in Su Peng’s eyes. She had never once doubted his feelings for her. Yet at this moment, her mind was in utter chaos, unable to decide how to respond. Under the stimulation of her hormones, she almost blurted out her acceptance.
Her arm accidentally brushed against the scorching-hot steak plate. The sharp pain in her skin jolted An Han awake. She quickly lowered her head to avoid Su Peng’s gaze, taking a deep breath to calm the pounding heartbeat ringing in her ears.
Calm down!
She pretended not to have heard Su Peng’s confession at all, doing her best to steady her emotions. With a tense little face, she picked up her knife and fork and cut into the steak.
The steak, which should have been tender and juicy, tasted completely bland in her mouth. She swallowed it mechanically, bite by bite, her hand trembling slightly as she cut.
What should I do?!
This guy isn’t going to do anything excessive, right?!
Or should I just pretend I didn’t hear it and muddle through?
She looked up, forcing a smile as she tried to change the subject. “This steak tastes pretty good…”
“Right? Want me to bring you here again next time?”
“It’s too expensive, forget it…” An Han once again avoided Su Peng’s gaze. She simply couldn’t accept the idea that she liked a man, much less becoming a couple with one.
If she really became Su Peng’s girlfriend, then what would come next? Holding hands, kissing, booking a room, gynecology…
Her body shuddered as she imagined the terrifying scene.
I’d rather keep being a man! Even going to proctology is better than gynecology!
“An Han.”
“What!” She jolted, her body trembling.
Seeing through An Han’s attempt to change the subject, Su Peng smiled and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His smile gradually faded as he asked in an extremely serious tone, “Can you be my girlfriend?”
“N-No… probably not…” An Han forced an awkward smile, panic-stricken as she blurted out every excuse that flashed through her mind in rapid succession. “Well, I really like girls.”
“I don’t think we have much of an emotional foundation. This is too fast.”
“If our classmates found out, they’d think we’re gay…”
“The main point is that I don’t like you either! I’m not interested in men at all.”
“And… c-could you not look so gloomy… it’s kind of scary…” An Han hunched her shoulders, trying hard to make herself look small and pitiful. She glanced guiltily at Su Peng, who had stood up, her voice growing weaker and weaker. “Can’t we just sit down and talk properly? Why are you standing?”
Su Peng’s expression darkened. He stood up, took a sip of red wine from his glass, and paced back and forth with a tightly furrowed brow.
The sound of his footsteps echoing in the private room put immense psychological pressure on An Han. Though the chances were small, she couldn’t help worrying that Su Peng might lose his rationality and do something strange to her.
Am I going to get forcibly kissed again?
Her eyes darted around until they finally fixed on a clove of garlic on her plate.
It was probably a garnish for the grilled steak, but she immediately speared it with her fork and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing hard a couple of times.
Even though the garlic had been grilled, the intense flavor still made her scrunch up her little face in disgust. She endured the urge to retch and forced it down.
Try kissing me now and I’ll disgust you to death!
Su Peng suddenly stopped walking. He noticed An Han’s little action, and the corner of his face twitched.
“I remember you don’t even eat garlic paste…”
“……” An Han pressed her lips tightly together, afraid she’d vomit if she opened her mouth.
[Option One: Become Su Peng’s girlfriend. Reward: Advanced Bed Skills
Option Two: Fiercely reject him. Reward: Unexpected Wealth
Option Three: Swallow your pride and muddle through. Reward: Random Attribute Points]
Damn it, you dog-coin system! Were you disconnected just now?! I already fiercely rejected him!
[Task Two Selected]
[Task Completed]
Damn it!
Although the reward of unexpected wealth was something An Han desperately needed, Task Two was clearly a trap!
She couldn’t catch her breath for a moment, clutching her chest as she coughed so hard she couldn’t straighten up.
The garlic flavor surged up from her throat all at once, making her so nauseous that she kept dry heaving.
“If you can’t eat garlic, then don’t,” Su Peng chuckled, walking back to the table and handing her a napkin. “Wipe your mouth.”
An Han immediately straightened up, shaking her head rapidly to refuse Su Peng’s kindness. She reached out herself, grabbed a napkin, and wiped the corner of her mouth.
I can’t worry about anything else now—I need to get out of here!
Who knows what Su Peng might do next?!
If it weren’t for the system task, An Han would have stayed to finish the rest of the steak after rejecting Su Peng. But now, forget eating—she felt unsafe staying here for even one more second.
The appearance of the task clearly indicated that a strong rejection would trigger further disaster!
An Han hurriedly stood up. She even forgot to take the phone on the table and rushed toward the door of the private room. “I suddenly have a stomachache. I’ll head out first.”
Su Peng was surprised by her reaction. As she passed by him, he suddenly reached out and stopped her.
“What’s wrong with you?” Su Peng asked, puzzled.
“It’s nothing, just a stomachache. Maybe my stomach isn’t used to eating such good food.” An Han awkwardly took a step back, then seized an opening and immediately tried to slip past him from the other side.
But Su Peng also stepped sideways. In her panic, she had no time to dodge and crashed straight into his chest.
She looked up in a daze, the panic and unease in her eyes completely visible to Su Peng.
“What is going on with you, exactly?” Su Peng thought the atmosphere had been right. Even if the confession failed, it shouldn’t have become this awkward.
An Han had clearly been shy and bashful just moments ago, yet for some reason she had suddenly turned into this frightened, skittish state.
“I-I just want to go home…”
“You haven’t finished eating.”
“I don’t want to anymore.” An Han lowered her head timidly, muttering softly, “Really, my stomach hurts.”
Her porcelain-doll-like face now wore a timid, aggrieved expression that made it impossible to suppress the urge to bully her.
Su Peng’s breathing quickened unconsciously, his gaze turning markedly more aggressive. Frightened, An Han retreated like a quail, only to bump straight into the wall of the private room.
“Why are you so afraid of me?”
“N-No, I’m not…” An Han didn’t dare look at him, yet her eyes helplessly watched as his feet drew closer to her.
The air seemed to grow heavy. An Han could clearly feel the aggression in Su Peng’s eyes, the increasingly stiff atmosphere pressing down on her.
It’s over, he’s definitely going to force a kiss again!
“I’m telling you! Forced kissing is indecent assault! It’s illegal!”
She mustered her courage and looked up to warn Su Peng.
Then she saw him spread his arms. The next moment, a strong masculine scent flooded her nose, and her body was wrapped in warmth.
An Han’s body stiffened, her breathing stopping for a brief moment as her eyes reflexively shut tight.
It’s over, it’s over!
Su Peng’s solid arms tightly embraced her body. She could feel the warmth of his cheek pressed against her own.
“If something’s wrong, just tell me. Don’t always shoulder everything alone, okay?”
Su Peng spoke gently by her ear.
“Say it out loud. I’m here.”
“I… it tickles. Can you not breathe into my ear…”
“……”
——————
Monthly tickets: 1,100. Rewards: 30,000. That’s fourteen chapters total, plus the two chapters owed from last month—sixteen chapters. Six bonus chapters were already added before.
Currently still owe ten chapters.
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