Li Yang’s hands were not honest.
He kept trying to pull An Ling closer and was pushed away by her again and again.
“You… what do you want?”
“Are you gay?”
An Ling finally couldn’t stand it anymore.
“No.”
“I just think watching you resist like this is pretty fun.”
“And does being together with you count as that?”
“You… I…”
“Just bully me then, I…”
An Ling couldn’t continue.
Her teeth bit her lip, and tears had already gathered in her eyes.
She didn’t know why she wanted to cry.
She only felt wronged, yet didn’t know what she was wronged about.
“You what?” Li Yang pressed.
“Nothing!” An Ling turned her head to the side so he couldn’t see her face.
Li Yang saw her like this and wanted to tease her even more.
In the end he still managed to put an arm around her.
“An Ling.”
“What?”
“Is there something you want to tell me?”
“No!” An Ling was still angry and didn’t want to pay attention to him.
“Is that so?” There was a trace of disappointment in Li Yang’s tone.
“Then when I find out, don’t blame me.”
“What did you find?” An Ling suddenly wanted to turn around, bumped into him, and hurriedly lay back down properly.
“Nothing.” Li Yang smiled and didn’t continue asking.
He let go of the arm around An Ling and stood up.
“I’m done washing.”
“Don’t soak too long either.”
“It’s bad for your skin.”
“None of your business.” An Ling buried her face and refused to look at him.
Li Yang took a clean towel, wrapped it around his waist, and walked out of the bathroom.
The moment the door closed, An Ling finally lifted her head and let out a long breath.
“Weirdo…” she said in a small voice, both hands covering her burning face.
She stayed in the bathroom a while longer until she was sure Li Yang wouldn’t come charging back.
Then she dried off, sneakily put on her own pajamas, and only then came out.
The corridor was quiet.
Only the light from her room showed through.
An Ling took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
Li Yang was sitting at her desk, holding her phone and looking at it.
“What are you doing!” An Ling rushed over and snatched the phone.
“Who told you to touch my phone!”
“I’m being wronged.” Li Yang said as if it were only natural.
“Just now Auntie called.”
“You didn’t come out so I answered for you.”
An Ling glared at him, her chest rising and falling, her tail puffed up in anger.
“Then… what did my mom say to you?”
“Nothing much.” Li Yang shook his head.
“Just that Auntie told me to take good care of you.”
“Who needs you to take care of them.” An Ling muttered under her breath.
“What did you say?” Li Yang’s tone was not friendly.
“Nothing.” An Ling immediately backed down.
“Best that there’s nothing.”
“Alright, don’t just stand there.” Li Yang walked to the bed and lay down as naturally as if he were in his own home.
“Come sleep.”
“We still have school tomorrow.”
An Ling looked at him and hesitated.
“I… I’ll make a floor bed.”
“Make what floor bed?” Li Yang frowned.
“The bed is this big. It’s more than enough for two people.”
“But…”
“There’s no but.”
“Don’t forget why I can’t go back home tonight.”
“Then I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“I didn’t say you had to sleep on the ground.” An Ling’s voice grew smaller and smaller.
Because Li Yang’s gaze was growing less and less friendly, An Ling felt that if she said one more word he would swallow her whole.
“Last chance.”
An Ling bit her lip, her heart struggling violently.
In the end she still compromised.
She slowly moved to the edge of the bed and carefully lay down, her body stretched tight like a fully drawn bowstring.
Li Yang turned off the bedside lamp.
The room fell into darkness.
Li Yang was right behind her.
She could even hear his breathing.
“An Ling.”
“Mm.”
“Not asleep yet?”
“We just lay down, okay?”
“Come here.” Li Yang suddenly said.
“Ah?” An Ling’s whole body went stiff.
“You… what did you say?”
“You heard me.”
“If I have to say it again, it won’t be you coming over on your own.”
An Ling felt the mattress behind her sink.
Li Yang’s presence drew closer and closer.
She suddenly turned around and reached out to hold him back.
“Wait! Wait!”
“Let me think about it, okay?”
In the darkness she couldn’t see Li Yang’s expression, but she could feel his hand close around the hand she had pressed against him.
With one pull, An Ling ended up leaning against him.
“You… let go.”
An Ling’s voice was shaking.
Li Yang didn’t care about that.
His other arm went around her and drew her in.
“What are you doing!”
An Ling cried out in surprise and pushed at him with both hands, but she couldn’t move him at all.
“Don’t move.” Li Yang’s voice came from above her head.
“I have something to ask you.”
An Ling instantly stopped moving.
Her whole body stiffened in his arms, even her breathing becoming careful.
“An Ling, I’m asking you one more time.”
“Is there something you’re hiding from me?”
“N-no.”
“I’ve said it several times already.”
“Are you annoying or what.”
An Ling had a faint ominous premonition, yet still stubbornly refused to face it.
“I’m already like this.”
“Do you think you can still hide it?”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
An Ling’s voice trembled.
Her ears pressed tightly against her hair from fear, and her tail curled up out of her control.
“What do you think?”
“Do you want me to say it one by one?”
“You went through my things?”
An Ling’s voice shook with a bit of furious grievance.
“You promised you wouldn’t.”
“You bastard.”
“I didn’t go through them.” Li Yang said.
“I looked at them openly.”
“You!” An Ling trembled all over with anger.
“How can you be like this!”
“Even if I hadn’t, I already knew long ago.”
“Speak.”
“I want to hear you admit it honestly.”
“Admit what?”
“I have nothing to admit.” She made her last resistance, unwilling to face it.
“An Ling.” Li Yang held her tighter.
“You’re a girl now, right?”
“I’m not!”
“You bastard!”
An Ling struggled violently in his arms and bit down on his arm.
Li Yang loosened his hold for an instant from the pain.
An Ling seized the chance and crawled out of his arms, but she forgot that she had a weakness behind her.