Сhаpter 23: Тhе Sizе Is Тоo Small
“So wе?! Wе… did that?!”
Chi Нen saw tеаrs wеlling uр in Shеng Shurаn’s eуеs, аnd his heаrt aсhed as if sоmеonе had squееzеd it.
Hе rеleаsеd Shеng Shurаn аnd sаid:
“Nо, yоu fell аslеep.”
Sheng Shuran lеt out а heаvу sigh оf rеlief.
It was аll Chi Hеn’s nоnsеnsе anуwaу. Since shе wаs sо rеsistаnt, he dеcided to lеt it gо.
Аftеr аll, there would bе рlеnty оf time in thе future.
“I’m leаving.” Сhi Неn walked tоwаrd the entrаnce.
“Lеаving? Аlrеadу?” Fаced with Chi Hen’s sudden chаnge, Shеng Shurаn соuldn’t rеaсt in time.
“Do yоu want mе to stаy?” Сhi Hen paused in his steps.
“No, no!” Sheng Shuran quickly waved her hands. “I was just curious why you suddenly changed your mind.”
“Didn’t you say I should get along better with others? I’m going back now to spend some time with Zheng Hao and the others.”
Sheng Shuran asked thoughtfully, “One of your roommates is named Zhou Hao, and the other is Zheng Hao?”
Chi Hen froze for a moment, then nodded stiffly.
Sheng Shuran walked Chi Hen to the door. Just before closing it, Chi Hen couldn’t resist adding:
“Sheng Shuran, I suggest you buy a bath towel as soon as possible.”
Sheng Shuran’s face instantly flushed red. “Didn’t you say you were going to get along better with your roommates?”
“But if they beat me up, will you take me in?”
“Of course!” Sheng Shuran replied without hesitation. “That’s a completely different level of seriousness!”
An ambiguous smile flickered in Chi Hen’s eyes.
Deep in his heart, it felt as if a feather was gently drifting down.
He couldn’t help but reach out and pull the person before him into his arms.
It was just a light embrace, like an ordinary Western gesture.
“Goodnight, Sheng Shuran.”
Chi Hen’s voice was uncharacteristically gentle.
He stepped back on his own and closed the door.
Sheng Shuran was stunned for a moment before she remembered what Chi Hen had just said:
【I want to go up too】
Go up? Go up where?!
Go up on her?!
Chi Hen wanted to go up… on her?!
And what was worse!
He wasn’t just saying it!
That time in the dorm room behind the bed curtain, he had directly made an invitation.
【Sister, help me】!!!
With a “boom”!
Sheng Shuran felt as if the sky had collapsed and landed right on top of her.
She suddenly realized a very serious problem—
Chi Hen had grown up, and he had needs!
A young man full of vigor, probably still inexperienced!
Sigh! It was her fault too.
Even though Chi Hen had repeatedly reminded her that he had grown up, she, as his sister, had been so careless.
Alright, now it was clear.
Now, it was her turn, as his sister, to step up!
When the weekend arrived, Sheng Shuran called Chi Hen:
“Little Hen, do you have any activities at school today?”
“Up to you.”
“Then… come to my place tonight?”
The other end was silent for a while.
“Little Hen?”
“Did you buy a bath towel?”
“Ahem, ahem, I just have something to discuss with you.”
“Alright.”
Chi Hen hung up the phone, glanced at his million-dollar Vacheron Constantin watch, and looked at the others at the conference table, his voice low.
“You have half an hour.”
Everyone in the room shuddered, pulling themselves out of the trance induced by the words “you buy bath towel,” and dove back into their presentation materials, flipping through them even more frantically.
Chi Hen didn’t forget to send a message to his secretary:
—Rather than relying on Sheng Shuran, it was better to prepare himself.
So when Sheng Shuran opened the door that evening, she saw Chi Hen holding a brand-new bath towel in his hand.
Sheng Shuran’s face darkened with exasperation…”I just want to talk to you about something, and I’ll definitely make sure you’re back before the dorm curfew.”
“Better safe than sorry.” Chi Hen put down the towel and looked at Sheng Shuran again.
“What do you want to talk about?”
“Ahem…” Sheng Shuran avoided the question, “Well… isn’t your birthday coming up in two weeks? Have you thought about what you want as a gift?”
“You’ll spend it with me?” Chi Hen stared at her.
“Hey, what kind of question is that? Which year haven’t I spent your birthday with you?”
Since childhood, whenever Fu Lin and Fu Mingshuang celebrated their birthdays, the Fu family would throw birthday parties. Even she, as an outsider, would always have one, big or small.
Only Chi Hen never had one, except for his 18th birthday, which Sheng Shuran begged Fu Zhenchuan to arrange.
No one dared to celebrate his birthday with him.
Later, naturally, no one remembered.
Fortunately, there was Sheng Shuran, the exception.
Afraid of upsetting Fu Zhenchuan, every year she could only sneak into Chi Hen’s room at night by climbing through the window, magically producing a small piece of cake and candles.
In the flickering candlelight, their two small shadows overlapped.
Now, both of them had escaped the Fu family’s control. Sheng Shuran could openly celebrate Chi Hen’s birthday.
“What kind of gift do you want?” Sheng Shuran sat on the sofa, elbows resting on her knees, chin in her hands, tilting her head to look at Chi Hen.
“Whatever you want.” Chi Hen sat down beside Sheng Shuran, his expression calm and unreadable. Without the obvious gloom, Sheng Shuran took it as a sign that he was in a good mood.
Sheng Shuran grabbed Chi Hen’s arm, rolled up the sleeve of his sweatshirt, and examined his wrist.
“It’s empty here. How about I give you a watch? The sporty kind—I’ve noticed boys seem to really like those.”
“Okay.” Chi Hen agreed readily, much to Sheng Shuran’s satisfaction.
“You called me over just for this?”
Although Chi Hen really wanted to see Sheng Shuran, given her personality, when it came to the topic of “gifts,” she probably wouldn’t even call, let alone meet in person—she’d just send a WeChat voice message.
Seeing that the opening topic was already exhausted, it was time to get to the main point.
“You see, you’re about to turn 19. Like you said, you’ve really grown up, so it’s time you learned about certain things.”
Sheng Shuran took a deep breath, turned to face Chi Hen directly, and before she could even speak, her face flushed red.
“Whatever I do next, don’t get too worked up.”
Though surprised, Chi Hen simply replied, “Okay.”
“I originally wanted to give this as your birthday gift, but then I thought it might be a bit… risqué.”
Sheng Shuran stammered, then gritted her teeth and stomped her foot. With a “zip” sound, she pulled open the zipper…
The zipper on her jacket pocket…
She pulled out a pink box and shoved it into Chi Hen’s hands.
Chi Hen opened it, stared at the contents inside for a long moment, then finally lifted his gaze to meet Sheng Shuran’s beet-red face, slowly saying:
“Sis, the size is too small, just like I told you…
Mine is big.”