Ling Cheng picked up his package from the Cainiao station on his way home from school—a block of fermented butter.
The butter was for Chu Xiaoxiao. Ling Cheng planned to make a vanilla opera cake as an apology.
After all, he hadn’t managed to let her fully enjoy their outing last weekend. He intended to make it up to her properly.
He gathered all the ingredients and was about to preheat the small oven when he realized the machine wasn’t responding.
“Huh? It can’t be broken.” Ling Cheng repeatedly tried unplugging and plugging it back in, but to no avail.
“Well, I guess I have no choice but to go to An Xin’s place.” Ling Cheng sighed. His budget had all been spent on buying new recording equipment, leaving him with no money for a new oven.
He might as well borrow An Xin’s oven. He’d make a little extra and share it with her.
—
Eight P.M. An Xin’s home.
Ling Cheng opened the door to An Xin’s apartment, carrying large bags of ingredients.
“An Xin?” After entering, he found the living room empty. Usually, An Xin would be painting here at this hour.
There were takeout boxes piled up on the coffee table. It seemed that on the two days he hadn’t come over, An Xin had been neglecting to eat properly.
Just then, faint sounds drifted from the bedroom. Ling Cheng walked straight toward it.
“Mmm~ Hmm…” An Xin was curled up under the covers, wearing earphones, watching the video she had secretly recorded a few nights ago while playing a “mining” game.
When she heard the bedroom door open, An Xin’s soul nearly left her body.
“A Chen, what are you doing here?” Panicked, An Xin sat up abruptly, her face still flushed. She pretended to be playing on her phone.
“Um… I came to borrow your oven. Mine broke. I want to make some dessert.” Ling Cheng’s voice was equally flustered. It was the first time in his life he had walked in on a girl in such a state.
His gaze swept over her disheveled clothes, catching a glimpse of the large expanse of delicate, snow-white skin on her chest. He couldn’t help but swallow. After hastily explaining his purpose, he turned to leave.
But that scene lingered in his mind. He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly—‘That was way too erotic.’
An Xin was still shaken. Luckily, Ling Cheng had only stood at the doorway and hadn’t discovered what was on her phone.
Besides, any girl caught doing something like that by the person they liked would surely want to die of shame.
At the thought, An Xin, overwhelmed with embarrassment, began repeatedly banging her head against the wall.
After a long internal struggle, she slowly got dressed and went to see what dessert Ling Cheng was making on his sudden visit.
“A Chen, I was just playing a mobile game. I like lying in bed to play games, hehe.”
An Xin couldn’t help but internally mock herself for trying to explain. Even though she and Ling Cheng had already done that many times, it was always when he was unconscious that she dared to go that far.
“I know, I know. I’m making an opera cake. I plan to give it to Chu Xiaoxiao as a gift of apology.” Ling Cheng was busy making almond sponge cake, completely missing how An Xin’s face darkened ominously at the mention of Chu Xiaoxiao’s name.
“Oh? Do you like her, A Chen? Why are you giving her a cake?” Although An Xin’s expression had reached a terrifying low, her voice remained gentle, betraying no change.
“No way. It’s because I went out with her last week. I didn’t let her have a good time, and I feel bad about it. So I thought I’d make her some dessert she’d like.” Ling Cheng had already prepared the coffee syrup.
Hearing this, An Xin gripped her own wrist tightly. Her right fingernails dug into her left hand so hard they drew blood.
‘How hateful, how hateful, how hateful! I want to put poison in the cake and kill that thieving cat. A Chen is supposed to be mine and mine alone!’
‘Even that rich young miss wants to compete with me for A Chen? Without A Chen, I have nothing. How infuriating, how infuriating!’
“Oh, I made a little extra. Let’s have some together later.”
Hearing Ling Cheng’s gentle voice, An Xin calmed down a bit. ‘Anyway, that thieving cat is about to be eliminated. I don’t need to go out of my way to do anything.’
“Sure! I’ve barely ever eaten opera cake before. Thank you, A Chen.” An Xin stepped forward and took his arm.
“Alright, alright. Don’t hug me. I still need to make the cake.” Ling Cheng was having trouble keeping his cool. Lately, every time he came to An Xin’s place, he found it hard to control himself.
“Fine~” An Xin drew out the word, deliberately rubbing her chest against his arm. “Then I’ll go play games and wait for you. Good luck~”
Only after An Xin left the kitchen did Ling Cheng relax a little and continue working on the cake.
After finishing the plating, cutting Chu Xiaoxiao’s portion and putting it in the fridge, he carried out the plate he would share with An Xin.
An Xin was sitting on the sofa in a M-style position, wearing shorts. Ling Cheng’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on her exposed thighs.
The hem of An Xin’s shorts barely covered the tops of her thighs, leaving the skin particularly fair and smooth.
“The cake is ready. Give it a try.”
“Okay~ A Chen, help me play this.” An Xin handed her phone to Ling Cheng, asking him to finish the current online match for her.
An Xin had two phones. The one she used for gaming was completely clean, so she didn’t have to worry about Ling Cheng finding anything.
On the contrary, An Xin felt that this kind of closeness was a sign of intimacy—what lovers should do. Even though she and Ling Cheng weren’t there yet, they would be soon.
“Alright, alright.” This wasn’t the first time Ling Cheng had taken over for An Xin. Back when he was taking care of her, he often played on her account to rank up.
An Xin usually played support, and this match was no exception. Ling Cheng happened to be quite skilled as a support.
After turning on the mic and issuing commands, he gradually turned the game around from a losing position, even pushing back after securing the Baron.
An Xin, watching, gently leaned her head against Ling Cheng’s shoulder. “This cake is delicious. A Chen, open wide~ Ah~”
Her soft voice sounded by his ear. Ling Cheng instinctively opened his mouth to accept the piece of cake An Xin offered.
With his eyes fixed on the screen, Ling Cheng obediently accepted the feeding. As he bit down on the cake, he accidentally caught the tip of her finger in his mouth.
“Sorry, sorry.” Ling Cheng apologized repeatedly once he realized.
“It’s fine. And A Chen, you’re amazing. You still won even with that terrible ADC.”
An Xin nonchalantly withdrew her finger, but in a corner Ling Cheng didn’t notice, she licked the fingertip he had just held, a sense of satisfaction welling up inside.
“A Chen, stay over tonight. We haven’t played games together in so long.”
Ling Cheng looked at the earnest anticipation in the girl’s eyes and couldn’t bear to refuse. It wasn’t the first time he had stayed over, and they would be sleeping in separate beds anyway.
“Okay. Watch me carry you to victory tonight.”
“Yay! Then I’ll go get us some drinks~” An Xin went into the kitchen to pour cola, and at the same time, she took out the packet of medicine she had prepared for Ling Cheng last time.
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