“We’re just going back after watching a movie?” Ling Cheng asked with some surprise.
“Hmm… because I feel more comfortable at home.” An Xin nodded slightly and took Ling Cheng’s hand.
“After a date, you have to see the girl home.”
“So what do you want to eat tonight? I’ll make it all for you.” Seeing An Xin still looking dejected, Ling Cheng wanted to make it up to her.
‘This feels great inside.’
As for the criticism, she didn’t care at all. It was probably that thieving cat Chu Xiaoxiao’s doing.
‘But I actually have to thank Chu Xiaoxiao. Now I have more reasons to spend time with A Chen. This rival is such a good person.’
“I don’t have much appetite, A Chen. Just cook a little something for me when we get back.” An Xin’s voice had been low ever since they left the cinema.
As soon as they returned to Anxin’s Home, Ling Cheng went into the kitchen. He couldn’t just ignore An Xin, who was so worried. He decided to use his best cooking skills to make a dinner that would cheer An Xin up.
Meanwhile, An Xin, sitting on the sofa, was also thinking about what to do. She wanted to use this opportunity to make A Chen like her even more.
‘And if I get the chance, I’ll have to see that thieving cat Chu Xiaoxiao. I didn’t expect she’d still be persistent. I’ll have to give her a dose of something strong.’
“Dinner’s ready, An Xin.” Ling Cheng had quickly made four dishes and a soup: cola chicken wings, kung pao chicken, yuxiang shredded pork, mapo tofu, and a Shanghai-style borscht.
‘Damn it! A Chen made all my favorite dishes today. But if I eat freely, all my pitiful act from earlier will be wasted.’
An Xin could only silently close her eyes and apologize to her stomach.
“Why aren’t you eating? I made all your favorites.” After sitting down, Ling Cheng saw An Xin’s troubled expression and thought she was still bothered by those issues. After all, being rejected by the entire internet would be hard for any artist to bear.
“Thank you, A Chen. You’ve been so good to me today, but… but…” An Xin’s tears flowed as she spoke. It wasn’t good acting; she was genuinely sad that she couldn’t eat the delicious meal A Chen had carefully prepared today.
‘Food right in front of me, but I have to pretend I have no appetite. Pain, too painful!’
An Xin could only suppress her appetite and take a few symbolic bites.
Afterwards, An Xin dragged Ling Cheng to play games and watch videos, until it finally reached 10 PM.
“A Chen, I’m so scared. Can you sleep with me tonight?” An Xin looked up at Ling Cheng with a pitiful expression.
“Sure, like before. I’ll sleep on the sofa bed.”
“No, can’t we sleep in the same bed? I feel like I won’t be able to fall asleep otherwise.” An Xin shook her head like a child, acting spoiled.
“Well… okay.”
Ling Cheng agreed, but he hadn’t expected things to develop this way.
When they first got into bed, there was a clear boundary. Ling Cheng crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to touch An Xin.
But after the lights were turned off, An Xin looked at Ling Cheng’s turned back and slowly began to pour out her “heart”: “A Chen, thank you for staying with me. I really don’t know what I would have done otherwise.”
“I’ve been attacked by so many people, lost a lot of art commissions, and some people even came to my commission account to curse at me.”
As she spoke, she made whimpering sounds that made Ling Cheng’s heart ache. After all, in Ling Cheng’s view, all of this was his fault.
“A Chen, can you hold me? I’m so scared. I don’t know if tomorrow will be even worse.”
Hearing her heartbroken tone, Ling Cheng couldn’t stand by any longer. He turned around, wrapped his arms around An Xin, and gently patted the girl’s back. No matter how soft the girl in his arms was, Ling Cheng had no other thoughts, only endless guilt.
“An Xin, the attacks on you online are all slander. I’ll find a way to fix this.” Ling Cheng said firmly, word by word.
An Xin, like a little cat, burrowed into Ling Cheng’s arms as soon as he hugged her.
After a long while, An Xin seemed to have cried herself to sleep, dozing off heavily.
Meanwhile, Ling Cheng’s situation became awkward. The original position had made his arm numb, so he moved a little to adjust, letting An Xin’s neck rest on his arm.
But like this… the girl’s defenseless sleeping face was revealed to Ling Cheng. The room was lit only by the silvery moonlight streaming in through the window, softly falling on her face, making her skin look delicate and clean. Even her long eyelashes cast a tiny shadow in the moonlight, as if hiding the girl’s secrets, evoking pity.
Her expression was so haggard, even with teardrops at the corners of her eyes. The pale girl under the moonlight seemed so beautiful to Ling Cheng.
Ling Cheng’s gaze unconsciously drifted down, landing on her slightly pursed lips. The small lips were pale pink, looking soft and tempting.
Ling Cheng quickly bit his own lip to dispel these strange thoughts. How could he take advantage of her vulnerability?
So he turned his head away, but because his arm was still under An Xin’s neck, his body was in an awkward position. This position especially made his neck ache. But if he didn’t turn his head, the girl’s fragrance and the softness within reach… As a young man in his twenties, how could he resist?
Ling Cheng had to keep forcing himself to calm down and think of a plan. How to deal with the overwhelming negative reviews and public opinion?
‘Maybe it’s not all bad. As everyone knows, being infamous for being bad is still being famous. It brings a lot of traffic.’
‘As for those bloggers who joined the attack, their reasons were all about the art style, which is untenable. As long as we show the public, this relatively objective thing will be easily resolved.’
‘After all, whether a game’s character illustration looks good or not is obvious to an average viewer at a glance. The malicious trend set by those bloggers will actually become a boost for the game’s promotion.’
‘In that case, he could first…’
After thinking for a long time, Ling Cheng finally succumbed to sleep and fell into a deep slumber.
Once asleep, he naturally couldn’t control his body, and his head automatically turned back, only inches away from the girl’s lips.
In the early morning, An Xin woke up first. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Ling Cheng’s sleeping face.
An Xin was not burdened like Ling Cheng; she had already considered Ling Cheng as her own. Though still groggy, she gently pecked his lips.
“But… nothing happened last night. A Chen really is too dense, huh.” An Xin pouted slightly, but then thought that it was precisely this serious and clumsy side of him that made him cute.
Thinking of this, An Xin couldn’t help kissing Ling Cheng again, and whispered, “I love you, A Chen.”