Chapter 99: Shopping
"Just wait and see, she's definitely going to come back with some weird outfits."
"Last time, I found black stockings in her closet, she must've bought them in secret. Who's she even planning to wear them for...?"
Chen Cheng's mother suddenly paused and gave her best friend a meaningful look.
An Yuan's mother covered her mouth and laughed. "Sounds great, sounds great."
Of course, she thought it was great, her pig was stealing my cabbage!
"She used to be such a good girl. She never bought those kinds of things before," her mother muttered, her expression darkening. "It's all because of An Yuan, he's a bad influence."
At this point, she was even starting to suspect that An Yuan was the one who encouraged Chen Cheng to buy those kinds of "little toys" too.
........................
On the night market street not far away.
Chen Cheng strutted down the street in a brand-new long black trench coat, oversized sunglasses, and a thick scarf. With her hands in her pockets, she felt like a big boss from an old Shanghai gangster film.
She was loving it, until a few minutes later, panic started to creep in.
"An Yuan~ I can't see anything~ Where are you?"
She turned her head left and right, but everything was a blurry mess. Anyone standing more than two meters away looked like an indistinct blob. She even bumped into a passerby, stumbling as her world spun.
"Who the hell wears sunglasses at night?" An Yuan grabbed the half-blind Chen Cheng. "And on top of that, you're super nearsighted."
"I just wanted to look cool~"
Chen Cheng removed her sunglasses, her eyes wide, attempting to focus her blurred vision, looking completely clueless.
An Yuan thought to himself, if he really tried, he could probably trick this idiot into bed by tomorrow.
Whenever she wasn't wearing glasses, Chen Cheng always felt a little uneasy, which made the first thing she did every morning to look for them. If she couldn't find them, or even discovered broken pieces of her glasses beneath her, it would feel like the sky was falling.
Without thinking, she clung to An Yuan's arm for comfort. With her blurred vision, she tried to make sense of the hazy world around her.
The long black trench coat should have made her look cool and confident, but instead, she just looked soft and clingy, holding onto An Yuan's arm like a little bird seeking shelter.
"Should we buy you some contact lenses?" Chen Cheng tilted her head up to look at him. "I'd look better without glasses, right?"
An Yuan glanced down.
Without the thick black frames blocking her face, those peach-blossom-shaped eyes looked dangerously enchanting. She used to give off a good-girl vibe, but now she looked more like a seductive little vixen.
Well… a very inexperienced little vixen.
"Yeah, you look better without them."
"Really?" Chen Cheng pinched the bridge of her nose, sounding unsure. "I always thought I looked bad without glasses before. Like a dead fish, just blank and lifeless."
Since they were outside, they had a habit of saying "before" instead of "in my past life."
That "dead fish eyes" look was common for people who wore glasses long-term. She still had it a little, but since she was naturally good-looking, it just made her seem cute.
"You'll get used to it after a while without glasses."
"Then let's go buy some contacts! Come on, let's find an optical shop!"
Chen Cheng had always hated her glasses. She never had the chance to get surgery before, and she never really cared much about her appearance.
But now? If she could switch to contacts, why not?
"An Yuan, do I look fierce like this?" Chen Cheng furrowed her brows and squinted, trying to focus her vision a little.
She was clearly in a good mood, bombarding An Yuan with questions now that her mother wasn't around. Without that pressure, she felt much more relaxed.
"Just don't end up increasing your prescription again." An Yuan took a pair of glasses out of his pocket and put them on her.
Who even picked this frame? A perfectly good-looking girl, and they gave her these thick, black-rimmed glasses. The moment she put them on, her beauty level dropped by at least 30%.
Once she had her glasses back on, Chen Cheng felt much more at ease. She let go of An Yuan's arm and stopped acting all timid and clingy.
"I'm around 4 now, and it's likely to get up to 5-something later."
"Do you want to get another pair? Maybe with a nicer frame?"
"Uh… I don't think so."
For some reason, the idea made her feel weirdly embarrassed. She still wasn't used to wearing anything that felt too feminine.
Even though she had a boyfriend now, Chen Cheng still had some tomboyish habits. Ironically, that was exactly what An Yuan liked about her. After all, who wouldn't want a girlfriend who felt like a brother?
Although, in An Yuan's case, he had somehow turned his brother into his girlfriend.
At the optical store, Chen Cheng decided to just buy contact lenses for now.
"Don't blink. Hold your eyelid up," the sales assistant leaned in carefully, trying to put the lens in for her. "Hey, stop moving away."
"But... it feels weird..."
Chen Cheng forced herself to stay still, tilting her head up so the sales assistant could try again.
"You blinked again! Your eyes are so big, this should be easy!"
The assistant sighed and handed her a tissue, smiling patiently. "It's okay, everyone struggles the first time."
"It's so uncomfortable..."
After a few attempts, Chen Cheng's eyes were red and watery from the irritation.
"Even if I manage to put them in now, what about later?"
"You'll get used to it after wearing them a few times. Or maybe let your boyfriend help you next time?"
An Yuan, who had been browsing frames for her, overheard and walked over. "Need some help?"
"Yeah, just hold her eyelid open so she doesn't blink or move around too much."
"Got it."
After another ten minutes of struggling, Chen Cheng finally got the contact lenses in.
The world instantly became clear. No more glasses pressing on her nose or ears. She felt so much lighter, almost as if she had been freed.
She immediately walked over to a mirror and examined herself. Looking at her own blank stare, she felt a little awkward. "I think I still look better with glasses... and they're way more convenient."
"You're just not used to seeing yourself without them," An Yuan stood beside her. "I think you look great. Also, try these."
"Hmm..."
Glasses could really change someone's vibe. The moment she put on the gold-rimmed frames An Yuan had picked, she felt different, like a sophisticated businesswoman. If she paired them with a blazer, trousers, and a sleek ponytail, she'd totally look the part.
"These are nice! How much?" she asked the sales assistant, taking off the glasses.
"After the discount, just over 200 yuan."
"Never mind, I'll just stick with the contacts."
Leaving the store, Chen Cheng instinctively tried to push up her glasses. Only to poke herself in the lower eyelid.
She turned to An Yuan. "This feels weird. My eyes are kinda uncomfortable."
"Psychological reasons, maybe?"
They both stuffed their hands into their pockets and strolled side by side down the street.
Chen Cheng glanced at An Yuan, hesitating. She thought about linking arms with him like other girlfriends did, but she couldn't quite bring herself to do it.
And yet, she had just been clinging to his arm a moment ago…
Pressing her lips together, she took a small step closer. Trying to act casual, she quietly reached out and wrapped her fingers around An Yuan's forearm.
An Yuan noticed her little move, glanced at her, and instead of saying anything, he simply pulled his hand out of his pocket and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Ah—!"
Chen Cheng's face instantly turned red. She panicked and tried to escape, but his grip on her waist kept her in place.
She didn't dare struggle too much, afraid of attracting attention. With her head lowered and shoulders hunched, she let herself be led forward, looking like she was searching for money on the ground.
Back home, when it was just the two of them, she could be a little troublemaker, flirty, teasing, always messing with him.
But outside? She was suddenly a pure and innocent little bunny, getting shy over the smallest show of affection.
An Yuan leaned down and blew gently into her ear. "Where's that attitude from home? The way you shake your hips when you wear those tiny shorts, where did that go?"
"???"
Chen Cheng raised her head up, completely stunned. As she realized what he was referring to, her already flushed face turned an even deeper shade of red.
"W-What?! I was just lying on my bed charging my phone! You're the one with a dirty mind!"
An Yuan paused for a second, then smoothly changed his approach. "Tsk, no wonder you're a little vixen. Every move you make is designed to seduce men."
"You're the vixen! Get lost!"
Since when did he see her as that kind of person?!
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind spending $5 monthly to see till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1]
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Extra Story 17: The End[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/135616406?collection=1362427[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1362427?view=condensed[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1362427?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/135616406?collection=1362427
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/135616406?collection=1362427
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1362427?view=condensed