GL My Goddess Best Friend’s Seduction (H) - Chapter 58

Back home, we usually have our New Year’s Eve dinner on the evening of the thirtieth. However, by noon, we are already on our way to visit Auntie’s house.

That morning, Si Jingnian needed to visit her grandmother to pay respects, so there was no time for us to meet.

I secretly tucked her birthday gift into my bag and locked myself in Auntie’s bathroom to send her a message. I told her I didn’t know when I would be able to sneak away.

She reassured me gently, saying it was okay if we didn’t see each other today.

I insisted. “That won’t do. I haven’t even given you your present yet.”

She said receiving it a few days later was fine. She was not in a rush.

I replied, “You might not be, but I am!”

She responded with a five-second voice message. I put on my headphones and played it. Her voice, soft and warm like a spring breeze, flowed through my ears. “What’s wrong? Missing me already?”

I rubbed my heated earlobes and swallowed. I replied with a loaded, “Mmm…”

Another voice message appeared in the chat. I turned the volume up, wanting to hear every note of her tone. Her voice came through with a quiet sigh, followed by four words filled with affection. “I miss you too.”

Sitting on the toilet, I pressed my legs together, trying to dispel the swarm of suggestive thoughts in my mind.

I lowered my voice and asked her in a message, “What exactly are you thinking about me?” I had a pretty good idea where this conversation was headed, but I still guided her response. I was utterly shameless about it, and I enjoyed every second.

She replied, “I’m thinking about all of you…”

“And what does ‘all’ include?”

“Does it include my face? My lips? My body? Or something else?”

“Everything. I miss you, Xiaoyu. I miss your face, your lips, your chest, your waist, your soft belly, your delicate little spot, your everything…”

Her words were too tempting. In my mind, each one turned into a vivid image. I leaned my flushed cheek against the cold wall to calm myself.

…

Auntie’s home was also in the suburbs, though in the opposite direction from Si Jingnian’s place.

Our family always followed a fixed schedule for New Year’s Eve. We would have dinner first, then play card games while watching the Spring Festival Gala, and finally stay up until midnight.

Her house was an older, single-story courtyard but quite spacious. Our family of three, my grandfather, and both of my aunts’ and uncles’ families could all stay there. That might have been because my younger siblings weren’t married yet, though my brother did bring his fiancée.

From noon onward, I was anxious and full of schemes. I had to find a way to see Si Jingnian before midnight.

My plan was to pretend I was sick and go back to the room early. Then, once the house was lively and distracted, I would sneak out. Luckily, the room I was staying in was near the front door.

I told Si Jingnian that if things went smoothly, I could slip out by 8:30 PM and take a taxi to meet her.

She agreed.

After dinner, just past 8:00 PM, the moment had come to put my acting skills to the test.

My aunt and uncle were just pulling out the cards for a game when I began to rub my temples, frown, and act weak. In a feeble voice, I said I wasn’t feeling well and might have caught a cold. I had already been absent-minded and barely ate during dinner. Hopefully, they believed me.

Auntie told me to go lie down in the room and rest.

I stood slowly, leaning on the table as if I could barely walk, and headed toward the room. I deliberately avoided my parents’ eyes, especially my father’s knowing expression.

Inside the room, I turned on the light and found a message on my phone from my dad.

Old An: Be careful when you go out tonight. If you take a cab, send me the license plate number.

Peaceful New Year: Okay, thanks Dad! Please cover for me. Also, in twenty minutes, can you lock the front door behind me?

Old An: Tell Jingnian happy birthday from your mother and me. Tonight’s expenses are on me.

Peaceful New Year: Whoa, Dad, you’re so generous! We’ll spend wisely.

Old An: Just don’t go overboard.

Peaceful New Year: …Okay, goodbye, Dad.

It was always awkward talking to parents about this kind of thing.

I stuffed two pillows under the blanket, turned off the lights, and quietly opened the wooden door. The main living room faced the front door, so there was still some risk involved.

I crept out quietly. Thank goodness I had chosen a black down coat, which allowed me to melt into the shadows of the night. The living room was full of noise. I heard my dad’s booming voice yell, “Why would you play that card?!” followed by my mom’s fierce roar, “An Bighead, stop trying to be the king of strategy!”

Their loud bickering continued. My dad really came through.

I gently unlocked the latch and slipped out, leaving the door barely ajar.

After completing my escape, I sprinted toward the alley’s end like a beast was chasing me. The cold winter wind cut into my nose and ears, numbing them. I tucked my head deeper into my scarf.

The alley’s lighting was patchy. Some houses had working lamps, while others didn’t. As I ran through the dim alley, my heart raced. I just wanted to reach the main road quickly and see Si Jingnian.

I was still wondering where we would meet when I saw a tall, graceful figure standing under a streetlamp near the alley’s end. Her face was hidden by the light’s glare.

Even so, I ran straight into her arms.

Her familiar scent instantly enveloped me, and peace washed over me.

She hugged me and kissed the top of my head. I suddenly realized I had left my hat at Auntie’s place. Oh well.

We strolled hand in hand along the quiet streets. Hardly anyone was around in this part of the suburbs.

We kissed and clung to each other, making up for the painful days apart.

I asked her how she got here. She said she drove. I asked where the car was. She said it was parked in the XX Hotel garage. Then she added, “This way, you can leave early tomorrow morning.”

I smiled knowingly. “So you booked a room already? You really planned this all out.”

She nodded. “Mhm.”

I teased her. “You must’ve missed me a lot, Miss Si Jingnian.”

She only replied, “Mhm.”

“No more mhm! Say it out loud. You said it just fine on WeChat.”

She remained silent.

“Oh? Not talking? Then let me play it back.” I opened my phone and tapped on the message.

“Everything. I miss you, Xiaoyu. I miss your face, your lips, your chest…” Her voice was filled with longing, and in the cold winter night, it made me blush.

Her face turned redder than I’d ever seen. She quickly grabbed the phone and locked the screen, pretending nothing had happened.

She looked away, refusing to meet my eyes.

“Are you mad?”

“You’re not mad?”

“If you’re not mad, then fine. I was going to say, if you were, I’d have to make it up to you in all sorts of ways~~~”

She replied, “…I’m very mad.”

“That’s not convincing.”

“I don’t care.”

“Fine, today is your birthday. You can have your way.” I traced circles in her palm with one finger, playful and suggestive. She held my hand more firmly, her gaze sharp with a silent but unmistakable warning.

She started pulling me toward the nearby hotel. I stopped her.

“I want fireworks first. Buy me fireworks.”

It was a bit much to ask. Fireworks were banned, and even in the suburbs, you couldn’t find them.

“Alright. Wait here.” Si Jingnian left me at the hotel entrance.

In the cold wind, I trembled. A hotel staff member struck up a conversation with me. Just as I asked them what kind of guests they disliked most, Si Jingnian drove up.

She gestured for me to get in. Without saying a word, she drove farther into the quiet countryside.

Ordinarily, I might’ve been scared to go somewhere so remote at night. But with her beside me, I felt no fear. Not even fire or blades could scare me with her around.

Still, I teased her. “What, are you taking me to be sold as someone’s bride in the mountains?”

She looked at me like I was hopeless.

I pouted. “Hey! I’m pretty, healthy, and high-quality! What’s with that look?”

“You’re ridiculous,” she said.

“You admit it! You love a ridiculous girl! You’re ridiculous too!”

“I must be, to love a fool like you.”

“Hmph.”

We laughed and bickered until we arrived. A three-story house surrounded by electric fencing stood before us. The sign read: XX Fish Pond.

Panicking, I grabbed her. “Are we trespassing into someone’s property?”

She gave me a look, then held up a key. “This is my uncle’s fish pond. My dad and I come here sometimes to fish.”

I let out a breath of relief. She switched on the porch light and led me inside.

The first floor was like a warehouse, with shelves full of fishing gear. We passed through the room, through the back garden full of vegetables and green onions, until we reached the pond.

To my astonishment, there were fireworks waiting.

She had planned this. She had prepared everything!

Leaning on her shoulder, I watched the fireworks explode across the sky. She turned to me and kissed me.

As the lights faded, our lips parted. I looked into her eyes, brighter than any firework.

“Happy birthday, Jingnian.”

I took a step back, pulled a small ring from my pocket, and knelt down.

“Will you marry me?”

She was taken by surprise and immediately knelt beside me, reaching out to help me to my feet. I dodged her hands and held the ring before her.

“Jingnian, I know you’ve loved me far longer. You’ve given more. You’re better than me in every way…”

She interrupted, her voice trembling. “You’re wrong, Xiaoyu. I’m not better. I’m just lucky.” Then she knelt too. “Yes. I will.”

Tears streaming down my cheeks, I slipped the ring onto her finger. I pouted.

“But my chest is still better than yours.”

She laughed through her tears. We hugged by the pond for a long, long time.

“So the fish pond witnessed our love?” I whispered.

She smiled.

As we drove back to the hotel, our eyes were still wet with tears, and our hearts beat with the lingering warmth of joy.