Chapter 79: One Kiss Was Never Enough
Teng Yi's confession was grand and spectacular. The moment it ended, thunderous applause erupted, rivaling any stage performance. Even the dormitory supervisor and several dishwashing aunties from the cafeteria rushed over to witness the scene, nudging each other excitedly as if their long-dormant youthful hearts had suddenly awakened.
This confession dance—and Teng Yi himself—seemed to charm everyone, young and old alike.
Ruan Yu was ushered downstairs by her friends. She was still in her pajamas and had wanted to change, but she couldn’t resist her roommates’ enthusiasm. They practically pushed her from the third floor straight into Teng Yi’s arms.
In the hallway, their female classmates swarmed out in excitement. Ruan Yu’s joy had instantly become everyone’s joy.
"Ruan Ruan, congrats on scoring a boyfriend!"
"Ruan Ruan, I’m so jealous!"
"No wonder Teng Yi kept crashing our classes—he was just following his lady!"
"..."
The crowd followed Ruan Yu downstairs, where many girls had already gathered. Like her, most had thrown on a coat over their pajamas to join the excitement. Even though their weekend sleep-in had been interrupted, no one seemed the least bit annoyed.
Teng Yi stood at the entrance, holding a bouquet of flowers, his gaze fixed on Ruan Yu from afar. Behind him, Xiao Qing and Zhou Xihe stood with their arms slung over each other’s shoulders, grinning from ear to ear.
The morning sun was just right, the breeze was just right, and the boys’ vibrant figures and youthful smiles painted a living picture that etched itself permanently into Ruan Yu’s life, becoming one of her most treasured memories.
Her heart raced wildly.
She remembered the day the college entrance exams ended, when their class’s sports committee member had prepared a bouquet to confess to a girl from another class. Outside the exam hall, the girl’s shy nod had shattered the suffocating tension, and the surrounding students erupted in cheers and applause—as if their untamed youth had truly begun in that moment. Back then, though she hadn’t shown it, a tiny part of her had envied that. She had never imagined that someone like her, who had spent her life running forward with her head down, would one day experience such a heartbeat-skipping moment.
Teng Yi was the most dazzling flower to ever bloom in her barren life.
"Here, Little Fish." Teng Yi handed her the bouquet, his composed expression barely masking a hint of nervousness.
Ruan Yu took it. Even before she lowered her head, the fragrance of the flowers reached her.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"I do." Of course she did.
"Do you like the flowers, or do you like me?" he murmured, lowering his voice.
"I like the you who gave me flowers, and I like the flowers you gave me," she answered.
Teng Yi reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"Wooow—"
Amid the squeals, he pressed a kiss to the curve of her ear.
"It’s my first time dating. I don’t really know how to do it right, but I just thought—the best way is to let the whole world know you’re mine."
Hearing this, Ruan Yu could no longer hold back her tears. She raised her arms and hugged him tightly in return.
"Alright, alright! Happy ending, ladies! You’ve all seen it—Teng Yi is officially taken! No more scheming!" Xiao Qing called from behind. "If any of you are looking for a boyfriend, feel free to consider the rest of us!"
The girls burst into laughter at Xiao Qing’s antics, understanding that this was their cue to disperse. The weekend would begin in this sweet, lively atmosphere—and that was just fine.
Teng Yi loosened his hold on Ruan Yu and gently wiped her tears away.
"Don’t cry. I didn’t come here to make you cry."
"Mm. Thank you.""Is saying thank you too formal between us?"
"What should I say then?"
"You don't need to say anything. Just smile."
Ruan Yu's tears turned into laughter.
"Oh my god, this is straight out of a fairy tale romance drama!" Jian Xiangxiang exclaimed while rushing forward to slap Zhou Xihe on the back. "You put so much effort into helping someone else confess, but I've never gotten such a romantic surprise from you!"
Zhou Xihe rubbed his sore shoulder. "Big sis, you're the one pursuing me, remember?"
Jian Xiangxiang glared threateningly. "Think carefully—who's chasing whom here?"
"Fine, fine, I'm chasing you, I'm chasing you." Zhou Xihe yawned and stretched his arms. "We practiced all night—I'm dead tired. Need to catch some sleep."
"All night?" Ruan Yu turned to Teng Yi. "You pulled an all-nighter?"
Before Teng Yi could answer, Xiao Qing nodded beside him.
"Yeah, he dragged us through it all night. Don't start crying from emotion again."
Last night, Xiao Qing and the others truly experienced the saying "reckless words lead to painful consequences." They had merely gossiped in their group chat about how Teng Yi would confess—who knew this guy had actually won his girlfriend over purely with his looks? Romantic surprises and flowers? Nonexistent. Of course, Teng Yi hadn't skipped these things out of stinginess or lack of funds—he simply had no clue about the usual courtship process. When he saw the group chat discussions and realized how romantic confession could be, he couldn't sit still.
Whatever others had, his girlfriend would have too.
So he gathered his brothers, hauled them to the Xiyou dance studio, and spent the whole night buying flowers, selecting songs, and choreographing a dance routine.
No wonder he hadn't replied to her messages all night.
Zhou Xihe's yawn proved contagious, spreading to the other guys nearby.
Seeing how much effort they'd put in for her—and losing sleep over it—Ruan Yu felt both guilty and touched.
"Go get some rest," she urged, giving Teng Yi a gentle push. "You too."
"Okay."
The excitement of the night finally wearing off, Teng Yi was indeed exhausted.
He turned and jerked his chin at Xiao Qing and the others.
"Let's go."
The guys suddenly stood at attention and bowed in perfect unison, like performers taking a curtain call.
"Goodbye, sister-in-law!" they chorused.
Ruan Yu waved back with a smile, the fragrance from her bouquet tinting her cheeks pink.
Ruan Yu spent the entire morning in her dorm fussing over the flowers Teng Yi had given her—trimming stems, rearranging blooms—as if never quite satisfied yet completely content.
Her three roommates marveled at the rare sight. Who could have imagined they'd see the always time-conscious Ruan Yu happily wasting hours on such sweetness?
Within two hours, the video of Teng Yi's confession went viral across campus forums. His rumored relationship with Fang Wan was debunked instantly, while the clip also thrust Ruan Yu into the spotlight.
Top student, valedictorian, radio host... Those trying to dig up dirt on Ruan Yu only found achievements that left them in awe. Even her leaked ID photo—showing her natural beauty—outshone countless heavily made-up faces.
"I thought this girl wasn't good enough for Teng Yi. Turns out she's more than a match for him."
"Dance god confesses to academic ace—your circle really knows how to party."
"After seeing Ruan Yu's grades in every subject, I gave up any improper thoughts about Teng Yi. Way out of my league.""To all my heartbroken sisters, I don’t really know how to comfort you, so... drink more hot water, I guess."
Jian Xiangxiang lay on her bed holding an iPad, scrolling through comments all morning, occasionally bursting into pig-like giggles. In the end, she reached a conclusion.
"Ruan Ruan, you're about to go viral."
Ruan Yu hadn’t yet recovered from the waves of shock when Shen Bing’s call came through.
The moment she saw the name on the screen, her entire body tensed up.
She had always held a certain reverence for the formidable Shen Bing, but now, with the shift in their relationship, she felt even more uneasy.
"Whose call is it?" Chen Manbai asked from the side.
Ruan Yu flashed the screen at her.
She had saved Shen Bing’s contact as "Tutor Employer."
"Isn’t the tutor employer Teng Yi’s mom? Oh my god, is your future mother-in-law already coming for you? Is she going to throw a million at you to break you two up?"
"..."
Ruan Yu took the phone and stepped out onto the balcony.
Chen Manbai followed, trying to eavesdrop by leaning on Ruan Yu’s shoulder, but was promptly pushed back inside.
In truth, Shen Bing had no idea about Ruan Yu and Teng Yi’s relationship. She had called simply to invite Ruan Yu over for dinner as a thank-you for helping Teng Hao improve in his studies.
Unable to decline such kindness, Ruan Yu agreed without hesitation.
"Going to meet the mother-in-law? Want me to do your makeup?" Chen Manbai asked excitedly.
"No thanks."
Ruan Yu preferred going bare-faced. Besides, she remembered Shen Bing had seemed quite pleased with her natural look the last time they met.
Between women, makeup could be a line of defense.
Ruan Yu took the bus to Huafu Residence. When she arrived, Shen Bing was busy in the kitchen.
Shen Bing was dressed casually today—a soft apricot sweater and even lighter-colored pants, with minimal makeup. Her short hair was slightly tousled, as if deliberately styled that way, lending her refined elegance a touch of youthful charm.
"You’re here," Shen Bing greeted.
Ruan Yu nodded, wanting to call her "Auntie" but hesitating. Instead, she simply said, "Hello."
Shen Bing seemed to sense her nervousness and said, "I’m probably around the same age as your mother. If you don’t mind, you can call me Auntie."
"Auntie."
Shen Bing smiled.
"Teng Hao’s upstairs. I told him to study, but who knows if he’s actually listening—he might be secretly gaming again. Could you go check on him? I’ll finish cooking a few more dishes, and then we can eat."
"Okay."
Just as Ruan Yu responded, Shen Bing’s phone rang.
"Hello?" Shen Bing answered. Whatever the person on the other end said prompted her to ask, "Right now?"
Ruan Yu had just stepped onto the first stair but hesitated and turned back.
Shen Bing leaned against the kitchen counter with one hand, staring at the half-washed ingredients in the sink, lost in thought for a long moment before finally nodding.
"Okay, I’ll head over right away. Fifteen minutes."
She hung up and turned around to find Ruan Yu standing at the kitchen doorway.
"Um..."
"Auntie, if you’re busy, I can help cook," Ruan Yu offered.
Shen Bing hadn’t expected such a suggestion. She took a moment to reassess the girl before her—still as she remembered, delicate and fair, clean and fresh, like the little jasmine flowers she used to grow.
"That won’t do. You’re my guest. I can’t possibly ask you to cook."
"It’s really no trouble."
"No, no.""Auntie, if you don't let your guest cook, are you trying to starve them?"
"Eh?" Shen Bing was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter.
This young girl—she had initially seemed like a smooth, polished jade, but unexpectedly, there was an edge to her.
"I was joking," Ruan Yu quickly added.
"Of course I knew you were joking," Shen Bing beckoned her into the kitchen. "Since you're not standing on ceremony with me, I won't with you either. If you offered to cook, you must be quite skilled. Look at these ingredients—I bought them all fresh this morning. Pair them however you like, cook what you want to eat, or what you know how to make."
"Alright."
"Then I'll be off. I'll be back within two hours. If I'm not, go ahead and eat without me."
Shen Bing untied her apron and handed it to Ruan Yu before turning to leave.
The driver was waiting for her, and soon the sound of a car starting and driving away came from outside.
Silence settled in.
Ruan Yu tied on the apron, rolled up her sleeves, and began washing the remaining ingredients. Shen Bing had bought a lot—clearly, if not for the sudden interruption, she had genuinely intended to treat Ruan Yu well.
The thought alone was touching.
Once the ingredients were cleaned, Ruan Yu had a clear idea of what to make. Chopping, pairing, cooking—she moved step by step, methodically.
The house gradually filled with an enticing aroma, and she grew more at ease, settling into the rhythm of working in her element.
"Did the sun rise in the west today?"
Ruan Yu was crouched down, reaching for a plate, when Teng Yi's voice suddenly came from the doorway.
She stood up and smiled at him.
Teng Yi blinked, rubbing his eyes as if he wasn't fully awake yet.
"I wondered who it was—turns out the kitchen fairy has graced us with her presence," he teased, walking in with a water cup in hand.
"Consider it a return favor for the surprise you gave me."
Teng Yi grinned. "What brings you here?"
Ruan Yu explained everything—from Shen Bing's phone call to her sudden departure.
"Inviting someone for a meal but ending up handing them the kitchen—classic Ms. Shen Bing," Teng Yi summarized.
"It was my idea. I wanted you to try my cooking, as payback for the instant noodles last time."
Teng Yi wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Still remember that, huh? Top students and their sharp memories."
His breath tickled her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
"Stop fooling around—we're at home."
If Teng Hao walked in on them again, she’d never be able to face him.
Teng Yi acted as if he hadn’t heard. He turned her around, gripping her shoulders, and leaned down to capture her lips.
He’d wanted to do this all morning, but with so many people around—familiar and unfamiliar—he’d had to hold back. Now, in his own domain, he had no reservations.
Freshly awake, the taste of toothpaste lingered on his tongue—a sweet, green tea flavor that he coaxed into her mouth, teasing against her own.
Neither had much experience, but both were quick learners. After a bit of fumbling, they found their rhythm.
Nipping, pushing, tangling.
Light brushes, teasing bites, deepening kisses.
The unknown always held a fatal allure.
With each step closer, something far more dangerous stirred within them.
Ruan Yu couldn’t take it anymore. Her hands clutched at the fabric of Teng Yi’s shirt, her eyes glistening like glass pulled from water.
"Mmm…"
She pushed at him weakly—her strength barely enough to scratch an itch, but it was all she could muster.Teng Yi eased up, finally giving her back her breath, but still unwilling to let her go. He held her close, burying his face in her long hair, allowing those silky strands and their lingering fragrance to continue teasing his nerves.
After a while, he kissed her again.
So this is what love is—seeing her makes him want to kiss her, and kissing her makes him want to kiss her even more.
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