If Wan hadn’t said that, Jiang Yao’s curiosity wouldn’t have been nearly so intense. Doing mischievous things behind her sister’s back was her favorite pastime, and lately, her biggest worry was that she couldn’t surpass her sister’s place in Chen Yuan’s heart.

’And now Wan is actually saying it’s simple?’

She was eager to hear just how simple it could be.

"Come on, tell me," Jiang Yao said, cornering the petite Wan and blocking her escape. Her mischievous hands started roaming all over her.

There was no hiding, no escape. Before long, Wan’s face was flushed red. Cornered, she frantically tried to shield herself. But if she protected her waist, her chest was tickled mercilessly. If she protected her chest, Yaoyao’s hands would slip right under her arms.

Wan couldn’t control her giggles, her shoulders shaking. A moment later, she couldn’t hold out any longer and started begging for mercy. "Okay... okay, I’ll talk!"

"So what is it?"

"I think..." Wan started to speak, then quickly added, "First, promise me. After I tell you, you can’t go and tell Ningning it was my idea. I don’t want her to resent me."

"Of course. This is our little secret. I’ll take it to my grave. You have to trust our bond."

"Alright then... Yaoyao, I’ve been listening to you talk about Chen Yuan for so long, and I saw him at the anime convention last time. Haven’t you noticed his biggest personality trait?"

"Trait?"

"Yes. What do you think it is?"

"There are too many," Jiang Yao said, counting on her fingers. "Thoughtful, polite, respectful, stubborn but soft-hearted."

"No, I don’t think it’s any of those. Chen Yuan’s biggest traits are that he’s traditional, stubborn, and easily guilt-tripped."

When Wan finished speaking, she stared into Jiang Yao’s eyes. They locked gazes.

Jiang Yao’s brow furrowed slightly.

She could understand the first two. Many people hold traditional values, which often stem from their family and upbringing. Chen Yuan, for his part, had received a very upstanding education.

He was the type to be a model student in school and a model youth as a young man. The type who wouldn’t stand idly by when others were in trouble, who strove to be a responsible member of society. And of course, being devoted and serious in relationships—not messing around—was part of that traditional mindset.

In reality, many men and women in today’s society don’t take relationships seriously at all.

There are those who string people along, who juggle multiple partners, who still party recklessly despite being in a relationship. They even cheat casually, hiding it from their partners to go mess around with their shady friends in bars, pretending to be carefree, with no self-respect or self-love.

This went against certain traditional principles.

Jiang Yao agreed that this was one of Chen Yuan’s traits.

Wan, however, had reached this conclusion from a different angle.

Last time at the anime convention, Wan had noticed that whenever Chen Yuan looked at cosplayers in more revealing outfits, he would quickly look away. It was an instinctive reaction; in reality, no one would have said anything even if he stared.

That spoke volumes.

As for his stubbornness, Jiang Yao had mentioned it to her many times. It was part of his personality, meaning that once he made up his mind about something, it was very difficult for others to change it.

"What do you mean, ’easily guilt-tripped’?" Jiang Yao asked, confused.

"Think of it like how some people get pregnant before marriage to guilt-trip their traditional parents."

"Huh?!" Jiang Yao stumbled back two steps in shock, instantly understanding what she meant. "You’re not suggesting I... have a baby, are you? What kind of terrible idea is that! No way, absolutely not!"

Her eyes were frantic, and she bit her lip.

She squatted back down next to the computer parts, fiddling with one, picking up another, her head bowed.

Wan couldn’t see her expression.

Wan’s plan was so outrageous it would make anyone’s head spin. Jiang Yao finally understood why she had been so hesitant to speak, and why she felt she’d be letting Ningning down.

’It’s not just Ningning I’d be wronging.’

To put it bluntly, she probably wouldn’t be able to face her ancestors, either.

’But then again, it really is a foolproof plan. If I were to have a baby, given Chen Yuan’s personality, there’s a 10,000 percent chance he would take responsibility. Even if we weren’t old enough, we could still hold the wedding ceremony first. In the north, it wasn’t uncommon for people to get married at nineteen.’

When that happened, not even the sky falling could stop the inevitable: Chen Yuan would marry her.

But after that fleeting thought, Jiang Yao immediately dismissed the idea. First and foremost, she had to be responsible for herself. Her usual little schemes and tricks were harmless, but pregnancy was a major life event. She might be childish, but she wasn’t incapable of telling right from wrong. Besides, being a mother was a sacred thing.

You don’t just give birth to a child; you have to raise them and teach them. To do so without being able to provide a good environment would be incredibly irresponsible.

’Would Chen Yuan have just graduated, trying to wrangle a toddler for his graduation photos?’

The very thought made her shudder.

"Qi Xiaowan, you’ve really left an impression. And here I was, thinking you had some brilliant idea."

"You misunderstood," Wan said, rushing over to explain. Blinking her almond-shaped eyes, she whispered, "I’m not saying you should get pregnant. I’m saying you should... you know... with Chen Yuan first. Don’t you always ask me how you feel like your position in his heart isn’t as high as Ningning’s? Think about it. He’s so traditional, he would definitely place immense importance on your first time together. He might even feel incredibly guilty afterward."

"Do... what?"

"You know... *that*."

"Huh?" Jiang Yao instantly turned into a steam engine, her cheeks flushed red, and it seemed like steam was puffing from the top of her head. "That... that wouldn’t be right."

"It’s certainly not ’right,’ but think about it. I guarantee that after it happens just once, your status will skyrocket. The victory will be sealed. It’s checkmate, like in chess."

"No, no, no, no," Jiang Yao said, waving her hands so fast they became a blur. "We haven’t gotten to that stage yet. We only have intimate contact occasionally. And... Chen Yuan is only nineteen. It’s not appropriate, not appropriate at all."

"How long have you two been dating?"

"If you count from when we started dating online, it’s been a year. We’ve been seeing each other in person for seven or eight months."

"A year and you still haven’t gotten to that stage! You two are really reserved."

"Isn’t that normal?"

"It depends on the people. When the feelings are there, it can happen naturally."

Jiang Yao looked at Wan, pursing her lips slightly. Her gaze flickered a few times. According to what her friend was saying, it was indeed a possibility. If she were the first, her status would skyrocket—maybe it would have the same effect as having a baby. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Their feelings were indeed getting deeper, and in reality, that kind of intimate contact wasn’t completely out of the question.

In the study, cluttered and packed with all sorts of equipment, the evening breeze stirred the thin curtains. Her gaze drifted past the display cabinets and the fish tank as she became lost in her dilemma, a pensive look on her face.

A girl’s first time is too precious. Even though she already believed Chen Yuan was someone she could entrust her future to, she couldn’t help but struggle internally. It was just like all the other times she’d mustered her courage, only to be overwhelmed by uncontrollable shyness in the end.

Even simple kisses and hugs made them awkward and reserved. How could they possibly consider something so difficult to even talk about?