First Kiss (Two-in-One)

The feedback from light passing through the eyes to the brain is automatically processed by the brain. This is the Xishi beauty being in the eye of the beholder. In Liu Chang'an's eyes, An Nuan is naturally more beautiful. Even though they both value the sense of ritual, he is more willing to cooperate with An Nuan. If it were Bai Hui, he would only give advice on shamanistic rituals.

The human brain is so interesting. So many people look at themselves in the mirror and think they're reasonably handsome, but they must clearly realize that in other people's eyes, they're probably a level below... That's why many people wonder why, even though they're quite handsome, they try to chat up pretty girls, but they're not interested.

Nowadays, many people not only consciously beautify themselves, but also use beauty apps to enhance their appearance. What's most unbearable is the image displayed when logging into payment apps and selecting facial recognition; they wouldn't even want to look at it a second time.

Facial recognition systems are the most honest camera software; they won't add any beauty filters or enhancements.

Liu Chang'an added a halo to An Nuan, like a misty rain behind her with a light shining from behind, giving her a dreamlike aura.

"Come over when the rain gets a little lighter." Liu Chang'an pulled An Nuan to stand at the top of the stairs. "It's not like you need to wait in line for a date with me. The earlier you come, the sooner you can meet up, right?"

"You wish!" An Nuan retorted playfully. "If any little vixens got here before me, I'd take them all down with my peach wood sword."

I haven't given you the peach wood sword yet.

"I have my own magic." An Nuan held up two fingers and poked at the raindrops falling from the eaves.

"I suddenly feel weak all over, please give me some magic to save me!"

"How can I give it to you?" An Nuan giggled.

"Just like the way the male and female protagonists pass on their martial arts skills in a wuxia drama."

An Nuan punched him, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Could his nonsensical remarks on Valentine's Day be a hidden meaning?

Liu Chang'an, of course, didn't. He just looked at the two bags she was carrying and asked, "What's inside?"

An Nuan quickly covered the bag opening to prevent him from peeking inside.

"Let's go to the room first," An Nuan said, pointing to the storage room next door.

"I moved back." Liu Chang'an pointed to his head.

An Nuan walked in with Liu Chang'an, feeling a sense of novelty and anticipation. She found that the house was not yet finished and was empty, which made her even more excited. She had a strong desire to take charge of the decoration style and furniture placement of Liu Chang'an's house.

An Nuan put down her umbrella, looked around, and finally came to the balcony, which was undoubtedly the only place Liu Chang'an had managed to make look decent.

"It feels so nice here," An Nuan praised. The ground was dark red sand, and flowers and plants grew all around. The deck chair was very comfortable. All around was greenery, and the fine raindrops pattered on the sycamore leaves. She could feel the coolness of early autumn with her hand.

"This is where I contemplate life." Liu Chang'an nodded.

An Nuan couldn't help but laugh. Wasn't Liu Chang'an's life all about taking things as they came? This kind of life required the least amount of thinking.

Liu Chang'an then focused his attention on the bag that An Nuan was holding.

"I brought my cheongsam," An Nuan said somewhat shyly. Young girls often show a bit of reserve when they take the initiative to please someone, and they also look forward to his reaction.

"No wonder you didn't wear a ponytail today. But why don't you give it a try? Actually, a cheongsam doesn't necessarily have to be a mature look. A young girl and a cheongsam can go very well together, especially since this style was originally designed for you. A bun or a long ponytail hanging below your ears would both work," Liu Chang'an said after thinking for a moment.

It's so nice to have a boyfriend who can give me outfit advice. An Nuan was also a little eager to try it out. When she wore a cheongsam, she unconsciously imitated her mother's temperament.

"Then let's change together." An Nuan handed a bag to Liu Chang'an.

"What?"

Liu Chang'an took it, opened it, and saw several small, broken items.

"I told you before, what I'd get in return for giving you clothes depends on your behavior." An Nuan coughed lightly, her eyes darting around, trying to keep her tone normal. "Since you've been behaving quite well... I just made you a simple dress."

"Just made a random piece of clothing?" Liu Chang'an laughed. "This kind of workmanship is definitely not something a novice like you could easily do."

"Who said I'm a beginner?" An Nuan blushed. "I just did it casually."

"You spent the whole summer doing that, didn't you?" Liu Chang'an just smiled as he looked at An Nuan's flushed face.

An Nuan hesitated for a moment, but seeing the tenderness in Liu Chang'an's eyes, she finally let go of her inhibitions and, confirming that her gift hadn't disappointed him, relaxed and began to whine, "Look, my fingers have been pricked by needles so many times!"

Liu Chang'an held her finger and examined it. Sure enough, it looked like the kind of fingertip that a novice would poke after learning needlework for a while, with small holes. Liu Chang'an then put her finger in his mouth and gently sucked on it.

An Nuan was extremely embarrassed because she could feel her fingertip touching his tongue. How could this person suddenly do something so lewd? In modern people's minds, licking fingers is a highly erotic act, whether it's licking your own finger while looking at someone else, or licking someone else's finger while looking at them.

"Feeling better now?" Liu Chang'an said casually.

An Nuan wrinkled her nose and looked at her fingers in confusion. Her fingers, which were swollen and sore from being pricked so many times while rushing to finish the job, actually felt cool and comfortable.

"Saliva can be used for this purpose?" An Nuan said in surprise. An Nuan had been taught by Liu Yuewang since she was a child that she should use a band-aid when she was injured. Injuries are common during sports and exercise, and An Nuan always puts on a band-aid immediately. She had never used saliva.

"Of course, it contains my essence."

"You're kidding me!" An Nuan retorted playfully, but she couldn't help but imagine him running over and sucking on her finger when she injured it while playing basketball on campus... Oh dear, how embarrassing! But she just couldn't resist!

"What are you thinking about?" Liu Chang'an asked, looking at An Nuan's shy yet happy expression, seemingly lost in thought.

"It's nothing!" An Nuan looked around, avoiding Liu Chang'an's gaze. "Actually, it was mainly my mother who helped a lot. She taught me everything. If I had taught myself and made this in a summer vacation, I definitely wouldn't dare to let you wear it."

"Okay, you go change in the bathroom, I'll change in the living room." Liu Chang'an pointed in the direction of the bathroom.

An Nuan nodded expectantly and shyly, then ran into the bathroom.

Changing clothes at Liu Chang'an's house for the first time... Although she didn't imagine or think anything strange, she still felt something was off. An Nuan touched her cheek, feeling a little nervous. Would he peek? In some stories, the male protagonist's bathroom door has a crack... An Nuan couldn't help but look back. It seemed there wasn't one, and Liu Chang'an would never do such a thing.

He used to wait for her outside the school locker room all the time... I wonder if he's ever imagined what she looks like changing clothes. An Nuan stomped her foot. Honestly, it's just Valentine's Day, why am I overthinking things? I'm going crazy.

An Nuan tried a bun hairstyle but found it didn't suit her, so she combed her hair into two ponytails for a simple look. She tidied her bangs, and thankfully it was raining and the temperature wasn't high today. After walking a short distance, her bangs didn't look greasy. After changing into a cheongsam, An Nuan looked at herself again and thought, "No wonder I'm Liu Yuewang's daughter."

"Are you done yet?" An Nuan had an urge to run out and scare Liu Chang'an. It would be even more fun to see him running around naked and hiding, but she held back. Today is Valentine's Day, so she should refrain from such playful antics for now.

"Alright."

An Nuan then stepped out, a shy air about her, her eyebrows slightly drawn, and looked at Liu Chang'an with surprise.

"You... you're so handsome... so good-looking..." An Nuan was very surprised and stammered a little.

"Look at you, so pathetic! Come on, scream, cry, and roll on your knees in disbelief: How could someone so handsome be my boyfriend? This must be a dream, I don't want to wake up! I want to stay asleep forever!" Liu Chang'an laughed and flicked An Nuan's forehead.

"How annoying!" An Nuan was already used to Liu Chang'an's teasing. She brushed his fingers aside and looked him over again. He usually dressed very casually and relaxed. An Nuan had always thought that was his personality and that was how he dressed. But today, he really surprised her. She had never seen anyone wear Han-style clothing so naturally and effortlessly.

He wasn't the kind of handsome man with delicately raised eyebrows you see in period romance dramas, nor did he exude a self-satisfied air of profoundness and sophistication just because he wore Hanfu. For him, it was simply a garment that blended into the world, without making people think, "Why is he wearing ancient clothing? Why is he so flamboyant? Is he trying to get attention?"

"I also prepared a gift for you." Liu Chang'an opened the umbrella that An Nuan had brought and hung it to dry in the living room, then gave An Nuan the oil-paper umbrella he had made himself.

An Nuan opened the umbrella with delight. She discovered that the umbrella's color perfectly matched the color of her dress, especially the line of words engraved on the handle, dyed in dark gold. "Beginning with Heartbeat, ending in old age; to possess it is to find peace, to be with it is to find warmth."

"When I went to buy fabric to make you a cheongsam, it happened to rain, so I thought I'd give you an umbrella. The meaning is a bit cliché, but I just hope it can shelter you from the wind and rain." Liu Chang'an hadn't prepared anything special, so he spoke of his wish and his attempt. "Today is our first Qixi Festival together, and I hope that on the hundredth Qixi Festival, this umbrella will still be with us. You'll be just as beautiful then as you are today."

"I will... Even if I grow old like a grandma, you'll still think I'm beautiful, right?" An Nuan cried as she threw herself into his arms. Liu Chang'an's sweet words were plain and unremarkable, yet they made An Nuan's heart ache with a bittersweet feeling. She just wanted to be with him under this umbrella, for a moment that felt like an eternity.

"When you become an old lady, I'll help you cross the street." Liu Chang'an smiled and hugged An Nuan, gently patting her back.

"How annoying!" An Nuan complained with a mix of tears and laughter. The atmosphere was fine, but he just had to say something strange.

Let's go.

Where to?

"Have no idea."

"Then feel free to go anywhere."

"Um."

Liu Chang'an changed his shoes but didn't bring an extra umbrella. An Nuan didn't remind him that this umbrella was a bit bigger than a girl's small umbrella, but not very big. If he wanted to avoid getting wet, he would have to put his arm around her shoulder and walk with her in his arms so that the outside of both of their shoulders wouldn't get wet easily.

As she walked down the short stairs, An Nuan felt her heart pounding rapidly, the thumping sound disrupting her steps as she followed Liu Chang'an.

The air was humid, and rain was drizzling at the end of the steps. The sky, sycamore trees, and eaves were reflected in the shallow puddles. An Nuan tried to act nonchalant and reached out to take Liu Chang'an's arm.

"Etc."

Liu Chang'an took half a step forward, but An Nuan pulled him back down the steps.

"How?"

Liu Chang'an's eyes were filled with doubt. An Nuan's pupils trembled in her eye sockets. She held the umbrella high and quietly tiptoed. That little bit of tiptoeing seemed to be overcoming the gravity of a spaceship leaving Earth. With all her might, An Nuan listened to the sound of the rain, put down his arm, raised her hand to her chest, and held her breath.

Liu Chang'an lowered his head and, without waiting for her to close her eyes or for her to exert all her strength, kissed An Nuan's moist and rosy lips.

The weather at that moment was just right—humid and inviting. An Nuan's heels rose to the perfect distance. She clenched and unclenched her fists, grabbing his long sleeves. She leaned forward slightly, nestled against him. She didn't have time to close her eyes, so she caught just enough of a glimpse of his tenderness and affection.

"I should have taken the initiative, I'm sorry." Liu Chang'an didn't linger long on her fresh, sweet lips, and took the umbrella she was holding high.

"N-nothing... it's okay." An Nuan struggled to open her lips after a long while. She was so nervous that she didn't know how to breathe, and her heart was pounding like thunder. Only then did she realize why she had been so nervous and yet so determined to take the initiative to do this... Fortunately, he didn't think she was too casual or lacking in self-restraint.

Such worries seem absurd in modern thinking, but when it comes to love, the fear of loss is inevitable. An Nuan took his arm again, and under the umbrella he held up, the feeling seemed different... Is it only after kissing that another stage of love begins?

An Nuan turned to look at him, at his face, at the umbrella he was holding, at the twelve characters on the handle, and felt a surge of sweetness in her heart. So this is what a first kiss is like—the most wonderful feeling in the world! The electric shock, the tingling sensation, the blankness—the descriptions in romance novels are simply not enough!

Sorry, I thought I was feeling better, which is why I asked for extra chapters with monthly votes. Tonight, my face was so swollen from a toothache that I had to get an anti-inflammatory injection... Since the monthly votes have already exceeded 2900, although not yet 2950, I will definitely release a four-in-one chapter tomorrow to express my apology.