Why are you always thinking about dating me?

"Feeling a bit bored, how about... a kiss?"

It seemed as if some crazy idea was growing wildly in the girl's heart like vines, but what she said was just a joke. If Lin An nodded, then she should go home tonight instead of staying here to play this ambiguous game with him.

But Lin An shook his head.

"You're drunk, sister."

"I didn't." Her smile was alluring, like a flower blooming in the dead of night, but then Lin An continued softly, "Sister, for me, kissing a stranger I've known for less than a day is something I can't accept in terms of my views on relationships. I understand, but I don't accept it."

But these words made Su Yuejin laugh unrestrainedly, laughing foolishly while holding his shoulders, laughing like some kind of idiot. Lin An watched her coldly when she couldn't see his expression.

"Do you believe in love?" She finally stopped laughing, but there were tears in the corners of her eyes. Looking at him, it seemed as if she was laughing through her tears.

Lin An nodded gently, "I believe you."

"Not all love in this world is mutually fulfilling. Many unimaginable deceptions, corruptions, betrayals, and deaths occur silently, screaming, or groaning in the vibrant night." Lin An spoke for her, leaving her speechless.

"But that doesn't stop some people from believing in love. I believe that one day I will meet a girl I like, I will love her with all my heart, and she will love me with all her heart. We can both be independent, but we are each other's support."

Su Yuejin listened to his words blankly, but she was not moved. She just laughed mockingly, "My father and mother, back then my father overcame countless pressures and even gave up his dignity to become a live-in son-in-law, just to be with my mother."

“But now, my father doesn’t come home every day and stays out every night with different lovers. My mother is the same. She keeps several handsome young men who are about your age and rarely comes home either.”

"People change, but love is just a vine that grows wildly after emotions arise, and it withers and dies after summer."

Su Yuejin's tone was full of mockery, but at this moment, Lin An grabbed her hand without her consent and said very seriously and sincerely, "But that's someone else's life. No matter what, they always love you with all their heart. Maybe love will gradually fade away."

"Even if they no longer love each other, they are still supporting each other. I know that love will eventually tire, and what remains in the end is the responsibility of facing life together, just like fireworks. Even if they eventually fade away, they are still the ones I like. I like the dazzling fireworks when they bloom. So I want fireworks, not fake flowers. They are always beautiful and blooming, but after all, they are just fake."

"That's why we have different views, but of course, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters. Only selfish people can be truly happy. Just be good to yourself." Lin An gently ruffled her hair, which was especially smooth.

"You mean you're a selfish person?" Su Yuejin asked him.

"Yes."

"But you didn't stay, did you? When you finished that martini, you were ready to leave, weren't you?"

Lin An had no choice but to nod.

"Then why did you stay?"

“I always felt that it wasn’t safe for you to be alone and in a bad mood if you drank too much, so I thought it would be good to keep an eye on you, since I just go home to sleep anyway.”

"Isn't it because I'm pretty?"

"That's partly true, but it's really not because of that. Sister, you have a great personality, but you're not my type."

"What kind of personality do you think I have?!" Su Yuejin's voice suddenly became more intense, as if she suddenly wanted to argue something.

However, Lin An's words were too gentle, leaving her unable to defend herself. Lin An didn't even scold her; she just said those words.

Su Yuejin knew that her demeanor might indeed lead Lin An to make that connection.

A bad woman.

"You don't understand me. You only see me as I am now... So what makes you say that my personality isn't what you like...?"

"I didn't say anything, did I?" Lin An looked into her eyes with some confusion.

“I didn’t say anything, sister, but you presumptuously inferred that I think you are a bad woman because of the way you act.”

"Since you yourself have admitted that this is how you appear, I would indeed have those strange thoughts if I didn't know you well. But I think you're not a bad woman, otherwise you wouldn't have been so sad when you were talking about love just now."

"Although it was a mocking look, at least you believed in love, right, sister?"

Lin An quietly gazed into her eyes, and the intense emotions in Su Yuejin's eyes gradually cooled down. However, she lowered her head slightly and smiled self-deprecatingly.

When she looked up again, she had already pressed her hand on Lin An's shoulder, moved close to his cheek, and touched his lips with a slightly tipsy smell of alcohol. It was very light and cool.

Lin An's expression was one of surprise, a mixture of astonishment and deliberate expression, though it was difficult to discern clearly amidst the dazzling, multicolored lights.

"My first kiss," she suddenly said.

"Yes, I believe you." Lin An nodded gently.

...Sometimes girls want to leave the impression of being innocent and well-behaved, which makes them feel at ease and avoids the moral judgment of their own hearts. So Lin An chose to believe, after all, it was just playing along. If she wanted to pretend to be innocent, what was wrong with being compliant?

It's obvious that this is her level. She can play around with innocent boys, but when she encounters a real pro, she'll be fooled until she's completely ruined. She's stuck in a rut, and she's almost in her grave. Since she's already like this, why not just go along with her?

Chapter Four: The Little Dog Who Couldn't Find Its Home

"You believe me?" Su Yuejin looked at Lin An's face. Lin An's expression seemed somewhat bewildered, like an ignorant child, a little flustered and at a loss.

"What reason did my sister give for lying to me?" Lin An asked.

Su Yuejin reached out a hand and placed it on his chest. "Then tell me... what do you think? You took my first kiss."

"Confused." Lin An answered her with two words. This time, Su Yuejin was surprised. She thought the boy would be embarrassed, but he was really confused. It was as if he couldn't understand why she kissed him.

"I think it's hard to be close to someone you don't like, sister, so we have different views. But you've had too much to drink, sister. If you want to rest a little longer, I'll take you home."

Su Yuejin understood what he meant, but she really wanted to explain herself. She wanted to say that she wasn't like that, that she was... She lowered her head and saw her black halter dress, and her slender, straight legs under the hem, revealing a lot of fair skin.

It also had a black lace-trimmed leg ring tied to it.

She didn't wear high heels because her legs were already beautiful, delicate and elegant, but suddenly, she regretted wearing this dress out today, even though she loved it.

Lin An followed her gaze and looked over. This small movement caught Su Yuejin's attention. Despite the noisy music in the background, Su Yuejin grabbed his hand, as if to put it on her lap.

"Let me show you," she said, but her smile had a somewhat sickly quality to it.

This time, Lin An did not comply with her. Instead, she grabbed Lin An's hand and held her slightly cold palm. "This is not good, sister."

"Don't you want to touch it?" Su Yuejin's tone seemed to carry a hint of mockery and self-abandonment.

"I was thinking of doing that." Lin An didn't like to lie, so that was his answer. "But it's not appropriate. I can't take advantage of someone who's been drinking. You've really had too much to drink. Let me take you to a taxi."

As Lin An spoke, he had already grabbed her hand, but Su Yuejin stood there blankly, as if drunk or in a daze. After a few seconds, she suddenly pounced on him, leaned forward, pressed against Lin An, pressed the back of his head, kissed his lips, and clumsily stuck out her tongue.

"It's really clumsy," Lin An thought to himself.

So he didn't like that kind of kiss because of the smell of alcohol. After a few simple seconds of tongue-to-tongue rubbing together, he pulled back, his eyes still seeming confused, but also relieved.

This infatuation and passion is fleeting.

"It would be best if you forgot by the time you wake up tomorrow, otherwise it would be very embarrassing."

As he said this, he pulled Su Yuejin to her feet, then led her down from the stands and out of the nightclub. It was already one in the morning, and the evening breeze was blowing, with fallen leaves floating on the asphalt road.

The moonlight shone down, and the world was completely silent. It felt like stepping into another world after leaving the nightclub.

Su Yuejin leaned against the streetlamp, the dim light falling on her cheeks, casting a warm glow. The sight of her profile in Lin An's eyes, so inexplicably beautiful, suddenly stirred something within him.

Beautiful women always have that kind of magic. He shook his head, not allowing himself to have such thoughts, because he had also been drinking and was afraid of losing control. But just as he was holding her hand and walking along the roadside, Su Yuejin suddenly tugged at the hand he was holding.

"I want to eat hot pot."

Lin An was stunned for a moment, "You're already being kind by not throwing up, sister."

"I don't care, I want to eat hot pot, you come with me!" Su Yuejin hugged his arm and started shaking it, seemingly unaware that she was clinging to him quite tightly, her soft chest resting on his arm. As she shook him, Lin An nodded helplessly.

Whether she did it intentionally or unintentionally, the benefits were good in any case. Based on the principle that going home is just for sleeping anyway and staying up late occasionally is okay, Lin An took her to eat Haidilao.

At 1 a.m., Haidilao was still quite crowded. There are always many people in this city who are in a hurry. Late-night hot pot can comfort life. He ordered a tomato broth and a spicy broth, as well as lamb and beef. He didn't order a lot of things, but the bill came to 356 yuan.

Lin An felt a little heartbroken. He thought it was an unnecessary expense, but there was nothing he could do. However, while waiting for the hot pot, Su Yuejin suddenly leaned in, hugged his neck, and started kissing him. Her tongue slid across his neck, as if she wanted to leave some mark that belonged only to her.

At this moment, Lin An's expression was one of utter disgust. He desperately wanted to push her away, but then he remembered something and gave up. Instead, he gently stroked her soft, long, black hair behind her head with tenderness and affection.

Only after Su Yuejin stepped back, looking at the light pink mark on his neck, did she smile like a child, then look into his eyes and ask, "Why are you so good to me?"

"This isn't about being good to you, it's just some responsibility. As for eating hot pot, I guess I'm a bit hungry too." Lin An simply replied, but Su Yuejin didn't believe him. With her eyes blurry with drunkenness, she looked at his face, then reached out and poked his cheek with her finger.

Are you playing hard to get?

Her voice became sweet and delicate, but Lin An only looked at her with confusion. "I'll just take you to a taxi later, but I'll pay for it, so don't worry. When you get home, it's best to induce vomiting, take a hot bath, and get a good night's sleep. Be careful not to fall."

"If you have friends, I can call them and have them drive you home."

Su Yuejin stared at him blankly, remaining silent for a long time. Suddenly, she felt a deep emptiness in her heart, but she refused to believe it. She asked, "Don't you like me?"

"I have face blindness, so I don't care much about appearance. This older sister isn't my type. I like gentle girls."

As the two were talking, the plate of mutton was served. Lin An cooked a piece for her and fed her two slices, but she refused to eat anymore. She leaned against Lin An and refused to eat anything else.

"Then I'll take you home."

Lin An really wanted to eat two more pieces, but she was worried that her daughter would fall asleep soon. So she put her arm around her shoulder and walked her out of Haidilao. It was 2 a.m. The world was quiet and there were very few cars, but there were still many taxis on the roadside.

"I...don't want to go home so early." Su Yuejin started to throw a little tantrum again after drinking, hugging Lin An and not letting him take her anymore. Lin An looked at her face, which really looked like a little girl, pure and cute when she was being coquettish. She seemed helpless, but he couldn't see the cold smile on her lips.

"Let's sit on the bench for a while, sister."

Lin An helped her to sit down on the bench, and she snuggled into his arms and fell asleep on his lap. Lin An had to adjust her position to make her more comfortable.

But she didn't want to sleep; she just wanted to talk, to let loose when she was drunk, to have someone listen, or rather, to talk to someone and prove something.

"Did you see me crying just now?" Su Yuejin's voice was very soft.

“Yes, you cried when we were talking about love, when you were talking about your parents.” Lin An nodded.

"I don't believe in love, it's all fake, I don't believe in it. Love is just about looks and a bunch of weird things coming together, eating, dating, watching movies, and then sleeping together. It's so boring... It's just hormones, it's all a routine!" Su Yuejin spoke faster, but fortunately Lin An could still hear her.

"You're right."

"But if you're with someone you like, and they understand your emotions, tolerate your anxieties, comfort you, and take care of you, and at the same time they like you—to put it more romantically, liking is irrational; liking someone doesn't need a reason. You might just suddenly fall in love with them for a moment."

"After all, humans are social animals."

Lin An gently stroked her head and massaged her temples. Her movements were very light. "If you're unhappy, it's okay to cry for a while. Of course, if I tell you, you might not be able to cry anymore. But sister, you have to take good care of yourself. Be kind to yourself, be a little selfish, and don't care about others. That's how you find happiness."

"I've never been in a relationship," Su Yuejin blurted out abruptly.

"Hmm, then we can give it a try."

"You've been in a relationship before? I couldn't tell," Su Yuejin asked.

"I've been in relationships, but in the end, I couldn't compete with a guy who knew how to sweet-talk. He took the girl I liked to see the exciting and interesting places in this world, and the girl I liked became crazy about him because of it, so she said goodbye to me," Lin An replied with a bitter smile.

"That girl is stupid!" Su Yuejin said indignantly.

"It's not that she's stupid. It's just that she's always been a good girl. So when someone takes her out of the mold, she finds it exciting and enjoys that feeling. People change, and there's nothing I can do about it if I can't keep her."

Actually, Su Yuejin didn't notice that Lin An's eyes had become more greedy.

But soon, Lin An realized this and shook his head, "Actually, what I said just now was all a joke, hahaha."

Su Yuejin stared blankly at his face, but it was clear that she didn't believe him.