That Must’ve Hurt Your Ego

"Tell me!"

Shi Lian interrupted Shu Xian with a disgusted, angry expression on her face, her eyes shouting "MURDER" with the information of Pan An touching her best friend as he thought of someone else.

"Shall I tell my brother and some men to kill him or not?! Rather... shall I kill him instead?!"

"W-wait!"

This time, it was Shu Xian's turn to abruptly stand up from her seat. With her chair pushed back as well, the sound surprised Wan Wan, the dog watching them as it cocked its head to the left and right, curious.

"Listen to me first! You're always getting ahead of yourself without letting me explain!"

Shi Lian rolled her eyes at Shu Xian. She threw both of her hands up in the air, frustrated as she was told to listen when she's just worried for her best friend!

"How am I going to sit by this? Look, there are tears pooling in your eyes!"

Shu Xian didn't say a single word for now. Instead, she took a deep breath then slowly released it so she could calm down.

She then refilled her pitcher of water again, drinking it in one go before she wiped the tears away from her hands with her thumb.

"I—I just didn't know what to feel."

Shu Xian finally spoke in a soft voice that was enough for Shi Lian to hear. She then sat back down on her chair, Shi Lian, sighing as she sat back down as well.

"What do you mean? If you don't want me to act on this, tell me what happened then."

Shu Xian nodded, grabbing her bowl of egg fried rice again as she took another spoonful in her mouth. With Shi Lian now being patient with her, she silently ate with her best friend, knowing that Shu Xian can be a foodie despite the circumstance.

She knows her best friend Shu Xian well. Shu Xian is a stress eater regardless of anything. When she's sad, she eats. When she's worried, she eats. When she's frustrated and angry, she eats. When she's also confused, she eats.

With her suddenly grabbing the bowl of egg fried rice, Shi Lian knows that she may be stressing over something, patiently waiting for Shu Xian to share what she was thinking of with her.

After chewing her food, Shu Xian looked at Shi Lian without even bothering to put down her bowl of food. She then told her what happened last night in hopes that Shi Lian will not throw a fit.

"Pan An was drunk last night after we came home from the dinner with his mother. After I freshened myself up, I was surprised to see him in the bedroom."

"And then?" Shi Lian now finished her bowl of egg fried rice, putting the bowl on the table. "What happened?"

Shu Xian took half a spoon of rice in her mouth and chewed. Once swallowed, she answered her question, further surprising Shi Lian once more.

"Pan An seemed so drunk so I asked him why. When I told him if this had something to do with Ruo Xi, he suddenly became angry and pushed me on the bed and told me not to speak of her name ever again."

Shi Lian then slowly nodded, putting the pieces together as she listened to Shu Xian.

"And then when I said alright, I won't ever do it, he interrupted me and kissed me... aaaah!"

Shu Xian's voice became softer word after word that came out of her mouth. She then hid her face with both of her hands, continuing to tell her best friend what happened.

"A-and the kiss deepened. And I find it weird because I allowed him to since... i-it felt good..."

"Oh!"

Shi Lian couldn't help but gasp as she stifled her laugh.

At first she was worried to death about her best friend but turns out she enjoyed the kiss?!

This is something she didn't expect from the ever-self-centered Shu Xian who always focused on her studies!

"Shu Xian, you dawg!"

Shi Lian slapped Shu Xian's thigh as she laughed out loud, the impact surprising her as she removed both of her hands that covered her face.

"You found yourself liking it so you allowed him? And here you are worrying me!"

Shu Xian rolled her eyes at her and replied, "But then, I got all scared because he was becoming too... touchy."

"Oh?"

Shi Lian inched in closer to her best friend as if they were telling each other a secret even though both of them are alone in Pan An's house.

How funny it is that they're gossiping about the professor in his own home!

"Tell me more," Shi Lian probed, as if she was not angry a moment ago!

"W-well..."

Shu Xian trailed off, her face already beet red.

"He pulled me closer to him and then started kissing my neck. His hand was also getting in my shirt so I got nervous and scared..."

"Oh, steamy!"

Shi Lian squealed, pounding her hand on the table a few times with how giddy she's feeling.

"Go now! Out with it!"

"But then..."

When Shu Xian now remembered that Pan An called out another name, now it was her turn to get angry. She put down her food for a moment as she felt her blood boiling in frustration!

Her hand turned into a tight fist, then she pounded it hard on the table, making the bowls jump with the impact that it has done. Shu Xian wished that the table was Pan An, so she could hurt him instead!

"The audacity that he went in my room and almost violated my body—just to be called and thought of as another person who isn't me?!"

Shi Lian raised a brow, already deducing what she meant.

"Wait, don't tell me..."

Shu Xian nodded, already knowing that she guessed right.

"Yeah, you got it! He called me Ruo Xi! He dared call me Ruo Xi!"

Shi Lian's jaw almost dropped to the ground. She already guessed it right, but still, it was surprising to her even after Shu Xian told her.

"Wow... that must've hurt your ego. I mean... you never had these moments with someone and he's practically your first and you enjoyed it even and—"

"Wow, thank you!"

Shu Xian interrupted her, her statement sarcastic as she grabbed her bowl from the table again and stuffed her cheeks with a lot of rice.

"Thanksh fer pointing it out," she complained, talking with her mouth full as Shi Lian tried her best to stifle her laughter.

And indeed, Shi Lian is right. The event last night is embarrassing and has actually hurt Shu Xian's ego.