Blinded by Lust chapter 12

On the pitch-black screen, Wu Bie didn’t see Zhanyan’s face, but instead saw his own silly look in the lower right corner. Although Zhanyan had seen his videos and photos before and he was usually confident about his appearance, at this moment, Wu Bie suddenly felt insecure.

“Zhanyan?” Wu Bie instinctively lowered his voice. He didn’t want to pressure her, so he carefully asked, “Why can’t I see you?”

“Wu Ge,” Zhanyan’s voice was muffled, and a shadow flashed across the dark screen, as if she was speaking from under the covers.

This “Wu Ge” sounded even more clingy and soft than usual, making Wu Bie’s throat tighten. He instinctively swallowed, and the screen clearly showed his Adam’s apple moving up and down.

So embarrassing!

Wu Bie silently cursed himself. It was one thing when Zhanyan couldn’t see him during the voice call, but now with video, every move he made was visible to her. Couldn’t he be a bit more composed and leave a good impression?

“Are you nervous?” Zhanyan, hidden in the darkness, took the initiative to ask.

This feeling of “I’m in the light, and the enemy is in the dark” was quite passive. Wu Bie forced a dry laugh, trying to stay natural and composed. He said, “You’re hiding and not showing yourself, and you still say I’m nervous?”

From the other end, there was the sound of turning over, with the fabric of the clothes rubbing against the sheets, creating an ambiguous noise.

“I don’t look good; I’m afraid you won’t like me.”

Wu Bie, reacting faster than his brain, blurted out, “Three heads and six arms?”

Zhanyan laughed, the mood lightening immediately. “Not really.”

Since it was Zhanyan’s birthday, and Wu Bie didn’t want her to feel too much pressure. If she wasn’t ready, he wouldn’t force her.

“It’s okay. If you’re embarrassed, we can just chat like this. When you feel ready to let me see you, you can show yourself.”

There was no better time than today. Zhanyan quickly refused, “I’m not embarrassed. Just wait a moment.”

That “wait a moment” made Wu Bie’s heart leap again. He gritted his teeth and stared at the screen. After a rustling sound, the shadow on the screen stopped moving.

“I’ve turned on the light.”

Wu Bie clenched his fist, wanting to respond to Zhanyan, but his throat was dry and scratchy. Unexpectedly, a faint yellow light appeared, and the blurred figure on the screen became clear.

The warm yellow light illuminated the girl’s face, revealing a delicate, slightly pale face. Her cascading black hair fell to her chest, and her bangs covered her small face. Her eyes were pure and clean, and through the lens, they met Wu Bie’s, making his heart skip a beat.

“Ge…”

“Ah? Ah!” Wu Bie almost stood up straight.

Seeing his reaction, Zhanyan asked, “Do I look weird? Am I not good-looking? Did I scare you?”

Wu Bie’s mouth was dry from his own saliva, and he coughed uncontrollably, startling Zhanyan.

“Wu Ge, are you okay?”

Wu Bie waved his hands frantically and finally caught his breath. On the screen, he was red-faced and his neck had become thick from coughing. Seeing Zhanyan looking at him with concern made him feel… utterly embarrassed.

“What’s wrong?” Zhanyan’s gaze was a bit evasive. “Is it different from what you imagined…”

It was indeed different. Just like when he first heard Zhanyan’s voice, Wu Bie imagined her as a delicate, weak girl. But both her voice and appearance were the opposite of what he had imagined. Zhanyan’s voice was mature, her features were well-defined, and she looked strikingly attractive, like a model from a TV show.

Perhaps because Wu Bie didn’t speak, Zhanyan lost confidence. “Am I not good-looking?”

“No!” Wu Bie shook his head vigorously. If someone like Zhanyan was considered not good-looking, then there would be no good-looking people at all. Are all the beautiful women today this self-deprecating? He affirmed, “You look great!”

Zhanyan bit her lower lip, her mouth showing a slight smile. Her eyes, slightly damp, occasionally glanced at the camera, and when she realized Wu Bie was watching, she quickly looked away.

“Well…” Wu Bie was so flustered he almost cracked his forehead, finally asking, “Today is your birthday, right?”

Zhanyan didn’t mind his awkward attempt at conversation and answered honestly, “Yes.”

“Your parents didn’t come…” Wu Bie’s mind wandered, mentioning an inappropriate topic.

Zhanyan nodded sadly at the camera. Wu Bie mentally slapped himself, thinking, what should I say now?

Should he ask if she has eaten or what time it is in the country now?

As Wu Bie was at a loss, Zhanyan spoke up, “Didn’t you say you bought me a gift?”

“Ah! Yes, yes!” Wu Bie’s voice was excited. In the next moment, the camera shook, and Wu Bie disappeared from the screen, leaving only a white ceiling.

After some rummaging and panting, Wu Bie put his large face back in front of the camera, saying, “Look.”

A pair of pink motorcycle gloves appeared on the screen.

“You mentioned you like riding motorcycles, so I thought I’d get you a pair of gloves. I’ll have someone send them to you later.”

Zhanyan blinked, her long eyelashes moving up and down. Wu Bie couldn’t help but steal glances, and a strange thought crossed his mind: if those eyelashes brushed his palm, it would probably tickle.

“Don’t you like them?”

Huo Zhanyan shook his head. The color was in line with a stereotypical straight man’s idea of what girls like, and Wu Bie had put thought into it, which was to his taste.

“I thought you might give me a crystal necklace or something.” Huo Zhanyan also had a stereotype of straight men like Wu Bie.

Wu Bie had originally planned to give jewelry, but remembering how Zhanyan spoke about motorcycles, he knew her parents didn’t support it, so he wanted to encourage her.

“Thank you, I really like them. I just don’t need them right now.”

The young girl’s eyes lowered, making Wu Bie’s heart race. “You don’t need them now, but you will later. Didn’t we agree that once you’re better, you’ll ride a motorcycle and take me along?”

“Mm.” Zhanyan finally looked up at Wu Bie, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her elegant profile.

Wu Bie thought he wasn’t that kind of lecherous pervert, but his eyes couldn’t help but stay glued to her, not blinking at all.

“Ge.” Usually, just hearing Zhanyan call him “Ge” was enough to drive him crazy, and now facing her beautiful face made him dizzy. Even inhaling seemed to carry a faint scent of blood. Was he seasick?

“Ah?”

Zhanyan’s eyes were moist. “After today, I’ll be nineteen.”

Wu Bie’s mind went blank, completely losing the ability to think. He didn’t even know what he was saying, “Nineteen is good, nineteen is young.”

“You said before that I was too young at eighteen, but now I’m nineteen, and nineteen isn’t too young anymore.”

Wu Bie could only feel that Zhanyan’s lips were moving, each word she said passed through his ears, but he just couldn’t react immediately. He could only instinctively agree, “Yes, yes.”

“Did you agree?”

Zhanyan’s eyes seemed to speak; if you looked a few more times, you would be deeply immersed and unable to extricate yourself. Wu Bie, confused, uttered a vague “Huh?”

He knew it; Wu Bie hadn’t heard what he said. Huo Zhanyan was both angry and amused, and could only pretend to be hurt and repeat himself.

“I said I’m nineteen now, not an eighteen-year-old child.”

This statement was like telling a five-year-old they’re no longer a three-year-old child. Wu Bie’s brain, which had been missing a part, finally came to its senses, and he slowly grasped the meaning.

“I…” Back then, just hearing Zhanyan’s voice made it hard for him to refuse. Now, looking at Zhanyan’s face, Wu Bie couldn’t even utter a rebuttal.

“Are you dissatisfied with me?”

This wasn’t really a question of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Wu Bie was speechless.

Zhanyan looked at Wu Bie pitifully, “Or do you think I’m not good-looking, but you’re too shy to say so, afraid of hurting my self-esteem?”

“No!” Wu Bie was so agitated he almost broke his voice.

“Then is it because you’ve met someone else who is better, a foreigner perhaps?”

Wu Bie got up from the bed, his shirt all disheveled. “How could that be! Am I the kind of person who changes partners frequently?”

Zhanyan tilted her head. “Then if there’s no one else, and you’re not dissatisfied with me, and I’m not eighteen anymore, why is that?”

Her relentless questioning pushed Wu Bie into a corner.

“Is it because you don’t like me?”

Indeed, there was no need for so many reasons; a simple “I don’t like you” would be enough. As long as he admitted it, admitting he didn’t like Zhanyan, everything would be resolved.

Wu Bie opened his mouth, his throat felt like it was sailing a boat, unable to make a sound. He liked her, he liked her desperately. He liked everything about Zhanyan.

“Wu Ge…” Zhanyan dragged out her voice, sounding like she was acting spoiled, and her gaze became sticky.

Was she really insecure? Wu Bie thought Zhanyan should be very aware of her own appearance and her advantages; it was no different from using her beauty as a weapon.

Wu Bie couldn’t stand it. Zhanyan’s looks even made him feel inferior. “I… I… How could I be dissatisfied? I’m afraid you’re dissatisfied with me.”

Zhanyan puffed up her cheeks, “You know very well that I was the one who took the initiative to contact you, that I was the one who started talking to you, and you know I like you. Do you just want to hear me say these things?”

Wu Bie tried hard to suppress his smile, his mouth crooked. He wasn’t forcing Zhanyan to confess, but hearing it directly made him incredibly happy.

“Calm down.” He also needed to calm down. If they weren’t apart right now, he really wanted to hold Zhanyan’s head, “Why don’t you think it over some more?”