You're the Only One I Like — Chapter 1
Edward Quan ·
Shopping for shoes with my best friend.
“Have you seen that meme about men from Inner Mongolia?”
“Are they really twenty centimeters?”
“Who could handle that!”
I was bent over tying the straps on my heels. I caught half the conversation and missed the other half.
“Yeah, that’s way too much. Eight centimeters is the absolute most I can manage. Usually two to five is plenty.”
My best friend went quiet.
My boyfriend, who had somehow appeared behind me without my noticing, went quiet too.
What was wrong?
Was it embarrassing not to be able to walk in high heels?
1
On the weekend, I met up with my two best friends at the mall to shop for clothes.
I was trying on high heels when the two of them started chatting.
“Have you seen that meme about men from Inner Mongolia?”
“Of course!”
“Are they really twenty centimeters?”
“Apparently! I heard some of them are as long as a whole forearm!”
“Holy crap. Who could handle that?”
I was bent over tying my heels, catching only half of what they said.
I chimed in without thinking.
“Yeah, that’s way too much. Eight centimeters is the absolute most I can manage. Usually two to five is plenty.”
The two of them suddenly fell silent.
I didn’t understand.
“What?”
They exchanged a look.
“Qiao, are you serious?”
“Of course.”
I was already grown up, and I hardly ever wore high heels.
Anything too tall really wouldn’t do.
They stared at me in disbelief.
“Wait, bestie, did you hear us wrong? We meant… you know. That thing.”
I nodded. “I know. I’m talking about the heel.”
The heel of the shoe.
What else?
They both froze.
“Your standards are… pretty low.”
It was just a pair of shoes.
Did they really have to be so demanding?
Thinking of the high heels that used to be fashionable, I went on complaining.
“I really hate chunky heels, too. They’re ugly as hell.”
The two of them suddenly looked shy and embarrassed.
“Ugly or not, they feel about the same, don’t they?”
“Yeah. Honestly, as long as it works, that’s enough. Hehe.”
I shook my head.
“How can you say that? They have to look good and be comfortable!”
They stopped short.
“Wait, how good can two centimeters look? And how useful can they be?”
I disagreed.
“Why wouldn’t they look good? Pale pink is really pretty, and they’re practical and comfortable.”
“Forget it. There’s no getting through to people with no taste like you!”
Their expressions turned into a whole rainbow.
I was about to laugh at them when I spotted my boyfriend in the mirror, standing behind me with a grim face.
What was wrong?
Was it embarrassing not to be able to walk in high heels?
2
Xu Yanqing had come to pick me up on purpose.
Today was our third anniversary.
We’d planned to go to a movie that evening.
And… rent a room.
We’d been together for a long time.
Aside from holding hands, hugging, and kissing, we’d hardly done anything more intimate.
We were about to get married.
It was time for a little “premarital quality check.”
After I said goodbye to my friends, he barely said a word all evening.
He seemed distracted.
After the movie, we walked hand in hand to the hotel entrance.
Then he suddenly stopped.
His dark eyes searched my face.
“Do you really not like the ones over ten centimeters?”
Why were we back on that subject?
Did guys care about women’s shoes, too?
“That’s right, I don’t. Not every woman likes them. It’s perfectly normal.”
“Why don’t you like them?”
“They’re uncomfortable.”
His face immediately darkened.
“So you’ve tried them before?”
“Of course. I’ve tried ten centimeters, twelve centimeters. They’re really unbearable. That’s my limit. Two centimeters is still the most comfortable.”
His face went white.
With difficulty, he asked, “When was this?”
Why did he want to know?
I thought for a moment.
“After I started working. I tried a few pairs here and there.”
“In the three years we’ve been together, you tried them too?”
“Yeah.”
A trace of hurt and anguish flashed in his eyes.
“Du Xiaoqiao, how could you hide this from me? How could you treat me like this?”
Seriously?
I wasn’t allowed to try high heels by myself?
What century was this?
Did I need his permission to choose how tall my shoes were?
We weren’t even married yet, and he was already trying to control everything.
I was getting angry, too.
My voice turned cold.
“I can do what I want!”
“That’s just how I am!”
“If you can’t stand it, then we shouldn’t be together!”
What a mood-killer!
Now I didn’t even feel like sleeping with him anymore!
I left him there and turned away.
He stood frozen in place, his back slumping.
He looked devastated.
Did it really have to be that dramatic?
I hadn’t been that unreasonable.
He was the one with the problem.
He could think it over for himself!
3
When I got home, I booted up PUBG and angrily killed people all night.
The next day I slept until noon.
I was about to go out for lunch.
The moment I opened the door—
I jumped.
Xu Yanqing reeked of alcohol. He was sitting outside my door.
He slowly raised his head.
His eyes were red.
He looked as if he were about to fall apart—miserable and utterly defeated.
A pile of beer cans lay beside him.
Good grief.
Had he really been sitting there all night?
I hurried to help him up.
His whole body went limp against me.
But his arms locked tightly around my waist.
His voice was so hoarse it hardly sounded like him.
“Xiaoqiao… do you not like me anymore?”
It was the first time I’d seen him so vulnerable.
It felt as if a damp wad of cotton had lodged in my chest—heavy and stifling.
Honestly.
Why had I fought with him over something so trivial?
I’d put him through this.
And wasted a perfectly good night together.
I couldn’t bear it.
I hugged him.
“It’s not that I don’t like you. Don’t overthink it.”
“So you’re not mad at me anymore?”
“I’m not mad.”
He immediately hugged me tighter.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost my temper last night.”
“I’ve thought about it. From now on, do whatever you want. Try however many pairs you like. I’m fine with it.”
“Just… don’t leave me.”
By the end, his voice was choked.
Goodness.
He usually looked so cool and serious.
I hadn’t known he could say something so sweet.
My heart melted.
I rose on my toes and kissed him.
“I know.”
At last, he let out a breath of relief.
Then he asked carefully, “Can I come over and shower?”
With him looking so cool and fragile, like he might break apart at any moment, I wanted to devour him.
And he was still asking!
We could even shower together!
By the time he came out, I’d finished making noodles.
Maybe they were hard to eat.
He kept his head down and said nothing.
He was even quieter than usual.
“Are they that bad?”
He shook his head.
“No. I was just thinking… so you’ve had a lot of experience.”
He meant the high heels, right?
I waved a hand dismissively.
“Oh, it was only a few pairs. No big deal.”
His fingers tightened around his chopsticks until the knuckles turned pale.
His voice sank.
“So you wouldn’t like eighteen centimeters either.”
“Of course not. Why even ask? If I saw those, I’d stay far away. They’re terrifying!”
He lowered his head even more, looking crestfallen.
Was he all right?
Eighteen-centimeter heels.
You’d break your legs.
Of course you wouldn’t be able to walk in them!
What was he disappointed about…?