You're the Only One I Like — Chapter 4
Edward Quan ·
“But I still need to discuss it with the company’s leadership. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
He took a deep breath.
He forced the corners of his mouth into a smile.
“I understand. I was just asking. Don’t overthink it. I’m not upset.”
But no matter how you looked at him, he seemed very upset.
What was wrong with him?
An hour later, Qin Song came by again.
We’d finished revising the summary report.
But he had to present it the next day.
He wanted me to look over how it would come across.
Qin Song glanced at Xu Yanqing.
“Sister Xiaoyu, I’m all set. Would you come over to my place? I’m afraid I’d bother your fiancé here.”
I looked at Xu Yanqing awkwardly.
His face had gone a little pale.
He forced a smile.
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
Then he said to Qin Song, “Go on first. I need to tell her a few things.”
Qin Song nodded blankly. “…Sure.”
After he left, Xu Yanqing wrapped his arms tightly around me.
He looked terribly reluctant to let me go.
In a low voice, he asked, “Will you still love me when you come back?”
What was this?
I was only going to work for a little while.
He looked like he was about to cry.
I hurried to nod. “Of course I love you.”
“Good. If you say so, I believe you.”
I was about to open the door when he asked, “You’re not taking anything with you?”
My laptop?
“No need. He has everything there.”
He gave a self-mocking smile.
“Of course he does. Why would he not be prepared? I’m an idiot for even asking.”
…
Was he all right?
“Should I just not go?”
He shook his head. “It’s fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”
14
He seemed not to mind.
But I’d barely been at Qin Song’s apartment for a few minutes when he came knocking.
The first time, he brought me fruit.
“You like to eat something before getting started.”
The second time, he brought me a hair tie.
“It’ll be easier to work with your hair tied up.”
The third time, he brought me tissues.
“You’re used to this brand.”
By the fourth knock, I finally lost my temper.
“Xu Yanqing, are you crazy?”
“If you really don’t want me to come over, just say so!”
“You’re making this incredibly awkward. Do you realize that?”
His body went rigid, and his eyes immediately reddened.
“Yes!”
“I don’t want you going over there!”
“I thought I could handle it.”
“But it turns out I can’t stand it for even a second!”
I fell silent.
I hadn’t realized his possessiveness had gotten so bad that he couldn’t even stand me working with someone.
I apologized to Qin Song and took Xu Yanqing home.
Neither of us said another word that night.
Around midnight, my phone buzzed.
It was a message from Qin Song.
【Sister, there’s something I’ve been going back and forth on. I think I should tell you.】
【What is it?】
【Your husband is acting really strange.】
【We work out at the same gym. Lately, he keeps sneaking looks at me.】
【He even follows me to the restroom and just stares at me.】
I was a little confused.
【What’s he looking at you for?】
【…You know. Down there. I think he might be bisexual. I think he’s into me!】
Huh???
My mind was a mess.
My head was pounding.
It felt like my brain was about to disappear.
What was what?
Was the whole world going crazy?
Could that be true?
How could Xu Yanqing be bisexual?
There had to be some misunderstanding.
I had a nagging sense that something didn’t add up.
I could almost see a few clues.
But I couldn’t quite figure them out.
I’d only ever dated Xu Yanqing.
I just didn’t have enough experience.
I had no idea how to deal with this.
I could only ask my two best friends for help.
15
At a café, I told them everything that had happened lately.
Of course, I left out the part about Qin Song thinking Xu Yanqing was bisexual.
It was just too awkward to say out loud.
I asked, “Is Xu Yanqing acting normal?”
One of my friends thought it over. “I think the time you asked to break up traumatized him.”
I frowned. “That’s way too dramatic. He’s hostile toward every man.”
My friend considered it. “Maybe he loves you so much he’s terrified of losing you.”
I shook my head. “But I love him too. He knows that.”
My friend stroked her chin. “Could your behavior be making him feel insecure?”
I sighed. “No. I’m so careful not to upset him that I barely even talk to other men now.”
My friend suddenly thought of something. “What about your sex life? Are you compatible?”
I nodded. “Extremely! I’m happy with every part of him.”
My friend raised an eyebrow. “Even the size?”
I nodded vigorously. “More than happy!”
She looked confused. “Then something doesn’t add up. What’s the problem?”
We all fell silent, thinking it over.
A moment later, my friend burst out laughing.
“I can’t believe Xu Yanqing looks tall and muscular, but in reality he’s only two centimeters! Guess you really can’t tell a man’s size from his height or nose.”
I froze.
“Two centimeters of what?”
My two friends laughed for two solid hours.
My expression turned grim.
“Stop laughing. You’re going to laugh yourselves to death.”
“Hahahaha! Don’t even. Xu Yanqing treats you so well, he must really love you to put up with that.”
“Wait, if he were putting up with it, he wouldn’t keep falling apart like this! Hahahaha!”
I couldn’t stay there any longer.
This was too dramatic!
Who would’ve thought a misunderstanding caused by one phrase that went over my head would lead to all this?
It was absurd!
After my friends and I sorted through everything from beginning to end, Xu Yanqing’s strange behavior suddenly made sense.
It was funny, but it made me feel sorry for him.
A conservative, old-fashioned man like him had broken through his moral boundaries to accept my “needs,” which weren’t exactly conventional.
I’d really put him through a lot.
He must have been suffering this whole time.
Warmth filled my chest.
I wanted to see him right away.
16
I hurried home and pushed open the door.
Xu Yanqing had prepared a lavish dinner for two and was sitting quietly at the table waiting for me.
If it weren’t for the suitcase beside him, I would’ve thought he had something happy to celebrate.
He stood up.
“I made dinner for the two of us.”
“I’ll leave this here for you and him.”
“I’m going.”
“Have a wonderful night together.”
What did he mean?
Was he trying to break up with me?
My heart tightened.
“Xu Yanqing—”
He cut me off.
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I’m just going to stay at my parents’ house for a few days.”
“If I stay here, I won’t be able to stop myself from interfering with you two.”
“I want to be a generous man, too. I really do. But I can’t.”
“Just thinking about you being with another man makes it hard to breathe.”
He pressed a hand to his chest and gave a bitter smile.
“I’ll try to get used to it.”
“Give me a little more time. I’ll figure it out.”
“Don’t leave me, okay?”
Goodness.
He was so pathetic.
He really loved me.
And it made me want to comfort him!
My nose stung.
I rushed to him and kissed him hard.
“Don’t go. You never have to go anywhere.”
That night was our wildest yet.
I used every trick I had, just to tell him—
I loved his “extraordinary endowment.”
He didn’t need to feel insecure about it.
We tangled together all night.
Afterward, I closed my eyes to rest.
He thought I was asleep.
Then he snuck under the covers to make a phone call.
“Chen Xi, I did it.”
“That trick you taught me really worked.”
“Taking a step back, acting pitiful, pretending to be magnanimous—she melted right away.”
“Now I’ve got the hang of it. No man out there will ever get near her again!”
Me: “…”
A straightforward man had been turned into a master of manipulative sweet talk because of me.
Sigh.
I sat up. “Honey.”
Xu Yanqing’s whole body went stiff.
His phone fell to the floor.
He slowly turned his head.
“Xiaoqiao, it’s not what you think. Let me explain…”
I cut him off.
“Don’t explain. First, listen to me explain something to you.”
“What?”
“About the two centimeters I said I liked.”
17
Epilogue
After we cleared up the whole misunderstanding, Xu Yanqing became withdrawn.
For days, he barely spoke to me.
He just kept going at it. Again and again.
I couldn’t tell whether he was competing with me or with himself.
Gentle, but also rough.
Even more intense than before.
When we finished, he asked, “Do you like it?”
To make him feel better, I tried everything I could.
If it would help him get his confidence back, I was willing.
“I love it.”
He asked again, “Do you like it the way it was before, or the way it is now?”
“Both.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I laughed helplessly.
“Then what do you want me to do?”
“Again.”
…
After we finished, he started asking again.
“Do you like it big or small?”
I’d gotten smarter.
I didn’t answer immediately.
I thought for two seconds, then realized this was a deadly question.
Either answer would make him fall apart.
I smiled.
“I like yours.”
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
At last, I’d made him feel better.
Six months later, we got married.
Before the ceremony, a staff member from the wedding planner brought over two pairs of high heels for me to choose from.
“Ms. Du, would you like the ten-centimeter pair or the twelve-centimeter pair?”
I hesitated.
Xu Yanqing came over after changing.
He barely glanced at the two pairs.
“She wants the two-centimeter pair.”
We looked at each other.
Neither of us could hold back.
We burst out laughing.
Enjoyed this story? Discover more completed short romance stories at NovelPotato.asia.