Truth be told, Li Na didn’t mind Zhao Ran touching her; in fact, she found it quite pleasurable. She also had a certain soft spot for this younger brother-like figure who was a few years her junior.
However, both of them were already in relationships, and as adults, they needed to act rationally. Being close friends who could often eat, drink, and have fun together was more than enough.
But when Li Na saw the look on Zhao Ran’s face, she felt an urge to comfort him.
She quickly laughed and said, “Hey, if you want to measure, just measure. Why are you pinching me so hard?”
Zhao Ran scratched his head sheepishly and replied, “I… I don’t know how it… just happened.”
Seeing his flustered expression, Li Na felt even more compelled to reassure him. “Hey, I already said it’s fine. Come on, let’s keep measuring.” As she spoke, she actually took Zhao Ran’s hands, turned around, and placed them around her waist from behind. Then, she casually lowered her head and began sorting vegetables as if nothing had happened.
Zhao Ran was momentarily stunned, feeling his hands resting on Li Na’s soft, slender waist.
In moments like these, men tend to think with their lower halves, forgetting all about the time, place, and even who they are.
Since things had already come to this, he simply leaned forward and embraced Li Na more tightly.
This way, Zhao Ran’s entire body was pressed against Li Na’s back.
Li Na’s body stiffened for a moment, but this time, she chose to continue sorting the vegetables as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
Zhao Ran slowly brought his face close to Li Na’s ear, closing the distance between them even further. Li Na’s hair was relatively short, not quite reaching her shoulders, and Zhao Ran could smell the distinct fragrance of her hair.
The two of them remained silent, simply holding each other quietly.
Li Na could feel the warmth of his breath gently brushing against her ear, sending tingling, tickling sensations through her. Being held by his strong, broad arms felt comfortable, warm, and carried a hint of unusual excitement.
They stayed like this without speaking for a while until Li Na suddenly broke the silence.
“See, don’t we look more like a couple like this?” Li Na joked.
Zhao Ran chuckled. “I feel like real couples rarely cook like this.”
Li Na thought for a moment and nodded. “True. If your Brother Wang tried something like this while I was cooking, I’d probably tell him to get lost. If you’re not helping, don’t come around and cause trouble, haha.”
Even though they were embracing each other, their conversation flowed as naturally as always. Both found this feeling strange, yet neither could deny they were enjoying it.
Li Na gently patted Zhao Ran’s hands, which were still wrapped around her waist, and said, “Alright, little brother, stop clinging to your big sister. I need to cook. The others will be back soon to eat.”
Zhao Ran remembered that everyone would indeed be returning shortly and reluctantly let go.
Li Na turned to look at him with a smile and asked, “So? Did you manage to measure it?” Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she spoke.
Zhao Ran replied earnestly, “Well, it feels nice, but there’s a bit of extra flesh. Though, it was too brief—I didn’t get a proper measurement.” Li Na laughed and retorted, “Pfft… nonsense! Your big sister’s waist is perfect. There’s not an ounce of extra fat. If you don’t believe me, I’ll wear a crop top sometime and show you.” She even wrinkled her nose at him挑衅ly.
Zhao Ran shamelessly replied, “Then I’ll just have to measure it again to find out.” Li Na rolled her eyes at him but said nothing.
The two shared a smile and then returned to their tasks, chatting as casually as always, as if the earlier intimacy had never happened.
By the time the food was almost entirely on the table, the sound of a key turning in the door could be heard from outside—Yin Yue had returned.