Financial Independence through Cracked Apps

Chapter 489: Chapter 234: Mutual Confession

She looked incredibly shy, twisting her hands together as she fidgeted. Her small, cherry-red lips parted and closed several times as if she wanted to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. In the end, she just stammered and nodded.

"Ah... well, I do like you, Shen. It’s... the way a girl likes a boy."

"So it’s true."

Lin Shen sighed softly, as if he had expected this all along.

Gu Wanqing’s eyes widened. She blinked a few times, then suddenly, like a kitten whose tail had just been stepped on, she bristled. She grabbed Lin Shen’s arm and demanded urgently.

"Wait! What do you mean, ’So it’s true’? Shen, when did you figure out I like you? Impossible! I never said a thing! We haven’t even seen each other much since I started school. There’s no way you could have known!"

"Did you really think you were that good at hiding it?"

Lin Shen chuckled and gently pinched her nose, earning a pitiful little whimper.

"Tell me, Shen! When exactly did you find out?"

"Before school started, during those few days you came to visit Modu."

Lin Shen grinned slyly at her adorable, surprised expression.

"Remember when I took you to Disney? When we were watching the fireworks... you know what you did better than I do, don’t you?"

’What *did* I do...’

Gu Wanqing tilted her head, thinking hard. A moment later, her face flushed beet-red.

Even though it had been nearly a month, she still remembered every single detail of that night with Shen.

The image of his handsome profile, lit by the spectacular fireworks, was seared into her memory.

It was the moment her first crush blossomed, so the memory was still vivid.

She hadn’t been able to stop herself and had seized the opportunity to steal a kiss on his cheek.

She thought she had been perfectly discreet, but he’d found her out after all!

Gu Wanqing squirmed, stammering in a tiny voice.

"I just... secretly kissed you on the cheek, that’s all..."

"Oh, so you *did* sneak a kiss."

Lin Shen’s look of dawning realization, mixed with a wicked grin, made Gu Wanqing catch on immediately. Her already flushed face turned an even brighter shade of crimson as she furiously pounded on his shoulder.

"Shen! You didn’t know and you tricked me! You’re terrible!"

"Actually, I knew."

After enjoying the "massage" from her tiny fists for a moment, Lin Shen caught her hands and chuckled.

"I just wanted to mess with you."

"..."

Gu Wanqing pursed her lips, her gaze darting away as she mumbled under her breath.

"Then why didn’t you call me out on it?"

"Because you shocked me, too!"

Lin Shen sounded a little exasperated.

"I really thought of you as my little sister back then. Who would have guessed you’d sneak a kiss? It caught me completely by surprise."

"Well, it’s your fault for being as dense as a block of wood and not realizing what I was thinking."

The memory of how Shen hadn’t kissed her when she pretended to be asleep made a fresh wave of resentment wash over her.

But after a moment’s thought, she finally understood.

’So back then, Shen really did just see me as a sister,’ she thought. ’But why has his attitude changed now?’

Gu Wanqing looked up at him and asked curiously.

"Shen, why the sudden change in attitude? You used to see me as your sister, right? So what’s different now...?"

"Ahem!"

Lin Shen cleared his throat twice.

Honestly, he was a little embarrassed to say why.

But he had no choice. Gu Wanqing was staring at him, clearly not about to back down until she got an answer.

So Lin Shen had no choice but to answer honestly.

"Because you’re beautiful."

Huh?

Gu Wanqing froze, her already racing heart starting to pound even faster.

This was the first time she had ever truly heard a compliment from Shen, especially now, when they were laying all their cards on the table.

A compliment like this was a hundred times more sincere than some casual, offhand remark!

And judging by his slightly embarrassed expression, she could tell he truly meant it!

"Hee hee."

Gu Wanqing’s face lit up with a joyful smile. Her already pretty features, enhanced by such a pure and innocent grin, looked radiant with youth.

"So, Shen, you started having romantic feelings for me just because you think I’m beautiful... But a brother can think his sister is beautiful and like her for it. Why does it have to be the ’boy-likes-girl’ kind of like?"

"Oh, so now you’re just pushing your luck!"

Lin Shen gently pinched her cheek again, making her pout. She covered her face and whined pitifully.

"Shen! Why do you keep pinching my cheeks!"

"They’re just so soft, I can’t resist teasing you."

Lin Shen stopped pinching her cheek and started ruffling her hair instead, which she "angrily" swatted away.

Though she pouted as if annoyed, inwardly she was ecstatic.

She loved these intimate little moments with Shen; they made her feel like their relationship was growing deeper.

"So..."

Gu Wanqing gripped his hand tightly with both of hers again, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.

"So besides being beautiful, are there no other good qualities about me that you find attractive, Shen?"

"Isn’t that enough?"

Lin Shen smiled knowingly.

"Being beautiful is a quality countless girls dream of, and you’re still not satisfied? Fine, if you insist, I can list a few more. For example, you’re cheerful and energetic, playful and cute. It’s never boring being with you."

"Hehe."

Gu Wanqing giggled again, her heart feeling honey-sweet. She hugged his arm tightly, rested her head against it, and couldn’t stop smiling like a fool.

"Shen, you like me! I’m so happy! I really, really like you too, Shen."

"What do you like about me?"

Now it was his turn to ask. Gu Wanqing, however, answered immediately, without even a moment’s hesitation.

"So many things! For example, you’re handsome—more handsome than some celebrities! And it’s not a generic kind of handsome, it’s a very distinctive kind of handsome. Your features are symmetrical, your jawline is sharp... you’re just very handsome!"

In that short speech, Gu Wanqing had used the word "handsome" at least five times, which was more than enough to show how highly she thought of him.

Then, she started counting on her fingers as she murmured.

"And you have a great body, too. I can tell you work out. Especially your pecs and abs... they’re amazing, aren’t they!"

"When did you see them?"

Lin Shen was taken aback. Gu Wanqing’s face flushed slightly as she confessed.

"Don’t you remember, Shen? When I was staying at your place, and you got out of the shower..."

"Whoa, whoa! Okay, that’s enough."

Lin Shen quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, stopping her from saying another word.

"Hehe."

Gu Wanqing didn’t struggle. She just snuggled into his arms, enjoying the wonderful feeling of being so close to him.

After all, it had been a long time since they had been this close.

The last time they’d been this close was, well, the last time—back when she first came to Modu.

Those were the days Gu Wanqing missed the most, the ones she longed to have back.

One of them, a prospective university student, still on summer break before her freshman year.

The other, a corporate drone who had just quit his job with nothing but time on his hands.

During that carefree time, they had only each other for company, with no pressure from life, school, or work. It had been pure bliss.

But now, Gu Wanqing was in school, and Lin Shen had a business to run.

Finding time to spend together like this would probably be difficult from now on.

That’s why Gu Wanqing treasured this moment, hugging his waist and refusing to let go.

Now it was Lin Shen’s turn to feel a little awkward. Glancing around, he noticed quite a few people staring their way. He leaned close to Gu Wanqing’s ear and whispered.

"It’s getting late. Maybe you should head upstairs?"

"No!"

Gu Wanqing shook her head. Seeming to understand his concern, her eyes darted about for a moment before she suddenly made a suggestion, her face flushing slightly.

"Let’s go for a walk somewhere else."