Let Me Tell You a Secret

[My new novel, Thoughts Without End, is now available. Visit the author's page to find it.] Cheng Yin has liked her deskmate, Chen Ran, for a long time, but she's never dared to confess. The words "I like you" are a secret she's kept in her heart, yet she often can't stop herself from blurting something out instead. Cheng Yin: "Chen Ran, let me tell you a secret." Chen Ran always plays along, leaning closer. "What is it?" When the words reach her lips, Cheng Yin blushes and her heart races. Instead, she says, "Your fly is undone." Chen Ran: "?" After she'd made these pointless little confessions so many times, Chen Ran didn't even bother moving closer when she spoke again. "Go on." At a party, Cheng Yin drinks for the first time. Chen Ran splits into two before her eyes. She reaches out wildly, wanting to see if she can grab the real Chen Ran, but someone catches her hands. He lowers his head and whispers in her ear, "Let me tell you a secret." Cheng Yin: "...What is it?" Given his rotten sense of humor, she suspects it's nothing good. She checks her fly, makes sure it's zipped, and only then leans closer. The breath of the person beside her brushes lightly against her ear, carrying a faint scent of alcohol. "I like you too." Bonus scene Chen Ran and Cheng Yin look alike, so their friends tease them for having a married-couple look. Chen Ran declares that he would never get together with Cheng Yin. They look so alike that it feels like they're biological siblings. He couldn't bring himself to do it :) Later, Chen Ran makes Cheng Yin angry and chases her to the subway station. He hugs her tightly and says every sweet thing he can think of to soothe her. But Cheng Yin shouts, "Brother, don't do this. Mom and Dad will beat us to death." Chen Ran: "...?" Theme: