Frenemy and a Little Bit of the Best in the World

"How could that be? Don't even think about it!"

Xia Yanchun was both angry and shy. She had imagined Shen Nian suddenly hugging her, pulling her hand out from under the quilt to cradle it, or shamelessly begging her to look at his leg, but she had never once imagined Shen Nian would suggest this.

Her gaze grew resentful. Xia Yanchun pulled the thin summer quilt tighter around herself, swatted Shen Nian's hand away, stretched out her foot, and gave his thigh another kick, still feeling unsatisfied.

It had little effect. Shen Nian simply ignored it, leaning his upper body closer. "Being able to sleep together is the ultimate proof of being the best of friends. I think it's a necessary step for us to become number one best friends."

"Get lost. Who wants to be your best friend?"

"But I want to be yours."

"..." Xia Yanchun's almond-shaped eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she wanted to hide herself away.

Pulling the quilt up to cover half her face, leaving only two large, dark eyes visible, she stared at Shen Nian for a good while before finally muttering in a small voice.

"Even if you want to be my best friend, it's still not allowed."

Shen Nian felt a pang of disappointment, his eyebrows curving inward. "Not even for a little while? Just a little while."

Xia Yanchun pressed her lips together. "H-how long is 'a little while'?"

Sensing an opportunity, Shen Nian's spirits lifted immediately. He promptly held up two fingers. "Two hours."

"No."

"One hour."

Xia Yanchun felt a bit dizzy, as if bubbles were fizzing in her head. Even though Shen Nian was just sitting on the edge of the bed, in her home, she still felt like he had her cornered on the bed, not letting her go anywhere.

They were supposed to be sworn rivals. How had things developed to this point?

Sworn rivals, sworn rivals. That relationship had been stubbornly proposed by Shen Nian in the first place, saying something about being rivals for life. And then, and then... it turned into this... It's not good at all.

She was still holding onto it.

Sworn rivals shouldn't lie in the same bed.

But, but... if they were sworn rivals, yet also just a little bit like the best of friends...

"One hour is not allowed either. Ten minutes at most," Xia Yanchun murmured, already prepared to kick Shen Nian out if he refused.

"What can you do in ten minutes?"

"What else do you want to do?! Get off my bed now!"

Shen Nian laughed. "How can you twist my words like that? Your mind is in the gutter."

He just thought ten minutes was very short, but Xia Yanchun's little head was always full of unhealthy ideas.

"Anyway, just ten minutes."

"Fine, ten minutes it is."

Seeing Shen Nian about to lie down, Xia Yanchun immediately scooted backward. "I'm telling you, even if you fall asleep later, I'll make you roll back to your own place. Pretending to be asleep won't work."

"I wasn't even thinking that."

"I might not know others, but I certainly know you."

"Hehe, then you count the time."

Shen Nian had already lain down. A girl's soft bed was surprisingly comfortable.

However, both pillows were on Xia Yanchun's side. Judging by her resentful expression under the quilt, she definitely wasn't willing to share a pillow with him.

Shen Nian didn't care. He rested his head on his hand and shuffled closer, grinning. They had been on each other's beds many times, but lying this close together... the last time had to be traced back several years, to that time of innocence and ignorance.

"What are you laughing at? We can't lie together. Stay away from me."

"No." Shen Nian nudged closer again, trying to squeeze the girl toward the wall.

Xia Yanchun hugged a small stuffed animal, lowering her gaze. She wanted to turn away and not look at him, but didn't quite dare.

Being out shopping or somewhere with Shen Nian made her feel very secure; if trouble arose, Shen Nian would really step up. But when the two of them were alone, Shen Nian himself was the biggest source of insecurity. Turning her back to him, who could say if he might just take the opportunity to hug her?

How did that saying go?

What stabs you in the back isn't necessarily a knife.

Even if Shen Nian just hugged her, she wouldn't be able to ignore it. Hugging wasn't something that could happen anytime; it had to be with her permission. If she didn't agree, she would definitely break free immediately and scold Shen Nian severely.

"Seriously, someone so big still wants to sleep with their older sister. I can't believe you."

"You're saying that now? It makes it sound like we're committing some taboo."

"Ahhh!" Xia Yanchun was furious, slapping his arm hard. "What nonsense are you spouting!"

"Fine, I won't say it. Let me hug you." Shen Nian smiled faintly, reaching out to pull the girl, along with her quilt, toward him.

Xia Yanchun was petite and didn't resist, letting him draw her into his embrace. A small stuffed animal was still sandwiched between them.

The warm air from the heater blew comfortably on Xia Yanchun. Lying on her side, knowing Shen Nian was looking at her, she didn't dare meet his eyes. Instead, she buried her face a little lower, secretly sniffing Shen Nian's scent. Shyness washed over her like a tide, steaming her eyes until they grew moist.

Mmm... Shen Nian's collarbone, Adam's apple...

"Do you really like hugging that much?" she murmured.

"I have to hug as much as I can in ten minutes. Tomorrow, I'm cutting ties with you, won't even look at you."

"Idiot."

"You're being hugged by an idiot." Shen Nian tightened his arm, pulling the girl even closer. His hand moved up, gently covering the back of Xia Yanchun's head, wanting to draw her fully into his embrace.

Only when Xia Yanchun's breath hit his neck did he, feeling a restless itch, loosen his grip. His heart was beating faster than usual. This feeling of being completely indulged made him feel flustered, impulsive, shy, and uncharacteristically embarrassed.

The initiative had always been with him, but now he actually felt a bit at a loss. After thinking it over, his hand finally settled on Xia Yanchun's waist.

The summer quilt was thin, and her t-shirt was thin too, making the sensation of smooth fabric particularly noticeable.

Xia Yanchun was a bit nervous, pulling the quilt to cover herself properly. She'd let him hug her for a while. It was only ten minutes...

Once she quieted down, Shen Nian quieted down too. His hand rested on her waist without moving. The sound of their breathing became more and more distinct, blowing on Xia Yanchun's head until it tickled. She would secretly pull down the quilt a little, angry and shy, and gently poke Shen Nian with a fingernail, telling him not to breathe his hot air on her.

Yet her own warm breath kept wafting into Shen Nian's collar. This sense of unfairness, of imbalance, brought her a pleasure she enjoyed... she liked it very much...

After holding it in for a long time, she finally wriggled out from against Shen Nian's neck, letting out a puff of hot air, which made her feel much more relaxed. Being in Shen Nian's embrace was even stuffier and hotter than being shut in a heated, air-conditioned room.

Looking up at Shen Nian, seeing his inexplicably excited yet guilty expression, Xia Yanchun also felt a bit distracted. Guiltily, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "How many minutes has it been?"

"Don't know." Shen Nian forced a serious tone, saying calmly, "Probably a little over two minutes."

"How is that possible? Do you think I'm a fool?" Xia Yanchun struggled to sit up. Maybe it hadn't been ten minutes, but it couldn't have been as short as just two minutes.

Shen Nian wasn't honest at all—not in body, thoughts, or any aspect.

Lazily sitting up, Xia Yanchun reached for her phone. It was almost midnight.

"That's about enough. A hug is fine, but you still want to linger, huh? Time's up!"

Shen Nian grimaced, clutching his head in pain. "Ouch, ah, my head is so dizzy. I might faint on your bed for six hours. Chunbao, do you think I could faint on your bed until six tomorrow morning?"

"I'll throw you in the dumpster downstairs."

"Urk."

Shen Nian sat up in bed and let out a heavy sigh. "It seems the path to being the world's best is still long and arduous."

"Well, you keep working on it. I'm going to sleep now."

Reverting to their rivalrous state, since Shen Nian had gotten out of bed, Xia Yanchun was more than happy to lie down comfortably.

Feeling the heat swell within her, Xia Yanchun kicked the covers aside to cool off, leaving just a corner over her stomach. She felt terribly uncomfortable if her stomach wasn't covered.

"Why are you still here?" Seeing Shen Nian still sitting on the bed with his back to her, she urged him again, "Remember to close the door properly."

"Got it."

Shen Nian first scooted over near the light switch, turned off the light, then got up to open the door. He tried to cover himself as naturally as possible while making a hasty escape.

It was a battle of wits worthy of Dora the Explorer's finest hour.

......

In the dark, Xia Yanchun straightened out the sheets that Shen Nian had mussed up, lay down, closed her eyes, and muttered a quiet complaint.

"...Pervert."

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