Chapter 38

Because the time for the school selection competition was tight, Zhen Fan and Brenda practiced for a long time, all the way until after school. However, when they left the school gate, they encountered a rather awkward situation.

"Today feels great!"

Brenda was packing her backpack, and Zhen Fan had nothing to pack. The four of them left the training room together. When it was time to part ways, Molly and Elisa stopped as if by unspoken agreement.

"Zhen, are you free tonight?" Elisa looked at Zhen Fan with a playful smile, full of anticipation.

"No!" Brenda quickly interrupted Elisa, "Don't say that!"

"No, no, no, Brenda, Zhen is now a free man. Look, it's not training time anymore, it's rest time!" Molly chimed in, egging her on, "Zhen, let's go together, and Brenda too!"

"Count me out!" Brenda raised both hands, facing Zhen Fan, "I'm leaving. These two girls are getting wild. You need to be careful, see you later!"

"See you, Brenda!"

Molly deliberately waved and shouted loudly to Brenda.

"How about it, handsome!" Elisa playfully leaned in, pushing her firm chest toward Zhen Fan, "Fresh and delicious strawberry juice, it tastes great!" She stuck out her pink tongue, circling it around her red lips.

"Alright, girls, no more tricks. I know what you're thinking. Let me tell you, I'm a friend of Brenda's father. Don't test whether I'm a good man or if I can resist temptation. It won't work on me because I don't feel about Brenda the way you think!"

Zhen Fan smiled, extended two fingers, and gently lifted Elisa's chin.

"If you were a few years older, I might be interested!"

Zhen Fan laughed heartily, turned around, and casually waved his hand as he walked away.

"See you, girls, had a great day!"

Molly's face turned red, her teeth biting her lower lip, and she glared at Zhen Fan.

"If you were a few years older, I might be interested!" Molly mimicked Zhen Fan's tone, teasing Elisa, who finally found an outlet for her frustration. The two of them started playfully scratching each other, laughing and roughhousing.

"You said Zhen Fan was a playboy, how about now? A beauty like me doesn't even make him interested!" Elisa accused Molly while they wrestled, "Look at your idea, afraid Brenda would fall for this playboy, so you let me be mocked by him?"

"You were willing, weren't you?" Molly retorted, taking the opportunity to scratch Elisa's chest, "You must have been feeling wild too. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You were trying to seduce him, and I saw through it. I know you best!"

"Damn, you too!" Elisa swung her backpack at Molly, who had already laughed and run far away. The two of them chased each other out of the school gate.

"Hey! You're out? Got rid of those two enchantresses?" Brenda waited outside the school gate, smiling as she saw Zhen Fan come out.

"They're your good friends, I like them!" Zhen Fan laughed, "If I were a high school student, you might have been here alone today!"

"I know!" Brenda's head drooped, her face darkening, but she quickly lifted it, a smile on her face.

"Hey, Brenda!" A man approached, waving at them. Zhen Fan saw Raymond running over, "Hey, Zhen!"

"Raymond!" Zhen Fan extended his hand, and they shook.

"Get in!" Raymond gestured toward his car, "I heard Brenda gave you a lot of trouble, didn't expect her to choose you as her practice partner!"

Zhen Fan spread his hands and laughed bitterly, "I didn't expect it either!"

"But I think the result is pretty good. Look at Brenda's smile, I can tell!" Raymond opened the car door and got into the driver's seat.

"Hope it's a good result!" Zhen Fan sat in the back seat. Just as he was about to close the door, a hand held it open.

"Move over a bit!" Brenda commanded without hesitation.

"Bren-da!" Raymond drew out the name.

"Drive, Dad!" Brenda replied irritably.

"See, this is what it's like to be a dad!" Brenda shrugged at Zhen Fan, making a helpless face, which made Zhen Fan laugh.

"If I had a daughter like you!" Zhen Fan responded, "I'd be very proud!"

"Don't be so old-fashioned, Zhen. Do you want me to call you uncle?" Brenda retorted, "Listen to you, it sounds like you're already as old as my dad."

"I agree with that. I'm sure Mr. Raymond is only twenty-five this year!" Zhen Fan added, "He's the same age as me!"

"Ha, you're funny!"

Raymond laughed heartily in the front, giving Zhen Fan a thumbs up.

"Ha!"

Brenda couldn't hold back either, shaking her head and smiling, then fell silent.

Before long, the car stopped in front of Zhen Fan's house.

"See you, Mr. Raymond, thanks for the ride!" Zhen Fan got out and waved, "See you tomorrow, Brenda!" Then he walked toward his house.

"I like this guy!" Raymond suddenly said, then restarted the car and drove into his own yard.

Brenda watched Zhen Fan walk into his yard and open the door before shifting her gaze. Raymond seemed to hesitate as he walked toward the house.

"What do you want to say, Dad? Just say it!" Brenda entered the house, flopping onto the sofa, propping her chin up and looking at Raymond with twinkling eyes.

"I... I want to know why you chose Zhen as your dance partner?" Raymond hesitated but finally spoke, "Of course, you don't have to tell me."

"No, Dad, I can tell you!" Brenda's eyes narrowed into a smile, like two crescent moons, "It's simple, he's very handsome and has a great body. I've already fallen for him! That's it!"

"Oh, God, what did you just say?"

A voice came from the kitchen doorway. It was Angela, who had just come out of the kitchen and heard Brenda's words, feeling a pang in her heart, her face not looking good.

"Come on, Mom, I'm already seventeen, and I'll be a college student soon. Is it strange to like a boy?" Brenda was unhappy.

"Of course, not strange!" Raymond quickly interjected, "I mean, Zhen is our neighbor and a friend of mine and your mom. If the two of you... wouldn't that be awkward?"

"Not at all!" Brenda laughed, leaned forward, and took a bite of an apple from the coffee table, "Yes, I like him, but I don't plan to sleep with him yet, so... why would it be awkward?" Brenda then went to her room, not giving Raymond and Angela a chance to speak.

"God, look at the result of your parenting!" Angela couldn't help but complain to Raymond, then lowered her voice, "Is she not a virgin anymore?"

Now it was Raymond's turn to be awkward. He pinched his nose, "Well... didn't you also lose your virginity when you were sixteen?"

That made Angela furious.

"Damn, that was an accident, we were both drunk, who knew what happened?"

"Wow!" Raymond exclaimed, "You never told me that before. You were drunk at sixteen? And you didn't plan to tell me?"

"That... just... forget it, I still have to make dinner!" Brenda huffed, turned, and walked to the kitchen, ignoring Raymond.

"Ha, does that mean I have another card to play against you?" Raymond wasn't about to let Angela off, having finally gained the upper hand.

"No way, Raymond!" Angela's voice came from the kitchen, along with the clattering of kitchen utensils, clearly flustered and busy.

Brenda didn't care about Raymond and Angela's argument; she had seen it for years, and it was always the same.

She sat by the window, pulling back the curtain to peek at Zhen Fan's house, where she could see his backyard.

Her phone rang.

"Brenda, looks like you hit the jackpot this time. After our test, Zhen is definitely a reliable man. You're so lucky!"

It was Elisa's voice on the phone.

"Don't say that, I told you not to test him, and now my dad and mom are arguing about it, saying it would be awkward if I like Zhen!"

There was a sudden silence on the other end. Just as Brenda was about to say something, a scream came through, making her quickly take the earphone off, "God, are you planning to sleep with him?"

That was a good laugh, a repeat of what Brenda had used to argue with Raymond and Angela.

"Do you really plan to end your seventeen years of virginity with Zhen?" The voice on the other end was still exaggerated, as if hearing something unbelievable.

"I... I haven't..." Brenda tried to defend herself, feeling awkward about the topic.

"Damn, you're so—lucky! You hit the jackpot!" Elisa's words were truly invincible, leaving Brenda speechless, "If I were to lose my virginity to a man like Zhen, I'd probably have a grand ceremony, like the Indians!"

"Shut up, I haven't thought about it—I admit I like him, but it's not a reason to lose my virginity!"

Brenda couldn't take it anymore and finally shouted.

"Come on, Brenda, stop defending your poor and ridiculous pride!" Elisa suddenly laughed and lowered her voice, "If you don't want to, can I..."

"No way!"

Brenda rejected her without hesitation, knowing what her best friend would say, which made her uncomfortable.

"Oh, come on, you haven't even thought about it, why not let me try? Maybe Zhen would be interested in me? And my parents aren't friends with him, so it wouldn't be awkward. Think about it, I wouldn't have to worry about calling him Zhen or Uncle when I sleep with him!"

"Goodbye!"

Brenda hung up without hesitation, glanced at Zhen Fan's backyard, and closed the curtain, the room gradually darkening.

Page AD starts

Page AD ends