Super Sweet, 100\% Honeymoon-Chapter 574: The Proposal 1

Brother...

It’s him... my brother!

The shock from earlier had mostly faded, and the chaos was giving way to calmness.

Chi Cheng’s gaze locked onto her, and he silently let out a breath of relief.

As always, he looked at An Ran with that faint smile that wasn’t really a smile. "Why are you crying? I’m right here."

"Wuu wuu..."

An Ran couldn’t stop her tears no matter what.

In a moment like that earlier, no one could tell how strong the earthquake would be, and the house might have collapsed at any moment.

Yu Geng had left her and fled. An Ran didn’t have the right to blame him because in such a situation, the instinct for self-preservation was natural.

But precisely because of the contrast, when her brother suddenly appeared within her line of sight—

There was only one thought in her mind.

He was her knight in shining armor. At least, in this moment, he was.

Her heart pounded furiously the instant he appeared.

It was as if everything behind her turned to nothingness, and the only person in her eyes was this man—always refined in front of others, yet nothing short of a demon in front of her.

She couldn’t hide it any longer...

She liked her brother.

Even if this kind of affection could never see the light of day.

Even if this kind of love was destined to be incomprehensible to everyone else.

Even if her brother approached her only for so-called "revenge."

But ever since Chi Cheng appeared in that moment earlier, she could no longer deceive herself.

Call her shameless, call her lacking any principles—it didn’t matter.

She just... she just...

An Ran braced herself and pushed to stand up, watching as Chi Cheng stepped closer, step by step.

Then, catching him off guard, she threw her arms open and dove into his embrace.

She hugged him tightly.

She truly liked her brother.

She liked him so much.

So, so much.

Chi Cheng’s body stiffened slightly, his clear eyes widened in astonishment. For a second, his hands froze mid-air.

What was this little bunny doing?

She was hugging him.

And this wasn’t just any hug—it carried a yearning and a depth of emotion that couldn’t be put into words.

For the first time.

"Are you scared?" Chi Cheng looked down at her, his usually cool voice now slightly hoarse. "Silly girl, it’s all over now."

"Wuu wuu..." An Ran continued crying.

But it wasn’t out of fear; it was because, in that moment earlier, she finally confirmed her feelings.

She felt so ashamed.

Liking her own brother—it brought her indescribable shame...

But what about her brother?

Did her brother approach her and treat her kindly just to exact some kind of revenge?

If that were the case, then he had already succeeded.

Because she had already lost herself... completely.

Chi Cheng saw that An Ran was still crying and gently stroked her hair, his voice dropping even lower. "If you keep crying, I don’t know what I might do."

An Ran raised her tearful gaze, looking at his handsome face so close to hers, and the tears poured harder.

"Still crying?" Chi Cheng cupped her small face. "Is this what you want?"

An Ran’s eyes settled on his sharp and alluring lips.

Yes.

She wanted...

Because she had fallen for him hopelessly.

"Then... I’ll oblige you." Chi Cheng murmured, securing the back of An Ran’s head before leaning in.

After brushing away her tears, Chi Cheng lightly pecked her again. "Let’s go. We need to get out of here first."

It was still unsafe to remain here.

An Ran obediently nodded, letting Chi Cheng pick her up in his arms.

As they descended the stairs, they spotted Yu Geng in the crowd.

Having fled earlier in the chaos, Yu Geng looked awkward as he nervously licked his lips after seeing An Ran. "Um... about earlier... sorry."

An Ran shook her head, lightly biting her lower lip before speaking, "I think I’ve made up my mind about that matter."

Yu Geng realized she was referring to his earlier request to date her. His embarrassment deepened as guilt washed over him. "I understand."

Glancing around and seeing that Teacher Zhang hadn’t returned yet, An Ran said to Yu Geng, "Please let Teacher Zhang know that I had to leave. I’ll visit her another time."

Chi Cheng didn’t acknowledge Yu Geng at all. He merely cast him a cold, fleeting glance before tightening his hold on An Ran.

Without so much as a word of courtesy, he carried An Ran to a nearby Porsche.

After buckling her seatbelt, Chi Cheng glanced down at her injured foot. "I’ll take you to the hospital first."

An Ran lowered her head. "Okay."

"Was the ’something important’ you mentioned today about meeting him?"

"No! I really just wanted to visit one of my middle school teachers," An Ran explained urgently, looking up at Chi Cheng. "Don’t misunderstand..."

Chi Cheng stared at her for a moment, seeming to take in all the anxiety on her face. His lips curled into a faint smirk. "Are you that afraid of me misunderstanding?"

"Yes."

Chi Cheng led her further. "Why?"

Why...

Because I... like you...

This sentence was stuck in An Ran’s throat. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t say it out loud.

Lowering her head, An Ran fiddled with a loose thread on her T-shirt. "I want to ask you the same thing."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you come upstairs to find me even though you knew it was dangerous?"

Was it possible that I wasn’t just a target for revenge in your heart?

Could I occupy even a tiny, tiny corner of your heart?

"Because—" Chi Cheng stretched out the word, his narrow eyes flicking toward An Ran, a hint of teasing glimmering within. "I wanted you to owe me one."

An Ran froze, then dropped her head as she quietly muttered an "oh."

So I overthought it...

How could my brother... really like me?

He only wants to torment me.

But what can I do?

I’ve already fallen too deep, unable to escape.

Meanwhile—

"Those Years" had already premiered, with a pretty good reception.

In just a few days, the viewing figures had already surpassed hundreds of millions.

But in the barrage of comments and reviews, the focus wasn’t on the male or female leads.

Instead, it was Xia Xiyan’s portrayal of "Miss Zhixia."

In no time, the topic of "Miss Zhixia" was nearly everywhere.

[Who said earlier that Summer was only a pretty face? Her acting just slapped you in the face!]

[It’s just like the book—she nailed it! Ahhhh, this Miss Zhixia character is perfect!]

[There hasn’t been much from the "Perfect Couple" recently. Anyone know what they’re up to? I miss them so much...]

An online user who once roasted Xiyan’s potential posted a tweet ten minutes ago: "You win, Dad! @Summer."

The user went viral immediately.

Xiyan herself came across the comment and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

The feeling of earning recognition through her skills—it was euphoric.

"Miss Zhixia" quickly climbed to the number one trending topic.

But the spot didn’t last long before it was toppled by an explosive piece of news.

The headline? "Qiao Qianmo Donates Bone Marrow."

Clicking into the hashtag revealed that a major entertainment blogger had reported Qiao Qianmo’s bone marrow donation to a stranger in Country S.

Already more famous than Xiyan in Hua Country, Qiao Qianmo’s news took the Internet by storm. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

[Ahhhh! My Goddess Qiao is the kindest person in the universe! No debates allowed.]

[She’s genuinely so wonderful. I heard she does a lot of charity work quietly behind the scenes.]

[This is real positive energy! Being praised for acting well is just basic—it’s literally their job. Qiao Qianmo’s actions deserve true admiration.]

[I completely agree with the top comment.]

Scrolling through a few comments, Xiyan exited the app and continued watching TV with Xia Zhiyun.

Xia Zhiyun suddenly pulled Xiyan into a dramatic hug, showering her with exaggerated praise. "Wow! My darling’s acting is unbelievably amazing!"

"Mom, if you keep choking me, I’ll die right here!" Xiyan protested jokingly. "Let go already..."

Just as the mother and daughter were fooling around, the doorbell rang.

The Xia Family seldom interacted with relatives, so who could be here at this hour?

Xiyan jumped up. "I’ll get it!"

She dashed to the door. Upon opening it, her jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

"Grandma?"

Grandma Ou was as lively as ever, holding her arms out. "It’s me! Are you surprised? Happy to see me?"

Xiyan quickly stepped forward to hug her. "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? What a surprise! We didn’t prepare anything at all!"

"Oh, come on. We’ll all be family soon anyway. I just came over for a visit—no need for formalities!"

As they chatted like no one else was there, Ou Jue, standing behind them, was visibly upset. He raised an imposing brow. "Xia Xiyan! Am I invisible to you?"

Was she only going to greet his grandmother? Couldn’t she see him too?!

Xiyan finally looked up. "Oh, you’re here too."

Ou Jue: ......

Heh, this woman.

Xiyan quickly moved aside to make way. "Come in."

As she stepped aside, several men dressed in black suits, clearly bodyguards, followed in carrying large bags, lining up as they entered the Xia Mansion.

What... what on earth was this all about?

Grandma Ou acted entirely at home as she greeted Xia Zhiyun, "You must be Ah Yun?"

Xia Zhiyun looked around in confusion before realizing the old lady was referring to her. "Uh, yes, hello."

"Hello, hello! I’m Jue’s grandmother, soon to be your in-law..." Grandma Ou clasped Xia Zhiyun’s hands warmly, exuding the air of a devoted matriarch, and casually seated herself beside her. "This is our first meeting, but we’ll be seeing each other often from now on. Please take good care of this old lady."

"Um, uh?" Xia Zhiyun was overwhelmed by her enthusiasm.

"Grandma." Ou Jue finally stepped forward. Clad in a perfectly tailored suit, the contrast between his imposing presence and his grandmother’s liveliness couldn’t have been starker.