Chapter 11: What Time Does School End?

“Brother, how many girlfriends has Xingye actually had?” As soon as Lu Qingyue got home, she couldn’t help but ask Lu Yi curiously.

Lu Yi and Cheng Xingye had been classmates since high school. After so many years of knowing each other, he naturally understood him quite well.

But he lazily stretched out his long legs, hooked over the chair Cheng Xingye had just been sitting in, and sat down in a relaxed manner, replying with a meaningful tone, “Who knows?”

Lu Qingyue thought he was just covering for his friend, so she responded with an “oh,” deciding not to press further. But unexpectedly, Lu Yi, the rascal, suddenly added in a low tone, “But if he’s had less than ten, it would be a disgrace to the title of ‘King of the Sea.’”

Lu Qingyue: “…”

Seeing the girl’s widened eyes in disbelief, Lu Yi smugly retracted his long legs, reached into the large bag he’d brought, pulled out her schoolbag, and dropped it in front of her. “Alright, stop worrying about other people’s business. Hurry and get your homework done!”

Lu Qingyue hadn’t expected that even while hospitalized, she couldn’t escape her math homework. She immediately let out a wail—

Only to have Lu Yi flick her forehead sharply.

Lu Yi snorted coldly and said without mercy, “Quit pretending! If you’re well enough to play games, you’re well enough to do your homework!”

Her forehead, already reddened from being hit by a ball, was now even more brightly flushed after several pokes from them, as if a preschool teacher had stuck a little red flower on her forehead.

Her forehead throbbed painfully, and she said, half-ashamed and half-indignant, “But my head really is spinning! And you keep poking me! I can’t even look at my books right now, the words are all starting to blur…”

Lu Yi remained unmoved, interrupting her coldly, “Keep pretending!”

Lu Qingyue: “…”

At eight or nine in the evening, the hospital was quiet, the streetlights outside casting a dim glow on the window. At that moment, Lu Qingyue felt the weight of family authority crashing down on her. Clutching her pen in despair, she scratched out calculations on her scratch paper, estimating the area of her psychological trauma.

She could never outplay a man six years her senior… Lu Qingyue thought, stifling her frustration.

...

After a night under observation at the hospital, the MRI results came back the next day, showing nothing serious. Lu Qingyue was discharged in the morning, and Lu Yi canceled her leave, telling her to go back to school in the afternoon.

Since the start of the semester, including military training, three weeks had already passed at the affiliated high school. After this week, the first monthly exam of the term was coming up.

Listlessly packing her things, Lu Qingyue drooped her head, following Lu Yi out in a daze. Forced to work on her math test until eleven the night before, by the time she’d showered, brushed her teeth, and finally gotten into bed, it was already midnight.

Now she felt completely drained, as if she could be buried under a mound of earth and sleep forever.

The siblings descended to the parking garage, one after the other. The daylight was still faint. Lu Qingyue squinted, shuffling after Lu Yi, when suddenly someone pressed down on her shoulders and shoved her, catching her off guard and sending her straight into a hard chest.

Her nose turned red from the impact. Barred teeth bared in confusion, she looked up, only to meet Cheng Xingye’s eyes.

Lu Qingyue: “???”

Cheng Xingye, expressionless, pulled her out of his arms by the shoulders, apparently just as baffled by Lu Yi’s mysterious maneuver.

Who just casually pushes their own sister into another man’s arms?

But Lu Yi didn’t see anything odd about it at all. Cheng Xingye was his brother of many years; every girl who chased after him was a stunning beauty with curves in all the right places. Someone like Lu Qingyue, flat as a board, would never catch his eye.

And as for Lu Qingyue, she certainly didn’t harbor any feelings for him. Who knows what Cheng Xingye had done to offend her—she’d spent all of yesterday plotting little schemes against him, clearly holding a grudge.

There was zero chemistry between the two of them. No matter how close they got, it would always be safe.

Lu Yi patted the girl’s head reassuringly and said succinctly, “Be good today and let your Brother Xingye drive you to school.”

Lu Qingyue blinked, still dazed, and asked instinctively, “What about you?”

Lu Yi couldn’t be bothered to explain. “Grown-ups’ business. Little kids shouldn’t meddle.”

With that, he turned to Cheng Xingye and gave him a couple of instructions. “Just drop her off at the intersection—she can walk in herself.”

Cheng Xingye nodded and naturally took Lu Qingyue’s schoolbag, leading her to his car.

Sunlight spilled over the tall plane trees surrounding the parking lot, their leaves shimmering.

Lu Qingyue hesitated a little as she got into the car.

Her relationship with Cheng Xingye was actually quite awkward right now. Technically, his name was still on her little black notebook of grudges. If she shamelessly accepted his offer to take her to school, it would be hard to bring up that incident later and hold it against him…

Cheng Xingye, completely unaware that future reckonings awaited, simply bundled her into the passenger seat, then circled around to get in himself. Worried that her head might start hurting again if the wind blew, he adjusted the AC vents as he asked casually, “Still dizzy?”

Lu Qingyue debated whether to forgive him on the spot, but didn’t want to seem too easy to placate. So she muttered in a small voice, “A little.”

Cheng Xingye started the car, and, in a tone used to coax children, asked, “Want some ice cream?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl’s eyes light up in the passenger seat.

Cheng Xingye almost laughed—she was just too easy to please.

But the next second, she replied flatly, “No.”

Staring out the window, Lu Qingyue studiously avoided looking at him, thinking with determination, You can’t buy me off with an ice cream.

Cheng Xingye really was the type who had every reason to be wild and unrestrained. With his striking good looks and a luxury car before even graduating, what girl wouldn’t be dazzled by him? He was never short on beautiful girls, and the time he spared for each was probably pitifully little. She only had the advantage of being younger, which made her a bit interesting to him, enough that he’d occasionally tease her for fun.

Lu Qingyue sighed, thinking it was best if their interactions ended here. No point in plotting to settle old scores—he wouldn’t care anyway, and in a few days he probably wouldn’t even remember her name.

She stared blankly at the swiftly passing scenery outside the window, lost in thought, not realizing they’d already arrived at the school gates.

Cheng Xingye didn’t rush her. He leaned back lazily in his seat, head turned to watch her leaning against the window. The glass reflected her delicate, fair features, and he suddenly thought this girl was genuinely interesting.

Time passed quietly in the car.

Two minutes later, Lu Qingyue snapped back to reality, realizing she’d spaced out for so long. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to thank him. “Brother Xingye, thank you for bringing me to school. I’ll be off now.”

She opened the door and got out, shouldering her backpack.

The hot wind tossed her hair, strands leaping on her shoulders, vibrant and free as if animated with life.

Cheng Xingye rolled down the window and called out to her.

“Lu Dot.”

Lu Qingyue stopped and turned to look back.

Her gaze was clear and bright, shining like a small sun beneath the breeze. Cheng Xingye awkwardly rubbed the tip of his nose, facing that transparent look, and asked in a calm voice, “What time do you get out of school this afternoon?”