Chapter 110: Next Time I'll Be Gentler

In the end, she still came down.

Cheng Xingye circled to the back of the girls’ dormitory to wait for her. Five minutes later, he saw the little rascal skipping her way toward him.

“Cheng Xingye!”

Lu Qingyue greeted him with not a trace of shyness or reserve and immediately tried to throw herself into his arms.

Beneath the mottled shade, sunlight and shadow played across his figure. Cheng Xingye stood there with an air of chilly indifference, hands still tucked in his pockets, his lips curved in an ambiguous half-smile as he watched her.

“Who are you calling?”

Lu Qingyue clung to his arm, undeterred by his coldness, her voice warm and sweet.

“Whoever is my boyfriend, that’s who I’m calling.”

Whether by intention or accident, her soft body pressed up against his arm, nestling close with that uniquely youthful suppleness that could erode the strongest will.

Cheng Xingye, who had been trying to maintain a stern, aloof façade, found his composure slipping with her intimate touch; all his pretended temper vanished.

He reached up and pinched her nose, feigning annoyance as he teased,

“Getting bold now, are we? You don’t even call me ‘brother’ anymore. Just straight to my full name?”

Lu Qingyue was quick to adapt, immediately switching her tone, “Brother~”

She even added a coquettish lilt to the end, her words dripping with playful mischief.

Cheng Xingye gave her a sidelong glance, unmoved, thinking to himself, Let’s see what other little tricks you’ve got that I don’t know about.

But Lu Qingyue had endless tricks up her sleeve.

Seeing that he remained unmoved, she pressed even closer to his arm, her voice coy and sly,

“Brother, I’m hungry, let’s eat.”

Cheng Xingye froze, half his body tingling from her persistent nuzzling.

“...Who taught you to talk like that?”

Lu Qingyue grinned triumphantly, tilting her head up with a mischievous smile, “Do you like it, brother?”

Isn’t it said that men are most susceptible to this kind of sweet talk? She’d learned so many new tricks from short videos lately—she hadn’t even shown her best moves yet!

Cheng Xingye kept his face expressionless, parrying her coquetry with a deadpan,

“Disgusting.”

Lu Qingyue burst into laughter at his serious retort and immediately turned her charm up to twelve,

“Brother, you can’t possibly dislike it, can you?”

Just moments ago, he’d complained about her calling him by his full name; now, with every ‘brother’ she uttered, Cheng Xingye found himself squeezing the bridge of his nose, unable to suppress a headache.

“If you keep up with that weird voice, I’m going to have to teach you a lesson.”

Lu Qingyue’s attention immediately shifted, her eyes sparkling with excitement, her expression full of anticipation as she asked,

“Eh? Really? How do you plan to punish me?”

...

Beneath the girls’ dormitory at Jiang University, there was a small grove—not too dense, but lush enough. In the daytime, the place was like a little garden, full of dappled shade, flowers, and birdsong; by night, couples inevitably stole away into it.

But it was noon now; everyone was either tidying their dorms or rushing to the cafeteria, so the grove was nearly deserted, the only movement the gentle sway of leaves in the breeze.

Some who are too mischievous end up paying the price.

Lu Qingyue didn’t even get a chance to eat lunch before she was pinned against a tree and kissed until her heart trembled.

Perhaps it was true what they said about absence making the heart grow fonder, for Lu Qingyue felt that his kiss this time was even more passionate and overwhelming than the last two.

Vines curled up the trunk; dappled sunlight scattered over her as she tilted her head back, eyes narrowed against the glare, struck by the surreal sense of being lost in a dream.

Behind her was the rough bark of the tree, before her the warmth of his chest.

He cupped the back of her head with his hand, shielding her gently, but there was nothing gentle about the kiss he pressed to her lips.

At first, he punished her with playful nips, just enough to sting but never truly hurt.

After a few pecks, he shifted his angle, and suddenly, catching her off guard, deepened the kiss.

The thick branches overhead seemed to wrap them in a private cocoon, the air inside warmer than outside.

Lu Qingyue struggled to catch her breath, and in the brief pause between their mingled breaths, she couldn’t help but let out a soft whimper.

Cheng Xingye paused and finally pulled back a little.

He lowered his head, looking at her lips glistening with moisture; there, faintly, was the mark of his teeth.

A strange, possessive satisfaction welled up inside him. He suddenly reached out, brushing his fingertip gently over her lips, his voice husky as he laughed,

“Will you still be naughty?”

Lu Qingyue snorted in defiance, trying to squirm out of his arms, but he caught and held her fast.

Cheng Xingye eased the sulking girl into his embrace, soothingly stroking her hair, but she tilted her head up,

“Are you going to kiss me again?”

Cheng Xingye regarded her thoughtfully for a few seconds.

So she still hadn’t had enough?

But they were, after all, at school, and someone could pass by at any moment.

Cheng Xingye didn’t want the girl to become notorious as soon as the semester started, so he patted her head and coaxed gently,

“No more kisses. Let’s get you something to eat.”

Lu Qingyue hummed in protest, but obediently wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself close.

She was always forthright; whatever she felt in her heart showed plainly on her face.

Even though her lips were still tingling from his kiss, she was so fond of him that being held so tenderly made her brighten up at once, snuggling into his arms with natural, affectionate ease.

Cheng Xingye had no idea how brazen she could be; her constant nuzzling made his throat tighten and his body tense. In the end, he had to pry her out of his embrace and take a moment to collect himself.

...

They’d spent nearly half an hour kissing in the grove, so that by the time they reached the cafeteria, the start-of-semester crowds had already picked the place clean—by half past twelve, there was scarcely any food left.

Lu Qingyue stood by his side, peering over the counters at the few remaining dishes, her face a picture of indecision.

It wasn’t that she was especially picky; she just couldn’t handle spicy food. Of the few dishes left, apart from stir-fried greens, there was mapo tofu, spicy blood stew, chili chicken—every one fiery hot.

Cheng Xingye noticed her hesitation and took her hand, “Let’s eat outside.”

Lu Qingyue agreed with a quiet hum, docilely letting him lead her away.

Jiang University was located in a bustling commercial district, surrounded by countless eateries. And right next door was a whole street of food stalls.

They ended up at a little claypot porridge shop on the food street.

By this hour, the lunch rush was nearly over, so the place was quiet, and they settled into a booth for four.

Cheng Xingye naturally sat beside her, not across, and reached for the menu.

It had been half an hour since that feverish kiss, and theoretically, that tingling heat should have faded by now, but Lu Qingyue still felt her lips faintly numb. She opened her phone’s front camera for a look.

As soon as she saw, she realized her lower lip was indeed a bit chapped.

She gave a soft sigh, put her phone away, and murmured in plaintive complaint,

“Cheng Xingye, you really were a bit ruthless just now.”

“Split your lip?” he set down the menu, leaning in to check.

As he drew closer, his clean, pleasant scent enveloped her.

His long, slender fingers cupped her chin, tilting her face up as he examined her lips.

The little wound was right at the corner of her lower lip—just a tiny split, but on her rosy lips, it stood out starkly.

He shifted his body to block her from view, gently lifted her chin, and pressed a light kiss to her lips, his voice a sexy rasp though his words were utterly proper,

“I’ll be gentler next time.”