Chapter 134: Didn't you say you were saving my underwear for me?

Hot? My foot!

The room was kept at a constant 25 degrees Celsius, 24 hours a day. The little brat wasn't even bothering to make up a convincing lie; did she take him for a fool?

Cheng Xingye found it both amusing and speechless, yet knowing she wouldn't dare cross any serious lines, he let her have her fun. He lazily rested his hands behind his head, eyes drooping as he watched Lu Qingyue with a roguish, detached gaze. She was like a persistent little hamster, peering at him with a beaming, playful smile while her small hands were busy and eager under the covers, working to undo his pants.

Her hands were so soft, as if they had no bones at all. Cheng Xingye had started out playing the part of the cool, ascetic gentleman, but when her hand brushed against something unexpected, his scalp tightened. He suddenly reached out to stop her.

"What are you doing?"

He gripped her wrists and, feeling too exasperated for words, used his other hand to pinch her cheek. His expression was feigned indifference, but his tone held a helpless, amused, and roguish mockery. "Didn't you say you'd leave my underwear on?"

Lu Qingyue was already far too caught up in the moment to care about any promises she’d made. She knelt beside him, eyes bright as she looked at him, and bargained with a cheeky, direct boldness: "The underwear is definitely yours, but can I give it back to you in a little while, please?"

Cheng Xingye: "..."

He cast a cold glance at her expectant little face and gave her cheek another, harder pinch. Lu Qingyue had a hint of baby fat; the soft flesh on her face puffed up when pinched, just like a meat bun.

Cheng Xingye looked down at her, suddenly feeling that it was truly a waste for someone to have such a pure, innocent face. He held her wrists and firmly pulled her hands out from under the covers, his tone roguish yet heavy with implication: "Don't push your luck! Otherwise, there won't be a next time."

Since Cheng Xingye had put his foot down, Lu Qingyue, no matter how curious she was, could only pull her hands back resentfully, feeling quite wronged. They were boyfriend and girlfriend, so why make a distinction between "yours" and "mine"? Why be so stingy with her?

Lu Qingyue grumbled inwardly, *If you're so capable, don't touch me later either!*

Cheng Xingye, on the other hand, remained calm and composed. Seeing her look of unwillingness, he chuckled and pulled her close with one arm, grabbing her wrist and brushing her hand over his taut abdominal muscles before coaxing her, "Are you satisfied now?"

Satisfaction was likely not a word in Lu Qingyue’s dictionary. Having had her fill, she ungratefully huffed, "You actually enjoy it too, don't you?"

Cheng Xingye gave her a thoughtful look. This little brat was indeed clever; she knew everything. Still, it wasn't easy for her to pretend she didn't know, especially since his reactions were quite obvious and beyond his control.

Cheng Xingye sighed silently to himself, threw off the covers, and got out of bed. Lu Qingyue watched him head straight for the bathroom and asked in confusion, "Hey, where are you going?"

Cheng Xingye didn't even look back. His tone was cold, tinged with a sense of self-abandonment as he tossed out a single sentence: "To take a shower."

This was his second shower of the afternoon. Lu Qingyue naturally knew what he was going to do in the bathroom, so she immediately sat up, eager and attentive: "Do you need me to help you put out the fire?"

Cheng Xingye: "..."

*Forget it. Does she really think I can't see through her little schemes?*

He laughed mockingly at himself in his head and curled his lips with a sneer: "You mean help me add more fuel to the fire, right?"

Lu Qingyue blinked, looking at him with a provocative, daring glint in her eyes: "Don't you want to play something exciting?"

Did he want to? Of course he did. But Cheng Xingye wasn't so easily tricked! No matter how much she teased or tempted him, as long as it was a boundary he didn't want to cross, he would never be swayed by her. Besides, what kind of "excitement" could an eighteen-year-old handle? She didn't seem to fear getting in over her head!

Cheng Xingye knew that if he didn't discipline this little brat, she would truly tear the roof down. So, he curled his lips into a silent smile, pinched the tip of her nose with deliberate force, and replied with a slow, meaningful look in his eyes: "No rush for now. I just hope that when you're crying later, you'll still remember to follow through on your pursuit of excitement."

Lu Qingyue: "???"

Lu Qingyue: "..."

...

Despite failing to gain any ground in their verbal sparring with Cheng Xingye, Lu Qingyue remained undeterred, testing and teasing him every night before sleep.

Cheng Xingye was a strange mix—a scoundrel when he wanted to be, yet a true gentleman when it counted. Since he didn't plan on touching her, no matter how much she provoked him, he remained unmoved. At most, he would let her enjoy his abs through his clothes, but he would never go any further before coaxing her to sleep and returning to his own room.

They were indeed living together but sleeping in separate rooms. Cheng Xingye seemed to be holding back for some reason; even when his desire flared, he would simply get up and go to the bathroom, with no intention of taking advantage of her.

A few days passed in this sweet, bickering, and lingering atmosphere, and the National Day holiday was approaching. Because she was in a relationship this year, Lu Qingyue’s mindset for the holiday was different from before. In the past, she would have either gone to play with her classmates or pestered Lu Yi to take her out. But now that she had Cheng Xingye, she naturally wanted to set aside time to spend with him.

Lu Qingyue told her family in advance that she would be staying at her boyfriend's place and might go away for a couple of days. Lu Jiachen had only recently learned from Lu Yi that she was living with her boyfriend. At first, he was vehemently against it, even getting into an argument with Xi Yu at home.

"How old is Dian Dian? How can she be living with a man we don't really know?!"

However, Xi Yu was indifferent. Having been through it herself, she had a very open-minded view of such things. She had met that friend of Lu Yi's; he was upright, handsome, and possessed a proud, composed air similar to Lu Jiachen’s when he was young. He didn't seem like the type to play with someone’s feelings. Moreover, while Lu Qingyue looked young at eighteen, she was an adult. The girl had always had a strong sense of independence and was clear-headed about her choices. If she had made up her mind, trying to stop her by force wouldn't work.

Xi Yu felt there was nothing to worry about and countered dismissively, "It's not like we don't know him—isn't her boyfriend your son's best friend since high school?"

Lu Yi hadn't said much at first, but hearing this, he scoffed with disdain. "Let's not call him a 'best friend'... Setting his sights on a girl who's only eighteen—my brother here is definitely a bit of a beast."

Lu Jiachen: "???"

*What does he mean, setting his sights on an eighteen-year-old? Is that the point?*

He paused, feeling uncomfortable, and interrupted impatiently: "Stop talking about beasts or whatever! The point is, you can't just move in together the moment you start dating! What if she gets hurt later..."

Xi Yu said, "What kind of 'hurt'? When I was dating you, I was only eighteen too. Why didn't you say I was getting hurt?"

Lu Jiachen: "...That's different. I have self-restraint."

Xi Yu gave a cold hum. "Give me a break!"

*Self-restraint, indeed!*

When she was eighteen, hadn't they gone through the exact same thing? Why was he being such a hypocrite when it came to their daughter?!

Lu Jiachen was left speechless, thinking to himself, *How can their situation be the same as ours?* His parents and Xi Yu’s family were old friends; she had practically stayed at his house before she had even graduated high school. Living together with parents present was a far cry from living together without them—the level of danger was not even in the same ballpark!

Just as Lu Jiachen was organizing his thoughts to retort, he noticed his own son listening with great interest. He immediately stopped and said impatiently, "What are you still doing here? Why haven't you gone to pick up your sister?"

Lu Yi chuckled wickedly, stroked his chin, and asked with a meaningful smirk, "The way Mom put it, it almost sounds like she ran into a 'beast' herself when she was eighteen, doesn't it?"

Lu Jiachen roared, "Who are you insulting?! If I'm a beast, what does that make you?! Where did you learn to be so disrespectful? No wonder Dian Dian doesn't like hanging around you lately!"

And with that, the old beast took a flying kick, unceremoniously booting the young beast out of the room.