Chapter 142: Does My Brother Know You’ve Betrayed Him Like This?

In the darkness, the man sat with a broad, sturdy frame, resembling a distant mountain shrouded in mist. His gaze seemed to reach across thousands of peaks—vague, elusive, and seemingly forever out of reach.

Cheng Xingye waited with forced patience for a while, but seeing her still dawdling and refusing to come over, he reached out to feel for the bedside and clicked on the wall lamp.

Now, the darkness no longer stood between them; everything became stark, clear, and focused.

Lu Qingyue had not been mentally prepared and was startled by the sudden light. Before she could react, his tall figure was already standing before her. He leaned over slightly to look at her, his dark eyes first landing on her astonished little face, then naturally drifting downward, sweeping over the curves hidden beneath the lace of her neckline with a gaze both direct and suggestive.

The sight of that soft, delicate skin made his chest tingle slightly. His Adam's apple bobbed, and suddenly, he reached out and swept her up into his arms.

Lu Qingyue was so startled she immediately threw her arms around his neck, but before she could steady herself, he pressed her down onto the soft bed. She panicked and tried to sit up, but Cheng Xingye gave her no time to think; his tall frame loomed over her, enveloping her completely in his shadow.

Her fair skin, white as fresh snow, spread out before him without reservation. His dark eyes, like a panther in the night, prowled over his prey inch by inch. Lu Qingyue felt his gaze fall upon her like a physical weight and couldn't help but flinch, only for him to catch her wrists and pin them above her head.

The deep, dark intensity in his eyes was overwhelming, filled with a suffocating sense of possessiveness and aggression. Being scrutinized so bluntly made the tips of her ears burn. She turned her head away in discomfort, but he caught her chin and turned it back.

Cheng Xingye held her chin with one hand, forcing her to look up. He leaned down to kiss her, but paused the moment his lips touched hers. He turned his head, pressed his face against her shoulder, and let out a low, muffled chuckle.

"Dian Dian, do you know what I think of when I see this dress now?"

As he spoke, his warm breath washed over the hollow of her neck. Lu Qingyue felt a ticklish, tingling sensation on her skin and couldn't help but hunch her shoulders, her focus instantly diverted. She turned her face to look at him, asking, "What do you think of?"

Cheng Xingye looked at her and replied quite bluntly, "I think of your brother."

Lu Qingyue: "???"
Lu Qingyue: "..."

...

Beside the bed was a floor-to-ceiling glass window, offering a view of the brightly lit city skyline. The warm light in the room mingled with the scene, creating a perfectly romantic atmosphere; everything that followed seemed like a natural course of events.

Yet, suddenly, a sharp "snap" cut through the air, and the romantic atmosphere shattered instantly.

Lu Qingyue bolted upright on the bed, her face a mask of disbelief as she shouted indignantly, "Cheng Xingye, are you a pervert? We’re in the middle of being intimate, and you're thinking about my brother?!"

Cheng Xingye was being accused without reason, and just as he was about to speak, Lu Qingyue had already launched into a tearful, dramatic performance. "Does my brother know you're betraying him like this?!"

Cheng Xingye: "..."
He hadn't even done anything to Lu Yi!

His reputation ruined, Cheng Xingye speechlessy pinched her face hard, making her lips pout, and said with a provocative smirk, "Stop with your wild imagination. Who told you to mail this thing to him?"

Now, every time he saw this dress, he thought of Lu Yi coldly tossing it at him, his face stern as he warned him not to play any twisted games. The image of two grown men having a tug-of-war over a piece of lingerie in a dormitory was just a bit too awkward and ridiculous.

Cheng Xingye couldn't help but curl his lips and laugh softly. Seeing his shoulders shake, Lu Qingyue bristled immediately. "...You're still laughing!"

She had humiliated herself by wearing the dress according to his demands, and he had the nerve to laugh at her?!

*Hello, is this the Civil Affairs Bureau? What are the procedures for changing a boyfriend?*

As Cheng Xingye skillfully pinned the bristling little creature back into the covers, he pressed his nose against her forehead, stifling his laughter. "Dian Dian, maybe you should just take off the dress."

Lu Qingyue didn't have much, but she had a rebellious streak in spades. She immediately refused, "I won't! Why should I take it off just because you tell me to, just like I put it on because you told me to?!"

Not taking it off? Cheng Xingye didn't mind. "Suit yourself."

This little fool probably didn't realize that such a hazy, half-hidden state was, for a man, even more visually striking than full exposure. His gaze was drawn to her pink, fair skin, and he no longer had the heart to tease her. His clear eyes grew dark and heavy, as deep and dense as the night.

His broad palm touched the hem of the dress, moving unhurriedly; his fingertips toyed with the fabric while his eyes remained locked on her face, observing every flicker of her expression.

Lu Qingyue noticed the hidden meaning brewing in the depths of his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. She felt nervous and flustered, her heart pounding incessantly in her chest, as if it were about to break free and leap out of her throat. She was usually all talk, appearing fearless on the surface, but when it came to the real thing, she instantly withered, her entire face burning as if it were about to ignite.

Cheng Xingye amusedly touched her earlobe and kissed it, asking in a low, slow voice, "What are you nervous about? Isn't this what you wanted to try?"

Lu Qingyue trembled from his kiss, but refused to admit she was a coward. Seeing him so well-dressed and elegant while she was barely covered and had brought this upon herself, she couldn't help but look away, trying to maintain her composure, and huffed, "I'm already dressed like this, why haven't you taken off a single thing?!"

In the dim light, the body covering hers seemed to pause for a moment.

Cheng Xingye hadn't actually intended to do anything to her at first; he just wanted to scare her a little so she wouldn't keep such messy thoughts in her head all day. He hadn't expected her to be so stubborn, still sharp-tongued even at this stage.

He remained silent for a long moment, pressing his lips together. He suddenly wondered if making her wear this nightgown was a punishment for her, or for himself.

The next second, he sat up straight.

His shadow on the wall stretched long. He slowly pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside. His chest rose and fell, his lean muscles hard and powerful, and below that was a trim waist, with a sculpted abdomen and taut mermaid lines disappearing into his waistband.

It wasn't as if Lu Qingyue hadn't seen his bare chest before, but with them entangled like this and her wearing that shameful nightgown, her heart leapt in shock, and she stared at his eyes, feeling panicked and at a loss.

The air in the room was quiet and sultry, thick with a surging, pent-up emotion waiting to erupt.

Without a word, he leaned down to kiss her.

...

The hazy moonlight filtered through the thin window curtains, like crystalline snow powder drifting over the world. The soft, fragmented whimpers on the bed gradually grew faint, eventually merging into the night.

When Cheng Xingye returned from the bathroom, Lu Qingyue was already fast asleep, exhausted. She seemed to like sleeping on her stomach, always pressing her face into the pillow, which bunched up her cheeks like a little meat bun.

After their entanglement, her nightgown had been pushed up halfway, and a slender, fair leg poked out from under the quilt.

Cheng Xingye walked over, crouched by the bed, and pulled down the hem of her dress before tucking her leg back under the covers. His fingertips, lingering on the quilt, rubbed together, as if they were still stained with her scent.

After a long while, he lowered his eyes and chuckled softly.

He mocked himself for being a failure. Even at this point, he still couldn't bear to truly touch her.