Chapter 28: I Want Nothing to Do with This Brat Anymore

Christmas Eve happened to fall on a weekend. The Lu parents went on a holiday to a hot spring hotel, leaving money for Lu Qingyue before they left, telling her to go out and have fun with her classmates.

The original plan for her class was to go to the movies together, but the inexperienced youngsters underestimated the determination of couples. They eagerly opened the ticketing app, only to discover that nearly all showings were already sold out.

Since the movie plan fell through, someone suggested going out for a meal instead.

Zhou Tingting was busily bickering with the boys in the group chat while privately messaging Lu Qingyue, asking if she wanted to join.

Left with nothing to do at home, Lu Qingyue replied that she would go.

The dinner was set at a barbecue place behind the shopping park—nothing fancy, but the prices were fair and the food surprisingly good.

By the time they finished, it was already past eight o’clock. Lu Qingyue reeked of charcoal and grease, and she couldn't wait to get home and shower. Just then, a boy popped up with a suggestion, “I heard there’s artificial snow at the plaza tonight—want to check it out?”

What’s so interesting about that? Lu Qingyue was baffled. “What, you’ve never seen snow before?”

Although Jiangcheng was in the south, it had snowed almost every winter in recent years. If nothing went wrong, it would snow again after New Year’s. Was artificial snow really necessary?

The boy seemed oddly excited, enthusiastically rallying everyone, “Come on, we’re already out—let’s join the fun!”

Lu Qingyue couldn’t understand why a guy would be so eager for this kind of activity. She really didn’t want to go—the weather was cold, and she smelled of barbecue. The others weren’t particularly interested either. But as soon as the boy mentioned, “There’ll be a Santa Claus giving out gifts—I heard it’s cosmetic samples and chocolate...”

At the mention of gifts, Hu Qiuyue immediately raised her hand, “I’m in!”

With that, several girls signed up, and quite a few boys decided to go along for the excitement. Zhou Tingting was still a bit hesitant and turned to ask, “Qingyue, are you going? If you go, I’ll go!”

Lu Qingyue didn't really care, but seeing Zhou Tingting wanted to go, she nodded and agreed to accompany her.

The group, chatting and laughing, headed to the small plaza where the artificial snow was supposed to be. There was no sign of Santa Claus, but a circle of red candles had been arranged in the shape of a heart.

Linking arms with Zhou Tingting and Hu Qiuyue, Lu Qingyue asked in confusion, “What’s going on here? Is someone planning to confess?”

Neither Hu Qiuyue nor Zhou Tingting knew what was happening; everyone was looking around, unsure what to expect.

Lu Qingyue glanced at their surroundings, feeling that something was off. After a moment of puzzled thought, she realized, “Balloons, candles, flowers. Oh my god! Is this a confession? This setup is so cliché it makes my toes curl—who’s the unlucky girl tonight...”

Before she finished, out of the corner of her eye she saw Xiao Qingrong, surrounded by people, walking toward her with a rose.

Lu Qingyue: “...Damn! So I’m the unlucky one!”

The classmates who’d been lured there to play along finally caught on and began whooping and jeering.

Lu Qingyue’s first instinct was to turn and run, but Xiao Qingrong was quick, striding up and grabbing her arm. “Lu Qingyue!”

She froze mid-step, forced to turn around and stare in disbelief at the suffocating red rose and the nauseatingly earnest face before her. “Who are you again? Little Green Dragon or something? I can barely remember your name—yet you still remember me?”

Xiao Qingrong seemed unfazed, clutching her sleeve and leading her toward the center of the candlelit plaza. “Come here, I have something to say.”

Lu Qingyue struggled to shake off his hand. “Can’t you just tell me without making a scene?”

With so many people watching, this tugging and pulling was mortifying. Did he think she didn’t care about her reputation?

Xiao Qingrong kept his grip, retorting self-righteously, “You won’t add me on WeChat! If I don’t talk to you face to face, what am I supposed to do?”

Lu Qingyue: “You could always send me a message in my dreams!”

Xiao Qingrong: “....”

He was not usually one to pester, but the more indifferent Lu Qingyue was, the more his sense of conquest and competitive spirit flared. He’d put a lot of thought and pocket money into preparing this confession scene, even getting help from Class 1 boys to lure her here. He was determined not to walk away empty-handed.

So, ignoring her protests and resistance, he half-coaxed, half-dragged her toward the center. He was strong, and Lu Qingyue couldn’t break free; her scalp prickled with anxiety.

The plaza was already crowded with classmates called to witness the spectacle—their shouts and screams almost drowned out her voice. Lu Qingyue recognized quite a few people in the crowd, and her scalp tingled even more. Xiao Qingrong pulled a letter from his pocket and began to read, “Lu Qingyue...”

“Lu Qingyue.”

Suddenly, a cold, familiar voice sounded behind them.

Like grabbing a lifeline, Lu Qingyue spun around and, sure enough, saw Lu Yi approaching. But his expression was so icy it was almost frightening; he looked ready to explode. The crowd immediately recognized him as Instructor Lu from Class 1 during military training and instinctively fell silent, stepping back two paces.

Lu Yi strode over, ignoring Lu Qingyue at first, and glanced at the sleeve gripped by the boy.

His gaze was so intense that Xiao Qingrong felt his hand burn under it and instinctively let go. Though he didn’t know what Lu Yi’s relationship was with Lu Qingyue, the aura around this newcomer made it clear he wasn’t someone to cross, and Xiao Qingrong’s bravado quickly faded.

Once satisfied that the hand was released, Lu Yi finally looked at Xiao Qingrong’s face. His tone was slow and indifferent as he asked, “Who are you? How old are you?”

Xiao Qingrong was confused. “Seventeen. Why?”

“Seventeen?” Lu Yi’s lips curled in mockery. “You don’t study, you ask your parents for money, and now you want to date my little sister?”

Xiao Qingrong was stunned, his face turning ashen.

He wanted to argue, but there was nothing to say. He pressed his tongue to his jaw and stood there stiffly in silence.

Seeing the boy silenced, Lu Yi turned to Lu Qingyue. “And you. Out here with boys instead of doing your homework at home? After making such a scene, how much gossip do you think there will be at school? How do you expect to study in peace?”

The plaza was so quiet that only the wind could be heard.

The students had come to watch a confession but were now watching Lu Qingyue’s brother shut it down. No one dared make a sound.

Before Lu Qingyue could answer, the patrolling security guards noticed the crowd and hurried over, thinking there might be trouble. The classmates had no choice but to disperse, and soon the plaza was nearly empty—just a few tourists and Lu Qingyue, dragged aside by her brother for further admonishment.

Lu Yi didn’t usually indulge his troublesome little sister, but that didn’t mean he’d let her run wild—especially not when it came to issues that crossed his bottom line.

He gave a cold snort, his gaze sharp as ice as he mocked, “Lu Qingyue, don’t think being a girl means you don’t have to work hard. If you don’t want to study, I can find you a job in a factory right now.”

Lu Qingyue had been tricked into coming and had thought Lu Yi would take her side. She hadn’t expected him to scold her without listening to any explanation. Wronged and stifled, she retorted, “Don’t think just because you’re a few years older you can dictate my life!”

Lu Yi hadn’t expected her to talk back. He stared, then let out a laugh of exasperation. “You really have grown wings now.”

Lu Qingyue, voice trembling, protested, “It wasn’t even my fault, but you insist on blaming me.”

As she spoke, her voice wavered with the threat of tears.

How could her own brother never listen to her side and always jump to chastise her?

Seeing her about to cry, Lu Yi was at a loss. “Crying just because I said a few words?”

Lu Qingyue burst out, “You’re still saying things! Waa—”

Her deliberately exaggerated sob made Lu Yi’s head ache.

He was nearly out of patience when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Cheng Xingye standing off to the side, arms folded, watching silently.

Cheng Xingye had been there for a while. Seeing Lu Yi reprimanding his sister, he waited quietly without interrupting. Only when he noticed Lu Qingyue’s eyes growing red did he finally approach.

Lu Yi, arms folded lazily, looked as though he’d given up disciplining this little troublemaker. Weary and exasperated, he jerked his chin at Cheng Xingye. “I’m done with this brat. She’s yours now.”

Lu Qingyue, eyes rimmed with tears, called out, “Brother...”

Without looking at her, Lu Yi patted her shoulder and nudged her toward Cheng Xingye. “Don’t call me brother. Aren’t you tired of me meddling? If Cheng Xingye won’t control you, go let him be your brother instead!”

Lu Qingyue: “...”