Chapter 40: Today is Cheng Xingye’s Birthday
Outside, the sun shone brightly. Lu Yi leaned sideways, one hand resting on the steering wheel, his gaze fixed intently on her as if he could see straight through her thoughts.
But Lu Qingyue seemed as if she’d been wronged by the heavens themselves, her grievance bursting out in a wail.
“Wow! I just took one look, and he actually threatened to call the police?!”
Lu Yi: “???”
Lu Yi: “......”
He felt as though his mind had short-circuited. He was at a complete loss, unable to process the information in her words.
The traffic light ahead turned green, but he sat there, dazed, until a barrage of honking from the cars behind jolted him back to his senses. He turned the wheel and started driving, all the while his mind struggling to digest her statement.
At the next intersection, the light turned red again. He braked abruptly, then whipped his head around in disbelief.
“You actually did peek?!”
Lu Qingyue immediately corrected him, “Let me clarify, it was not peeking.”
She had looked openly and upright—she refused to let that label of a voyeur stick to her!
Lu Yi: “.....”
He found himself at a loss for words, rendered speechless by her audacity. He wasn’t even sure where to begin reprimanding her.
Should he call her shameless for staring at a man’s private part…?
But she was so forthright, her clear, bright eyes meeting his without a hint of embarrassment, as if her mind had never wandered to anything indecent.
Yet, if he were to call her proper, what kind of respectable girl would look at that part of a man anyway?
The atmosphere in the car grew increasingly strange.
Lu Yi felt as if he’d swallowed something indescribably foul—impossible to keep down, impossible to spit out.
In hindsight, he wished he’d never asked. After all, it was Cheng Xingye who’d been looked at, not him—why should he care?
But since he’d already asked, not getting to the bottom of it felt even more unbearable.
Lu Yi forced himself to gather his thoughts, tamping down his emotions to figure out what had really happened.
“So, why were you looking at him in the first place?”
Lu Qingyue, baffled by his reaction, replied with innocent confusion, “He said the underwear I bought for you was too small—he couldn’t fit into it!”
Lu Yi: “???”
So that was what this was about.
Lu Yi was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly felt relieved.
That actually made sense. The day he’d received that gift box, he’d nearly exploded with annoyance. Who on earth could fit into a size S? Was she underestimating him?
He’d ended up giving those two pairs of S-sized underwear to Chen Shujie, who’d been delighted. Later, Chen even thanked him, saying he’d never worn anything so comfortable and wanted to buy that brand again.
Lu Yi realized it had all been a misunderstanding and finally relaxed.
It just didn’t add up otherwise. Lu Qingyue was too young, and Cheng Xingye’s standards were sky-high—the two of them together was simply unthinkable.
Putting his doubts aside, Lu Yi calmly turned the steering wheel, guiding the car down a quieter street.
The scenery outside grew increasingly familiar.
When the car finally stopped at the entrance of a high-end neighborhood, the bold characters “Rui Mansion” came into view. Only then did Lu Qingyue realize this was where Cheng Xingye lived.
She was completely bewildered and asked in disbelief, “Wait, where exactly are we going?”
Lu Yi, all composure, kept his eyes on the road as he replied, “Of course, we’re going to Cheng Xingye’s place.”
Lu Qingyue let out a small exclamation, a flicker of surprise and delight flashing through her heart, though she kept a calm exterior and pressed, “Why are we going to his place?”
By now, Lu Yi had parked in the underground garage, reversing casually as he answered, “It’s Cheng Xingye’s birthday today.”
Lu Qingyue: “!!!”
Cheng Xingye’s birthday?!
She had no idea! But then, it wasn’t surprising. They’d known each other for half a year at most and could count the number of times they’d met on one hand. They barely kept in touch outside of those meetings, so of course she didn’t know his birthday.
The realization that they were here for Cheng Xingye’s birthday party made her heart race with panic and confusion. She blurted anxiously, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I didn’t bring a gift! How can we show up empty-handed?”
Lu Yi didn’t think bringing a gift to a birthday party was necessary. For grown men, even celebrating a birthday felt effeminate—let alone expecting presents. Why did Cheng Xingye have to be so fussy?
He parked the car, glanced at her lazily, and as he opened the door, said offhandedly, “I didn’t bring anything either.”
He paused, then, seeing the bewildered little tagalong beside him, amended, “Oh wait, I brought you. So I’m not exactly empty-handed.”
Lu Qingyue: “???”
Lu Qingyue: “....” Is he for real?!
...
Cheng Xingye lived on the twelfth floor.
Lu Yi, clearly a frequent visitor, pressed the elevator button without hesitation, took her upstairs, and rang the doorbell.
The moment the bell rang, Lu Qingyue’s heart leapt into her throat. An uneasy restlessness rose within her, her thoughts suddenly veering off—was the party at home? Didn’t he live with his parents?
Before she could puzzle it out, the door opened.
The person who answered wasn’t Cheng Xingye, but a slightly unfamiliar man—likely one of Cheng Xingye’s classmates. He greeted Lu Yi warmly, “Lu! You’re here?”
Hearing Lu Yi had arrived, people inside immediately called out, “What took you so long?” “Come join the game!”
Lu Yi must have been popular; the entire living room turned to look at the door.
The room was packed, a dozen or twenty people at least, most of them strangers to Lu Qingyue.
She froze at the threshold, eyes wide as she scanned the room.
Though she’d grown up tagging along with Lu Yi, she’d never been thrown so suddenly into a nest of university students.
Someone, noticing her unfamiliar face, asked curiously, “Where’s this little sister from?”
She was clearly not part of their crowd—barely in her teens, at most.
With that question, everyone’s gaze shifted to her.
Lu Qingyue felt as if she’d wandered into the land of grown-ups, being scrutinized by people far outside her age group, and stiffened in place.
Lu Yi gave her a gentle push inside and introduced her succinctly, “My sister.”
No sooner had he spoken than someone pulled him away, sweeping him into the crowd.
Left alone by the door, Lu Qingyue stood there, lost.
Ye Zixuan was also there that day. Noticing her discomfort, she immediately called out, “Little sister, come in and have a seat!”
Lu Qingyue quickly responded, but after glancing around, she realized there were no empty spots left on the sofa.
She was still hesitating when someone emerged from the direction of the bedroom.
Cheng Xingye, the birthday boy, was dressed in a light gray casual shirt and black trousers, his tall figure standing out. The soft, diffused light from the wall lamp behind him painted a warm, ambiguous glow.
He clearly hadn’t expected to see Lu Qingyue. The moment he spotted her by the door, a flash of surprise crossed his face.
A wall lamp above the entryway cast a gentle light over her head.
Their eyes met for only a few seconds, but the unexpected encounter left him momentarily at a loss.
Then, his lips pressed together in a subtle smile, he stepped toward her through the golden haze.