Chapter 72: Put It on Hold for Now
Cheng Xingye was at a loss for words for a moment and was just about to say something when the balcony door of the villa was pushed open. The person who emerged wasn’t Lu Yi, but Chen Shujie. The people inside had finished their cake and were ready to play games, but since there weren’t enough players, he’d come out to look for someone.
He hadn’t expected that as soon as he stepped into the little garden, he’d find a certain scoundrel lounging nonchalantly against the fence, casually flirting with the young lady. The moonlight was hazy and suggestive, and the two of them stood very close, their posture remarkably intimate. Whatever Cheng Xingye had been whispering must have been quite something, for the girl was clearly delighted and nearly burrowed into his arms.
Chen Shujie’s eyes widened instantly!
Hey, operator? There’s a third-degree offense happening here…
But how could Chen Shujie just stand by and watch his good brother doom his future to sewing in prison and weeping behind iron bars? He coughed loudly, deliberately, forcefully interrupting whatever felony was about to be committed.
“Xingye! Qingyue! So here you are!” He rounded the osmanthus tree, grinning as if he hadn’t seen a thing, and called out boisterously, “Stop catching cold out here, come inside and play with us!”
Cheng Xingye glanced inside. A fair number of people had gathered already, and there was a deck of cards spread out on the table. He asked, “What are you playing?”
“Truth or Dare!” Chen Shujie replied. “It’s no fun with too few people—come join us!”
Cheng Xingye looked toward Lu Qingyue, as if seeking her opinion. She didn’t particularly mind; after all, there was nothing clandestine about her and Cheng Xingye being together. They might as well go in and join the game, so she agreed softly.
The three of them returned to the living room on the first floor.
By now, the circular sofa was crowded with a dozen or so people, scarcely a free seat to be found. But as they entered, someone perceptively squeezed over, making room and calling out, “Xingye, sit here!”
Cheng Xingye led Lu Qingyue over.
Only after sitting did he realize he’d unwittingly chosen a perilous spot—
Lu Yi was seated directly to his right.
As Cheng Xingye settled down, Lu Yi lazily lifted his gaze, his eyes glinting as cold as knife blades as he cast a frosty glance his way.
That look churned with undercurrents so intense it nearly made one’s heart skip a beat.
Stuck between the Lu siblings, Cheng Xingye instantly felt as if he were sitting atop needles, walking on thin ice, standing at the edge of an abyss.
He bent forward to grab a bottle of water from the table, unscrewed it, and took a sip—only then did he manage to quell the unease gnawing at his heart.
Lu Qingyue sat on his left, and as soon as she settled, she sensed a less-than-friendly gaze directed her way from across the room.
She didn’t need to look up to know it was Xu Qian.
But she paid her no heed, instead turning to watch Ye Zixuan deal the cards.
Soon, everyone had a card before them.
Ye Zixuan announced the first card: “Little Joker.”
That card happened to land with Chen Shujie, who chose Truth. His question was—
“Have you ever done something to betray a friend?”
Chen Shujie instantly choked. He glanced uneasily at Lu Yi, then at Cheng Xingye beside him.
Neither of them showed much expression, but their eyes were icy—one’s gaze said “I’ll finish you,” the other’s, “I’ll bury you.”
A chill ran down Chen Shujie’s neck as if he’d glimpsed the ghosts of judgment, and he stammered, “...I have. I once helped someone rob his house.”
Laughter and exclamations erupted around the room.
But after a while, most assumed he was talking about a game, and the commotion settled.
Ye Zixuan dealt the cards again, and Chen Shujie wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, grateful for his quick thinking—he’d nearly lost his life otherwise.
After a few rounds, Lady Luck finally smiled on Cheng Xingye.
He chose Dare, reached out, and drew a task card.
The moment the card was revealed, the room exploded in shrieks loud enough to lift the roof.
Because his task was—to passionately kiss the person beside him for ten seconds.
“Damn! Cheng Xingye, you really didn’t check your horoscope before leaving today, did you?”
“Is this the kind of show I get to see for free?!”
“I must have accumulated a lifetime of virtue to deserve this sight!”
“Hurry, hurry! My eyes are ready, someone weld their lips together right now!”
The clamor grew to a frenzy. After all, it wasn’t every day a handsome guy willingly offered a kiss in public.
But after a dozen seconds of raucous excitement, someone finally caught on.
Wait a minute.
On either side of Cheng Xingye sat—an underage girl, and her underage brother.
So… which one was he supposed to kiss?
The noise faltered, giving way to a chorus of awkward “ehhs” and “ohhs.”
Lu Yi’s face turned the color of iron, his gaze as cold and sharp as a drawn blade, looking ready to cut down every last instigator.
Cheng Xingye was equally speechless.
He’d never imagined that one day he’d have to choose between the Lu siblings.
Under the weight of countless curious and scandalized stares, he calmly turned his head toward Lu Yi.
The onlookers, seeing this, nearly lost their minds, egging them on even more wildly.
In a storm of screams, Lu Yi slowly turned, locking eyes with him, his gaze cold as ice.
Lu Yi shot him a sidelong look, the corners of his mouth twitching between a smirk and a snarl. Clenching his teeth, he spat out each word for all to hear:
“Are—you—looking—to—die?”
Of course Cheng Xingye didn’t want to die.
Feigning defeat as if under threat, he sighed dramatically, and under the gaze of the gossip-hungry crowd, admitted, “Forget it. I’ll choose the other one.”
With that, he dutifully turned toward the bewildered young lady beside him.
Lu Qingyue hadn’t expected to be involved, but when Cheng Xingye gave up on Lu Yi, he had no choice but to redirect the dare toward her.
She stared at him in disbelief, eyes wide, watching as his handsome features drew closer.
The room fell almost instantly silent.
Her wrist was gently caught, pinned to her side.
Lu Qingyue’s heart leapt like a spark catching fire, racing so fast her ears burned.
She tilted her head up, and he was already inches away.
He lowered his gaze, the tips of their noses almost touching. Every movement and gesture was laden with intimacy, yet his words were perfectly innocent.
He looked into her dark, shining eyes and smiled softly. Whether the words were meant for himself or for those around them, he said,
“She’s so young—how could I possibly kiss her?”
Sounds of disappointment and surprise rippled through the crowd. Surprise that he still cared about such propriety; disappointment at missing out on such a show.
After all, who wouldn’t want to see a handsome guy enact a passionate kiss in public?
But she really was young. Several of the other girls silently regretted not having switched seats earlier.
Amid the noisy confusion, Lu Qingyue could hear her own heart pounding like a drum.
And just then, the man before her lowered his voice, so only the two of them could hear, and murmured in her ear with a low, amused chuckle,
“I’ll owe you this one for now.”