Chapter 74: Seems Like I Mistook Someone for Another

After leading her aside, Lu Yi finally looked down at her. Perhaps she had been outside for too long; the young girl’s skin was chilled by the wind, and the tip of her nose was tinged with red.

Lu Yi pulled her into a sheltered corner, turning slightly to block the wind for her.
"Are you cold?"

Lu Qingyue sniffled and shook her head.
"How did you know I was here?"

Lu Yi gestured with his chin at the hand hanging by her side.
"Didn't you call me?"

Lu Qingyue was momentarily confused, then looked down as he said, noticing for the first time that the screen of her phone was still lit, the call she had just made still connected.

So he had heard her entire conversation with Xu Qian just now...

Lu Qingyue uttered a quiet "oh" and fell silent, head lowered.

Noticing her mood was off, Lu Yi slipped his hands into his pockets and asked evenly,
"You went to find Cheng Xingye just now?"

Lu Qingyue continued to look down, her eyes fixed on the neatly trimmed lawn in the garden.
"Mm."

Lu Yi pressed, "Did you ask him?"

Lu Qingyue bit her lip and answered softly, "Not yet."

The timing of her arrival had been unfortunate. If Xu Qian hadn’t deliberately led her there, she would never have tried to pry into someone else's privacy.

But... she had overheard anyway.

What could be so important that he would hold onto it for so many years?

The thought made Lu Qingyue feel a twinge of sorrow.

No matter what, Ye Zixuan had come before her. They had known each other for over a decade, sharing memories and bonds built over all that time. If Cheng Xingye had kept her things for so long, it meant she held a special place in his heart.

That kind of feeling, she feared, might surpass the simple affection between a man and a woman.

Lu Yi, seeing her quiet, lowered his gaze to her.
"Then go ask. I’ll wait for you here."

At last, Lu Qingyue looked up.

Her hazy eyes glistened, but inside she felt uncertain.

In truth, she didn’t want to ask. At least, not tonight. She would rather, for this one night, believe vaguely that Cheng Xingye’s affection for her was unique.

Lu Yi seemed to see through her thoughts; for once, he showed patience and refrained from mocking her, merely adding in a mild tone,
"There's no point in deceiving yourself. If you want to know, go ask. Don't let yourself be kept in the dark by wishful thinking."

Lu Qingyue felt a tightness in her chest and nodded obediently, turning to slide open the balcony door and go inside.

On the sofa, everyone was still playing around, their laughter and shouts mingling with the clatter of dice on the table and the earnest singing from the karaoke room. All the sounds together made the night especially lively.

Lost in thought, Lu Qingyue barely noticed where she was going as she headed for the stairs.

She didn’t expect to run into someone at the foot of the stairs.

She immediately looked up to apologize, but her wrist was gently caught and steadied.

"Why are you so absent-minded?"

The tall figure drew near, carrying a familiar scent like a sunlit forest after the rain—fresh and clean.

The person she was searching for suddenly appeared before her, making Lu Qingyue pause in surprise. She opened her mouth, but forgot what she was about to say.

Seeing her mood was low and her steps distracted, Cheng Xingye bent slightly, his gaze lingering on the faintly reddened tip of her nose, then rising to meet her misty eyes.

"What’s wrong? Who’s upset you?"

Under his long lashes, his eyes were as focused and gentle as ever.

The emotions she had held back all evening surged up in that instant, like a rising tide that quickly engulfed the lone rock standing in the sea.

Lu Qingyue bit her lip, her delicate lashes trembling, then muttered in a muffled voice,

"Cheng Xingye, I saw just now."

Cheng Xingye didn’t immediately understand what she meant, but seeing her on the verge of tears, his heart raced with panic.

He lowered his head, looking at her intently, and asked softly, "What did you see?"

Lu Qingyue bit her lip harder, bracing herself as she said,

"When you were talking to Zixuan on the terrace, I was outside the door. But I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose."

Her presence there had been a complete accident. It was her fault for having such sharp hearing—she could make out their conversation even from a distance.

Cheng Xingye understood and gave a low "mm."

His grip on her hand loosened slightly, sliding down to her palm, gently testing as he interlaced his fingers with hers.

"Do you want to ask me something?"

He had nothing to hide and didn’t fear her questions. What worried him was her not asking, and then distancing herself on her own.

Fortunately, Lu Qingyue was direct. She fixed her gaze on his dark eyes and asked bluntly,

"Is Zixuan really the one you’ve never forgotten?"

Everyone said as much. So... was it true?

Cheng Xingye tightened his hold on her, his fingertips brushing softly against her palm.

For some reason, being asked so plainly calmed him.

He looked her in the eye and answered firmly,

"No. We’re not like that, and I’ve never thought of her that way."

Even though she once saved his life, Ye Zixuan had never been the one he secretly cherished.

Lu Qingyue didn’t truly doubt him, but with Lu Yi speaking so confidently, it couldn’t have been completely baseless, could it?

She pursed her lips, unable to resist asking again,

"Then why does everyone say she’s the one you can’t forget?"

This time, Cheng Xingye didn’t even need to think; he knew this must have come from Lu Yi.

He and his friends had let the rumor spread for years, and Cheng Xingye rarely bothered to explain himself. But facing the girl’s bright, clear gaze, he found uncommon patience and explained softly,

"She saved me once when I was little. That’s why your brother keeps saying that. But..."

But...?

The sudden turn caught Lu Qingyue off guard and made her wary.

"But what?"

Cheng Xingye fell silent for a few seconds, as if finding it unbelievable himself, before finally saying somewhat dazedly,

"...I think I may have mistaken her for someone else."

After talking with Ye Zixuan, he’d felt unsettled the entire evening. He really couldn’t understand how he had gotten it wrong back then.

He clearly remembered that it was Ye Zixuan who had been brought into the hospital with him, and the small pendant he found was engraved with a "Y."

Y—for Ye, wasn’t it?

Cheng Xingye couldn’t figure out where he’d gone wrong, but the memory was too distant now to recall the details of that day.

All he remembered was a well-behaved little girl who seemed to have squatted by his side, crying in sorrow while waiting with him for the ambulance...

Hearing this, it was Lu Qingyue’s turn to be surprised.

Could he have mistaken the person he cherished all along?

No, wait—not the one he cherished.

So... they were just ordinary friends?

Since Cheng Xingye had said as much, Lu Qingyue felt there was little point in probing further.

So she fell silent, quietly standing there, her mind wandering as she tried to untangle his relationship with Ye Zixuan.

Cheng Xingye looked down at her, and seeing her slightly dazed expression, couldn’t help but reach out and gently pat her head.

"Are you still upset?"

Lu Qingyue couldn’t really say she was upset.

In truth, she always wanted to believe him. As long as he admitted it himself, she would believe.

She believed he truly didn’t like Ye Zixuan, and that his heart held only her.

Looking into his eyes, she always felt a sense of steadiness and reassurance. So she shook her head and whispered, "No, not anymore."

Cheng Xingye studied her for a few moments, confirming her calm demeanor before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

He reached out, cupping the back of her head, and gently drew her into his arms.

His lean, strong arms rested loosely around her waist as he bent his back, lowering his head to whisper softly by her ear,

"If you’re ever upset in the future, tell me. I don’t want anyone else to have to comfort you."