Chapter 90: Little Dot, Let Us Talk

The summer night’s wind was hot and restless. His fingertips, too, were burning. The instant their skin touched, warmth passed between them, wrapping around her silently, like creeping vines.

Lu Qingyue’s earlobes were especially sensitive; the lightest brush sent a wave of prickling itch across her skin. She couldn’t help but shrink her neck, mumbling in mild protest, “You want to control even this? I didn’t say a word when you smoked!”

Cheng Xingye paused, his hand still, and looked down at her. The girl’s eyes were bright, but the corners of her mouth drooped, unhappiness written all over her face. She looked like a child being scolded by a parent, aggrieved and timid, unable to defy him.

Cheng Xingye thought she was so adorably out of bounds in moments like this.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly; he murmured in self-defense, “This time, I really quit.”

Lu Qingyue was skeptical, huffing a little, “I don’t believe you.”

Cheng Xingye couldn’t help but laugh, unsure how to explain further. He could only let her check for herself, “If you don’t believe me, smell for yourself.”

Lu Qingyue, inexplicably compelled, leaned in as he suggested, rising on tiptoe to sniff his collar. Suddenly, someone hooked her neck, pulling her closer; Cheng Xingye instinctively bent, freeing a hand to support her waist, letting her inspect him as she pleased.

Both acted without thinking, not realizing anything was amiss. Until their warm breaths nearly collided, and they both froze.

Lu Qingyue looked up, unexpectedly meeting his deep, shadowy gaze.

His eyes were black and bright, quieter than usual, as if hidden emotions flickered within. Lu Qingyue felt scorched by his gaze, quickly withdrawing her hand and stepping back, awkward and flustered.

Under the banyan tree, the air seemed thick with restless longing. Lu Qingyue’s heart thudded like a drum, wild and relentless. Her ears burned, as if someone had struck a match, making her mind hazy and confused.

She blamed the drink she’d just had. If not for the courage liquor gave her, how could she so recklessly press herself against him, sniffing his clothes?

Cheng Xingye watched her reddened ears, his mind blank for a moment.

In the subtle, strange silence, he gently took her wrist, pulling her closer, his dark eyes fixed on hers. His voice was low and slightly hoarse, “Diandian, can we talk?”

...

The sky was densely studded with stars; distant waves washed the shore, and streetlights slipped past the car windows as they drove.

Cheng Xingye parked by the seaside, leaning against the railing. They got out, standing shoulder to shoulder on the overpass, watching the surging waves, their eyes reflecting the streetlights’ glow.

“So you’re saying you and Sister Zixuan knew nothing about the arranged marriage?” Lu Qingyue asked, perplexed after hearing the story.

Cheng Xingye replied, pulling her closer to shield her from the sea breeze.

Lu Qingyue seemed to understand, blinking as she pondered. Suddenly, she asked, “And what about the thing you gave her before?”

She recalled seeing it at Ye Zixuan’s birthday party—something Cheng Xingye had kept for over ten years, only returning it to her then.

Cheng Xingye knew what she meant, explaining quietly, “It wasn’t hers. I mistook her for someone else.”

Lu Qingyue’s thoughts were clear. After a moment, she asked, “If it wasn’t hers, then who saved you?”

The question stumped Cheng Xingye. He had no idea whose pendant it belonged to, only that it surely belonged to the girl who had saved him.

But the doctor’s testimony and the name he’d seen on the hospital bed were both unequivocally Ye Zixuan. This was the source of his confusion.

He murmured after a pause, “I don’t know.”

Those three words weighed heavily on Lu Qingyue’s heart.

She was too clear-headed. No matter how much she liked him, she could always calmly consider things, making sure not to lose control.

She knew things had gone smoothly only because Ye Zixuan stepped aside. Yet the fact that he had kept someone’s belonging for so long meant he was a person who remembered his debts; who’s to say another Ye family might not come looking for him someday?

If that day came, how would she handle it? Would she have to break things off again?

She knew it was unfair to Cheng Xingye, but she couldn’t convince herself to ignore this vague, perhaps nonexistent thorn and simply let her feelings guide her into a relationship with him.

Cheng Xingye understood what she was thinking. After a moment’s silence, he tentatively took her hand.

His warm fingertips brushed her palm’s softness; he held her lightly, afraid she would run, then carefully and earnestly said, “Diandian, I promise this will never happen again.”

He hadn’t appeared before her for over half a year—not because he wanted to let go, but because he needed time to resolve things.

Cheng Xingye knew that unless the past was thoroughly settled, it would remain a ticking time bomb between them, counting down each moment, no one knowing when it might explode.

So after the Ye family withdrew, he and Cheng Li privately reached an agreement.

If his family wanted him to return after graduation and inherit the business, they could never again use the debt of gratitude from his rescue to bind him.

Cheng Li finally agreed, so Cheng Xingye could confidently promise her that nothing like this would happen again.

But Lu Qingyue looked up at him, her clear eyes so pure they nearly reflected his image.

Meeting her gaze, Cheng Xingye unconsciously slowed his breathing.

The warmth in his palm flowed gently, making him want to fall into the tenderness he had prepared for her.

Lu Qingyue pressed her lips together, turning to look at the distant waves.

The alcohol in her mind hadn’t faded; her thoughts were blurred and sluggish.

But she knew what she wanted.

After a moment of silence, she turned back, meeting his deep, shining gaze. Calm and clear, she said, “Let me think it over, all right?”

...

Before the exam results were released, the class president suggested a graduation trip. After four or five days of wandering the mountains and rivers of the southwest, they returned to Jiangcheng.

On the bus home, Zhou Tingting sat with her, leaning in to whisper gossip, “Are you together with Senior Officer?”

Lu Qingyue lazily leaned against the seat, sighing, “Not yet.”

Though she wanted to reconcile with Cheng Xingye, the thought of a possible future ‘white moonlight’ rival made her feel suffocated and powerless.

Zhou Tingting raised her brows in surprise, “Not together but already kissing? You young people play fast and loose!”

Lu Qingyue turned, baffled, “Who kissed?”

Thinking she was just shy, Zhou Tingting clicked her tongue, “You two kissed outside the barbecue place, we all saw it!”

That day...?

Lu Qingyue thought back, then remembered. She had indeed pressed close to Cheng Xingye, but she was checking him for the smell of smoke, not kissing!

She was so strict about herself—how could she kiss someone before confirming their relationship?

Lu Qingyue rolled her eyes in exasperation, “If you’re not using your eyes, kindly donate them to someone who needs them.”

Zhou Tingting blinked in confusion, “Did I see wrong?”

While doubting her own eyesight, she heard Lu Qingyue softly ask, “Let me ask you something—would you mind if your future boyfriend had a ‘white moonlight’ in his heart?”

“‘White moonlight’?” The kind of girl a man never forgets—of course it would be impossible not to mind.

Zhou Tingting seemed to understand. Imagining herself in the scenario, she thought seriously, sighing gloomily, “If she’s dead, I’d let it go. If she’s alive, it’s definitely irritating.”

Lu Qingyue: “...”

She stared blankly, considering Zhou Tingting’s words, and realized it was true.

But even so, she couldn’t curse someone to die, could she?