Chapter 111 There Are Plenty of Men

Page (1/3)

The congee shop wasn't too crowded—only about three or four tables were occupied in the small storefront.

His broad, firm shoulders blocked most of her view as he brushed a light kiss against her lips before pulling away just as quickly.

The gesture was perfectly natural, yet in the current setting, it felt as thrilling as sneaking around in plain sight.

Lu Qingyue's ears burned again, creeping with heat, but the man, all proper and composed, simply turned back to the menu after his perfunctory words.

Cheng Xingye had apparently been to this place before—he quickly ordered a seafood congee and a cold vegetable dish.

Closing the menu, he turned sideways, ready to take her hand and toy with it.

But before he could grasp it, that little hand placed itself deliberately on his knee.

Its owner, while casually taking advantage of him, said with the utmost seriousness,

"Cheng Xingye, I've realized you're actually pretty low-key about your charm. Do you know how many little fangirls you have in the girls' dormitories?"

If she hadn't also gotten into Jiang University, she'd never have known just how popular he was on campus!

Cheng Xingye, unfazed, caught her sneaky hand, gave a faint hum, and lightly squeezed the soft flesh of her fingertips before asking with an airy calm,

"Jealous already?"

Lu Qingyue didn't want to admit to jealousy, but she did feel a distinct sense of crisis—like someone was coveting what was rightfully in her bowl.

She pressed her lips together and muttered quietly,

"No, it's just that I suddenly feel a lot of pressure."

It wasn't that she doubted Cheng Xingye's loyalty, but if people were always scheming to get close to him, she had no choice but to stay on her guard.

Seeing her little face drawn tight, Cheng Xingye couldn't help but snicker. He caught her hand as she tried to pull away and replied unhurriedly,

"What crisis? I've already been kissed by you. Who could possibly compete for me?"

As he spoke, his Adam's apple bobbed subtly with each word.

There was something about it—a young man's restrained, tantalizing sensuality.

Lu Qingyue stared at his throat for a few seconds, then slipped her hand out of his grasp, casually resting it back on his knee. Her fingers twitched playfully, but on the surface, she stayed perfectly composed.

"I've never liked fighting over anyone. If someone else wants them, I'll just hand them over. Men are everywhere, anyway."

"Men... are... everywhere?"

Cheng Xingye narrowed his eyes dangerously.

He pinned her restless hand down and, as if in retaliation, raised the other to knock lightly—not so gently—on her forehead.

"You're thinking of trading me in already?"

Lu Qingyue immediately clutched her head and let out an exaggerated "ow."

"I was just saying that offhand! Why would you take it seriously?"

But Cheng Xingye had already withdrawn his hand coolly, putting on an air of being impossible to console, turning the back of his head coldly toward her.

Lu Qingyue sighed, realizing she might have taken the joke too far. She had no choice but to swallow her pride and coo softly in surrender,

"Xingye-ge~"

Cheng Xingye let out an indifferent snort, about to say something, when he suddenly moved with lightning speed and clamped down on a hand that was creeping onto his knee again.

"Where do you think you're putting that hand?"

Lu Qingyue, caught red-handed, felt no shame at all. Her clear eyes sparkled with a smile as she looked at him.

"I don't know either. The hand has a mind of its own."

Page (2/3)

Cheng Xingye laughed in exasperation. "Lu Dian Dian, that's enough!"

Lu Qingyue blinked innocently. "What's wrong?"

She had a naturally babyish face. Though some of her youthful softness had faded, at first glance she still gave off a deceptively sweet and obedient impression.

But Cheng Xingye had known her for two years. The moment she raised her tail, he knew exactly what kind of trouble she was cooking up.

He curled his fingers around her wrist with ease and shot her a warning glance.

"Three times now. Touch me again and I'm calling the cops."

Lu Qingyue, held firmly in his grip, gave up struggling and sweetly tried to negotiate.

"Didn't you say girlfriends get to touch?"

Cheng Xingye lounged back, lazily eyeing her, utterly speechless at her single-minded obsession with playing with his legs.

"Shouldn't we take things step by step? We've only been together for less than a month."

Not even a month, indeed. She'd agreed to be his girlfriend on her birthday, and it had only been a little over half a month since.

Lu Qingyue was silent for a few seconds, then immediately latched onto the loophole.

"So next month it's okay?"

Cheng Xingye: "..."

"Is that all you can think about?"

Lu Qingyue gave a placating smile. "Well, no, not exactly..."

Before she could finish, she caught a glimpse of the shop entrance and froze mid-sentence.

"Brother? What are you doing here?"

Lu Yi had arrived at some point, his long legs and broad shoulders making him impossible to miss.

He seemed to have come with friends, but the moment he spotted Lu Qingyue and Cheng Xingye sitting at the table, he narrowed his eyes and looked over.

The shop was small, with only about five or six tables, and the two nearest the kitchen hadn't been cleared yet. So Lu Yi headed toward them.

Pulling out a chair and sitting down across from them, he swept a meaningful glance over the pair and sneered with cutting sarcasm.

"If I weren't here, your hand would be halfway into his pants by now."

Lu Qingyue: "..."

Cheng Xingye: "..."

Lu Qingyue's face suddenly flared hot.

So he'd seen everything...

But she hadn't! At least she'd been in public!

Indignant, she tried to pull her hand back, but Cheng Xingye had no intention of letting go.

Even with Lu Yi exposing their secret under the table, he remained utterly unruffled, sitting there with a calm, unmoved expression, idly toying with her fingers as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lu Yi watched their unapologetically intimate display and let out a disdainful snort, unable to resist another jab.

"Other people's girlfriends are pure and proper. You're just... pure gone, aren't you?"

Lu Qingyue refused to back down. "Why are you always picking on me? Did you and sister-in-law date for so long without her ever touching your leg?"

Page (3/3)

Lu Yi hadn't expected her to talk back, and he was momentarily stunned.

Before he could scold her for being disrespectful, a soft voice settled beside him.

"Lu Yi, is this your little sister?"

Hearing someone address her, Lu Qingyue looked up in surprise and met the gaze of a pretty young woman.

She was tall and slender, a few years older than Lu Qingyue, with clear, bright eyes. She wore a cream-colored dress and light, refined makeup.

Beautiful women always left a strong impression. Lu Qingyue felt she looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she'd seen her before.

Watching Lu Yi pull out a chair for her with eager attentiveness, Lu Qingyue blinked in confusion and asked hesitantly,

"Is this my sister-in-law?"

Lu Yi gave an "mm," pleased that the kid had some sense.

"Call her sister-in-law."

Lu Qingyue was stunned for a moment.

She'd long heard that Lu Yi had a girlfriend he'd been dating for years, but he'd never brought her home.

Now, suddenly seeing her in person, she gaped for a long beat. It wasn't until Lu Yi kicked her under the table that she snapped out of it and quickly greeted her politely.

"Hello, sister-in-law."

Rong Xin smiled and sat down beside Lu Yi, asking casually,

"What were you all talking about?"

The three of them fell silent at once.

Lu Qingyue guiltily lowered her head, while the two men rubbed their noses and looked up at the ceiling.

We can't exactly say we were discussing whether you've ever touched Lu Yi's leg, can we?

Cheng Xingye struggled to suppress his laughter, while Lu Yi's face went ashen.

He shot Cheng Xingye a withering, exasperated glare. "Can you control your girlfriend?"

Cheng Xingye shrugged. "Do I look like someone who can control her?"

He'd love to, but did he have that kind of authority?

Just then, the waiter arrived with the congee pot, and the topic was mercifully dropped.

As it turned out, Cheng Xingye and Rong Xin were old classmates who'd known each other for years—they'd just drifted apart when Rong Xin went to a different university.

Seeing that Lu Yi and Rong Xin had also come out for a meal, he offered,

"Want to join us?"

Rong Xin accepted gracefully. "Sure."

Cheng Xingye waved over the waiter, ordered two extra sets of tableware, and added a couple more dishes.

While Cheng Xingye was busy ordering, Lu Yi shot Lu Qingyue a fierce glare, silently warning her not to say anything foolish at the table and lead his girlfriend astray.

Lu Qingyue put on an innocent expression and blinked back at him. Before she could speak, Rong Xin patted Lu Yi's arm and asked softly,

"Why are you glaring at your little sister? You're scaring her."

The man flipping through the menu looked up. "You're glaring at my girlfriend?"