Chapter 137: Why Doesn’t the Cow at Home Plow the Fields?

He was silent for a few seconds, speechless, unsure whether to feel angry or amused. After a moment, he grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around, knuckling her forehead with some force.

“Lu Diandian, don’t be ridiculous.”

The absurd Lu Diandian blinked proudly at him and said, “How about that answer? At least if Mom had to choose between me and my brother, she’d probably pick me, right?”

Cheng Xingye gave her a deeply reserved look and sighed helplessly. “...She doesn’t have to make that choice.”

He released his grip on her arm and lowered his hand to hold hers.

Lu Qingyue’s hand was small, easily enveloped in his palm.

It was as if he was afraid of losing her; his hand gripped hers tightly. They walked slowly along the beach for a while before he suddenly said, “Lu Diandian, I can give you more in the future.”

Lu Qingyue was looking down at the sand and paused, then looked up at him.

His expression was cold and serious, not at all joking.

She didn’t understand why he suddenly became so earnest and responded uncertainly with an “Oh,” a little confused.

After a moment, unable to resist her curiosity, she quietly asked, “How much can you give me?”

Although she wasn’t short of money, she was curious about the vast difference between Cheng Xingye’s family, which owned a publicly listed company, and her own.

Cheng Xingye paused, feeling amused. This little girl was truly money-minded—a little financial opportunist!

He pursed his lips lightly and didn’t give a specific figure, simply replying calmly, “Depends on how much you want.”

Eight or nine figures—he had that much. He didn’t know the exact number since the whole group was still controlled by his father.

Lu Qingyue blinked in confusion but detected a serious tone in his voice.

“Are you serious?”

Actually, she had little concept of money. Lu Jiachen never let her lack food or clothes, and she was the only daughter.

When she was about seven or eight, her uncle Lu Jiaqi told her that her father had made plenty of money investing when he was young, and it would all be left to his little daughter.

Lu Qingyue strained to understand what kind of scale Cheng Xingye’s family fortune was counted in.

Before she could figure it out, Cheng Xingye bent down slightly, looked her in the eyes with calm focus, no hint of insincerity, and gently coaxed her,

“So baby, don’t be scared off by a little money from others. Whatever I have, it will all be yours in the future.”

...

The ocean-view studio suite was filled with the gentle evening breeze carrying a hint of moisture.

Lu Qingyue tucked a small blanket around herself, snuggled into the soft sofa, watching a movie.

Actually, she understood everything Cheng Xingye said to her that afternoon.

But hearing it so plainly spoken made her feel a trace of the unwavering and impossible-to-let-go affection he held for her.

He was probably really afraid of losing her, she thought vaguely.

From the bathroom just a wall away in the living room came the sound of running water—Cheng Xingye was showering.

After a while, the water stopped. The man, wearing a loose bathrobe, stepped out, his wet hair dripping onto his shoulders.

He casually grabbed a towel, wiped himself off, tossed it aside, and naturally sat beside her, pulling her close.

His bathrobe parted slightly as he sat, a fresh, clean scent wafting over.

Lu Qingyue immediately lost interest in the movie.

Like a little hamster, she moved closer, sniffing here and there as if marking her territory, then comfortably nestled into his embrace.

Cheng Xingye kept his legs slightly apart, letting her sit on his lap, one arm around her waist, the other scrolling through emails on his phone.

They were both used to this way of being together.

Cheng Xingye’s studies were demanding, and he had to manage the family business as well. Even finding time to accompany her on a trip was a rare luxury.

Yet the little mischief in his arms was still unsatisfied, rubbing against him, then deliberately kissing his neck.

At first, Cheng Xingye let her be, but he soon realized she was doing it on purpose.

He sighed softly, turned off his phone, and pinched her nose.

“If you want to say something, just say it straight—don’t try to lure me like this.”

Lu Qingyue was a bit displeased, softly whining, “My mom always told me, when it’s time to work, work; when it’s time to play, play. So when we’re out having fun, why do you have to work?”

Cheng Xingye was about to tell her that work and study were different.

Study was planned, but work always had emergencies to handle.

But then he thought, she was only eighteen, hadn’t even graduated from university yet. Facing the realities of work now would be too harsh. So he pressed his lips and compromised.

“Alright, no work then. What do you want me to do with you?”

Seeing he was fully focused on her, Lu Qingyue smiled slyly.

“Do what adults do!”

A beautiful evening, just the two of them alone. If nothing happened, it would be such a waste of a 6,000-yuan room for the night!

Lu Qingyue was scheming, even wearing matching lingerie.

Secretly, she hoped that when Cheng Xingye undressed her, he’d realize he was actually the one being seduced.

Leaning lazily against the sofa, Cheng Xingye chuckled softly.

He knew exactly what she wanted but didn’t make a move, just waited for her to climb onto his lap and lean down to kiss the corner of his lips.

“Modesty” was not a word in Lu Qingyue’s vocabulary.

If she disliked something, she said so directly; if she liked something, she made it clear.

Mimicking Cheng Xingye’s earlier manner, she cupped his face with her small hands, gently touched her nose to his, then shifted slightly to kiss his lips.

His chin had the fresh scrape of stubble, and the kiss felt a little prickly.

Lu Qingyue’s heart twitched with longing to be even closer.

While he wasn’t paying attention, she stealthily untied the belt of his bathrobe.

She thought she was being sneaky, unaware she was caught.

Cheng Xingye’s arm hung lazily by his side, the other wrapped around her slender waist to keep her from falling.

But beyond that physical contact, he made no further moves.

After kissing for a long while with no response, she felt a bit deflated.

She sat up with a pout, poked his slightly open chest through the bathrobe, and boldly tested, “Are your things really all mine from now on?”

Cheng Xingye gave a faint “hmm,” as if waiting to see what mischief she was plotting.

Lu Qingyue kept poking him, softly coaxing, “Since what’s yours is mine, don’t you want to take something from me?”

The implication was clear, and Cheng Xingye understood well.

How could he not want to?

He was a normal man, constantly with a precious little girl, naturally having desires.

But despite wanting to, he couldn’t bring himself to make a move.

She was young, fearless, wanting to experience everything. He was much older and had to consider what might come after.

Cheng Xingye pursed his lips, his Adam’s apple moving subtly. His voice was low and hoarse as he said,

“No.”

Lu Qingyue was instantly stunned.

At twenty-four, she thought he would surely have some notions about romance.

Instead, after her teasing, he didn’t want anything at all?!

Feeling as if she had been teasing a stone, she persisted, wriggling energetically on his lap.

“...Xingye-gege—”

Cheng Xingye remained unmoved, holding her waist firmly and said coldly,

“Calling me ‘gege’ won’t work.”

He leaned back lazily and said with a somewhat ascetic tone,

“You’re barely grown. Why are you always thinking about this stuff?”

Lu Qingyue thought: You’re just being prudish!

Blocked and speechless, frustrated beyond words but powerless against him, she climbed off and turned to her room.

Still angry, she took out her phone, opened a certain Q&A app, and after some thought, typed a veiled question—

“Why doesn’t the ox at home plow the field?”