Chapter 159: What a Little Crybaby

Lu Jiachen glanced into the room again. Seeing Cheng Xingye sitting by the bed, intently focused on the photographs on the wall and oblivious to their conversation, he reached out and pulled Lu Qingyue out.

Leaning against the hallway door, Lu Jiachen gently closed the door to Lu Qingyue’s room. Only then did he lean his back against the wall and speak with deep, earnest concern.

"Dian Dian, we didn’t want to interfere too much with the boyfriend you chose for yourself."

This statement immediately made Lu Qingyue wary. "Are you saying this to pave the way for interference later?"

Lu Jiachen choked, surprised that her quick little mind had turned so fast; it left him momentarily at a loss for words. He gave her a speechless look and asked, "Can you just listen properly?"

Seeing he was serious, Lu Qingyue immediately stood up straight and obediently said, "Go ahead."

Lu Jiachen glanced at her. She was his daughter, after all; no matter how mischievous she was, he couldn't bear to be harsh with her. He cleared his throat and his expression grew more solemn.

"I didn't know much before. I assumed it was just a typical wealthy family, which is why I didn't get involved in your dating life."

He hadn't previously felt that a couple needed to be perfectly matched in social status, but now that it concerned his own daughter, he found himself wishing that their family backgrounds were at least evenly matched—or, at the very least, that the other side was slightly less affluent than their own. In this world, whoever has the money holds the power, and family life is no exception. At his age, Lu Jiachen naturally viewed things with more foresight and hoped to plan for her future with greater depth.

He looked at the half-open door, pulled his gaze back, and said in a low, slow voice, "A family like his isn't necessarily right for you. You're still young; you haven't seen the schemes and underhanded tactics of that world. I can't guarantee he won't treat you that way in the future."

Lu Qingyue understood. No one could guarantee the future. She bit her lip, feeling a bit uneasy, and said as calmly as she could, "But I believe he will be good to me."

In truth, with Cheng Xingye’s qualifications, it would be easy for him to find someone better than her. Yet, he had silently waited for her for two years, which proved he was far from a callous or ungrateful person.

The hallway was quiet, save for the low voices of father and daughter. Lu Jiachen stared at her for a long time. Seeing her firm attitude, he seemed not to know what else to say. After a while, he let out a deep sigh.

"If you are determined to continue with him, then you must remember this: you were once a little princess held high above your father’s head. No one is allowed to make you suffer any grievances."

Lu Qingyue had expected Lu Jiachen to try to force a breakup, so she was surprised when he finally conceded. Her eyes grew hot, and a surge of emotion rose within her, leaving her with the urge to cry.

"Dad—" she finally couldn't hold it back, throwing herself into Lu Jiachen’s arms and hugging him tightly.

Lu Jiachen held his daughter, who seemed as if she would never grow up, and patted her head. "Crying over this? If your boyfriend finds out later, he’ll tease you for being a little crybaby."

Let him tease; it wouldn't cost her anything! The "little crybaby" didn't care and rubbed her face hard against his chest. With her face buried in her father’s embrace, she didn't notice that in the bedroom just a door away, Cheng Xingye was standing before the wall of photos, his eyes slightly lowered.

...

After finishing the talk with Lu Jiachen, Lu Qingyue returned to the bedroom with a still-red nose, looking as if she had just had a good cry. Cheng Xingye pulled out a tissue and handed it to her, playing the part of the oblivious observer as he asked with amusement, "What happened now?"

Lu Qingyue stood straight before him. While letting him wipe her nose, she muttered unhappily, "Cheng Xingye, I suddenly don't want to get married. If I really marry you in the future, my dad is going to be so heartbroken..."

Cheng Xingye: "...?"

He had actually overheard most of the vague conversation between father and daughter from inside the room. As a father, it seemed hard for any man to accept that his "little cotton-padded jacket" had suddenly grown up and was going to date a man whose roots and history were unknown. Cheng Xingye didn't have a daughter of his own, but looking at Lu Qingyue’s small, reddened nose, he suddenly felt he could empathize with Lu Jiachen’s feelings. If it were his own daughter, he probably wouldn't want to let go either.

He bit his lip, reached out to touch her face, and asked with rare patience, "If you married someone else, wouldn't he be heartbroken then?"

Lu Qingyue was stunned. "That's not it. He just can't bear to let me go. It wouldn't matter who I married."

Cheng Xingye glanced at her. "There you go, then."

He tossed the tissue into the trash can as if it were nothing and pulled the dazed girl into his arms. "He might not care for other things my family has, but at least I can guarantee one thing."

He brushed the stray hairs from her forehead and tucked them behind her ears. Then, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his gaze fixed on her face as he spoke in a low, slow voice:

"His treasure is with me, and she will absolutely never suffer any grievances."

...

From childhood, Lu Qingyue had always been the little pet of the family. As the youngest and the only girl, she had always been the one favored throughout her upbringing. This unconditional love occasionally made her wonder if, outside of family, there could ever be a bond that transcended blood and asked for nothing in return.

Yet, with Cheng Xingye, she could feel that what he gave her was a silent but firm love—a harbor that would always be there for her to dock in whenever she turned back. His promise that she would never suffer grievances hit home, right in the center of her heart.

Lu Qingyue stared at him, dazed, and as she watched, a thin veil of mist gradually gathered in the corners of her eyes. Her throat tightened, and her nose turned red again. Emotions surged in her heart, but she didn't know how to express them.

Cheng Xingye, seeing her red eyes and red nose—a confused yet adorable sight—felt his own heart soften. He couldn't resist reaching out to flick the tip of her nose, teasing and coaxing her in the same breath, "Your dad was right, you really are a little crybaby."

Lu Qingyue denied it. She rarely cried, but since being with him, she found herself prone to deep emotion; even a casual remark from him could move her to tears. She turned her head away, sniffing, not wanting him to see her looking like a mess.

But Cheng Xingye gripped her chin and turned her back to face him. Before she could react, he lifted her chin and silenced her lips with his own.

Their breathing instantly intertwined, hot and heavy, their skin grazing against each other without restraint. Cheng Xingye tentatively slid his fingertips under her back, brushing against her waist through her thin undershirt.

Just then, his phone rang at an inopportune moment. In such an intimate, tangled moment, every second felt like an arrow on the string. Cheng Xingye, naturally unwilling to stop, ignored the incessant ringing of the phone, leaned down to kiss the corner of her lips, and nibbled lightly on her lower lip.

However, the phone kept ringing, vibrating against his thigh, persistent as if it would continue forever if he didn't answer. A shallow irritation rose in Cheng Xingye’s heart. Unable to endure it any longer, he stopped, looked at her flushed lips for a few seconds, then turned away to fish the phone from his pocket.

The caller ID displayed: [Guo Mengyun].