Chapter 50: Even My Sister?

Lu Qingyue returned home just before eleven o’clock. After bidding farewell to Cheng Xingye, she turned and climbed the steps, unlocking the door with her fingerprint.

Her grandparents and her uncle’s family had already gone back to their own homes. Lu Jiachen and Xi Yu were in their rooms as well. The spacious living room was left with only Lu Yi, who was lounging on the sofa, fiddling with his phone.

When he heard the door open, he looked up, then glanced at the wall clock. Seeing that she had indeed returned within the hour, his expression relaxed a bit as he asked indifferently, “You’re back?”

Lu Qingyue responded with a soft “Mm.” Afraid that lingering would only invite unnecessary questions and that Lu Yi might notice something amiss, she quickly seized the initiative before he could continue, saying, “I’m going to rest now. Goodnight, brother!”

With that, she turned and hurried upstairs, not giving Lu Yi a chance to call her back.

Lu Yi had intended to ask who she’d been out with, but seeing her evasive behavior, the words caught in his throat. He sensed something odd about her tonight, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

After pondering for a while without any leads, he was about to let it go when he noticed that Lu Ming had just posted something new on his social feed.

[Lu Ming]: Hoping that in the new year, I can gain without effort, receive rewards without achievements, enjoy blessings without labor, and ascend in one step!

Attached was a photo of the fireworks show at a theme park.

Lu Yi had been to that theme park before; he knew there was a fireworks show every New Year’s Eve, drawing crowds of young people eager to join the festivities.

He gave the post a like, and was about to scroll further when his finger froze.

...

“Bro, you’ve been staring at my social feed all morning. Is there a problem?”

Lu Ming had been called over by Lu Yi that morning, thinking they’d play some games. But as soon as he arrived, his phone was confiscated, and Lu Yi just sat there scrutinizing his social feed for ages, as if studying some great mystery.

Lu Yi scrolled through his posts, finding only that one photo from the fireworks on New Year’s Eve, and asked irritably, “Cut the nonsense. Did you take any other photos last night? Show me.”

Lu Ming leaned over, saw that he was searching for photos from the fireworks outing with his classmates, and admitted honestly, “They’re all in the album, check for yourself.”

Lu Yi opened the photo album, finding a dozen or so pictures taken at the park’s plaza. Because they were night shots, the quality was poor, and the background was a blur of indistinct faces.

He enlarged each photo, carefully scanning the crowd in the background.

Persistence paid off at last. He found one with a faint glimpse of Lu Qingyue’s profile. Unfortunately, due to the angle, the person beside her was mostly obscured—only a tall silhouette could be made out.

Lu Yi narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the figure. It really did resemble that mutt Cheng Xingye. But without a clear shot, he couldn’t be sure.

After a moment’s thought, Lu Yi decided, better safe than sorry. He’d call the person in question to confirm.

And so, on the morning of the first day of the new year, Cheng Xingye was still half-asleep under his covers when his phone rang. He pressed it to his ear, only to hear Lu Yi’s familiar, forcedly polite and icy tone: “Sorry to bother you. I wanted to ask—what are your thoughts on cases of molestation of minors?”

Cheng Xingye: “???”

Cheng Xingye: “....”

...

“So you really went to watch the fireworks with Cheng Xingye last night?”

Lu Yi hadn’t expected to stumble upon such a bombshell in Lu Ming’s social feed, and was visibly unsettled by the discovery. He sat in Lu Qingyue’s room, fixing her with a cold stare.

“What were you thinking? Going to a fireworks show with a man so much older than you?”

She usually seemed sharp enough—how could she be so clueless about this sort of thing?

Lu Qingyue looked at him, neither denying nor understanding, “What’s the problem? Does going to the fireworks with him hurt your pride?”

It was just a fireworks show—what was the big deal?

Lu Yi frowned. “What does my pride have to do with it?”

Lu Qingyue analyzed earnestly, “Cheng Xingye is your age, but I’d rather go with him than with you. So that hurts your pride, right?”

Lu Yi: “…?”

“If you don’t want to go with me, I should thank you!” As if everyone was eager to babysit a kid like her.

He snorted, unable to resist sending a barrage of insults and mockery Cheng Xingye’s way. “But is Cheng Xingye a pervert? Even hitting on my little sister? No matter how desperate, his taste can’t have sunk that low, can it?”

Lu Qingyue: “???” Who exactly was he insulting here!

Insulting her crush was one thing, but she wouldn’t stand for being insulted herself!

She immediately shot back, “What do you know? Smart girls are forever the best!”

Lu Yi let out another cold laugh, flicking her forehead hard as his tone grew stern. “I’m warning you—keep your distance from Cheng Xingye. If he ever tries to ask you out privately again, you’re not allowed to go, understand?”

Lu Qingyue rolled her eyes. “Petty.”

Lu Yi scoffed, leaning back in his chair with arms crossed. “Petty? Is that the issue here? Tell me, are you an adult yet?”

Lu Qingyue knew he’d bring up her age, but she was prepared, shifting the conversation immediately. “I’ll be one soon enough—does it matter if it’s this year or next?”

Lu Yi was used to her quick tongue and didn’t bother arguing. “I’m just reminding you—at your age, you should do age-appropriate things. Do you know how many scandals get uncovered during pre-exam medical checks every year?”

Lu Qingyue’s thinking was clear, refusing to be drawn into his argument. “Then I just won’t go that far with him, problem solved.”

No sooner had she spoken than she earned another flick to the forehead.

Lu Yi clicked his tongue, ruthlessly shattering her illusions. “And you think that’s up to you? You think you can outplay him? If Cheng Xingye wanted to have his way with you, he could crush you with one finger.”

Lu Qingyue’s interest was piqued, though she didn’t quite believe him. “Really? How would he do that?”

Lu Yi choked, incredulous. “…Are you making a dirty joke?”

“Huh? I’m not—”

Lu Qingyue felt wronged—she’d only been following up on his words, how had this turned into something indecent?

Lu Yi: “…..”

Alright, maybe he was the one imagining things.

He coughed awkwardly, afraid she’d pursue the topic further and take it somewhere even less appropriate, so he hastily ended the lecture.