Chapter 67: Do You Want Him to Play You to Death?

Lu Qingyue returned home at nearly eight o’clock. She had thought that Lu Yi would be staying at school tonight and not coming back, but when she pushed open the door, she saw the person who rarely came home sprawled on the sofa, idly spinning his phone in his hand.

He looked as though he was waiting for someone.

Having just finished dinner with his good friend, Lu Qingyue felt a sudden unease. She suppressed her guilty conscience and, while taking off her shoes at the entrance, tentatively called out,

“Brother?”

Lu Yi lazily lifted his eyelids, gave a noncommittal grunt, and, with an expression that betrayed neither joy nor anger, asked,

“Where have you been?”

He appeared calm, but there was an interrogative intensity in his gaze.

Years of going toe-to-toe with her elder brother had made Lu Qingyue acutely sensitive to danger. She decided to skirt around the issue, replying vaguely,

“I went out for dinner after school.”

Lu Yi was unmoved, his gaze almost tangible as it bore into her, as if he meant to see through her secrets. He pressed further, his tone brief,

“With whom?”

Lu Qingyue paused.

She met his gaze, saw the cold severity in his eyes, and her heart tightened sharply. In that instant, she realized Lu Yi must already know everything.

Lu Qingyue pursed her lips, straightened her slender back, and spoke honestly,

“Cheng Xingye.”

The words had barely left her lips when Lu Yi abruptly stood up.

He was tall, and his sudden movement carried a powerful sense of oppression.

A sarcastic smile tugged at his indifferent face.

“Lu Diandian, the things I’ve told you before—are you deaf, or do you just not understand?”

Perhaps he was so furious that he resorted to mocking laughter; his voice was icy, laced with ridicule, and it was evident he was restraining his anger.

Lu Qingyue looked up at her brother, who was more than a head taller than her, her heart tightening again. Yet she quickly regained her composure, refusing to back down.

“Isn’t Cheng Xingye your friend? Why are you so opposed to him?”

Lu Yi let out a cold laugh.

“Let me correct you—since the moment he started flirting with my sister, he ceased to be my friend.”

“He didn’t flirt with me,” Lu Qingyue retorted immediately.

She was the one who liked him first, the one who sought him out. Why should Cheng Xingye have to bear the blame?

Just because he was six years older than her?!

But whenever they were together, he always protected her. If it hadn’t been for her tantrums, they might have never even held hands or hugged.

Lu Qingyue felt a surge of absurdity and grievance on his behalf, her brow furrowing tightly, her lips pressed into a tense line.

Seeing her stubborn, defiant expression, Lu Yi’s temper slowly began to rise.

He strode over, stopped right in front of her, looked down at her for several seconds, and with a stern face said,

“How old is he? How old are you? Do you want him to ruin you?”

The words were ambiguous. On any other day, Lu Qingyue might have taken them the wrong way. But now, with tension crackling in the air, she had no patience for jokes.

She lowered her head, trying to defend him.

“Cheng Xingye isn’t that kind of person.”

Lu Yi’s expression was blank, but his lips curled in mockery.

“That’s because you don’t know he has a woman he can never have—his ‘moonlight.’”

At the mention of “moonlight,” Lu Qingyue was startled and instinctively lifted her gaze.

She truly didn’t know about this.

Cheng Xingye had never mentioned it. He’d told her he’d never been in a relationship, but he’d never said anything about having a woman in his heart whom he couldn’t obtain.

Seeing her stunned, Lu Yi suddenly felt a pang of pity.

She was his own sister, after all. No matter how harsh or sarcastic he was, he genuinely wanted the best for her. How could he bear to let her get hurt in love?

He was silent for a few seconds, calmed himself, then said,

“I’m guessing he never told you about this, because he doesn’t dare.”

Lu Qingyue came back to herself, pressed her lips together, and stubbornly refused to believe,

“You’re making things up again, aren’t you? You used to say he was a player!”

When she’d first met Cheng Xingye, Lu Yi and his friends often joked that he was a playboy, someone who toyed with innocent girls like her.

But after all this time, Lu Qingyue had never seen him initiate conversation with any other girl, and he actively avoided those who liked him.

So she wasn’t about to believe her brother’s nonsense.

Lu Yi frowned, knowing that reasoning with someone love-struck was futile. He stopped wasting words and simply said,

“If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself. See if he dares to tell you.”

...

After dropping her off at home, Cheng Xingye drove back to his apartment building.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered, the lights were on and Cheng Li and Guo Mengyun were waiting for him in the living room. It was clear they’d been there for a while.

The family owned a spacious flat in Jiangcheng, but with the stream of business guests, Cheng Xingye preferred the solitude of his own apartment. His parents had the door code, but rarely visited unless there was something important.

He changed his shoes at the entrance, called out to his parents, then took a cup to the kitchen to pour some water.

When he returned to the living room with his cup, Guo Mengyun softly asked,

“Where have you been?”

Cheng Xingye drank his water unhurriedly, set the cup on the coffee table, and replied calmly,

“Went out to eat.”

Guo Mengyun motioned for him to sit, then got to the point.

“Keep tomorrow evening free. We’re having dinner with Uncle Ye and his family.”

Leaning back on the sofa, Cheng Xingye raised an eyebrow.

“A matchmaking dinner?”

Guo Mengyun and Cheng Li exchanged glances. Cheng Li cleared his throat, dissatisfied.

“Matchmaking? You and Ye Zixuan have known each other since childhood. Isn’t it normal to discuss marriage now that you’re grown?”

Cheng Xingye scoffed, unconcerned.

“Come on, you’ve been pushing this for so long and still haven’t given up?”

Not only did he and Ye Zixuan lack any spark, she already had a boyfriend she’d been seeing for years. The two broke up and got back together repeatedly, and who knew their current status.

Guo Mengyun sighed and changed her tone.

“If it were anyone else, I’d let you be. But it’s Ye Zixuan. She saved your life, and her parents want to unite our families. How can we refuse?”

To be honest, Guo Mengyun wasn’t sure what her son really thought. If he liked Ye Zixuan, it would be easy to go along with it. But if not, she didn’t want to force him to marry someone he didn’t love.

Yet the Ye family was different—business partners and, more importantly, bonded by a life-saving favor.

Her words left Cheng Xingye thoughtful.

He disliked owing anyone. Guo Mengyun was right—a debt of life could never be fully repaid.

Luckily, Ye Zixuan had no interest in him. Otherwise, things might get complicated.

Cheng Xingye lowered his head and pondered. He suspected the Ye family’s sudden proposal of marriage had some hidden motive.

He should contact Ye Zixuan and find out what her parents were thinking.

He nodded, conceding,

“Alright, I’ll go tomorrow.”