Chapter 2
Edward Quan ·
04
Chengyi's face was so red he had to cool down before showing it to anyone.
Twenty minutes later, when I was almost finished eating, he finally came downstairs.
Father chatted idly over dinner. Afraid I might let something slip, Song Wanmei kept serving me food and filling my bowl, all solicitude.
I couldn't help laughing.
Father looked up.
“What is it?”
I curved my lips and glanced at Chengyi, intending to frighten him a little.
“I just remembered something I can't wait to share.
“Come to my study after dinner.”
I smiled meaningfully at mother and son, set down my bowl, and left.
Song Wanmei froze, pale-faced. She glared at Chengyi as if blaming him for being useless.
My study lay beyond several corridors and the back garden.
As expected, he followed silently.
So carefully he didn't even step on my shadow.
Only when I entered did he speak.
“Please don't tell your father.
“You promised yesterday.”
“Oh? Did I?”
I lit a cigarette and slowly blew smoke toward his handsome face.
He coughed several times.
“I did promise not to tell him yesterday.”
I shrugged.
“I never said anything about today.”
His hands trembled at his sides. He clearly hadn't expected me to go back on my word.
Suddenly, I wondered how such a good university student would look smoking.
“Open your mouth.”
I offered him my half-smoked cigarette.
“Otherwise, I'll go straight out and tell Father your mother betrayed him.”
I left it hanging.
He reluctantly obeyed.
As he lowered his head to take it, my fingertip brushed his lips.
I paused.
The thought that flashed through my mind unsettled me.
From that moment, my ideas grew bolder.
I told him to come closer.
He stood helplessly where he was.
Then Father knocked.
“Youyou, I'm here.
“What was so important it had to be in your study?”
I watched Chengyi with a half-teasing smile.
“If you don't come here, I'll let him in and tell him everything.
“Five… four… three…”
Before I finished, he moved.
The knocking grew urgent.
“Youyou? Are you there?
“If you don't answer, I'm coming in.”
Chengyi startled so badly he nearly collided with me. His lashes fluttered.
I only smiled.
“Relax. He won't come in.”
Two minutes later, I called toward the door.
“It's nothing, Dad. I'll tell you another time.”
“You made me come all this way for nothing…”
His footsteps faded.
Silence returned.
Only the two of us remained, facing each other.
05
So unsettled by Chengyi, I joked to my friend that she should book me a male host.
At the bar, several popular men lined up for me to choose.
Good faces. Good bodies.
Too worldly, though.
I clicked my tongue and chose the most innocent-looking one.
He came over at once, pouring drinks and chatting eagerly, calling me darling every other breath.
I wasn't interested.
Even his voice wasn't as pleasant as a certain someone's.
“That's enough for tonight.”
It was late when I returned home.
Instead of feeling better, I was more irritated.
I grumbled that the butler was getting careless. Why was the air-conditioning set so warm?
In the living room, Father and Song Wanmei sat on the sofa.
A fresh slap marked Chengyi's right cheek.
“What happened?”
I frowned, anger rising for no reason.
Song Wanmei forced a smile.
“I don't know where he learned this bad habit. Smoking behind my back.”
Father pointed disapprovingly at the cigarette packet on the coffee table.
I understood immediately.
Her lover had left it behind.
She was making Chengyi take the blame.
I remembered her berating him over an expensive bottle of men's cologne.
Apparently, this wasn't the first time.
Holding back my anger, I picked up the cigarettes.
“They're mine. What's it got to do with him?”
Father stared, then shouted:
“A girl smoking? Stop it at once!”
Ignoring him, I looked straight at Song Wanmei.
“Apologize.”
She pressed her lips together and turned to Father for help.
“Youyou! Why make things difficult for Aunt Mei? She's only worried about her son.”
Still defending her.
“She hit him without asking what happened.
“She has to apologize.”
When I wouldn't yield, Father sighed.
“All right. I'll apologize for her. Will that do?”
I curled my lip and went upstairs, dispirited.
I couldn't sleep.
All I could see was Chengyi's bruised face.
Damn it.
I sat up, asked the butler for ice, and took it to his room.
“Sis…”
Surprise flickered in his eyes when he opened the door.
Without much explanation, I pressed the ice pack to his cheek.
“Hold it there.
“You'll look awful if it swells tomorrow.”
“I've caused you trouble again.
“Thank you.”
He sat obediently while I helped ice his cheek.
Moonlight softened his handsome features.
Those dark eyes really were beautiful.
An idea came to me.
“Put this ice cube in your mouth.”
“It's cold…”
I glared.
“One more word, and about your mother…”
“All right.”
I gave it to him to reduce the swelling.
After a while, I took it out to check, then continued icing the red patch on his cheek.
The swelling went down noticeably.
Back in my room, I kept remembering him. I opened our chat.
Me: You thanked me. How are you going to show it?
Chengyi: Whatever you want… As long as you don't tell your father.
I thought.
He normally only came home on days off.
Not seeing him from Monday to Friday might get rather boring.
So I replied:
Pack your things at school tomorrow. Move home.
06
I went to his university with him.
The moment we stepped out of the car, everyone looked.
A girl in a white dress approached, perfume drifting with her steps.
She stopped before him and spoke awkwardly.
“Lu… could you accept this letter?”
Whispers spread.
From them, I learned she was Pei Jingjing, University B's campus beauty. Famous for her looks, she drew stares and photographs wherever she went.
Even a beauty like her was chasing Chengyi.
Perhaps because I stood beside him, he didn't dare react. His fingers tightened as he cautiously watched my face.
When he didn't take it, she began to withdraw her hand in embarrassment.
I stopped her.
“Thank you. I'll take it for my brother.”
Obviously a love letter.
I glanced at it and put it in my handbag.
Her eyes lit up.
“Thank you!”
At his dormitory, his roommates were still talking excitedly.
They jumped up when they saw us.
“Hello!”
One grinned and leaned toward him.
“Your sister's gorgeous. How about making me your brother-in-law?”
Chengyi paused over his folded clothes.
His face cooled.
“In your dreams.”
The roommate sighed.
“Must be plenty of people after that job. I'd never get a turn.”
He smiled at me.
“Right?”
“Not at all.”
I laughed awkwardly and waved it off.
Chengyi kept packing. I sat at his desk and picked up a book.
On the first page were two letters.
JJ.
As I frowned, a tall, thin student craned over.
“Oh, you're exposed now, Lu Chengyi!”
He turned immediately.
“JJ? Isn't that Jingjing?”
Everyone crowded around.
“Wow! You've liked her for ages!”
“So quiet about it, too. Writing her initials in your books!”
The room erupted in laughter.
Chengyi turned red.
“It's not what you think! Stop making things up!”
“Look how flustered you are. Still saying it's nothing?”
Someone hid the book behind his back.
I retrieved it and smiled at the blushing Chengyi.
“I'll be asking my brother about this when we get home.”
I deliberately drew out the words and gave Jingjing's love letter a little wave.