Chapter 45
“……”
After that outburst, Chi Suinian only belatedly realized how embarrassing it had been.
That was always how it was when he was with Lu Zhiyue—he’d get riled up before he even realized it, even though he usually had a pretty good temper.
The two salesgirls at the counter were still waiting to check them out. Chi Suinian shoved Lu Zhiyue back into the fitting room. “Change out of that before coming out.”
Then he turned to the counter. “Where do I scan to pay?”
The cashier blushed, her eyes shining as she looked at him. “I’ll scan it for you.”
As soon as the payment was completed and Chi Suinian was about to go change out of the clothes, a surprised cry came from the fitting room.
“Sir, I’m so sorry! I accidentally got your clothes wet,” said a cleaning lady in uniform, looking deeply apologetic as she came out holding the clothes he had just changed out of.
Chi Suinian had worn a white hoodie today—one without a hood and made of thin fabric. Now the chest area was soaked in a tea stain, already yellowing. It clearly wasn’t going to come out.
“I’m so sorry, sir. It was my fault. How much was the outfit? I’ll pay you for it.” The cleaner rubbed her hands nervously on the side of her pants.
Chi Suinian frowned when he saw her calloused hands. “Forget it. It was old anyway.”
After a while, Lu Zhiyue came out of the fitting room, now wearing a dress shirt with all the buttons neatly fastened up to the collar.
Chi Suinian’s stiff lips gradually relaxed.
Good. At least this guy had some sense.
When they left the clothing store, Chi Suinian tossed the dirty clothes into a trash can.
Lu Zhiyue noticed. “Why did you throw it out?”
“It’s dirty.”
As the clothes fell, they landed face-up, and Lu Zhiyue immediately saw the tea stain. “That was your first time wearing that outfit. It looked really good. Want to buy another one?”
Chi Suinian walked into the stairwell. “Addicted to shopping now?”
“No,” Lu Zhiyue said, “You bought one for me. I should return the favor and buy one for you.”
Chi Suinian: “…That wasn’t me buying one for you.”
Lu Zhiyue paused, the corners of his mouth dipping slightly. “Then who was it for?”
Chi Suinian thought Lu Zhiyue must be insane.
He didn’t bother replying and kept walking silently.
“For who?”
Lu Zhiyue caught up.
“……”
“Hmm?”
Chi Suinian, thoroughly annoyed: “For a dog! Got it? Ask one more time and I’m going straight home!”
Lu Zhiyue looked satisfied. “I’ll go get the car. It’s too hot out here—wait inside until I pull up.”
Chi Suinian pursed his lips as he watched Lu Zhiyue walk away, visibly displeased.
Who did Lu Zhiyue think he was, bossing him around like that? He was getting way too cocky. Chi Suinian decided to do the exact opposite of what he was told.
With a face full of disdain, he walked outside the store and leaned against a pillar. Within minutes, he was sweating buckets under the scorching heat.
“……”
As cars zipped by, he glared out with stubborn determination. After a while, he looked around—still no sign of Lu Zhiyue. Finally, he turned back and went into the air-conditioned mall.
Ten minutes later, Lu Zhiyue pulled the car up to the mall entrance.
Chi Suinian didn’t hesitate to reach for the backseat door.
“Sit in the front,” Lu Zhiyue said.
Chi Suinian curled his lip. “Not happening.”
But as he opened the back door, he paused.
—The entire backseat was packed full of gifts for the Pang family. At a glance, there wasn’t even a small gap.
“You moved the whole mall into your car?”
Lu Zhiyue replied, “Uncle Pang took care of me a lot in the past. This really isn’t that much.”
Chi Suinian pressed his lips together, slammed the door shut, and got into the passenger seat.
The Pang family lived in a villa in the suburbs. The scenery was beautiful, the air fresh. Knowing Lu Zhiyue was coming, Pang Mingda was already playing chess in the yard. The trees provided plenty of shade, so it wasn’t too hot.
“Uncle Pang.” Lu Zhiyue walked into the courtyard and greeted him with a nod.
Zhao Yunzhen looked up from the chessboard and smiled. “They’re here.”
“Xiao Ye, welcome,” Pang Mingda smiled and stood, immediately glancing behind Lu Zhiyue. “You came alone?”
Just as he spoke, he saw a young man slowly emerge from behind Lu Zhiyue.
Pang Mingda looked him over carefully. He looked slightly different from his photos—more real and three-dimensional. The online pictures had been so edited they didn’t even seem like a real person.
“Uncle Pang, this is Chi Suinian,” Lu Zhiyue introduced.
“Great, great! Come on in, it’s hot out here.” Pang Mingda greeted them warmly.
“Hey, Uncle, you’re so biased,” Zhao Yunzhen teased, leaning against a tree. “You just said the yard was spacious and you wanted to play chess out here. Now it’s suddenly too hot?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Chi Suinian turned his head. Zhao Yunzhen grinned back at him with a mouthful of white teeth.
“Shoo, shoo. You’re all talk when I ask you to play chess,” Pang Mingda laughed and scolded, then led the three young men into the house.
Zhao Yunzhen wasn’t bothered by the scolding. He shook his head with a helpless smile and fell into step beside Chi Suinian. “Suinian, I’m really sorry about that day. I didn’t expect Ding Xuxing to be there too. You were wronged.”
Chi Suinian replied calmly, “It wasn’t your fault.”
Back at the hospital, he had publicly embarrassed Ding Xuxing and already made an enemy. The guy was petty—sooner or later, he’d retaliate. It was bound to happen.
“What happened?” Lu Zhiyue, walking a little slower now, caught part of the conversation and frowned as he moved closer.
Before Chi Suinian could answer, Zhao Yunzhen spoke angrily, “At the birthday party, Ding Xuxing humiliated Chi Suinian badly. He claimed you were keeping him, and there were dozens of people there to hear it. Thankfully, you posted that Weibo afterwards, or Suinian would still be the center of gossip.”
Lu Zhiyue’s expression grew colder. He looked at Chi Suinian. “Why didn’t you tell me when we got back?”
Chi Suinian looked confused. “What was there to say?”
Lu Zhiyue fell silent for a few seconds. “What else did he say?”
“Nothing much,” Zhao Yunzhen said after a pause. “That guy has no shame, but he’s not the type to do anything outrageous. He’ll just keep smearing Suinian’s reputation behind his back.”
“The real problem is his dad. I heard his dad was in prison before—for intentional assault. People like that are usually ruthless. Suinian, be careful when you go out. Don’t let him catch you off guard.”
That reminded Lu Zhiyue—he had seen Ding’s father once at a business salon. He was a skinny, wiry man with sallow skin, eyes full of hostility, shifty and cold, like he was always scheming in secret.
That day, the man had tried to strike up a conversation with him several times, but Lu Zhiyue had brushed him off with various excuses.
Ding’s father had built his fortune from scratch, starting on construction sites. He had a group of reckless young laborers under him, often showing up at companies with hammers and steel rods to pressure them into easing payment deadlines.
With people like that, one really had to stay on guard.
Lu Zhiyue put the matter aside for now and turned to Chi Suinian. “He does have a point. Should I hire you a bodyguard?”
“No need,” Chi Suinian scoffed coldly. “They better have the guts to mess with me. Who ambushes who is still up for debate.”
“Xiao Ye, Suinian, Yun Zhen,” called Pang Mingda from inside the house, “Come in, it’s nice and cool.”
The Pang family’s villa was decorated in a traditional Chinese style. All the furniture had a classic, antique feel.
Chi Suinian thought of his own family’s old house. They also had a set of golden nanmu hardwood furniture—bought over a decade ago at an auction by his grandfather, who had it redesigned and reassembled. It had sat in their living room for years.
Unfortunately… he failed to protect it.
Even the last of his grandfather’s legacy had been taken by the court.
“What are you thinking about?” Lu Zhiyue asked softly, noticing his sudden silence.
“The Chi family’s old house… had furniture like this too.” Chi Suinian’s voice was soft, his gaze unfocused, staring blankly into the distance.
Lu Zhiyue’s pupils contracted slightly but quickly returned to normal. He said, somewhat guiltily, “I’ll get your house back for you someday.”
“No need.” Chi Suinian quickly composed himself and walked inside with his hands in his pockets.
“My things—I’ll buy them back myself.”
Lu Zhiyue stared silently at his retreating figure.
In the living room, Pang Mingda stood with a woman by his side. She had a kind face, wore a dark, patterned qipao, and exuded elegance and calmness.
“This must be Xiao Ye’s partner,” the woman said with a warm smile as she looked Chi Suinian up and down. “Such a handsome, spirited young man.”
Pang Mingda cleared his throat, “He’s a young man. ‘Handsome’ is fine, but ‘pretty’ sounds a bit girly.”
“What’s wrong with that?” the woman chided playfully. “Why can’t men be called pretty? Weren’t the most famous handsome men in history all praised for their beauty, like pearls and jade? What’s so girly about that? Right, Xiao Ye?”
Lu Zhiyue smiled helplessly. “Aunt Liu is right. I grew up learning from her. That’s what the books say.”
Aunt Liu covered her mouth and chuckled. “Then my teaching wasn’t in vain.”
Chi Suinian lowered his eyes slightly and blinked.
He had always thought Lu Zhiyue called him pretty to mock him. But now… it seemed the guy had really meant it as a compliment?
Chi Suinian remembered—the first time Lu Zhiyue had called him that was in his first year after transferring schools.
He had just transferred to the affiliated middle school. During his self-introduction, Lu Zhiyue had been sitting below the podium, looking up at him from afar.
“Skinny, but at least he’s got a pretty face.”
“…”
Chi Suinian pressed his lips together, eyes fierce.
To hell with your compliments—Lu Zhiyue must have been mocking him, no doubt.
Otherwise, why would he keep making his life so miserable all these years?
But he couldn’t help wondering…
If Lu Zhiyue had admired him from their first meeting—could it be love at first sight?
How old was he back then? Fourteen? Fifteen? He hadn’t even hit puberty yet.
For someone to set eyes on him at that age—was Lu Zhiyue even human?
“What are you thinking about?”
Chi Suinian snapped back to reality and said blankly, “Nothing.”
Lu Zhiyue didn’t buy it. He poked Chi Suinian’s cheek. “Your expressions change faster than a chameleon’s.”
“…”
You’re the chameleon. Your whole family’s a bunch of chameleons!
Inside, Aunt Liu pulled Lu Zhiyue and Chi Suinian over to chat. Pang Mingda personally went to the wine cellar to get wine, and Zhao Yunzhen went to the kitchen to check on the freshly air-shipped Wagyu beef.
Even though Chi Suinian hadn’t been around elders in a long time, he adjusted quickly. He answered whatever Aunt Liu asked with a gentle expression, showing no trace of hostility.
He even smiled a few genuine smiles here and there.
Lu Zhiyue, catching sight of those rare smiles, thought this visit was worth it.
“Such a good boy,” Aunt Liu said warmly, holding Chi Suinian’s hand. “Tell me, does Xiao Ye bully you at home? I’m older than him, and he still listens to me. I can stand up for you.”
Lu Zhiyue, bullying him?
Chi Suinian raised an eyebrow—try the next life, or the one after that.
But seeing Lu Zhiyue lounging nearby with a smug grin like a fox, Chi Suinian felt an irrational surge of anger.
He looked up. “Can I really say it?”
Lu Zhiyue: “?”
“Of course,” Aunt Liu patted his hand and gave Lu Zhiyue a glare. “Tell me how he bullies you. I’ll straighten him out.”
Though the word “bully” stung a little, the chance to make Lu Zhiyue look bad was too good to pass up.
Chi Suinian frowned and said, “He has a bad temper and curses a lot.”
Lu Zhiyue, shocked: “?”
When did I curse?
Aunt Liu, surprised: “!”
This won’t do!
She immediately turned and glared at Lu Zhiyue.
Chi Suinian: “He’s always lying to me.”
Lu Zhiyue: “…”
Chi Suinian kept going, making it up as he went: “He even tried to take back the car he gave me.”
Lu Zhiyue: “…”
“You brat!” Aunt Liu smacked Lu Zhiyue on the shoulder. “Don’t you have any sense? You make so much money and still act so stingy. It’s embarrassing!”
“Lies…” Lu Zhiyue sighed. “None of that happened.”
“Lies!” Aunt Liu glared. “If it didn’t happen, why would Suinian say it so clearly? You—”
Chi Suinian watched Lu Zhiyue get scolded into silence, and he couldn’t feel more satisfied.
But then it hit him.
What was he doing?
Tattling?
Even toddlers don’t do that anymore—and he was so happy about it?
Chi Suinian stayed at the Pang house until dusk. Pang Mingda and his wife insisted they stay for dinner. Unable to refuse, he agreed.
Pang Mingda brought out a freshly opened bottle of wine. Zhao Yunzhen spotted it and exclaimed, “Isn’t that the vintage dry red? Uncle, you’re really pulling out the big guns. Even I haven’t gotten a sip of this stuff.”
Pang Mingda pretended to smack him. “Then why are you sitting here? Go home if you’re not drinking.”
Zhao Yunzhen ducked quickly. “I’ll drink, I’ll drink! Tonight we drink until we drop. Lu Zhiyue, you too—don’t think about running. I’ll call a driver for you if you get drunk.”
“Driver?” Pang Mingda said, “We’ve got plenty of guest rooms. Let them collect dust?”
Zhao Yunzhen nodded eagerly. “Right, right, plenty of rooms. If anyone gets drunk, they can just stay the night.”
Lu Zhiyue glanced at Chi Suinian and said in a low voice, “I can’t drink much—you and Uncle Pang go ahead.”
He had always pretended to be a lightweight around Chi Suinian.
Now, that was about to fall apart.
He tried to signal Zhao Yunzhen, but the guy ignored him and cheerfully said, “What do you mean you can’t drink? Back when the Lu Group was just starting out, you drank white liquor like water. Didn’t even blink. This stuff is low alcohol—don’t tell me you’re suddenly weak.”
Lu Zhiyue felt dread creeping in.
Chi Suinian suddenly looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Lu Zhiyue can really hold his liquor?”
“Of course,” Zhao Yunzhen said. “Ask around Jin City—no one can outdrink him. At least, not back then. These days, no one dares try.”
Chi Suinian slowly turned to look at Lu Zhiyue with a blank face. “Impressive.”
“…”
Lu Zhiyue was sweating under the gaze. He wanted to explain, but the timing was all wrong.
Next thing he knew, a sharp pain shot up from his foot—Chi Suinian had stomped on it hard under the table.
“…”
Lu Zhiyue’s face turned green with pain, but he forced a smile.
“Xiao Ye, why are you sweating so much?” Aunt Liu asked, noticing his face. “Is it too hot?”
Zhao Yunzhen chimed in, “With your top button done up like that, no wonder. I’ve got spare clothes in the car—brand new. Want me to grab one?”
“No need.” Lu Zhiyue set down his chopsticks. “I’ll just take this off.”
Chi Suinian froze.
Take what off?
Your shirt?
You planning to sit here half-naked? Have you no shame?
He was about to speak when he noticed the entire table staring at him in surprise.
“?”
He instinctively turned his head—and saw the shirt under Lu Zhiyue’s dress shirt.
Same style. Same color. Matching couples outfit.
“……”
