CH 97

lu mingming wandered around the store for a while, but in the end, she couldn’t resist the temptation of sweet treats. as she came out of the store, happily nibbling on ice cream, her mood had completely turned around. she began chattering away, calling her teacher and uncle.

“what were you two talking about just now?” lu mingming, with a bunch of snacks in her hands, looked at lu ye and qi yanbai curiously, her gaze wandering between them.

qi yanbai could speak freely when facing lu ye, but when faced with lu mingming, he still carried a bit of his teacher’s persona and felt hesitant to mention that he had just been coaxed and lectured by lu ye while making a “pinky promise.” so, he subconsciously shot a pleading look at lu ye, hoping he would help with the situation.

“nothing,” lu ye simply smiled, put his arm around lu mingming’s shoulder, and smoothly changed the subject. “so, after buying so much, are you feeling better now?”

“much better. fortunately, i’m very forgiving,” lu mingming swallowed a bite of ice cream and said seriously, “i forgive you this time, but it’s not going to happen again.”

lu mingming’s temper came and went quickly, and she quickly made peace with the two adults. she returned to being a lively little butterfly.

with one hand each, she led the two adults through the crowd. they walked and talked for a while, and only then did lu mingming suddenly remember something important. she tugged at the hand she was holding onto lu ye.

“oh, uncle,” lu mingming looked up and said seriously, “mom asked me to tell you that her evening meeting got canceled, so you can come home early. if you and teacher qi have time, you can come over for dinner.”

“dinner?” lu ye hadn’t said anything yet, but qi yanbai was the first to pause, looking puzzled. “what dinner?”

this time, lu mingming was surprised. she widened her eyes and exclaimed, “teacher qi, aren’t you coming?”

qi yanbai lowered his head, and the two of them exchanged a glance, both showing the same confusion in their eyes.

a few seconds later, it was still lu mingming who reacted first. she let go of lu ye without saying a word, turned, and hugged qi yanbai’s legs, starting to act up. “no, no,—teacher qi must come. mom has prepared your portion already.”

“alright, stop making a fuss,” lu ye multitasked, tapping his phone while pulling lu mingming away from him. he smiled and said, “he’s coming too.”

after comforting the little one, lu ye turned to explain to qi yanbai. “today is my sister’s birthday, and she invited us to dinner tonight. she called me earlier, but there were too many things going on, so i forgot to tell you.”

“tonight?” qi yanbai was somewhat surprised. “but i haven’t prepared anything—”

“prepared what? a gift? she doesn’t lack anything,” lu ye casually waved his hand. “just show up.”

“yes.” lu mingming enthusiastically chimed in, “uncle has already bought a gift for mom! teacher qi just needs to come and have fun!”

despite their reassurances, qi yanbai still appeared hesitant. even though he had nothing to hide from lu ye anymore, he still instinctively maintained a perfect persona of politeness when dealing with others.

moreover, his relationship with lu wenyu, lu ye’s sister, made him more cautious. he always wanted to be flawless in every aspect when it came to her, wanting to show himself worthy of lu ye.

“but—” qi yanbai hesitated. “is it appropriate?”

“what’s not appropriate about it?” lu ye glanced at him with a hint of humor, saying, “are you feeling guilty? afraid that my sister will object to our relationship?”

qi yanbai certainly wasn’t that petty. he knew that lu ye had no ill intentions, so a few light-hearted jokes like these wouldn’t bother him. even if they were a bit excessive, qi yanbai wouldn’t take offense.

“no, it’s not that,” qi yanbai shook his head.

“then what is it?” lu ye asked. when he saw that qi yanbai was not very enthusiastic. he suddenly stopped and stood in front of qi yanbai, blocking his view. he asked, “why are you nervous?”

qi yanbai who was evidently nervous, couldn’t help but reach out to block lu mingming’s line of sight and leaned in close to lu ye’s ear, whispering, “have you… already told her?”

qi yanbai, who acted tough in front of his students, had suddenly become a nervous little quail. lu ye found it amusing and suppressed a laugh. he whispered back, “guess.”

qi yanbai: “…”

qi yanbai wanted an answer, but lu ye seemed to be deliberately teasing him. just before qi yanbai could speak, lu ye interrupted him with a smile and pointed at his phone.

“let’s not talk about it,” lu ye said with a smile. “the car has already arrived.”

qi yanbai: “…”

in the midst of their conversation, a white rideshare car stopped right in front of them. before qi yanbai could voice his protest, he was kidnapped into the car by lu ye and lu mingming. nervous and stiff, he didn’t look like he was going for a friendly visit; instead, it seemed like he was heading to jail.

he remained on edge throughout the journey, and was getting increasingly tense, and lu ye couldn’t help but chuckle. he reached out to hold qi yanbai’s shoulder.

“relax,” lu ye said, massaging his stiff muscles and suppressing a laugh. he teased, “my sister is not going to beat you up.”

qi yanbai didn’t seem comforted by his words. he cast a slightly resentful look and said, “i’m more afraid of what she might say.”

lu ye replied, lowering his gaze to look at qi yanbai. he chuckled softly and said seriously, “at most, you might face some moral condemnation.”

it was clearly a joke, but qi yanbai seemed to take it seriously. he glanced at lu ye with a slightly furrowed brow and asked, “is that so?”

lu ye couldn’t help but smile at his reaction. he knew that qi yanbai was not petty enough to hold a grudge over these playful comments. nevertheless, the way qi yanbai looked worried him. he reached out and lightly touched qi yanbai’s face.

“why so serious?” lu ye chuckled and asked softly, “do you think my sister will really disapprove of you?”

qi yanbai, who was still nervous, finally relaxed a little. even though he couldn’t be sure without a clear answer from lu ye, he understood that there was no ill intent behind these words. lu ye was just teasing him playfully.

qi yanbai simply turned his head to face him and said, “i’m worried that your sister will think i’m a terrible person, not worthy of you.”

“is that all?” lu ye chuckled, finding it amusing. “even if she happens to dislike you, do you really think i would stop being with you?”

“well, no,” qi yanbai replied confidently.

by now, he had no doubts about lu ye’s love for him. although he might still have some sensitivities and anxieties deep down, he was unwaveringly convinced of one thing: lu ye loved him.

“but what if she gets angry with you,” qi yanbai said, extending his arm and encircling lu ye’s waist. “you two have such a good relationship; i don’t want to cause any conflicts between you.”

qi yanbai hadn’t interacted with lu ye’s sister much, but he could tell that they genuinely cared for each other. their relationship lacked power struggles and hidden agendas; it was marked by a simple and unspoken mutual affection.

qi yanbai hadn’t grown up in a normal family, and he had once struggled to understand these subtle emotional connections. however, as he spent more time with lu ye, he gradually realized the value of having a relationship without any worries, whether it was with a lover or a family member.

initially, lu ye thought qi yanbai was merely seeking reassurance when he asked about lu wenyu. he even considered explaining that he hadn’t actually complained to his sister. however, he was taken aback by qi yanbai’s heartfelt response and found himself at a loss for words.

“have you had a change of heart?” lu ye gently touched qi yanbai’s face and playfully teased, “i remember before, you always wished i wouldn’t associate with anyone else and only stay with you.”

“yes, but it’s different now,” qi yanbai said. “because you’re so wonderful, i don’t want you to lose anything because of me.”

qi yanbai knew that there was a void in his heart that he could never fill. in the past, he thought that pretense and lies wouldn’t truly win lu ye’s heart. so, he sought reassurance and filled that void with lu ye’s attention, finding some semblance of peace.

but now, lu ye had filled most of that void with his own presence. qi yanbai no longer needed those fragmented pieces to complete himself.

with enough love to support him, qi yanbai finally had the capacity to look away from his own fears and insecurities and learn how to love someone from the bottom of his heart.

lu ye couldn’t quite express whether he felt satisfied or touched. he felt as though he had prepared himself to journey a thousand miles with qi yanbai, but in the blink of an eye, qi yanbai had willingly walked even further than he had anticipated.

a sense of relief washed over him, followed by a belated surge of warmth that silently spread through his chest. it was like a comforting spring, quietly flowing through his limbs and heart.

“well, what if she truly doesn’t like you?” lu ye chuckled softly and asked, “what would you do then?”

“in that case… there’s nothing much i can do,” qi yanbai said, discreetly tightening his embrace around lu ye’s waist. he spoke softly, “i’ll just have to make an effort to win her over.”