Chapter 57 Is my sister just giving me the runaround?
With each step Yan Shuang took closer, he could see more clearly the curve of her lips, even brighter than he remembered.
"Have you been waiting long?" She stopped in front of him, the fragrance of gardenias wafting towards her.
"Just arrived."
They walked side by side to the car parked by the roadside. Just as he opened the car door for Yan Shuang, a loud whistle broke through the twilight of the campus.
"Frost! Wait!"
Lin Chengyu's hand was still hanging above the car door when he heard the sound and turned his head. A blond boy wearing an Oxford shirt was running towards them.
"Mark?" Yan Shuang stopped in her tracks. "Is there a problem with the project?"
"No, no, no!" The boy named Mark stopped in front of the two of them. "I'm on my way to 'The Economist'..."
Only then did he notice Lin Chengyu's presence, and his voice abruptly stopped.
Lin Chengyu narrowed his eyes slightly.
"And who is this?" Mark's eyes swept over Lin Chengyu's custom-made suit.
“Lin Chengyu, a friend of mine from China,” Yan Shuang introduced naturally.
"Hey!" Mark slapped his forehead. "Why don't we come together?"
Yan Shuang turned to Lin Chengyu: "Do you mind? My fellow students in the project team."
Lin Chengyu pressed the tip of his tongue against his palate, but a perfectly timed smile appeared on his face: "Of course I don't mind."
He took a half step forward, subtly shortening the distance between himself and Yan Shuang: "I'd like to get to know your friends." He spoke softly, but deliberately emphasized the words "friends."
Mark whistled and reached out to put his arm around Yan Shuang's shoulder: "Then I'll lead the way."
"Get in my car." Lin Chengyu opened the back door first, subtly blocking Mark's physical contact with his arm. "What's the address?"
127 Broadway.
As the engine hummed to life, the rearview mirror reflected Mark's figure as he leaned close to Yan Shuang's chair back.
"Shuang, that VAR model from last week..."
"Fasten your seatbelt," Lin Chengyu interrupted, his voice as gentle as if reminding a child.
In the rearview mirror, the American boy sullenly shrank back and pulled on his seatbelt.
Yan Shuang was adjusting the navigation, a stray strand of hair falling onto the top of the screen.
Lin Chengyu reached out to help her push it aside, but halfway there he turned towards the air conditioner vent: "Is the temperature comfortable?"
“Suitable.” Yan Shuang smiled. “Turn left onto Figueroa Street.”
The car drove into the neon-lit street, with Lin Chengyu steering the wheel with one hand.
Whenever Mark tried to reach over the seat to speak to Yan Shuang, he would lightly apply the brakes, letting the inertia throw the blond giant back into his seat.
In the bars of downtown Los Angeles, the electronic music was so loud it made your chest tingle.
Yan Shuang turned around for the third time to check if Lin Chengyu could keep up, only to see him calmly following half a step behind her.
“It’s too crowded here,” she had to whisper in his ear, “Your clothes must be expensive, right? Don’t let anyone get them dirty.”
Lin Chengyu looked down at her. He didn't answer, but a slight smile appeared on his lips. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder, gesturing for her to continue walking.
Mark had already squeezed to the front of the bar and was waving at them.
Just as Yan Shuang was about to move forward, a drunk man suddenly bumped into her from the side.
Before she could react, she felt a warm hand firmly supporting her waist, and the next second she was pulled into a strong embrace.
"careful."
Lin Chengyu's voice was close to her ear, his chest pressed against her back.
“I’ll take you there,” he said, forming a protective circle around her with his arms, separating her from the crowded throng.
This seemingly gentle and refined man now exuded an undeniable sense of power, each step he took was steady and forceful, clearing a path for her.
Mark whistled, "Wow, your Chinese friend is pretty cool." He raised his glass to Lin Chengyu.
Yan Shuang broke free from Lin Chengyu's embrace, but he gently pressed her shoulder down.
"Sit inside." He pointed to the booth closest to the wall, a spot where you could observe the entire room without being easily bumped into.
She sat down as instructed, and Lin Chengyu took off his coat and draped it over the back of the chair.
This simple action was performed with extraordinary elegance by him, attracting frequent glances from several girls at the next table.
"I thought you wouldn't be used to a place like this." Yan Shuang took the wine Mark offered.
“When I was studying in London, my classmates often dragged me there.” Lin Chengyu paused, “but it’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”
The music switched to an even more energetic tune, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
A dancing girl stumbled and fell toward their table. Lin Chengyu reacted quickly, reaching out to block her fall with one hand and protecting Yan Shuang's head with the other to prevent her from being hit.
In this dimly lit space, Lin Chengyu's innate composure seemed to be magnified a hundredfold.
He was wearing an expensive custom-made shirt, yet he didn't seem to care about getting splashed with drinks; he looked like he belonged in a high-end restaurant or concert hall, but here in this noisy bar, he was shielding her from all possible dangers.
Lin Chengyu went to the restroom, and when he returned, the atmosphere in the booth had changed.
Yan Shuang leaned back in the leather sofa, a slender cigarette between her fingers, the cigarette butt flickering in the dim light.
Several empty shot glasses and a set of dice were scattered on the table in front of her, while Mark across from her was laughing as he poured wine into her glass.
"We lost again!" Yan Shuang parted her red lips slightly and exhaled a wisp of smoke.
Lin Chengyu stopped in the shadows and looked into the distance.
Her eyes were slightly hazy from the alcohol, her posture languid and alluring, and the corners of her eyes were slightly upturned. Under the neon lights, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
Lin Chengyu stood not far away, his eyes slightly dark.
He didn't like others seeing her smoking; that casual yet dangerous beauty should belong only to him.
Mark was sitting opposite Yan Shuang, shaking the dice cup in his hand, laughing arrogantly: "Yan, want to play another round? I don't believe I can't beat you tonight."
Just as Yan Shuang was about to accept the challenge, a slender hand reached out from behind her and gently pressed down on the dice cup.
"I'll do it."
A deep voice sounded in her ear, and Yan Shuang turned her head to meet Lin Chengyu's deep eyes.
He had appeared beside her without her noticing, his long, slender fingers resting on the dice cup.
Mark was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Oh, Mr. Lin plays this too?"
Lin Chengyu's lips curled slightly, but his eyes remained cold: "Give it a try."
Mark watched him with great interest, never expecting that this seemingly aloof and reserved young master of the Lin family would actually play dice in a bar.
However, what happened next was completely beyond his expectations.
His fingers were long and slender, his movements were crisp and clean, and every shake was terrifyingly precise, yet he carried a hint of nonchalant laziness when opening the cup.
Unfortunately, the result of each game made Mark's face grow increasingly grim.
“Five sixes,” Lin Chengyu said calmly.
Mark gritted his teeth: "Open!"
The dice cup was opened; there were five sixes and one one.
mark:"……?"
Yan Shuang couldn't help but laugh out loud.
For the next half hour, Mark was completely overwhelmed by Lin Chengyu.
He was completely outmatched, drinking glass after glass of alcohol until he finally had to rush to the bathroom to vomit.
Yan Shuang glanced at Lin Chengyu and found that he remained calm, as if the one-sided crushing defeat just now was nothing more than a casual act.
"I didn't expect my little brother to be so good at playing dice!" she praised with a smile.
Lin Chengyu looked down at her, a smile finally appearing in his eyes. He leaned closer and gently pinched the cigarette between her fingers with his long, slender fingers.
"Smoke less, it's bad for your health."
His voice was three degrees lower and hoarser than usual, and his warm fingertips brushed against her slightly cool fingertips. Yan Shuang's breath hitched, and the boy had already straightened up, casually stubbing out his cigarette in the cast iron ashtray.
"Hey, you..." Yan Shuang instinctively reached out to grab it, but missed. The lingering smell of tobacco lingered between them. Looking at Lin Chengyu's calm profile, she felt inexplicably guilty. "I only smoked half a cigarette..."
"My sister brought me to a bar and even smoked in front of me." Lin Chengyu turned to look at her, his eyes slightly downturned. "Is she trying to corrupt me?"
At this moment, his eyes were crystal clear, like those of some harmless little animal.
Yan Shuang immediately softened, "I'm sorry, it's my fault."
Lin Chengyu reached out and ruffled her hair. "Sister, you don't need to apologize." His fingertips slid down her long hair. "I have strong willpower and won't be led astray."
A warm hand rested lightly on her waist. "But Mark is different. Sister, don't lead him astray."
Yan Shuang couldn't help but smile as she recalled Mark's romantic escapades. Who led whom astray?
"So, sister, you have to promise me that next time you won't smoke in front of other men, you can only smoke in front of me, okay?"
Yan Shuang nodded perfunctorily, but secretly thought that next time she could only smoke in front of Mark, not in front of Lin Chengyu.
However, the next second, she saw Lin Chengyu's eyes darken.
The boy lowered his eyelashes, casting a gloomy shadow under the light, but his signature obedient smile still lingered on his lips.
"Is my sister just brushing me off?" Lin Chengyu moved closer to her.
"No, I just feel..."
“Such a beautiful older sister,” Lin Chengyu interrupted her, “when Mark saw this, here,” his cool fingers suddenly pressed lightly against her chest, “it felt very uncomfortable.”
Yan Shuang's breath hitched.
“It’s not that I don’t want you to smoke,” Lin Chengyu leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, “it’s that you can’t smoke in front of other men.”
"Cheng Yu, you..."
"Just kidding." Lin Chengyu magically shed all his gloom and reverted to his usual cheerful, innocent self. "But you really should smoke less. I'll keep your cigarettes for now."
He took the packet of mint popping beads and shook it.
Mark's voice called from afar, and Lin Chengyu took two steps back.
"It's time to go back, sister," he said with a smile, his eyes curving into two crescent moons.
As night deepened, Lin Chengyu called for a driver, and the car drove smoothly through the streets.
Mark was already completely drunk and unconscious, slumped in the front passenger seat, snoring softly.
Yan Shuang rolled down the car window, and the night wind rushed in, ruffling her slightly curly long hair.
She tilted her head back, letting the cool breeze caress her cheeks, but her eyes shone as if they were filled with starlight.
She rarely had such a relaxing moment, free from the worries of project schedules and social obligations, simply enjoying the freedom of the night breeze.
Lin Chengyu sat beside her, his gaze calmly fixed on her.
The interplay of light and shadow inside the car outlined her delicate profile, with a slightly upturned nose and a lingering smile on her lips.
He was somewhat lost in thought when Yan Shuang suddenly turned her head and met his gaze unexpectedly.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Lin Chengyu's expression remained unchanged, only slightly curving his lips: "It's nothing, I just think you're very happy tonight."
Yan Shuang blinked, her smile deepening: "Yes, it's been a long time since I've felt this relaxed."
The car slowly drove into the villa's entrance. The driver stopped the car and asked in a low voice if she needed him to take her inside.
Yan Shuang waved her hand and was about to push open the door to get out of the car when Lin Chengyu suddenly spoke.
"There's an extreme sports event tomorrow, it's really exciting, you can't do it in China."
Yan Shuang paused, turned to look at him, and her eyes instantly lit up with interest: "What project?"
Lin Chengyu looked at her eyes, which lit up instantly, and his smile deepened: "Low-altitude wingsuit flying, diving down from the cliff and gliding close to the sea surface."
Yan Shuang's breath hitched, and her heart skipped a beat.
She had always wanted to try wingsuit flying, but ordinary venues were not exciting enough. The kind of activity that Lin Chengyu talked about was almost the pinnacle of extreme sports.
"Really?" she blurted out.
Lin Chengyu chuckled: "I'll pick you up at the same time tomorrow."
"Okay, see you tomorrow."
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes deep: "Goodnight, sister."
Unbeknownst to her, after the car door closed, Lin Chengyu rolled down the other window, picked up the pack of cigarettes Yan Shuang had left at the bar, and lit one.
Amidst the swirling smoke, that harmless face appeared and disappeared.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
