Chapter Nineteen
This meal was a mix of joy and sorrow.
Lu Nan continued his usual style, eating without saying a word. Wherever his eyes looked, Cheng Xiangbei's chopsticks followed. As for how others were eating, well, that was none of Lu Nan's business.
As the birthday boy, Meng Tianze sat in the main seat, with Li Weide on his left and Liu Fei on his right, very close to Lu Nan, though separated by a table. Having learned her lesson from last time, Chu Lian occupied Cheng Xiangbei's right-hand seat, frequently offering him words of comfort. Cheng Xiangbei, however, feigned ignorance of this unexpected good fortune, focusing instead on serving Lu Nan her meal.
After a meal, they served bird's nest soup. The soup bowl was tiny, and Lu Nan slurped it down in one go. She smacked her lips, feeling nothing. Cheng Xiangbei almost laughed when he saw this and quickly offered him his share.
"Why do you always have this habit?" Lu Nan used to slurp when she ate vermicelli when she was a child, and she still has this habit when she eats bird's nest.
Lu Nan swallowed his bird's nest soup in one gulp, glancing sideways at him. "None of your business!"
Cheng Xiangbei quickly lowered his head. "I just said it offhand."
As the two were whispering to each other, Chu Lian had already handed her bird's nest soup to Cheng Xiangbei. "Xiangbei, you can have mine!"
"Huh?" Cheng Xiangbei turned his head and declined, saying, "Thank you, but no need."
“I see you haven’t eaten any. This is very nutritious,” Chu Lian said firmly.
Cheng Xiangbei smiled and said, "This is good for girls."
“I’m allergic to this, it wouldn’t be good to waste it,” Chu Lian said, frowning.
Cheng Xiangbei was about to refuse when Liu Fei said, "Huh? Give me whatever no one else wants to eat!" Cheng Xiangbei quickly passed the hot potato that Chu Lian had brought out.
Lu Nan watched him hand the things out and snorted coldly.
"Cheng Xiangbei, what do you mean?" Outside the restroom, Cheng Xiangbei was cornered by Chu Lian.
"What did you say? I don't understand." Feeling they were standing in an awkward spot, Cheng Xiangbei had no choice but to lead Chu Lian to a secluded location. The hotel was thoughtfully designed, with quiet conversation areas nestled among the many private rooms. Surrounded by flowers and greenery, it had a very stylish ambiance. Unfortunately, neither of them was in the mood to appreciate it.
"What did you mean just now?" Chu Lian pressed.
"What's wrong with me?" Cheng Xiangbei feigned ignorance.
"Why did you give the bird's nest I gave you to someone else?" From falling in love at first sight by the basketball court, to being repeatedly ignored by her beloved, and now having her feelings ruthlessly transferred, Chu Lian, who had always been cherished, could no longer suppress her anger and loudly questioned Cheng Xiangbei.
“Um…” Cheng Xiangbei scratched his head. “You don’t like it, but Afei does. What’s wrong with me handing it to him?”
"You..." Chu Lian blushed and blurted out, "Do you know that I like you?"
Cheng Xiangbei paused, his expression hardening. How could he not see that Chu Lian had feelings for him? However, since she hadn't explicitly stated it, he could only pretend not to know. Besides, he already had Lu Nan; any affection placed upon him would only be a burden. He coughed lightly and said seriously, "I'm sorry, I already have someone I like."
"Who is she?!" Chu Lian exclaimed in shock.
"I think this has nothing to do with you, right?"
"Is she better than me? Is she prettier than me?" Chu Lian continued to question.
"I'm sorry, this is my personal matter!"
"But I like you!" Chu Lian grabbed Cheng Xiangbei's arm.
Cheng Xiangbei tried to pull Chu Lian's hand away, but she grabbed his knuckles and wouldn't let go. "Chu, let go!"
"I won't let go! Why do you like her and not me?!" Seeing the other party's clear rejection, tears welled up in Chu Lian's eyes. "Cheng Xiangbei! Say something!"
"I'm sorry," Cheng Xiangbei said indifferently, forcefully prying Chu Lian's hand away.
"Cheng Xiangbei, you'll regret this!" Chu Lian cried out, tears streaming down her face, as she watched him turn and leave without hesitation. "You'll definitely regret this!"
Reaching the corner, Lu Nan leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Cheng Xiangbei's imposing aura immediately subsided. "Nan Nan..."
"Hmph!" Lu Nan glared at him and walked out first.
“Nan Nan…” He quietly reached out and took Lu Nan’s hand.
Lu Nan shook him off and retorted, "Look at all the trouble you've caused with your womanizing!"
"Heaven and earth bear witness, I have never provoked her!" Cheng Xiangbei leaned closer to Lu Nan again, trying to ingratiate himself. "Or, why don't you hit me!"
Lu Nan rolled her eyes at him. "Why would I hit you? My hand hurts!"
Cheng Xiangbei grabbed Lu Nan's hand and said obsequiously, "Let me blow on it for you first, then it won't hurt when I hit you!"
"Tch!" Lu Nan laughed in exasperation, saying, "Fine, I'll let you off this time since you resolutely resisted the temptation!"
"Thank you for your kindness, sir!" After saying that, he held onto Lord Lu's hand tightly.
"There are so many people here! Be mindful of your behavior!" The two held hands and slowly walked back along the sidewalk. "Hey, Tiger, is it alright if we leave without saying goodbye?"
"It's okay, it's not like we're paying." Cheng Xiangbei shrugged. Meng Tianze, that wolf, was still inside; he must have been stupid to let Lu Nan in. "Wouldn't it be better if we just had some alone time?"
"Mmm." Lu Nan nodded, enjoying the gentle breeze on his face. Cheng Xiangbei, seeing his slightly squinted eyes, felt a tickle in his heart. "Nan Nan..."
"Huh?" Before I knew it, I was being pulled to the base of a large tree in the park. "Ugh..."
"Let me kiss you!" she pleaded sweetly.
"Nonsense! This is outside!"
The two chased each other for a long time, laughing and joking, until Lu Nan complained of being tired and then took a taxi back to school.
"Nannan, wouldn't it be great if you came home with me tonight? Anyway, it's almost holiday time and nobody will care about us." As soon as they entered the school gate, Cheng Xiangbei chased after Lu Nan, trying to win her over.
Lu Nan shook her head. "If I go home with you, will I even be able to get up tomorrow?"
"I promise I won't touch you." The promise was made in a very soft voice.
"You're already at the dorm, why are you still going out?" I kicked him. "I don't want to move."
"Do you want me to carry you?" He winked and gave a suggestive smile.
"Go away, this is school." Lu Nan blushed and turned her face away.
"Actually, I prefer..." she drawled, feigning mystery. Lu Nan, puzzled, asked, "What do you like?"
"I like being ridden by you..." Cheng Xiangbei lowered his voice and whispered mischievously in Lu Nan's ear.
Lu Nan's face flushed red, and she kicked him. "You bastard tiger! You don't even know where you're going to talk! You can't harass an innocent man like that!"
"Hehe!" Cheng Xiangbei ran off with a grin.
"Hey! Who's walking so carelessly!" A furious curse rang out, and Cheng Xiangbei abruptly stopped. He felt the voice sounded very familiar, and just as he was about to look closer, he heard Lu Nan exclaim in surprise, "Yun Shao?!"
"Lu Nan!" The person threw themselves into Lu Nan's arms like a locomotive, their voice trembling with tears. "Lu Nan, I've been waiting for you for so long... Waaah..."
The two men took Shen Yunshao home.
"Here, have some water." It was already late spring and early summer, but Shen Yunshao's face was surprisingly cool. Lu Nan touched his forehead and asked worriedly, "How long have you been outside?"
"I don't know, I've been waiting for you." Shen Yunshao took a couple of sips of water, then took the hot towel Cheng Xiangbei handed him and wiped his face. Lu Nan then said to him, "Go take a hot shower, don't catch a cold."
"I'm not going." Shen Yunshao clung to him, acting like a sloth.
"Stop being temperamental, go take a shower, or you'll really catch a cold," Lu Nan advised.
"Hmph! What's so scary about catching a cold? Nobody would care if I died!"
"What are you saying!" Lu Nan patted his head and coaxed, "Even if you're sick, it hurts me to see you like this! Go take a shower, I'll get you some clean clothes!"
Shen Yunshao reluctantly stood up. "You're still the best to me."
Shen Yunshao went into the bathroom, and Cheng Xiangbei followed Lu Nan closely, saying aggrievedly, "Nan Nan, what do you mean you feel sorry for him because he's sick?"
Lu Nan glared at him, annoyed. "Didn't you see he was in a bad mood?"
"Even if you're trying to coax someone, you can't do this!" Cheng Laohu said indignantly. "And what's with Shen Yunshao? Why did he come all this way to our place?" Lu Nan thought for a moment and said, "It's probably related to Teacher Shen!"
Just now, Shen Yunshao was so focused on venting his emotions that Lu Nan didn't hear what he said clearly. However, every time Yunshao threw a tantrum, it was always related to his brother. Speaking of which, Yunshao's visit was quite sudden, but Lu Nan was still very happy. The two friends hadn't seen each other for over half a year. They had planned to get together during winter break, but Shen Yunshao went to his grandmother's house in the provincial capital, and the two unfortunately missed each other. Now, with May Day approaching, he would probably stay a few more days. Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Lu Nan's face. "Tiger, you sleep in the small bedroom tonight! I'll sleep in the big room with Yunshao."
How grief-stricken! How sorrowful!
Cheng Xiangbei bit his finger as he watched Lu Nan and Shen Yunshao walk hand in hand into the main room to sleep. Honestly, if he weren't afraid of upsetting Lu Nan, he'd really like to sleep on the floor next to her! He wasn't unaware of Lu Nan and Shen Yunshao's relationship, and he roughly understood that they were similar in nature; putting them in the same bed wouldn't cause any trouble. But he was just jealous! Watching his lover lie in bed with another guy, especially since Shen Yunshao always seemed to cling to Lu Nan—if he didn't mind, would he still be a man?!
"Teacher Shen, what are you up to!" After confirming that Lu Nan and Shen Yunshao were both asleep, Cheng Xiangbei secretly made a phone call.
"Hmm? Xiang Bei, is the baby with you?" Shen Yunzhao's voice sounded relatively calm, as if he had already anticipated that Shen Yunshao would go to find Lu Nan.
"They just arrived tonight, when are you coming to pick them up?"
“The baby is still angry, I’ll go a day later,” Shen Yunzhao said calmly.
"Don't blame me for not reminding you, your baby and my Lu Nan are sleeping in the same bed now."
"What did you say?!" The person who had been pretending to be calm instantly exploded. "How could you let someone else sleep next to my baby?!"
Cheng Xiangbei gritted his teeth. "The other person you're talking about is my precious baby!"
"That's not the point! Separate them right now!" We must uphold sovereignty even from a thousand miles away!
"Hey, you're a whole day late! It's none of my business who your baby sleeps with!" I'm really annoyed too!
"Keep an eye on him, I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning!"
"Excuse me for reminding you, but the night flights are long gone."
"I'll crawl if I have to!"
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