Chapter 69 "Zhou Xuran, my patience is limited."
Lu Yu calmly pulled Lin Che into his arms, his slender fingers threaded through his fingers and interlocked theirs.
"Lin Che!" A clear female voice came from behind.
Zhou Jiming's girlfriend, Jiang Jinjin, trotted over. She was wearing a light pink winter coat, and her almond-shaped eyes sparkled beneath the brim of her hat. The moment she saw Lin Che, her eyes widened slightly. "Wow, you're even prettier than in the photo!!"
Lin Che was stunned for a moment, her ears slightly red. "Thank you..."
"Let's go play over there!" Jiang Jinjin enthusiastically took his other hand and pointed to the snowmobile not far away. "I just tried it. It was super exciting!"
Lin Che looked at Lu Yu hesitantly.
Lu Yu pinched his fingertips and whispered, "Go, be careful."
Only Lu Yu and Zhou Xuran were left there.
The cold wind blew past, and the air between the two seemed to freeze for a moment.
"You were the one who sent the photo, right?" Lu Yu spoke calmly, but his eyes were always following Lin Che in the distance.
Zhou Xuran followed his gaze and saw Lin Che astride his snowmobile, with Jiang Jinjin excitedly directing the movements from behind. The sunlight shone brightly on Lin Che's smiling face, blindingly bright.
Zhou Xuran's expression remained unchanged. He just tilted his head slightly to look at Lu Yu. His amber eyes reflected the light of snow, and he asked with a hint of amusement: "What photo?"
Lu Yu's lips curled up into a cold smile, his eyes sharp as a blade: "Those in the supermarket."
Zhou Xuran chuckled, lowered his head to adjust the wristband of his ski gloves, and said casually, "If I were to send it, I would choose something more intimate."
Lu Yu's eyes suddenly turned cold and his knuckles tightened slightly.
Zhou Xuran raised his eyes and looked him straight in the eye: "However, since someone sent it to you specifically, it seems... I'm not the only one paying attention to him."
Lu Yu stared at him, a dark tide surging in his eyes, but in the end he just said lightly: "Don't set your sights on him."
Zhou Xuran shrugged and said in a relaxed tone, "It all depends on your ability."
Lu Yu's voice was low and warning, "Zhou Xuran, my patience is limited."
Zhou Xuran raised his eyebrows slightly, half-smiling: "So nervous? It seems you're not completely confident either."
Lu Yu didn't respond, and his gaze returned to Lin Che in the distance.
Lin Che was sitting astride a snowmobile, with Jiang Jinjin excitedly directing the direction from behind. He was wearing a helmet, his cheeks slightly flushed from the cold wind, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, and his smile was unrestrained and lively.
Lu Yu's eyes were fixed on him, as if everything around him had become a blurred background.
Zhou Xuran followed his gaze and suddenly whispered, "He is indeed very special."
Lu Yu didn't look back, but his knuckles were clenched silently.
"However," Zhou Xuran paused, his tone softening, "since you've already trapped him, don't give others a chance."
Lu Yu finally looked at him sideways, his eyes stern: "I can't."
Zhou Xuran smiled, said nothing more, turned and walked towards the hot drink bar in the rest area.
Lu Yu stood where he was, his gaze returning to Lin Che.
The snowmobile made a sharp turn and Lin Che was almost thrown out. He screamed in fright and scrambled to steady the car.
Jiang Jinjin was laughing so hard behind him that she fell backwards. She patted his shoulder, as if encouraging him to try again.
Lin Che turned around and caught Lu Yu's eye accurately from a distance.
His eyes lit up and he waved vigorously at Lu Yu, his smile as bright as the warmest sunshine in winter.
Lu Yu's brows softened instantly and he raised his hand to respond.
Lin Che seemed to say something, but the distance was too far for Lu Yu to hear clearly. However, judging from his lip shape, it was probably -
"Look at me!"
Lu Yu chuckled and walked towards him.
On the snow, his footprints were deep and shallow, but they always led straight towards Lin Che.
Behind him, Zhou Xuran leaned against the bar, holding a glass of mulled wine in his hand. He glanced at the scene indifferently, and finally lowered his head to take a sip of wine.
"What's wrong? Do you want to fall in love?" Zhou Jiming walked out from behind Zhou Xuran and saw that his eyes were fixed on Lin Che and Lu Yu. He bumped his shoulder and asked with a smirk.
Zhou Xuran retracted his gaze and shook the red wine glass in his hand, making a crisp sound when the ice cubes collided: "Brother, you said..."
He paused, his gaze returning to the laughing Lin Che in the distance. "Isn't it fun to rob other people's things?"
Zhou Jiming followed his gaze and saw Lu Yu carrying Lin Che off the snowmobile. Their foreheads touched, a look of intimacy. He raised an eyebrow: "What's going on? Has our great doctor Zhou finally come to his senses?"
Zhou Xuran chuckled, tilted his head back, and drank the wine in his glass. "What's the point? I just feel..." His eyes gradually darkened, "Some people are clearly unworthy, but they still get the best."
Zhou Jiming's gaze fell on Lu Yu and Lin Che once again, confirming once again that he was talking about Lin Che. He looked at Zhou Xuran thoughtfully, "Are you serious?"
Zhou Xuran didn't answer, but placed the empty glass on the bar with a soft "tap" sound. He slowly took off his gloves, revealing his slender fingers: "Brother, you said..."
He suddenly turned his head, his amber eyes appearing particularly deep under the light of the snow. "What if I want it too?"
Zhou Jiming narrowed his eyes: "Lu Yu is not someone you can easily mess with."
"I know." Zhou Xuran put his gloves back on, his tone as relaxed as if he were discussing the weather. "That's why it's more interesting, isn't it?"
In the distance, Lin Che was being held in Lu Yu's arms. They were talking about something, but Lin Che's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. Zhou Xuran's gaze lingered on that brilliant smile for a long time, a faint curve at the corner of his mouth.
"Don't play with fire." Zhou Jiming warned.
Zhou Xuran retracted his gaze and patted his brother's shoulder: "Don't worry, I know my limits." He paused, then added, "At least... now I do."
Zhou Jiming was about to say something when Jiang Jinjin came running over: "What are you two talking about? You two are so serious."
Zhou Jiming instantly regained his usual gentle expression: "We're discussing what to eat tonight."
"I know there's a fantastic Japanese restaurant nearby!" Jiang Jinjin said excitedly, turning to look off into the distance. "I'll go get Lin Che and the others..."
"No need." Zhou Jiming glanced at Zhou Xuran's serious expression and interrupted her directly, his tone gentle but unyielding, "They probably want more time for themselves."
Jiang Jinjin blinked, and suddenly a look of sudden enlightenment appeared on her face: "Oh, I get it!" She nagged Zhou Jiming with her elbow, "Then we won't be light bulbs anymore?"
Zhou Jiming rubbed her hair helplessly: "You..."
Zhou Xuran watched them interact, his gaze unconsciously drifting off again. Lu Yu was bending down to tie Lin Che's scarf, his movements incredibly gentle. Lin Che tilted her head back, her lips moving as she spoke, and Lu Yu's eyes were filled with doting.
Zhou Xuran's eyes darkened, and he turned and walked into the room: "I'm going to change clothes first."
His back cast a long shadow in the snow, and he was getting farther and farther away from the figures of the beautiful couple in the distance.
A thin layer of mist formed on the lounge window. Zhou Xuran stood in front of it, his fingertips unconsciously tracing something on the glass. When his fingers stopped, a vague heart shape appeared on the window.
He stared at the pattern for a few seconds, suddenly smiled self-deprecatingly, and raised his hand to wipe it away.
Zhou Xuran stood by the window, his fingertips gently stroking the cold glass. The falling snow outside the window made him feel as if he was back in the winter of five years ago.
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