Zheng Qingyuan raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth pulling into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I’m not your boyfriend, and my head isn’t turning green, so what’s there for me to misunderstand?”
He even followed it up with two dry, hollow laughs. “Haha.”
Qiao Liuyue couldn’t stand to listen anymore. She reached out, grabbed Dong Jiaoyan by the arm, and dragged her out of the bar.
The door swung shut behind them, finally bringing some peace to her ears. Even her breathing felt easier.
Dong Jiaoyan’s attention lingered on the blue sports car for less than half a second.
It mostly fixed on the shiny, round emblem of a certain German luxury brand right in the center of the hood.
Her eyes lit up with a snap.
The drunken haze seemed to clear completely in that moment.
“Whose car is this?”
Qiao Liuyue instinctively glanced toward Zheng Qingyuan.
Dong Jiaoyan’s gaze followed Qiao Liuyue’s line of sight, zeroing in on Zheng Qingyuan’s face with pinpoint accuracy.
The look in her eyes was hard to describe—like a wolf that had been starving for three days and nights finally locking onto its prey, a raw, undisguised gleam flickering there.
Zheng Qingyuan shuddered under that stare.
He reacted quickly, waving his hands and explaining:
“I work at an auto repair shop. Liuyue just called me to come pick someone up, so I temporarily borrowed a customer’s car.”
He turned sideways, pointing out the front bumper, which was badly dented from a collision.
Then he gestured to the long scratch and dent on the driver’s side door.
“Haven’t you seen the front of the car? And the driver’s door? Both damaged!”
He added another line, his tone sincere, even letting his eyes flicker for effect.
“I’m a second-generation broke guy now. Even if you sold me off, I couldn’t afford a luxury car this expensive.”
It was reasoned, logical, and flawlessly acted.
Dong Jiaoyan’s gaze shifted from the car emblem to the dent on the hood, then back to Zheng Qingyuan’s innocent, handsome face. The corner of her mouth twitched.
She reluctantly looked away.
Ah, so the Neighbor Brother really was just a handsome pauper.
She sighed inwardly, feeling a wave of disappointment. Even her shoulders slumped.
On the drive back, Qiao Liuyue was still at the wheel.
When they reached the school, she helped Dong Jiaoyan out of the car and told her, “Don’t go anywhere. Wait here for me.”
Zheng Qingyuan had been sunk deep into his seat, the glow from his phone screen lighting up his face and reflecting the slight curl of his lips.
Hearing this, he shot up from his seat.
A conflicted expression crossed his face, and his eyes darted around.
In a tone that was deliberately casual—so casual it was obviously put on—he asked:
“Oh, uh… you have something else to do?”
“You know how it is. Late at night, a guy like me…”
He trailed off mid-sentence.
Because Qiao Liuyue was looking at him with an expression that clearly said, “Are you seriously putting on an act for me right now?”
There was understanding and amusement in her gaze.
She cut him off.
“Alright, Little Duoduo, with your driving skills, I’m afraid you’ll crash into a river before you even make it home. I’ll drive you back!”
The smug look on Zheng Qingyuan’s face faded a little.
He straightened his back.
“Oh.”
Qiao Liuyue called another roommate, who ran down to open the door.
Luckily, the dormitory matron was already sound asleep.
The roommate asked curiously, “You’re not coming up with me?”
Qiao Liuyue shook her head. “I borrowed a car to pick up Dong Jiaoyan just now. I need to return it now. You take her up first.”
“Alright.”
Although the other two roommates weren’t particularly close to Qiao Liuyue, normal girls are usually kind and willing to help when they can.
Besides, Dong Jiaoyan was this drunk and alone.
If they really left her be, who knows what might happen.
When Qiao Liuyue got back, the blue sports car was still parked at the back gate of the school.
The dent on the front hood stood out, painfully obvious.
She walked over quietly and found the window was partially rolled down.
Zheng Qingyuan was leaning back in the passenger seat, his head tilted slightly toward the window, eyes closed as if resting.
His long lashes hung down like two little fans, casting a small, fan-shaped shadow under his eyes.
His breathing was steady and deep, his chest rising and falling gently with each breath. He looked utterly soft and endearing.
Qiao Liuyue stood outside the car door for a few seconds.
She had to admit that his features were actually quite delicate—high, sharp brow bones, a straight, chiseled nose, and distinct lips.
With his eyes closed, he lost that careless, lazy vibe he had when awake, replaced by a clean, unguarded, youthful air.
He was completely different from Chu Xubai, that cold academic heartthrob type. Chu Xubai gave off the kind of ascetic aura that could make the whole room fall silent just by reading an announcement at the podium.
But Zheng Qingyuan could be a bit silly sometimes.
And surprisingly sharp at others.
A really odd character.
Qiao Liuyue didn’t want to wake him, so she carefully opened the driver’s side door.
She had just settled into the driver’s seat and leaned down to grab the seatbelt buckle when she looked up again—and was suddenly met with a face that had turned into a close-up, strikingly handsome image.
Zheng Qingyuan had woken up at some point.
His upper body leaned forward, his hands braced between the back of her seat and the door frame, caging her in that limited space.
They were too close, unreasonably close—close enough for her to see the curve of his lashes.
Qiao Liuyue pressed her back tightly against the seat, instinctively shrinking back.
“What are you doing?”
Outside, the night was thick, the sky starless, and the moon hidden behind clouds.
Inside the car, only the faint glow from the dashboard and the dim blue light from the decorative strips outlined their figures, blurring and intimate.
Zheng Qingyuan didn’t answer, nor did he pull back. He just stared straight at her.
“Say something!”
Qiao Liuyue repeated herself, this time a little louder.
Zheng Qingyuan tilted his head slightly.
The gesture carried a lazy sort of cuteness, as if he were seriously pondering something very important.
His gaze paused for a moment.
Then he spoke, his voice low and clear.
“Xie Linchuan is an idiot.”
Qiao Liuyue blinked. “…Huh?”
She blinked again, completely baffled.
This reaction clearly wasn’t what Zheng Qingyuan had expected. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, as if holding back a laugh or masking some awkward emotion.
A faint smile tugged at his lips again. “I’m not an idiot.”
Qiao Liuyue looked at him.
Her voice unconsciously softened.
“So what?”
Zheng Qingyuan let out a weird little “hee hee.”
The laughter carried a hint of silliness and a touch of relief.
He turned his head, shrugged casually, and gestured with his chin toward the window.
“Nothing.”
He paused, then added:
“The moon looks really beautiful tonight.”
