Fell In Love With My Older Sister’s Friend - Chapter 12

The lively birthday banquet lasted until midnight. By the time the guests began to leave, Xu Luzhi could barely manage a smile.

She was utterly exhausted. Slumping into a chair, she didn’t care if her dress got wrinkled, feeling more tired than she would after a wedding.

But if she were the bride, she’d probably be much happier and more motivated than she was now.

Xu Luzhi had no appetite for food; her eyelids drooped, and all she wanted was to quickly wash up and go to sleep.

However, a glimpse of Xu Luwei walking toward the door jolted her. She called out, “Sister!”

Xu Luwei paused, turning back to look at her nearly-asleep sister, and gently asked, “What is it?”

“It’s so late, where are you going?” Xu Luzhi struggled to ask, her eyelids fighting to stay open. Yet, the thought of the news potentially involving Lin Qingyue kept her determinedly awake.

No, she didn’t need to struggle. The mere mention of Lin Qingyue’s name was enough to keep Xu Luzhi from sleeping.

“I’m going to take your Sister Lin back to the hotel,” Xu Luwei answered truthfully. “She might be leaving in a few days.”

“Leaving?” Xu Luzhi’s heart skipped a beat. “She just arrived, why is she leaving so soon?”

Xu Luwei chuckled, “Silly girl, she’s not from Lincheng. She can’t stay in a hotel forever, so she’ll naturally leave in a few days.”

“Will she go back to Weicheng?” Xu Luzhi asked innocently.

Xu Luwei frowned and thought for a moment before cautiously replying, “Probably not… I don’t know where she’ll go.”

Lin Qingyue was always coming and going without a trace, more mysterious than anyone else, and no one could ever pin down her itinerary. Whether or not one could meet her purely depended on her mood.

Xu Luzhi nodded obediently, her heart sinking as she guessed a few things.

She pinched her palm with her fingernails, her mind racing. Soon, she formed a plan, and with a composed smile, she said, “Okay, you go ahead then.”

Xu Luwei acknowledged and was about to leave, but Xu Luzhi called her back again.

The young girl’s eyes were clear and flawless as she seriously reminded her, “Don’t forget to remind her that she still owes me a birthday present!”

As long as their agreement was incomplete, Lin Qingyue couldn’t leave. If she did, she would be breaking her promise, giving Xu Luzhi an even stronger reason to cling to her.

If only… if only Lin Qingyue could stay for the summer break, she could slowly plan the rest.

Xu Luwei quietly watched her sister for a long time. Even as blood sisters, and with seven more years of experience, sometimes she still couldn’t understand Xu Luzhi’s actions.

This child was too clever, so clever it was frightening.

She finally just nodded and said, “Alright.”

Perhaps she should subtly remind Lin Qingyue. No matter what, Zhizhi was only seventeen.

She could be willful and ignorant, she could indulge herself for beauty, but Lin Qingyue could not.

No one had ever been able to tame Lin Qingyue, much less Xu Luzhi, who was seven years her junior.

As Xu Luzhi walked back to her room, she inexplicably walked past the table where Lin Qingyue had been sitting earlier.

The leftovers on the table had been cleared, leaving only a few empty bottles standing there, waiting to be taken for recycling.

Xu Luzhi immediately spotted the bottle of red wine Lin Qingyue had drunk from.

After a whole day, only a shallow trace remained at the bottom of the bottle, refracting a rosy, intoxicating glow under the light of the hall.

It was very beautiful.

Xu Luzhi glanced around, making sure no one was looking at her. Then, as if possessed, she lightly opened the wine bottle’s cap.

A rich aroma of fine red wine wafted out, light and faint, tempting her olfactory senses and making her impatient to taste it.

Xu Luzhi gripped the bottle, feeling the cool glass against her palm. An image of a half-drunk Lin Qingyue flashed clearly in her mind: her gaze hazy, her smile captivating, every strand of her hair unrestrained and bold.

Was this how one became so sexy and alluring after drinking?

Xu Luzhi unconsciously licked her lips, a hidden impulse stirring within her heart.

She had never had alcohol before. Even when Ying Ying and Fu Shixuan had dragged her to “try,” she had firmly refused, feeling dizzy at the mere smell of wine.

But at this moment, perhaps because she was too tired and sleepy, Xu Luzhi’s mind had lost its ability to function, and the only thing she could think of was Lin Qingyue.

Lost in thought, she made up her mind. Her small cherry lips approached the bottle neck, pressed right against it, and she tilted her head back, swallowing the last tiny sip of red wine at the bottom of the bottle.

A strange sensation reached her tongue, cool like a beverage, with a mellow, intoxicating fragrance that spread through her mouth, quickly taking over her internal organs.

Xu Luzhi pursed her lips, standing in place in a daze. She felt a burning sensation in her stomach, as if a small flame were searing it.

Her head was also a little dizzy such a strange feeling, as if her body was no longer under her control, and she even felt a slight urge to vomit.

She felt indescribably uncomfortable all over, yet a slight smile spilled from her lips, as if by doing this, she was somehow a step closer to Lin Qingyue.

Drinking the wine she had drunk… it sounded a little perverted, but it also felt… quite addictive.

Xu Luzhi did not take the empty wine bottle with her. Dazed and confused, she used her last bit of strength to climb the stairs, change her clothes, and collapse onto her soft princess bed.

Before losing consciousness, she realized a truth: her tolerance for alcohol was truly terrible; she got dizzy from a single sip.

Unlike Lin Qingyue, who could drink a whole bottle and remain seemingly unaffected.

However, having drunk the wine her sister had drunk, even if her head was spinning, her heart still felt sweet.

Xu Luzhi thought hazily that she might need to practice more and improve her alcohol tolerance.

Otherwise, how could she ever drink with her sister in the future?

The grand birthday banquet was over, and Xu Luzhi’s summer vacation life returned to its normal rhythm, so much so that when she woke up from her hangover, she vaguely thought it had all been a dream.

She habitually lingered in bed for a while until she saw a lipstick neatly placed on her nightstand. Only then did she realize that Lin Qingyue had truly barged into her life.

And she might leave quietly, too.

Xu Luzhi’s heart tightened. She leaped up, quickly washed and dressed, and ran downstairs.

Aunt Lin immediately saw the perpetually clumsy young lady and couldn’t help but call out, “Zhizhi, slow down, what’s the rush!”

Xu Luzhi abruptly stopped, pausing in front of Aunt Lin, and smiled charmingly, “I woke up late, so I was worried about missing breakfast!”

At that, she rubbed her flat stomach, indeed feeling a little hungry.

She hadn’t eaten much all of yesterday, and though Aunt Lin had specially cooked congee for her in the evening, she had barely eaten a few bites before collapsing into sleep.

Now that the day was bright, Xu Luzhi was already starving.

“Silly girl, when has Aunt Lin ever not saved breakfast for you?” Aunt Lin smiled kindly, tapping Xu Luzhi’s nose. “Our Zhizhi is hungry! Good girl, Aunt Lin made you a fragrant chicken noodle soup with mushrooms. I’ll serve it right out!”

“Okay!” Xu Luzhi nodded obediently, her eyes darting around. She casually asked, “Where are Mom, Dad, and Sister?”

“They all woke up and had breakfast a long time ago. The Master and Madam went out to work. Weiwei is in her room,” Aunt Lin replied, urging her to sit at the dining table so she could go serve the noodles.

Xu Luzhi sat properly at the dining table. The house had returned to its original state overnight, neat and clean, yet it felt a little empty, as if something was missing.

She was bored as she sipped the hot milk, hoping to finish breakfast quickly and then find an excuse to coax information out of Xu Luwei. But for some reason, Aunt Lin, who was usually quick, was moving incredibly slowly this time, taking what felt like an age to bring out a bowl of noodles.

By the time Xu Luzhi had mentally recited an entire English essay, Aunt Lin finally walked out unhurriedly with a tray, setting the items down one by one in front of Xu Luzhi: “Here you go, the chicken noodle soup with mushrooms, be careful, it’s hot; here are shrimp dumplings, your favorite; and pickled small tomatoes to cleanse the palate. There you are, Zhizhi’s breakfast!”

“Thank you, Aunt Lin! Aunt Lin’s cooking is the best!” Xu Luzhi’s eyes narrowed, behaving surprisingly well.

She lowered her head and, under Aunt Lin’s loving gaze, slurped her breakfast. The noodles with mushrooms were indeed very flavorful, so delicious she could have swallowed her tongue.

As she ate, Xu Luzhi suddenly wasn’t in a rush anymore. She even had the leisure to slowly drink her milk, watching Aunt Lin clear the messy cups and dishes.

Haste makes waste Zhizhi understood this principle well.

There was still a long, long time, so, take it slow.

Xu Luzhi chatted with Aunt Lin for a while before going upstairs to find Xu Luwei.

Her sister’s room was directly across from hers, the same size and layout. The difference was that Xu Luwei’s door was clean and simple, with only a single rose emblem sticker, while her own door was plastered with various stickers.

Full of a young girl’s heart.

Xu Luzhi stood outside Xu Luwei’s plain door, raising her hand to knock, but feeling a spontaneous nervousness.

By her estimate, it had been nearly half a year since Xu Luwei was last home. Since Xu Luwei started college, she rarely saw her sister, and after Xu Luwei started working, the days they spent together became even fewer.

Even though they were blood relatives with similar appearances, she still felt a sense of apprehension close to home at this moment.

Xu Luzhi took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, and finally knocked on Xu Luwei’s door.

After a short wait, she heard a faint click, the sound of the door being unlocked. Then, the door opened, and Xu Luwei’s delicately made-up face appeared behind it.

“What is it, Zhizhi?” she asked, a hint of weariness in her expression, one hand resting on the door, leaving only a third of the gap exposed.

Xu Luzhi keenly sensed that something was off. For example, her sister never locked her door at home and would always openly invite her in.

Yet now, she stubbornly refused to open the door fully.

Xu Luzhi blinked and shook her head, “Nothing much. Aunt Lin asked me to ask what you want for lunch.”

Xu Luwei visibly relaxed, leaning against the door as she lazily said, “I’ll eat whatever you eat.”

It was a very perfunctory response, and she seemed eager to send her away.

This was not like her sister’s usual style. Xu Luzhi’s internal alarm bells went off, and her mind raced, speculating about all the possible scenarios.

She tentatively asked, “Sister, am I bothering you?”