Fell In Love With My Older Sister’s Friend - Chapter 7

The moment the question was posed, it was met with merciless ridicule from her friends.

Ying Ying said, “That’s hilarious. You, the eternal solitary one, you should go ask Fu Shixuan, she has lots of boyfriends.”

Fu Shixuan scoffed, “No thanks, just playing the field. What’s so great about those guys? Not a single one can do their own homework and has to copy mine.”

Xu Luzhi: “…” Oh please, they just copy your homework because they want to talk to you more. Why are you, a cold and stunning beauty, so clueless about romance!

“What, did you fall for someone?” Ying Ying took continuous sips of her drink, scrutinizing Xu Luzhi with a look of suspicion. “Didn’t you say Xu Luzhi only loves studying?”

“Yes, exactly, I only love studying.” Xu Luzhi went along with the flow, nodding confidently. After a thought, she added, “It’s just… well, someone else confessed to me, and I find it annoying, so I just asked.”

“Tsk, our Zhizhi is just so popular.” Fu Shixuan intentionally or unintentionally touched Xu Luzhi’s braid, smiling as she pressed, “Who is it? Tell us so we can hear?”

“Jiang Duo,” Xu Luzhi said.

They all searched their minds for a while before finding the person corresponding to that name.

Fu Shixuan snorted, giving a precise evaluation: “A toad lusting after a swan’s flesh.”

“Exactly! Our Zhizhi should at least be paired with someone from Tsinghua or Peking University,” Ying Ying threw an arm around Xu Luzhi’s neck, giggling.

It was common for Xu Luzhi to be confessed to, especially when she looked so beautiful at her birthday party. The three of them quickly forgot about the matter.

Xu Luzhi silently drew a breath. She and her two friends usually told each other everything, but this time, she suddenly didn’t want to share her feelings with them.

It was a secret, belonging only to a young girl on the cusp of love vague yet entangled.

After sitting with her friends for a while, listening to Fu Shixuan talk about her trip to Antarctica, Xu Luzhi was initially engrossed, but soon felt bored.

Her entire heart seemed to be drawn to a place not far away. Even if she did nothing, she wanted to sit nearby and quietly watch her.

It was strange. The air conditioning in the hall was on full blast, cool and comfortable, yet Xu Luzhi felt a tingling sensation, a rush of heat all over her body. An indescribable urge drove her to go and look at Lin Qingyue one more time.

Just once, to hear her say one sentence would be enough. If she could… have a little physical contact with her, that would be even better.

Xu Luzhi was always a rational person, exceptionally good at math and physics. She couldn’t recall the last time she had so desperately wanted something.

She picked up a glass of herbal tea from the table, slowly sipping it and observing the faint red lip stain left on the rim of the glass as she counted in her mind.

One, two, three…

Xu Luzhi gulped down the herbal tea, feeling the cool, medicinal taste spread down her throat. Without drawing attention, she tugged at the braid on her left side, messing it up.

Her hair was short, and the braid was difficult to tie in the first place. With a simple tug, the hair tie slipped off, lying quietly in her palm.

Xu Luzhi clutched the hair tie, making a fist, and lowered her head to study the empty teacup.

Ying Ying was the first to notice, pointing at Xu Luzhi and exclaiming, “Zhizhi, your braid!”

Fu Shixuan immediately stood up, stroking Xu Luzhi’s loose strands, trying to tie it up again.

Predictably, she failed.

Xu Luzhi sighed, and softly said, “The stylist designed this specially, it might be hard to tie up again…”

The girl’s hair was messy on one side, her round eyes were downcast, and her cherry lips were tightly pursed, looking very distraught.

No one noticed the cunning glint hidden in her eyes.

Ying Ying grew anxious, walking around her. “Ah, what should we do?”

Fu Shixuan calmly studied the style of the braid and asked, “Has the stylist left? Can we ask them to come back?”

Xu Luzhi gently shook her head, slowly getting up. “No need… If it can’t be helped, I’ll just wear my hair down.”

However, she believed that Lin Qingyue would surely find a way.

Even if she didn’t, even though she really liked her two little braids, trading them for one more chance to see Lin Qingyue was not a loss.

“How can that be? You’re the birthday girl!” Ying Ying frowned.

“How about… I’ll ask my sister? She brought a friend; maybe she’ll have a solution,” Xu Luzhi waited long enough and tentatively suggested.

Fu Shixuan urged her, “Then hurry up! We’ll wait for you here!”

“Okay. I’ll go now. Don’t go hungry, just eat something,” Xu Luzhi walked out with a troubled expression, but her steps were growing lighter.

Her palm was a little sweaty from gripping the hair tie, and a secret thrill, the joy of a planned mischief, surged in her heart.

Zhizhi is well-behaved, but Zhizhi is not a good girl.

She will lie.

Xu Luzhi glanced from afar and saw that Lin Qingyue was not sitting at the main table with Xu Luwei.

Seated at the main table were Xu Luwei, Father Xu, Mother Xu, and several aunts and uncles she knew, all important family friends. Even the children of these aunts and uncles had to sit at other tables.

Xu Luzhi understood, cleverly avoiding the main table and searching the quiet, deserted corners. Sure enough, she found Lin Qingyue, self-medicating, at the table furthest to the side, where almost no one was.

The woman rested her arm on the table, propping up her chin. She was leisurely pouring low-alcohol red wine into her glass, taking a small sip. The liquid stained her red lips, enhancing her beauty. Her peach blossom eyes were lowered, the corners slightly flushed.

Just a few simple movements created a natural, captivating allure, carving out a small, exclusive world for her in the noisy banquet hall.

A single glance, and she was impossible to ignore.

Xu Luzhi’s heart thumped. She slowly walked over and found a seat next to Lin Qingyue. “Jie-jie (Sister).”

Lin Qingyue glanced over, noticing a little one had appeared beside her at some point, sitting quietly and looking up at her.

Lin Qingyue placed the wine bottle aside, subtly blocking Xu Luzhi’s view, and asked, “Why are you here?”

Xu Luzhi blinked innocently and asked, “Jie-jie, why are you sitting here alone?”

“I don’t really like crowds,” Lin Qingyue simply stated. She seemed a little tipsy from the alcohol, and her voice carried a mellow, rich tone.

Xu Luzhi softly “oh’d,” tugging at a lock of her hair for Lin Qingyue to see, her eyes full of grievance. “Jie-jie, my braid came undone…”

The little girl’s eyes were round, staring unblinkingly at her, her small face filled with a pleading look.

Without saying the second half of the sentence, Lin Qingyue knew what the little one had come to find her for.

Did she look like someone who was good at braiding hair?

Facing Lin Qingyue’s examining gaze, Xu Luzhi was glib: “Jie-jie, none of them know how to do this style. Could you try for me, please? I have to go around and toast drinks later. It looks so ugly with my hair down”

Xu Luzhi’s voice was sweet, and when she pleaded, it was like honey, making it impossible for anyone to resist.

Lin Qingyue curved her lips, her gaze sweeping over her hair. “Alright, I’ll reluctantly give it a try.”

Seeing her plan work, Xu Luzhi couldn’t help but smile sweetly. She spread open her palm, revealing not a hair tie, but a small candy.

Lin Qingyue was puzzled.

“It’s a reward for Jie-jie,” Xu Luzhi’s smile was as sweet as the candy, and her voice was soft. “Jie-jie has been drinking, have a piece of candy.”

Lin Qingyue’s heart skipped a beat. She picked up the candy, carefully tore open the wrapper, licked it with the tip of her tongue, and rolled the small candy into her mouth.

The clear sweetness of watermelon spread from the tip of her tongue, quickly filling her entire mouth. Mixed with the slight bitterness of the wine, it had a unique flavor.

Seeing that Lin Qingyue really ate the candy, Xu Luzhi licked her lips. An identical candy was slowly melting in her own mouth, sticky and incredibly sweet.

She extended her other small hand, relaxing her fist. In her clean palm lay a round hair tie, the color of honey.

Xu Luzhi looked up, full of anticipation, at Lin Qingyue.

Lin Qingyue sighed softly. She put the honey-colored hair tie around her pale wrist, which, when contrasted with her pure black fingernails, gave her a surprisingly cute look. She instructed Xu Luzhi, “Turn your back to me.”

Xu Luzhi’s heart fluttered. She obediently turned around, facing away from Lin Qingyue.

This was a corner of the main hall. The surroundings were noisy and bustling with chatter, clinking glasses, but this spot was a rare place of quiet, with only the two of them.

Without a mirror, Xu Luzhi couldn’t see what was happening behind her. She only felt Lin Qingyue’s fingertips brush past her earlobe and outer ear, slowly smoothing her messy hair.

At this moment, she desperately wished there were sensory organs in her hair. If there were, she could feel the sensation of her hair resting in Lin Qingyue’s palm.

It must be warm, soft, and so comfortable that she would feel bubbly inside.

Xu Luzhi tightly pursed her lips in nervousness, feeling the warmth occasionally radiating from her scalp and hair, trying her best not to let the redness in her earlobes become too obvious.

There was a half-empty bottle of red wine on the table. She had never drunk alcohol, but gazing at that alluring blush color, she felt already drunk, even a little lightheaded.

Not until Lin Qingyue spoke above her head, “How is it?” did Xu Luzhi awaken as if from a dream, instinctively reaching out to touch her re-braided hair.

Before her hand could touch it, Lin Qingyue firmly grasped it, her voice carrying a smile coming from above her head. “What, do you want to mess it up again?”

Xu Luzhi’s face flushed. She stuck out her tongue and quickly shook her head.

“It’s done. No need to check, your braid looks very good,” Lin Qingyue’s low, husky voice flowed past Xu Luzhi’s ear like an electric current.

Xu Luzhi only nodded, forgetting to pull her hand back, letting Lin Qingyue hold her wrist. She stupidly asked, “Jie-jie, should I grow my hair long from now on?”

“Of course, that’s great,” Lin Qingyue chuckled. She leaned over, and a strand of her waterfall-like black hair fell down, swaying restlessly in front of Xu Luzhi.

Xu Luzhi unconsciously swallowed. It was the first time she realized the depth of her fixation on long hair.