Chapter 50: Life Is Not Easy, Cheng Orange Sighs

Shifting the focus of the conversation to the National Day holiday, Cheng Yao felt much more at ease. After enduring the ordeal, he realized things weren’t so bad—now that Lu Mengyao had made contact with Zhang Ya as a private tutor, even if a similar situation arose in the future, it could all be explained away. Otherwise, the longer things were suppressed, the more terrifying the explosion would be when it finally happened.

But this also taught Cheng Yao a lesson: never again would he let anyone pull any of these so-called surprises on him—those fancy tricks were just too much. Sometimes, what’s meant to be a pleasant surprise can turn out to be a shock instead.

Cheng Cheng had always been a filial little sister, but this time Cheng Yao nearly got “done in” by her filial piety. Hearing that they’d be going out during the National Day break, Lu Mengyao was a little disappointed. Cheng Yao would take his girlfriend out—where could she go? She didn’t have anywhere to be. Forget it, she’d talk to her roommates and see if there were any fun places to visit.

Cheng Yao ladled a bowl of soup for Zhang Ya. “Didn’t you sign up for the Xinghai Cup? Will going out during the holiday affect your preparations?”

“Are you saying you don’t want to go out with me?” Zhang Ya shot back, her tone sharp.

“Of course not.” Cheng Yao realized that Zhang Ya was still upset, like a loaded cartridge—he couldn’t afford to speak carelessly. Smiling, he said, “Actually, I’ve already thought of a place. It’s not good for you to stay in the dorm playing piano all day. We should get out and enjoy some scenery—but let’s not pick somewhere too exhausting.”

“If we go traveling, it’ll definitely be more tiring than usual—no escaping that.” Zhang Ya sighed. Her family was well-off, and she’d traveled before—every time, she came back dead tired. “But if it’s just for the scenery, that’s all right.”

After Cheng Cheng joined the chat, she grinned and asked, “Brother, where are we going for the holiday?”

“There are plenty of places in the country. Didn’t you say you wanted to see the ocean?”

“We could go to Sanya—I’ve been there twice, so I know the place,” Zhang Ya suggested.

Cheng Yao considered it. Sanya sounded good; he’d never been. He nodded. “That works.”

“We can buy discounted tickets. It’s best to get them soon, or the prices will go up…”

Cheng Yao was familiar with those discounted tickets. Although cheap, the flights were always late at night—ten, eleven, or even later. And if the weather turned bad or luck wasn’t on their side, delays could leave them waiting four or five hours, stewing in frustration. He realized that Zhang Ya was trying to save him money.

“Don’t worry about the flights—I’ll take care of it.” Cheng Yao turned to Cheng Cheng and asked with a grin, “You think you can pass for a child’s ticket?”

Cheng Cheng was speechless.

Zhang Ya couldn’t help but laugh, nearly bursting out loud.

Watching the scene, Lu Mengyao almost put on a mask of misery—she felt like the odd one out, this loving family nearly making her drown in guilt.

But she hadn’t come to stir up trouble; she was here to join them.

She put down her chopsticks and said, “I’m done eating. There’s something I need to take care of at school. You all go ahead. Cheng Cheng, bye. Let’s get in touch after the holiday.”

“Okay, goodbye, Miss Lu.”

“Bye.”

Cheng Cheng waved her hand, seeing Lu Mengyao off, finally feeling relieved.

Once outside, Lu Mengyao’s face paled a few shades.

…

Once she was sure that Cheng Cheng and Lu Mengyao knew each other, Zhang Ya’s doubts were finally dispelled, and she stopped giving Cheng Yao the cold shoulder. “Is your place spacious?”

“It’s absolutely spacious—any sleeping position will do.”

“Are you looking for trouble…” Zhang Ya glanced at Cheng Cheng, her cheeks flushing red. Cheng Cheng acted as if she hadn’t heard anything, head down eating.

In truth, compared to Jiang Yuexi, her brother’s flirting skills were really weak; was that all he had?

Cheng Yao shot back, “I meant sleeping positions—what are you thinking about?”

“Fine… I didn’t tell my family I was coming back, so tonight I’ll sleep with Little Dot.”

Zhang Ya completely blocked off Cheng Yao’s retreat. Even if he wanted to get up to something cheeky, it was out of the question.

“Fine!” Cheng Yao gritted his teeth in regret, wishing he could check if Zhang Ya had a conscience—how could she bear to leave her adorable, dashing boyfriend hanging?

With Zhang Ya there, he completely forgot about Lu Mengyao.

Once Lu Mengyao was gone, the three of them chatted more freely.

Cheng Cheng beamed, “Sister-in-law, let me tell you, my brother and I picked up a dog by Jin Ying Mall—it’s absolutely adorable! And the place we’re staying now is huge…”

“That big?” Zhang Ya was a little surprised. She’d heard Cheng Yao had made some money online.

Now that the tension had eased, Cheng Yao dared to look at Zhang Ya directly. Her outfit was simple today, but with her looks, even the most ordinary clothes set her apart from the crowd.

…

Dragging her suitcase away from Xinjiekou, Lu Mengyao boarded the subway to Xianlin. Today had nearly scared the soul out of her—she’d almost been caught by Cheng Yao’s girlfriend. Luckily, she was quick-witted and didn’t get exposed.

After this round, she had firmly established her role as Cheng Cheng’s music teacher; she wouldn’t need to tiptoe around in the future.

That said, Cheng Yao’s girlfriend was truly stunning! Even as a woman, she couldn’t help but envy that breathtaking face and the unique, indescribable air about her—elegant as a piano.

But honestly, Cheng Yao was such a scoundrel. With a girlfriend that beautiful, he was still after her—wild flowers really are more tempting!

Men!

Lu Mengyao didn’t feel jealous or envious; she didn’t need official status—she simply wanted a comfortable life.

The world was never fair. When life felt unfair, she accepted it as normal; when it felt fair, she counted herself lucky.

So, she considered herself fortunate, even if Cheng Yao just lusted after her body.

She only pitied Zhang Ya—such an outstanding girl, betrayed at such a young age. Men are all the same!

…

After a hearty meal, Cheng Yao’s memory lingered on that restaurant’s Emei Snow—the lychee flavor intense, the clear broth with dry dips both fresh and spicy, suiting all tastes.

He uploaded a clipped video to Douyin, and Zhang Ya asked, “Is this what you’ve been working on lately?”

“Yeah, it has potential.”

“Keep it up.”

With that, Zhang Ya dragged Cheng Cheng off to shop for snacks, as if returning to their high school days.

Hands in his pockets, Cheng Yao followed behind, smiling.

Zhang Ya made him realize that love is fair.

Watching her walk ahead, Cheng Yao was already plotting how he might get to sleep with his lovely “bun” that night—but with Cheng Cheng, that accursed third wheel, around, he saw no way of realizing his wish.

Damn it!

After two hours of wandering, Zhang Ya took Cheng Cheng to sit in a KFC, while Cheng Yao received a call from Lisa—the piano was on its way and would arrive in about half an hour.

After hanging up, Cheng Yao said, “I need to head back for a bit—what about you guys?”

“We’re going to see a movie—we’ve already bought the tickets. We’ll have dinner before heading back,” Zhang Ya replied, glancing at him.

Cheng Yao explained, “The delivery guy took the stuff back to my place, so I have to go home for a bit. I’ll catch up with you both later.”

“All right, go ahead.”

Once Cheng Yao left, Zhang Ya turned to Cheng Cheng. “Little Dot, is the cola good?”

“It’s great.”

“Am I good to you?”

“Yes!” Cheng Cheng nodded emphatically.

Zhang Ya smiled slyly. “See, I’m the one who got your brother to take you out to play. In the future, you have to help me keep an eye on him. If he has any dealings with other women, make sure you tell me.”

“…Mm-hmm.”

Cheng Cheng sighed, feeling like a meat bun in a sandwich—life was tough.

…