DFLB – Chapter 60

“But didn’t you ask me to help you pursue her?”

Lu Xun’s voice was slightly unnatural as he responded: “Back then, I lied. I just wanted to have a good excuse to see you. At the time, I thought you and Mo Tao were together, and you yourself told me that the relationship between you two was very good, so that was the only way I could think of. However, in fact, I never asked her to come see that movie, and I also never planned to give her a birthday present. I never even talked to her once…”

“Then why didn’t you ever make that clear to me?”

Lu Xun’s expression hardened as he looked into Qian Wei’s eyes: “I thought that I could slowly explain it to you once we got to know each other better. Why would I want to expose it?” But then he softened his tone, and there was a hint of embarrassment in his voice, “Maybe I just wanted to save face.”

“But… I know you already confessed to her. In the gym practice room, I was also there…” And then, though she didn’t want to think of that scene, Qian Wei tersely recounted what she had seen that day. “…anyway, I heard it with my own ears.”

Lu Xun’s tone was unhappy: “What do you mean you heard it with your own ears? Did you ever hear my voice?”

“…”

“Qian Wei, this is clearly your factual error. As a law student, don’t you know that you can’t just trust any information you come across? Anything you learn from the outside world, even if you see it with your own eyes, you have to think twice and give it thorough consideration. And that’s not even mentioning that you didn’t actually hear it with your own ears or see it with your own eyes at all.” Lu Xun pondered for a few seconds, then quickly pointed out the heart of the problem. “In the scene you witnessed where I supposedly confessed to Mo Zixin, you never saw my face, nor did you hear my voice.”

“Did it ever occur to you that I wasn’t there at all?”

Now it was Qian Wei’s turn to fall silent in dismay. However, she still seriously considered things, and found that Lu Xun’s words had some merit. When she had witnessed the confession, it seemed that perhaps she had made some errors judging the situation. However, all of the errors in her judgment could seemingly be traced to Mo Zixin’s actions.

“After all, I never liked her, so why would I confess to her? If you still don’t believe me, just tell me what time and what day it was that you heard that so-called confession, and I’ll give you my alibi. Will that be enough?”

Qian Wei felt as if her brain was a little sluggish, all this was to say that… Mo Zixin lied? It was all Mo Zixin’s self-directed solo drama? Maybe her own preconceptions had tainted her view, and she hadn’t doubted the confession scene she saw at all because she was so firmly convinced by the memories of her past life that Lu Xun truly liked Mo Zixin. However, now that she thought about it, all the details of that day seemed a little off, and Mo Zixin’s actions seemed a bit suspicious. Lu Xun was right, even if he wasn’t there that day, Mo Zixin could have easily shown Qian Wei that scene by herself, so long as she acted naturally enough.

It seemed that when it came to matters regarding Lu Xun, whether it was the young and ignorant Qian Wei from her past life or the Qian Wei who had experienced many years that existed now, she had never learned to be calm. As a lawyer, she needed to be rational, objective, and logical when she faced her clients every day, but somehow all that rationality would instantly collapse in front of Lu Xun.

In the past, Qian Wei had never really thought about it, but now, with the benefit of hindsight, she was faintly able to see a different picture. 

Maybe Lu Xun had always treated her differently from long ago, but she had never even realized it.

Back then, perhaps she had always looked up to him, followed him, watched him from afar, hoped that he would be happy, hoped that he would be successful, and hoped that he could find the best love in the world. However, she had never dreamed that maybe she could be the one to give him happiness, give him success, and show him the best love in the world.

Lu Xun was so excellent that Qian Wei had never, in her heart of hearts, been able to think that the two of them could ever stand on equal footing. He had an aura that made her always feel humble. As if, because he was Lu Xun, her own judgment and ability would always seem muddled and weak by comparison. 

Fortunately, she had been born again, and now she was able to see the real Lu Xun more clearly, and also the real her.

“I never confessed to her, but she confessed to me.”

“Ah?”

Lu Xun looked Qian Wei in the eye: “However, I refused.”

“Um…”

Lu Xun seemed a little dissatisfied with that response. He raised an eyebrow and said, as if off-handedly, “If you really feel like you have to praise me for the way I stoically refused her advances and told you about it to firm up our relationship, I don’t mind accepting your praise.”

Qian Wei thought for a moment and then said tentatively, “Ah? It’s good you refused, no, it’s excellent, well done?”

“…”

However, Qian Wei suddenly remembered something and asked: “When did Mo Zixin confess to you?”

Lu Xun thought for a moment, “Around the time of that dance competition.”

“When exactly?”

Lu Xun shrugged: “I don’t remember.”

“I thought you never forgot anything…”

“A person’s brain capacity is limited. If I had to clearly remember all the times that other people confessed to me, would I still have the space to remember the important things?” Lu Xun looked Qian Wei in the eye, and his voice seemed a bit upset, “Besides, she’s not you, so why would I want to use my energy to remember what she said?”

Qian Wei blushed a little because of his words, but she blinked and explained, “It’s because I remember that Mo Zixin agreed to date Qian Chuan at some point during that dance competition. However, if she confessed to you at that time, I’m afraid she might not really like Qian Chuan at all.” Qian Wei was a little worried as she thought of her careless twin brother. Before today, she had never thought that Mo Zixin might be such a person but, now that she and Lu Xun had cleared the air between them, she began to worry that Mo Zixin might not really like Qian Chuan at all. Maybe she was only using him to distract herself from her failed confession…

Qian Wei knew Qian Chuan very well. Although he acted a little bit like a playboy on the surface, in fact, his emotional view on relationships was very simple. That was to say, he was a hopeless idiot. Once he liked someone, he would become single-mindedly devoted to that person. In her last life, she had never found out why Mo Zixin and Qian Chuan had broken up because Qian Chuan had refused to say anything, but she did know that Qian Chuan hadn’t recovered for a long time after their breakup.

Qian Wei sighed: “Qian Chuan likes Mo Zixin a lot, it makes me really worried that he might end up greatly hurt depending on how things go.”

Unfortunately, Lu Xun seemed to have no sympathy for this matter. His lips curled and he said, “Since that guy likes Mo Zixin it means that his vision as a man is not very good. If he ends up hurt, it can only be said to be the result of his own choices. He can only take it as an opportunity to hone himself and hopefully improve his vision in the future. But why are you so worried about him?” Lu Xun sounded a bit dissatisfied, “You’re with me, but you’re thinking of some other man.”

“…” Qian Wei said weakly, “Qian Chuan is my brother…”

“That’s beside the point.”

“…”

Now that Qian Wei’s uncomfortable misunderstanding had been cleared, she was in a much better mood. She looked at Lu Xun, who was sitting next to her, and it was as if her restless heart had finally found some peace, as if, as long as she was with this person beside her, she finally wouldn’t have to calculate about losses or gains, as if she could just calmly take things as they came.

Lu Xun didn’t like Mo Zixin. He had never liked Mo Zixin. It was really excellent.

However, while Qian Wei was feeling overjoyed, she suddenly thought of something else: “Lu Xun, since you weren’t ignoring me because you like Mo Zixin, why did you suddenly start acting so indifferent to me like that?”

Maybe it would have been better not to mention it because, when she brought up this topic, Lu Xun’s expression turned ugly again.

He glanced at the bottle of milk tea in Qian Wei’s hand, and said in a strange tone, “Maybe you should ask yourself whether the milk tea I bought you tastes good, or if you like the one bought by Li Chongwen better.”

Qian Wei was a little flustered: “Were you jealous because of Li Chongwen? He’s my friend. It’s just a bottle of milk tea. “

“It’s not as simple as a bottle of milk tea.” Lu Xun seemed to be unable to endure any further, because he then burst out, “Qian Wei, who am I to you?”

“My boyfriend, ah~.”

“But why is it that no one else knows that I’m your boyfriend?” Lu Xun’s lips pressed into a thin line. “The other students from our law school don’t know, Li Chongwen doesn’t know, Liu Shiyun doesn’t know, and even Qian Chuan doesn’t know.”

Qian Wei was stupefied for a moment, then finally realized her behavior might seem a bit overly flirtatious and non-commital, depending on how you looked at it.

“I’ve never thought of hiding that you are my girlfriend, but I don’t think you feel the same way.” Lu Xun bowed his head and focused on the linoleum tiles of the hospital floor, and when he next spoke his voice was low. “You don’t seem to want to say it out. Even your brother and your best friend don’t know.”

Qian Wei hesitated momentarily, but finally plucked up her courage and said: “In fact, I’ve been a little uneasy. I’m always afraid that maybe your love will just be something brief and fleeting. Maybe I’ll only be with you for a while and, one day, your head will cool off and you’ll decide to leave, like a passing cloud. And then I would be left alone to face an embarrassing and awkward situation…”

Before Qian Wei finished her words, a strong hand suddenly held her own. She looked up, but the owner of that hand was still looking off at the vending machine not far away as if nothing had happened.

“It’s not something brief and fleeting.”

“I don’t like Mo Zixin, nor do I like anyone else.”

“Qian Wei, I only like you.”

Beneath the patter of the gentle rain, Lu Xun’s voice seemed low and easy to mishear, as if it were all a dream. But the slight warmth in Qian Wei’s hand was a constant reminder to her that this was reality, Lu Xun’s voice was there, his words had really been spoken, and his love was real.

“But you’re right that I didn’t do this properly. I should have been more forward and made things clear to you sooner.”

Qian Wei’s feet kicked at some dust that didn’t exist on the tile floor, and she pushed her hair behind her ear to hide her nervousness before saying: “I always thought that you liked Mo Zixin, or at least that you used to like her, so I was very sad when you ignored me like that.”

Lu Xun’s eyes widened fractionally: “You were sad?”

“Mhm.”

“I’m sorry.” Lu Xun stared firmly into Qian Wei’s eyes and apologized, but as he continued there was something subtle and complex in his tone. “Although I’m aware that you being sad should fill me with remorse but, to tell you the truth, I’m actually a little happy.”

“Because now I know that you care about me too.”

Qian Wei grumbled: “I think you were quite happy when you got to play the hero saving the beauty just now. As soon as Mo Zixin was in danger, you were there to heroically rush out. What a coincidence.”

Lu Xun narrowed his eyes: “Although I don’t like her, if I see a girl in danger and don’t go forward then, as a man, I simply wouldn’t be able to face myself. Or would you prefer a man who turns a blind eye to other people’s life and death and doesn’t step out to save them when it’s in his power to do so?”

Okay, fine. Qian Wei thought helplessly, when had she ever beaten Lu Xun when it came to talking reason? 

“Besides, the reason I rushed forward in such a hurry was mainly because I was afraid you might be involved.” Lu Xun looked at Qian Wei seriously. “After all, your position at the consultation table was right next to Mo Zixin’s. Who can say what that man might have done in his fit of drunken rage?” He thought for a moment and then added, “Next time something like that happens, you need to stay further away, okay?”

Qian Wei sighed in her heart. Not only when it came to talking reason, it seemed she was also hopelessly outclassed when it came to exchanging sweet nothings.

“But… you know, Mo Zixin and I… you really like me? You don’t like her?” Qian Wei was still a bit disbelieving. The strong preconceptions she had formed in the past were making her feel a little confused now. “To be honest, whenever I stand next to her, I feel as if she is a top-class imported caviar, while I am like an onion that is served alongside the caviar as a garnish.”

“I prefer onions.”

“…”

“No, I don’t like her.” Lu Xun cradled his forehead with his hands, and his tone was full of helplessness, “Qian Wei, your thinking is really crooked. What onion?” He looked Qian Wei in the eye and said word-by-word, “You were never an onion.”

“The person that I, Lu Xun, likes simply can’t be compared with any of the mundane delicacies in the world of mortals.”

The weather outside was gray and bleak. The cold concrete was being drenched by the endless pattering winter rain, and just looking at it was enough to drag a person’s mood down. However, here, inside with Lu Xun, Qian Wei could feel something warm and tender rising up from her heart. 

With the warmth, she felt a small surge of joy, and her next words were a little awkward: “But… I’m a little curious, why don’t you like Mo Zixin? Why do you say that Qian Chuan has bad vision?” Qian Wei had developed a bit of curiosity about this topic. “After all, she looks good, has a good temperament, has excellent professional knowledge, and even has a good family background. If all that isn’t enough, then what exactly do you boys consider when looking for a girlfriend?”

Lu Xun mused for a moment before responding: “Do you want to hear the truth or the lie?”

“Of course I want to hear the truth.”

“I don’t like flat chests.”

“…”

Lu Xun coughed awkwardly: “Her chest is too flat for me.”

“…” This answer, Qian Wei wanted to say, was an answer only a very brave man could give.

“Also, you are more beautiful.”

Qian Wei: “And that’s because???”

“Men and women have different opinions on attractiveness.” Lu Xun glanced at Qian Wei. “Mo Zixin seems like a stream of pure water, but I prefer a woman that is a little more sultry. The kind with sly eyes that shine and twinkle…”

“…” Qian Wei could only think that she had heard this kind of description before. Like a fox…

“But the most important thing is.” Lu Xun cleared his throat and stared at Qian Wei seriously. “You are much more lovely.”

Um. That was more like it.

“What about you?”

“Hmm?”

Lu Xun paused and seemed to be weighing his words. His eyes wandered and he glanced at the cold rain coming down outside the window: “For instance, between me and Li Chongwen.”

Qian Wei was stunned for a moment, but then she felt the corners of her lips curling upwards and heat rising to her cheeks. She quickly raised the bottle of milk tea to her mouth, as if only by taking a sip of the cold beverage could she cool down her slightly hot face. Then she started at Lu Xun and said: “Regarding the milk tea, I think this bottle tastes better.” Qian Wei lowered her head bashfully, “Because you bought it for me.”

Although his face remained placid, Lu Xun’s ears flushed slightly.

“It really tastes better because I gave it to you?”

Qian Wei nodded.

“What does it taste like?”

“It’s really delicious. The milk taste is rich, and the sweetness is just right.” Qian Wei was a little embarrassed. She held out the bottle and said in a reluctant voice, “Well, if you’d like, you can have a drink too…”

However, before she finished speaking, her voice was cut off by Lu Xun’s lips. It was a shallow kiss, but perhaps for things like this the more short-lived they were, the more electrifying they felt. Their lips briefly brushed and overlapped, but soon Lu Xun released her and stared at her with something complex swimming in his eyes.

As Qian Wei gasped for breath under his penetrating gaze, he said: “En, the taste of the milk is very rich, and the sweetness about right.”

Lu Xun’s appearance at normal times was enough to make Qian Wei’s heart beat faster with this kind of look, but what was even more of a foul was that when Qian Wei returned his gaze and looked into Lu Xun’s beautiful black eyes, all she saw was her own figure reflected there. It really caught her with a kind of fascination for a moment, seeing that she was the only one in his eyes.

The desire in Lu Xun’s eyes was straightforward as he said: “I want to have another sip.”

Previous TOC Next