Getting Caught Up In His Cycle Of Passionate Love - Chapter 19
Please, let me be part of your get-rich plan!
As soon as Lu Que opened the door, Xu Tao Yue immediately let herself go. She tossed her stuff at the entrance and made a beeline straight for Zhuo Mi’s room.
“Zhuo Mi, baby! Your big sister’s here! Did you miss me~?”
Zhuo Mi, seeing Xu Tao Yue for the first time in a long while, got a bit excited too. The usual aloof demeanor vanished completely as the cat jumped into her arms, meowing sweetly.
Xu Tao Yue was thrilled and buried her face in the cat’s fur:
“Zhuo Mi, baby, you’re the cutest cat in the whole world!”
Watching her act so hyped, Lu Que didn’t know whether he should be jealous of the cat. Instead, he quietly picked up the shoes she had kicked off at the door, placed them properly, and handed her a pair of slippers.
“Put these on. The floor’s cold.”
Xu Tao Yue grinned and, still holding Zhuo Mi, gave him a playful glance:
“Hmm, feels like she’s gained a bit more weight. Looks like our dear Lu has been taking excellent care of her.”
“Mm,” Lu Que answered, taking her coat and hanging it up neatly.
“You said Zhuo Mi missed me, right?”
“What about it?”
“Then why didn’t she get all skinny from missing me too much?”
Lu Que: “…”
Xu Tao Yue laughed, seeing him at a loss for words:
“Okay, okay, just messing with you…”
Lu Que: “…”
After she finished smothering Zhuo Mi, Xu Tao Yue turned her attention to Lu Que. She took a dramatic step toward him, grinning mischievously like she was plotting something bad.
“Lu Que, can I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“On New Year’s Day… do you have anything going on?”
“Why?”
“Let’s make dumplings together!”
Lu Que shook his head.
“I’ve got plans that day, but…”
Xu Tao Yue’s mood dipped a little.
“Alright, no problem. If you’ve got something to do, take care of it.”
Lu Que couldn’t hold back:
“Aren’t you even curious what I’ll be doing?”
“Would you tell me if I asked?” Xu Tao Yue countered.
“If you ask, I’ll definitely tell you.”
Lu Que really couldn’t stand it when Xu Tao Yue acted indifferent about his personal matters.
“I’m going to visit my grandma’s grave.”
In the end, he just came out and said it.
Xu Tao Yue’s heart skipped a beat.
“Huh?”
“My grandma passed away on New Year’s Day.”
Xu Tao Yue was suddenly at a loss. All her playful teasing vanished in an instant. She had never been good at handling farewells or comforting people:
“Oh… I’m sorry…”
Lu Que chuckled at her flustered reaction:
“What are you sorry for?”
“For bringing up something that makes you sad…” Xu Tao Yue said, a little guilty.
“I’m not really sad,” Lu Que said, ruffling her hair.
“She told me at the end that she felt relieved.”
“The doctor also mentioned that in her final days, there was a girl who stayed by her side. Probably another patient. They were both happy when they left.”
“That girl… was also…” Xu Tao Yue trailed off.
Lu Que shook his head.
“I didn’t ask. But Grandma once said she was someone like her. After she passed, I never saw that girl again.”
Xu Tao Yue sighed, thought for a bit, and then tentatively asked,
“Then can I come with you? If it’s okay, I’d really like to meet her too.”
She raised her hand like making a vow:
“I swear I won’t get in the way. I just want to keep you company.”
Lu Que eventually nodded.
“Okay.”
Back home, Xu Tao Yue immediately jumped on Xu Wen as soon as she got through the door. Her suitcase rolled a few meters away, and she didn’t even look back at it.
Xu Wen was in the kitchen cooking porridge when Xu Tao Yue flopped onto her shoulders.
“Mom~ I’ve been gone for so long, didn’t you miss me~?”
Xu Wen shrugged her off.
“Xu Tao Yue, get down.”
“Nope, not getting off! I’ve been away for so many semesters, how can you not miss me even a little bit?”
“Nope. Move.”
“I don’t believe you,” Xu Tao Yue said as she clung tighter.
“Mom~ I want sweet and sour ribs tonight~”
“Make it yourself,” Xu Wen said as she walked out.
“Where are you going?” Xu Tao Yue followed like a tail.
“Your brother wants ribs. I’m going out to buy some.”
Xu Tao Yue grinned and walked her to the door. Then she poked her head out:
“Mom, not just him — I want some too~”
Xu Wen replied,
“Yeah, yeah, I got it. You’re the neediest one of all, I swear.”
Feeling satisfied, Xu Tao Yue ran to the bedroom and flopped onto the bed with her little brother.
“Little bro~ did you miss your sister~?”
She got a foot to the stomach in response.
Xu Tao Yue pouted.
“Hmph, hateful brother.”
The border collie couldn’t stand hearing that. It immediately jumped on the bed and affectionately rubbed its face against hers, making her heart melt a little.
Xu Tao Yue looked at it haughtily.
“Fine, I forgive you.”
Lying in bed, messages in the group chat started flooding in.
Night:
“Let’s hang out tomorrow.”
Summer:
“Where to?”
Night:
“Doesn’t matter. Just show up and you’ll see.”
Summer:
“Yeah right.”
Lu (Lu Que):
“Not coming.”
Summer:
“No way? If that username is Night, and if Xu Tao Yue is going, Lu Que will definitely go.”
Lu:
“…”
Night:
“?”
Night:
“That username belongs to Summer. Get away from me.”
Summer:
“Nope.”
Night:
“…”
Xu Tao Yue replied:
PeachyPeachyIMaPeach:
“I’m in, I’m in. Wan Wan, you plan the itinerary!”
Night:
“OK OK!”
Seeing Lu Que say he wasn’t coming triggered Xu Tao Yue’s rebellious streak.
Peachy:
“Lu Que, Lu Que, Lu Que! Are you really not coming?”
Lu:
“Maybe I have a tiny thing to do.”
Peachy:
“Is it important?”
Lu:
“Not that important…”
Peachy:
“Then you have to come with us.”
Lu:
“Have to?”
Peachy:
“Absolutely.”
Lu:
“Oh.”
Then Xu Tao Yue messaged the big group:
Peachy:
“Lu Que’s coming, Lu Que’s coming.”
Night:
“OK.”
Night:
“See you all at 9 AM tomorrow outside my place. I’m taking you somewhere mystic.”
Summer:
“Cool.”
Lu Que tossed his phone on the bed, smiled, and pulled the covers over himself.
Lu Que be like: (nice)
The next morning, Xu Tao Yue woke up early, told Xu Wen she was heading out, and ran to Lu Que’s house.
“Lu Que! Hurry up!”
Lu Que opened the door.
“No rush. Want breakfast?”
Seeing the full spread on the table, Xu Tao Yue sat down instantly.
“Damn, you eat this well every morning?”
Lu Que shook his head.
“I figured you’d be up early like this. Just eat already.”
Xu Tao Yue nodded happily.
“You’re so… domestic.”
Lu Que: “…”
“No wonder you’re the man I’ve loved since childhood~”
(Not that the readers outside this book know that.)
Lu Que: “…”
They bantered as they walked over to Ye Wan’s place. Xu Tao Yue yelled from below:
“Wan Wan!”
Ye Wan ran to the balcony. Seeing them already there, she started rushing.
“Be right down! Five minutes!”
Xia Xiang Yang was the last to arrive. Seeing Ye Wan still not downstairs, he got smug:
“Guess I’m not that bad with timing. Even Ye Wan’s not ready.”
Xu Tao Yue shrugged, and just then Ye Wan ran over — apparently having heard what Xia Xiang Yang said — and tackled him.
“You dare talk trash about your dad!?”
Xia Xiang Yang: “…”
“Wan Wan, where are we going?” Xu Tao Yue asked.
Ye Wan raised an eyebrow:
“Guess.”
Xu Tao Yue tilted her head:
“?”
Ye Wan took them to… a mahjong parlor.
“Again? Didn’t you say you were taking us somewhere mystical?” Xu Tao Yue raised her brow.
“This time I actually know how to play. Be careful or you’ll lose hard.”
Ye Wan nodded:
“Isn’t this mystical enough?”
Xia Xiang Yang couldn’t take her baiting.
“I’m saying it right here and now — Xu Tao Yue doesn’t stand a chance.”
Xu Tao Yue laughed:
“Bring it on!”
Xia Xiang Yang looked at Lu Que:
“Just don’t let Lu Que help you!”
“Whoever asks for help is a dog!”
Lu Que was speechless. These two rookies were already pecking at each other.
In the end, neither side won — instead, Lu Que and Ye Wan took all the winnings.
Xu Tao Yue slumped over the table, sighing:
“Lu Que… help…”
Lu Que: “…”
Xia Xiang Yang begged Ye Wan:
“Wan Wan, you’re the best…”
Ye Wan: “…”
Xu Tao Yue sighed again.
Lu Que really was destined to be a billionaire.
She turned to him:
“Lu Que, if you ever strike it rich… would you keep me as your sugar baby?”
Lu Que: “?”
“I just… don’t want to work hard anymore…”
Lu Que:
“No.”
Xu Tao Yue sighed:
“I knew it…”
“Please, I’m begging you… Lu Que, sugar baby me.”
Xia Xiang Yang flopped onto the table too, mimicking her:
“Please, Lu Que. Sugar baby both of us.”
Ye Wan looked down on them both.
You two who bow to money — how could you possibly be my friends?
Then, the very next second, Ye Wan flopped onto the table too:
“Please, Lu Que, sugar baby all three of us.”
Lu Que: “…”
He began silently reciting the Core Socialist Values.
“Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendship.”
Xu Tao Yue: “…”
Xia Xiang Yang: “…”
Ye Wan: “…”
Who the hell recites socialist values when being begged to be a sugar daddy?
Oh right. Lu Que does.
As night fell, the four of them — for some reason — actually went along with Ye Wan’s suggestion and followed her to a temple.
The four of them stared up at the towering structure.
Xu Tao Yue blinked:
“You actually brought us to a temple… But it’s night now — is it even open?”
Ye Wan nodded:
“A truly mystical place… By the time we climb to the top… it should be dawn?”
“You mean… we’re staying up there overnight?”
Ye Wan looked at the dark sky and fell into thought:
“Once we’re up there…”
“It’s this late — are you sure the temple’s still open?” Xia Xiang Yang questioned.
“You dare question me?” Ye Wan smacked him.
“Didn’t mean it, didn’t mean it!”