“Qiao Qiao, I wasn’t sure what you’d like, but I thought this necklace would suit you well. Happy birthday,” Zhou Yue said as he handed over the gift.
He had deliberately dressed up today, even styling his hair, making him appear much more mature.
Jiang Qiao hadn’t invited him, but one doesn’t slap a smiling face—especially when that person comes bearing gifts.
Oh right, this was also the guy she had scammed out of 43 yuan.
Jiang Qiao smiled: “Thank you.” You big sucker.
Zhou Yue smiled even more gently: “No need to thank me, I’m just glad you like it.”
As the two chatted happily, looking like the perfect match of talent and beauty, someone couldn’t hold back anymore.
Peng Yang’s friend grabbed his furious arm, advising: “Today is Jiang Qiao’s birthday. If you cause trouble at her party, be careful she’ll never speak to you again.”
“I—” Peng Yang choked back his anger: “Damn it…”
Where the hell did this pretty boy come from?
Watching Zhou Yue shower Jiang Qiao with attention, something clicked in Peng Yang’s mind.
Ever since Jiang Qiao made her relationship public, she had blocked him, and to this day, he remained on her blacklist.
Could this be Jiang Qiao’s boyfriend?
“Birthday girl, come play a game!” someone called for Jiang Qiao.
The private room was spacious enough—some were singing, others dancing, while a dozen people circled an empty space in the middle where a liquor bottle sat.
Zhou Yue seized every opportunity to get closer to Jiang Qiao, following along: “What are we playing?”
A male voice spoke with sarcastic tone: “Truth or Dare, dare to join?”
The unfriendliness in his tone was unmistakable.
Zhou Yue looked over—it was someone he didn’t recognize. Noticing how this person’s gaze lingered on Jiang Qiao, he immediately understood where the hostility came from.
Jiang Qiao glanced at Zhou Yue, then at Peng Yang, maintaining a calm expression while laughing internally: [Hahahaha, see that? This is the power of your big sister’s charm!]
Without saying a word, she had two hot-blooded high school boys fighting over her.
[Psycho.] 166 muttered quietly.
She enjoyed watching the drama unfold, allowing Zhou Yue to sit beside her. Seeing this, Peng Yang specifically swapped seats with someone else to sit on her other side.
Thus, the situation became quite entertaining—Jiang Qiao flanked on both sides by a gentle, cheerful handsome guy and a rogue, arrogant hunk.
There was a moment of silence before the room quickly buzzed with excitement again. A love triangle drama was always delicious to watch, especially when combined with a game like “Truth or Dare”—doubly entertaining!
“Come on, come on, I’ll spin the bottle!” Ye Qingqing eagerly took on this glorious task, winking at Jiang Qiao.
Jiang Qiao found it amusing internally but had to maintain a distracted appearance on the surface, as if still preoccupied with thoughts of Lu Xun.
Peng Yang’s luck was truly terrible—the first spin landed on him.
“Truth or Dare?” Ye Qingqing asked.
Peng Yang: “Truth.”
“Is there someone you like among those present?”
Peng Yang answered with complete honesty: “Yes.”
The crowd gasped in unison, their eyes simultaneously turning toward Jiang Qiao, only to find her spacing out while staring at her phone, completely unaware of what was happening in the room.
Peng Yang’s face darkened.
After several more rounds without the bottle pointing to Jiang Qiao, the room’s heating made her feel stuffy. She mentioned needing some fresh air and, ignoring everyone’s chattering, opened the private room door to leave.
The private room connected to a corridor, ending in an open balcony. From this vantage point, one could overlook nearly half of City A—neon lights flickering, crisscrossing streets, and glaring car headlights.
Jiang Qiao closed her eyes, feeling the cold wind brush against her cheeks, her heart so calm it couldn’t stir a single ripple.
Footsteps sounded behind her. She opened her eyes, suppressing all emotions and restoring the demeanor befitting “Jiang Qiao.”
The newcomer stood beside her, carrying a faint scent of alcohol. Jiang Qiao teased him, “What, did Peng Yang force you to drink?”
Zhou Yue put on a pitiful act and nodded, “Yeah, your friend wouldn’t let me leave unless I drank.”
“I haven’t offended your friend, have I? Why is there so much hostility toward me?”
“She’s not my friend.” Jiang Qiao didn’t follow his script.
But Zhou Yue didn’t give up. “Qiao Qiao, do you know why he’s targeting me?”
“I don’t want to know.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t know—she simply didn’t want to know.
Zhou Yue was left speechless. Unable to express his feelings naturally, he felt a sense of frustration, as if things were slipping out of his control.
There was no imagined sadness, only a heightened desire to conquer and a stubborn unwillingness to yield.
“Qiao Qiao, I really like you. Would you consider giving me a chance?”
The sudden confession didn’t surprise Jiang Qiao. She glanced at him indifferently and said, “I have a boyfriend.”
“Lu Xun?” Zhou Yue’s eyes flashed with disdain. “I thought you were just playing around.”
The retort Jiang Qiao was about to utter died in her throat, halted by the System’s warning in her mind and the glimpse of a corner of clothing from the shadowy wall nearby.
Her gaze shifted from that corner of fabric to Zhou Yue’s sunny, gentle face. She smiled and replied, “You’re right, it is just playing around. His face is exactly my type.”
“Then you—”
“But I haven’t had enough fun yet.” Jiang Qiao cut him off in time. “If you don’t mind, you can be the backup.”
Truly, the young mistress was the young mistress—with one sentence, she insulted two people. Zhou Yue’s face instantly darkened. Still young, he couldn’t hide his emotions, and his smile turned stiff. “Then when will you have had enough?”
The shadow at the corner of the wall shifted slightly, and soon the piece of clothing disappeared. Zhou Yue was still waiting for her answer, but Jiang Qiao suddenly lost patience. “None of your business.”
With that, regardless of Zhou Yue’s expression, she turned and walked away.
She returned to the private room but didn’t join any more games. Instead, she sat on the sofa, idly eating cake. Zhou Yue, his pride wounded, didn’t return.
Peng Yang suddenly perked up and came over to pretend to care, only to be rebuffed by Jiang Qiao a few times before storming off in anger.
By 9:30 p.m., the remaining guests had gradually dispersed, leaving only Ye Qingqing and Jiang Qiao.
“Qiao’er, how about I stay at your place tonight?”
Ye Qingqing had grown up with her and had accompanied Jiang Qiao for almost every birthday because Jiang Qiao’s parents were simply too busy—too busy to even come home for their daughter’s birthday, only hastily mailing gifts.
This year was a bit different, though. Jiang Qiao had a boyfriend, and yet this so-called boyfriend wasn’t by her side either.
Jiang Qiao noticed the concern and pity in Ye Qingqing’s eyes and found it amusing. “No need. Your mom has called you several times already. You should hurry home.”
Ye Qingqing hesitated, wanting to say more, but in the end, she couldn’t withstand her parents’ incessant calls. After urging Jiang Qiao to call if anything happened, she finally left.
The night was cool as water, the streetlights dim and yellow. The shadows of tree branches sprawled across the ground, clawing and menacing like monsters in the darkness.
Lu Xun walked at a leisurely pace, his eyes downcast, making it impossible to discern the emotions in his gaze.
A beautifully wrapped gift box hung from his bicycle handlebars. He stared at it for a moment before stopping beside a trash can and tossing it in.