Volume One, Chapter 71: Repelling a Rival in Love, Gaining the Favor of a Soft-Hearted Deity

Lou Ye felt that he had only uttered a perfectly ordinary remark.

Yet Sang Wan looked as though she had done something wrong, her eyes brimming with anxiety and compassion.

It was as if he were a pitiful child abandoned by his parents.

But Lou Ye knew—she was a soft-hearted goddess.

For a fleeting moment, the resentment in Lou Ye’s heart toward his parents grew a little deeper.

If they never loved him, why did they bring him into this world? And since they did, why couldn’t they have done so a little earlier? Wouldn’t it be best if today were his birthday?

“My birthday’s still months away…”

A faint sense of regret arose from nowhere.

Lou Ye asked Sang Wan, “Then do you remember when my birthday is?”

Sang Wan hesitated, casting her mind back. She vaguely recalled he was a Leo, born in July.

In the mist of memory, she saw herself returning from the library, meeting him by the bench beneath the dormitory. By the handsome young man’s side sat a cake and a gift box.

But even without the cake and gift box, his face alone drew senior and junior girls to and fro, all hoping to strike up a conversation, ask for his number, or simply see whom he was waiting for.

“It’s at the end of July, isn’t it?” Sang Wan asked softly, her face filled with unease, afraid he might be angry that she didn’t remember his birthday.

“That’s right.” Lou Ye’s eyes sparkled. “July 29th. You’ll remember now?”

“I won’t forget,” Sang Wan nodded. “Next July, I’ll ask Jiang Shao and Ke’er to join us and throw you a lively birthday party.”

“The mulberry orchard Jiang Shao took me to last time was perfect.”

“If you’d rather not, we can go to the hillside villa instead. I’ll cook all your favorite dishes and bake you a cake—how does that sound?”

Once, he had thought every day was much the same, indistinguishable from yesterday or tomorrow.

But for the first time in his life, Lou Ye felt anticipation for the future.

Birthdays had never meant much to him. Even if surrounded by noise and excitement, it seemed everyone else was happier than the person the day was meant for.

But never had he looked forward to a birthday as much as now.

Lou Ye nodded. “Alright. I’ll be waiting!”

“Sister…”

All at once, Lou Ye leaned in, gazing into Sang Wan’s eyes. “You must keep your word!”

The sudden closeness caught her off guard.

Sang Wan’s breath stalled.

Only when she heard the click of the seatbelt unbuckling did she realize the car had already stopped outside the apartment building.

“Alright, I promise!” Sang Wan nodded, and there was a hint of fluster in her hurried exit.

Behind her, Lou Ye curved his lips in a smile.

One rival vanquished.

A soft-hearted goddess won.

Yes, tonight’s night breeze was truly refreshing!

In the gentle night wind, the Maybach turned and drove away.

Sang Wan’s heart was still racing when she returned to her room.

On one hand, she told herself this was all normal between siblings. After all, whether back at Imperial University or in this past month, Lou Ye had always behaved before her like a gentle golden retriever—lively, adorable, and handsome.

Sometimes, he was even a little soft and sweet.

Yet on the other hand, something still felt oddly out of place.

Just then, Xu Yiyi called her on video.

After chatting for a while, Sang Wan casually asked, “When you’re at home, how do you get along with your younger brother?”

“My brother and I?” Just thinking about the chaos at home gave Xu Yiyi a headache. Her face was all disdain. “Either I subdue him, or he tries to kill me! In that house, it’s either him or me—never both!”

Sang Wan: …

Xu Yiyi asked, “What’s wrong?”

Then she remembered Lou Ye had stopped calling her “senior” and now addressed her as “sister.”

Xu Yiyi squinted, her face alight with wicked speculation. “Did you two have some little sibling quarrel?”

“Nothing of the sort!” Sang Wan’s face was all seriousness, as if to say Xu Yiyi was overthinking it. “I just promised to celebrate his birthday next year.”

That’s it?

Xu Yiyi looked unconvinced.

But her mother’s sudden appearance soon derailed the conversation, leaving her to complain about Ke Yifan and her mother instead.

Fridays always passed the quickest.

As with every Friday before, after four o’clock colleagues began sneaking out early.

Looking at her overtime hours for the week, Sang Wan knew she had plenty of leeway for an early departure.

She sent a WeChat message to Lou Ye: [I’m done with work! Can you have the driver come a bit earlier?]

[??? You’re leaving early?]

[I’ve banked seven hours of overtime this week.]

[…]

In the CEO’s office, Lou Ye was busy.

His ears listened to the overseas video conference streaming from his computer.

His eyes swept at lightning speed over the thick stack of documents in his hands.

He signed each one as he finished reading.

Glancing at his watch, it was just past four.

A twinge of injustice rose in Lou Ye’s heart. [The boss isn’t off work yet. How can you, a mere cog in the machine, leave now?]

[??? The way you put it just makes me feel even less guilty, okay? I’m just a workhorse—I could never empathize with a capitalist who exploits me, alright?]

Sang Wan’s cheerful mood was obvious. [Be good, work hard! Sis is off—I’ll leave you to tell the driver to hurry up, thank you!]

Sis?

A single word, but worlds apart in meaning.

When the meeting ended, Lou Ye grabbed his phone and called Sang Wan.

“Hello? Has the driver arrived?”

Even through the phone, Sang Wan’s good mood was obvious.

Lou Ye signed the last document, tossed aside his pen, and teased her with a mischievous tone, “Not yet. The driver says he’s stuck in traffic—might be two or three hours.”

What? Was rush hour starting this early?

Sang Wan walked to the window; sure enough, the city’s main roads were packed with traffic.

It seemed every workhorse in the capital had chosen to leave work at the same time.

“Oh well…” Her excitement faded, her voice calming. “Have you finished your work?”

He glanced at his computer. The housekeeper had messaged to say the household goods had been moved in, and cleaning would take another two hours.

Lou Ye replied, “Not yet, I’ll need another two hours.”

“Oh?” Sang Wan’s voice was soft with sympathy. “Poor thing…”

He could almost see her gentle, tender expression when she felt sorry for someone.

Lou Ye looked up, catching his own mischievous reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window. “Yes, it’s so pitiful! What should I do?”

She wanted to say, Then hurry up, finish quickly, and come home—let the weekend begin.

But before Sang Wan could speak, Lou Ye’s voice lowered in jest, “Sister, why don’t you… comfort me a little?”

Sister.

Comfort me.

His deep voice was like a late-night radio host’s, bewitchingly intimate.

Sang Wan’s mind went momentarily blank.

Ding-dong!

The doorbell rang—a timely lifeline.

When Sang Wan spoke, she realized her voice was a little hoarse. “Lou Ye, I’ll talk to you later. I need to get the door.”

Beep.

Beep-beep.

Without waiting for Lou Ye’s reply, Sang Wan quickly hung up.

Ding-dong!

Ding-dong, ding-dong!

The bell rang again and again.

Sang Wan rose and went to open the door.

She assumed the driver had arrived early to avoid the rush.

Her face was bright with a radiant smile as she opened the door—

Then, slowly, her smile faded. “...Why are you here?”