Chapter 67: Please Exchange Rings

Chen Qianqing calmly wiped his hands with the tissue handed to him by Lu Zhengfei. Then, he called in a waiter to clean up the shards of glass and water on the floor. Throughout the process, his demeanor was refined and polite, as if the person who had just left Ma Qiu dazed with a beating was someone entirely different.

Once everything was taken care of, Chen Qianqing noticed the others were still staring at him. He smiled faintly and asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to say?”

The group quickly averted their gazes, pretending not to have seen anything.

Lu Zhengfei, meanwhile, was inspecting Chen Qianqing’s hands for injuries. As he checked, he muttered, “You should’ve let me handle it. What if you hurt your hand?”

Chen Qianqing pulled his hand back and said matter-of-factly, “It’s more satisfying to do it myself.”

Lu Zhengfei paused for a moment, then surprisingly found himself agreeing with Chen Qianqing’s logic.

In fact, Lu Zhengfei had felt the same urge to hit Ma Qiu earlier. But if it had been him, Ma Qiu would likely already be in the hospital. Even though Ma Qiu avoided that fate for now, Lu Zhengfei silently vowed that the man wouldn’t have an easy time in the future.

After this little incident, the group’s impression of Chen Qianqing shifted again. Who would have thought someone who looked so fragile could be so ruthless in action?

Lu Zhengfei and his companions played cards—specifically Texas Hold’em—while Chen Qianqing, feeling drowsy after dinner, chose not to join and instead sat nearby, drifting off to sleep.

Lu Zhengfei, ever attentive, had someone fetch a blanket for Chen Qianqing and draped it over him before resuming his game.

Sun Baiqi, observing Lu Zhengfei’s meticulous care, teased him, “Lu-ge, you’re really that into him, huh?” He nodded toward the sleeping Chen Qianqing as he spoke.

Lu Zhengfei glanced at his cards and replied slowly, “You’re itching for trouble, aren’t you?”

Sun Baiqi shrugged and didn’t push his luck. He still remembered how Lu Zhengfei had saved him from a severe punishment by his father—an unforgiving military man—when his drug use had been discovered. Without Lu Zhengfei’s intervention, Sun Baiqi would probably still be recovering from the beating.

Another friend seated beside Lu Zhengfei gave him a thumbs-up and said, “Not gonna lie, Lu Zhengfei, I never saw it before, but today I’ve got to say, you’ve got great taste.”

Lu Zhengfei chuckled softly, threw in his chips, and said, “Call.”

The group played cards and quietly discussed business without disturbing Chen Qianqing. Surprisingly, Chen Qianqing, who rarely had restful sleep, managed to nap soundly in the chair. He didn’t wake up for a full six hours.

When he finally stirred, the room was empty except for Lu Zhengfei, who was working on his laptop.

Noticing Chen Qianqing waking up, Lu Zhengfei removed his headphones and said, “You’re awake, baby.”

Chen Qianqing, still groggy from sleep, let out a nasal hum in response.

Seeing Chen Qianqing’s sleepy, dazed expression, Lu Zhengfei felt as if a feather had brushed against his heart. He leaned in and planted a kiss on Chen Qianqing’s lips. “Hungry? Let’s grab something to eat.”

This time, Chen Qianqing didn’t react much to Lu Zhengfei’s opportunistic behavior. Instead, he murmured, “Do you have any water?”

Lu Zhengfei promptly fetched a glass of water and handed it to him. Chen Qianqing drank it all in one go, finally shaking off his drowsiness.

Glancing at Lu Zhengfei’s laptop, Chen Qianqing asked, “Are you done with work?”

Lu Zhengfei nodded. “Pretty much. It’s just past six now, perfect timing for dinner.”

Chen Qianqing sat in the chair for a moment, then said, “I feel like having noodles.”

Lu Zhengfei asked, “What kind of noodles? I’ll have them prepared at home.”

Chen Qianqing squinted slightly and replied, “I want the noodles from that place near the school.”

Hearing this, a softness entered Lu Zhengfei’s gaze. Back when Chen Qianqing was in college, he would sometimes invite Lu Zhengfei to have noodles with him. There was a noodle shop near Chen Qianqing’s university that made excellent stir-fried noodles with an authentic taste.

“Let’s go,” Lu Zhengfei said.

After washing his face in the restroom, Chen Qianqing left with Lu Zhengfei.

It took them over 20 minutes to drive to the school. Once there, Lu Zhengfei parked the car, and the two of them walked to the noodle shop.

By then, it was already 6:30 PM, past the dinner rush. Lu Zhengfei ordered tomato and egg noodles, and Chen Qianqing ordered the same.

Surprised, Lu Zhengfei said, “Huh? I thought you didn’t like sour flavors.”

Chen Qianqing paused briefly while holding the menu, then said calmly, “People change.”

Lu Zhengfei nodded in agreement. “True enough.”

After placing his order, Chen Qianqing looked at Lu Zhengfei and suddenly asked, “So, do you like the me from back then or the me now?”

Lu Zhengfei chuckled. “What kind of question is that?”

But Chen Qianqing wasn’t smiling at all. “I’m serious.”

Realizing Chen Qianqing wasn’t joking, Lu Zhengfei thought about it carefully. After a while, he answered sincerely, “If you were still the same as before, I think nothing I did would ever move you.”

Chen Qianqing’s hands unconsciously curled into fists.

Lu Zhengfei continued, “If you hadn’t changed, I don’t think you would ever forgive me.”

It seemed that Chen Qianqing and Lu Zhengfei were fated to never have a truly happy ending. Personality is innate; some people are destined to be friends but can never be lovers. No matter how deeply they love each other, they just aren’t compatible. If they try to force a different outcome, they’ll end up as resentful, bitter partners—just like Chen Qianqing and Lu Zhengfei in their previous life.

The real Chen Qianqing was like a blade—he wouldn’t dull with adversity; instead, he’d become sharper and sharper, ultimately harming not only those who hurt him but also himself.

If Chen Qianqing’s death hadn’t completely shattered Lu Zhengfei in the previous life, the reborn Lu Zhengfei might still arrogantly believe he could bring happiness to Chen Qianqing.

The Lu Zhengfei sitting across from him now hadn’t experienced Chen Qianqing’s death. He still believed that there was hope for them, that they could spend their lives together in happiness forever.

But Chen Qianqing knew better. In every world, the person who could bring happiness to Chen Qianqing wasn’t Lu Zhengfei. And here, the only person who might bring happiness to Lu Zhengfei seemed to be Lu Zhengfei himself.

Yet, did Chen Qianqing even have the right to offer happiness to Lu Zhengfei? As someone burdened with guilt, wasn’t his rebirth meant to witness the gradual extinguishing of Lu Zhengfei’s hope?

It was a paradoxical question, one that Chen Qianqing still didn’t have an answer to.

The noodles were brought to the table, steaming and warm.

The tomato-based noodles looked especially appetizing. Lu Zhengfei picked up some noodles with his chopsticks and began eating.

Chen Qianqing started eating slowly as well. He had always preferred mild flavors, unlike the real Chen Qianqing, whose favorite dish here had been the green pepper beef noodles.

The noodles were chewy, and the sauce added a delightful flavor. As Chen Qianqing chewed, he suddenly felt a sense of time rewinding. It was as if the Lu Zhengfei sitting across from him had transformed into the old Chen Qianqing, smiling gently at him from across the table.

That smile held no pain, no hatred—only a quiet sense of contentment and joy.

But the illusion lasted only for a fleeting moment. The person across from him turned back into Lu Zhengfei.

“You’ve got sauce on your mouth,” Lu Zhengfei said suddenly, leaning closer to Chen Qianqing. Without any shame, he licked the corner of Chen Qianqing’s lips. He wasn’t afraid of making Chen Qianqing angry; in fact, he chuckled happily to himself.

Chen Qianqing’s face darkened. “What are you laughing at?”

Lu Zhengfei replied, “Nothing. I just feel happy.”

Chen Qianqing glared at him and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

“Baby,” Lu Zhengfei said, “do you want to marry me?”

Chen Qianqing responded, “If I say no, would you accept that?”

Lu Zhengfei grinned. “Of course not. But I think you’d agree anyway. After all, you’re mine for this lifetime.”

As he spoke, he pulled a small box from his pocket. Opening it in front of Chen Qianqing, he revealed a pair of platinum diamond rings.

The rings were unfamiliar to Chen Qianqing. In their past life, Lu Zhengfei had also bought a pair of rings for the real Chen Qianqing, but the design had been different. In that life, only Lu Zhengfei ended up wearing his ring.

“Baby, will you marry me?” Lu Zhengfei asked.

Chen Qianqing let out a soft laugh. “If you had asked if I wanted to marry you, I might have considered it.”

Lu Zhengfei blinked, momentarily stunned. Then, decisively changing his phrasing, he said, “Then, will you stay with me?”

The noodle shop was simple, the air filled with the scent of oil and smoke. Half-eaten bowls of noodles sat on the table—nothing about the setting was ideal. Yet, Lu Zhengfei brought out something he had prepared for a long time. Somehow, he felt certain that Chen Qianqing would accept the ring.

Chen Qianqing’s reaction didn’t disappoint. He stared at Lu Zhengfei for a long moment before slowly reaching out to take one of the rings from the box.

Then, with a reverence that seemed almost sacred, he placed the ring on the ring finger of his right hand.

This was a scene Chen Qianqing had dreamed of for so long. He gazed at the ring on his finger, feeling something indescribable stirring within him. In his previous life, this wish had gone unfulfilled. But at this moment, in an entirely different way, his wish had come true.

At last, Chen Qianqing wore Lu Zhengfei’s ring. Against the backdrop of his pale skin, the ring seemed to emit a holy glow. That glow hurt Chen Qianqing’s eyes, and tears began to fall silently down his cheeks.

Seeing Chen Qianqing cry, Lu Zhengfei understood it wasn’t tears of joy. Chen Qianqing’s eyes were filled with pain and sorrow. Yet beneath that sadness, there seemed to be an emotion Lu Zhengfei couldn’t decipher.

Lu Zhengfei pulled Chen Qianqing into his arms. “Don’t cry,” he whispered. “When you cry, it makes me want to cry with you.”

Chen Qianqing remained silent, his expression indifferent. After a moment, he sighed softly and said, “Lu Zhengfei, do you know how much I envy you?”

Lu Zhengfei was taken aback. “But, baby, everything I have is yours.”

Chen Qianqing shook his head. “What you have, I can never obtain.”

The departed are gone, and those who remain must carry on with their lives.

The Lu Zhengfei of this world was a fortunate man.