Chapter 417 - Second Brother, Happy Birthday

Gu Tinglan tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“Second Master?”

Lu Huaiyu was still staring in the direction of the accident, his expression unmoved.

Gu Tinglan frowned and raised his voice slightly.

“Lu Huaiyu?”

His voice finally seemed to have brought Lu Huaiyu back to his senses.

He shifted his gaze and leaned against the back of the chair. He raised his head slightly and closed his eyes, concealing all the ripples in his eyes.

“It’s okay. Let’s go.”

There was a hint of a deep and hoarse tone in his voice, as if he was suppressing something.

Gu Tinglan continued to drive forward, bypassing the scene of the accident.

When they were quite some distance away, he looked in the rearview mirror.

Under the dark night, he could only see the blurry outline and the lights.

Lu Huaiyu sat in the passenger seat, remaining silent.

Gu Tinglan thought for a moment and asked, “Are you really okay?”

He really had not expected to see such a scene here.

After a while, Lu Huaiyu replied.

“Yes.”

Gu Tinglan felt that it was still a bit dangerous for him to be in this state.

“Why don’t you follow me back first?”

He asked tentatively.

Only then did Lu Huaiyu open his eyes.

The color of his pupils was very deep and his emotions could not be seen clearly. There seemed to be a thin layer of frost between his brows.

“There’s no need.”

Gu Tinglan could hear his insistence and frowned slightly, but in the end, he did not ask any further.

…

When they arrived at Yunding Fenghua, it was already ten o’clock in the evening.

Gu Tinglan parked the car in front of the villa and looked over there, his expression slightly solemn.

The lights were on in the villa.

Someone was there.

He had a vague suspicion in his heart.

At this time, the only person who could stay at Yunding Fenghua… Well, there was only one person that it could be.

Lu Huaiyu had already pushed open the door and gotten out of the car.

“Thank you.”

Gu Tinglan stopped him.

“Lu Huaiyu.”

Lu Huaiyu stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at him.

Gu Tinglan looked at him through the car window.

The lights in the villa outlined Lu Huaiyu’s tall and straight figure.

He was facing the light, his face half-hidden in the shadows. It was half-light and half-dark, so he could not be seen clearly.

Gu Tinglan said, “Please convey my regards to Ning Li.”

Lu Huaiyu looked at him for a moment, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Okay.”

With that, he turned around and walked towards the villa.

Gu Tinglan sat in the car for a long time. He didn’t start the car again until Lu Huaiyu had entered the villa.

…

Ning Li was sitting in the living room reading a book.

When she heard the noise coming from the door, she realized that Lu Huaiyu had probably returned.

She put down the book, stood up, and walked over.

Lu Huaiyu was changing his shoes at the entrance.

“Second Brother, you’re back.”

Ning Li called out to him.

Lu Huaiyu raised his head, his eyes slightly dark.

Ning Li was suddenly stunned.

Lu Huaiyu… seemed to be a little different.

However, this feeling only lasted for a moment. Lu Huai quickly walked over.

“Have you been waiting long?”

His tone was as unhurried as usual. He raised his hand and gently tapped her forehead, his fingertips feeling slightly hot.

The subtle feeling in Ning Li’s heart quickly dissipated.

She shook her head.

“No, I was reading just now.”

Lu Huaiyu walked inside. He casually glanced in the direction of the living room and saw the book on the coffee table.

The corners of his lips curved slightly as he explained, “The plane was late, so I came back a little later.”

Ning Li nodded and recalled that there seemed to have been a car outside just now.

“Is Brother Xiyue with you?”

“It was Gu Tinglan.”

Lu Huaiyu walked over and took a bottle of ice water from the fridge.

“He asked me to send you his regards.”

As he said this, he unscrewed the bottle cap.

The cold liquid flowed down his throat. The coldness eroded and finally suppressed the faint irritation.

“Doctor Gu? Has he also returned to Yunzhou?”

Ning Li had not seen him for a long time. As she was asking, her gaze suddenly focused.

Lu Huaiyu was leaning against the fridge, his long legs slightly bent. The bottle of ice water was soon empty. The drops of water dripped down along his protruding Adam’s apple. The trace of the water was faintly glowing, the water droplets eventually entering the open collar of his shirt, leaving a small wet patch on his collarbone.

She suddenly remembered that she had seen a similar scene in a previous video.

At that time, her ears had turned red even though they had been separated by the screen. Now that she was standing not far away from him, the impact of seeing it with her own eyes was too great.

Lu Huaiyu nodded. He thought for a moment and said, “No, he was going to Lincheng.”

Ning Li blinked.

Gu Tinglan had been investigating something in Lincheng. When he had returned to the Capital, there had been no news for a long time. She thought that he had already finished his work.

She had not expected him to go again at this time.

“It seems that Lincheng is quite important to Doctor Gu.”

Otherwise, he would not have spent so much time and effort to be there.

Lu Huaiyu put down the water bottle and walked over.

Ning Li was standing on one side of the kitchen island. He took a few steps forward and stood in front of her.

“Ning Li.”

He looked down at her from above. Then, as if he felt that the distance was too far, he bent his elbow on the kitchen island and leaned forward.

The distance between the two of them instantly closed, and their breathing could be heard clearly.

He tilted his head slightly, his voice low and slow, his words hitting her eardrums.

“Why are you always asking about others?”

Ning Li was stunned.

She met Lu Huaiyu’s gaze. His current appearance was no different from usual, but his eyes were very deep, as if something was surging below the seemingly calm surface of the lake.

It was also like a storm that had been dormant for a long time, faintly releasing a trace of a breeze.

He had a beautiful face, and his entire body exuded a noble and undisciplined aura. Also, he always carried a distant and unapproachable aura.

However, at this moment, he… was very different. His brows and eyes were relaxed, and there was a smile on the corner of his lips. However, there was an indescribable extreme temptation and danger in his eyes.

She had seen such a gaze before.

She frowned slightly and leaned forward a little. The tip of her perky nose twitched, but she did not smell any alcohol.

“Second Brother, you didn’t drink, did you?”

She asked uncertainly.

Lu Huaiyu looked at her, his eyes fell on her red and full lips, and his Adam’s apple rolled. Then he smiled and said, “No.”

Ning Li thought for a moment.

Well, it was his birthday after all. It was not appropriate for her to keep talking about Gu Tinglan.

She said, “Second Brother, wait a minute. I have a gift for you.”

As she said that, she turned around and walked to the side.

Lu Huaiyu’s gaze followed her.

Then, he saw Ning Li bring over a small strawberry cake.

The cake was roughly only six inches wide, but it had been made very delicately. It was double-layered, with strawberries on the middle and the top.

A rich sweet fragrance assailed his nostrils.

Lu Huaiyu raised his eyebrows slightly.

“You made it yourself?”

“Yes.”

Ning Li put the cake down and lit two candles on it. Remembering that the lights were still on, she went over and turned off the lights.

The surroundings instantly darkened, leaving only the floor lamp in the living room, with a faint dim light remaining.

She walked back and looked at Lu Huaiyu.

Lu Huaiyu was also looking at her.

The candlelight shone in his eyes, bright and moving.

She could even hear his shallow breathing and smell the clear scent of cedar on his body.

Her lips curved and formed small dimples on her face as she said softly, “Happy Birthday, Second Brother.”