Chapter 1502: 1502: You're Deluding Yourself

Chapter 1502: Chapter 1502: You’re Deluding Yourself

That night, Luo Ziling didn’t sleep well and kept dreaming.

They weren’t exactly nightmares, just some random, jumbled fragments. Upon waking, he couldn’t recall what the dreams were about.

Because of the poor sleep, Luo Ziling felt groggy when he got up the next day.

It was the second day after registration and the first day of formal classes.

Luo Ziling, not slacking off, went to class on time.

Cao Jianhui and the others, who originally thought Luo Ziling wouldn’t show up, were stunned when they saw him enter the classroom and gaped in surprise.

“Boss, weren’t you still sightseeing in Chang’an? How come you’re back so soon?” Cao Jianhui pulled Luo Ziling over and teased with a grin, “Did the beauties reject you, so you came scurrying back?”

“Yep, you’re absolutely right. The beauties rejected me, and I came back dejected,” Luo Ziling replied, unwilling to argue with them.

However, Cao Jianhui, Li Fuming, and Wu Longjiang were still very curious and kept pestering Luo Ziling about how he spent his winter break—whether things with Yang Qingyin or any other beauties had taken a dramatic turn—but Luo Ziling couldn’t be bothered to answer.

Soon, Counselor He Yongping entered the classroom, and only then did Cao Jianhui and the others stop their chatter.

The first class of the new semester was led by He Yongping.

It didn’t cover much actual content, mostly focusing on new semester arrangements and events that had happened over the winter break.

He Yongping was articulate and spoke non-stop for over an hour before wrapping up.

The next class was Organic Chemistry. Luo Ziling didn’t understand much and spent the two periods on the verge of dozing off.

As soon as the professor announced the end of class, Luo Ziling snapped out of his half-asleep state.

Just as he was about to head to the cafeteria with Cao Jianhui and the others, Luo Yuqing called and asked him to wait for her so they could eat together.

“You guys go ahead. I’m waiting for someone,” Luo Ziling said after taking the call.

“Oh, who are you waiting for? Another beauty, eh? Have you found a new flame?” Cao Jianhui and the others refused to leave. They insisted on staying to see the girl on the other end of the call. “We want to see what kind of woman you’ve charmed this time.”

Luo Ziling ignored the nosy boys.

After a short wait, Luo Yuqing appeared in front of them.

Upon seeing her familiar face, Cao Jianhui and the others sighed in dissatisfaction.

They felt let down by the lack of surprises.

“She’s my sister. Don’t mess with her,” Luo Ziling said seriously as he pointed to Luo Yuqing and addressed Cao Jianhui and the others. “If I catch you disrespecting her, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

“For real?” Cao Jianhui was so surprised his mouth fell open. “These days, people are even using sibling roles as a cover for dating?”

“We’re blood-related siblings. Got it?” Luo Ziling grabbed Cao Jianhui’s ear and addressed him earnestly. “From now on, my sister is under my protection. Don’t mess with her, or you’ll regret it.”

“No way, this has to be a joke,” Cao Jianhui said, growing even more astonished. “This is straight out of a ridiculous soap opera.”

“Don’t ask for the details—just accept the facts,” Luo Yuqing said seriously. “I’m his sister, and he’s my brother. If anyone bullies me, he’ll stand up for me. If anyone bullies him, I’ll stand up for him. Got it?”

“Got it!” Cao Jianhui, Wu Longjiang, and Li Fuming nodded mechanically.

Poor fellows—on the first day of the semester, they were already overwhelmed by this shocking revelation.

Even though similar rumors had circulated in Luo Ziling’s social circles in the past, they had assumed it was a joke between men and women. Who would’ve thought it was real?

They were very aware of how much influence Luo Yuqing wielded as the president of the Yan University Student Union.

Without considerable social connections or capabilities, there was no way she could have secured that position.

And now they learned that Luo Ziling was Luo Yuqing’s brother, meaning he shared that connection.

But why had this relationship not been revealed earlier? When Luo Yuqing visited Luo Ziling, she had acted like a suitor rather than a sister.

In fact, they used to seem like complete strangers.

Their relationship must be exceedingly complicated—possibly just as melodramatic as it seemed—perhaps even tied to conflicts among wealthy families.

Truth be told, as someone born into an official’s family, Cao Jianhui had a decent understanding of these intricate family matters, and his guesses were pretty close to the truth. But having such drama unfold right in front of him still made it hard to process.

“Alright, you’re siblings—real ones. We get it now,” Cao Jianhui finally concluded. “Come to think of it, you two do look a bit alike.”

Luo Ziling and Luo Yuqing ignored them and went off to the cafeteria on their own.

Embarrassed, Cao Jianhui, Li Fuming, and Wu Longjiang didn’t follow. Luo Ziling didn’t invite them either.

“Why were you looking for me?” Luo Ziling asked Luo Yuqing with a smile. “Don’t tell me it’s another sudden issue?”

“Weren’t you planning to meet Ouyang Feifei at lunch? I’ll go with you.”

“Do you have to butt into everything?”

Luo Yuqing ignored his teasing and replied earnestly, “I also have something to talk to Ouyang Feifei about. Since you’re heading there anyway, I’ll go with you. But if you don’t want me around during your conversation, I’ll step aside.”

“Fine!” Luo Ziling didn’t say anything else.

The two sat together to eat, naturally attracting a lot of attention. Their intimate conversation was even captured in photos, which were promptly uploaded to the school forum. But a reply quickly followed, asserting that Luo Yuqing and Luo Ziling were biological siblings who had simply kept their relationship private until now.

The post only fueled curiosity, leaving many people doubting its claim. Luo Ziling and Luo Yuqing, however, ignored the stares, nor did they bother to check the forum thread. After finishing their meal, they went straight to meet Ouyang Feifei.

To Luo Ziling’s surprise, they ran into Chen Jiahai outside Ouyang Feifei’s office.

Seeing Chen Jiahai there left both Luo Ziling and Luo Yuqing visibly shocked.

“Mr. Luo, Miss Luo, fancy meeting you two here,” Chen Jiahai said as he stopped on his way out, extended a hand to them, and added meaningfully, “Bet you didn’t expect me to bounce back, huh? You must be disappointed.”

“Not really. Your hospitalization didn’t surprise me, and neither does your recovery. We didn’t pay much attention to you anyway,” Luo Ziling replied with a faint smile, his tone equally pointed. “So you’re just imagining things.”

Luo Ziling’s response made Luo Yuqing chuckle. “I didn’t realize my brother could be so witty.”

Chen Jiahai hadn’t expected Luo Ziling to be so blunt, and his face immediately darkened.