Chapter 35: Michelle and Ice orange

A Suspicious Invitation

‘My cat does backflips…’
Wasn’t that a sleazy pickup line guys used to lure girls?

Whether the cat could backflip was uncertain, but the two would surely tumble in bed.

Was Mi Xue hinting at something?

Lin Lu couldn’t believe it.
Back when they dated, Mi Xue was always passive about physical contact.
Even during kisses, she was docile—neither resisting nor engaging, letting him do as he pleased, as long as he was happy.
She never took the initiative.

By contrast, Su Keke, despite her annoyed expressions when kissing, was anything but reluctant.
Sometimes she was fiercer than him, leaving Lin Lu feeling like a young buck devoured by a seasoned cow.

Could Mi Xue have changed so much?
Was she lonely now?

No way.
She wouldn’t turn to her scumbag ex to satisfy her urges.
This had to be a honey trap.

“…Bing Cheng misses you.”

Mi Xue’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
He looked up to see her face brimming with anticipation.

“Our… our girl hasn’t seen you in so long. Let’s have a family dinner.”
Her small hands nervously tucked into her chest, her cheeks flushed.

A Shared Past

Lin Lu remembered—they’d had a “daughter.”

No misunderstanding—Bing Cheng was a stray kitten they’d rescued and raised together.
Back then, they were a “family of three.”
Though they’d “divorced,” and custody went to the “ex-wife,” a daughter was still a daughter.
Lin Lu missed that little furball, wondering how chubby she’d gotten over the years.

After a pause, he said, “I’ll buy some cat treats…”
For his daughter, he’d spare the expense.

Before heading to Mi Xue’s apartment, they stopped at a supermarket.
Mi Xue picked up some vegetables too.

The university had assigned her an apartment in a new upscale complex—a perk for top talent.
Many veteran professors were stuck in shabby old faculty housing, showing how much the school and government valued Mi Xue.

“Your junior said you still lived in the dorms?” he asked casually as they climbed the stairs.

“I moved out recently. If experiments run late, I crash at the dorm sometimes.”

“You’re already a professor. Why push yourself so hard? You’ll ruin your health.”

Hearing his concern, Mi Xue glanced at him, then looked down at the steps, murmuring, “I love research.”

No wonder she was so accomplished—her passion was her work, and her work her passion.

Family Struggles

“What about Auntie? She must get bored alone in the apartment. You’re always working—now that you’re successful, shouldn’t you spend more time with her?”

Lin Lu knew Mi Xue came from a single-parent home, raised by her mother, who had a leg condition that prevented her from working.
She earned a meager living with needlework, the root of their poverty.
His past meddling with Mi Xue’s scholarships and jobs had hit her family hard.

“Mom doesn’t live here. She’s been hospitalized for a year…”
Mi Xue’s voice grew heavy at the mention of her mother.

“Hospitalized?”

“Her myocardial infarction flared up again. I didn’t trust her alone at home, so she’s under medical care now.”

Lin Lu froze.

Seeing his confusion, Mi Xue’s mood sank further but continued.
“You remember Mom’s heart bypass surgery? Arterial blockages don’t just happen once. Other spots can flare up suddenly. She’s had multiple stents over the years…”

A Life-Changing Memory

Lin Lu recalled that night years ago when Mi Xue’s mother was rushed to the hospital, unconscious.
The diagnosis was severe arterial blockage, requiring a bypass surgery to save her life—costing a staggering 100,000 yuan.

A high schooler like Mi Xue couldn’t afford it.
Her family had no savings, and relatives refused to lend money.
Desperate, she turned to her boyfriend of barely a week, whom she’d been forced to date.

She knew Lin Lu’s family was loaded—his daily pocket money dwarfed her months of earnings.

Mi Xue had braced herself to beg, even ready to sacrifice herself.
But to her shock, Lin Lu didn’t hesitate or set conditions.
He wired the money to her mother’s account instantly.
The surgery went smoothly, and the hospital, short on beds, moved her mother to a VIP ward.

Within ten minutes, Lin Lu was at the hospital, staying by her side outside the operating room, comforting her through the night.
He’d acted like a true boyfriend, not the usual carefree jerk.

To Lin Lu, this was just a minor blip among countless memories, especially since it involved money, which he deemed trivial.
With so many exes and countless events, it was a miracle he didn’t mix them up, let alone recall every detail.

Like how Su Keke remembered him stopping shady dealings at a singing competition, which he’d nearly forgotten until she brought it up.
Without her, that memory would’ve stayed buried.

Similarly, for Mi Xue, this moment was unforgettable.

Recalling that cold night outside the operating room, sobbing in Lin Lu’s arms for comfort, her heart stirred.
Unconsciously, she leaned closer, her arm brushing his.
The warmth through their clothes brought back that comforting embrace.

Lin Lu felt her sudden closeness.
It wasn’t just arm-to-arm—Mi Xue’s figure, even under her shirt, was so striking it felt like her chest was pressing against him.

Only Zhuang Yanyue could rival her in height and curves.

It was pleasant, but…

“Uh, don’t push me into the wall…”

He gently nudged her away, his other arm already dusted with white wall powder.

Mi Xue’s face turned beet red.
She fled upstairs, her long legs in fitted jeans carrying her swiftly.

A Growing Suspicion

Watching her shy retreat, Lin Lu was puzzled.
It felt like they’d never broken up.
Mi Xue hadn’t said a single harsh word, settled no scores, or threatened him once.
It was more like a long-separated couple reuniting.

What was she planning?

He’d prefer she be direct like Zhuang Yanyue—lay out the threats, bring it on.
Not this cryptic scheming.

Suddenly, he hesitated about going to her place.
Who knew what dangers awaited—some torturous trap straight out of the Qing dynasty?

Lin Lu chased after her, grabbing her hand.
She flinched, her body trembling.

“Let’s be real, Senior. What’s your game?”