Chapter 270: Attending the Ball

Seeing Lu Cheng's disdainful expression, Lu Ying put her hands on her hips: "Hey, can you get a little excited!"

Lu Cheng pursed his lips: "It's not, sis, a broken second‑hand bicycle, what emotional value do you expect?"

"Watch your words. It's second‑hand, sure, but it's not broken, okay? At least it's seventy percent new."

Lu Ying said while squeezing the bell: "Look at this bell, doesn't it ring! And this chain, it's just been oiled! The pedal is newly replaced, not broken! It's hardly different from new, and it's over half off."

Indeed it was much newer than the previous bike; the old one only had a silent bell while everything else rang, and no matter how well you describe it, it remains a second‑hand item.

Lu Cheng quickly tidied his clothes, then his hairstyle: "Sis, look at me, look at me, how does my height and looks look?"

Lu Ying nonchalantly: "Pretty good, a handsome talent, dashing and charming, okay then."

"Right? I think so too, so this broken… no, it's a seventy‑percent‑new second‑hand bicycle, do you think it matches my little brother's temperament?"

Lu Ying rolled a big white eye: "Your damn temperament! One thing, do you want it? If not, I'll return it to someone, saving me two months' salary, and later don't ask me for money, annoying!"

Lu Ying, angry, was about to push the bicycle away; Lu Cheng saw his sister angry and hurriedly held the handlebars.

"No, no, I want it, I want it, second‑hand is second‑hand, I like second‑hand."

"Thank you, sister, you're the best, the best sister in the world, not only beautiful but also smart and beautiful, kind and generous…"

Lu Cheng, hoping to get future allowance, had to praise his sister as a flower; Lu Ying also felt the emotional value, but remained uneasy.

"You must take good care of it; if you lose it again, I'll take out your intestines."

Lu Cheng's throat rolled a bit, and he quickly patted his chest promising: "No, no, I'll later make two iron chains to lock it, front and back locked, even if I lose it, I can't lose the bicycle."

"That's about right! Then let's go, you take me back."

"Where to?"

"Home, you haven't finished school yet."

Lu Cheng turned to look at the school gate; several classmates were waiting, having agreed to go to the Drum Tower for a lap, then have dinner at night, and try Capital City's draft beer.

Among them were two girls who had long admired him; if they didn't go, they'd be very sad.

"Sis, why don't you go first? I have dinner with classmates tonight."

Lu Ying glanced: "Oh, then, okay."

After walking a few steps, she suddenly remembered: "By the way Lu Cheng, I almost forgot, Qing Yan's unit has a dance today, a Social Dance, you said you'd attend."

Hearing the Social Dance Ball, Lu Cheng suddenly recalled that earlier he had promised Lin Qingyan to attend.

But today… it's a bit inconvenient.

"Sis, look, I really have something today, why don't you two go have fun, tell Qing Yan I'm not going."

"Ah? Then can't you just go after dinner? I see Qing Yan specially dressed up today, you really aren't going?"

Lu Cheng indeed had an important matter: "We're not just having dinner today; mainly we're discussing snowplow development, it'll be late, and I want to solve the problem early so we can produce the snowplow this year."

Hearing Lu Cheng had work, Lu Ying said: "Alright, then you go home early, don't wander, don't drink…"

"I know, sis, you go first."

Watching his sister leave, Lu Cheng took a slight breath, his gaze returning to the bicycle.

"Sigh, after all I'm also a member of the Rebirth Brigade, how did I end up only able to ride a second‑hand bicycle!"

"Lu Cheng, let's go…"

"Here we go!"

……

Eight o'clock at night.

In the hall the Ministry of Foreign Affairs uses to receive foreign guests, people in various outfits and faces moved about.

Overhead were colored glass lampshades casting hazy spots of light.

The air mixed the scent of Snowflake Ointment and tobacco, accompanied by mellow music, and the dance floor already had people dancing.

Lu Ying also dressed up today, wearing a floral long dress, one hand on Lin Qingyan's arm, and when she entered the corridor saw a server carrying a tray with drinks in tall‑footed glasses.

"Hey Qing Yan, this is champagne."

Lin Qingyan smiled and nodded: "Yeah, want to try?"

"Need money?"

"No money, everything here is for entertaining foreign guests; see over there also pastries, you can eat."

Lu Ying instantly got excited, immediately took a glass of champagne from the passing server's tray, took a sip, and indeed it tasted different from her usual drinks.

"How is it, good?"

Lu Ying smacked her lips: "Hmm? There's a fruit aroma, the taste is quite like our Capital City's Bei Bing Yang soda, a bit sweet‑sour; could this be soda?"

Lin Qingyan's face broke into a smile: "Of course not, just similar in taste; it contains alcohol, don't drink it as soda, otherwise you'll get drunk and I can't carry you home."

"Then never mind, let's go eat pastries; I haven't been full at home."

The two walked along the corridor to the pastry area, occasionally seeing foreign faces.

Lu Ying, satisfied while eating pastries, observed the passing foreigners.

"Hey Qing Yan, look at that foreigner, he's really tall, and the woman next to him, her hair is curled, right?"

"It's Self‑wrapped Curl."

"Self‑wrapped Curl? That's really nice; a few days ago I passed by the Friendship Store, there was a female salesclerk with curled hair, but she must have curled it with a hot iron, a bunch of hair got burnt, she probably doesn't know."

Lu Ying found it funny, and Lin Qingyan also laughed.

Compared with Lu Ying's curious wandering, Lin Qingyan had no thoughts at all.

Today she specially changed into that pure white long dress, but the person she wanted to show it to didn't come.

If not for Lu Ying wanting to see, she would just tell the leader that she won't attend the ball tonight.

At that moment, Lu Ying held a small plate, eating a pastry, and suddenly looked at the corridor entrance and said "Eh?"

"Qing Yan, look at that person, I think I've seen them somewhere before."

Lin Qingyan looked in that direction, and when she recognized the person, Lin Qingyan's eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"It is Qin Shousheng."

"Qin Shousheng?" Lu Ying muttered, suddenly recalling this person.

The last time they saw him was at the Shichahai Ice Skating Rink, no wonder he seemed so familiar; having heard Lin Qingyan also say it, back then they had almost become engaged to this person.

However, that is all in the past now.

Not to mention that Lu Cheng, the younger brother, has now married Lin Qingyan; even if Lin Qingyan hadn't married anyone, the Qin Family, fearing the influence that Lin Zhenfeng might bring, would be eager to cut ties with Lin Qingyan.

What made Lu Ying curious was why Qin Shousheng also came to attend the ball.