Although every time looking at each other with Chen Kuang, she always had a kind of feeling of not being able to handle it.
But don’t know why, this time it was even more so, the moment he looked at her, Qiao Ling felt as if being pierced through by an arrow, her back heating up, also didn’t understand what her body was panicking for.
Separated by such a far distance, the things around all looked somewhat blurry, only his figure and gaze were incomparably clear in her eyes, like that moment a camera focuses.
The meaning behind Chen Kuang’s glance she couldn’t guess.
Qiao Ling’s toes curled up inside her shoes, so nervous she couldn’t take it.
However, after Chen Kuang’s gaze lingered on her table for a few seconds, it was neatly withdrawn, Qiao Ling couldn’t hear what he said, only saw him faintly nodding his chin.
Very bland, completely without even a little bit of extra reaction.
She suddenly had a kind of sense of loss.
Qiao Ling ate the little snacks given by the bar, drank water waiting for her own drink.
Felt like she had been waiting the whole night, entering the door had to wait for a number, after having a seat ordering the drink still had to wait for the drink.
Could see it, tonight it wasn’t only her who designated Chen Kuang to make her drink, Chen Kuang’s movements making drinks were obviously twice as busy as the bartender with glasses beside him.
If every night was this busy, and during the day there wasn’t better sleep quality.
No wonder would be tired to the point of almost fainting…
During the previous few times communicating, it was her who had always underestimated Chen Kuang’s work intensity ah.
It was herself a little selfish, only thinking about her own shop not having changes, really terrible.
She silently lowered her head, started doubting whether her decision to come uninvited tonight was a bit reckless.
During people’s work time, how could there be time to chat with her.
After a while, her drink was delivered by the waiter, “Miss, your special mix is ready, our bartender said it’s a one-to-one replica according to the one made for you last time, if there’s any problem with the taste you can call me anytime, I’ll help you coordinate.”
Qiao Ling nodded thanks, wanted to pull the waiter to ask for Chen Kuang’s WeChat, but in this situation, wouldn’t she be taken as someone pursuing Chen Kuang because she liked him.
So she pressed down this thought, picked up the glass to take a sip, frowned slightly.
Qiao Ling put down the drink, again sneakily glanced at the busy back figure inside the bar counter.
Said it was a replica, but how come she tasted it…
Much more bitter than last time.
Qiao Ling waited all the way until eleven thirty at night, seeing that it was about to strike the hour, but the atmosphere in the bar seemed just to have reached the white-hot stage, there were still new customers continuously coming in from outside.
She was originally going to keep waiting, but in the end her mom’s phone call came in, disrupting her “waiting for the rabbit by the tree stump” plan.
[守株待兔 — idiom: waiting idly for opportunities; lit. guarding a tree stump waiting for rabbits]
Although the bar was a quiet bar, but with so many people plus background music it was still a bit noisy, she took her phone to the restroom to secretly answer: “Hello, mom? So late, how come you haven’t slept yet.”
“Today not very sleepy, was just about to sleep.” Yang Manyun directly asked: “You came home yet? I saw your Dianping shows closing shop at nine thirty already.”
Qiao Ling slightly stunned, “You would even check that kind of thing ah.”
How did mom know she hadn’t gone home yet??
“Didn’t I buy some Qiong City fruits and sent them to the delivery locker in your apartment complex,” Yang Manyun puzzled: “I saw until now still not signed for, did you forget or haven’t gone home yet?”
Qiao Ling was startled, actually had forgotten about this matter.
Although she was living outside alone, the matter of the home’s curfew still existed. Every time she came home late, she had to report to her family; otherwise, her parents would get anxious.
“Uh, I already came home long ago.” She lowered her voice, pretending to sound drowsy: “Was just about to sleep, I forgot about the delivery.”
“Should I go downstairs to get it now?”
Yang Manyun probably thought her daughter had always been well-behaved and timid, so didn’t suspect that she would be wandering outside alone in the middle of the night: “Forget it, forget it, those fruits aren’t afraid of heat either. Remember to get them tomorrow, and eat more once you take them.”
“Not eating meals properly, not eating fruits, plus staying up late. I think sooner or later you’ll get internal heat”
Qiao Ling was afraid in a moment her overly sharp mom would discover something again, so she quickly hung up the phone: “Mm, mm, got it.”
“You sleep early too, it’s late already.”
“Alright, you too, come back home to stay tomorrow. Your dad wants to make you an extra meal, bought seafood.”
After this call ended, she didn’t dare linger outside anymore, decided to put her “hunting Chen Kuang” plan on hold for now.
Looking at the bar’s atmosphere, estimating it, tonight they wouldn’t be able to close shop before three in the morning.
Qiao Ling went back to get her things, settled the drink bill, like a discouraged and disheartened little rabbit, carried her bag and left.
Before leaving, she still unwillingly looked one last time toward the bar counter.
That person was still busy.
The whole night, didn’t look at her even once more.
Qiao Ling sighed, pushed the door and left the bar.
…………
This bar was very close to her shop’s office building, just ten minutes walking distance. Probably because of this, Chen Kuang chose to rent an apartment inside the office building instead of finding a normal residential building.
Qiao Ling, having lived here for so long, only now realized — this area counted as Binyang City’s commercial center, all around were either large shopping malls, corporate buildings, or these rows upon rows of comprehensive office buildings. Residential communities were at least one kilometer away.
No wonder.
There were still six to seven hundred meters left to reach the brightly lit main road. As Qiao Ling silently walked through this small street, she was thinking about how to resolve the conflict between her and Chen Kuang regarding sleeping arrangements.
Was his apartment unable to be canceled?
Should she pay to cover his lease termination loss? But…
Qiao Ling thought about her already maxed-out Huabei and bank card balance… and sighed again. [花呗 — Huabei, a credit payment service under Alipay]
She couldn’t do it.
Chen Kuang usually rested from nine in the morning to six in the evening, which happened to be when her shop was open. What if she cut a few hours off her daytime business hours?
Qiao Ling thought about the bleak sales figures, as well as all kinds of pressures…
Still couldn’t do it.
Clang clang clang—
A beer can suddenly rolled from somewhere along the asphalt road to the tip of her toe.
Qiao Ling stopped, and as she heard chaotic footsteps approaching, she looked up, meeting the gaze of those two men.
A woman’s sense of danger is comparable to an antelope under attack, will immediately raise all nerves into a state of high tension.
These two people, one thin and one fat, both around 1.78 meters tall, their gaze looking at her uniformly and blatantly.
Their eyes carried a very strong purposeful aggressiveness.
It was obvious they were here to look for trouble with her.
Even though now was already a society ruled by law, with safety nets everywhere protecting residents.
But as long as there are people who commit evil, dangerous incidents can never be completely prevented.
Qiao Ling didn’t know them and had never provoked anyone. She calmly asked: “What’s the matter?”
“Little sister just came out from that bar, right?” The thin one spoke, sweeping her up and down with an unfriendly, mocking tone: “Is the alcohol there good?”
Qiao Ling was afraid, didn’t answer.
“Switching places so early, definitely not good to drink.” The fat one next to him spoke, coming closer with bad intentions: “Add me on WeChat, I know a better place than here, brother’ll take you to the second round.”
“We’ll treat you, meeting is fate.”
She saw this person was about to reach out, hurriedly stepped back, “No need, I’m meeting someone else.”
It’s okay, stay calm, behind was a spacious small street, she just had to open her legs and run backward.
“Then call your friend along, treating you for free and you still won’t go?” The thin one and fat one exchanged a glance, moved together trying to grab her.
Qiao Ling was so scared she let out a cry, turned around and ran, but bang—ran into a chest.
The cool and clear scent from the black shirt rushed in, her forehead along with her heartbeat instantly numbed for a moment.
Qiao Ling looked up, instinctively called his name in panic: “Chen Kuang! Chen—”
Chen Kuang directly faced those two, expression very dark.
His left hand holding a mountain bike, his right hand grabbing her wrist, pulling her behind him, spoke lightly: “Still not scared from last time getting beat up? Still so disobedient.”
Qiao Ling was stunned, quietly puzzled: “When did you beat…”
“Don’t fucking act tough! Last time is last time!” The fat hooligan cursed angrily: “I already said, with me around, your shitty bar can forget about doing well!!”
She awkwardly shut her mouth.
Oh, wasn’t talking about me.
Chen Kuang propped up his bicycle, turned his head and dropped a line: “You go back, walk from the back.”
“Ah?” Qiao Ling glanced again at those two fierce-looking guys, “I leave? Then you…”
She quietly reminded: “How about call the police, I…”
Chen Kuang suddenly smiled, his tone very light: “Go, those two are coming for the bar, it originally has nothing to do with you.”
Although the situation was very urgent, but in that brief half second, she still drowned for a moment in Chen Kuang’s smile within the dim yellow light.
Those two hooligans had been holding grudges for a long time, seeing Chen Kuang distracted, rushed over directly—
Chen Kuang reacted even faster, grabbed the mountain bike and smashed it toward them.
“Bang!!!” A loud crash echoed through the small street.
Qiao Ling was so frightened she covered her ears and ran backward, not caring about anything else.
Even if she had thought in peaceful times about what measures to take when encountering danger, when really facing it, that kind of brain freeze and blankness was completely uncontrollable.
Could only rely on instinct to escape.
Heavens—!!!
The auntie downstairs saying he fought one against five was actually true!!!
Those two people cursed while throwing the bicycle aside, swinging their fists to punch Chen Kuang.
She ran too fast, turning her head to look, her vision was very blurry—
In that shaky blur she saw Chen Kuang’s movements were extremely agile, as if he wasn’t really attacking, yet could subdue the opponent until they couldn’t resist and screamed messily.
How was that possible?
Even fighting could be done so gracefully?
Facing these kinds of hooligans who relied on yelling to scare people but didn’t actually have much real fighting ability, Chen Kuang basically didn’t need to make moves.
Last time there were five people, and he fought more openly because the other side had knives on them.
Chen Kuang was naturally born with dynamic vision better than ordinary people.
The opponent’s punching action in his eyes would automatically slow down by many times, could see especially clearly.
He bent his waist to dodge the punch, grabbed the opponent’s arm with one hand, twisted it using neutral force, the pain of almost dislocating made the thin one quickly lose: “Ah!!! Fuck!!”
The other fat one moved clumsily. Chen Kuang kicked his knee’s weak spot, and he immediately knelt on the spot.
Chen Kuang let out a breath, just about to let go and speak, when he heard a voice from far to near shouting over.
“Ah!!! I’m coming!!”
“You guys stop bullying people ah ah ah ah!!”
He turned his head and saw Qiao Ling carrying a basket of empty beer bottles running back, the corner of his eyes relaxed slightly.
?
Qiao Ling was waving the beer bottles in her hand, clearly intending to smash them onto those people, running so hard she was panting, eyes turning red: “Don’t even think about running!”
“Think I’m easy to bully?! Fuck your grandpa!”
She saw clearly the situation, her steps slowly stopped, “Ah… you.”
Qiao Ling raised the green beer bottle, awkward: “You already handled it…”
Chen Kuang put one hand on his hip, puzzled: “What did you come back for?”
“Where did you get the bottles from?”
Qiao Ling looked down, silently answered: “Outside that nearby barbecue stall.”
“…Do I need to pay for them?”
He said helplessly: “Hurry and return them to the owner.”
Qiao Ling: “……”
The two hooligans on the ground hissing in pain saw that this time they still couldn’t win against him, very tacitly crawled up and ran, afraid of being caught by Chen Kuang and sent to the police station.
The thin one ran off clutching his dislocated arm, the fat one unwilling to let it go, ran two steps and, as if venting his anger, kicked hard at the mountain bike lying on the ground.
“Just you fucking wait! Fuck your grandpa!”
The mountain bike let out a cracking sound of its frame being damaged, lying limp on the ground looking even more pitiful.
The danger receded, the fur of the soul that had exploded also slowly calmed down, Qiao Ling’s whole body lost strength, she looked at Chen Kuang, “Weren’t you working?”
“Why did you come out?”
Chen Kuang answered a little slowly, walking toward the mountain bike on the ground, “The landlord sent me a WeChat saying there was a smoke alarm going off in my building, told me to go back and check if my apartment was affected.”
Qiao Ling took out her phone, opened the owners’ group chat to check, strangely said: “Hm? Smoke alarm? How come I didn’t get any message?”
“Logically speaking, if the twentieth floor has an alarm, the twenty-first floor should also respond, right?”
Chen Kuang: “……”
He bent down to pick up the bike, suddenly hissed in pain.
Qiao Ling’s doubt was interrupted, only now seeing there was a long blood mark on his right arm, “You’re injured!?”
She put away her phone and quickly walked closer, checking his injury: “This… how did this happen.”
“It’s nothing.” Chen Kuang lowered his eyes, glanced at the scratch on his arm: “Probably got scratched.”
“Those two grown men keep such sharp nails??” Qiao Ling was extremely disdainful, immediately suggested: “Let’s go to the hospital, there’s bleeding, you have to get a tetanus shot.”
He shook his head: “No need, just disinfect and apply medicine myself is enough.”
She felt deeply guilty, insisted: “No, you don’t know how dirty their nails are, it’s really easy to get infected.”
“Even if we take ten thousand steps back, you got hurt because of me, I’ll pay for the medical expenses, you don’t have to feel pressured.”
“This place is very close to the city hospital, let’s go now.”
Seeing her insistence, as if if he didn’t agree she would keep worrying all the way, Chen Kuang could only nod.
Qiao Ling asked: “Do we take a taxi?”
“Let’s walk,” he propped up the bike: “Still have it too.”
She took the initiative to help with the bike, “Don’t move anymore, I’ll push the bike.”
The two of them walked along under the streetlights toward the main road, had just walked about a hundred meters when a WeChat call from Chen Kuang popped up.
Qiao Ling caught sight of her cousin’s WeChat profile picture, her heart stirred.
Chen Kuang didn’t avoid her either, directly answered, “What’s up?”
Qiao Jing’s voice was very loud, some words leaked through the receiver.
“The store called saying that bunch of idiots caused trouble again, is that it!!”
“Fuck, why are they like flies, can’t get rid of them even after beating them up!”
“This time it was a female customer being harassed again? Did you comfort her?”
Chen Kuang glanced at the girl walking beside him, hesitated slightly: “Mm……”
The other side paused for a moment, then scolded him: “If you have something to say, just say it straight, why are you dawdling with me, disgusting.”
Chen Kuang raised his head and met the eyes of the person walking beside him, “The one you called to the bar last time…”
He pulled the phone slightly away, asked: “What’s your relationship with Qiao Jing?”
Qiao Ling quietly answered.
Chen Kuang put the phone back to his ear, cleanly told Qiao Jing:
“Your younger sister is with me.”