Dan Zi had applied exquisite full makeup, even though her beautiful hair was slightly dampened by rainwater, it still did not affect her bright and beautiful image.
The rain vapor instead made her gaze even more pitifully moving, making people give rise to good feelings.
On Dan Zi’s face was joy that was difficult to conceal, both hands tightly gripping the handbag’s strap, tone uneasy: “Chen Kuang…”
“I, sent you a message, did you see it?”
Her overly outstanding appearance made the male customers in the shop unable to help but secretly glance, yet the person she focused on gazing at had lost his expression.
The relaxed brows and eyes of Chen Kuang just now completely vanished, he glanced around, raised his chin to signal her: “If there’s something, go outside to talk.”
After speaking, he lifted his leg wanting to drive people out.
Dan Zi stepped back a step, as if she had expected his attitude, came prepared: “Wait, why can’t we sit down and chat? Can’t you treat me as a customer?”
“I haven’t drunk the alcohol you mixed yet.”
As a bar staff member, he had no reason to refuse to serve a customer.
Chen Kuang turned his head back, cast a look toward the bar manager Xie Rouyin, like giving instructions, also like seeking help.
At the moment he turned back, Qiao Ling lowered her head as if fleeing, opened her phone, pretending she saw nothing, in reality, her heart had already swayed until even supplying oxygen was difficult.
Did not dare to look at him, even more did not dare let him see her expression she fundamentally could not control.
Xie Rouyin understood his gaze, turning the high stool, waved her hand at him, turned around to continue chatting with Qiao Ling.
Did not intend to get involved in his private matters.
But also did not allow him to refuse customers entering the shop.
Chen Kuang had no choice, turned back around, pointed to a single-person dining seat for Dan Zi, “Over here.”
The two of them walked together towards the empty seat in the corner of the bar.
“Why do you keep sending emoji stickers to your file transfer assistant?”
The suddenly drifting over question interrupted Qiao Ling’s messy and muddled thoughts, she paused her finger, looked toward the half-smiling Xie Rouyin.
Qiao Ling’s face instantly turned red like a tomato, tongue tied trying to cover: “Uh no, I, just storing some pictures… not…”
Xie Rouyin’s gentle gaze seemed like it could bring people a calming effect, “Little Qiao-meimei, is it that you’ve never been in a relationship before?”
Qiao Ling felt ashamed of her stiff and clumsy reaction, lowered her head, silently shook her head.
Though not exactly.
Xie Rouyin considered herself as having seen a lot of things, and was best at helping others resolve worries.
But seeing the little girl sitting beside with head lowered, holding in emotions until even the corners of her eyes turned red, face also white, she really feared that if she spoke half a word more she would make her cry.
“Did you guess something?”
Within a dozen or so seconds, Qiao Ling quickly suppressed her mood, when she raised her head again it was already much better, “I don’t dare to speak carelessly, that would be impolite.”
She secretly glanced over there, then bounced her line of sight back, “…should be a very important person, right.”
Xie Rouyin saw her like this, sighed, “That’s not quite it, your guess isn’t correct oh.”
She stood up and step by step walked into the cocktail counter: “He has matters to talk about with the other party, for a while he won’t be able to mind this side either, what to drink, I’ll mix for you.”
Qiao Ling blinked, surprised: “Jiejie, you also know how to mix alcohol?”
“Although can’t compare to them, but opening a bar oneself, how can one not understand a bit?” Xie Rouyin couldn’t be bothered to wear an apron, her posture more casual.
Even though she said so with her mouth, once she picked up the tools she appeared practiced and confident, carrying yet another kind of charming allure.
“What to drink?” she asked.
Without Chen Kuang’s specially mixed “Picking Fault,” Qiao Ling reopened the drink menu, swept a glance, pointed to one: “Just this signature one then, Nature Worship.”
Xie Rouyin leaned on the bar counter, after pondering confirmed with her: “Nature Worship is among these few original special mixes one of the stronger ones, sure you want this one?”
“It’ll be a little different from the sweet-taste ones you liked drinking before oh, this one has a thick intense feeling.”
She took out one by one the bourbon whiskey, red vermouth, refreshing flavored syrup, orange peel, and bitters used to make “Nature Worship.”
“Nature Worship is the top theme of ancient Egyptian religion, in that tranquil civilization, they admired the tenacious vitality of plants and animals, longed for harmonious coexistence with all living beings.”
“They yearned for flowing oasis, also devoutly prayed to the vast starry sky above the desert. This kind of worship is intense, intense enough to be savored for thousands of years.”
Xie Rouyin’s voice condition was originally superior, gently narrating the concept and creativity of this alcohol, making listeners as if also follow her into that mysterious and quiet ancient Egypt.
She poured the proportioned base liquor into the shaker, lifted her eyes to look at Qiao Ling, saw that she fundamentally wasn’t listening in, laughed: “If you really want to know, you can ask, it’s okay.”
From just now until now, Qiao Ling had been unable to control herself from thinking about those two people sitting behind talking, thinking until her whole body stiffened.
She wished so much to grow a pair of eyes on her back, that way she could both peep at them, and also wouldn’t be discovered.
Qiao Ling stared at the already emptied glass cup, still spoke out: “Rouyin-jie, do you know about the relationship between those two?”
“Is… what ah.”
“Chen Kuang and that woman’s matter I also only heard from someone, don’t know completely, hard to make a judgment.”
Xie Rouyin capped the shaker, quickly and precisely shook it a few times, banged it down, told her: “If only objectively stating the relationship, she is Chen Kuang’s university classmate, also…”
Qiao Ling actually didn’t really want to hear those two words, yet still in the other party’s gradually forming speaking mouth shape, little by little sank into discouragement.
“Ex-girlfriend.”
She lowered her gaze, nodded, “As expected ah.”
Qiao Ling did not particularly resist this matter, Chen Kuang was a mature man twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, each having their own past before knowing each other was perfectly normal.
It’s just… just…
Regarding Chen Kuang’s more than twenty years of life before, especially the most youthful and high-spirited university period, she was completely blank, while another person knew, even once exclusively enjoyed it.
Because of this she felt restless, also sad.
“Little Qiao-meimei.” Xie Rouyin waved her hand in front of her, seeing her like this, in her heart also felt somewhat anxious for her.
She comforted the other party: “Although I don’t know the full picture of the matter, there is a conclusion Chen Kuang personally admitted before, I can tell you.”
Xie Rouyin’s expression calmly poured the alcohol into the glass, did the final decoration, swept a glance at that beautiful woman under candlelight constantly speaking to Chen Kuang.
“That period of university love, to Chen Kuang, was not pleasant.”
Qiao Ling received the “Nature Worship” that Xie Rouyin handed over, said a thank you, hadn’t yet spoken, at this moment Qiao Jing who had gone out to buy things just happened to return.
“Hey hey hey, what’s the situation, let me see.”
He lowered his voice, quickly leaned over to the bar counter, turned his head to look at Chen Kuang’s side.
Qiao Ling was already in a bad mood, seeing her cousin with that eager gossiping grinning face made her annoyed, silently shifted a bit to the side, too lazy to bother.
“What’s that girl’s background? What are they talking about?” Qiao Jing’s eyes lit up, looking at Xie Rouyin with a face full of longing.
Seeing him like that, Xie Rouyin simply saw a big dog wagging its tail waiting for a toy, helpless, “Don’t go messing around oh.”
“She’s a university ex-girlfriend.”
Qiao Jing covered his mouth, almost shouting out loud in excitement, turned his head: “Did you hear that, little sister ah, Rouyin said it’s Chen Kuang’s ex-girlfriend, damn, hey, why did you order that, aren’t you afraid of getting drunk again?”
Qiao Ling took small sips of the Nature Worship, frowning from the strength of the alcohol, glaring at him.
Can you not bother me? Don’t want to be treated like a fool too.
She swallowed the overly rich liquor with difficulty, “Other people’s first love reunion, what are you getting excited for?”
Xie Rouyin went to the back kitchen, Qiao Jing rested his chin on the bar counter, “How can I not be excited, I can’t wait for that guy to rekindle old feelings with his first love, that way he won’t be making moves on Rouyin anymore.”
The words “rekindle old feelings” heavily knocked against her heart, Qiao Ling’s back broke out in a rush of sweat, head down as she drank another mouthful of alcohol.
She awkwardly said: “Rouyin-jie already said, Chen Kuang wasn’t happy in that relationship, how could there be any rekindling.”
Qiao Jing spread his hands, analyzed very experiencedly: “That’s where you don’t understand, the so-called ‘broken mirror put back together’ [idiom: rekindling an old relationship], isn’t it exactly about two people who weren’t mature before getting back together after they’ve matured.”
“In university days everyone is childish, all kinds of flaws, no one gives way to the other. Once entering society, having seen all kinds of people, they realize the feelings from school days were the purest.”
“The things they couldn’t tolerate before, now they can tolerate.”
“How could it be impossible to rekindle.”
Qiao Ling got anxious: “It’s just not possible!”
“You’ve only known him how long? Don’t even have much of a relationship,” Qiao Jing laughed: “What right do you have to say it’s not possible.”
That plain and light sentence of his, completely tore apart the disguise of Qiao Ling’s restless emotions.
She was just annoyed, annoyed that she was nothing at all.
Nothing at all, could only sit here uselessly, praying they wouldn’t keep talking, praying Chen Kuang absolutely wouldn’t show that person even a single smile.
Qiao Ling’s eyes turned red with anger, suddenly raised her face and asked him: “Then in your opinion, what kind of relationship qualifies to speak.”
Qiao Jing instantly understood the look in his sister’s eyes, face changed all of a sudden.
“Hey Qiao Ling, I say you… don’t tell me you…”
She turned her face away, “I just am.”
Qiao Jing couldn’t believe it, slapped the table: “Qiao Lingzi! You!”
The commotion at the bar counter attracted quite a few customers’ attention, Chen Kuang sitting below turned his head at the sound, ignoring that Dan Zi across from him was still speaking.
He looked at the bristling Qiao Jing, his gaze shifting to Qiao Ling with her back hunched and curled, his brow pressing down.
“Chen Kuang?” Dan Zi looked at the person in front of her standing up.
“I’m still working, there’s nothing much to say.” Chen Kuang picked up the work apron draped beside him, left behind a sentence as he turned around to leave.
“Suit yourself.”
………
Qiao Jing couldn’t help but grab his cousin sister’s arm, forehead tensed, pressing down his voice: “You’ve got guts, daring to try hooking up with him right under my nose, you treating me as dead!?”
“You don’t like him that’s your business, but why don’t you allow others to like him too?!” Qiao Ling glared at him, not giving an inch.
“You can like anyone, but not him. Didn’t I already tell you, he toward Rouyin…” Qiao Jing really was about to fume with anger, unwilling for his cousin sister to like a man who definitely wouldn’t respond to her.
Qiao Ling threw off his hand, stomped the footrest of the high stool in anger, closed her eyes and cursed: “Qiao Jing you big idiot! Deaf, blind, small-hearted too! The whole world is your imaginary enemy, alright!!”
This curse came out, even Qiao Jing was scolded silly.
Just at that moment, Chen Kuang who happened to be walking by also paused his steps, looking at her in surprise.
Qiao Ling opened her eyes and saw Chen Kuang standing behind her with an astonished expression.
Her already on-the-edge self-esteem completely shattered to dust in this socially-dead moment.
She hurriedly picked up her bag, threw words at Qiao Jing: “Mind your own business, I’m going home.”
Qiao Ling jumped down from the high stool, but hadn’t expected this cup of special mix to be so strong, her footing softened and she couldn’t stand steady.
As she stumbled in a mess, a hand steadily grabbed her arm, helping her stand firm.
Chen Kuang’s voice sounded.
“Didn’t you order ‘Picking Fault’? Why are you drinking such strong alcohol?”
Qiao Ling stared at the familiar veins on the back of his hand, her heart instantly churned even more, her lips trembled.
“If I waited for you to come back to make it… my throat would’ve gone dry already.”
Chen Kuang’s eyes slightly froze, just about to apologize—
“Chen Kuang, let her go!”
Qiao Jing got anxious, looking at these two: “What are you doing, touching here and there!”
Qiao Ling’s eyebrows twitched, pushed away Chen Kuang’s hand, carried her bag on her back and fled towards the door.
Until he watched the person disappear at the door, Chen Kuang turned back and directly faced Qiao Jing, frowning: “What are you bullying her for.”
Qiao Jing almost cursed in front of the customers, before he flipped the ceiling over he was stopped by Xie Rouyin.
………
Because it was a rainy day plus a weekday, the bar had relatively fewer customers. Seeing the few people in the shop each with their own thoughts, atmosphere too tense, Xie Rouyin closed the shop early at 1:30 AM.
When Chen Kuang got off work, the rain outside had already stopped. On the way back to Zhoucheng Huating, he kept thinking about Qiao Ling’s abnormal reaction in the bar. By the time he came back to his senses, the elevator had already risen to the designated floor.
He patted the back of his head that was heavy from sleepiness, walked to the door, input Qiao Ling’s apartment front door password.
Sleep first and talk later.
The anti-theft door opened with a sound. Chen Kuang pushed the door and discovered the light inside was on, looked in doubt—then saw Qiao Ling curled up on the sofa.
His action of closing the door was slightly hesitant. While changing shoes he asked the person inside: “Why did you come back?”
“Didn’t you say these few days you’re staying at your parents’ house?”
Qiao Ling raised her head, her flushed face and the beer can she was hugging in her arms both entered his sight.
Chen Kuang slightly furrowed his brows, threw down his coat and walked over, “Why come back and drink again?”
“Something happened?”
Qiao Ling didn’t speak, her gaze stared straight at him.
The sofa bed was occupied by her, Chen Kuang had nowhere to sit, so simply stretched his pants and squatted down in front of her, slowly pulling away the beer can in her hand.
He held it and shook it — still half left, not much drunk.
Him squatting down was actually about the same height as Qiao Ling sitting on the sofa, her overlooking gaze only had a little bit of height advantage.
Chen Kuang had seen her drunk appearance before, so he was mentally prepared, softened his voice to ask: “Had a fight with your brother?”
“Fighting, drinking is useless, it can’t resolve sorrow.”
“Then troubled by feelings.” She suddenly opened her mouth, her expression bitter: “Does it work?”
Chen Kuang silently looked for a few seconds, the fingers pinching the beer can rubbed twice unnaturally, still answered: “Doesn’t work either, drinking to excess only has the result of harming the body.”
“A man, is it worth you harming yourself?”
Qiao Ling lowered her head, already not daring to look at his face again.
Afraid that if she looked one more time at those eyes of his that seemed able to both tolerate and see through all her emotions, she would be exposed.
Before, she had still been feeling self-satisfied thinking, everything should proceed step by step, even if only having the current status she was already very content.
But after one night, all of this now seemed like it wouldn’t be able to hold on anymore.
She wanted to ask Chen Kuang, about the relationship with that woman.
Wanted to ask what you two talked about, do you still have feelings for her, do you still like her.
But she couldn’t.
She couldn’t open her mouth.
Just like Qiao Jing said, she had no qualification to support her asking these questions.
She had no way to pretend to be gossipy as a friend to ask, that’s not serious at all.
Either she confesses her feelings directly.
A person who clearly has possessiveness toward him, naturally has the qualification to ask these answers.
But if that happens, if Chen Kuang knows her purpose, would he still continue living here?
No, according to his personality and character, if he didn’t want to give her an answer, he absolutely wouldn’t appear before her again to stir things up.
The friendship relationship she had right now would be like a bubble, pierced by sunlight and it would all be gone.
Put bluntly, it’s her own shamelessness and possessiveness fighting each other.
Qiao Ling couldn’t hold on anymore, dizzy and unsteady she stood up, “I, won’t say anymore, I’m going back to my parents’ house.”
Chen Kuang followed and stood up, puzzled: “If you originally planned to stay at your parents’ house, what are you running here for?”
She looked at the floor under her feet floating unsteadily, grabbed the keys on the coffee table, stumbling as she argued: “To get things, I’m getting things… I won’t be coming back these few days.”
“Wait.” He sensed something was wrong, grabbed her arm, his tone sank.
“You drank too much alcohol, middle of the night, don’t go out anymore.”
“Sleep here tonight first.”
How could Qiao Ling still face him, she shook her head hard, pushed him away: “No need, I’ll take a taxi, I’ll be home in a bit.”
“Let go of me.”
However, the person beside her gripped even tighter, the two of them for a moment pulling back and forth in the living room.
Qiao Ling kept her head down struggling, several sharp and hurried breaths leaking out.
Chen Kuang’s chest felt blocked, his gaze hesitant.
Time silently and tensely floated past six or seven seconds.
Qiao Ling saw his shadow lean down, as if bending over to confirm whether she was crying or not.
Chen Kuang’s voice rang out along with the movement: “Qiao Ling.”
“Is it me who made you angry.”