Xia Tian awkwardly looked aside, his tone not as aggressive as before: “… As long as it tastes good.”
“What’s this drink called?” she asked.
Xia Tian paused for a moment, “Name?”
Qiao Ling was puzzled: “Don’t you bartenders give every original special mix a name?”
Xia Tian gave a snorting laugh, wiped his hands and said: “When it’s busy, making dozens of special mixes in a day, naming each one, my brain would have been oxygen-deprived long ago.”
She bit on the straw in a daze for a while, suddenly glaring at Chen Kuang.
As expected!! That drink name thing was deliberately messing with her! Bartenders basically didn’t usually name special mixes!
Xia Tian didn’t chat idly with her, immediately went to make other customers’ orders.
This glass of drink was indeed very good, to the point where after getting used to it, she even felt there wasn’t much alcohol taste, like drinking fruit juice.
Qiao Ling pretended to look at her phone while drinking, her private thought was wanting to see Chen Kuang personally take a bite of the seafood she brought, so she stayed in place, dragging out time.
Thinking she might as well wait until they got off work.
One glass was quickly finished, she asked Xia Tian for a second glass of special mix, this time he agreed very readily, attitude also softened.
The jazz music in the bar continued leisurely, guests’ laughing and noisy voices never stopped, romantic and lingering, making people forget time and space, completely immersed in this alcohol world.
Qiao Ling wasn’t used to drinking alcohol, not to mention any experience of being drunk. She just felt it tasted good so she kept drinking, completely forgetting that although cocktails looked like drinks, they were essentially different.
When the second glass was almost finished, a sudden urge to pee hit her, she put down her phone and went to the restroom.
When she stood up, there was a moment where she nearly couldn’t stand steady, and she felt dazed.
Not right.
Why do my feet feel soft?
Qiao Ling shook her head, feeling sleepy, her steps soft and fluffy as she walked toward the restroom.
Her vision was blurry and swollen, her thoughts were like a broken cassette tape, one segment following another discontinuously, the thing she thought about in the previous second was forgotten in the next.
Even when going to the toilet, she almost didn’t sit on the toilet seat and nearly fell to the side.
Qiao Ling touched her burning hot face, “…Mm?”
After she finished using the restroom and washed her hands, she struggled to maintain a straight walk, returning to the bar counter.
A waiter carrying drinks brushed past her shoulder; Qiao Ling dodged him, and with that step, she lost her balance, almost falling, but was caught by Xie Rouyin: “Are you okay?”
Xie Rouyin had just wanted to ask a question when she saw Qiao Ling lift her face, her breath sucked in.
The girl’s cheeks were rosy, her beautiful eyes like melted cotton candy, soft and rippling with watery light.
My heavens.
Xie Rouyin frowned and looked toward the bar counter.
Who got meimei drunk like this? How am I supposed to explain this to Qiao Jing?
“Jiejie… you,” Qiao Ling was already completely drunk, pulling on her and talking nonsense: “You definitely have to taste that little seafood…”
“My dad’s cooking, uh, really good.”
“Alright, alright, I definitely will.” Xie Rouyin had a headache, supporting the little girl as they walked back: “Lean on me and walk slowly, come on, look at the road.”
A quiet bar wasn’t like a nightclub with all-night partying, people tended to follow the crowd. Close to midnight, once someone finished and left, other guests would gradually settle their bills and head home.
At this moment, the bar was already not as lively as two hours ago, bartenders relatively able to spare some time to rest.
Xie Rouyin supported Qiao Ling back to the bar counter, opening her mouth as if holding someone accountable: “You two, who made her drink, how did you get meimei drunk like this?”
Xia Tian and Chen Kuang, who were cleaning up the bar counter, both raised their heads at the same time.
Chen Kuang looked over in one glance, his brows instantly furrowing when he saw Qiao Ling’s face.
Xia Tian was surprised, asking Xie Rouyin: “She… drank too much?”
Chen Kuang was the first to walk over, picking up the remaining sip of Qiao Ling’s drink and tilting his head back to taste it.
After tasting, his expression became even more serious, holding the glass and pointing toward Xia Tian, asking: “With her level, you used Payne Tequila?”
“Were you pouring a drink for an enemy?”
Just from tasting one sip he could basically distinguish the ingredients in the glass.
For a special mix, Xia Tian used three types of base liquor all over 40% alcohol, among them the tequila even up to 45%. Even for drinking veterans, there was no guarantee that one glass would leave them unscathed.
Let alone her, silly as she was, drinking so fast.
Xia Tian, seeing him questioning himself, also got angry: “Hey, I asked her if she could drink, she said it should be no problem, that’s why I went with free play.”
“And besides, you don’t even understand this drink of mine. If I don’t use that Payne, I can’t make the flavor I want at all.”
The Qiao Ling who was being supported by Xie Rouyin saw a familiar person come over, smelled that familiar clear and cool scent on Chen Kuang’s body, and couldn’t help but curl up her lips.
Every time she met him in the elevator just after he showered, it was this scent. Hee hee, really fragrant.
The two bartenders were still arguing when Qiao Ling suddenly let go of Xie Rouyin’s supporting hand and pounced over, hugging his arm all at once.
Chen Kuang stopped mid-sentence, lowered his head to look at the girl clinging onto him.
?
Qiao Ling’s tomato-like face puffed up, sticky and muddled as she said: “You also, also have to taste the little seafood I brought, it’s really tasty.”
She secretly used her finger to scratch at his arm, “You have to eat… a little something, don’t faint.”
Chen Kuang tried to shake her off but couldn’t, sighed, and glared sideways at Xia Tian again.
Seeing the situation, Xie Rouyin quickly put an end to the meaningless debate between the two of them: “Alright, alright, she’s already drunk, what’s the point of arguing about this?”
“Qiao Jing hasn’t replied on WeChat, probably already asleep. Let’s send her home first. Being this drunk outside is too dangerous.”
“Mn… Xia Tian, today you’ll be punished with overtime then.” She turned her head and asked Chen Kuang: “Can you help me send meimei home?”
Before Chen Kuang even spoke, Qiao Ling shyly nodded, “Mn, it’s okay.”
Chen Kuang: “…”
What is this?
Xie Rouyin saw the little girl’s shy expression and laughed inwardly.
Looks like it’s the truth after drinking.
“Then I’ll trouble you. Make sure to send her home safely, contact anytime.”
“You can get off work.”
……
Five minutes later, Chen Kuang was pulling along the drunken Qiao Ling out of the bar.
In the middle of the night, even hailing a taxi was a little troublesome.
Originally, if he was just heading back to the apartment to rest, he could walk there, but Qiao Ling’s place was three kilometers from here, so they could only take a taxi.
Chen Kuang queued up for a taxi on the app, his other hand still having to control the swaying girl.
Qiao Ling’s heart was pounding thump-thump-thump, staring at his hand holding her arm, her brain a complete paste.
So hot.
Why was the palm of his hand so hot, holding her arm until it felt numb.
“Let, let go first.” Her heart was about to explode, couldn’t handle it.
Chen Kuang thought she minded the close contact between male and female, neatly let go, “You can stand on your own?”
Qiao Ling barely held herself steady in place, but after a few seconds squatted down again, silly smile and nodding.
“Dizzy, but like this is fine.”
Chen Kuang’s chest sank slightly.
Still considered obedient, better to deal with than other drunk people.
Seeing the queue number almost reaching them, Chen Kuang turned his head, “Your house…”
The girl who had just been squatting in place had already, in just half a minute, swayed and staggered her way over to the nearby convenience store entrance.
Chen Kuang fell silent.
He decisively took back that earlier comment he made.
He stepped forward, chasing after that small, swaying figure, following her into the convenience store.
Chen Kuang followed behind her, caught between the boundaries of physical distance between man and woman, so it wasn’t easy for him to directly stop her.
“What do you want to buy?”
Qiao Ling muddle-headedly lingered in front of the shelves, her finger sliding along rows of small bottled alcohol: “Yesterday I saw on Xiaohongshu people recommending convenience store cocktails… I remember it was, using, eh? Using which kind of alcohol again.”
She turned her head, raising her smiling eyes and asked: “Teach me how to make one, okay?”
“I have small seafood, I’ll use it to trade with you.”
Chen Kuang kept both hands in his pockets, showing a look like she was hard to deal with.
Can that small seafood really taste that good?
Qiao Ling saw him not responding, silently turned her head back, her shoulders drooping: “It’s fine.”
“If you don’t know, I’ll go ask that glasses guy…”
“White rum, cola, lime juice.” He said directly.
Chen Kuang, helpless: “The simplest Cuba Libre convenience store version, not high in alcohol content.”
Qiao Ling accurately picked out a mini bottle of rum, her deer eyes smiling so much they seemed to squeeze out water, “I knew you’d know! Just didn’t want to teach me, stingy.”
He sighed.
“……”
Chen Kuang snatched the rum from her hand, “I’ll treat you. Go sit over there and wait for me, don’t mess around anymore.”
After saying that, he turned around to go pay, and while passing by the freezer, he even grabbed a grape popsicle.
After buying the things, he carried the bag and looked back, but didn’t see her.
He scanned around, and as a result, through the glass window, Chen Kuang saw Qiao Ling sitting on the stone steps outside, head lowered quietly, and only then did he let out a breath.
Exiting the convenience store, Chen Kuang walked up to Qiao Ling and squatted down in front of her. Instead of giving her the alcohol, he tore open the grape popsicle and handed it over: “For sobering up.”
Qiao Ling was dizzy and sleepy, but when she saw the popsicle she still showed a smile.
Most importantly, this person squatting in front of her made her feel awake.
Even when drunk, Chen Kuang’s face in her eyes was still incomparably clear.
She took the chance to greedily admire his face in detail.
He was the handsomest person she’d ever seen besides celebrities, gentle and indifferent eyes, tall and straight nose, naturally rosy lips.
One bit more would be too feminine, one bit less would be too cold.
His features harmonized like Nuwa Niangniang’s most proud creation.
“Chen Kuang.” She held the popsicle, afraid that even if her mouth held back, the words “heart moved” would leak out from her eyes, “I have so many things I want to say to you.”
“But you were so busy today, didn’t have a chance at all.”
Chen Kuang squatted there, looking up at her slightly, feeling inexplicably puzzled: “Hm?”
“What is it?”
“For example, about your bicycle, and also…” She counted on her fingers carefully, yet couldn’t remember: “That…”
Oh, she remembered.
In an instant, Qiao Ling’s already flushed face became even more unnaturally red.
Chen Kuang didn’t have the skill of “coaxing drunk people,” and his patience was limited: “Say it clearly all at once, our ride is almost here.”
The moment he spoke fiercely, Qiao Ling immediately restrained herself a little, but the impulse fueled by alcohol in her heart couldn’t be stopped.
“I don’t want you to compromise because of my store, and always sleep in the bar.”
“It’s not fair to you, and it’s not good for your health.”
“You almost fainted.”
Chen Kuang stayed silent for a moment, still said: “It doesn’t have much to do with you. I naturally just have insomnia.”
These words fell into her ears, rather than feeling like comfort, it felt more like a gentle refusal.
Qiao Ling lowered her eyes, her grip on the popsicle loosening a little.
The phone vibrated, his taxi was up in the queue. Chen Kuang stuffed the convenience store bag into her hands: “Let’s go, I’ll send you back.”
Just as he was about to stand up, the person in front of him suddenly reached out, pulling him hard—
Chen Kuang was yanked back by her with force, his knee directly hitting the stone steps, the girl’s face enlarged several times before his eyes.
The distance between man and woman squeezed closer through the night wind.
“Chen Kuang!” she called him, pressing her lips to ease her shy smile.
Qiao Ling pulled on his wrist, “I have a way now.”
“A way for you to sleep well, and for me to run the store properly.”
“I have it.”
Chen Kuang’s curiosity was stirred, he even forgot to lift his kneeling knee, raising his eyebrow: “Say it, let’s hear?”
Qiao Ling’s drunk eyes were even brighter than usual, like a pond reflecting spring light, without any hesitation: “Chen Kuang.”
“Do you want to sleep with me?”
Chen Kuang was stunned hearing it.