Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
When Jian Xi emerged from the operating room, it was already dark. She had performed three consecutive cesarean sections in the afternoon, leaving her with an aching back and legs.
After returning to the office to change her clothes, Lu Pingnan called her, “Where are you?”
Jian Xi waited for the elevator and replied, “I just got off work, what’s up?”
The other end was filled with loud music, and Lu Pingnan’s voice was raised too, “Come to Zi Ti, sixth-floor private room, hurry up!”
Jian Xi asked, “Are you drinking?”
But it was too noisy, and the call ended before she could hear his reply.
Lu Pingnan had undergone an appendectomy last month. Although it was a minor surgery, Jian Xi still worried that drinking would harm his health.
The First Municipal Hospital wasn’t far from the place he mentioned. Jian Xi unwrapped two milk candies to settle her empty stomach. With little traffic at this hour, she could reach there in twenty minutes.
The southern district was full of entertainment venues, their neon lights illuminating the night.
Jian Xi made her way to the sixth floor, and as soon as she entered the private room, the thick smell of cigarette smoke made her turn her head away.
Inside, laughter erupted, “She really came when called!”
Someone whistled, “Alright, whoever lost the bet has to drink their penalty shot!”
Jian Xi felt disoriented, scanning the room for Lu Pingnan.
Drunk, Lu Pingnan staggered up from the crowd, pointing at her with a limp finger, “I... I told you guys you wouldn’t believe me, but look how beautiful she is. When I tell her to come, she comes obediently.”
He exaggeratedly rolled up his sleeve to check his watch, “Twenty-five minutes, not late. So, do you guys admit defeat or not?”
Cheers and table pounding echoed through the room, “We admit defeat!”
Feeling triumphant, Lu Pingnan stumbled towards Jian Xi, pulling her hand to drag her inside, “Come on, come have a drink with everyone.”
Jian Xi forcefully shook off his hand, “Lu Pingnan, stop being ridiculous!”
Amidst the tension, some in the room began to jeer, “Looks like Boss Lu doesn’t have much charm after all.”
That comment stung, fueling Lu Pingnan’s drunken rage, “Shut your mouth!” He turned to Jian Xi, lowering his voice to remind her, “They’re all my friends, don’t make me lose face!”
Jian Xi remained silent, staring into his eyes.
Unsettled by her gaze, Lu Pingnan grew impatient, “What’s wrong with you? It’s just fun, don’t ruin the mood.”
In the flickering light, Lu Pingnan’s face appeared blurred. Jian Xi and he had known each other since university, and the man still looked as handsome as ever—tall nose, bright eyes, always seeming to be bathed in soft focus wherever he went.
Jian Xi gave a bitter smile, “I’ve been in the operating room all afternoon without even a sip of water. I was worried you’d drive recklessly after drinking, and here you are telling me to ‘have fun’?”
As Jian Xi laughed while looking at the man she loved, a lump formed in her throat:
“Lu Pingnan, after ten years, can you stop treating me like this?”
Her voice carried emotion, which only served to ignite Lu Pingnan’s anger further. He slammed his glass down on the table, “So now you’re getting worked up? You had the choice to come or not when you got the call, and stop using feelings as an excuse. I’ve made my position clear from the start—it’s all in your head!”
The noise in the private room gradually quieted as everyone turned to look.
Straightening his back, Lu Pingnan spoke louder, “Jian Xi, relationships between men and women are based on mutual consent. These are all my friends; if you can’t handle it, don’t come here acting all high and mighty. Does it make you feel better?”
The smell of alcohol hit her as he spoke. Lu Pingnan ran a small company and had picked up some ruthless businessman traits. His words were delivered with such conviction they felt like a bomb exploding in Jian Xi’s mind, leaving her stunned.
“Get out of here, you’re annoying!” Lu Pingnan pointed towards the door.
The private room door was open, close to the main hall where many onlookers gathered.
Humiliation rushed to her head, making her want to leave immediately.
________________________________________
In this den of luxury and indulgence, even the elevators were adorned with dazzling mirrored walls.
Jian Xi entered with her head down, unable to hold back any longer and collapsed to the ground.
Back in her freshman year, Jian Xi had harbored a secret crush on Lu Pingnan. After confessing her feelings, he never outright rejected her but instead spoke in ambiguous terms that seemed like rejection upon closer reflection, yet still held a glimmer of hope.
Lu Pingnan had a knack for switching effortlessly between being a gentleman and a scoundrel.
Thinking about this, Jian Xi covered her mouth and dry-heaved.
The girl beside her quickly backed away.
Jian Xi lifted her head, her voice hoarse, “Don’t be afraid, I won’t throw up.”
With that, she struggled to stand. After standing in the operating room all afternoon without eating, the sudden change in posture made her stomach feel like it was weighed down by a thousand pounds, causing her complexion to pale dramatically.
“Steady yourself!” A forceful push from behind stopped Jian Xi from falling.
But that strength...
Jian Xi let out a sharp hiss, turning around to frown, “Why did you hit me?”
The man who “hit” her was tall, his broad features betraying a carefree demeanor.
He didn’t speak, his eyes showing disdain. However, the young man beside him chuckled.
As they exited the elevator, Lin Jia couldn’t contain himself anymore, “I almost burst out laughing, Ran Ge, you really don’t know how to hold back your strength. That pretty woman probably thought you were hitting her! Haha!”
He Ran glanced at him, “If your mouth opens any wider, you could swallow something.”
“Not you, Ran Ge, why did you help her in the first place?”
He Ran pulled out a cigarette, placing one between his lips, “Do you think I don’t know what dirty thoughts you have? If I wanted to pick up girls, I wouldn’t have helped her in that situation. I’d have let her fall right into my arms.”
Lin Jia nodded vigorously, “Close contact works wonders, indeed.”
“Wonders my foot,” He Ran flicked his forehead hard, “Keep an eye on the debtor.”
He Ran was a professional debt collector. For the past few days, he had been working on a case involving a cement company boss who owed over 600,000 yuan. The creditor promised a 20% commission if they could recover the money.
They had been monitoring the debtor for three to four days, gaining a basic understanding of his routine. Earlier, while surveilling the sixth floor, they overheard a drunk man boasting that he could get a beautiful woman to come whenever he called within half an hour.
He Ran was playing cards on the lobby sofa when Jian Xi ran past the elevator, and he caught a whiff of her long, flowing hair.
It smelled soft and delicate, perhaps orchids.
Lin Jia kept rambling, “Once we earn this money, I’m going to buy a new phone, maybe the A7.”
Annoyed by his clumsy English, He Ran snapped, “Speak properly, here, let me teach you.”
He smoked, squinting through the haze, “Repeat after me, Ay—Fen—Er—7.”
Lin Jia laughed so hard he bent over, but suddenly stopped, “Ran Ge, Ran Ge, that woman.”
He Ran casually turned his head, cigarette dangling from his lips, ash accumulating on its end without being flicked.
It was Jian Xi returning.
“I drank, I can’t drive. I’ll wait for you on the second floor.”
“I just left the operating room at eight o’clock. I haven’t eaten all day and came straight to see you. Designated driver? I don’t have any money.”
She dialed Lu Pingnan as she exited the elevator, pretending to sound tough but still revealing an underlying tone of compromise.
However, her voice grew louder as she spoke, “Lu Pingnan!”
This shout was fierce, angry, and filled with委屈 (grievance).
The onlookers’ smiles faded, and He Ran held his cigarette between his fingers, smoke slowly rising.
Jian Xi clutched her phone, her eyes red. On the other end, the call was heartlessly disconnected.
She maintained this pose for over ten seconds, tears blurring her vision. At first, she managed to bite her lip to suppress her sobs, but when she turned her head and met someone’s gaze, she couldn’t hold back any longer.
Jian Xi crouched on the ground, her long hair cascading to shield her eyes.
Not long after, she stood up, looked around, and finally fixed her gaze on an empty beer bottle on the table. She walked over, picked it up, found it insufficient, then grabbed another, and swiftly headed to the elevator, pressing the button for the sixth floor.
“Going for revenge?” Lin Jia remarked, “Smashing beer bottles on people’s heads.”
He Ran took out another cigarette, failing to light it on the first try. He turned to instruct Lin Jia, “I forgot something. Wait for me in the lobby.”
Then he headed towards the elevator.
________________________________________
Jian Xi returned to the private room, hiding the beer bottles behind her back.
Lu Pingnan rubbed his face, extremely impatient, “What do you want now?”
Jian Xi tried to steady her breathing, “I want you to apologize to me.”
“Are you serious, Jian Xi?” Lu Pingnan laughed as if hearing a joke, “Did your brain malfunction? Didn’t you understand what I said earlier? Grow up, will you? Do you know why I don’t like you? You’re too pretentious, can’t take a joke.”
Watching his lips move, the last remnants of hope and tolerance in Jian Xi’s heart crumbled.
Lu Pingnan narrowed his eyes, noticing the beer bottle in her hand, and sneered, “You plan to hit me with that?”
Jian Xi gripped the empty bottle, her palms cold and sweaty.
Lu Pingnan squared off against her, rolling up his sleeves and placing a hand on his waist, smirking darkly, “Come on, hit me here.”
He changed his stance, poking his forehead with his index finger, shouting at her, “If you have the guts, smash it here! Smash it! Whoever doesn’t is a coward!”
Initially, Jian Xi merely wanted to give him an out—if Lu Pingnan would offer to take her home, if he would say sorry, she would forgive him without hesitation.
Disheartened by his relentless pressure, Jian Xi’s grip on the bottle weakened.
Just as her resolve faltered, the bottle was suddenly snatched from her hand.
Startled, she turned around to see a tall figure approach her, his voice impatient and disdainful, “Use your eyes, will you? You picked the wrong bottle. This one’s mine, use this instead!”
He Ran, cigarette in mouth, shoved an open beer bottle into her hand, the liquid sloshing from the movement.
Seizing the opportunity, Jian Xi raised her arm and poured the entire bottle of beer over Lu Pingnan’s head.
“Damn it! Are you insane, Jian Xi!”
Lu Pingnan furiously shook his head, beer dripping down his hair, chilling him to the bone.
Jian Xi dropped the bottle, grabbed a tissue to wipe her hands, then crumpled it up and threw it at Lu Pingnan’s face before turning to leave.
Google Sites
Report abuse