PDGUT - 34

In the end, Yan Ming couldn’t quite recall how he had dragged Yu Tian all the way to the parking lot in a frenzied sprint. Without exchanging a word, the two quickly got into the car and fled from the school as if they were on the run.

As expected, no sooner had they gotten into the car than their counselor called repeatedly.

Yan Ming rubbed his temples and looked at Yu Tian: “You answer.”

Yu Tian bit her finger: “No, I’m not answering.”

With no other choice, Yan Ming took a deep breath and answered the call. Having forgotten to turn off the automatic connection, the car’s Bluetooth automatically connected, and the counselor’s puzzled voice filled the car—

“Yan Ming, where did you and Yu Tian disappear to? Where are you?”

“Teacher Zhang, there’s an emergency surgery at the hospital. I didn’t have time to explain in detail. Yu Tian also had something urgent come up, so I took her back to the city along the way.”

The counselor didn’t suspect anything and immediately responded: “Then be careful on the road, hurry up, the patient is the priority.”

Almost as soon as Yan Ming hung up the phone, Yu Tian burst into laughter. She gave Yan Ming a meaningful look.

Yan Ming frowned at her: “What do you want to say?”

Yu Tian shook her head.

Yan Ming pursed his lips: “Then where do you want to go?”

Without hesitation, Yu Tian replied: “To Bar Street!”

Unsurprisingly, Yan Ming raised his voice slightly: “You want to drink?”

Bar Street was a bustling commercial district in Rong City, lined with various themed bars catering to a trendy crowd—it was a hotspot for romantic encounters.

Yu Tian raised an eyebrow: “You’re not going?” Without waiting for an answer, she reached for the car door, pretending to get out. “If you’re not going, I’ll go by myself, or find someone else to accompany me.”

Yan Ming didn’t let her leave; instead, he locked the car doors.

He coughed lightly, his gaze fixed on the steering wheel, his voice tinged with awkwardness: “Fine, I’ll go with you. I don’t have anything else to do anyway—we’ve already run this far.”

But Yu Tian, having gotten her way, teased him further: “Oh? Don’t you have an emergency surgery waiting for you at the hospital?”

“...”

She muttered: “Some people are really good at lying. They can lie without batting an eye, so calm and collected. It must be dangerous to date them—they’re too skilled at hiding things.”

“...”

Yan Ming couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation: “Who was I lying for?”

Yu Tian blinked and fell silent.

“Little white-eyed wolf.”

“...”

Yan Ming pursed his lips and added succinctly: “The kind that can never be tamed.”

“...”

Yu Tian glared at him fiercely, but she quickly gave up.

“Not glaring at me anymore?” Yan Ming kept his eyes on the road, speaking with natural composure. “Realizing your mistake, huh?”

“No,” Yu Tian admitted honestly. “My eyes are just tired. Glaring takes effort.”

“...”

Yan Ming parked the car in a lot one street away from Bar Street, then walked toward Bar Street with Yu Tian trailing behind.

Even though they maintained only a short distance between them, the single men on Bar Street wasted no time eyeing Yu Tian. Men of all sorts approached her naturally—or unnaturally—trying to strike up conversations or invite her to join them.

Yu Tian, back in her stilettos, stood tall and slender, her figure curvaceous with a full bust, slim waist, and long legs. Her bright eyes and radiant smile only added to her allure.

Yan Ming had no choice but to move closer to her side.

The men trying to chat her up gave awkward smiles: “Your boyfriend?”

Yu Tian greeted them warmly: “No.”

“Then...?”

Yan Ming, lips pressed tight and expression grim, interjected: “I’m her brother.”

At this point, any reasonable person would have taken the hint and left. But Bar Street was never short of drunken, slow-witted men. One of the men, still grinning, stepped forward and tried to shake Yan Ming’s hand: “Then you’re my brother too! Brother!”

“...”

Yan Ming’s face twisted in exasperation and disdain, while Yu Tian burst into uncontrollable laughter beside him.

But her laughter didn’t last long. After sending the persistent man away, Yan Ming moved closer, grabbed Yu Tian’s hand without warning, and began leading her forward with an impassive expression.

His cold demeanor and intimate gesture quickly deterred any other men who might have been considering approaching Yu Tian.

Yu Tian tried to pull away, but Yan Ming’s grip was firm. He shot her a warning glance: “Behave.”

“Which bar do you want to go to?” Yan Ming clearly disliked the noisy background sounds and eclectic music of Bar Street. “How long do we have to stay here?”

Despite his obvious discomfort with the environment, Yan Ming held tightly onto Yu Tian’s hand, showing no intention of leaving. Occasionally, he shot warning glances at the few men who dared approach her.

Yu Tian’s heart raced: “Any bar will do. I’m just buying drinks.” She also wanted to leave Bar Street quickly—it made her feel tense and uneasy, and Yan Ming still refused to let go.

In the end, thanks to Yan Ming’s interference, Yu Tian only managed to buy a fruity cocktail and a few low-alcohol beers.

Grinning, she leaned close to Yan Ming’s ear: “I’ll take you to my secret spot.”

After saying this, Yu Tian decided not to trouble Yan Ming further. She pulled him by the hand and darted into the narrow alleys behind Bar Street. Navigating the twists and turns with familiarity, she eventually led him to a wide-open lakeside.

Yan Ming hadn’t expected the alley to lead to a lake. The tree shadows swayed gently, and the moonlight shimmered like water.

Though Bar Street was lively and bustling, the noise carried faintly here as mere background sound. By the lake, there was no other noise—only the occasional water bird flitting past.

Yu Tian brightened again. She kicked off her heels, popped open a beer can, and twirled around on the grassy lakeside, letting the skirt of her evening gown flare out like a flower blooming in the night.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Yan Ming: “Well? Isn’t this place great?”

“Mm.”

For once, Yan Ming didn’t argue. He sat down and declined the beer Yu Tian offered him: “I have to drive.”

“You can call a designated driver,” Yu Tian muttered, then proceeded to drink on her own.

Perhaps it was the night air that made her vulnerable, or the alcohol that dulled her senses and lowered her guard. Or maybe it was simply the atmosphere that made her want to confide.

Silently, Yu Tian finished a can of beer. Staring at her injured hand, she couldn’t help but feel a wave of sadness: “I discovered this place after being discharged from the hospital when I hurt my hand.”

She turned to Yan Ming: “Even if you scream here, no one will hear. Bar Street isn’t far away, but this alley is almost demolished, and all the residents have moved out.”

Yu Tian took a deep breath: “When I first got injured, I couldn’t accept it at all. My dream was always to become a top surgeon, but that dream shattered overnight. Even using chopsticks to eat became difficult.”

Yan Ming pursed his lips, unsure of what to say: “You’re strong.”

“Not really,” Yu Tian laughed. The alcohol made her bold and direct, stripping away the need to hide her emotions as social etiquette demanded. “Back then, I came here alone every day to cry.”

“It wasn’t just the pain of not being able to perform complex surgeries anymore—it was the fear. The fear that my hand might never recover, that I’d truly become disabled for life.”

Yu Tian opened another beer and took a sip: “At that time, I couldn’t even eat freely. My wound wasn’t healing well—it was painful and itchy. I cried a lot.”

“The worst was when I accidentally injured my left hand too. When I cried, I instinctively tried to wipe my tears with my right hand—but I couldn’t, because it was still injured. Neither hand could wipe my tears, so I just let them and my snot smear all over my face before going home like that.”

Though it was all in the past, and Yu Tian thought she could now recall it calmly, talking about it still felt suffocating, like someone was choking her and covering her nose and mouth.

This was her secret base—no one else knew about it, no one else had ever been here. No matter how embarrassing it was to cry until she couldn’t breathe, it didn’t matter because only she knew.

Yan Ming, sitting quietly nearby, was so silent that Yu Tian, her thoughts dulled by alcohol, completely forgot he was there.

Lost in her sorrowful memories, she couldn’t help but cry again.

At first, it was just soft sobs, but soon Yu Tian lost control and broke into loud, unrestrained wails.

The composure she had shown in front of Chen Ming was nothing but a façade. Yu Tian hadn’t been as accepting of her injury as she appeared.

The disability in her hand brought not only changes to her daily life and career trajectory but also feelings of inferiority and sensitivity.

She cried freely for a while, then instinctively reached up to wipe her face—but another hand beat her to it. Long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles, warm and dry, gently brushed away the tears pooling under her eyes.

“If you can’t wipe your tears yourself, can’t you ask someone else to help?”

Yan Ming’s voice was soft, almost carried away by the night breeze. His movements were clumsy but careful, his gaze lingering briefly on Yu Tian’s face before shifting away. His voice was slightly awkward: “Stop crying. It’s not that bad. There are plenty of people willing to help you wipe your tears.”

Yu Tian followed the sound of his voice and finally realized Yan Ming was still there.

“Hands being ugly doesn’t matter,” Yan Ming cleared his throat. “Men don’t look at hands.”

Yu Tian’s mind was a little hazy from the alcohol. She realized Yan Ming was trying to comfort her, but instinctively, she felt his method of comfort wasn’t quite right…

Sure enough, this man coughed again and declared with deafening clarity: “Men look at faces.”

“Being pretty is enough.”

Yu Tian’s eyes widened: “...”

Yan Ming seemed irritated by her stare: “Stop looking at me.” He turned to face Yu Tian, then quickly shifted his gaze back to the lake. “I mean, you’re pretty. You don’t need to worry about other things.”

Drunk people tend to be stubborn, and Yu Tian was no exception. After a brief pause, she pouted: “You’re just flattering me. You’re so good at lying.”

“...” Yan Ming rubbed his temples, unwilling to argue further with someone drunk.

But when he stopped speaking and didn’t respond, Yu Tian immediately grew angry: “See? You really are just brushing me off! As soon as I point out that you’re lying, you don’t even bother to refute it!”

“I’m not lying. You’re beautiful.” Yan Ming had never felt so cornered, even during difficult surgeries. He could only counter based on Yu Tian’s demands: “I’m not flattering you. Why would I flatter you? Are you my wife?”

This time, Yu Tian finally calmed down. She fell silent, her expression appearing serene.

Yan Ming sighed in relief, thinking Yu Tian had sobered up a bit and her emotions had settled.

Bar Street was still lively, but the night breeze had grown slightly chilly, and dew had begun to form on the grass.

It was late.

Yan Ming stood up and extended his hand toward Yu Tian, who was still sitting by the lakeside lost in thought: “Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

After extending his hand, Yan Ming felt a twinge of regret.

It felt too intimate.

He had already gotten too close to Yu Tian tonight, yet they were no longer connected in any way.

This would be the last time.

She was drunk, and he had an obligation to safely get her home. This was what any normal man should do.

Yan Ming averted his gaze, avoiding looking at his hand or Yu Tian’s face. He reminded himself internally—pull her up, put her in the car, escort her to her door, and then it would all be over.

But after waiting for a moment, no hand clasped onto his outstretched one.

Frowning slightly, Yan Ming looked down and saw that Yu Tian was staring up at him. Catching his gaze, she tilted her head higher, fully exposing her delicate, pale neck to him, like a fearless deer offering its throat to a tiger.

It was then that Yan Ming realized Yu Tian flushed when drinking.

Her snow-white cheeks were now tinged with red from the alcohol, blending into an ambiguous pink that resembled cherry blossom petals. Her eyes became doe-like, wet, innocent, and unafraid, as if she’d never encountered humans before and thus dared to look straight into another person’s eyes.

But Yu Tian was drunk, and Yan Ming was not.

She had become fearless, brave, unconcerned with consequences, and forgotten safe social distances and etiquette. However, Yan Ming couldn’t. Under Yu Tian’s gaze, his eyes darted away, almost collapsing under the pressure.

Unfortunately, Yu Tian remained utterly oblivious.

She sat there stubbornly on the grass, completely ignoring Yan Ming’s hand, only staring at him with a helpless yet mischievous expression.

“I can’t stand up.”

Facing Yan Ming, she fearlessly mumbled: “I’m dizzy. I have no strength.”

Yan Ming rubbed his temples: “Yu Tian, it’s very late. Do you want to stay here alone?”

But drunk people lacked reason, and Yan Ming’s attempt to persuade her was entirely ineffective.

Yu Tian nodded heavily and sluggishly toward Yan Ming: “Mm. It’s cool here. I’m so sleepy.”

As if truly drowsy, she closed her eyes while saying this, clearly intending to sleep on the grass. She even waved dismissively at Yan Ming: “Goodbye, goodnight. I’m going to sleep.”

Watching Yu Tian’s gesture as if dismissing him, Yan Ming almost laughed in exasperation.

“You can’t sleep here. Get up. I’ll take you home.”

Yan Ming had no choice but to bend down, grab one of Yu Tian’s hands, and support her waist, attempting to help her walk. Unfortunately, Yu Tian appeared extremely lazy. Even though she could use his support to walk, she didn’t even bother, leaning all her weight on him instead.

When Yan Ming glared at her, she innocently stared back at him. Her rose-colored lips parted slightly, her voice soft, unintentionally coy and mischievous: “Can’t walk.”

Yan Ming was at a loss.

In such a short time, Yu Tian slid down from Yan Ming’s body again, attempting to flop back onto the grass.

She completely gave up and acted spoiled: “I won’t move. Either you carry me on your back.”

Without hesitation, Yan Ming refused: “No.”

Just as he was about to encourage Yu Tian to walk on her own, he heard her say, staring at him: “Oh, sorry, I forgot. You’re older than me, after all. You’re probably getting old and might have back problems. You can’t carry me.”

“...”

Yan Ming stared at her for a moment, then took a deep breath and reluctantly squatted down.

“Get on.”

He turned and pulled Yu Tian’s hand, “I’m young and strong. I can carry you. The ground is cold.”

Though it took some time, Yan Ming eventually managed to hoist Yu Tian onto his back.

To his slight relief, Yu Tian was light, and he didn’t struggle walking. However, the parking lot was far away, requiring them to cross several streets.

After climbing onto his back, Yu Tian drifted off into a daze, no longer causing trouble. Yan Ming resigned himself to carrying her forward.

What Yan Ming didn’t expect was that when they reached the bustling street area, the previously quiet and well-behaved Yu Tian on his back suddenly woke up.

But waking up didn’t mean being sober.

Clearly, her thoughts were still thoroughly soaked in alcohol. Her movements were sluggish, and her hair kept falling onto Yan Ming’s neck, teasing him like a prank.

Unable to bear it, Yan Ming warned: “Yu Tian, stop moving around.”

Yu Tian obediently stopped. Her face reddened further, her eyes visibly glazed with drunkenness. She buried her face into Yan Ming’s shoulder, her lips close enough to his cheek that he could feel the subtle vibrations of her words in the air.

Her voice became soft and innocent: “Why is it taking so long?”

After hearing her mutter a few times, Yan Ming finally understood what she was complaining about—

“Aren’t you driving me home?” She grumbled, “Your driving skills aren’t great. Why are you driving so slowly?”

As she spoke, Yu Tian lazily pointed at bicycles passing them on the street: “Even slower than a bicycle. Can you drive properly, Yan Ming?”

Drunk as she was, she no longer bothered to hide anything. Gone was the calculated “Brother Yan Ming,” replaced by simply calling him “Yan Ming.”

Yan Ming pursed his lips, refusing to argue with a drunk person, and briefly explained: “Yu Tian, we haven’t reached the parking lot yet. I’m carrying you on my back.”

Unfortunately, Yu Tian seemed to ignore his explanation entirely, continuing to complain about his poor driving skills and slow speed.

“But when I rode with you before, I didn’t see you drive this badly.” Though drunk, Yu Tian seemed to retain a hint of rationality in certain areas. With visible effort, she analyzed: “Oh! I know! Did you change cars? This car isn’t good!”

To test her theory, she patted Yan Ming’s “car.”

“The seat is comfortable, soft, and even has heated seats. Why are you driving so slowly?”

Yan Ming was speechless. He tried to explain, but Yu Tian, drunk as she was, had her own logic. She began urging him impatiently—

“Yan Ming, drive faster. Step on the gas. Look, there’s no car ahead of you…”

Yu Tian started chattering away on Yan Ming’s shoulder, giving “instructions,” determined not to stop unless he followed her advice.

Yan Ming pressed his lips together, giving up on explaining, and calmly went along with her: “There’s a speed limit on this road.”

The arrogant Yu Tian immediately became docile upon hearing this. She quickly accepted the explanation: “Alright.”

At times like these, only magic could defeat magic.

But not long after Yan Ming sighed in relief, Yu Tian raised her head again: “I know why you can’t drive fast. Look at that car in front of you. Why does it keep blocking our way?”

Following Yu Tian’s gaze, Yan Ming saw that it wasn’t a car at all but a couple walking and kissing affectionately.

“Change lanes!”

This time, Yan Ming remained calm and emotionlessly explained: “It’s a solid line. You can’t change lanes.”

Yu Tian indeed quieted down for a few seconds, but soon came up with another idea: “Then honk the horn! That car in front is too slow. It’s utterly inconsiderate. If this keeps up, the main road will get blocked!”

Though somewhat drunk, Yu Tian’s voice carried far. After a few exchanges, passersby walking near Yan Ming began casting curious glances his way.

Under the weight of various inquisitive stares, Yan Ming kept his composure and maintained his calm tone: “The horn is broken.”

“Ah...” Yu Tian let out a disappointed sound, then quickly brightened: “Then I’ll honk for you!”

Before she could raise her voice, Yan Ming swiftly stopped her: “Don’t shout. If they get startled, it could cause an accident.”

Yu Tian obediently quieted down but continued to grumble resentfully: “How could it break? Are you serious, Yan Ming? The horn broke? What kind of junk car is this? What happened to your old car?”

Yan Ming no longer felt any psychological burden and could answer smoothly without changing his expression: “Sold it.”

Unfortunately, the increasingly drunk Yu Tian grew persistent: “Why did you sell your old car and replace it with this junk heap?”

“No money.”

Yan Ming’s offhand response unexpectedly caused the previously noisy Yu Tian to fall silent.

She quietly rested her head on Yan Ming’s shoulder. Just as he thought she had fallen asleep again, he heard her voice once more—

“I’m sorry.”

Yu Tian’s voice trembled, on the verge of tears: “I didn’t expect you to sell your car just to pay that 100,000-yuan charity donation...”

A complex mix of emotions welled up within Yan Ming. Just as he was about to reassure her that 100,000 yuan wouldn’t affect his quality of life, Yu Tian continued—

“It’s fine if you sold the car, driving something worse is okay, but Yan Ming, you must promise me—don’t sell yourself, alright?”

“I know you’re handsome, but you still need to maintain your principles...”

“...”

Yan Ming decided it wasn’t worth getting too emotional.

Not worth it.

But as he was about to suppress the faint stirring in his heart, he heard Yu Tian continue—

“If you’re short on money, come to me. I’ll give you money...”

Drunk as she was, she completely forgot that although Yan Ming’s profession wasn’t particularly lucrative, his family background was wealthy. He had already been born into a trust fund, and his doctor’s salary didn’t matter to him. For someone of his wealth, career choices were made based on personal interests and values, not income.

Yan Ming couldn’t help but curve his lips slightly: “You’ll give me money? How much can you give me? Can you even support yourself right now? And you want to support me?”

“I don’t eat much. If you eat less rice too, I think we can manage!”

Unexpectedly, Yu Tian seriously refuted him. Though dazed on Yan Ming’s back, she sounded surprisingly sharp when it came to calculations.

Yan Ming listened as she talked about how much vegetables cost per bunch, the prices of beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and fish per pound, when markets and supermarkets held sales, and where to find fresh yet affordable fruit.

Such mundane topics might sound vulgar coming from others, but Yu Tian was different. When she spoke, her tone was full of pride, as if boasting. In the reflection of a nearby shop window, Yan Ming saw her sparkling eyes.

Like a puppy proudly showing off its ability to chase its tail.

A bit silly, but also a bit cute.

The night breeze brought evening coolness. Under the hazy moonlight, everything felt subdued. On the bustling streets, neon lights illuminated the roads, and groups of young people carried faces brimming with youthful passion.

There were sounds of car horns, cicadas chirping in the trees, and noisy chatter.

And there was Yan Ming’s suddenly loud and rapid heartbeat.