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The scent of wine mingled with elegant, light blues, and everyone sank into a lazy state.
“Sister, sister!” A small, fleshy hand waved in front of Jiang Ying’s eyes. “What are you thinking about?”
Jiang Ying snapped back to attention, pinching the hand between her thumb and forefinger, examining it: “Speaking of which, you’re quite thin, how did your hand get so chubby?”
Hu Ruochen was poked on a sore spot, letting out a soft “呜” as she pulled her hand back, saying somewhat indignantly, “I just inherited my mom’s fleshy hands, I can’t seem to make them thin.”
Jiang Ying speared a piece of cantaloupe and chewed it: “Why are you shrinking back? It’s not ugly. Next time you should try a lighter pink, it’ll look better, all pretty and delicate.”
Hu Ruochen smiled sweetly: “Then let’s go together next time, you help me pick, okay~”
“I don’t like getting my nails done, it’s too much trouble.”
“Come on, sister~ I’ll treat you to dinner~~” The young girl, having had a little wine, became even more insistent in her coquetry.
“We’ll see.”
Jiang Ying brushed her off with a few perfunctory words, switched hands to prop up her chin, and fell back into contemplation. Her mind revolved around keywords like “video call,” “birthday,” and “meeting the parents,” each making her heart swell with warmth and then shrink with coldness.
Sigh.
Since he was so sincere, perhaps she should... be a little nicer to him?
________________________________________
Two minutes passed, and Hu Ruochen’s cheeks became visibly redder. A touch of drunkenness finally allowed her to say what she had been holding back for a while: “I know I shouldn’t be like this... but I’m so conflicted... he came looking for me...”
Jiang Ying’s ears caught the sensitive phrase, and she immediately frowned: “Who?!”
“...Tianjing...” Hu Ruochen cowered.
Jiang Ying’s eyes widened in fury: “You’re still conflicted?! What is there to be conflicted about??! What did he say to you??”
“He, he said... he had misjudged before... that I was actually the most suitable person for him, he said...” Her voice grew fainter and fainter under Jiang Ying’s stare, “Said, he would compensate me...”
Jiang Ying sneered: “And that made you waver?”
“No, I didn’t waver, it’s just... just, I felt a little soft-hearted... felt like I didn’t dislike him as much anymore.”
Jiang Ying crossed her arms and snorted coldly, “Have you forgotten the recording I played for you back then? If you want to go back to him, don’t come looking for me again.”
“I won’t—!” Hu Ruochen was on the verge of tears, anxiously saying, “I just, I just feel... how could he be like this! We were fine, then he suddenly turned on me... He was still fine with that girl a few days ago, and now he’s back looking for me... I really don’t understand what he’s thinking...”
“People are inherently unpredictable; you can’t fully understand what others are thinking, and you don’t need to understand. You just need to know what you want... Though sometimes you might not even be clear about what you truly want...” She sounded like she was talking about Hu Ruochen, and also about herself.
“But you always know what you don’t want, right? Like you can’t want a jerk who cheats repeatedly and then wants to come crawling back. Understand?”
“Mm... I understand. I absolutely, absolutely won’t fall for it.” Hu Ruochen was a bit indecisive, but not truly stupid; she just needed someone to give her clear advice.
Jiang Ying nodded indifferently, continuing to pick through the fruit platter.
“Sister, try this drink, it’s delicious!” Hu Ruochen enthusiastically offered a cocktail called “Sip and Dip.”
Jiang Ying gritted her teeth and refused: “I’m not drinking, I can’t drink and drive.”
“Drink it! I booked a room at the hotel upstairs, I’m going to get drunk tonight! I’m staying out! Stay with me~~ Brother-in-law isn’t here, don’t go back~ Driving at night is so tiring~”
“...” Jiang Ying felt that the current Hu Ruochen was exactly like her past self, eagerly recommending bubble tea to Meng Jingshu.
She was wavering...
Hu Ruochen’s words made a little sense... Goodness knows how exhausted she was from days of continuous arguments and theatrics. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to enjoy a quiet drink and then a good night’s sleep?
So, it was decided!
Jiang Ying took the Sip and Dip and took a small sip. It was sweet and sour, with layers developing, and a slightly stimulating aftertaste.
She brightened up. Just as she was about to beckon a waiter, her phone vibrated.
“...”
Jiang Ying whispered a warning to Hu Ruochen: “Watch your words.”
The young girl pursed her lips and nodded vigorously.
She answered, smiling: “You’ve arrived?”
“Mm, just about to get in the car to the hotel.” There was the sound of wind from his end, as if he was moving.
“Oh.”
He asked, “Not drinking?”
“Of course not.”
“Which bar are you at?”
“Still The One.” Jiang Ying chuckled softly, thinking it was quite a coincidence that Hu Ruochen had managed to book a spot there.
“Second floor?”
“Yeah, it’s not this quiet on the first floor.”
He also chuckled: “Where on the second floor?”
“Hmm... in the corner to the left of the bar.”
Meng Jingshu pondered slightly: “Next to the deer antler decoration?”
Jiang Ying praised, “You’re really a regular!”
He laughed again: “I know. I’m getting in the car now, I’ll call you back later.”
“Okay.”
________________________________________
After hanging up, Jiang Ying breathed a sigh of relief. She felt like a little kid caught almost doing something bad by a parent. Why was dating so nerve-wracking?
She picked up another glass of wine and took a sip to calm her nerves.
She asked Hu Ruochen, “How did you manage to book a spot here?”
“I didn’t book it. It was my client from my last case, well, a cool sister... She said she had something else come up at the last minute, so she let me have it.”
Jiang Ying chuckled: “Are you a sister collector?”
“Huh?” Hu Ruochen was starting to get a little dizzy.
“I said, are you still okay?”
“Yes!” She immediately made a ‘V’ sign.
“Tsk, put your hand down, don’t embarrass yourself.”
“Actually... actually, I heard... I heard this place was opened by a brother I knew when I was little. Haven’t seen him in ages... I wonder if I’ll run into him.”
Jiang Ying perfunctorily said, “Mm-hmm.”
She beckoned a waiter and took the menu to order drinks.
“I’ll have another Blackthorn Mephisto, and, um... ‘The Botanist,’ please.”
The waiter confirmed the order and said with a smile, “‘The Botanist’ will take a bit longer, about 15 to 20 minutes.”
“Okay.”
“Please wait.”
Jiang Ying ordered her drinks and turned back to find Hu Ruochen had already finished one of the drinks. Her eyes were now starting to glaze over.
“Hey,” Jiang Ying poked her face, “I haven’t even started drinking yet, and you’re already drunk.”
Hu Ruochen shook her head: “I’m not drunk yet.”
“Heh.”
The same waiter who took their order earlier came back, a apologetic smile on his face.
Jiang Ying thought he was probably going to tell her that the drink she just ordered was out and ask her to pick another.
Instead, the waiter asked, “Excuse me, are you Miss Jiang Ying?”
Jiang Ying was slightly surprised. How did he know her name?
“Yes, what is it?”
“It’s like this, Mr. Meng said you can’t drink alcohol.”
“...”
Jiang Ying tried to suppress her facial muscles from going full anime-rage mode.
Hu Ruochen interjected in horror: “Ah? Mr. Meng, has Mr. Meng come too?! I’m not...”
Jiang Ying timely covered her mouth, forcing a smile: “Handsome, as you can see, she’s the one who wants to drink, not me.”
The young man looked a bit troubled: “It’s like this, Mr. Meng said that since you’ve already ordered three drinks, this lady can’t order any more either. Besides alcohol, you can order anything else you like, the bill is on Mr. Meng. See, we have many soft drinks and snacks on our menu; would you like to choose something else? Or if you want something different, we’ll do our best to make it.”
“...” What else could she say?
“Mr. Meng, is he also one of your bosses?” Jiang Ying couldn’t help but ask.
The young man smiled: “I’m not sure about that. I only know that Mr. Meng is a friend of our big boss. The big boss usually manages the store, and just now, it was also an order from the big boss. We hope you understand.”
“...”
Jiang Ying’s mood, having cycled through embarrassment, annoyance, and unwillingness, gradually settled into apprehension and an inexplicable shyness.
...What did he tell his friend? How did he introduce her? He hadn’t even officially met them, yet he was helping to stop her from drinking. Would they think she was unreliable?
She distractedly flipped through the menu, truly unsure what else to order.
________________________________________
At this moment, a young man in a casual suit walked over and bowed slightly to them.
“Excuse me. I’m the owner of The One, and also a friend of Meng Jingshu. If you two have any dissatisfactions, you can tell me directly.” He waved for the waiter to leave, then adopted a more relaxed tone, smiling, “Old Meng told me his girlfriend was here and asked me to look after her. Miss Jiang, nice to meet you, I’m Tong Hao.”
Jiang Ying was slightly surprised for a moment, then politely returned the greeting: “Hello. Actually, there’s nothing wrong; sorry to trouble you.”
Hu Ruochen, who had been forcibly silenced, suddenly began wailing and muttering. Both Jiang Ying and Tong Hao looked at her, only to see her subconsciously run a hand through her slightly disheveled hair, her downturned eyes fixed directly on Tong Hao.
“Brother Hao!”
Jiang Ying: ???
Tong Hao raised an eyebrow slightly, as if searching his memory: “You’re... Chenchen?”
“It really is you, Brother Hao!”
Tong Hao curved his lips, his smile refined and scholarly behind his rimless glasses: “It’s me, long time no see.”
The two were old acquaintances; what a coincidence.
Jiang Ying could only say, “What a coincidence.”
Hu Ruochen, a bit dizzy, leaned closer to Jiang Ying: “Sister, he’s, he’s the brother I just mentioned, the one I knew when I was little...”
She barely spoke a few sentences before she slumped weakly onto Jiang Ying: “Mmm... I think I’m really drunk, a little thirsty...”
Without warning, she picked up the half-full Sip and Dip and drank it all in one go: “Ah... so hot...”
Hu Ruochen, with a flushed face, began to pull at the collar of her sweater.
The remaining two: “...”
This was a bit different from the imagined meeting with friends and relatives.
Jiang Ying quickly restrained the young girl’s unseemly behavior, smiling apologetically, “Sorry, she’s drunk. I think we should go.”
Tong Hao nodded: “Shall I have someone send you?”
Jiang Ying said, “No need, I can manage myself. She’s not completely unable to walk.” Just going upstairs.
Tong Hao still wanted to persuade her, but another waiter came over and whispered something to him.
Taking advantage of this lull, Jiang Ying pulled Hu Ruochen up and whispered to Tong Hao, “We’ll go first, see you next time.”
Tong Hao could only say, “My apologies for the inadequate hospitality, see you next time.”
Hu Ruochen, still being pulled, waved back at him: “Brother Hao, see you next time!”
Tong Hao watched, unconsciously shaking his head and smiling.
________________________________________
After checking in, Hu Ruochen’s body became increasingly weak, and Jiang Ying slowly dragged her to find their room. So slow that the second elevator had already “dinged” its arrival, and other guests also came into the corridor. They seemed more eager, quickly finding their room number.
Jiang Ying caught a glimpse of two men and one woman out of the corner of her eye. After a moment of secret shock, she also fully understood their eagerness. She herself was unhurried, pulling the drunk girl with one hand, steadying her swaying body, and using the other hand to insert the card.
Hu Ruochen suddenly shrieked, “Ah! She...”
A soft door closing sound came from not far away.
Hu Ruochen, however, was determined to chase after her, “It’s her! It’s that woman!”
Jiang Ying didn’t know what she was going crazy about. She used all her strength to drag her back, closed the door, and locked it.
Hu Ruochen lunged again, and Jiang Ying wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her into the room in a Heimlich maneuver-like embrace: “Come back!”
She chattered, “It’s her! The woman who often hangs out with Tianjing! She, she was hugging another man! I saw it!”
Jiang Ying gave a mighty tug, and both of them fell onto the bed.
She was sweating, panting as she used her foot to hold down Hu Ruochen, who was still trying to get up.
“Don’t move! I’m exhausted!”
“I want, I want to hit her!”
“With how useless you are, you still want to hit someone?”
“Boohoo... I don’t care, I just want to hit her!”
“Do you have the strength to hit her now? Besides, there are two guys. If you go over there now, they’ll just be three short of a foursome!”
“Huh?” Hu Ruochen was confused.
“Calm down. You can’t beat them anyway. Have you thought it through? Why is Chen Tianjing looking for you again? It’s simply because that woman dumped him, and now he remembers how easy it is to bully you, so he wants to crawl back.”
Hu Ruochen’s eyes reddened again: “Why is he doing this to me...”
“Because he’s a cheap bastard. If you agree to him now, then you’ll be the cheap bastard,” Jiang Ying said coldly.
“...I won’t agree, I just feel a little sad. I was truly, genuinely devoted to him... Why didn’t I get the same in return?”
“Many things are just unfair like that. It’s not that if you put in effort, you’ll get a return, and sometimes you get something without doing anything at all.”
Hu Ruochen stopped her tears: “How can you get something without doing anything?”
Jiang Ying smiled faintly: “Tell me, how can you, a little intern lawyer without even a practice certificate, casually book a river-view hotel in a prime location without batting an eye? Is your monthly salary enough for three nights?”
“I...”
Jiang Ying continued, “Your parents are good to you; they have the means to be good to you. As long as you live, without doing anything, they will be good to you. Many people don’t have that kind of luck. So, there can be gains without reason, and there can also be efforts destined to be fruitless.”
Hu Ruochen seemed confused by her words, or perhaps she was deep in thought, for she remained silent for a while.
________________________________________
After lying still for a few minutes, Jiang Ying’s phone notification light glowed.
Meng Jingshu asked her: “Finished drinking?”
Jiang Ying scoffed; was his friend perhaps too responsible?
She glanced at the little girl beside her, who was still staring blankly, and casually dialed the number.
The call was answered quickly. Jiang Ying said, “Hello.”
Before Meng Jingshu could speak, Jiang Ying heard a soft female voice ask from his end, “Is this pressure okay?”
Meng Jingshu gave a low “Mm,” then asked Jiang Ying, “Not driving?”
Jiang Ying didn’t answer, but chuckled coolly, “Mr. Meng certainly has a rich nightlife.”
He paused: “Don’t misunderstand, this is...”
“I’m not misunderstanding anything. I just wanted to tell you I’m home and going to take a shower. Bye-bye.” She finished quickly and hung up.
Hu Ruochen looked over blankly: “Sister, you’re lying...”
“Yeah,” Jiang Ying said, a faint, triumphant smile on her face.
She got up to get water from the table, tossing one bottle to Hu Ruochen and opening one for herself to drink.
It was barely a minute.
Her phone vibrated frantically.
Jiang Ying curved her lips, but when she answered, her tone was dry: “What? Can’t I even take a shower?”
Meng Jingshu probably pondered for a few seconds before speaking very seriously: “I just got to the hotel not long ago and ran into a senior from the conference. He and a few colleagues called me over. They’re all my elders, so I couldn’t refuse. I know my limits; I wouldn’t do anything else. Don’t be angry.”
Jiang Ying could hear the sound of a foot massage on his end. She said nonchalantly, “Got it, I didn’t say anything anyway.”
“You hung up on me.”
“I made the call. After I said what I needed to say, I can’t hang up?”
Meng Jingshu just repeated, “Don’t be angry.”
Jiang Ying, who had deliberately acted up earlier to make him anxious, couldn’t help but smile now: “I’m really not angry.”
He sighed in relief, then remembered what he hadn’t asked earlier: “You got home so quickly? And sent Hu Ruochen back too?”
“Well... she got drunk, so we just checked into the hotel upstairs. We’re staying out tonight.”
He was silent for a long while.
Jiang Ying asked, “What does your silence mean?”
He said, “I’ll call you on video when I get back to my room.”
Jiang Ying chuckled, “I didn’t even say I was going to check on you, and you want to check on me?”
He said, “I just want to check.”
“Check all you want, who’s afraid of you.” Jiang Ying thought for a moment and said, “Aren’t you supposed to be entertaining? It’s not good to sneak away from your elders for so long just to make a call, is it?”
“Mm, then you go shower first. See you later.”
“Bye.”
After a sweet phone call, Jiang Ying sprawled herself on the bed.
Hu Ruochen came to her senses, quietly moved beside her, and whispered, “Sister, I’m so envious of you.”
Jiang Ying snorted: “Envious of what? Envious that I don’t even have the freedom to drink?”
“Brother-in-law is super nervous about you.”
“But nothing ever has only a good side,” she said softly.
Hu Ruochen was a little confused, not hearing clearly. She just turned her gaze to Jiang Ying’s finger.
“This ring is beautiful. Hmm...? Sister, how did you get a cut on your middle finger?”
Jiang Ying raised her hand to look. On her slender finger, above the ring, there was indeed a wound. It was from last night when Meng Jingshu pressed her hand against the window, and in his passion, his own ring had scratched her.
She smiled: “The ring is beautiful, but sometimes, if you’re not careful, it can scratch you too.”
However, pain could alleviate the feeling of emptiness. What seemed incredible at first became concrete after the intertwining of heartache and sweetness.
She deliberately acted out time and again, yet she couldn’t stop, endlessly anticipating.
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