At that moment, Wen Ci felt the shame of someone caught doing something wrong.
She did not know whether Zhou Wu had heard their conversation, or how much he had heard. She quickly avoided his gaze, her heartbeat accelerating as the tips of her ears grew hot. For a moment, she could not speak.
With their conversation interrupted, it naturally could not continue.
Xiang Wenwen stood and held out a hand to Zhou Wu.
“You’re here.”
Zhou Wu shook his hand and released it almost immediately. His gaze then returned to Wen Ci’s face.
Under the dim lighting, a layer of pink had already spread from Wen Ci’s ears to her cheeks. She kept her eyes lowered and refused to look at him.
Watching her face grow increasingly red, Zhou Wu withdrew his gaze without expression.
She had only exchanged a few words with Xiang Wenwen.
Was such a reaction really necessary?
“Wen Ci, you look really beautiful today.”
Qin Yun followed close behind.
He had clearly already greeted Xiang Wenwen earlier, because his attention went directly to Wen Ci.
Wen Ci quickly adjusted her expression.
She stood and handed him the gift with a smile.
“Thank you. Happy birthday.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Qin Yun accepted it.
“Have you eaten dinner? There’s a buffet inside with every kind of cuisine. I hired nothing but top chefs today, so I guarantee it’ll be delicious—assuming Dou Yiqing hasn’t already cleared everything out.”
“Talking badly about people behind their backs gives you haemorrhoids.”
The chilling blessing sounded from behind him.
Dou Yiqing had said she was going to bring back watermelon, but she returned carrying an entire plate of food.
“Is that so?”
Qin Yun smiled.
“Then I’ll say it to your face.”
Dou Yiqing rolled her eyes.
Considering that it was his birthday and he had arranged such an extravagant dinner, she decided not to argue with him.
She took a present from her bag and tossed it into Qin Yun’s hands.
“A reward for you. Happy birthday.”
Qin Yun caught it and shook it beside his ear.
His expression was completely sincere.
“Thank you for your meagre little offering.”
Dou Yiqing handed her plate to Wen Ci.
“Wen Ci, hold this for me. I’m going to kill someone.”
Wen Ci picked up a piece of beef with a fork and fed it to her.
“Calm down. Calm down.”
“What are you discussing that’s making you so happy? Let me join you.”
Duan Wei’s voice arrived before she did.
At some point, she had climbed out of the pool and was now walking towards them.
She moved quickly, her wet clothes still dripping water.
Just as she was about to reach the group, her foot suddenly slipped, and she fell directly towards Wen Ci.
Wen Ci did not care that she might get wet and instinctively reached out to catch her.
Before Duan Wei could fall, however, Wen Ci herself was suddenly lifted from the ground.
Zhou Wu wrapped one arm around her waist, picked her up and moved her aside.
Duan Wei did not actually hit the ground either.
Xiang Wenwen, who stood beside her, reacted quickly and caught her in his arms.
“Oh my God, that scared me to death!”
Still shaken, Duan Wei regained her footing and wrapped her arms around Xiang Wenwen. She kissed his cheek repeatedly.
“Thank you, husband. Boohoo…”
Xiang Wenwen allowed her to kiss him as she pleased and said gently, “Be more careful.”
Every little kiss Duan Wei gave him was sweet and enthusiastic.
She looked entirely different from the disappointed woman who had previously spoken to Zhou Wu about wanting a divorce.
Wen Ci stared blankly at the affectionate couple before her, a faint trace of confusion and uncertainty on her face.
The surroundings were dark, and Duan Wei’s sudden accident had drawn everyone’s attention, so no one noticed Wen Ci and Zhou Wu.
Only after confirming she was standing steadily did Zhou Wu slowly release her waist.
He lowered his eyes and observed the dazed expression on Wen Ci’s face.
The inexplicable irritation in his heart was somewhat dispersed by the way her eyelashes fluttered in confusion.
The others were equally puzzled.
Dou Yiqing whispered under her breath, “I thought they’d had an argument.”
“They did. They were even threatening divorce earlier.”
Qin Yun replied in the same breathy whisper, “Duan Wei is always like this. She goes through phases. Give it another two days, and she’ll want a divorce again.”
Then he added, “So could you remove your foot from mine?”
…
The small commotion had only just ended when Qin Yun received a call informing him that the DJ he had booked had arrived.
With a grand wave of his hand, Qin Yun ordered everyone up to the third floor and announced that the night session was beginning.
Wen Ci had never been to a nightclub before.
She had not expected to experience one for the first time at a birthday party.
The third floor of the villa was filled with high tables and sofas, resembling the standing tables and private booths in an actual nightclub.
At the front were a DJ booth and dance floor.
With the glittering nightscape of Jiangcheng visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him, the DJ skilfully stirred up the atmosphere.
Lights flashed constantly. Dark-blue light strips even ran along the walls, while the expensive sound system assaulted everyone’s eardrums.
The villa had clearly been built specifically for parties.
Qin Yun originally invited the two women to sit on the central sofa, but Dou Yiqing refused because the cigarette smoke there was too heavy.
They found a secluded standing table in one corner instead.
“Wen Ci, are you all right?”
Worried that Wen Ci was not accustomed to so much noise, Dou Yiqing leaned close to her ear.
“If you’re uncomfortable, we’ll leave.”
Wen Ci was looking towards the sofa in front of the dance floor.
Zhou Wu sat there, clinking glasses with someone who had approached to greet him.
The visitor bent slightly at the waist, while Zhou Wu turned his face and supported himself against the sofa with one hand as he spoke.
His jawline was sharp and smooth. A faint smile rested on his face, and his Adam’s apple moved as he talked.
In the half-lit darkness, he was extraordinarily attractive.
Wen Ci could no longer distinguish her heartbeat from the pounding music.
She looked away after only one glance and smiled at Dou Yiqing.
“I’m fine.”
“All right. Tell me whenever you feel uncomfortable, and I’ll take you home.”
A waiter passed them carrying a tray filled with alcohol.
Dou Yiqing stopped him and promptly emptied the entire tray onto their table.
Wen Ci stared at the table full of drinks in shock.
“Yiqing, can you drink all of this?”
Dou Yiqing had only developed an interest in alcohol during the past two years.
She had perfect control over her tolerance and allowed herself to become slightly tipsy every weekend. It helped her relieve stress, sleep and feel comfortable.
“Of course. Don’t be fooled by the number of glasses. There isn’t much alcohol in each one.”
Dou Yiqing continued, “And I looked earlier. Forget the prices—some of these are difficult to buy elsewhere. Naturally, I need to taste them.”
She lifted a glass and took two sips before releasing a long sigh.
“Oh my God! This is delicious. Wen Ci, do you want to taste it?”
Then she remembered that Wen Ci had never drunk alcohol in her life and immediately regretted the offer.
“Forget it. You’d better not.”
“What does it taste like?”
Wen Ci looked at the liquid in the glass.
She knew Dou Yiqing drank on weekend evenings and frequently video-called her while doing so.
“What does drinking feel like?”
“It tastes sweet and astringent, with a little bitterness and some sourness…”
Even Dou Yiqing began laughing at her own description.
“As for the feeling… Wen Ci, how are you feeling right now?”
The affectionate image of Duan Wei and Xiang Wenwen appeared again in Wen Ci’s mind.
She suddenly understood why some people enjoyed nightclubs.
In an environment that was dark and noisy, it seemed possible to express one’s emotions however one pleased.
“I’m in a very good mood right now.”
The music grew even louder.
Wen Ci smiled and leaned towards Dou Yiqing’s ear.
“I’m very happy!”
“Then drinking will make you even happier!”
Dou Yiqing replied with a laugh.
Wen Ci was tempted.
She looked at the dazzling array of drinks before her.
“Then… which one tastes best?”
Dou Yiqing froze briefly before carefully selecting a drink with a low alcohol content and handing it to her.
Wen Ci took one sip.
The sour bitterness made her entire face scrunch up.
Dou Yiqing burst out laughing.
“How is it?”
The aftertaste gradually emerged.
With her eyes closed and her face still wrinkled, Wen Ci nodded repeatedly.
“Delicious!”
Dou Yiqing laughed uncontrollably.
“Wen Ci, you’re seriously adorable.”
No one knew how many new experiences Wen Ci had undergone that night.
It was the first time she had escaped from home.
The first time she had climbed through a window.
The first time she had experienced a nightclub.
And the first time she had drunk alcohol.
All the tension and excitement she had never enjoyed in twenty-six years had been gathered into this single evening.
Dou Yiqing had checked earlier.
The drinks she had taken all contained little alcohol and came in small portions. They had clearly been arranged for tables with many female guests.
Qin Yun might be an unpleasant person, but he was surprisingly considerate about details like this.
However, she had not expected Wen Ci’s tolerance to be even lower than she had imagined.
After three drinks, the woman who usually said very little while listening to gossip and mostly remained silent actually spoke voluntarily.
“Yiqing, don’t you think Duan Wei and Xiang Wenwen seem to have a good relationship?”
“Yes. During the anniversary celebration, I thought they had argued.”
Dou Yiqing looked at her worriedly.
“Wen Ci, are you already drunk? Does your head hurt?”
Wen Ci rested one elbow against the table and shook her head.
She clinked glasses with Dou Yiqing, her eyes curving as she spoke with complete sincerity.
“No. It doesn’t hurt. I’m very happy right now. I wish them a long and happy marriage.”
Dou Yiqing fell silent.
“…”
…
It was her sixth glass.
Zhou Wu sat lazily on the sofa with his arms folded, his expression indifferent as he stared towards the table in the distant corner.
Wen Ci was wearing his jacket and drinking away her sorrows.
Dou Yiqing was clearly trying hard to stop her, but Wen Ci could not be persuaded.
Every time she finished a glass, she pitifully raised one finger towards Dou Yiqing.
One more.
The final one.
Wen Ci clearly did not drink often.
Every sip made her face scrunch up from the bitterness, after which she would stare at something for a while as she recovered.
Zhou Wu followed her gaze.
On the dance floor, Xiang Wenwen had an arm around Duan Wei as the two danced closely together.
“What’s happening over there?”
Since he had personally invited the two women, Qin Yun had also been paying attention to them.
He asked in confusion, “Dou Yiqing is one thing, but why is Wen Ci drinking so much too?”
Zhou Wu said nothing.
“Hey, Zhou Wu, can you take Wen Ci home later since it’s on your way again? If you can’t, I need to arrange a car in advance.”
“I’m not taking her.”
Zhou Wu withdrew his gaze.
Qin Yun froze.
Had Zhou Wu not been the one who claimed it was convenient to collect and return her before?
Why was he suddenly refusing?
He was about to ask when he turned and saw Zhou Wu’s expressionless face, his eyelids slightly tense and a faint atmosphere of displeasure surrounding him.
Fine.
He had no idea who had angered this difficult ancestor again.
Qin Yun wisely closed his mouth and lowered his head to message the drivers.
After refusing yet another person who came over to offer him a drink, Zhou Wu looked towards the corner again.
Just in time, he saw Wen Ci leave the table.
She waved away Dou Yiqing, who intended to follow her, and staggered towards the stairs.
Zhou Wu looked away.
A while later, the music changed.
Qin Yun swayed his head to the beat.
“F*ck, this song is incredible. Come on, Zhou Wu. Let’s go dance for a while—hey, where are you going?”
“To get some air.”
Leaving those words behind, Zhou Wu walked away.
…
Wen Ci held the staircase railing and walked very slowly.
Zhou Wu found her within only a few steps.
He was in no hurry to approach. Instead, he followed behind at the same unhurried pace.
He had assumed Wen Ci was going to the bathroom, but apparently, she was not.
She continued all the way downstairs.
After reaching the first floor, she took out her phone and lowered her head to type.
Everyone was drinking on the third floor, and even the waiters rarely came down to the first.
The swimming pool area was completely empty.
Zhou Wu could no longer watch.
Just two steps before she walked directly into the pool, he caught her.
Hooking one hand into the collar of Wen Ci’s jacket, he pulled her backwards.
“What are you doing? You aren’t even watching where you’re walking.”
Wen Ci turned and saw him.
At first, she froze.
Then she smiled brightly.
Perhaps because of the alcohol, both her cheeks and ears were flushed. Her eyes appeared wetter than usual, and when she smiled, they glittered like crescent moons submerged in water.
“I was replying to your message,” she said.
Zhou Wu lowered his head and saw the words she had typed into their conversation but had not yet sent:
**We didn’t sleep together, so you don’t need to pay half.**
Zhou Wu laughed in exasperation.
“Wait here. I’ll go upstairs, collect your bag and take you home.”
“Home? Now?”
Wen Ci asked blankly.
After drinking, even her speech had become much slower.
“But I haven’t finished what I wanted to do.”
Zhou Wu raised an eyebrow.
“What else do you want to do?”
If you dare say you want to look at Xiang Wenwen a little longer, or speak to him a little more, you can sit here like an idiot and wait for Qin Yun to arrange someone to take you home.
Zhou Wu stared at her and thought this silently.
“I want to kiss you.”
Zhou Wu fell silent.
“I was originally going to message and ask you, but you happened to come outside too.”
Wen Ci smiled at him shyly.
The noisy music blended with the chirping insects in the mountain forest.
A summer breeze passed, creating ripples across the surface of the pool.
Zhou Wu lowered his eyes and studied hers.
The woman who usually avoided his gaze after only a few seconds now stared directly at him.
Openly.
Requestingly.
Sincerely.
After a long while, the tension between Zhou Wu’s brows eased.
He returned to his usual careless manner, a faint smile appearing at his lips.
“Wen Ci, I never quite understand you.”
“Sorry.”
Wen Ci did not know what she was apologising for.
Perhaps it was simply the phrase she used instinctively.
“So, can I? If it’s inconvenient…”
She considered it.
“…just one kiss would be fine.”
Leave a Reply