Chapter 2: Memories of the Bar - A seventeen-year-old girl wearing soaking wet silk...

As the rain began to fall, Lin Yuwei was strolling aimlessly along the sidewalk. Her high heels made a soft sound on the damp brick surface, and her skirt fluttered slightly in the night breeze. Feeling a chill, she pulled her collar tighter and suddenly heard the familiar sound of an engine behind her.

"Teacher Lin, didn't you drive today?" Assistant Li rolled down the car window, raindrops sliding down the glass and casting dappled light and shadow on his face. The young assistant's eyes were filled with sincere concern: "Shall I give you a ride?"

Lin Yuwei instinctively wanted to refuse; feeling restless, she just wanted to be alone. Just then, a drop of cold rain fell on the back of her neck, sliding down her spine and into her collar. She shivered. Tomorrow was the studio's opening reception, and she couldn't afford to catch a cold at such a crucial time. So she smiled and nodded, "Then I'll trouble you." She opened the car door and bent down to sit in the passenger seat.

Assistant Li thoughtfully lowered the volume of the radio: "It's no trouble at all, Ms. Lin. Are you going straight home?"

Lin Yuwei shook her head: "Do you know where Blues Bar is? Just take me there. I'm tired after a long day and want to have a drink." She adjusted her chair to make herself more comfortable.

The car was filled with the pleasant scent of lemon, and the air conditioning was just right. She closed her eyes in relaxation, and the details of the auction flashed through her mind: the wrinkles on Gu Qingyan's suit trousers as he walked onto the stage, his slender fingers as he took the gavel, and the faint, cool scent of his perfume, like cedar mixed with mint, which wonderfully overlapped with the clean, fresh scent of detergent she remembered on the boy.

A burst of exaggerated laughter suddenly came from the car radio: "Listeners, we have some super juicy gossip to share today! Gu Qingyan, hailed as a rising star in the IT world, suddenly appeared at the auction of up-and-coming female artist Lin Yuwei and bought her work for a whopping two million! I saw the photos taken by the reporters, and the two of them were exchanging intense glances on stage. With my keen intuition, these two might have some kind of secret relationship..."

The atmosphere in the car became awkward for a moment. Xiao Li cleared his throat awkwardly and frantically tried to turn off the stereo, saying, "Hey, this host just loves to talk nonsense, I'll change the channel right away."

"No need." Lin Yuwei opened her eyes. The rain streaks on the car window distorted the streetlights into flowing golden lines. She spoke calmly, "Most gossip is based on rumors and sensationalism. The innocent are innocent. Just listen to it for fun."

"Teacher Lin is truly magnanimous," Xiao Li said indignantly. "I used to like this anchor, but it turns out he's also an unscrupulous media outlet. I must unfollow him today!"

Lin Yuwei smiled but didn't say anything, only gazing at the street scenes rushing past the window.

As the car rounded a bend, the neon sign of the Blues Bar appeared and disappeared in the rain. The bar was stylishly decorated, with warm yellow lights shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm spots of light on the wet sidewalk. Lin Yuwei remembered the name when she passed by last time.

"Teacher Lin, would you like me to have a drink with you?" Xiao Li asked as he parked his car.

Lin Yuwei unbuckled her seatbelt and shook her head: "You've been working hard these past few days preparing for the auction. Go back and get some rest. After the opening reception and the handover of the auction items tomorrow, I'll give you a week of paid leave."

"Thank you in advance, Teacher Lin. Please be careful." Xiao Li hesitated for a moment, then added, "My home is nearby. Call me anytime if you need anything, and I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Okay." Lin Yuwei waved her hand, her high heels splashing into puddles, creating tiny water droplets. "I'm not a shrew, I don't expect my employees to be available 24/7. You go home and get some rest." Her voice, mixed with the sound of rain, carried a tired smile.

Pushing open the heavy oak door of the bar, the aroma of whiskey and the languid melody of jazz wafted out. It was still early, and there were only a few customers at the bar. There were plenty of seats available, so Lin Yuwei chose a corner seat by the window. From there, she could see the whole bar without attracting too much attention.

She ordered a single malt on the rocks, and the waiter quickly brought over the amber-colored liquor. The ice cubes clinked gently in the glass, making a crisp sound. When she was halfway through her second drink, a man in a tight leather jacket approached her. "Miss, all alone?" The cologne mixed with the smell of smoke on him made Lin Yuwei frown.

She didn't look up, but simply moved aside, using body language to clearly express her refusal. Seeing that the man hadn't left, Lin Yuwei said, "I'm waiting for someone." Her voice was slightly hoarse from the alcohol, but carried an undeniable coldness.

Undeterred, the man took another step closer: "Well, the person hasn't arrived yet, so why don't we—"

Lin Yuwei finally raised her head, her sharp gaze meeting the other person's directly. Her makeup was exquisite today, and the upward curve of her eyeliner made her look exceptionally cold and aloof. During her years abroad, she had long since learned to use this kind of gaze to scare away people with ill intentions, just like an appraiser examining a fake, with a condescending contempt.

Sure enough, the man touched his nose, gave up, and walked away sheepishly.

Lin Yuwei breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly noticed that she was gripping her phone tightly in her left hand, her palm slightly sweaty. She quietly loosened her grip and wiped the sweat from her palm with a tissue. The phone screen still showed Gu Qingyan's business card photo—a white background and black text that made the card very glaring in the dim light.

The ice cubes slowly melted in the glass, making a soft clicking sound as they hit the glass. This sound inexplicably reminded her of the sound of raindrops hitting the tin roof on her seventeenth birthday, the day she had a sudden and intense argument with her mother.

Her mother's voice was shrill, like shattered glass: "Why did you have to study art? That vixen who stole your father away studied art! Do you want to be that kind of person?"

Lin Yuwei remembers trembling all over at the time: "It's ridiculous! Just because the mistress studied art, you won't let your daughter study art? You keep saying it's for me, but you never care about what I really want! I just want to paint, I don't want to attend those messy banquets with you, and I don't want to study business. And back then, when you divorced Dad and fought for custody, wasn't it all for more company shares? All you care about is money!"

"I never expected that after all these years of sacrifice, you wouldn't show a single bit of gratitude, just like your heartless father!" The mother sneered, pointing to the door. "You say I love money, that I'm vulgar, right? You think having dreams makes you so great? Since you're so principled, get out now! See if painting can support you. Once you leave this house, you'll find you're nothing!"

Memories of the downpour flashed back like frames from an old movie. That night, Lin Yuwei slammed the door and ran out of the house. It was pouring rain. As she ran barefoot through the garden, the cobblestone path hurt her soles. Her silk nightgown was soaked through and clung stickily to her legs, making her look very disheveled.

Hurried footsteps came from behind. Gu Qingyan caught up, holding a black umbrella. His school uniform jacket was already mostly wet, clinging tightly to his thin shoulders.

"Get out of my way!" She slapped the umbrella away, the metal ribs hitting the bluestone with a dull thud. The boy bent down and silently picked up the umbrella, holding it over her head again, raindrops dripping from the ends of his hair.

"Gu Qingyan, what are you doing here? You're such a good dog, even at a time like this you haven't forgotten your mission to spy on me." Seventeen-year-old Lin Yuwei said viciously, "Listen, now that I've broken up with her, you don't need to spy on me for her anymore! Get lost, stay away from me! Just looking at you annoys me!"

Gu Qingyan's eyes darkened, like a candle flame suddenly extinguished, but his hand holding the umbrella remained motionless, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Lin Yuwei took a big gulp of wine. The icy liquid slid down her throat, but it couldn't extinguish the nameless fire in her heart. The noise in the bar gradually faded away, and the sound of rain in her memory became clearer and clearer.

That day, after she shook off Gu Qingyan, she went alone to that run-down bar in the south of the city. To be precise, it couldn't really be called a bar; it was just a small tavern where drunkards gathered. The seventeen-year-old girl, wearing a soaking wet silk dress and bare feet, stood out conspicuously in the smoky environment. When she ordered three cheap cocktails, four or five blond-haired guys had already surrounded her.

"Little sister, all alone?" The blond-haired man grinned, revealing a gold-plated front tooth. The smell of alcohol emanating from him made Lin Yuwei frown, and his rough fingers were already on her bare shoulder.

"Mind your own business, get out of my way and get lost!" She dodged to the side, her back pressed against the cold wall.

"This chick has a hot body and a fiery personality too." The blond guy took advantage of the situation and sat down next to her, his arm wrapping around her waist like a snake: "Drinking alone is so boring, come on, let me teach you something fun?"

Lin Yuwei slapped Huang Mao's hand away, grabbed a wine bottle, and was about to retaliate when a hand with distinct knuckles suddenly reached out from the side and grabbed Huang Mao's wrist.

"She said to get out." It was Gu Qingyan's cold voice.

Lin Yuwei looked up and saw Gu Qingyan standing in front of the table. His school uniform jacket was gone, and his white shirt underneath was soaked and clung tightly to his body. There was also a blue ink stain on his chest, which was the ink she had splashed on him when she teased him during the day. The light blue ink stain spread in the rain, like a flower that was about to wither.

Enraged by the disappointment, the blond-haired man glared fiercely at Gu Qingyan: "Who the hell are you? You looking for death?"

"I'm her man," Gu Qingyan said, enunciating each word clearly. She tightened her grip on Huang Mao's fingers, causing Huang Mao to wince in pain. His brothers surrounded him.

In the chaos, someone grabbed a bottle and smashed it over Gu Qingyan's head. Glass shards and blood flew everywhere, along with Lin Yuwei's screams, all drowned out by the noise of the bar.

Later memories were like an oil painting soaked by rain, leaving only blurry patches of color. Lin Wei couldn't remember how Gu Qingyan led her out of the bar. She only remembered that the rain outside the bar was getting heavier, and rainwater mixed with bright red blood was flowing down his forehead, drawing glaring red lines on his pale face. She also remembered countless footsteps behind them, and that Gu Qingyan's arm was bleeding profusely, but he always held her hand tightly. The boy's palm was warm as he led her through the maze-like alleys.

"Gu Qingyan, your head and hands are bleeding... a lot of blood..." Her voice trembled.

"It's alright." Gu Qingyan's voice was soft, but her steps were already unsteady. "I'll take you away from here first."

Finally, they were cornered in a dead end. The three blond-haired men in the lead approached with sinister smiles, one of them holding a gleaming switchblade.

Gu Qingyan desperately pushed her towards the alley entrance, while he himself blocked the group of blond-haired thugs with his bare hands: "Go quickly! Don't look back."

Lin Yuwei was so frightened that she cried out, her legs went weak, and she couldn't walk at all. The usually docile and silent Gu Qingyan became fierce and violent, like a wild beast driven to the brink of despair. Every punch he threw was filled with a desperate ferocity, but he was outnumbered and was quickly knocked to the ground.

A note from the author:

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Working-class guy Xiao Li: You damn streamer, are you trying to ruin my job? Stop it, turn off the speakers right now! [Cracking][Cracking][Cracking]

Boss Lin: [Vulgar expression][Evil grin]