16. Always
It was almost nine o'clock in the evening and they had almost finished enjoying the French meal. Liang Litang thanked Cui Xi for her generous treat. The other two acted as if nothing had happened. They exchanged a few words with them and prepared to go home.
The winter in Hong Kong is not that humid. When Deng Shilang walked from the restaurant to the street, his shirt had already dried.
Everyone was drunk and took the subway back home, one on the Tsuen Wan Line and one on the Hong Kong Island Line. They had to cross the street to get to the subway station. They were the only four people waiting at the zebra crossing, and the light didn't turn green for a long time.
Liang Litang and Cui Xi were discussing work updates and which clients were incredibly wealthy, and they didn't notice why the red light hadn't changed. Deng Shilang, who had replied to several messages from Lu An, looked up and noticed the problem first. He walked around to Yao Ling and pressed the yellow device next to her.
She was the closest, but she never tapped the signal.
After Deng Shilang pressed the button, the sensor glowed red. He stood there, one hand in his pocket, looking down as he continued to scroll through Lu An's WhatsApp messages. Halloween pranks were coming, and Lan Kwai Fong was about to enter a state of non-stop revelry. Lu An had asked him to prepare some limited-edition cocktails. He agreed and would study them when he had time.
Yao Ling, standing next to them, carried a small square leather bag and stood very straight, her hair swaying in the wind. She paid no attention to what they were doing. She and he were only a few centimeters apart, but there was no eye contact or verbal communication.
Deng Shilang put his phone back in his pocket. He looked over at Liang Litang, not needing to look at Yao Ling, as he was taller than her. He asked, "What new wine would you like to drink?"
The two men stopped talking and looked over.
"A little spicier." Liang Litang nodded and said.
Tracy pinched her chin and thought for a long time before saying, "Sweet is good, like juice, and easy to drink."
Liang Litang suddenly had an idea and asked Deng Shilang to check it out: "I saw a very strange pickled salmon cocktail on Facebook a while ago."
Deng Shilang considered it for a moment, then said, "Not bad." He lowered his head and asked Yao Ling, "What do you like?"
Yao Ling didn't look at him, knowing he was asking her, and replied, "Boring."
He no longer took her ice cubes seriously, but he didn't say anything more to her. He had never heard of wine described in this way before, and he quickly remembered that she liked ordinary, conventional, even conservative flavors. She disliked Bloody Mary the most, thinking it was weird.
The traffic turned green and the four people were finally able to cross the road. After two zebra crossings and a few steps away was the subway. Except for Deng Shilang who took the Hong Kong Island Line, the others took the Tsuen Wan Line. They said goodbye at the fork in the road and left.
Deng Shilang went to Chen Li'er's apartment, pressed the combination lock, and as soon as he entered, he heard the sound of running water. He put down his things and opened the bathroom door, a dry and wet area separated. He took off his clothes, stood outside the glass door and asked, "Did you miss me?"
"If you want to, come in quickly." Chen Li'er opened the steaming glass and stuck her head out.
Deng Shilang responded with a soft laugh, and under her gaze, he took off his shirt, unbuttoned the last button, and touched the slightly wrinkled fabric and belt. He suddenly remembered that Yao Ling put ice cubes on her body. In just a moment, he put the shirt in the basket and went into the shower room.
"What did you eat tonight?" Chen Li'er's fingers slid across his arm.
Deng Shilang touched the end of her hair and made foam for her. "French food."
"Hey, are you with your ex again?" She suddenly pinched him.
Deng Shilang didn't feel any pain, she just gently said, "I can't avoid it."
"They're still in contact even after being blocked. Do you know that I've seen people block WhatsApp at their girlfriend's request, and then secretly use another account to stalk on Instagram? It's so infuriating."
He had to laugh, "Do you think I would do that?"
"Then why can we still meet?"
"Just make Liang Litang disappear." Deng Shilang listed the solution without taking it seriously.
After taking a shower, they made love again. Chen Li'er hadn't been so busy these past couple of days, so he would make time to spend more time with her. Both of them were ambitious people. She was the decisive one in the studio, while he was more relaxed. But beneath that calmness lay the experience of having matured, and Deng Yonglian thought they were a good match.
It was almost ten o'clock when Yao Ling and Liang Litang returned to Tsim Sha Tsui. He managed to stay energetic even so late every day. She couldn't understand his secret. Only after learning from Aunt Qiu Ping that it included nuts and vitamins, but also her delicious traditional Chinese soups that replenished blood and qi. She felt like she was falling apart as soon as she got back to her B&B when a video call suddenly rang on her phone.
Yao Ling saw the note and answered the call while lying on the bed. Pierre was on the screen with a bookshelf behind him. He was probably reading or writing in the study.
"Want to see me?" she asked the camera.
Pierre took off his black-framed glasses and looked at her on the screen. She wore light lipstick, had pearly white skin, and a slight blush on her cheeks. She was lying on her stomach, her bust exposed. He said sincerely, "You're beautiful! Seeing you like this makes me want to do it with you."
"There's still a screen between us where there's no sexual consent."
Pierre applauded and said in an intellectual tone, "Your jokes are worth studying."
Yao Ling tilted the screen, turned her face and body away from the camera, and went to the mirror to remove her lipstick. She said, "But I don't want to listen to your long, obscure speech right now. I will do it."
Pierre smiled casually. She could easily interest him and then make him indulge her. He said gently, "I knew you didn't want to play a role. You still like it the way it was before."
He started flirting, very direct and simple, making her feel something. After she finished undoing her clothes, she picked up her phone and undressed in front of him. Seeing him unbuttoning his bathrobe and caressing himself towards her, she slowly continued with him.
The next day, Yao Ling spent the day with her parents and then strolled alone at the Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui in the evening when she stumbled upon Chen Li'er filming on location. She had barely seen Chen Li'er since their last meeting, but this time, at work, she witnessed her professional skills on set. She never considered it taboo to look at her ex's current partner, especially at work, and rather cheerfully stood there watching Chen Li'er direct and control the camera. Upon being noticed, she received a polite smile, which she returned.
Not long after, Deng Shilang came and brought a cup of hot drink for Chen Li'er. When she spoke to him, he always lowered his head and listened carefully. After listening, his eyes turned to Yao Ling. He nodded, said hello, then put his arm around Chen Li'er's shoulder and left.
Yao Ling walked all the way from the Star Ferry Pier back to the B&B. After entering the house, her cell phone rang. She answered the call and heard Liang Litang's voice on the other end.
"Halloween is just a few days away. Is there anything you want to do?"
"No." Yao Ling went to the kitchen to make the fruit tea she brought from Milan.
Liang Litang helped her think it through, "That's right, come join us, this festival suits your temperament very well."
Yao Ling couldn't help but curl her eyes. She pinched the string of the tea bag and put it up and down in the water, feeling humorous. "It's that femme fatale thing again. I don't like role-playing."
"So how did you get along in Milan?"
"Watch cult movies."
Liang Litang rubbed his forehead on the other end of the phone. "We don't really act, but you can go and experience it. It's very interesting. So, I'll have Lu An play a cult film for you on TV."
Yao Ling thought he would do anything, so she agreed: "No need, just take me there when the time comes."
And so, Halloween arrived. Liang Litong took Yao Ling to a terrace bar in Central. Lui On was playing Eyes Wide Shut on TV. It wasn't cult at all, but Yao Ling loved it and was willing to sit there and watch it again.
Deng Shilang studied several limited-edition drinks, some black and some green. The black one contained Guinness, the green one absinthe. He stood at the bar, dressed in black for the occasion. Coincidentally, she was also wearing a black skirt, black boots, and a black bag. She also had a pumpkin she bought at the convenience store and hung it on her head, which gave her some of the same style.
Liang Litang drank the new thing, buried his mouth in his face, and almost vomited: "It really is pickled salmon."
"It's your choice again." Deng Shilang gave him another glass of spicy wine.
Soon, the bar was filled with a diverse crowd: Chinese and Western, British, American, Japanese, Korean, Indian, African, and Latin American. Yao Ling sat in a spot where she could watch a movie, and people kept approaching her, offering to clink glasses. She didn't refuse, always asking for more after she finished her drink and continued watching TV.
Liang Litang had been here long enough, and with Tracy arriving later, she told him that Lan Kwai Fong Street was more fun than here. He asked Yao Ling if she wanted to go, but she said no. Since Deng Shilang had to make drinks, he left Yao Ling to Deng Shilang and went with Tracy.
Yao Ling finished watching a movie. High-end weirdos and ghosts appeared, floating by with lanterns, showing their fangs and threatening each other, witches and zombies were arm in arm, and laughter and screams were rampant all around.
A werewolf sat next to Yao Ling and took out a deck of cards for the bartender Deng Shilang to choose from. "Pick one."
"Is there any benefit?" Deng Shilang asked without stopping when he saw the customer coming to play with him.
"Draw one and realize what's written above: my friends and I consume more alcohol."
Yao Ling supported her head with one hand and watched them play.
Deng Shilang wiped the shaker and his hands with a towel, then randomly picked a card from the cards he had spread out and showed it to him.
"Ah? Please help the lady closest to you to have a glass of wine. It's so boring. There's not even a cigar wheel." The werewolf was disappointed.
Deng Shilang smiled and said, "Forget about playing cigar tassels. I have a girlfriend." He saw the liquor in Yao Ling's hand and pushed a glass of water towards her. "Are you okay?"
"I didn't agree to play something so boring with you."
Deng Shilang nodded, as if in agreement. The next second, he took the wine glass from her hand, drank it all, and turned the glass over to show the werewolf that there was not a drop left.
The werewolf liked this straightforwardness, "I'll buy the most expensive wine and send it to Table C."
Deng Shilang snapped his fingers elsewhere and said something to the bartender who came forward, asking him to go to the ice cellar and get it and deliver it to the customer's designated location. When it was time to change shifts, he went to the storage room to get his personal belongings. When he came out, he saw Yao Ling walking unsteadily, probably a little drunk.
Deng Shilang walked over and supported her, "You drank so much."
"Everyone come and chat with me." Yao Ling stood for a moment, feeling a little dizzy. She said calmly, "I'm leaving."
"Can we go?"
She hadn't reached her limit yet. "Okay."
Yao Ling couldn't help but stop every two steps to relax her head. Deng Shilang simply carried her on his back and let her put her arms around his neck. After getting off the elevator, he went to get the car. As soon as he opened the door, he took her off his back, hugged her waist, and put her in the back seat. She suddenly cried out in pain.
"It hurts." Yao Ling pushed him irritably.
Deng Shilang felt the seatbelt buckle against her lower back. No wonder it was so uncomfortable. "Lie up a little."
Yao Ling didn't even want to move. Deng Shilang didn't have the nerve to pinch her chin and turn her face around, "Move."
She frowned, but pouted because of his actions. Her face was red, her eyes were watery, and she looked a little drunk.
He asked, placing his hand on her neck.
She then tried to support herself with her hands to move upwards, which made him laugh. "You like this, don't you?"
Yao Ling refused to accept it. She squeezed his hand on her neck with all her strength, then bit it mercilessly at the edge of his mouth, leaving a tooth mark. "Does it feel good?"
Deng Shilang saw her lying down, without answering, he pulled his hand away, turned to the front and drove. Halfway through the drive, she had fallen asleep. He called Liang Litang, who was on the way back to Tsim Sha Tsui.
After Liang Litang arrived, he carried Yao Ling from the back seat of Deng Shilang's car to the B&B. Fortunately, Chen Yu was still awake and had already prepared for the fact that Yao Ling would get drunk during the holidays, more than usual. She told Liang Litang to go back and rest, and to heat a cup of sobering tea to help Yao Ling recover for a few hours.
*
frowning face: frowning face
Cigar wheel: wet kiss
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