Chapter 1-8
8
This time, Qiao Ruo didn't choose the outdoor tables and chairs, but followed Hong Yantao into the bar.
The interior was indeed as she had imagined, exquisitely and stylishly decorated. Behind the long bar, two young men were busy at work, one of whom was the same man who had brought her juice and snacks the night before. Behind them, the liquor cabinet was densely packed with bottles of various shapes and colors, shimmering and exuding an air of luxury under the light of the row of small pendant lights above the bar.
In front of the bar was a large open space where a few customers were already holding wine glasses, swaying gently to the soft music playing in the room, their expressions relaxed, unlike the noisy, chaotic, and crazy scenes she had seen in movies or TV series.
Hong Yantao led her to a table by the window: "I'll bring you a light meal so you can have something to eat first."
"Okay, thank you for your help."
Hong Yantao poured her a glass of water, then turned and went to a half-open door on the other side of the bar.
Qiao Ruo looked around boredly, and soon saw He Yajun and Hong Mengqi walk in.
On the way back, they walked very slowly. Even though Qiao Ruo's legs were sore and she had great difficulty wearing high heels, she still arrived at the destination before them.
She had intended to stand up and wave to them, signaling them to come and sit with her, but upon meeting Hong Mengqi's gaze, she changed her mind. She wasn't oblivious; she could certainly see Hong Mengqi's affection for He Yajun. No matter how uncomfortable she felt, she couldn't interfere in someone else's happiness.
However, a moment later, Hong Mengqi left, but He Yajun didn't. He went to the bar, ordered a drink, took a small sip, raised his glass to the bartender, and then walked towards Qiao Ruo's seat.
"Why didn't you order any drinks?" He sat down opposite her.
Qiao Ruo stared at him without blinking and asked calmly, "You asked me to go watch the sunset together, but actually you were asking me on behalf of Mr. Hong, right?"
He Yajun leaned back in his chair, his left hand casually resting beside his wine glass, his fingers lightly tapping the table. Hearing her question, he stopped, picked up his wine glass again, but didn't drink.
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yes."
Qiao Ruo's tense body suddenly relaxed, and she leaned back in her chair: "Does he know I like you?"
He hesitated again, then nodded.
Qiao Ruo felt a tightness in her chest. She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, but the smile she forced still carried a bitter undertone: "That's right, I confessed to you today. You probably don't know how much courage it took for me to stand in front of you with those words in my heart. You can reject me, and I never really expected to be with you anyway. But I didn't expect you to turn around and tell someone else, and even play matchmaker for them."
She frowned, then, as if struck by a thought, her smile grew even more bitter: "No, how could Hong Yantao like me? This was all planned by you, wasn't it? You two put on an act to mess with me, wanting to see me make a fool of myself even more. No wonder your attitude towards me changed completely this time; so this was what you were waiting for."
He Yajun was somewhat surprised. After a moment's thought, she sat up straight and said, "You're overthinking it. First of all, I didn't tell anyone about this; Yan Tao guessed it himself. Secondly, Yan Tao really does have feelings for you."
This time, it was Qiao Ruo's turn to be surprised.
“After lunch today, I returned to the hotel and received a call from him. His first words were: ‘Qiao Ruo likes you, right?’” He Yajun said as she recalled, “I denied it, but he sounded very certain and asked if there was any possibility of us dating. After I said no, he confessed to me that he had feelings for me and hoped to have a chance to develop the relationship.”
Qiao Ruo listened silently, unable to articulate her true feelings.
"As his friend, I couldn't bring myself to say anything that would discourage him. In the afternoon, Mengqi said she wanted to watch the sunset, and I thought it would be more lively with more people, so I asked Yantao. Yantao was worried that if he directly asked you, you wouldn't come, so he asked me to help invite you. I thought it was just asking you to watch the sunset together, and it wasn't anything particularly difficult, so I agreed."
Qiao Ruo covered her face with her hands and remained silent for a long time.
"If this has upset you, I apologize."
“You not only helped your friend, but you also helped yourself.” Qiao Ruo lowered her hand and looked directly at his face. “I can tell that his sister likes you, but you don’t like his sister. By dragging me into this, you’ve ruined her original plan to have a date with you alone.”
Her expression was very calm, but there was a faint glimmer of tears in her eyes. Her once bright eyes now seemed to be filled with sorrow.
A strange feeling swept through He Yajun's heart, and his hand gripping the wine glass tightened unconsciously. Originally, he thought these were all trivial matters, not worth discussing or explaining, but the fact that this girl in front of him was actually hurt was something he hadn't expected at all.
“Qiao Ruo, listen to me,” he said seriously, “I didn’t expect this to hurt you. I’m sorry, I sincerely apologize to you.”
Faced with his sincere eyes and earnest apology, Qiao Ruo's anger and self-pity vanished. This man had too much influence over her; how could she continue to hold a grudge? Besides, she was leaving tomorrow, and there was a high probability she would never see him again. She had to say goodbye to him in a respectable manner.
She wiped her eyes with a tissue, determined to save face: "I'm sorry, I was in a bad mood because of...some other things, it wasn't meant to be directed at you."
At this moment, Hong Yantao brought over a light meal, enough for four people. Looking at the empty seat next to He Yajun, he asked curiously, "Yajun, didn't Mengqi come back with you?"
He Yajun had already regained her composure and shrugged: "I think I said something that upset her, and now she refuses to be with me."
Hong Yantao retorted bluntly, "Even if someone held a knife to her neck, she wouldn't refuse to be with you, would she?"
After saying this, he glanced at Qiao Ruo beside him. Qiao Ruo had also returned to normal and was eating at a leisurely pace.
Hong Yantao's attitude towards Qiao Ruo remained unchanged. He was not at all uncomfortable because of the confession in the evening and took the initiative to find topics to chat with her.
Qiao Ruo responded very cooperatively. When they were almost finished eating, she took the initiative to speak: "Thank you for your hospitality. I have to leave tomorrow. I hope we will have the opportunity to meet again in the future."
Hong Yantao asked in surprise, "Why are you suddenly leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes, I have something urgent to take care of. I have to leave tomorrow."
"Morning or afternoon?" He Yajun asked abruptly.
"Tomorrow morning."
Hong Yantao was silent for a moment, then said, "Then I'll take you tomorrow? By high-speed rail or plane?"
Qiao Ruo shook her head firmly: "I'm taking a plane. Thank you for your kindness, but there's no need to trouble yourself."
Hong Yantao didn't insist any further. He beckoned a waiter to clear the table, then asked Qiao Ruo, "What kind of wine would you like to drink?"
He was about to introduce her to a few wines that would suit her best, for her to choose from, but He Yajun beat him to it.
"Give her a glass of Hugo."
Qiao Ruo didn't know what kind of wine it was, but since He Yajun recommended it, she would naturally listen to him.
She turned slightly to the side and smiled at Hong Yantao, saying, "Then let's go with the one he mentioned."
Hong Yantao glanced at He Yajun across from him and saw that his friend had already picked up his wine glass again and was admiring the view outside the window. He keenly sensed that the atmosphere between the two high school classmates and fellow townsmen had become somewhat unusual.
He vaguely realized it was time for him to leave, but he felt a little regretful about Qiao Ruo's brief appearance, since there weren't many girls who could make his heart flutter and prompt him to confess his feelings.
He personally mixed the cocktail that He Yajun had requested for Qiao Ruo, and then poured himself a glass of whiskey.
He clinked glasses with Qiao Ruo: "Qiao Ruo, then I'll say goodbye here. I wish you a safe journey tomorrow." He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
After Hong Yantao left, Qiao Ruo stared blankly at the cocktail in front of her. The drink looked simple, without any complicated colors. The liquid was a pale yellow, with ice cubes, mint leaves, and a slice of lemon as a garnish. In addition to the slightly stimulating coolness of mint and the aroma of lemon, it also had a very pleasant fruity flavor.
He Yajun found her blank stare amusing: "This wine is called Hugo Spritz in English. It's made with Prosecco, a famous Italian wine. It tastes very good. You should try it."
Although she was the one who suggested drinking, she really didn't have much experience with drinking. At this moment, she couldn't help but feel a little scared, unsure if she would do anything strange after drinking, or even start crying and screaming and acting crazy.
However, she hesitated for only a few seconds before making up her mind to drown her sorrows in alcohol. She raised her eyes and looked intently at He Yajun: "I've never drunk alcohol before. If I say or do anything strange after I drink, please don't be surprised. If I just pass out, please help me get back to my guesthouse, thank you."
Before He Yajun could speak, Qiao Ruo had already imitated Hong Yantao's posture from earlier, raising her glass and drinking it all in one gulp.
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