Chapter 80 "Don't be afraid, I'll take you out."
"Dog White, I was wondering why you disappeared so quickly. Did you come here to have some peace and quiet?"
"Who's this pretty girl again—"
The girl's slender back was straight, and her soft pink figure looked especially gentle in the light and shadow.
Qiu Chen's joking words stopped abruptly when he saw Zhu Wan's face.
He had clearly seen it from the stairs: the little girl tiptoed, her movements clumsy yet earnest as she lit Fang Qibai's cigarette.
The one who lit Fang Qibai's cigarette... was actually A Yuan.
His tone instantly turned accusatory: "Fang Qibai, have some decency! You had Ah Yuan light your cigarette?"
"Your smoking habit has been getting worse lately, take it easy."
As soon as Qiu Chen's voice rang out, Zhu Wan had already subconsciously taken a step back, widening the distance between herself and Fang Qibai.
She turned her head slightly to the side and hid her still trembling fingertips in her coat pocket.
My heart was pounding so hard I could almost hear it echoing through my clothes.
Fang Qibai, a cigarette dangling from his lips, stared intently into his dark eyes, his gaze filled with emotions Zhu Wan couldn't decipher. After Qiu Chen's outburst, he realized he had indeed acted quite rudely earlier.
It's like they're bullying a little girl.
Zhu Wan explained softly to Fang Qibai, "I was the one who requested it."
Qiu Chen raised an eyebrow, grinning as he pointed to himself: "Then why don't you light one for your brother Chen too?"
As he spoke, he reached into Fang Qibai's pocket to touch the cigarette case.
Zhu Wan was about to nod when Fang Qibai interrupted her.
He was backlit, surrounded by the faint smell of smoke, and his voice was low and slightly hoarse: "Let Afan know that we've been bullying her sister like this, she should come and settle the score with us."
Qiu Chen was just joking; he couldn't possibly be taking it seriously.
As the cigarette between Fang Qibai's fingers burned out, he looked at Zhu Wan and whispered, "Thank you, A-Wan."
Zhu Wan pursed her lips.
Her cheeks were still burning; the act of lighting his cigarette on a whim had preceded her conscious thought.
She hoped he wouldn't frown.
Qiu Chen, with an unlit cigarette between his teeth, mumbled, "Where's your lighter?"
Fang Qibai raised his hand and slapped away the hand that was trying to reach into his pocket.
"Tsk." Qiu Chen turned to look at the little girl who was looking down at her shoes. "Why are you here all alone? Where's your sister?"
Upon hearing Zhu Wan say that her sister would be there soon, he took the little girl's arm and twirled her around lightly, sincerely praising, "Ah Wan, you look so beautiful dressed like that."
She has lost some of the naivety of a student, and her fresh and beautiful girlishness has been enhanced with a touch of gentleness, making her sweet and innocent.
Zhu Wan was a little embarrassed by the praise, and her ears turned slightly red.
At this moment, Fang Qibai silently stubbed out his cigarette, and then opened his pale palm in front of Zhu Wan.
Zhu Wan was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding.
Fang Qibai lowered his gaze at her and reminded her, "Lighter."
Zhu Wan then realized that she was still tightly clutching his metal lighter in her right hand.
She quickly took it out and placed it in his palm.
After Fang Qibai took the lighter, his palm remained open, and he did not retract it.
His gaze fell on the girl's face, and he asked casually, "Do you have any candy?"
Zhu Wan was stunned for a moment, then obediently took out all the remaining White Rabbit milk candies from her other pocket and put them all into Fang Qibai's large palm.
Qiu Chen immediately laughed and scolded, "Fang Qibai, that's enough! You're even trying to steal a child's candy?"
He watched as the little girl gave all the candy to Fang Qibai, leaving none for herself, and said sourly, "Ah Yuan, you're being unfair! Brother Chen wants candy too."
Zhu Wan had run out of candy, and said softly, "Brother Chen, do you want some cherries? I'll go get you some."
The cherries were air-freighted; they were very fresh and sweet.
She ate about half a bowl of food while watching cartoons.
Qiu Chen persisted, pointing to the candy in Fang Qibai's palm: "Just take one from him and give it to me."
Zhu Wan smiled, her eyes crinkling, her tone gentle yet principled: "Once it's given away, it's no longer mine."
Upon hearing this, Fang Qibai smiled faintly and put the candy into his palm. "Thank you for the candy, A-Yuan."
Qiu Chen reached out and snatched it from his hand.
Fang Qibai seemed to have anticipated this, and withdrew his hand the moment Fang Qibai reached out.
Qiu Chen rubbed the back of his neck, speechless: "What's wrong with giving me one?"
"Don't you dislike sweets? And you never used to eat alone."
Fang Qibai tossed the lighter back to him, his tone nonchalant:
"I love eating it now."
The three's conversation was interrupted by a young man who came downstairs to call for help.
"Brother Bai, Brother Chen, have you seen Brother He?"
"Brother He said he was going to invite Brother Zhou over for dinner. He's been gone for a while now, hasn't he come back yet?"
Zhu Wan remained seated in the restaurant lobby and did not see anyone leave.
She then realized that she might have been too engrossed in watching the cartoon to notice.
Qiu Chen replied, "I didn't see it."
It was windy downwind, so Qiu Chen pulled Zhu Wan inside, saying, "Don't catch a cold here."
He casually tossed the cigarette in his hand into the trash can.
This cigarette isn't something you absolutely have to smoke.
Zhu Wan sat back down on the sofa.
Qiu Chen sat casually beside her, showing some interest but not much interest in the cartoon playing on the tablet.
Zhu Wan looked down at her phone.
Her sister sent her a message on her phone, saying she would come to the restaurant to find her right away.
Zhu Wan lowered her head and replied "okay" to her sister.
She put her phone in her pocket and got up.
Qiu Chen blocked her way with his long legs and asked with a smile, "Where are you going?"
Zhu Wan said softly, "I'm going to the restroom."
Qiu Chen withdrew his long leg that was blocking hers. "I thought you didn't want to sit next to me."
Fang Qibai glanced at him.
Zhu Wan grabbed a cherry and stuffed it into Qiu Chen's hand, saying, "Brother Chen, have some cherries."
Qiu Chen propped his chin up and leaned against the sofa as if he had no bones. "I'll just give you a handful of cherries to appease your brother Chen."
Zhu Wan smiled without saying a word, and looked up at the restroom sign.
Fang Qibai spoke up, "Go straight for fifteen meters, turn right, and you'll see it after the turn."
As the little girl's figure disappeared from sight, Qiu Chen sighed, "Ah Yuan really knows how to choose a place. She can enjoy the night view and it's quiet."
He was the one who insisted on having a lively atmosphere, and now he's complaining that it's gone too far.
A woman coming out of the restroom was complaining to her friend on her phone, "Wang He and Little Wildcat were cooking in the women's restroom. Those two are such a handful! I was in a stall, and my legs are numb from squatting..."
"Yes, I couldn't squat any longer, so I opened the door and came out."
"I pretended not to see them. They were working hard and didn't seem to mind being watched at all..."
Qiu Chen also heard the woman making a phone call.
Fang Qibai had already gotten up from the sofa.
Wang He indulged in his womanizing regardless of the occasion; whenever the mood struck him, he would even use the mahjong table as a bed.
Qiu Chen also got anxious and cursed Wang He to death in his heart.
He prayed that A-Yuan wouldn't stumble upon anything inappropriate for children.
That will leave a lasting impression.
-
The suggestive sounds coming from the women's restroom made Zhu Wan freeze in place.
Suppressed breathing mingled with the woman's soft sobs, mingled with the rustling of fabric, amplified infinitely in the silent space.
Zhu Wan froze on the spot, her gaze passing through the half-open door crack, when she unexpectedly caught sight of the entangled figures inside—
Her cheeks flushed crimson instantly. She turned sharply to run away, but in her haste, she bumped into a warm chest.
Fang Qibai supported the panicked Zhu Wan in his arms.
The girl's cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with embarrassment and helplessness, like a frightened fawn.
He didn't even glance into the bathroom before he understood.
Fang Qibai's warm palm quickly covered her eyes, completely blocking out that embarrassing scene.
"Don't be afraid, I'll take you out."
A deep voice sounded in Zhu Wan's ear, carrying a reassuring and stabilizing power.
He put his arm around her shoulder and led her away.
Fang Qibai had only one clear thought in his mind: he should come over faster.
Qiu Chen, who was waiting outside, saw Fang Qibai come out covering Zhu Wan's eyes, and then looked at the bathroom behind them. His heart sank and he felt a chill run down his spine.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to comfort the obviously frightened little girl, but all his words seemed pale and powerless, and in the end he could only scratch his head in frustration.
Fang Qibai released his hand from Zhu Wan's eyes, the tingling sensation from her frantically trembling eyelashes still lingering on his palm.
He looked down at her, his tone calm and gentle: "Forget about it, don't think about it intentionally."
With his composure and Qiu Chen's obvious concern, the violent pounding in Zhu Wan's chest gradually subsided, and her embarrassment and helplessness were forcibly suppressed.
She subconsciously raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, using this action to compose herself. Her voice, though soft, had regained its composure: "I want to go find my sister."
Just as she finished speaking, her cell phone rang, breaking the subtle silence around her.
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