Don't understand him
Zuo Xiaogang sat down, and saw Yu Guangzhong's oppressive figure approaching. He turned his head and was stunned.
She looked at Zhuang Yu'an, then at Zhuang Jinghao who was sitting on the outermost side, and felt that the brother and sister were sitting in the wrong seats.
There were only three girls present. She and Jiang Miaomiao sat together, so Zhuang Jinghao should have sat next to them. Besides, Zhuang Jinghao and she were always so close, and suddenly being separated felt awkward. Unless Zhuang Yu'an was someone close to her, there was no reason for him to sit between her and Zhuang Jinghao.
However, the brother and sister both looked calm at the moment, and it seemed that she was overthinking it.
As for Zhuang Jinghao, although she looked calm, she was actually so nervous that her heart was pounding. She stared at the marble table and didn't dare to look at Zuo Xiao at all.
She thought her brother was so weird tonight!
First, after Qin Yufei offered to treat everyone to a drink, he took the initiative to treat everyone to a meal, and deliberately chose an expensive restaurant.
Then, the usually steady and measured man ignored common sense, left his sister behind, and sat down next to Zuo Xiao! A tall, imposing man was thrust between the three girls, while the remaining four men were all lined up in a row on the other side of the booth. It was bizarre no matter how you looked at it!
Could it be...
A bold guess emerged in her mind: Is her brother asserting his sovereignty?!
But, he has no name, no status, and no identity, so where does his sovereignty come from?
She was so embarrassed for him! Sigh, I don’t know what Zuo Xiao would think...
While she was daydreaming, she heard a gentle yet firm reminder in her ears: "Only one drink allowed. If you want to drink more, order non-alcoholic drinks." She nodded obediently. After all, her brother was there, so she should be thankful that she was allowed to have a glass of wine.
Everyone ordered drinks, snacks, and a fruit plate. Zuo Xiao looked around and saw that most of the people in the other booths were playing on their phones or some boring finger-grabbing game. She had never found these hormonal little games fun. She usually went to nightclubs to dance, to get drenched in sweat, until the negative energy accumulated from work evaporated along with the sweat.
Looking at her own table: a married couple, a sibling pair, and no need for her to flirt with the remaining three men. Not to mention that Lao Sun had explicitly banned romance within the team, she hadn't been tempted to flirt lately, let alone risk ruining the band by getting involved with a teammate. So she turned to chat with Jiang Miaomiao, discussing her entrepreneurial journey with Lao Sun and commenting on the quality of the DJ set—which, honestly, felt a bit awkward.
The live music was so loud, it really wasn't the right place for a chat. Zuo Xiao spoke at the top of his voice for a while, then got tired, finished his drink, and stood up, saying, "I'm going downstairs to go dancing."
Since she'd just decided to go to the club on a whim, she was dressed casually. She'd already taken off her coat, revealing an asymmetrically piled-neck apricot sweater that exposed a large portion of one shoulder and collarbone, and blue skinny jeans. It was a bit conservative for the club, but she figured it was a good thing to avoid being approached.
However, less than a minute after entering the dance floor, a man came over and asked her almost in her ear: "Beautiful girl, are you alone?"
Zuo Xiao stopped and walked away expressionlessly, not giving any face at all.
I really should have brought a bodyguard... she thought with regret.
Whatever you want comes true. When you turn around, you see Qin Yufei walking towards you.
She nodded with her chin and said loudly: "Handsome guy, are you alone?"
Under the ambiguous lighting, Qin Yufei's features were even more gorgeous than usual, imbued with a genderless allure. His lips were delicately shaped, and even though he wasn't smiling, they were slightly upturned at the ends.
He walked closer and smiled, "I came here with a friend."
The two smiled at each other, then danced together to the rhythm of the music.
In the booth, Jiang Miaomiao, Peng Lei, and Qiangzi were nowhere to be seen, leaving only Old Sun and the Zhuang siblings still seated. Zhuang Jinghao craned his neck for a moment, searching until he finally locked onto his target, his expression suddenly jarring.
"Brother!" She tugged at his sleeve and whispered in his ear, "Zuo Xiao and Qin Yufei are dancing together! What are you waiting for?"
"I saw it." A solemn expression appeared on his handsome face. "I can't dance..."
"What's the big deal?" Zhuang Jinghao held his arm and lifted it up, "Come on! Come with me, I'll teach you!" He completely forgot that this was only his third time in the nightclub.
The two walked towards the dance floor. Zhuang Jinghao said, "Look around you, everyone's just jumping around aimlessly. There's no real dancing expert here! Just stretch your arms and twist your neck!"
Soon they squeezed over to Zuo Xiao, who was jumping for joy, a light sweat on her forehead, and a smile between her eyebrows.
Seeing the man who looked like a wooden stake, his movements stopped immediately.
The fact that Zhuang Yu'an would come to the nightclub with them was already quite surprising, and could be explained as protecting his sister. Who would have thought he'd actually go down to the dance floor? What was he up to? A night out?
The sun is rising from the west! Even sows can climb trees!
Zuo Xiao narrowed his eyes, looking him up and down. This guy's outfit had nothing to do with a nightclub: a black sweatshirt, black sweatpants, khaki hiking shoes, and a buzz cut. He was a complete fashion icon.
However, he has strong hardware: tall, good figure, and tough looks. Standing on the dance floor full of evil people, he is both out of place and very handsome.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and teased, "What are you two good kids doing here?"
"I'm bringing my brother to a disco!" Zhuang Jing laughed happily, grabbed Zuo Xiao's hand with one hand and her brother's with the other, and shouted, "Everybody, let's party!"
She twisted wantonly, and soon she was on top, and the hands holding the two men loosened. She didn't notice that Zuo Xiao gradually stopped.
Zuo Xiao pursed her lips, suppressing a smile, as she watched Zhuang Yu'an raise his arms and nod his head. It didn't feel like a disco, but more like a humanoid robot performance, incredibly awkward.
Well, it can be seen that he has tried hard to fit in...
Zhuang Yu'an was already feeling uncomfortable, and when he noticed her gaze, he became even more embarrassed. He paused and said something to her.
The music was too loud for Zuo Xiao to hear. He took two steps forward and leaned his head over.
"What did you say?" she asked loudly.
Before she could finish her words, a big hand suddenly grabbed her shoulders and pressed her upper body into his arms.
Zuo Xiao suddenly lost her mind. At that moment, Zhuang Yu'an had one hand on her shoulder, hugging her. Her nose was almost touching his left chest.
When she realized it, he realized it too. He lowered his hand and explained loudly over the booming music, "That guy's arm almost hit you in the face."
"That's how nightclubs are." Zuo Xiao took a half step back, brushed back his hair, and acted nonchalant, as if the previous incident had never happened.
"What did you say?" she asked again.
Zhuang Yu paused for a moment, then leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I say, can you teach me?"
The whispers so close brought with them magnetic sound waves and scorching air currents, like feathers scraping her ears. Instantly, a tingling sensation spread from her earlobes to her entire body. Zuo Xiao couldn't bear it and shrank her neck slightly.
Zhuang Yu'an didn't seem to notice her subtle reaction and continued to explain in her ear, "I've never been to a disco before. It seems a bit... out of place."
Zuo Xiao took another half step back to distance himself from him.
"How do you teach this..." she said dissatisfiedly, "Just watch how others jump and follow their lead."
Zhuang Yu'an readily followed suit, his gaze lingering for a moment before settling on a certain spot. Zuo Xiao followed his gaze and saw a man hugging two women, sometimes kissing the beauty on the left, sometimes pinching the waist of the one on the right.
"Learn something good!" She glared and warned angrily.
Zhuang Yu'an shifted his gaze and reselected his imitation target. Zuo Xiao looked around and couldn't help but frown:
Most of the men in the place were just flirting under the guise of disco dancing; there were hardly any serious guys! And yet, she was foolishly teaching a novice how to disco dance, and she was doing it in a healthy way...
It's just stupid...
At this moment, his sight caught sight of Zhuang Jinghao, who had already entered the center of the dance floor. She and Peng Lei were dancing face to face, shaking their shoulders. It looked like they were imitating the classic scene from Pulp Fiction, but in Zuo Xiao's eyes, they looked like two silly ducks.
She rolled her eyes and prepared to go and catch the duck. Unexpectedly, Zhuang Yu'an was quicker than her. He pushed through the crowd in a few steps and came to the front. He grabbed the duckling by the collar and brought it back. Zuo Xiao was amused and giggled.
"You're done." She whispered in the duck's ear, "Your brother must think there's something going on between you and Peng Lei, and he's going to break you up."
Zhuang Jinghao woke up as if from a dream and quickly explained: "It's just a dance, what's the big deal!" After saying that, he looked at his brother guiltily. Seeing his serious expression, he was so scared that he shrank his neck and drooped his head.
At this point, there was no mood to go clubbing anymore, so Zuo Xiao led the team back to the booth.
Except for Peng Lei, everyone else was already seated. Old Sun said, "You guys keep playing. Miaomiao and I will go back first."
"Ah?" Zuo Xiao felt like he had just arrived. "What time is it now?"
"It's past ten o'clock!" Jiang Miaomiao said with a smile, "Usually at this time, Old Sun would be ready to lie down in bed."
After the couple left, Zuo Xiaogan sat there drinking, while Zhuang Jinghao sipped juice beside him.
When one cup was empty, she reached for the next one, but someone suddenly grabbed her sleeve. She turned around in surprise and met Zhuang Yu'an's calm face.
"What are you doing!" She hastily pulled her hand back and glared at him with a frown.
"Sorry." Zhuang Yu'an said, "You've already had two drinks. It's best not to drink anymore."
"Nervous..." Zuo Xiao curled his lips. "Why come to the bar if you don't want to drink? Do your homework?"
"A little drink is good for your health, but excessive drinking can damage your throat," the other person said sincerely. "For the sake of your artistic life, I suggest you don't drink any more tonight."
Zuo Xiao thought he was being ridiculous, sneered, and said, "I suggest you not suggest that." Then he reached out again.
Just as her fingers were about to touch the wine glass, a large hand reached out from the side and covered the glass from top to bottom. Her fingertips brushed against the other person's palm and touched the hard finger bones.
Under her astonished gaze, Zhuang Yu'an brought the cup to his lips and raised his head.
In the ambiguous light, the man's clearly defined Adam's apple rolled up and down. A drop of wine flowed down the corner of his mouth, then was gently wiped away by his bony thumb.
With a clang, the cup was placed on the marble countertop. Zuo Xiao came to his senses, his head full of questions.
Why did he stop her from drinking? Why did he take her drink? What was wrong with him today?
After surprise came anger: Why does he do that?!
She gritted her teeth and reached for another glass of wine. Zhuang Yu'an snatched it again and gulped it down. He drank too quickly, and after putting the glass down, his breathing was rapid and his cheeks were flushed.
Zuo Xiao frowned, glanced at the last glass of wine on the table, and reached out again.
This time, Zhuang Jinghao stopped her. "My brother can't drink much, he can't drink anymore!" She grabbed her arm with both hands, looking anxious.
"Then ask him why he drank it?" Zuo Xiao questioned, "Did anyone ask him to drink it?"
"I apologize to you." Zhuang Yu'an said in a hoarse voice, "I was wrong to insist on controlling you."
Zhuang Jinghao looked at this and that, really not knowing what to do. Turning around, she saw Qin Yufei and Qiangzi both looking at her, as if watching a show. She suddenly felt even more embarrassed and simply suggested, "Everyone's drunk, why don't we just leave for the night?"
Zuo Xiao stood up with a cold expression, not saying anything, and picked up his bag and coat. Zhuang Jinghao then stood up and said to Qin Yufei and Qiangzi, "Sorry, we're leaving now. You guys can have fun."
Qiangzi stood up and said, "I have to go to work tomorrow, so I should leave." Qin Yufei was left sitting alone, shaking his hand with an indifferent look on his face.
The three of them walked to the outdoor parking lot. It was early winter, and the chill was biting. Zuo Xiao buttoned his coat to the top button.
Zhuang Jinghao felt the atmosphere was awkward. Neither her brother nor Zuo Xiao spoke, but a faint, ambiguous aura lingered between them. A streetlight shone from behind, their shadows intertwining.
Her heart was pounding. She quickly pulled out her phone and said, "Wait here for a minute. I'll call the designated driver to see where we are." Then she greased her feet and headed straight for the parking lot entrance.
The remaining two walked side by side for a while, then stopped in front of the car.
Zhuang Yu'an suddenly turned around and looked straight at her.
He was standing with the light behind him, so the expression on his face could not be seen clearly, but his dark and deep eyes were extremely clear, along with the complex emotions surging in them, which were deeply imprinted in her trembling eyes.
Zuo Xiao's heart skipped a beat. This scene, this atmosphere, and the man's hesitant look... Oh my God, he couldn't possibly be thinking...
Her heartbeat accelerated. She swore to herself: If he dared to confess his feelings, she would reject him without mercy, and then sternly warned him, "Don't dream!"
Time seemed to stretch out in a state of anxiety. Zhuang Yu'an was silent for a few breaths before finally speaking:
"I'm sorry, it's my fault... Don't be mad at me, okay?"
The man in front of her blushed, his eyes gazing down at her tenderly, a touch pleading, a touch bewildered. His voice, usually gentle and restrained, was now soft and moist, practically dripping with water.
Zuo Xiao turned his eyes away and said, "Don't say unnecessary words."
Zhuang Yu'an said no more and turned around to walk behind the car.
After a while, he returned with a cashmere scarf in his hand that was obviously of high quality.
He opened the scarf with both hands, folded it slightly, then raised it with both hands and lowered it gently.
Instantly, Zuo Xiao felt a touch of warmth on her neck. Her eyes trembled slightly as she looked at the man in front of her in surprise, not understanding why he could be so presumptuous tonight.
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