Chapter 13 The shadows on the burning ground intertwined
After finishing "The First Day," Qin Shengtian was in high spirits and requested another ballad to continue singing.
Xinmian drank most of a glass of juice, got up from her booth, and went to the restroom alone.
The bar's lighting was hardly bright, with spotlights bouncing across the floor.
The closer you are to the restroom, the dimmer the light becomes.
Fortunately, there was a bright halo around the mirror on the sink. Xinmian used that spot as a marker and carefully avoided the groups of people chatting arm in arm in the corridor as she walked.
After using the restroom and washing her hands, she followed her memory and walked towards the booths.
Just as she turned out of the restroom corridor, a middle-aged man suddenly appeared from the side, smiling and striking up a conversation with her.
"Little sister, you're so pretty, wouldn't you like to be a star?"
As he spoke, he pulled a business card from his pocket and pretended to hand it to her, saying, "Take a look, I'm a talent scout. If you're interested, we can chat."
Xin Mian instinctively became alert and waved her hand in refusal, saying, "I'm not interested."
"I really am a talent scout, not a fraudster."
"This business card is genuine. You can take it and check it online; you'll be able to find my company there."
"Young lady, you're very attractive, are you really not interested?"
The man's tone was urgent, like that of a corporate slave driven to desperation by performance targets.
But Xin Mian didn't want to hear him continue. With a cold expression on her fair face, she wanted to bypass him and go straight back to her booth.
Unexpectedly, he took half a step forward, blocking her path, his business card almost touching her chest.
Qin Shengtian had already finished singing her ballad, and the original male singer took over the center stage, performing a lively old Cantonese song that reignited the atmosphere.
Several people stood up around the booth, blocking her view.
She couldn't see Chi Yu, nor could she see Qin Shengtian and the others.
"Little girl, believe me, I'm really not a bad person."
"I'm a talent scout for this company, I... ouch—ouch ouch ouch..."
Before he could finish speaking, the hand holding the business card was grabbed by a strong force and pulled backward.
Chi Yu arrived at some unknown time, his tall figure hidden in the dim light, his elongated shadow barely enveloping her.
Those dark, sharp eyes stared coldly at the middle-aged man, ignoring his cries of pain, and his movements were ruthless and decisive.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Let go of me..."
Chi Yu ignored him, raised his eyes to look at Xin Mian, the fierceness in his eyes still lingering.
"come over."
His tone was also cold.
Xin Mian was stunned by the series of unexpected events, but was startled by his words and quickly ran behind him.
Which hand touched you?
She cautiously peeked out and shook her head, "He didn't touch me."
Lin Jiachi noticed the commotion and quickly came over, staring blankly at the middle-aged man.
It's you again!
"Are you looking for a beating?! Get the hell out of here!"
This man might be a real talent scout, but he comes around often and hands out his business card to any good-looking man or woman he sees. However, he never does anything truly immoral.
Chi Yu was also mentioned.
Lin Jiachi had tried to sneak in a few times, but the bar was always busy, and he always managed to get in when it was crowded.
Unexpectedly, this time they set their sights on Xin Mian.
Lin Jiachi immediately called the security guards over, who grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him out.
He turned to Xin Mian and apologized, "I'm sorry, Xin Mian, are you alright?"
Xin Mian waved her hand, "I'm fine."
It was a little incident that the other people in the bar didn't even notice.
Xin Mian was led by Chi Yu towards the booth.
The man was tall and blocked most of the light.
The dim light and shadow fell around his eyebrows and the bridge of his nose, cutting out his cold and sharp features with varying shades of light and shadow.
Xin Mian looked up and could vaguely see the old scar on his left eyebrow.
This made him appear fierce and ruthless.
But it was precisely this intimidating appearance that had just saved her.
And so... even the fiercest person becomes approachable, and even the coldest and most roguish person becomes kind and gentle.
——
Around 10 p.m., Lin Jiachi saw the five of them out of the bar.
At this time, the nightlife is just beginning, and the late-night snack shops and bars on the street are at their liveliest.
The summer night breeze blows back and forth, and you can faintly smell the sea in the air.
The bar is doing good business; there's a lot of people coming and going at the entrance.
Under the streetlights, Xin Mian and Qin Shengtian walked hand in hand, watching Lin Jiachi stand on the steps joking with regular customers, and remarked, "The bar is doing really well."
Qin Shengtian muttered to herself, "It's about time that Brother Chi's luck will turn around."
"Um?"
What's the meaning?
"At this time last year, 'Jane' almost had to close down."
The five of them walked in twos and threes.
Chi Yu walked at the front, with two girls walking hand in hand behind him, while Yang Chengjing and Liu Haoyuan, with their arms around each other's shoulders, brought up the rear.
Qin Shengtian continued, "At that time, the bar was not well managed, and one of the bartenders ran away with Brother Chi's money."
"He couldn't pay wages and couldn't recoup his investment. He even contacted other people to look at the shop, hoping to transfer it to someone else."
"But he's worked so many years and all the money he's saved up is gone, so naturally he's not willing to accept it."
"Later, it was Brother Yu who stepped in to help him."
Qin Shengtian seemed to remember something and waved her hand casually, "But Brother Yu never intended for Brother Chi to pay it back."
"He's not short of money."
“But Brother Chi definitely wouldn’t agree, so that money was considered as Brother Yu’s investment.”
She laughed, "So strictly speaking, Brother Yu is now one of the bosses of 'Jane' as well."
He simply had no interest in managing affairs and never said anything to outsiders.
Every time I make a purchase at "Jian", I pay the bill the same way I normally would.
Even the bar's employees probably don't know that Chi Yu is a shareholder.
Xinmian silently recalled for a moment.
The bar is quite spacious, with two floors, and the decor is quite stylish.
It's obvious that a lot of money was spent.
She thought to herself with a sigh, "Does Chi Yu make that much money running an internet cafe?"
However, the idea only flashed through her mind and she didn't think about it further.
The group walked slowly, as if taking a stroll, and leisurely arrived at Chi Yu's SUV.
The man leaned against the hood of the car, glanced at Liu Haoyuan and Yang Chengjing who were walking at the back, and said coldly, "If you vomit on the car, I'll kick you out."
Liu Haoyuan laughed, "Don't worry, Brother Yu, I'm perfectly sober."
Xin Mian glanced at the car door and instinctively wanted to sit in the back, but before she could even touch the door handle, Chi Yu's gaze swept over her. "You sit in the front."
"Huh? Why?"
She thought Liu Haoyuan was slightly chubby, so he would be the most suitable person to sit in the front.
But Chi Yu didn't answer. Instead, he got up, walked around to the driver's side, opened the car door, and got in.
Qin Sheng smiled and took Xin Mian's hand, "Since you live with Brother Yu, it's most convenient for you to sit in the passenger seat."
"...oh."
Before Xin Mian could even process what Qin Shengtian meant, Qin Shengtian had already shoved her into the passenger seat.
The car was packed with five people, but thankfully the SUV had a lot of space inside, so it didn't feel cramped or crowded even with so many people.
As soon as he got on the bus, Liu Haoyuan leaned over the seat in front of him, holding up his phone and saying cheerfully, "Xinmian, let's add each other on WeChat."
He had a premonition that their group of four on Wangshui Island would become a group of five from now on.
Xin Mian nodded and was about to scan the code when Chi Yu in the driver's seat pressed down on Liu Haoyuan's phone.
"Brother Yu, what are you doing?"
Xinmian also looked over curiously.
"It's blocking my view of the rearview mirror."
The man's tone was indifferent. He held the steering wheel with one hand, his gaze fixed on the rearview mirror, his expression so focused that he seemed completely oblivious to them.
"...oh."
Liu Haoyuan was barely conscious, but his mind was sluggish, and he couldn't detect the coldness in Chi Yu's voice.
The car pulled out of the parking space and smoothly got onto the road.
Liu Haoyuan held up his phone again, "Xinmian, scan me."
"I'll add you to the group later, we... sigh!"
"squeak--!"
Before he could finish speaking, the SUV slammed on the brakes.
Liu Haoyuan almost dropped his phone.
The man in the driver's seat said in a cold voice, "Sorry, red light."
Liu Haoyuan had just grabbed his phone in a flurry of activity when Yang Chengjing grabbed his collar from behind and pulled him back into his seat.
He was a little dizzy, and barely remembered that he had wanted to ask Xin Mian for her WeChat.
Just as he raised his phone, still determined to persist, Chi Yu's deep, authoritative voice rang out again—
"It's inappropriate for a grown man like you to ask a girl for her WeChat."
Liu Haoyuan asked in confusion, his tongue slurring, "...Not suitable?"
He simply wanted to add someone on WeChat.
However, no one in the car answered him.
His current thinking ability couldn't support him coming up with a coherent answer, so he changed the subject and asked, "Brother Yu... have you... have you added Xinmian on WeChat?"
Before Chi Yu could even speak, she quickly interjected, "You definitely added it!"
He retorted with what Chi Yu had just said, "It's inappropriate for a grown man like you to ask a girl for her WeChat."
He was shaking his finger as he spoke.
Chi Yu looked at him in the rearview mirror with the same gaze she would give Da Sha Chun.
He inexplicably recalled the scene of Xin Mian adding him on WeChat yesterday. His sharp chin lifted slightly, and a haughty smile, which he himself did not realize, played on his lips.
There was nothing I could do; she was the one who wanted to add me on WeChat.
She'd probably cry if he refused.
Qin Shengtian got into the car and leaned against the door to sleep. Yang Chengjing glanced at Liu Haoyuan, speechless, and covered his eyes.
Only Xin Mian felt her ears burning when she heard Liu Haoyuan's words.
"...that..."
The carriage was dark, and she couldn't see clearly that Liu Haoyuan in the back seat had already closed his eyes after saying those words, and whispered an explanation, "He didn't add me on WeChat, I wanted to add him..."
After he finished speaking, the carriage fell completely silent.
Xinmian was so embarrassed that she dug her toes into her shoes, feeling like she was about to tear the soles apart.
The green light had come on, and the SUV drove smoothly through the night.
After a while, she heard the deep, magnetic voice of the man beside her.
"You're quite honest."
Xinmian: ......
She decided to shut her mouth and stop talking.
***
The closest place to the bar is Yang Chengjing's house.
He lives alone, usually behind the car dealership, and he's the first one to arrive.
Next were Qin Shengtian and Liu Haoyuan.
It was past 11 p.m. when the car finally stopped in a parking space on the main road outside Dongpu Lane.
Xinmian had been out playing all day, it would be a lie to say she wasn't tired.
I'm feeling groggy right now, my eyelids are about to close.
When she got out of the SUV carrying her bag, she almost stepped off the high chassis, but fortunately Chi Yu helped her in time.
He also snatched the backpack from her hand.
"Why..."
The bag contained the new phone he had given her, as well as that large hard drive, which was quite heavy. She instinctively wanted to take the backpack back, but he moved it away without her noticing.
"Did you sneak a drink?" he asked casually, laughing at how she almost fell.
"...I don't."
Xin Mian retorted softly, following his words, her voice weak and lacking strength.
The streetlights in Dongpu Lane were on, casting a dim yellow light that illuminated the stone-paved path.
This also elongated their shadows on the ground.
Chi Yu slowed his pace, his gaze falling on her crooked shadow.
She wore a high ponytail today, with the ends hanging down naturally, swaying back and forth as she walked in a daze.
Like a lively little rabbit.
He stared at the shadow of her ponytail for a moment, then grabbed her arm as she stumbled for the second time.
A cool, soft touch came again, filling his rough palm.
It is a very obvious contrast.
Chi Yu's eyes suddenly darkened.
Xin Mian was startled when she almost fell. She instinctively grabbed his arm and looked up at him.
She had yawned several times, and her clear, bright eyes were now glistening with tears, shining brightly under the streetlights.
Chi Yu could even see his own reflection in it.
The two were so close, barely an arm's length apart, that from the outside it looked as if he was holding her in his arms.
The two shadows on the ground were now completely intertwined due to the angle.
Caught off guard, their eyes met. Xin Mian glanced at the old scar on his brow and immediately became more alert.
She quickly let go of his hand and stood up straight.
"Thank you."
As night fell, small yellow osmanthus blossoms, blown down by the wind, adorned the walls of the courtyard at No. 7 Dongpu Lane.
A faint fragrance of osmanthus can be smelled.
As Xin Mian entered the room, she finally remembered that she hadn't done something important today. "Um... how much is the new phone? I'll transfer the money to you."
She's been using that old phone since college, for three or four years now. It's not quite nearing the end of its life, but it's definitely getting old.
Even based on depreciation, there's no reason for Chi Yu to compensate him with a new phone.
"If you're not in a hurry to go upstairs, wait a moment while I switch the SIM card."
There was a small lamp lit in the yard and another in the living room, which Grandma Chen left on for them.
The chubby orange cat was fast asleep in its bed, its paws resting on its chin.
Xinmian unconsciously slowed her voice and quietly turned on the light.
Upon hearing her words, Chi Yu turned around and sat down on the sofa.
"Your phone was broken because of me, so it's only fair that you get a new one."
He leaned back on the sofa with his broad shoulders, his long legs propped up, and reached out to her, "I'll change."
Xinmian sat down on the other sofa, opened her backpack, and handed him the unopened phone box.
He whispered, "But my phone is pretty old anyway..."
As Chi Yu unpacked the package, he glanced up at her, a playful smile flashing across his eyes. "What?"
"Do I have to go to the secondhand market and find something used for you?"
"Forehead..."
Xin Mian pursed her lips and didn't say anything more.
Forget it, I can't argue with him anyway.
The living room was very quiet, except for the sound of Chi Yu unpacking the plastic packaging of the phone box.
The box comes with a SIM card ejector tool, making it very easy to use.
It didn't take long for him to remove the SIM card and install it in the new phone.
I turned it on, confirmed there were no problems, and handed the phone to her.
But Xinmian did not reach out to take it.
He glanced over instinctively.
Under the warm yellow light of the floor lamp, the girl's delicate sleeping face was surrounded by a halo of light.
A note from the author:
----------------------
My hand slipped and I accidentally sent the message instead of setting it to send! [crying emoji] The update share for the 3rd is being sent ahead of schedule! [please]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
