invite
After leaving the park, it was around 2 p.m. The two had a simple lunch at a small restaurant near the park. After lunch, Shen Anxia and Yang Zheng each took a shared bicycle and rode along the ecological lake back to the city, enjoying the kiss of the blazing afternoon sun. They raised their arms to shake hands with the wind that swept over them, feeling both warm and free.
"I think shared bikes are quite convenient, it's a pity that Yi'an hasn't implemented them yet," Shen Anxia said loudly into the wind.
"It'll be soon, around the end of this year. Although Yi'an's development can't compare to Xinfeng's, it's steady and pragmatic, focusing on stability before prosperity," Yang Zheng paused and said, "What Xinfeng has, Yi'an will have in the future."
"expect."
The two rode their bikes all the way to a shopping district in the city and dropped them off. By then, the sun had already been veiled by the horizon, and the ambient lights in the shopping district were turning on one by one, signaling the start of the nightlife.
Yang Zheng secretly glanced at Shen Anxia's hand hanging by her side. His hand, which was in his pocket, clenched slightly. Without asking her opinion, he didn't dare to reach out and pull her.
As Yang Zheng strolled slowly beside Shen Anxia, his attention was always on Shen Anxia's naturally hanging hands. When Shen Anxia stopped, he realized that she had stopped in front of a bar.
Yang Zheng turned his head.
Shen Anxia also looked at him, her eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.
"Do you want to drink?" Yang Zheng asked in surprise.
"I've never been to a bar before, and I wanted to see what it's like inside. Luckily you're here today, so I don't have to worry about anything bad happening to me. I feel really safe. I also heard that bartenders can make a drink called 'Sunset Glow.' My roommate showed me a picture; it looks beautiful. I wonder if it tastes good." Shen Anxia's eyes were still full of anticipation.
Previously, some of the girls in the dormitory had been taken to bars by their boyfriends, and the whole dormitory went, but Shen Anxia was too busy to go with them.
"Then let's go in and have a drink." Yang Zheng was pleased by the words "I feel completely safe."
The two entered the bar, found a booth, and each ordered a drink. After a while, a beautiful woman wearing a black strapless mini-skirt brought over a dried fruit platter and a fresh fruit platter.
The bar had just opened at this time, and they were the only customers. There were no live singers on stage yet, but they were playing soft music, which was somewhat different from the description of the bar that Shen Anxia's roommate had heard.
"Why don't we go to the front? I heard there's a minimum charge for the booths."
"People will start arriving soon, and there will be quite a few people trying to chat you up on the tables. I'm afraid you might not be used to it," Yang Zheng explained.
"But this bar is a little different from what I imagined."
Yang Zheng explained: "This is a quiet bar with a strong atmosphere; there is also a cocktail lounge, like the landmark hotel in Yi'an that we visited before, where the cocktail lounge is on the floor above the coffee shop, which is more upscale and private; there is also a disco, which is a nightclub, where people dance more. Compared to the former two, the atmosphere of the disco is more high-energy, and most people release their emotions here. There are also other types of bars."
"Of course, quiet bars can be lively too, but every bar is a nightlife spot and it doesn't get crowded until around midnight. If you want to check it out, we can go back after midnight."
Shen Anxia nodded excitedly: "Staying up all night is my specialty."
Yang Zheng laughed: "If you want to go to a disco or a lounge, I'll take you there after we get back to Yi'an."
Shen Anxia nodded gently, without saying a word, slowly stirring the afterglow of the setting sun. As she watched more and more people gradually appear in the bar, drifting uncertainly in the eerie, flickering lights, Shen Anxia felt that every soul here was seeking comfort.
The bartender has a great eye for aesthetics. The deep navy blue and bright orange-gold are interspersed with a few strands of rich pure black, just like the ultimate brilliance of the setting sun halfway down the horizon, as if a moment earlier would be daytime and a moment later would be nighttime.
Shen Anxia picked up the stirred Sunset Glow and took a small bite. Hmm, the taste wasn't strong, but rather had a hint of fragrance and sweetness.
"How does it taste?"
"It tastes good and isn't too strong." Shen Anxia felt that the fruit flavor of this wine was even more intense.
"Have you drunk any other alcoholic beverages before?" Yang Zheng asked.
Shen Anxia nodded: "Once, my roommate brought back beer and red wine, and we secretly ate hot pot in the dorm and drank a lot."
"In the dorm?"
"Yeah, the dorm manager confiscated the pot afterwards. It was mainly because the smell was too strong, the hot pot smell filled the whole hallway," Shen Anxia laughed. "I think I can hold my liquor pretty well, I was quite sober all night."
The resident singer took to the stage and sang "Half Moon Serenade" in Cantonese, adding a touch of ambiguity and mystery to the bar with his magnetic voice.
Yang Zheng laughed: "Red wine has a stronger aftereffect. How much did you drink?"
"About this much." Shen Anxia held up her hand, indicating ten centimeters.
"Then you can try something else." Yang Zheng called over a waiter and ordered her another drink.
A short while later, the strapless beauty brought Shen Anxia a refreshing-looking drink. Shen Anxia tasted it and nodded, "It's delicious. What's it called?"
"Mojito, it's delicious, I'll bring you some next time."
"Aren't you going to drink?" Shen Anxia asked, noticing that Yang Zheng had only ordered for her.
"This drink of mine has a strong aftereffect, and I'll be taking you home later. You can be slightly tipsy, but I can't."
Shen Anxia felt a little dizzy: "I need to go to the restroom."
"I'll go with you." Yang Zheng followed behind Shen Anxia, and the two walked from the narrow bar aisle toward the restroom.
Shen Anxia was a new face at the bar, and she was also very beautiful. Some bar customers wanted to go up and chat with her, but after seeing Yang Zheng behind her, they took the initiative to step aside.
Shen Anxia kept her eyes straight ahead and walked steadily, but she swayed slightly when she saw the bathroom and was about to turn in.
Yang Zheng quickly stepped forward and took Shen Anxia's arm, asking, "Anxia, are you alright?"
Shen Anxia turned to look at him, a smile on her face: "I'm fine, wait for me."
When Shen Anxia came out of the bathroom, her eyes were clearer. Yang Zheng reached out to help her, but she waved her hand and refused, saying, "I'm really fine. I just lost my balance."
"Shall we go back? It's 10:30." Shen Anxia looked at her phone.
"Don't you want to check out the bars at night?"
Shen Anxia shook her head: "Next time, I'm a little sleepy."
Yang Zheng nodded: "Okay, I'll take you back."
The two took a taxi and headed straight to the apartment complex where Shen Anxia rented a place.
When they got downstairs, Shen Anxia suddenly realized that the two of them had been eating and shopping all afternoon, and Yang Zheng didn't seem to have booked a hotel. Usually, he would book a hotel in the afternoon.
"Have you not had time to book a hotel yet?" Shen Anxia felt a little uncomfortable, but she still thought about Yang Zheng's hotel.
Yang Zheng nodded: "It's alright, there are plenty of hotels. If this one is full, we'll go to another one. I'll take you upstairs."
Shen Anxia hesitated for a moment, then tentatively suggested, "It's already past eleven o'clock, and it's the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, so the hotels will probably be fully booked. If you don't mind, why don't you stay here for the next two nights? Shanshan won't be back until after the holiday, and our sofa can be unfolded into a single bed."
Yang Zheng never expected that An Xia would let him stay overnight.
After all, in order not to make Shen Anxia feel that he was being presumptuous, he didn't even dare to hold her hand.
Yang Zheng looked down at her, his eyes deep and gentle, his voice hoarse and deep: "An Xia, are you sure you want me to stay here?"
Shen Anxia laughed, slightly tipsy: "If it were any other man, he probably wouldn't even have gotten my address, but Yang Zheng, you're different from others. You're a very good person."
"But I am a man after all." Yang Zheng was a little stifled. How long can a man resist when facing the girl he has been dreaming of?
The girl became somewhat alluring late at night due to her drunkenness.
"Yeah, I know you're a man too," Shen Anxia teased. "Want to go up, man?"
"Well then, thank you so much for letting me stay here," Yang Zheng said happily.
Shen Anxia returned to the house and sat on the yoga mat with her knees drawn up to her chest, because she felt like she had drunk too much.
Yang Zheng unfolded the sofa into a small bed, spread out the sofa cover, and stood up with one hand on the ground: "I'll go get you a small blanket. I have a small blanket in my room."
Seeing her swaying, Yang Zheng supported her shoulders and pressed her back down: "Don't move, I'll get you a glass of water."
Yang Zheng fetched some water and sat down next to Shen Anxia. The distinct scent of strawberries mixed with the aroma of wine wafted straight into his nostrils. Seeing that Shen Anxia's soft arms might not be able to hold the glass, Yang Zheng directly held the glass of water for her and fed her the water. He smiled and said, "It seems that the red wine you mentioned drinking earlier wasn't really red wine. It doesn't have much alcohol."
Shen Anxia could still understand Yang Zheng's words and asked, "Are you saying I'm drunk now?"
"You're not drunk, but I am," Yang Zheng said with a smile, placing his water glass on the coffee table beside him.
Shen Anxia rested her head on her knees, turned her head to look at Yang Zheng, her eyes filled with a misty haze, and the blush on her cheeks was like a peach blossom about to bloom, making her even more beautiful under the warm yellow light.
Yang Zheng noticed that her eyes held more than just the effects of alcohol; they also concealed other emotions. He couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you regret letting me stay the night?"
Shen Anxia turned her face to the side, wiped away the tears falling from her cheeks, and then turned back to apologize to Yang Zheng: "Yang Zheng, I'm sorry."
Yang Zheng's gentle smile froze on his face, a bad feeling creeping over him. When he saw Shen Anxia's eyes redden, he immediately adjusted his posture to face her, holding her arms to make her face him as well. His worry was evident in his eyes, and he asked again, "What's wrong?"
Shen Anxia made up her mind to spend the holiday with Yang Zheng and not mention staying with the group for the time being.
But perhaps it was the sudden relief from the pressure of being misunderstood by everyone for years, of having to walk a path of despair all by herself; or perhaps it was the deep night, the warm lamplight, and the man beside her that made Shen Anxia feel incredibly safe; or perhaps it was the sunset glow that affected Shen Anxia's pride and strength. Seeing the unease in Yang Zheng's eyes, Shen Anxia's emotions seemed to find an outlet, and the last line of defense in her heart was completely broken. She couldn't help but burst into tears, suppressing the sobs in her throat as she choked and wept, her body trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.
Yang Zheng panicked completely. His brows furrowed and his eyes were filled with anxiety. He wiped away Shen Anxia's tears again and again, but he couldn't wipe them away. The tears seemed to be the result of years of damp dark clouds pressing down and falling into a torrential rain, surging and wantonly engulfing the two people sitting opposite each other.
Shen Anxia wept uncontrollably.
When Yang Zheng asked An Xia again and again, "An Xia, what's wrong?" but received no response, he could no longer hold back and pulled Shen An Xia into his arms.
The soft, boneless girl in his arms leaned against his shoulder like a broken doll. The heartache Yang Zheng felt when he heard her cry all night long years ago surged back, even more intensely. He held her close, his arms tightening inch by inch. The huge difference in their sizes allowed him to completely envelop Shen Anxia. He gently patted her back while whispering in her ear, "Anxia... what's wrong... what happened?"
"Tell me if you can?" Yang Zheng asked repeatedly.
After a long while, Shen Anxia was still crying.
Yang Zheng patted her back gently as he asked, "...Should I let you cry it out...or should I stop you from crying?"
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