Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Ye Chuyang took the champagne and peeled off the foil ring around the bottle neck. A wire was wrapped around the cork at the neck; he turned it a few times and loosened the wire.
Then gently twist the cork and turn it slowly.
The champagne bottle hissed as the cork was smoothly pulled out using the elasticity of the internal gas.
However, there was only one glass, and Ye Chuyang intended to drink alone. She hadn't expected to run into an acquaintance here.
"Dr. Chen, could you please go to my room and get another wine glass?" Ye Chuyang thought for a moment, "Or maybe I should have Xiao Chao bring it up."
"Forget it," Shen Qingyuan said, "no need to make it so complicated."
She picked up the piece of aluminum foil, twirled it, and squeezed it into a bowl shape. "Pour it out."
"..."
Dr. Shen is really generous.
"A good horse needs a good saddle. It's a bit of a waste to drink like this." He smiled and poured half a glass into her foil-lined wine glass. Not a drop spilled. Luckily, the foil wasn't torn when she opened it.
Shen Qingyuan said, "What's there to regret? It's the same wine anyway."
Ye Chuyang was slightly taken aback. The same wine in different packaging can give a sense of luxury; the one with good packaging may look shabby, but the wine inside may not be bad.
The same applies to people. People are accustomed to respecting clothes before respecting people.
These so-called celebrities are all packaged and made up by their teams, but once they take off their makeup and turn off the lights, they're just ordinary people. There's no need to get too caught up in their roles or think of themselves as gods.
Ye Chuyang snapped out of her reverie and poured half a glass of wine into her own. The amber liquid rippled gently, possessing a tender allure in the night.
Shen Qingyuan raised her glass, "Ye Chuyang, cheers!"
Ye Chuyang also raised his glass and gently clinked it against her aluminum cup.
Shen Qingyuan couldn't wait to bring the wine to her lips, first smelling it, then taking a small sip.
The usually aloof Dr. Shen can be like a child sometimes. Quite adorable, actually. Ye Chuyang noticed and couldn't help but chuckle.
It has a slightly alcoholic and fruity flavor, and is quite easy to drink. Once it goes down your throat, it gets a little spicy.
"How is it?" Ye Chuyang also took a sip, his eyes slightly squinting from the alcohol.
He rarely drinks alcohol, preferring tea more often. He might have a little occasionally on a whim.
Shen Qingyuan thought about it seriously for a moment, then blinked, "Well, it seems pretty complicated. I mean the taste, it's like there's a symphony orchestra in your mouth."
Ye Chuyang took another sip, and inexplicably felt that Dr. Shen's description was apt. She had always been talented in writing; in high school, her essays were often praised by her teachers.
A science student with excellent writing skills—truly a well-rounded individual. And on top of that, she's good-looking, making her the envy of countless people.
“However, there’s no comparison. I haven’t drunk much alcohol,” Shen Qingyuan added.
Ye Chuyang was shocked. "You've never been drunk?"
Back in college, because he was studying acting and surrounded by young, dreamy, and confused classmates, it was quite popular to get together for a drink or two. We didn't have money for fancy alcohol back then, so it was mostly beer, and occasionally a bit of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).
"I have too much homework, and even when I'm clear-headed, it's not enough, let alone intentionally getting myself drunk." Shen Qingyuan smiled bitterly as she recalled those early mornings sustained by black coffee. "I don't seem to allow myself to be not sober."
This is what it means to back yourself up.
"It's not like I absolutely have to drink it," Ye Chuyang said, shifting his position slightly as he poured more into Shen Qingyuan's nearly empty cup. This time he poured a bit too much, causing the foil-lined cup to tremble precariously.
Shen Qingyuan lowered her head and took a sip. A gentle night breeze from the rooftop caressed her face, carrying a tender feeling.
Drinking does seem to have one advantage. Over time, a bit of camaraderie develops among drinking buddies. Also, alcohol can alleviate tension to some extent, allowing you to say things you wouldn't dare say when sober.
A stray strand of hair clung to Shen Qingyuan's face, but she didn't notice.
Ye Chuyang looked at her. His gaze focused on that strand of hair. He leaned forward slightly, getting closer to Shen Qingyuan, and raised his hand, wanting to help her brush it away.
The sudden closeness made Shen Qingyuan instinctively shrink back.
Ye Chuyang stopped what he was doing, lowered his hand, and pointed to her face. "Your hair is messy."
"Oh." Shen Qingyuan shook her head and swept her hair back. She didn't seem to care much.
Shen Qingyuan picked up the champagne bottle, poured herself another glass, drank it, and then poured another. She seemed suddenly interested in experiencing what it felt like to be drunk.
With so many alcoholics in the world, this stuff must have some use, right?
Shen Qingyuan didn't want to be too sober tonight.
Ye Chuyang leaned back, supporting himself with both hands on the ground. He watched her drink lazily.
Ten years ago, he would never have imagined that he would one day be drinking with Shen Qingyuan on the rooftop.
He never imagined that his former goddess would be a smoker and drinker in private.
When he came up, he just saw Shen Qingyuan exhale the last puff of smoke and casually throw away a cigarette butt with a glowing ember.
"How about working for me, Dr. Shen?"
"I thought it would be a bit inconvenient." Shen Qingyuan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "So far, it's been alright."
"So, I'm still a pretty good boss, right?" Ye Chuyang smiled.
Shen Qingyuan didn't mince words and immediately praised, "Hmm, you're a nice person, not at all like a nouveau riche. Thank you for the champagne!"
"To treat a worker to champagne worth tens of thousands of yuan, what a great boss!" she said happily.
"Doesn't it look like something a nouveau riche would say?" Ye Chuyang smiled wryly; this compliment was quite unusual.
"Thank you for taking care of me too."
"If you're paid, you can do it. No problem, no problem." Shen Qingyuan tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, as generous as Lu Zhishen who had just uprooted the willow tree.
The champagne bottle was already half empty.
Shen Qingyuan suddenly remembered another working-class man: Xiao Chao hadn't even had a sip of this expensive wine yet. "If you become rich and powerful, don't forget me!"
"I'll go call Xiao Chao up. He's never tried such expensive wine before..."
With one hand supporting her on the ground, Shen Qingyuan stood up unsteadily. "...Ye Chuyang, wait for me, I'll go get someone."
He clearly had a cell phone, but he only thought about going downstairs to call someone, which shows he was a bit drunk.
She is loyal.
Ye Chuyang frowned slightly, and just as Shen Qingyuan was about to leave, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"No need to go. He's asleep."
Shen Qingyuan looked down at him.
A ring of dimly lit bubble lights surrounded the rooftop railing, their cool white light gently falling on her face.
His eyes looked a little lazy and dull, making him seem less aloof.
She has a naturally cold face, and when she's not smiling, she seems quite unapproachable. Yet, because she's beautiful and has a unique aura, she possesses a natural attraction that makes people want to get closer to her.
A contradictory trait.
It felt just right on her.
"Asleep?" she asked again, puzzled, wanting to confirm.
"Yes." Ye Chuyang said with a sincere and firm expression, "So, don't bother him."
It seems like just now someone was thinking of calling Xiao Chao to bring up some wine glasses, how did they know he was asleep now? Shen Qingyuan blinked and wondered.
Unless, Xiao Chao was already asleep when he came up.
When you're working, you have to wake up even if you fall asleep! But when you're drinking good wine, well, you might as well just fall asleep!
Evil capitalists!
My mind is a bit slow, and I think very slowly, but I still figured it out. Being too smart has this problem; it's hard to be confused!
"Sit a little longer, I have something else I want to tell you."
Shen Qingyuan stood still, her gaze fixed on the wrist that was being pulled. He had pulled her wrist before at West Lake.
Although we spend a lot of time together, we don't seem to know each other very well.
People from small, conservative places are not used to this kind of close physical contact.
Ye Chuyang realized this and let go.
Shen Qingyuan's bottom felt heavy, and not wanting to go back to her room too soon, she sat down again. Her posture wasn't exactly graceful; she spread her legs rather boldly. "What is it? Speak up."
She felt a little numb, her head was slightly dizzy, and her hands and feet felt heavy. She was drunk.
It seems I haven't reached the level that alcoholics crave. Some senses have become dulled, while others remain sharp.
Sober people don't get drunk easily, and drunkards don't want to wake up. People are really different.
Zhuangzi's Dream.
Ye Chuyang took another small sip of wine. He didn't drink much, afraid of a hangover and swelling the next day. After all, he was in this line of work and knew how to manage his body.
"Shen Qingyuan, it's been ten years since we last met," he turned to look at her, his expression warm, and he changed his usual address from "Dr. Shen" to "Shen Qingyuan," "Are you happy to see you again?"
The time she bumped into him at the hot pot restaurant and didn't recognize him, so that doesn't count. To be honest, Shen Qingyuan had mixed feelings when she ran into him at the class reunion.
A boy who was unremarkable in high school except for his appearance became a top-tier successful person with an annual income of tens of millions or even hundreds of millions in just ten years.
The world is so magical.
It's likely that Shen Qingyuan wasn't the only one with this sentiment; many others shared the same feeling. Most people simply lived their lives in a routine, predictable way.
In terms of income, Zhang Chi, who runs his own company, is probably already at the ceiling for ordinary people. Who would have thought that someone like Ye Chuyang would suddenly appear out of nowhere?
They probably did nothing in their past life but worshipped the God of Wealth every day.
Saying "I'm happy for you" is too fake. It's only natural for peers to secretly compete with each other.
Moreover, Shen Qingyuan clearly remembers that she was far from happy at the gathering.
“Jealousy, I guess!” she said honestly, slowly. “I’m probably more jealous than happy. I’ve never been good at feeling jealousy since I was little, so I always wanted to be number one in my studies.”
This kind of self-analysis is something I seem to have never shared with anyone else. I rarely even discussed it with Song Ting. Speaking of which, what exactly sustains people's progress?
Desire, fear? Dark forces?
He was indeed a little drunk.
“However…” Shen Qingyuan tilted her head and continued, “That feeling belongs to that narrow-minded Shen Qingyuan. Working with you these past few weeks, I’ve realized your success is well-deserved, and I’m happy for you!”
She raised her glass, flicked her wrist, and then drank the last drop of champagne.
His eyes are becoming increasingly adorable and innocent.
Success is certainly a good thing. Who doesn't want to be successful? Especially in a society that is so obsessed with success.
Perhaps influenced by the alcohol, Ye Chuyang was a little tipsy. He asked, "Shen Qingyuan, if you could go back ten years, what would you most want to do?"
"It's a rather nonsensical, abstract question." Shen Qingyuan raised her hands, cupped her face in them, and blinked as she thought for a while.
"It'll probably be the same as before. There's nothing in particular I want to change. Studying is still important, and campus life is still tolerable."
That was a really dull answer.
"And what about me?" he pressed, his tone serious, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "Do you regret it?"
Ten years ago, Ye Chuyang, as an innocent young man, only hoped that she would look at him more, preferably with a hint of shyness in her eyes, rather than being so indifferent or upright.
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