15
Hua Hong looked at Xiao Wen and then at me. After hesitating for a moment, he moved to sit next to me. His elbow was touching mine. Because of dancing, his skin was sweaty, and it felt cool when it touched me.
Qin Jie reached out and tugged at Hua Hong's finger, asking with a smile, "Do you have a friend with the same name as Xia Xiang?"
Looking at Xiaowen sitting in the shadows with a smile on his face, I inexplicably felt that he was a very annoying guy.
Hua Hong lowered his head, his face flushed. I didn't say anything, just gulped down my orange juice. I thought to myself, if he didn't want to admit he knew me, then I would pretend I didn't. Although I didn't know why, and although it felt strange, I figured Hua Hong must have his reasons.
"Actually... he's the Xia Xiang I know, haha." Hua Hong pulled his hand away from Qin Jie's grasp and smiled at everyone. His smile looked forced and a little awkward. Turning his head, he said to me, "I didn't expect to run into you here, what a coincidence."
"Haha, what a small world! You can run into acquaintances everywhere. Xia Xiang, why don't you buy him a drink? Look how hot he is," Shi Ji said with a laugh.
I put down my cup, suppressing my excitement and pretending to be calm, and said to Hua Hong, "What would you like to drink? You're all sweaty from jumping around."
"casual."
"Hey kid, there's no such thing as a freeloader here."
Hua Hong looked up at me and smiled genuinely this time, "Then I'll be just like you."
I beckoned to the waiter and ordered two glasses of orange juice. Turning back to Shi Ji, I said, "Would you like one too?"
Shi Ji rolled his eyes at me. "My skin is perfectly fine. You should drink more."
Two cold gazes shot out from the corner, and Xiao Wen, for some reason, wasn't as smug as before. For some reason as well, seeing him like this made me feel somewhat happy.
The waiter brought over orange juice, and Hua Hong drank it down in big gulps like a child, finishing it in no time. I pushed another glass to him, and he said thank you, looking a little embarrassed.
I thought to myself, this kid is really interesting. Every time I see him, I feel like he's changed. Last time he was much quieter, but this time he's become shy again.
Lowering my voice, I asked Hua Hong, "Why haven't you contacted me for so long?" He glanced at Xiao Wen but didn't answer. I noticed this and didn't press the matter further.
Shi Ji suggested going to KTV later, but I thought I had to go home at 12:30, so I let them go have fun. Hua Hong glanced at me, as if he had something to say, and after thinking about it, I decided to stay.
"I'm going out to make a phone call home. Please have a seat."
"Haha, everyone, look at this guy, he's henpecked."
I smiled at Shi Ji and said to Qin Feng, "Brother, go out and have fun without worry. Shi Ji never pries into her boyfriend's private life."
Upon hearing this, Shi Ji's face darkened, and he gave me the middle finger, saying, "Go call your wife and shut up."
Stepping out of the bar, the alleyway seemed exceptionally deserted at night.
I dialed the home number, and it rang for a long time before Pengpeng answered.
"Hello?"
"It's me. Were you asleep?"
"I just lay down. Are you coming back?"
"Not yet, I'm planning to go to KTV with them."
"Go ahead then. Remember to be quiet when you come back, or you'll be in big trouble if you wake me up."
"I understand. Goodnight, sweetie."
"Bye-Bye."
I looked up at the sky; the moon was very round. I turned around, and Xiaowen was standing behind me against the wall.
I smiled at him. "You're out making a phone call too?"
"No, just getting some fresh air."
"Then I'll go in first."
As I passed by Xiaowen, he suddenly grabbed my arm.
I turned to look at him, thinking, what do you want?
Do you have feelings for Hua Hong?
"What's it to you?"
"Yes, it's mine."
"Things?" I raised an eyebrow. "...Are you his ex-boyfriend?"
"Ex? No, current."
"What about Qin Jie?"
"Didn't you understand? I said Hua Hong is mine, and I'm Xiao Jie's boyfriend."
Looking at Xiao Wen's smug expression, I found him laughable, and at the same time, I felt sorry for Hua Hong. I clearly remember the way he cried when I first found him, and I also clearly remember what he said when he mistook me for someone else: "Wasn't I good enough to you? I practically poured my heart out to you, what more do you want? Why don't you want me? Why the hell don't you want me?" Now I know that the person Hua Hong was talking about was Xiao Wen, the man Hua Hong loved so much he almost poured his heart out. But since he dumped Hua Hong, why hold him back in the first place? What's the point?
I pushed Xiaowen away. "Who do you think you are? Something? Ha, do you really think that? You broke up with him, didn't you? Do you think your place in his heart is still the same as before? Don't be naive." I deliberately said sarcastic things to Xiaowen, and I felt very happy watching his face turn cold.
So what if he's good-looking? Does that mean he doesn't care about feelings? I'm convinced he's just playing with Hua Hong, and I'm convinced he's not worth Hua Hong's emotional investment.
"Haha, you sound like you know him really well. Don't make me laugh to death, okay? Of course, I'm number one in his heart. Let me tell you, it was my idea to have him do pole dancing on stage. How was it? He did a great job, right? And he was dressed very sexily. He studied for a month to learn this dance, just because I said I wanted to see it."
A sudden surge of anger welled up in my chest. I calmly put my phone in my pocket, looked at Xiaowen, and punched him squarely in the chest. Xiaowen, caught off guard, collapsed to the ground.
I looked down at him and said, "You're fucking trash."
"You...you hit someone?" Xiaowen looked at me in disbelief and embarrassment.
"Yeah, so what if I hit you? Aren't you asking for a beating? Wouldn't it be a huge waste not to hit you?"
"You!" Xiao Wen was furious. She clutched her chest, jumped up, and rushed toward me.
I dodged to the side, and he missed. He turned around and charged at me again.
"You've never been punched in the face before, have you?" I gave Xiaowen a cold smile.
With that one sentence, Xiaowen stopped in her tracks.
I walked towards him, and he looked at me in horror and backed away, as if he was afraid I would slap him.
I laughed inwardly. Someone like him? Where did that smile go? Wasn't he so smug? Turns out he's just a pretentious, useless jerk.
Does he think I won't hit him just because he's good-looking? Sorry, the only kind of person I won't hit is a kind person, regardless of looks.
Why are you clinging to Hua Hong?
"Tch! Me, pester him? He's the one pestering me!" Xiaowen spat dismissively.
"If you don't tell the truth, you'll get a scar on your face," I said, looking at my right hand.
Xiaowen swallowed nervously, "I never knew you were such a ruthless person. You look so refined, yet you're not."
"Really? Thank you for the compliment. But I'm still no match for you, handsome man in disguise."
Xiaowen glared at me, clenching her fists.
I laughed inwardly, knowing he wouldn't dare to charge forward.
"Now tell me, why are you clinging to him?"
"It's his fault for not coming to see me after the breakup!"
"He's not coming to see you? Isn't that a good thing? You're the one who dumped him, aren't you?"
"But no one has ever treated me like that. Even after I dumped them, they would always beg me to stay with them."
"Wow, you're really confident."
Now, the handsome boy in front of me has become nothing more than a stinking shell in my eyes. How could Hua Hong have been so blind as to fall for someone like him?
Does Qin Jie know about your relationship?
"I don't know, he thought Hua Hong was my classmate from before."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-two."
"No wonder, this is the height of romance."
I turned away; I didn't want to listen to their silly, repetitive games anymore.
"Stop getting entangled with Hua Hong. Since you've broken up, just be decisive. Once things change, it's hard to get them back to the way they were."
Xiaowen stopped me; she was quite bold this time.
"What makes you so sure? How do you know he's changed for me? Let me tell you, he not only learned pole dancing for me, but he also moved out of his house. Why? Just to cook for me!"
Looking into Xiaowen's earnest eyes, I honestly couldn't explain why she spoke with such certainty. Indeed, what made me so sure that Hua Hong's feelings for her had changed?
"Hehe, you can't explain it now, can you?" Xiaowen laughed smugly again.
He smiled, and I smiled too.
"If he still treated you the same way before, would you have bothered to come all this way to tell me all this? I don't even know you. You know I mentioned him to you because of Hua Hong, right? Are you nervous? Afraid that something is going on between me and him?"
Xiaowen was stunned, and her smile froze on her face.
"You're not a child anymore, you should know what you need to know. Cherish your friends, don't play games with your feelings. A pretty face is only temporary, no one can stay pretty forever. Live life to the fullest. Don't wait until you lose them to regret it."
I pushed open the door and walked into the bar.
"When we meet later, please try to look natural, thank you."
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