Chapter 48 Dragging Horses
Although Zhen Qiuyue and her group were considered 'bookworms,' they weren't truly oblivious to the world around them.
For example, several people have seen the posts on the forum before.
I just didn't take it seriously.
After all, although Xu Yitong was very low-key at school, everyone was aware of his background. Even though his low-key nature and some rumors made him seem nice, no one would think that students like him would get very close to special admissions students.
Meng Er doesn't seem like the type of person who would lower themselves to flatter or fawn.
This is...this is too exciting!
The group of people who got to eat a fresh melon felt a strange, subtle excitement.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go in first," Meng Er said calmly.
She understands that students of this age have a strong sense of curiosity, but she doesn't intend to explain anything proactively; she just wants to be at peace with herself.
Zhen Qiuyue and the others nodded somewhat blankly, and subconsciously made way for them.
"Wait! Meng Er, there's something else I want to ask you, is that alright?" Zhen Qiuyue suddenly remembered something very important, so she quickly stopped Meng Er, showing a slightly embarrassed expression for her repeated question.
Meng Er turned his head to look at her and nodded slightly.
Having received permission, Zhen Qiuyue took two steps closer and said softly, "Asking this might be a bit presumptuous—"
"Do you know that classmate from before, the one surnamed Lian?"
Zhen Qiuyue looked at Meng Er with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
She had already guessed that a password was required to enter the glass greenhouse. If Lian Yi was not a student of this school and had Meng Er's student card, they were very likely to know each other.
Meng Er remained calm. "Is there something you need?"
"Yes... I made some promises to her. Although it's still a long time away, I hope that one day in the future I can tell her in person that I am capable of doing what I promised her."
Zhen Qiuyue's face behind her glasses was flushed, and she said shyly, "If you know her, could you ask her if she would be willing to give me her contact information?"
"Perhaps she has already forgotten?" Meng Er was a little curious. She didn't quite understand where this girl's sense of conviction came from. She pondered for a moment and said, "Besides, does it really matter whether she knows or not?"
"certainly!"
Zhen Qiuyue's eyes widened, then she realized her reaction was a bit too strong. She pursed her lips and said, "She's a very good person. If it weren't for what she said to me, I might have regretted not thinking things through back then much later..."
"Right now, I can only treat this as a goal and a dream to strive for, but I won't bother her."
If there weren't other people present, Zhen Qiuyue would have liked to say more to Meng Er.
Meng Er reminded her of that girl; although their temperaments were completely different, they were equally flamboyant and bright, and beneath their radiant exteriors, she could sense their kindness.
Zhen Qiuyue couldn't help but want to get closer to them, and even more so, she wanted to become like them.
"Is she... really that good?" Meng Er turned slightly to look at her directly and asked curiously.
"Yes!" Zhen Qiuyue nodded vigorously and said softly, "She's really brave. I've thought about it many times. If I were her, what would I do? Maybe from the beginning, the only way I could solve this was by asking the teacher..."
She let out a soft sigh. "I don't know if I'm right to say this, but someone from her family background can still consider my situation and feelings... Even though we're just strangers, and she got into trouble because of me."
“A girl like this is beautiful, brave, kind, and strong…” Under Meng Er’s indifferent gaze, Zhen Qiuyue unconsciously listed the good qualities she could think of in Lian Yi.
But by the end, she had run out of words. Meng Er looked at her with a calm and collected gaze, which inexplicably gave Zhen Qiuyue the feeling that she should continue.
“So, she really is a good person!” Zhen Qiuyue said with certainty.
Is this all the praise can go?
Meng Er felt slightly disappointed, but looked at her with a normal expression and said, "I understand."
A glimmer of hope ignited in Zhen Qiuyue's eyes.
“However, I don’t know the person you’re talking about.” Meng Er said calmly. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”
“…Eh?” Zhen Qiuyue’s expression went from expectant to blank.
She thought Meng Er's words meant that he knew the girl, and when she realized that she had praised another girl in front of Meng Er, her face turned bright red.
"As long as you stand high enough, she will eventually see you. At that point, whether you can personally tell her that you have kept your promise is no longer important, is it?"
Meng Er nodded slightly to her, then walked back to the private room through a path cleared by the students.
"Your cake." She just couldn't bring herself to say that ridiculously long name.
The cake was placed on the table, and strangely, Xu Yitong's reaction was unusually calm, contrary to his expectations for the cake.
"Not eating?" Meng Er sat back down, crossed her legs, and glanced at him indifferently.
“…I heard it.” Xu Yitong opened the cake box, her voice slightly deep. “I heard what they were saying outside just now.”
Meng Er paused, "What is it?"
“I can help with some things that are happening to you,” he said, picking up his fork. His words were direct.
"Oh, this matter?" Meng Er lowered his eyes and said indifferently, "It's just some people making a fuss out of boredom. It's not worth wasting time paying attention to."
Xu Yitong nodded and began eating the cake in front of him.
He ate very politely, with an elegance that suggested he was dining in a high-end restaurant, though he always seemed to have a strange obsession when eating cake.
Set aside the fruit piled on top of the cake, and only start eating the fruit with a little cream on it after you've finished the cream and filling.
"By the way, you're so good at computers, you must know a lot of amazing people, right?" Meng Er asked at the right moment, his handsome face beaming with pleasure after he finished eating the cake.
The program for Gugu Machine is currently in the formal preparation stage, and the design and production of music software is also on the agenda.
Meng Er didn't come here today specifically because of Xu Yitong's abilities.
It was only when he asked for help that I remembered the boy's expertise in computers, and I thought that perhaps I could ask him to recommend some people.
The music software will be jointly owned by Gugu Machine and Meng Er's company. In the business world, preserving one's own voice is also a sign of respect for each other.
Of course, some of our own people are needed to keep things in order.
"Hmm? It should be..." Xu Yitong was slightly taken aback.
"Yes or no, what does 'should be' mean?" Meng Er found it somewhat amusing that his speech was often illogical.
Xu Yitong's clearly defined jawline tightened slightly as he frowned and thought for a moment. "Like me, there aren't many. If you want them to do things, it's difficult."
Meng Er was not at all surprised that his intentions had been seen through.
She slightly raised the corners of her mouth, her smile not very pronounced. "I don't yet have a clear understanding of your abilities."
"If you were designing a music software, what kind of workstations would you need, how many people would you need, and what level of expertise would be required to complete this type of work?"
With someone who knows the industry standards better in front of him, Meng Er certainly wouldn't let this opportunity pass by to learn more.
She doesn't need to know everything; it's enough for her to know who can be used and who cannot.
"It depends on the specific structure of the concept."
Xu Yitong held his fork, seemingly hesitant. His deep, dark eyes stared at Meng Er for a while, then lowered his eyelashes, obscuring most of his face, and said in a low voice, "Actually... I can help too."
He didn't quite understand why, even though he was right there, Meng Er wanted to find other... powerful people?
Upon hearing this, Meng Er's eyes widened from slight surprise to interest. She adjusted her posture slightly, her calm gaze falling on Xu Yitong's face as she inwardly assessed the possibility.
"I'm afraid I can't afford to pay you."
"Compensation?" Xu Yitong looked up at her in confusion, then realized what she meant and pursed his lips slightly. "Just pay the industry standard salary."
"The people I know would find it difficult to cooperate without me."
After thinking for a moment, he added a very serious explanation.
This wasn't the first time Meng Er had witnessed Xu Yitong's complete lack of awareness of his status as a young master from a wealthy family; she just hadn't expected him to be this helpful.
Seeing his innocent expression—which was both boastful and disdainful of his 'colleagues'—without realizing it, Meng Er felt a surge of amusement.
"Let's find some time for you to come and complete the onboarding process."
She didn't care about Xu Yitong's motives; she would naturally seize any opportunity that could be used.
Before doing anything, Meng Er likes to assess the risks first.
If Xu Yitong's willingness to lower herself to join was for ulterior motives, and the probability of it happening was so small, she was willing to pay the price for her decision.
As long as Xu Yitong's abilities live up to his reputation.
Meng Er has more confidence that the launch of Guguji's Guji Music software will ensure a better user experience.
Business competition is never limited to overt strategies; all sorts of underhanded tactics are employed, and she has seen all kinds of bizarre and foolish competitive methods.
The software Guji deviates from the only mainstream philosophy from its most basic operating principles.
With Xu Yitong and other computer experts he approves of in charge, we can be largely at ease with the server situation and allocate more resources to other areas.
"But I'm going abroad next week. Can we contact each other online?" Xu Yitong was a little conflicted. This was his first formal job, and it seemed inappropriate to take leave as soon as he started work.
"It's okay, as long as you can manage your team well, online communication will be more convenient for you."
Meng Er propped her face up with one hand and used the other hand to hold a pen on the tablet on her lap, deleting a large portion of the previously finalized content.
After several lessons and interactions, she roughly figured out Xu Yitong's personality: somewhat naive, earnest, simple-minded, and easily deceived.
They are easy to communicate with.
When you're with him, you just need to say what you mean, and he follows this rule of communication, expressing his emotions directly, although most of the time he just frowns and doesn't say a word.
For example, Meng Er repeatedly refused his requests to have cake while he was studying.
"But there are some things I still want to make clear to you first." Meng Er always speaks according to the appropriate position.
She put down her pen and looked calmly at Xu Yitong. "I trust your professional abilities, so I won't interfere in your field. But I hope you understand that this matter is very important to me."
"It embodies the hard work of more than just me, and I don't want it to become a temporary pastime, just something to pass the time."
Meng Er could have put it more elegantly, at least in a way that wouldn't have made people feel distrusted or offended by its directness.
But for Xu Yitong, embellished and flowery words are far less effective than telling him directly.
So even though he could see the Xu family behind him, Meng Er still spoke his mind.
Xu Yitong nodded, looking inexplicably obedient. "Yes, I won't think that way."
"Well then, welcome to the team. I look forward to seeing Xu Shen's performance."
Meng Er smiled slightly and formally extended her hand to him.
Everyone was used to calling him "Xu Shen," and he was used to it too, so Xu Yitong himself didn't know why his heart would beat faster when Meng Er called him that.
He ignored the slight heat on his face, hesitated for only a moment, and then reached out to shake her hand.
The moment their different body temperatures touched, Xu Yitong quickly let go.
Meng Er didn't care about this; that's just how socially awkward people are.
She casually lowered her eyes, and after a long silence, Xu Yitong's deep French voice rang out again as he repeated the words, giving instructions to the people across the ocean.
She never thinks she has too much money.
...
In Yunhai City, as night falls, a manor house filled with luxury cars in the west of the city is brightly lit.
Although it's called a manor, it's really no different from a farmhouse inn.
It simply has more recreational areas like horse farms and golf courses, which perfectly aligns with the entertainment concepts that wealthy and upper-class people should have.
As an invitation-only venue, those who can enter and exit here are naturally either rich or powerful.
In this stylish and luxurious environment, an area usually used for outdoor parties and barbecue gatherings is filled with a very... approachable barbecue smell.
A box of starch sausages lay open on the ground, already more than half empty.
A5 Wagyu beef is sprinkled with a barbecue seasoning mixed with cumin and chili powder, while huge lobsters and king crabs are soaked in a scalding hot red broth.
About thirty young people gathered on the lawn, some holding champagne, some carrying bottles of beer, and others carrying liquor in their left hand and holding a glass in their right, swaying around.
It looked like something that couldn't be presented in public.
But their happiness was so obvious that they would stop and clink glasses with even a passing dog.
At the center of the crowd was Lian Yi, who stood in front of a row of barbecue grills, hands on her hips, squinting as she gave instructions.
"Xiao Hai, do you even know what it means to be observant? Hurry up, the chives are about to burn."
"Who ordered this dish? How can pig's trotters taste good if they're roasted without being braised? Xiao Hai, I order you to braise them right now!"
"No, how can you get the flavor in such a big squid if you don't cut it up? Where's the sauce?"
Xiao Haiyang's hands moved so fast they blurred across the grill that he couldn't even wipe the sweat pouring down his forehead. His once handsome and rebellious blue-black hair hung limply.
"Sister, you really are my sister, please, please let me go." His baby face looked like he was about to cry.
Pei Tu'an and Gu Xin watched the show with smiles on their faces, then exchanged a glance, their knowing smiles growing increasingly malicious.
The child is still young and doesn't understand the wickedness of people's hearts.
“How can you say we’re letting you off the hook? Even Lian Yi didn’t make things difficult for you. Hey, Xiao Hai, I’m not trying to be mean,” Pei Tu’an said, smoothing his bangs and shaking his head.
"Honestly, Lian Yi gave you this chance to make amends, how come you still don't understand?"
Xiao Haiyang gritted his teeth slightly, but his hands didn't stop moving. He looked at Gu Xin with pleading eyes.
Gu Xin immediately turned her face away and grabbed a lucky passerby, and they chatted enthusiastically for a few words.
"Um... Xie Ling, what would you like to eat? I'll grill it."
Xiao Haiyang could only focus his gaze on the last person's face in the end, and said reluctantly, "Don't be so polite with me."
"I'm fine with anything..." Noticing that his eyes were gradually turning sad and indignant, Xie Ling paused for a moment and looked at Lian Yi beside her, "The squid you ordered is a bit big, can I have half of it?"
"Sure," Lian Yi said cheerfully.
She absolutely loved the lively atmosphere. If she hadn't been so busy lately, she would have organized similar gatherings almost every two or three days.
The environment is different, but the people coming and going are basically the same old friends.
As soon as she said that, Xiao Haiyang focused on the large squid, quickly grilled it, cut it into small pieces, put it on a plate, and brought it over.
Lian Yi didn't take it, but smiled at Xie Ling, who then reached out and took it, politely saying thank you.
This left Xiao Haiyang, who was used to his friends being impolite, speechless for a while. He finally managed to say, "You're welcome."
"Let's go, I'll introduce you to the other people!" Lian Yi waved her hand aggressively.
"Mm." Xie Ling was used to Lian Yi's somewhat unpredictable nature. She nodded politely to the three people by the barbecue grill to say goodbye, and then followed Lian Yi, who had already walked a few steps away.
"What's going on? Lian Yi actually made me..." Xiao Haiyang waved his hand in dissatisfaction, his handsome eyebrows flying upwards, and said angrily, "Why should I? That kid was even putting on an act, it's infuriating."
"Xiao Hai." Pei Tu'an sighed, but still walked to the barbecue grill with a smile on his face, turning over the skewers that were being licked by the charcoal fire.
"In the end, we also crossed some boundaries. No matter how anxious we were, we shouldn't have gone directly to Xie Ling, especially after saying those things to him."
Xiao Haiyang was still unconvinced and turned his face to the side, "But you can't do it like this, it makes it seem like I'm the one who's bowing down in front of him."
“We’re not children anymore. There are some things we still need to follow in interpersonal relationships. He’s ultimately an outsider, not someone we know as well as we do,” Gu Xin said with a smile.
Pei Tu'an, with a cigarette between his fingers, narrowed his eyes as he gathered all the skewers of grilled meat from the smoky atmosphere and placed them on his plate.
"Even if you're anxious, there should be a limit. Have you forgotten what we said before? We didn't want him to think that the friends Lian Yi makes are so domineering and unreasonable. Alright, it's not a big deal, why are you getting angry?"
Xiao Haiyang fell silent. Actually, he understood the reasoning behind their words, but the feeling of his good friends protecting others always left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He thought for a moment, then looked at the two of them, "So if this happens again in the future, you won't stand up for Lian Yi?"
Pei Tu'an was smelling the scent of cooking oil mixed with perfume on his body with some disgust when he heard this. He looked at him in surprise and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"How could that be?"
"Xiao Hai, you're the one who got scolded this time, not us. Why should we learn from this?"
"..."
"???"
It wasn't until this moment that Xiao Haiyang suddenly realized that although the three of them had done it together, why was he the only one taking the blame?!
...
"I only found out later that Xiaohai and the others had gone to look for you."
Lian Yi occasionally nibbled on a piece of fragrant grilled squid from Xie Ling's plate. She led Xie Ling across the lively lawn, where people greeted her one after another, and many curious glances fell on Xie Ling's face.
She only responded occasionally, and in between, she continued to say to Xie Ling, "You don't need to take what they say to heart."
"Yes, I won't mind," Xie Ling said calmly. "Besides, they only did it because they care about you."
"Xie Ling." She suddenly called out his name.
Xie Ling looked at her questioningly, "What's wrong?"
"Have you noticed that these past few days, you seem to have become more and more understanding... gentle and kind... virtuous and gentle?!"
Lian Yi met his gaze with eyes that seemed to sparkle like stars, her smile sly. She deliberately dragged out each word, as if afraid others wouldn't understand her mischievous and teasing thoughts.
"..."
Xie Ling's ears burned slightly, but her voice was completely different—cold and resolute—"No."
The two had already reached the edge of the temporary open-air barbecue area. Lian Yi gestured to the waiter waiting in the corner towards the long table not far away. The waiter nodded slightly and then walked away.
Lian Yi led him toward the long table.
The table was set with various foods, bottles of wine of all kinds, both expensive and cheap, and a tray filled with glasses of different types of liquor that had not been taken away.
She leaned against the long table, then took a slice of melon and ate it.
While eating, they watched the lively scene over there; these people really know how to have fun.
Just then, a 'ladies' man appeared, pulled out a guitar from somewhere, and started jokingly playing and singing, "Under the bridge in front of the door, a flock of ducks swam by."
Lian Yi only liked watching the excitement, but never participated in it.
At this moment, the atmosphere in their place was so quiet that it seemed to be a completely different world from the other side.
Xie Ling initially regretted that she might have spoken too coldly, which might have upset Lian Yi and caused her to remain silent.
But as I stood by her side, quietly watching the commotion on the other side.
Unbeknownst to Xie Ling, his turbulent thoughts had gradually calmed down, and his gaze had already shifted to the girl beside him.
The cold wind seemed to stir here, playfully lifting a few strands of her hair and occasionally brushing against her fair cheeks.
Lian Yi's eyes are always bright and spirited, like stars that never dim or go out.
Looking at her bright profile with a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth, Xie Ling was somewhat lost in thought when he realized that Lian Yi was inexplicably lonely.
That's a very strange idea.
Surrounded by such a lively party, surrounded by friends she knew, he still had this feeling.
"Three minutes and twenty seconds."
In her line of sight, Xie Ling saw her rosy lips move as she briefly mentioned a time.
He snapped out of his daze and instinctively looked straight ahead.
He paused for a moment, then asked softly, "What?"
“From the moment we started standing here until just now, you’ve been secretly watching me for three minutes and twenty seconds. I didn’t miscount.”
Lian Yi's eyes curved into crescents, her smile full of the pleasure of catching his little tricks, and she looked very proud of herself.
It's hard to say whether it was the bright moonlight or the exceptional lighting equipment in the manor.
Xie Ling simply looked at her like that, and Lian Yi's face came into view, as if reflecting the light, as flamboyant and bright as ever, while her slightly upturned eyes were full of smugness.
In such an ordinary moment, or perhaps something unusual because he was caught.
It seems that he has also captured a creature that has been hiding in his heart all this time.
"..."
Seeing Xie Ling's aloof and expressionless demeanor, Lian Yi snorted in boredom.
She sighed indifferently, tossed her hair, and said, "Since you're my temporary boyfriend, I'll let you look."
As expected, they all ended up turning against each other. He held firm to his bottom line. It would be a shame if Xie Ling didn't open a men's virtue academy.
Xie Ling opened her mouth, as if to say something.
However, the waiter arrived just in time, carrying a very exotic gold-plated jug.
After opening the package in front of Lian Yi and Xie Ling, I took apart the matching crystal cup and poured the clear liquid from the narrow-mouthed pot into the cup.
He then bent down slightly, handed the crystal glass, which was eight-tenths full, to Lian Yi, and then stepped back.
Lian Yi took a sip from her cup, her smile unchanged, as she watched the lively commotion on the other side.
"Xie Ling, how about we sort out our relationship?"
Past plans are clearly useless at this moment, and may even lead to things developing in a direction that Lian Yi would rather not see.
She knew all too well what kind of person Xie Ling was in the plot outline.
The man before me was vibrant, with an independent soul, yet he remained just as described in those words: calm, restrained, strong, and kind.
It makes sense, if he weren't this kind of person, he would have harbored resentment and bitterness towards the world long ago, after being hit by poverty and family hardship.
Furthermore, the fake heiress in the story wouldn't still feel grateful for his kindness after using him to gain fame, even if that kindness was impure from the beginning.
Although he was aware of this, he did not use it as a reason to take the opportunity to retaliate with a clear conscience.
What a resilient flower blooming on a high mountain!
Lian Yi's eyes showed emotion, and the corners of her mouth slightly raised.
She sipped her water and said slowly, "Whether it's today or the performance you're going to do for me, these things are all pushing your limits, aren't they?"
"To be honest, the money spent on your dad's medical treatment is just the difference between buying two fewer handbags for me."
"..."
Receiving no response, Lian Yi didn't mind and laughed, "I said we're friends, and you believed me. But Xie Ling, what kind of relationship can you have where you can just be friends with someone you like?"
The doubt on her face was very serious, and her gaze followed him as she tilted her head to look at him, meeting his calm eyes.
"I'm really curious when this debt of gratitude you're holding onto will finally wear off. When will you finally stop forcing yourself to lie to yourself, and stop being with someone whose intentions towards you aren't entirely pure—"
"Be friends."
Her words, spoken in a low, deep voice, were still clear and melodious, like pearls rolling gently into Xie Ling's heart.
At this moment, Lian Yi looked much 'colder' than usual.
Like a kitten that has been drenched, it licks its fur arrogantly, its meows still carrying a haughty air, yet it looks rather pitiful no matter how you look at it.
Xie Ling glanced at the crystal glass she was holding; most of the liquid inside had already disappeared.
He suddenly felt a lump in his throat, and an indescribable emotion swirled in his chest, almost so intense that it seemed to want to break free, yet he couldn't break free of the shackles on his throat.
Xie Ling closed her eyes, never having experienced such hesitation that she couldn't even organize her thoughts properly.
Lian Yi got drunk.
Perhaps only in this way would she be so determined to get an answer.
The emotion of 'liking' was somewhat foreign to Xie Ling; he had never imagined that he would like someone.
However, at this moment, when faced with Lian Yi's words, it seemed that the fog that had troubled him for so long finally dissipated.
But it was at this moment that Xie Ling began to have thoughts of backing down.
What right does he have to like Lian Yi?
As this rhetorical question echoed softly in her mind, Xie Ling almost simultaneously provided numerous answers to it.
Regardless of the difference in their family backgrounds, or his indifference and hurt towards Lian Yi along the way, he felt a faint stinging pain in his heart just by thinking about it.
Okay, I understand.
In my line of sight, Lian Yi smiled with a relaxed expression.
"Pretend I never said or asked what I just said. Don't worry, I'll say it again: once you've helped me with this, everything between us will be wiped clean, OK?"
Lian Yi certainly didn't expect Xie Lingzhen to give her a heartfelt answer, and she noticed that he still had that aloof and distant demeanor.
Thinking that the precarious early retirement plan had been saved, he felt even better, and his smile widened.
Just as she was about to lower her head and finish the last bit of water in her glass, a slender finger suddenly reached out and covered the rim of the glass. It was so sudden that it almost touched her.
"What are you doing?" Lian Yi looked at him, puzzled, and then at his hand pressing on the rim of the cup.
The back of his hands, with their pale skin, appeared slender and bony, with faint blue veins and blood vessels arranged in a beautiful way.
Lian Yi swore that she only glanced at it before she had the self-control to look away.
Then, the hand holding the crystal glass felt a force pulling it away.
Xie Ling remained silent, her thin lips pressed tightly together. Her eyes, hidden beneath her black hair, were as dark as ink jade, and her emotions were obscured by her thick eyelashes.
He paused for a moment, then placed the cup on the table.
He then picked up one of the mixed-color glasses of wine on the tray, tilted his head back without hesitation, and drank it all in one gulp.
Xie Ling's long neck bobbed slightly as he swallowed, enduring the sensory stimulation of the wine in his glass. Only when no more liquid flowed into his mouth did he lean on the table to put the glass down.
Lian Yi didn't come to her senses until she heard the sound of the bottom of the glass hitting the table. She looked at Xie Ling in surprise, not understanding why he had suddenly gulped down a glass of wine.
Even if you're thirsty, you shouldn't be like this.
"You can only say what you want to say after you've had a drink."
Xie Ling felt a burning sensation in his chest, as if it were burning all the way to his stomach. He completely forgot that he was holding onto the table, and his posture lost its usual upright and elegant appearance, leaning slightly against the table.
"So..." He admitted that until the very last moment he was still filled with all sorts of thoughts, like a cowardly man, not daring to respond, not daring to look directly into her bright and dazzling eyes.
I didn't dare tell her that her eyes were beautiful.
He's always so self-righteous.
I didn't dare tell her that she was adorable, and perhaps a little annoying at times, but her actions, her words, her expressions, every smile and frown...
It was a vibrant and bright scene that Xie Ling had never seen before in her life, which was characterized by clear goals and steady progress.
So please forgive him.
Only with the help of alcohol could I impulsively say all this.
Lian Yi blinked, listening to him mumble incoherently after the word "so".
She glanced at the crystal glass, then at the wine Xie Ling had finished drinking, and finally at his face, which was flushed and made him look exceptionally handsome.
Although Xie Ling was clearly drunk, and quite drunk at that, she couldn't help but mutter, "With such a low alcohol tolerance, she still dared to drink the bunch of drinks they specially mixed as punishment."
"Besides, I'm drinking mineral water."
"Eh—"
The boy was tall and slender, more than a head taller than Lian Yi. He pursed his lips, his brows furrowed as if he was not used to the effects of the alcohol.
His clear, black-and-white eyes were no longer calm and aloof; they were wet and he stared at her, slightly lost in thought.
Then he swayed and was about to fall onto Lian Yi.
"hiss……"
Lian Yi had no idea what kind of absurd development this was, but the situation didn't allow her time to figure out why Xie Ling had suddenly finished a glass of wine.
She reached out and braced herself against Xie Ling's slightly forward-leaning body. As she felt his youthful and energetic physique in her palms, she clicked her tongue twice.
He immediately straightened his expression and turned to glance in the direction of the waiter.
Where are they?!
Lian Yi struggled to support Xie Ling. Fortunately, although he couldn't hold his liquor and would pass out after a few drinks, he was still quite well-behaved when drunk. Apart from looking dizzy, he was very quiet.
"You..." Lian Yi's cheeks flushed slightly from the strain, and unable to bear it any longer, she turned around and shouted at the other end.
"Someone, please lend a hand!"
She wanted to just let it go without a second thought, but if someone accidentally bumped their head and got hurt, where would she find a handsome guy with that kind of physique to fill in the story?
Less than ten meters away from them, there were naturally people laughing, joking, and chatting.
This distance didn't prevent them from hearing Lian Yi's voice; it was just that it was noisy in both their left and right ears. Several people's attention was drawn to Lian Yi's voice, and they didn't hear what she was saying, so they all looked puzzled.
Upon closer inspection, wow, what a sight!
"They're already hugging?!"
"Ahem, let's not bother them."
"Let's go grill something to eat."
"Seriously, whoever invented starch sausage, it's really delicious grilled..."
With knowing smiles on their faces, the group couldn't help but toast the tactful gesture as they walked.
Honestly, where can Lianyi find such capable and sensible friends?
Lian Yi, supporting Xie Ling, caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye that the group of people had not only seen her but were also laughing smugly as they quickly turned and left. She couldn't help but close her eyes briefly.
She didn't expect these people to be of any use, but she didn't expect them to be of no use at all!
"...Lian Yi".
Before him, the boy's slightly deep yet clear voice rang out softly, like a drunken murmur, or a relaxed sigh after a burden had been lifted.
While she was still in a daze, her hands, which were supporting the other person's chest, were suddenly grabbed by his raised hand.
Before Lian Yi could even open her eyes wide, she was pulled into his arms by a force.
There was no smell of alcohol in his embrace, only a faint, dry, and warm scent.
"No, Xie Ling, you..." Even though she knew there was no point in reasoning with a drunk person, Lian Yi still didn't want him to do something he would regret later while he wasn't fully conscious.
The hand pressing between the two of them tightened slightly, and Lian Yi became increasingly impatient.
She wouldn't mind playing around with Xie Ling, provided he's sober. Even if he's unwilling, there's still a certain charm to it, isn't there?
She's not really without any moral boundaries, so why would she engage in drunken promiscuity?
After trying but still unable to break free, Lian Yi became furious and raised her foot to slap his shin.
Suddenly, I heard his deep, cold sigh in my ear.
"……sorry."
"?"
Lian Yi looked up, and he was still looking at her, his eyes wet and lost in thought.
"Lian Yi?"
Beyond the lawn behind Xie Ling was a fork in the road.
From there came a voice, young yet mature, tinged with doubt and hesitation.
Then, that slightly deep voice rang out again, and when it reached Lian Yi's ears, it was the familiar seriousness and coldness.
"What are you doing?"
Even though she couldn't see what was happening behind Xie Ling.
But in Lianyi's mind, a face that always frowned seriously at her, but ultimately looked helpless, had already surfaced.
Almost reflexively, Lian Yi unconsciously gripped Xie Ling's chest harder with her hand.
He then let out a low groan.
"..."
Why? Lian Yi gritted her teeth slightly and bumped her forehead against him.
At this time, the way it's being called out is so suggestive.
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