Chapter 52
The black car sped along the road, with the flickering street lights casting shadows on the car windows. Some of the light faintly illuminated Ji Ting’s face on the back of the seat. She was leaning against Tan Yucheng’s arm, with fine strands of hair falling by her cheek. The dress she wore tonight was very fitted, and even though she was leaning against him, the shoulder strap remained securely on her shoulder.
The strap was thin, and her neck and collarbone glowed white, with a subtle sparkle on her skin.
Tan Yucheng rested his elbow on the armrest, tilting his head down to look at the woman beside him.
Ji Ting was very tired and a bit dizzy, instinctively leaning against Tan Yucheng. They arrived at the Zhuoyue underground parking garage, where the black car stopped at the parking spot by the stairs. After the designated driver got out and rode away on an electric scooter, Tan Yucheng got out of the car, bent down to pick up Ji Ting, and walked into the elevator with long strides.
In the late night, the elevator was very quiet.
The lighting was brighter than in the car, brighter than in the bar, and brighter than the long flight of stairs, casting light on Ji Ting’s face. She slightly opened her eyes but hadn’t yet been touched by the brightness. Tan Yucheng carried her out of the elevator, and the dimly lit corridor was peaceful and quiet.
At her door, Tan Yucheng opened it with one hand, so Ji Ting didn’t need to do it herself.
In the winter, the room was filled with incense and tightly shut windows. The room was heated, and once the door was closed, Tan Yucheng carried Ji Ting to the sofa. Her sofa had been replaced with a warm yellow cover for the winter, making it look even more comfortable.
After placing her down,
Tan Yucheng felt a bit warm. He unbuttoned his collar, rolled up his sleeves, and went to the table to pour some water. He drank a glass first, then poured another and walked back, placing the glass with a straw beside him on the sofa edge. He sat down, holding the glass on his knee, and looked at the woman on the sofa.
The effects of the alcohol she had earlier were just beginning.
Tan Yucheng took out the straw and placed it by her lips. Ji Ting turned her body, bit the straw, and started drinking. She was indeed feeling hot, a real combination of dizziness and warmth, but the heat seemed to be coming from within her body rather than just the dress she was wearing. She drank a lot of water in one go, and Tan Yucheng placed the half-full glass back on the coffee table.
Ji Ting turned over, raising her hand to shield her forehead. She felt drowsy and wanted to sleep but was still too hot.
Tan Yucheng methodically removed his watch, the light overhead illuminating his brows and eyes. Ji Ting, hazy and confused, saw the tall man sitting at the edge of the sofa.
After taking off his watch, Tan Yucheng casually placed it on the coffee table.
Ji Ting was feeling very hot and opened her eyes.
Tan Yucheng, having finished with his watch, supported himself on the sofa and leaned down over her. His eyes were deep, and he asked, “Is it very hot?”
Ji Ting met his gaze and unconsciously nodded.
“It’ll be cooler soon.”
As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed her lips. Ji Ting was stunned for a moment, but before any other thoughts could form, her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. Tan Yucheng held her slender waist, sucked on her lips, and his tongue probed inside, locking her in his embrace with a dominant posture. Ji Ting had to tilt her head back, and the deep kiss lasted a long time.
When he pulled away, Ji Ting was still disoriented and dazed. Tan Yucheng nipped at her lip again before moving down to kiss her neck, from left to right. He supported himself on his shoulder, bit her shoulder strap, and then lifted his gaze to her ear, whispering softly, “Shall we help each other tonight?”
Ji Ting understood.
Her fingertips instinctively gripped his collar.
Tan Yucheng raised his body, staring into her eyes, which were filled with a watery and confused look. Without waiting for her response, he lowered his head again, sealing her lips with a deeper kiss. Ji Ting’s voice escaped from her throat, and as she bent her knees, her skirt slid up to her thighs. Tan Yucheng’s hand rested on her thigh.
He kissed her even more deeply.
The fragmented light from above spilled over the two of them on the sofa.
Both phones on the coffee table lit up, each with an incoming call, vibrating and making a rattling noise on the table. The two people on the sofa did not pay any attention. Ji Ting was too dazed to notice, barely able to hear anything. Tan Yucheng’s kiss moved gradually downward, leaving marks on her legs.
His collar was open, with water droplets sliding down in a winding path.
The effects of the alcohol were taking hold.
Ji Ting remained dazed, as if she were submerged in a sponge, with everything around her reduced to sensory experiences. Whether it was the cooling sensation or the slight tremors in her body, everything felt exceptionally soft. She seemed to be sitting on the carpet, elegant and beautiful, her head tilted back while he bent down to kiss her, seemingly leaning against the armrest of the sofa as he descended upon her.
She clutched his collar.
He smiled and lifted his head, kissing her lips before shifting to her fingertips.
The night deepened.
The only sound in the room was the faint mist rising from the humidifier. Ji Ting, now in clean and comfortable pajamas, was placed on the soft bed. Her skin was flushed, the effects of the alcohol still present but less intense than at the start. The comforter warmed up quickly. Tan Yucheng, with his shirt casually put on and somewhat messy, tidied up the living room, especially the mess on the sofa.
He removed the bedding and took it to the balcony where the washer-dryer combination cleaned and dried it. Afterward, he hung it up to air out.
Returning to the sofa, he poured himself a glass of water, sat down, and leaned back.
Until morning.
When daylight broke, Tan Yucheng got up, took his phone and car keys, and went outside. His phone vibrated as he was leaving, with a call from Long Kong.
He answered it.
Long Kong immediately said, “Thank goodness, someone finally answered the phone.”
Tan Yucheng, with a hoarse voice, lit a cigarette by the door and asked, “What’s up?”
“That drink Ji Ting had last night was something else. Is she okay? Did she show any other signs after you brought her home, or did she just go straight to sleep?”
Tan Yucheng closed the door behind him, speaking softly, “She went straight to sleep.”
Long Kong replied, “That’s good.”
Tan Yucheng walked to the elevator, smoking a cigarette, and waited for the elevator to arrive. “Nothing’s wrong, I’m hanging up.”
“Alright,” Long Kong said, knowing he was heading to the office.
He ended the call promptly.
Tan Yucheng put down his phone just as the elevator arrived and the doors opened. He had a bit of cigarette left, so he looked down and extinguished it. There were two women in the elevator who had initially been about to close the doors as no one was entering. However, when they looked up, they saw the man putting out his cigarette. His collar was slightly open in the morning, revealing a scratch on his neck that looked like a tattoo.
He had a relaxed demeanor, with striking features, broad shoulders, and long legs.
One of the women instinctively pressed the open door button.
Tan Yucheng extinguished his cigarette and walked into the elevator. After a full night, he was still relatively refreshed. In the elevator, the two women continued to look at him while he lazily replied to messages until they reached the underground parking garage.
Ji Ting hadn’t slept so deeply and completely in a long time. Since her phone was in the living room and on vibrate mode, and the alarm didn’t ring, she slept straight through to afternoon.
When Ji Ting woke up, the room was silent and pitch dark. She reached out from the covers, grabbed the smart clock to check the time after confirming it, and then put it back, she returned her hand to the soft pillow.
She lay quietly for a few seconds.
The events of last night, which felt like they happened in a daze, replayed in her mind: the slipping strap, the tilted neck, and the man’s burning hands and lips.
Ji Ting buried her face in the pillow. Physically, she was always irresistibly attracted to him, not to mention his wildness in such moments.
But mentally, Ji Ting was still frustrated. Over the past six months, it seemed like she had a poor reaction to alcohol. Though she used to get drunk sometimes, especially with mixed drinks, it was never this extreme.
Yet, after drinking that glass of alcohol last night, her initial rationality had turned into mere physical instinct. Even though she knew she shouldn’t let this person touch her, she still nodded in agreement.
The phrase “drunken mistakes” was not just a saying.
Ji Ting hid under the covers and closed her eyes.
For a long time.
She had just gotten out of bed, her soft nightgown hanging loosely. Feeling a bit unsteady, Ji Ting put on a jacket and opened the door, expecting to see a messy living room. To her surprise, the living room was tidy. The smart vacuum cleaner had cleaned up the mess on the carpet, and the sofa had been covered with a beige slipcover.
The coffee table was also neat, with only her phone and a book on it.
Her dress from last night was tossed into the laundry basket.
Everything seemed as if nothing had happened, yet there were subtle signs, like the yellow slipcover that had been freshly dried but wasn’t put back on the sofa.
Her phone vibrated at that moment.
Ji Ting walked over, picked up the phone, and saw that it was Long Kong calling.
She answered, “Hello.”
Long Kong’s clear voice came through, “Tingting, you’re awake?”
Ji Ting replied, sitting down on the sofa and rubbing her slightly aching forehead, “Just woke up.”
“How did you sleep?”
“Alright.”
“You worried me last night. I kept calling you, but you didn’t answer.”
Ji Ting’s ears turned slightly red.
Long Kong continued, “The drink you had last night wasn’t just any drink. The singer said it was for a special effect, so I asked the bartender to make something really strong. I didn’t think about it until later that you had mixed it with other drinks. I was worried about how you spent the night…”
Ji Ting paused for a moment and asked, “Was there something wrong with the drink?”
“Huh?” Long Kong was startled for a second, then quickly realized her concern. He responded, “There’s nothing else wrong, it was just very strong and exceeded your usual tolerance.”
Hearing this, Ji Ting relaxed a bit, “It indeed was too strong.”
Long Kong thought for a moment and said, “We need to be more careful with alcohol next time. Tingting, don’t drink other people’s drinks casually.”
Ji Ting responded, “I won’t do it again.”
“That’s good. Have you had lunch? Would you like to go out to eat together?” Long Kong seized the opportunity to invite her. Ji Ting thought for a moment and said, “No, I don’t feel like moving. I might just go to the store later.”
“Alright, if you’re tired, just rest at home.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Ji Ting noticed that Long Kong had called several times last night. There was also a call from Shu Xiao and one from Yu Xi, but Yu Xi later switched to sending a WeChat message.
Yu Xi: Tingting, send a message when you wake up.
Ji Ting replied: I’m awake.
Yu Xi might have been busy and didn’t respond.
Ji Ting also saw eight new friend requests in her contacts, mostly from classmates at the party last night, mostly males. She had only added a few classmates from the group earlier, not many others.
Names like Asang and Jiang Li were among them.
She thought about it and decided to accept them.
Then she went to freshen up, brushed her teeth, changed clothes, and went downstairs. The sun was shining and the weather was nice. As Ji Ting reached the door, a delivery person approached with lunch from a nearby restaurant and said, “Ji Ting, you have delivery.”
Ji Ting glanced at it, and the delivery person said, “From Long Kong.”
Ji Ting paused for a moment, took the delivery, and just then, a black SUV stopped in front. The front passenger door opened, and Chen Fei got out carrying a hotel meal, walking over and calling, “Sister Ting.”
Ji Ting turned her head upon hearing the voice and immediately made eye contact with Tan Yucheng, who was driving. He had his arm resting on the car window, his posture relaxed, and turned to look at her.
For a moment, their gazes locked in mid-air. Ji Ting bit her lip and met Chen Fei’s smiling face.
Chen Fei handed her a package, saying, “For the company event, I brought you a portion. Brother Tan ordered porridge for you.”
Ji Ting paused.
After handing her the package, Chen Fei said, “I’m leaving now. Make sure to drink it while it’s hot.”
Ji Ting looked up and began to say, “I have…”
Before she could finish, Chen Fei waved and left. Ji Ting, feeling helpless, decided to carry both packages. Chen Fei, halfway out, turned back and looked at the other package in her hand, asking, “Who’s this one from?”
Ji Ting was about to answer when Chen Fei quickly said, “Oh, it’s from Long Kong.”
With that, he left.
Ji Ting felt even more helpless.
As if in a hurry, she watched as Chen Fei got into the passenger seat, she turned and went into the store. The car window behind her slowly closed as she entered. Chen Fei, fastening his seatbelt and looking at the starting car, said, “Sister Ting still has a meal in her hand, which Long Kong sent.”
Tan Yucheng rested his chin on his hand. “Is that so?”
The veins on his broad hand were visibly tense.
He asked, “Which restaurant?”
“Seems like Xi’s Food,” Chen Fei replied, looking at Tan Yucheng.
Tan Yucheng, after hearing this, responded calmly, “She doesn’t like it.”
Chen Fei was taken aback.
Then he quickly said, “You should have said earlier. I would have grabbed it and eaten it. Right, Brother Tan?”
Tan Yucheng glanced at him, said nothing, and turned the steering wheel. The black SUV merged into the traffic. Chen Fei, sensing he was about 70% sure, immediately regretted not grabbing the other package earlier, leaving Ji Ting with only one meal.
Xi’s Food is a restaurant that has become popular in recent years, with several chains opened in Li City, but the main store is near Zhuoyue. Its specialty is crispy fish, which used to require a queue to buy. Ji Ting had tried it once and found it too oily, though it was flavorful. Long Kong had ordered the crispy fish, along with a portion of steamed vegetables, eggs, and braised chicken legs.
Ji Ting took a picture of Long Kong’s meal and sent it to him.
Ji Ting: Why did you suddenly order food?
Long Kong: I was worried you might be hungry.
Ji Ting smiled: Okay, thanks.
Ji Ting unpacked the meal. Xiao Wan and the others, smelling the delicious food, immediately went for the crispy fish.
Under normal circumstances, Ji Ting might have eaten more, but the effects of the alcohol still lingered, leaving her feeling somewhat drained. Xiao Zhou unpacked the other portion that Chen Fei had brought, which included porridge, shrimp, vegetables, and a serving of bird’s nest soup—all light and mild. Xiao Zhou saw the bird’s nest and handed it to Ji Ting, saying, “Brother Tan must have thought you’d feel uncomfortable after drinking last night and specially ordered this for you.”
Ji Ting responded with an “Mm.”
She asked Xiao Wan and the others to help her finish the food.
She had the porridge, shrimp, and vegetables herself.
In the afternoon, the store needed to take inventory. Ji Ting washed her face and went to the warehouse. Nearby companies would start their holidays soon. The Sunset holiday would be slightly delayed, but it would happen. Xiao Zhou and the others could extend their holidays if needed. Ji Ting was flexible about this and had many part-time contacts to fill in shifts.
After spending two hours in the warehouse, Xiao Wan went to knock on the door, calling Ji Ting out. Ji Ting, holding a tablet, walked out, and Xiao Wan, smiling, pointed to the spot by the window.
Ji Ting looked up and saw Long Kong, Asang, and Jiang Li. Long Kong, smiling, asked, “Busy?”
Ji Ting came back to her senses and smiled, “You came so suddenly?”
Asang, whose real name is Ah Sang, with a single character surname, is of mixed ethnicity as his mother is from a minority group married to someone from Nan’an, so he has more defined features. He smiled and said, “We’re leaving tomorrow, just came over for a coffee.”
Jiang Li also chuckled.
Ji Ting nodded and asked, “What would you like to drink? I’ll make it.”
They each made their choices.
Ji Ting nodded, placed the tablet on the counter, and went to make the coffee. Today she was wearing a sweater and jeans, simple and plain. She looked less glamorous than last night, but her natural beauty was even more pleasant. While they chatted and watched her work, the door opened, and Chen Fei walked in.
He approached the counter and said, “Sister Ting, I need four cups of coffee to go.”
Ji Ting had just finished making one cup and turned around.
She saw Chen Fei’s smiling face. Chen Fei leaned against the counter, winking. Ji Ting paused and asked, “Why did you come to pick it up yourself today?”
Chen Fei pointed to the desk and said, “I’m in the tea room upstairs, discussing something. Since it’s nearby, I came to get it myself.”
Ji Ting nodded and asked Xiao Wan to come in and help.
Xiao Wan responded with an “Oh” and rushed in to help make the four cups of coffee for Chen Fei.
Chen Fei, feeling bored, turned his head and saw Long Kong, who had just come out of the bathroom. Long Kong was surprised for a moment, then smiled and waved. Chen Fei was also momentarily surprised, then smiled and greeted him.
He glanced at the other two men and understood that Long Kong and his companions were having coffee here.
He raised his eyebrows.
After a while, Ji Ting brought three cups of coffee over to Long Kong, and Xiao Wan quickly packed up the coffee for Chen Fei. Chen Fei took the coffees, greeted Long Kong, and left Sunset.
Upstairs.
In the tea room.
Tan Yucheng was making tea while listening to the client across from him. He was dressed in a suit, with a faint scratch mark on the edge of his collar—it’s not very clear but visible.
Chen Fei took out the coffee and distributed it to the four people who were not drinking tea.
Then he sat down next to Tan Yucheng and said, “I just saw Long Kong and two other men in the shop. They seem to be Sister Ting’s classmates, having coffee in her shop.”