Lin Xitang made the call, and the group headed to a nearby bar.
Membership only.
After registering their information, Zhou Che led everyone inside. “Wife, keep an eye on our little girl and don’t let her drink.”
Lin Xitang gave him a look of exasperation. As if she didn’t already know.
The place was crowded, bathed in soft, ambiguous lighting that stirred a faint sense of discomfort. Xu Zhizhi’s social anxiety flared up again.
Even with Lin Xitang and Zhou Che around, it didn’t help. She stuffed her hands into her pockets, head bowed, watching Lin Xitang’s heels. When they stopped, she’d stop.
Lin Xitang: “…!!!”
He Conglan burst out laughing at this. “Seriously, are you two babysitting?”
Zhou Che chuckled lazily. “You want in?”
He Conglan: “I’m still young.”
He scratched his head sheepishly, a bit embarrassed. “Well, if I were to look after her, wouldn’t that be like babysitting too? Would she even agree?”
Zhou Che and Lin Xitang stopped in their tracks, giving him a strange look. After a few seconds, Zhou Che smirked. “I meant, you and her being siblings—brother and sister or whatever.”
What kind of dream was he having?
He Conglan: “…”
Xu Zhizhi: “…”
She strongly objected. She absolutely did not want to be “sisters” with a guy who had gynecological issues… wait, not sisters—siblings. That would just make everyone think she was out of her mind.
No way! ′~
The troublemaking junior had stormed off in tears at the restaurant entrance, her lackey dutifully hailing a taxi to chase after her. The remaining people weren’t particularly close to Lin Xitang, but they were well-behaved and didn’t cause any more trouble.
The bar’s owner had originally intended to open a lounge, but it ended up too quiet for his taste. So, he installed a large stage and hired a band to perform.
Thus, the group sat on the sofa, ordering drinks while listening to the chaotic mix of pipa, guitar, and other instruments.
So noisy. Xu Zhizhi silently reached up, tugged her hat down to cover her ears completely, and peacefully began organizing the plotlines of her novel in her mind.
Lin Xitang rubbed her ears. “This bar won’t last long. You should get a refund for your membership card while you can.”
Zhou Che: “…”
He leaned closer to Lin Xitang. “Can’t refund it. He Qinrui owns it.”
He Qinrui, Zhou Che’s cousin, was a rebellious playboy who changed his hair color ten times a month. In high school, after getting a direct admission offer and skipping the college entrance exams, he dyed his hair traffic light red and green, earning him a beating from his father that finally calmed him down a bit.
Simple-minded, he loved clubbing and frequenting high-end clubs, always surrounded by beautiful women.
He was genuinely wealthy—his family were oil tycoons, and he himself was capable. Almost every notable entertainment venue in Shengjing was under his name.
Lin Xitang didn’t know much about him but was more concerned about her boyfriend’s finances. “How much did you top up?”
Zhou Che held up five fingers.
“Fifty thousand?”
“Five million.”
“…” Lin Xitang’s eyes rolled back, nearly fainting. “Did he use the money from you guys topping up to open this bar?”
Zhou Che smiled. “My ‘wife fund’ is still intact. It’s all yours.”
“…” That wasn’t what she meant.
By the time they finished talking, the drinks had been ordered. Lin Xitang asked for a juice for Xu Zhizhi, but the latter had curled up alone in a corner, drowsy and unresponsive even to the unbearably awful music.
“There’s a private lounge. Why don’t you take our girl there?”
Lin Xitang: “Besides her own doghouse, have you ever seen her sleep anywhere else?”
The big bed at home was just for show.
Even the sofa—if it weren’t for the few friends who occasionally came over to sit and chat—Xu Zhizhi wouldn’t have bothered removing the plastic packaging film.
“She’s not asleep; she’s definitely lost in some heart-wrenching, gut-twisting novel plot again,” Lin Xitang wondered aloud. “Are her fans made of iron or something?”
Zhou Che shrugged. Who knew?
The group played cards for a while until Zhou Che’s parents called via video. The two excused themselves to a quiet private room to take the call.
With fewer players, the card game paused. He Conglan swirled his glass, feeling somewhat bored.
“Senior, how about we play Truth or Dare?” The girl speaking was He Conglan’s direct junior, who had liked him for a long time and planned to stir up some romantic tension today.
He Conglan, carefree by nature, pulled out two decks of Truth or Dare cards from the table. “Which version—mild or wild?”
The mild version could be called ‘pure romance,’ while the wild one leaned more toward ‘spicy’ themes.
But nothing crossed the line.
The junior smiled coyly. “What’s the fun in playing the mild version, Senior?”
He Conglan nodded. “How should we play—singing or spinning the bottle?”
A younger male student chimed in, “Let’s spin the bottle for something fast-paced.”
Someone tugged at Xu Zhizhi. “Hey, little sister, don’t sleep. Join the game!”
“Yeah, yeah, what’s the point of not drinking or playing cards? Come on, let’s get that Blue Ocean cocktail for the little sister.”
Amid the lively clamor, Xu Zhizhi looked around in confusion. Lin Xitang and Zhou Che were nowhere in sight, and panic began to set in.
Unaware of her social anxiety, He Conglan thought she was just tired. “It’s only 8:30, little sister. Don’t sleep—join us!”
Under Xu Zhizhi’s slightly dazed and terrified expression, the game began.
The first turn landed on a girl sitting beside her. Without hesitation, she chose Dare, drew a card, and was penalized with three drinks.
She raised her Long Island Iced Tea. “Let’s have fun~”
Three glasses in a row, downed without blinking. After finishing, she sat back down. “Next!”
“Impressive drinking skills, junior,” He Conglan remarked with admiration.
The bottle spun again, and Xu Zhizhi grew increasingly anxious.
She wanted to leave, but at some point, another girl had sat down on her right, firmly blocking her escape route.
He Conglan grinned mischievously. “Hey, it’s Little Sister Xu! What’ll it be—Truth or Dare?”
Xu Zhizhi stiffly looked up at him, but He Conglan missed the ‘help me’ plea in her eyes.
“Dare! Truth is boring,” the girl on Xu Zhizhi’s right declared.
Fair enough—they were all strangers. She had only come because of Zhou Che and Lin Xitang.
No one knew each other well.
The previous round’s loser randomly drew five cards, placing them face down in front of Xu Zhizhi for her to choose.
Xu Zhizhi froze for several seconds, torn between fleeing or hiding under the sofa like a turtle. Trembling slightly, she drew the last card.
[Obtain the contact information of an unfamiliar male present.]
Below, in tiny font, it added: [Player must complete the task within ten minutes.]
Since it specified an unfamiliar male, the only two men at their table were automatically disqualified. Not wanting to bully her, He Conglan glanced around and suddenly spotted a pink-haired guy.
Well, well—an acquaintance.
He pointed. “Little Sister Xu, see the table with the pink-haired guy? They’re easygoing.”
The girl on the right tactfully moved aside. Xu Zhizhi stiffly stood up, stiffly looked at him, and stiffly turned toward that table.
The pink-haired guy was He Qinrui, Zhou Che’s cousin. He Conglan knew him and assumed Xu Zhizhi did too.
He Conglan, who still believed he had gone easy on her, stroked his chin—another good deed done.
Xu Zhizhi stiffly walked to the booth in the farthest corner. The pink-haired man glanced at her in confusion. “Here to hit on me? Sorry, I’m not interested in high school twigs.”
Xu Zhizhi’s fingers trembled slightly.
Out of anger.
The pink-haired man: “……”
Her face was frighteningly pale. Thinking she was heartbroken from the rejection, he didn’t expect Xu Zhizhi to lose her balance as she turned and stumble straight toward him.
Pink-haired man: Kids these days just don’t learn—still pulling that old falling trick.