Mo Lin led them to a booth on the second floor, which offered a panoramic view of the entire first floor—the best vantage point in the whole bar. Waiters soon brought fruit platters and beer.
Fu Siqi pulled Su Luoyan to a seat and whispered to her, “Are all these old men so domineering?”
Su Luoyan: “…” The two “old men” Fu Siqi was referring to were standing right beside her, hearing every word.
Fu Siqi also felt the oppressive atmosphere around her and tried to cover it up by adding, “I meant the professors at our school.”
Mo Lin flexed his fingers, his eyes smiling as he looked at Fu Siqi. Fu Siqi felt a chill run down her spine from his smile and realized she had said the wrong thing. She was on the verge of tears.
She picked up a bottle of beer from the table. “Brother Lin, I was wrong. I’ll finish this bottle as an apology.”
Mo Lin took the beer from her hand. “Alright, I was just teasing you. Drink less.”
“Brother Lin, I understand. Now go away, I still have things to talk about with Yan Yan.”
The two men gave the space to the girls and moved to sit elsewhere.
Fu Siqi patted her fragile little heart. “He looks so gentle and refined, but when he smiles, it’s even scarier than when my Eldest Brother has a cold face.”
Su Luoyan saw through it but didn’t say anything. Only Fu Siqi couldn’t understand Mo Lin’s feelings. It seemed Mo Lin still had a long way to go.
“Let’s not talk about them. Yan Yan, let’s drink.”
Fu Siqi noticed cocktails on the table, beautifully colored like the night sky. She took a sip—it was sweet and tasted great.
She handed one to Su Luoyan. “Yan Yan, try this. It’s really good.”
“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Su Luoyan took a small sip. Just as Fu Siqi had said, it was sweet at first, followed by a sour and astringent taste of green plums, reminiscent of first love, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
“What kind of drink is this?”
“I don’t know. Let’s toast.”
“Cheers.”
With a “clink,” their glasses collided in the air, and happy smiles spread across their faces.
Although the drink was sweet, it had a high alcohol content. After two glasses, they began to feel drunk, and their behavior became different from usual.
Mo Lin glanced at the two girls and said to Fu Cheng Shen, “Aren’t you going to do something?”
Fu Cheng Shen looked at Su Luoyan, who was hugging Fu Siqi, the two sisters whispering about something he couldn’t make out.
“I’ll take Yan Er back first. Let’s meet up another day.”
Before leaving, Mo Lin patted Fu Cheng Shen on the shoulder and said sincerely, “Luoyan is a good girl. Don’t let her down. She’s been with you for so many years; it’s time to make plans.”
“The timing isn’t right yet.” With so many matters weighing on the Fu family, he didn’t dare risk her. He couldn’t afford to.
“Take care of Xiao Si for me.”
“I will,” Mo Lin replied.
As Fu Cheng Shen approached, he finally heard what the two girls were saying.
“Yan Yan, let me tell you, all the men out there are bad men.”
“Yes, they’re all bad men.”
“But my brother is a good man. Why don’t you become my sister-in-law?”
Su Luoyan was clearly drunk and shouted loudly, “Your brother is a bad man too, the worst of them all.”
With a despondent expression, she added, “I don’t understand him at all, not at all.”
Fu Cheng Shen walked over and called her name gently. “Yan Er, let’s go back, okay?”Su Luoyan stared at Fu Cheng Shen’s face, her gaze hazy. She pointed a finger at him, her beautiful brows furrowed into a knot, and said with a giggle, “You look so much like Fu Cheng Shen.”
She was clearly heavily drunk.
He bent down directly, one arm sliding behind Su Luoyan’s back to support her waist, the other slipping under her knees, preparing to lift her up.
But Fu Siqi grabbed his arm, refusing to let go.
“Fu Siqi, let go,” Fu Cheng Shen called out.
Years of muscle memory made Fu Siqi quickly release her grip. “Eldest Brother, I’m sorry.”
“Alright, take her away. This girl, Xiao Si, is quite a handful when she’s drunk,” Mo Lin said with a tone of annoyance, yet his face showed a hint of amusement.
The driver was already waiting by the car door. Fu Cheng Shen carried her into the back seat and then got in himself.
When drunk, Su Luoyan was clingier than usual. She sat in Fu Cheng Shen’s lap, arms wrapped around his neck. Her cheeks, already flushed with blush, turned even redder from the alcohol, her eyes dazed.
Fu Cheng Shen loosened his tie and tossed it aside, his eyes nearly blazing with intensity. Yet Su Luoyan remained unaware of the danger, her innocent, wide eyes shimmering.
“What’s this? So hard,” Su Luoyan mumbled naively.
The driver overheard her words and discreetly lowered the soundproof partition.
“Yan Er, touch it, will you?” Fu Cheng Shen’s voice was hoarse and low. “Yan Er, look at me.”
Su Luoyan obediently looked at him, docile and compliant. He captured her red lips in a kiss, their tongues entwining as he tasted the rich, mellow flavor of alcohol. He laid her down on the seat, positioning himself above her, kissing her passionately while one hand caressed her black stockings, slowly sliding them down.
The driver heard Fu Cheng Shen say, “Find a place to pull over, then go buy two packs of cigarettes.”
“Understood.”
Su Luoyan grew even dizzier from the kiss, only feeling a hand touching her in a way that brought pleasure, and she let out a soft moan.
“Yan Er, you brought this upon yourself.”