Shen Ningruo was once again being subtly and not-so-subtly pressured into marriage by her father, which gave her a headache.
Today, her father had attended a full moon celebration for a friend’s granddaughter. He sent a WeChat video showing the baby being held, its eyes full of curiosity about the world. It wasn’t crying or fussing and looked very cute.
Her father then sent a voice message: 【Ruoruo, I really want to hold a grandchild.】
He also sent another message: 【How are things going with you and Xiao Guo?】
“Xiao Guo” was Shen Ningruo’s ex-boyfriend, Guo Ming’an. Her father had seen them having dinner once before, which was how he knew about him.
How were things going with Guo Ming’an?
Heh, he was already married. How else could things be?
He was probably on his honeymoon right now.
Shen Ningruo hesitated for a long time, ultimately deciding not to tell her father the news. She would let him think she was still dating someone; otherwise, if he knew, he would just rush her to find a partner again.
Guo Ming’an had pursued Shen Ningruo for over half a year. He was handsome, his eyes seemed sincere, and his conditions were good in all aspects. After much consideration, Shen Ningruo finally accepted his pursuit, making him her second boyfriend.
But she hadn’t expected to be played.
Guo Ming’an had been engaged two years prior. His relationship with her was merely an attempt to have one more romance before getting married. Unfortunately, during their year together, the most he did was hold Shen Ningruo’s hand for a few seconds. Hugs and kisses were out of the question, completely impossible.
If Yao Yao hadn’t accidentally seen Guo Ming’an leaving a hotel with another woman, she might never have known any of this and would have remained in the dark.
But she found out, and she even took photos to confront Guo Ming’an.
He became furious, his excuse exactly the same as that guy in the white shirt from before, only more malicious. At the end, he even called her an “old virgin.”
Shen Ningruo didn’t get angry; she didn’t fall into his trap.
Her face was cold, showing no emotion. Then she stood up, splashed the bowl of salad in front of her at him, and uttered two words: “So dirty.”
She was referring to both his appearance and his character.
Guo Ming’an started cursing, but she tossed her hair back, walked away in her high heels, leaving only her back view.
There had been no contact since.
Thinking about all this gave Shen Ningruo a headache, and she felt like having a drink.
She didn’t usually drink much, but when she was troubled, she still had the urge to drown her sorrows in alcohol.
Qiu Yang’s face immediately flashed in her mind. Without much hesitation, she went and knocked on Qiu Yang’s door, inviting her to go for a drink together.
Breaking up with Guo Ming’an was something that still bothered her a little.
Yao Yao was Shen Ningruo’s childhood friend, and they had many years of history. There was no problem telling her these things, but Shen Ningruo still held back. She didn’t want to show this side of herself to her friend.
She was a bit concerned about appearances.
Who would have thought that Director Shen, who seemed so experienced on the surface, actually had almost no dating experience?
Her previous two relationships had failed in remarkably similar ways.
She didn’t find this particularly pathetic; it was simply the nature of being deceived that bothered her, and she didn’t want people to know that she still cared.
Qiu Yang didn’t know why she wanted to drink. She was startled, finding it a bit sudden: “Drink?”
“Yeah.” Shen Ningruo’s eyelashes fluttered, her dark pupils still clear. “You don’t want to?”
Qiu Yang pursed her lips, ultimately not probing to ask if Shen Ningruo had something on her mind.
They were just bed partners; there was no need to know so much.
However, whether Shen Ningruo had something on her mind or not, Qiu Yang certainly did.
Deleting Tao Sixian had left Qiu Yang feeling somewhat irritable.
Perhaps drinking was a way to adjust her mood. She looked into Shen Ningruo’s eyes and, after two seconds, nodded: “Okay.”
“I’ll change.”
Shen Ningruo leaned against the doorframe: “Bring an umbrella, I forgot mine.”
Qiu Yang gave her a strange look: “Is your room far away?”
“I’m lazy.” Shen Ningruo started being shameless. “Even two steps feel hard to walk.”
Qiu Yang ignored her, closed the door, changed into a T-shirt and shorts, put on sunscreen, and then took her umbrella and room card before leaving the room.
Shen Ningruo was leaning against the wall nearby, her wavy hair a little messy. Hearing the movement, she tilted her slightly raised head, her eyes holding a hint of a smile: “What took you so long?”
Qiu Yang’s lips moved: “If you think it’s long, don’t wait.”
Shen Ningruo was countered. She straightened up, met Qiu Yang’s gaze, and couldn’t help but laugh: “Why are you arguing with me again?”
Qiu Yang didn’t respond and walked ahead. Shen Ningruo raised an eyebrow again and walked alongside Qiu Yang.
The intense sunlight made it hard for everything on the ground to bear. A guesthouse had a golden retriever by its entrance, which lay in its bed, panting with its tongue out, watching Qiu Yang and Shen Ningruo walk past.
Shen Ningruo walked close to Qiu Yang’s umbrella. After walking a short distance, she glanced at Qiu Yang and said, “I have a friend who works in the entertainment industry.”
Qiu Yang didn’t respond. She was wearing shorts, and the rising heat was densely climbing up her legs.
“I think she’s not as impressive as you,” Shen Ningruo said, then laughed herself. “You work in the dark circles industry.”
Qiu Yang: “…”
Qiu Yang somewhat suspected that Shen Ningruo’s profession was a stand-up comedian, and a solo one at that.
She turned her head to look at Shen Ningruo and said flatly, “Do you really want me to kick you out from under the umbrella?”
“Xiao Yang.” Shen Ningruo tilted her nose up slightly. She looked at Qiu Yang’s face, which was slightly flushed from the heat. “Haven’t you noticed? After sleeping with me, your sleep has significantly improved.”
“I brought melatonin,” Qiu Yang paused. “I can sleep well without you too.”
Shen Ningruo raised an eyebrow: “Alright then.”
After walking for another two minutes, they arrived at a quiet bar Shen Ningruo had mentioned. A “Now Open” sign hung on the glass door, and singing voices quietly escaped, reaching the ears of everyone passing by.
Inside the glass door, there was a fabric curtain blocking the light. After they entered, they saw a girl on stage holding a microphone and singing a song.
Her pronunciation was clear. Although the sound here was low, Qiu Yang still recognized it.
It was Rainie Yang’s “Black Moon,” just starting the opening lines:
A person ate dinner / A person stayed up late / It’s not easy to escape in the city alone / Escaping the past you gave me / Escaping leaves me covered in wounds
It perfectly matched the scene in Qiu Yang’s heart.
She lowered her eyes.
The bars in Xicheng had always done well, but since it was still afternoon, the business wasn’t as good as at night.
A waiter led them to a booth in the corner as they requested. After they ordered, the waiter left.
The booth also had a fabric curtain that could be pulled down to make the space more private.
Qiu Yang didn’t move. Her gaze was fixed on the girl singing seriously on stage.
It wasn’t the usual guitar playing found in quiet bars; she was using a singing app like “National K Song”.
The girl sat on a high stool, looking at the lyrics on an iPad, singing very earnestly.
Qiu Yang didn’t know if it was because something was wrong with her, but she felt that the girl was singing very sadly too.
Shen Ningruo pushed the dice towards her: “Let’s keep it simple, compare sizes. Whoever loses drinks.”
They each ordered a cocktail, a plate of small cups of liquor, and some snacks.
Qiu Yang withdrew her gaze and nodded at the suggestion: “Okay.”
Shen Ningruo then looked towards the stage: “Want to go sing?”
“No.” Qiu Yang shook her head. The lighting in the bar wasn’t very bright, but it was enough for her to see Shen Ningruo’s face clearly. After denying it, she thought for a moment and then, after two seconds of contemplation, added, “She sings quite well.”
Shen Ningruo hadn’t yet looked away. The girl on stage had long hair, and her face looked pure and beautiful under the lights. Her expression was serious and focused.
“She’s quite good-looking too,” Shen Ningruo said, then turned her gaze back to Qiu Yang.
Qiu Yang hummed in response and didn’t say anything else.
Shen Ningruo felt inexplicably more annoyed. Fortunately, the drinks were served quickly, and the snacks followed soon after.
She didn’t even shake the dice. She picked up a small cup, tilted her head back, and drank it all down.
Seeing that Shen Ningruo didn’t even frown, Qiu Yang also picked up a cup. She first brought it to her nose to smell it; there was a sweet fragrance. Then she brought it to her mouth.
It was a low-alcohol floral wine, and it tasted quite good.
There were other customers in the bar, and various sounds rose and fell. The girl on stage had long since switched to the next song.
Qiu Yang glanced towards the stage again, and Shen Ningruo caught the look.
Her mind suddenly recalled the face of Qiu Yang’s ex-girlfriend, and she instantly knew what was bothering her.
It was because the girl on stage and Qiu Yang’s ex-girlfriend seemed to be the same type.
If Qiu Yang was still hung up on her ex, it meant her “sacrifice” had been ineffective.
She wouldn’t allow that to happen.
Shen Ningruo pursed her lips tightly, stared at Qiu Yang for two seconds, stood up, and pulled the curtain down.
Qiu Yang was confused: “What’s wrong?”
The booth was a bit small, and not being able to see outside made it feel a little cramped.
Shen Ningruo didn’t immediately return to her seat. She took a small step towards Qiu Yang, then bent down, looked into Qiu Yang’s eyes, and put on an even more confused expression, her voice ending with her usual slight upward lilt: “Am I not as good-looking as her? Xiao Yang.”
Qiu Yang was startled. She opened her mouth but hadn’t answered when she heard Shen Ningruo ask in a wronged tone, “Why would you rather look at her than me?”
