Green Plum, Green Plum (19)
“Did I offend you?”
No one noticed the subtle exchange between them. Manager Zhou secretly breathed a sigh of relief, while Mr. Zou’s face alternated between shades of green and white, clearly unsure who to vent his anger on. Xu Jiao, meanwhile, was still focused on the red wine.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Manager Zhou quickly bid farewell to Mr. Zou and led the two women toward their reserved private room——
Mr. Zou, unwilling to let the opportunity slip through his fingers, stared at the door of the private room they entered for a while, clearly frustrated.
Afterward, he went inside and apologized to Ouyang Hao with a smile. He raised his hand to press the service bell, calling the waiter back in. Claiming he needed to use the restroom, he followed the waiter out and caught the young man’s sleeve, whispering:
“I want to send that bottle of wine to table 0606. Put it on my tab and say it’s for the most beautiful girl there. Oh, and add this…”
He slipped some money and an item into the waiter’s pocket.
……
“Sister Jiaojiao, why are you so late! Ah, you actually came with Shen Yelan! Did you two plan this?”
Su Xi was dominating the karaoke mic, but when she spotted the fashionably late Xu Jiao and Shen Yelan, she immediately handed the mic to the person next to her and happily rushed over to greet them.
Xu Jiao didn’t mention that she hadn’t been in contact with Shen Yelan for a long time. She just smiled and said, “Ran into a bit of trouble on the way. Should I do three penalty shots first?”
“But remember, we agreed that no matter how much fun we have tonight, anyone who’s underage is only allowed to drink juice. No funny business.”
Su Xi nodded excitedly, then pointed to the group behind her: “Speak up! Who here is underage? Raise your hand voluntarily, or don’t blame me if Sister Jiaojiao scolds us later. You guys don’t know, but lately, Sister Jiaojiao is like a walking disciplinarian, super strict…”
Xu Jiao lightly scolded her, “Get lost.”
After that, she walked over to the table, decisively opened a can of beer, took an overturned glass, and skillfully poured three cups.
Shen Yelan hesitated for a moment but then silently walked over to her side and followed her lead, drinking three cups, even though she wasn’t particularly familiar with anyone at the party.
She came today mainly to celebrate for Xu Jiao—
But also to say a final goodbye to her.
Over the past year or so, her condition had improved significantly. She no longer saw illusions of this person from time to time. If she could just hang in there a bit longer, perhaps… many, many years later, she could maintain the feelings she had when she first met this person and reunite with her on some unfamiliar road.
After the two finished their drinks, the atmosphere heated up. Su Xi stopped singing and insisted on playing something thrilling while there were so many people around. The simplest and most natural choice was Truth or Dare.
Everyone sat in a circle and drew cards. The one who got the Joker could ask a question or make a request to the person who drew the Three of Diamonds.
Two rounds passed, and neither Xu Jiao nor Shen Yelan were chosen.
At that moment, there was a knock on the private room door. A waiter came in, placed a bottle of red wine on the table, and repeated Mr. Zou’s earlier words before preparing to leave respectfully.
Su Xi was puzzled: “The most beautiful girl? You should point her out clearly! Each beauty here has her own unique charm. Never mind, let’s just share it. Whoever doesn’t want to answer a question later can drink this. This wine seems pretty high-end, huh?”
No one had any objections.
Another round—
Shen Yelan drew the Joker, and the Three of Diamonds was… Xu Jiao.
Shen Yelan lightly licked her lower lip, her gaze fixed on Xu Jiao. Under the expectant eyes of the crowd, she asked, “Truth or Dare?”
Xu Jiao didn’t hesitate: “Truth.”
Shen Yelan held her breath for two seconds, unable to resist the temptation in her heart, and asked, “Do you… have someone you like?”
Xu Jiao lifted her eyes to look at her, her gaze as calm as ever, as if she could answer the question in the next second.
However.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Xu Jiao raised the bottle of red wine, poured herself a full glass, almost to the brim with the ruby liquid, and without a second thought, tilted her head back and drank it all.
Everyone, including Shen Yelan, was stunned.
Su Xi couldn’t believe it. “Sis, seriously? It’s just a simple question. Either you do or you don’t. Is it really that hard?”
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Xu Jiao put down her wine glass, curled her lips into a slight smile, and joked, “I just wanted to taste this red wine.”
Su Xi let out a sigh of relief. Xu Jiao’s earlier expression had made her feel as if this person had experienced an incredibly intense and unmentionable love affair, something so deep that she couldn’t even talk about it.
“Phew, you gave me a scare. Sis, you can’t be this playful later, okay?”
The atmosphere lightened up again, and another round passed. Xu Jiao was still the unlucky Three of Diamonds. She raised her hand to support her forehead and smiled lightly, “This game is really targeting me, huh? If this keeps up, I might have to cheat. I don’t want to be asked anymore.”
As she finished speaking, the card in her hand seemed to move slightly, as if it had understood her disdain.
The Joker this time was Su Xi.
Su Xi chuckled twice, skipping the usual “Truth or Dare” question, and directly asked, “Out of all the relationships you’ve had, which person left the deepest impression on you? Hehe.”
Everyone around them started to cheer, “Oh! Sister Su Xi is on fire!”
“Little Xi really knows Sister Jiaojiao best!”
“What a killer question.”
They all wore gossipy expressions, eager to hear Xu Jiao drop the name of the person who had left an indelible mark on the school bully of No. 18 High School.
Xu Jiao sighed softly, a bit helpless, and stood up. Then she reached for the bottle of red wine.
Su Xi: “!”
She wailed, “Sis, you can’t do this! You’re not playing by the rules at all. This is just not fair.”
Someone egged her on, “If you’re drinking again, it can’t just be one glass. Sister Jiaojiao has to chug the whole bottle!”
Xu Jiao raised an eyebrow and looked at the instigator. After two seconds, she sighed helplessly, “Fine.”
“Wow!”
“Oh my God, I’ve suddenly fallen for the dashing Sister Jiaojiao!”
“I feel like there aren’t many guys here who can outdrink her…”
Xu Jiao couldn’t be bothered to grab a glass, so she drank straight from the bottle, gulping it down like it was plain water. Shen Yelan, sitting next to her, couldn’t help but look at her with deep concern in his eyes.
……
Xu Jiao got drunk.
Her head was spinning terribly, and she couldn’t keep up with the games anymore. She had to lean against the very edge of the sofa, closing her eyes to rest.
Shen Yelan had been keeping an eye on her the whole time. Seeing her slumped there for a good while, she went out and brought back a cup of hot water, holding it in front of her and leaning in to ask softly, “Are you okay?”
Xu Jiao heard her voice and moved slightly.
Then suddenly.
She abruptly raised her arm and hooked it around the neck of the person speaking to her. By now, she couldn’t quite tell who was who anymore, only vaguely recognizing the familiar voice of someone she knew.
Because of Xu Jiao’s sudden movement, Shen Yelan couldn’t hold the cup steady, and the warm water spilled onto her thigh.
She put the cup down beside her, and just as she turned her head, hot breath fell on her ear, almost like a direct kiss on her earlobe, accompanied by the heavy, intoxicating scent of alcohol:
“Take me away.”
Xu Jiao’s voice reached Shen Yelan’s ears. “Something’s off with the alcohol. I can’t stay here.”
Shen Yelan’s face suddenly changed. Ignoring her own flushed ears, she gently patted Xu Jiao’s back and waved Su Xi over. When Su Xi got close, Shen Yelan whispered something in her ear.
Su Xi looked at Xu Jiao’s drunken state with a hint of regret, then said, “Alright, but be careful on your way.”
……
Shen Yelan hadn’t expected that on the day she was planning to say goodbye, she’d find herself back at Xu Jiao’s place once again.
When she turned on the lights, she realized that nothing had changed here—it looked almost exactly the same as it did when she left a year ago.
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She paused for a moment before remembering that she needed to move Xu Jiao to the bedroom.
As she was about to help Xu Jiao walk inside, Xu Jiao—who had been quiet the whole way—suddenly grabbed her collar. Her tightly shut eyes flew open, and despite the deep intoxication, a gleam shone within them.
They were like diamonds reflecting light after falling into water.
The drunken flush crept up Xu Jiao’s cheeks and along the corners of her eyes, a color as tempting as a ripe apple, inviting one to take a bite.
Shen Yelan’s breath caught. In a moment of reckless impulse, she leaned in closer. At the last second, she braced herself against the wall, the veins on the back of her hand standing out.
No.
She couldn’t do this.
Her throat moved as she swallowed hard, stopping just a centimeter away from Xu Jiao.
The sweet, intoxicating scent of alcohol filled her nostrils.
She stayed still, but Xu Jiao stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, as if puzzled by her sudden halt. Then Xu Jiao yanked her collar and, with force, closed the gap, pressing their lips together.
Shen Yelan’s eyes widened in shock.
Her grip on the wall, which had been supporting both their weights, slackened. Suddenly, they tumbled down together, the world spinning around them. At the last moment, Shen Yelan managed to twist their positions, taking the brunt of the fall on her back against the step at the entrance.
Shen Yelan gasped in pain.
However, the person lying on top of her was oblivious to all this. Xu Jiao cupped Shen Yelan’s face with both hands and leaned in for another kiss, murmuring in a tone that was part laughter, part sob:
“You’re back, aren’t you?”
Shen Yelan didn’t dare to make a sound. She couldn’t quite grasp what was happening. After a long pause, she stiffly nodded.
Xu Jiao suddenly burst into laughter, her crimson lips curving like a blooming rose, then she leaned in for another kiss. Her hands wandered, tugging at the hem of Shen Yelan’s clothes.
Shen Yelan: “!”
The intoxicating scent of alcohol filled her senses, and she couldn’t help but think:
What’s going on? Has my condition worsened? Are my hallucinations becoming more vivid? Why can I even feel them now?
Shen Yelan didn’t dare to move, as if she were the one who had gotten drunk.
Despite her obedient demeanor, Xu Jiao wasn’t entirely pleased. She pinched Shen Yelan lightly, noticing the trembling of the body beneath her. She bit down on Shen Yelan’s shoulder and said with a heavy tone:
“If you don’t apologize for being away for so long, I’ll make you cry, you know…”
Shen Yelan: “…” Oh no, she really was about to cry now, overwhelmed by this dangerously enticing and sweet dream.
Had happiness come too suddenly?
Before her muddled brain could start to process, she suddenly heard the sound of her clothes being torn open. Shen Yelan looked down in shock, not expecting the drunken Xu Jiao to have such strength.
In the next instant, she realized her clothes had been turned into makeshift binds, wrapped around her wrists by Xu Jiao. Shen Yelan didn’t struggle at all, in fact, she cooperatively watched as Xu Jiao tightly bound her hands together.
Immediately after, Shen Yelan’s hands were pressed above her head—
Xu Jiao leaned in close to look at her, a wicked smile playing on her lips as she teased, “Scared?”
Shen Yelan shook her head honestly.
Xu Jiao was dissatisfied with her reaction, pouting slightly. After a moment, a thought seemed to occur to her, and the drunken smile on her face widened considerably.
……
That night.
A particularly beautiful night-blooming jasmine had its petals drooped low, holding onto dew that had accumulated who knows how long, exuding a fragrant aroma. A stray kitten, noticing the flower, approached and sniffed it curiously.
The kitten, enticed by the sweet scent within, first leaned in to lick it, savoring a hint of sweetness, and then decided to lap up more of the nectar.
Burying its head, the kitten exerted all its strength, eventually getting its nose and face covered in the floral dew, causing the little creature to rub the sweet residue all over its fur.
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The kitten blinked, annoyed by the night-blooming jasmine, and resolved to teach the flower a lesson with its paws.
……
Until the sun rose once more.
Xu Jiao woke up with a severe headache, exhaling heavily. She turned over on the soft bed, reaching out with her arm, but felt only coolness against her skin.
Groggily, she thought, Where are my clothes?
After a couple of seconds, Xu Jiao’s eyes snapped open. As she lifted her head, she was met with another pair of quiet, dark eyes that had been watching her for who knows how long.
Xu Jiao: “!”
She suddenly sprang away, creating some distance, and looked at Shen Yelan in confusion. “You…?” What are you doing here?
But halfway through her question, she saw a deep bite mark on Shen Yelan’s shoulder.
This scene… something about it felt very off.
Xu Jiao’s fragmented memory began to slowly reboot.
After about half a minute of silence,
Her voice carried a tinge of despair, and her lips trembled as she asked, “Did I… last night, did I… offend you?”
