Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 78

Amusing Ourselves to Death Arc

Agent 15

When Xin Lan left home, she struggled to maintain her clarity. As soon as she got in the car, she collapsed.

“Lan Jie, why did you drink so much again?”

An An took out a wet tissue and wiped her forehead, smelling the alcohol on her, feeling somewhat concerned.

Xin Lan closed her eyes and waved her hand without saying a word.

Zhang Haishan, being a director with acting skills even better than actors, appeared genuinely drunk in her eyes. She thought he was actually intoxicated.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Xin Lan mentioned the money she had just withdrawn, Zhang Haishan’s eyes lit up brighter than anyone else’s.

With a “Duang,” he placed a drink in front of Xin Lan and started calling her “Sister Xin,” insisting that she continue drinking.

Xin Lan had planned to stop drinking once she reached her limit, but Zhang Haishan kept pouring more drinks for her, and she couldn’t stop him. Xin Lan decided to send a message to An An, asking her to come pick her up.

Xin Lan had indeed consumed quite a bit this time. When An An helped her out of the car, she seemed somewhat dazed.

When she’s drunk, Xin Lan doesn’t get rowdy; she just becomes slow to react. It’s as if a layer of invisible film has isolated her from all her senses. An An unintentionally turned her head and bumped into those deep, soulful eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, thinking that Xin Lan might be sober.

However, she realized that Xin Lan was simply staring at her without saying a word, and in that moment, she knew Xin Lan was still intoxicated.

The elevator reached the 27th floor, and An An held Xin Lan’s bag with one hand while supporting her as they walked inside.

Just as the sound of the opening door drew her attention, she turned her head and saw a person carrying a bag of trash walking toward them.

An An recognized the person – Qin Yuyan, someone Xin Lan had recently signed with. She had seen them together several times before.

“Qin Jie, do you live here too?”

An An called out, but Xin Lan kept her head lowered and didn’t look up even when she heard the voice.

“Yeah, did Ah Lan drink a lot?”

Qin Yuyan frowned slightly, and An An nodded in response.

“Let me help.”

Qin Yuyan swiftly returned the trash to her own doorstep and then walked over quickly. She took Xin Lan from An An’s hands.

For a moment, An An felt like something wasn’t quite right, yet at the same time, everything seemed okay. Holding Xin Lan’s bag, she followed Qin Yuyan ahead.

Qin Yuyan and Xin Lan were roughly the same height, so lifting her wasn’t a strenuous task.

Xin Lan leaned against Qin Yuyan’s frame, her warm breath carrying a hint of alcohol sprayed onto Qin Yuyan’s face.

Qin Yuyan felt a tingling sensation, to the point that the alcoholic scent seemed to blend with a gentle warmth.

Using Xin Lan’s fingerprint, Qin Yuyan unlocked the door. She removed her shoes, slipped into slippers, and placed An An’s bag to the side. An An helped Xin Lan take off her shoes, slid on slippers, and switched on the lights.

Qin Yuyan guided Xin Lan to the couch and tidied up her disheveled long hair.

Xin Lan lay on the couch, her eyes shut, as if she had drifted off to sleep.

An An poured a glass of lukewarm water. Just as she was preparing to assist Xin Lan in sitting up, Xin Lan opened her eyes. Her gaze was apathetic and frosty, fixing An An in place.

An An had previously looked after a tipsy Xin Lan, but nothing had been as unsettling as this. It was disconcerting to the extent that the person sitting there seemed almost unfamiliar.

“Lan Jie, would you like some water?”

An An’s voice was hushed, as if she was cautious not to disrupt something. If one listened closely, they could even discern a slight quiver in her tone.

Xin Lan didn’t speak, leaving it uncertain whether she had heard or not.

“I’ll take care of her, you go on.”

Qin Yuyan took the water cup from An An’s hand, and An An hesitated while looking at Qin Yuyan.

“It’s alright. It’s not early now, and my home is right here anyway. It’s very convenient.”

Qin Yuyan moved closer to Xin Lan and supported her back.

An An realized there probably wouldn’t be any issues and nodded in agreement.

“Well then, Qin Jie, I’ll also help you take out the trash.”

“Thank you.”

The door closed, and Qin Yuyan helped Xin Lan sit up a bit, holding the paper cup to her lips.

“Ah Lan, have some water?”

Xin Lan furrowed her brows slightly and took a sip, showing her unwillingness to drink more.

Qin Yuyan coaxed her, but Xin Lan remained silent, exchanging glances with Qin Yuyan to convey that she didn’t want to drink.

Qin Yuyan couldn’t help but smile. Even in her drunken state, Xin Lan appeared surprisingly composed. Her eyes resembled deep, cold pools, but on closer inspection, they were just unfocused, dark voids.

The expression of “even if you keep looking at me, I won’t drink water” had an oddly endearing quality.

Seeing that coaxing Xin Lan wasn’t working, Qin Yuyan set down the cup she was holding and helped Xin Lan recline.

Xin Lan’s face was flushed, her lips tinged a deep red from the alcohol. A few damp strands of hair clung to her temples. Radiating heat, she looked uncomfortable.

Qin Yuyan located Xin Lan’s bedroom, turned back to Xin Lan, and whispered, “I’m going in,” before pushing the door open.

Her gaze passed over the blue bedsheets and blankets, finding the air conditioning remote control. After setting the temperature, she closed the room’s windows and returned to the couch.

She intended to help Xin Lan sit up, but as she draped Xin Lan’s arm over her shoulder and was about to assist her in standing, she was suddenly hit with a wave of dizziness.

Her head collided with the couch, fortunately cushioned enough to prevent any pain.

However, even if there was pain, Qin Yuyan couldn’t bring herself to care.

She stared blankly at the person before her, who was very close. She could detect the scent of alcohol on their breath and feel the warmth of their bodies pressed together.

For a moment, she lost all sense of response, only hearing the rapid thumping of her heart in her chest.

With each beat, there was a surge of delight.

The atmosphere was highly ambiguous. If Xin Lan’s hand wasn’t resting on her neck, it would have been even more so.

Xin Lan’s grip wasn’t tight, so Qin Yuyan had no reason to be afraid.

Gazing down from above, Xin Lan squinted her eyes at Qin Yuyan.

She tilted her head slightly, a look of bewilderment in her eyes, a confusion she couldn’t quite decipher herself.

Her recent actions had been guided by instinct. What was she supposed to do now?

Who was the person beneath her?

Xin Lan gave her head a gentle shake, feeling somewhat fatigued.

The person below her seemed to be speaking, their voice stretching in her ears and becoming an indistinct tone.

Xin Lan furrowed her brows, growing increasingly impatient.

“Ah Lan? Ah Lan?”

Qin Yuyan noticed Xin Lan’s vacant eyes, unblinking as they stared at her. Tentatively, she called out twice, only to witness Xin Lan’s frown, a clear expression of displeasure.

Qin Yuyan cautiously placed her hand over Xin Lan’s, but when their warmth met, Xin Lan visibly scrunched her brows in discomfort.

Qin Yuyan quickly discerned that Xin Lan might be sensitive to the temperature of her hand, so she swiftly held onto Xin Lan’s hand and gently removed it from around her neck.

“Ah Lan, would you like to go to the room? It’s cooler there.”

Qin Yuyan whispered softly, her voice carrying a gentle undertone.

Zero Nine had no intention of speaking up. The situation was downright surreal, feeling like a hidden history of her astute and resourceful host. Why was Qin Yuyan consoling her like a child?

Now that the host was drunk and there was no danger, she didn’t know whether she should speak up or remain silent.

After contemplating for a while, Zero Nine decided to observe the situation before making a decision.

Xin Lan’s mind felt sluggish, making her unwilling to think. The person beneath her was saying something, their voice so low that she couldn’t hear it.

It was bothersome, Xin Lan thought.

So, she reached out and covered the person’s mouth.

“Noisy.”

Her voice had a husky edge to it. Despite her captivating appearance, her demeanor conveyed coldness and impatience, creating a curious contradiction that still managed to captivate attention.

Qin Yuyan chuckled. Alright, she understood now. When Xin Lan was intoxicated, talking to her was utterly pointless because she clearly had no intention of conversing. Practical actions were more effective.

Qin Yuyan glanced at herself. It was time to test her physical strength.

She tensed her body, placing both hands on Xin Lan’s waist. Before Xin Lan could grasp her intentions, Qin Yuyan pushed back with her hands and exerted force with her waist and legs. In an instant, she stood up, securely holding Xin Lan in her arms.

The current position depicted Xin Lan cradled in Qin Yuyan’s embrace, her long legs dangling without support. Thankfully, Qin Yuyan held her securely, preventing her from slipping down. It was the kind of intimate, face-to-face hug that couples shared.

This was undoubtedly a challenging feat that left Zero Nine astonished.

Unbelievable, the host is actually being held like this.

It was definitely screenshot-worthy, but of course, Zero Nine just entertained the idea; she didn’t actually possess the courage to take a screenshot.

Xin Lan found herself somewhat bewildered by the sudden elevation. Her gaze remained fixed on Qin Yuyan, who held her. Qin Yuyan smiled and guided her step by step towards the room.

The air conditioning in the room spread a refreshing chill. As Qin Yuyan gently placed Xin Lan on the bed, her own strength faltered, and she ended up collapsing onto the bed alongside Xin Lan.

Their eyes locked.

One person appeared sober despite being drunk, while the other, despite not having consumed any alcohol, seemed to be a bit disoriented.

Qin Yuyan observed that the once-offensive scent of alcohol on Xin Lan had transformed into an alluring and enticing fragrance.

It beckoned people closer, closer, and even closer. Just as Qin Yuyan was starting to react, her lips were almost about to touch Xin Lan’s.

What halted her was Xin Lan’s gaze, her dark pupils reflecting Qin Yuyan’s face. The expression in her eyes remained consistently aloof.

Qin Yuyan hastily sat up, her hands covering her own flushed face.

Her heartbeat had become erratic, and Qin Yuyan appeared unable to find a suitable explanation for her current state of disarray.

Taking a deep breath, she closed the room’s door and headed to the bathroom.

First, she splashed cold water on her face. Gazing at her own flushed reflection in the mirror, she lightly tapped her own head.

She soaked a towel in cold water and gently wiped Xin Lan’s face.

With her eyes closed, the furrows on Xin Lan’s brow smoothed out.

After wiping Xin Lan’s face, Qin Yuyan gently cleaned her neck.

“It’s surprisingly easy to take care of a drunk Ah Lan, though it’s still better if she avoids getting drunk altogether.”

Qin Yuyan muttered softly while wiping Xin Lan’s hands.

The person on the bed had their eyes closed, breathing evenly.

After wiping Xin Lan’s hands, Qin Yuyan went to the bathroom to wash the towel and hung it up. She covered Xin Lan with the air-conditioned blanket, then went out to pour a cup of warm water and placed it by Xin Lan’s bedside, ensuring she wouldn’t wake up thirsty in the middle of the night.

After completing all these tasks, Qin Yuyan hesitated for a moment in place, surveyed the room, confirmed there was nothing else to attend to, and then softly wished Xin Lan good night before closing the door.

Zero Nine was a bit surprised. Was that it? That seemed too cautious.

However, half a minute later, she realized that Qin Yuyan wasn’t being timid at all. She was an intelligent person, incredibly resourceful.

Because her host had awoken.

Xin Lan opened her eyes, lifted the air-conditioned blanket, didn’t glance at the door, fetched her pajamas from the wardrobe, and walked into the bathroom.

Facing the mirror, she removed her makeup and let her long hair down. Her hair cascaded over her back as warm water flowed down her body, and within the misty curtain of water, her eyes seemed particularly clear.

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