Volume One: First Scroll
Mixology
She gives her a drink named “The Future is Long.”
“Jie, I’m just going for a meal, no need to be so grand, right,” Song Yuhang said, just as she saw Ji Jingxing pick up an eyebrow razor and gently press it against her forehead.
“Aiya, this isn’t just some ordinary date. At the very least, it’s the other person’s birthday, and his friends will be there. You should at least dress up a little, don’t you think?”
Feeling the blade glide across her face, Song Yuhang inexplicably recalled a joke: The police ask the thief, “Are you moved?”
“Don’t move, don’t move”—that was her current reality.
Mother Song emerged from the kitchen carrying stir-fried dishes: “Your sister’s right. Don’t be like a manly woman all day, how will you ever get married! Thankfully, Lin Ge doesn’t mind these things and treats you quite well.”
Ji Jingxing didn’t yet know that Lin Yan was Lin Ge’s younger sister. Thinking of that note, her smile faded slightly.
“Jie, that note I gave you last time…”
“Oh, that.” Ji Jingxing glanced down at her, her hands never stopping as she applied some powder to cover the small freckles on Song Yuhang’s face.
“I was clutching it tightly at the time, but when I came out, it was gone. I looked for a long time, but I didn’t dare go back in to ask you for it…” As she spoke, she bit her lip slightly, looking somewhat aggrieved.
“I’m sorry, Yuhang, for messing things up for you. Is your colleague okay?”
Song Yuhang felt a sense of relief; her instinctive trust prevented her from overthinking. Maybe it really was lost.
“It’s alright, Jie. We found the person.”
Only then did Ji Jingxing smile again, as if a heavy weight had been lifted: “That’s good. Otherwise, I really would have blamed myself to death.”
The two sat applying makeup in a corner of the living room. Xiao Wei1 tossed aside the remote control and ran over, hugging Ji Jingxing’s leg: “Mama, Mama, I want makeup too!”
Ji Jingxing couldn’t help but laugh, cosmetics in hand, being swayed back and forth by her: “No, little kids can’t wear makeup. Only when you grow up.”
Song Yuhang reached out, lifted the child onto her lap, gently dotted a small red mark on Xiao Wei’s forehead with lipstick, and held up a mirror for her: “Look, look, our Xiao Wei will definitely be a great beauty when she grows up.”
The child, embarrassed by the praise, cupped Song Yuhang’s face and looked left and right: “Auntie is pretty too, Auntie is also a great beauty.”
Ji Jingxing was about to burst out laughing: “See, Xiao Wei is closest to you. She’s never praised me for being pretty.”
Song Yuhang ruffled Xiao Wei’s hair, a smile playing on her lips: “Mama’s jealous, what should we do?”
Xiao Wei climbed down from her lap and tugged at Ji Jingxing’s sleeve: “Mama, squat down, squat down.”
Ji Jingxing, puzzled, had just crouched down when a loud smack landed on her cheek. Her heart melted; she picked up Xiao Wei, kissing and nuzzling her again and again.
“Dinner’s ready, dinner’s ready! Everyone go wash your hands. Yuhang, you should eat something before you go too, drinking on an empty stomach isn’t good,” Mother Song said, wiping her hands on her apron as she set down the last dish.
Song Yuhang checked her watch; it was already 7:30 PM: “No, I won’t eat. I told Lin Ge I’d drive myself over, so I need to leave a bit early.”
As she spoke, she had already run into her room, taken a brocade box from a drawer, stuffed it into her bag, and was about to head out when she was stopped again.
“Eh—wait, you haven’t put on lipstick yet.”
Song Yuhang felt like crying but had no tears. Seeing her sister about to apply a bright oxblood color2 to her lips, she decided to end it herself: “I’ll do it, I’ll do it.”
She quickly swiped some on her lips without looking in the mirror, pressed her lips together, grabbed a tissue, snatched some freshly fried crispy pork from the table with her right hand, popped it into her mouth, and pushed open the door.
“Ma, Jie, Xiao Wei, I’m leaving.”
“This child, didn’t she say she wasn’t eating!” By the time Mother Song came out of the kitchen with bowls and chopsticks, she was already gone.
“Come, Jingxing, Xiao Wei, time to eat. Xiao Wei, sit here with Grandma, okay?”
Once downstairs, the pork was finished. Song Yuhang wiped her mouth with a tissue, conveniently wiping off the lipstick marks as well, tossed the tissue into a trash can, and only then headed towards the garage.
She was always punctual; eight o’clock meant eight o’clock. She had thought Lin Yan might still be angry and wouldn’t come, but unexpectedly, she was already there, currently on stage performing a pole dance to a piece of intense dance music.
The audience below stared wide-eyed. A man with small braids ran up and started dancing intimately close with her.
It was truly… truly something she couldn’t quite describe.
While she was staring blankly, Lin Ge had already run out to meet her: “You’re here! Sit anywhere, sit anywhere. You haven’t eaten, right? There’s a buffet over there.”
Following the direction he pointed, she saw several familiar faces at the bar counter. Zheng Chengrui was stuffing a chicken leg into his mouth, while Duan Cheng held a plate, looking dazzled by the choices, practically drooling.
“Wow, what’s this, what’s this? It looks delicious.”
Fang Xin[ef, holding a glass of red wine, glanced at him coolly: “That’s pan-seared foie gras…”
“What about this one?”
“Sea bream sashimi.”
“This one? This one?” Duan Cheng pointed to a seafood dish, asking again. Fang Xin, utterly annoyed, snapped: “Shut up and just eat.”
Lin Ge smiled: “I was afraid you’d feel awkward, so I took the liberty of inviting your colleagues too.”
After all, they weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. She didn’t know Lin Ge’s colleagues from the hospital or his business friends. Lin Ge worried she’d be bored, and even more worried she’d feel awkward.
Song Yuhang paused: “It’s fine…”
Before she could finish, Fang Xin saw her and stood up, waving: “Captain Song, over here.”
His thoughtfulness, however, made Song Yuhang feel even more uncomfortable.
“I’ll go over for a bit.”
Just then, a few of Lin Ge’s friends came over with drinks: “Yo, who’s this? You sly dog, keeping secrets from us, not cool.”
Lin Ge smiled, put an arm around his friend’s shoulder, and clinked glasses: “What secrets could I have? Really just a friend, my mom introduced us…”
His voice faded into the distance, becoming indistinct. Song Yuhang walked over and sat down with Fang Xin and the others.
“Miss, what would you like to drink?” A bartender came over to take her order.
Song Yuhang tapped the menu, glanced at it: “Lemon water, thank you.”
“You finally get a chance to relax, not drinking?” Fang Xin asked.
“I’m driving, and besides, my alcohol tolerance isn’t good. I’d rather not make a fool of myself.”
As they were talking, gasps came from the stage.
“Kiss! Kiss!”
Someone whistled, egging them on.
Lin Yan finished her dance, face slightly flushed, panting as she was half-held in the arms of the same man who had been dancing with her. His hand slid up the shapely curves beneath her leather outfit, gently lifting her chin.
Duan Cheng’s eyes gleamed: “Forensic Doctor Lin the heartthrob isn’t just hype.”
Zheng Chengrui nudged him teasingly: “Of course not. She’s got a certain little comrade completely knocked silly3.”
“You have the nerve to talk about me? Who’s the one buying breakfast for someone every day, trying to curry favor?”
Song Yuhang swirled the glass in her hand without speaking, her gaze lowered.
Lin Yan caught sight of her completely ignoring the scene and her smile became even more alluring. She pulled the man’s neck down and offered her lips, but at the moment he leaned in, intoxicated, she brushed past his lips and pressed close to his ear.
Lin Yan tugged his tie, her breath like orchids: “Scram.”
The man’s expression changed instantly. Pushed away forcefully, he stumbled off the stage. He wanted to rush back up but was held back by his companions, who pointed towards the booth section.
Lin Ge was chatting and laughing with several friends.
“Seriously, your sister is something else. How many men in Jiangcheng City want to pursue her? But she just passes through a thousand flowers, yet not a single leaf clings.”4
Lin Ge clinked glasses with him: “Who Yanyan likes, what she wants to do, that’s her business. I, Lin Ge, won’t interfere. But if anyone tries to harbor ill intentions5 towards her, I definitely won’t stand by and watch.”
This was meant for certain ears: He didn’t want to and couldn’t control Lin Yan’s choice of partner. Trying to get close to Lin Yan through him was wishful thinking6. But if anyone dared to harm his sister, he would metaphorically dig up their ancestral graves and ensure they’d die a horrible death.
Although this master wasn’t the main young master of the Lin family, he came from a privileged background, a wealthy family. After studying abroad for many years, he returned and built up his hospital successfully, demonstrating considerable capability.
His friend chuckled, drained his glass, and didn’t bring up Lin Yan again.
From Song Yuhang’s angle, it looked like they had definitely kissed. She put down her glass, her tone calm: “I’m going to the washroom.”
“Hey Captain Song, the washroom is that way.”
Fang Xin pointed towards the illuminated sign, calling after her.
Song Yuhang snapped back to reality, turned around: “Oh, thanks.”
When she came out of the washroom, another small commotion had erupted on the dance floor. Lin Yan had her arm around a young girl, about fourteen or fifteen, dressed in a waiter’s uniform. Across from them stood the same man who had danced with her earlier.
“Yo, has Miss Lin had a change of heart? Preferring red flowers over green leaves now?”
“I ask you, have you no shame? The girl is so young, you’re old enough to be her father, yet you dare to grope7 her? Aren’t you disgusting?” Lin Yan, emboldened by drink, grabbed a glass from the girl’s tray and splashed it at him.
“Even if I were f%cking blind, I wouldn’t fall for a ‘green leaf’ like you! Green leaf? I spit on you! You’re dog’s tail grass8 at best!”
The man’s face flushed red. He took a step forward, but before he could raise his hand, his arm was grabbed.
“And who are you…”
A short-haired woman with an unfamiliar face.
Song Yuhang pulled open her jacket, revealing a corner of her police ID: “Police.”
The man’s face alternated between green and white. He bypassed Song Yuhang, pointed at Lin Yan, and said, “Fine, fine, Lin Yan, you just wait!”
Before he finished speaking, Song Yuhang had already stepped in front of him, blocking Lin Yan. The man was a head shorter than her, and a shadow instantly fell over him.
In the multicolored lights, her expression held a trace of ice-coldness. The aura of a criminal investigation captain emanated from her. The man ultimately lost his nerve and walked away dejectedly.
Lin Ge followed to see the guest out, smiling courteously. After sending the man out the door, his face instantly filled with contempt: “What trash.”
Business dealings sometimes meant you could only talk business with certain people, not friendship.
As he prepared to go apologize to Lin Yan, he saw her bend over and retch twice, steadied by the girl she had just rescued.
“Jiejie, are you okay?”
Song Yuhang raised an eyebrow slightly, pondering the term of address. Lin Yan wasn’t someone who liked to show off. Or did she know this girl?
Lin Yan leaned on the table, waved her hand, signaling the girl not to worry about her: “Aren’t you… aren’t you…”
She considered the words “picking trash” but decided against saying them with people around, phrasing it differently.
“How come you’re working at Milan?”
“An uncle9 introduced me. Anyway, I go to school during the day and work part-time for four hours at night. In a month, I can make enough for tuition.”
Truly hardworking.
Lin Yan beckoned her over, completely ignoring Song Yuhang as if she were air.
As the girl approached, Lin Yan fished a bank card out of her pocket, tucked it into the girl’s shirt pocket, reached out to straighten her name tag, and smiled enchantingly10.
“Take it. A gift from Jiejie.”
Song Yuhang watched impassively as a blush rose on the girl’s face, her own mouth twitching slightly.
“This… this isn’t right… it’s too much…”
“Take it if I give it to you. Am I short on that little bit of money?” Lin Yan said, then took a glass of whiskey from the girl’s tray, sending her off to work. As they passed each other, Song Yuhang saw two small characters on the girl’s name tag:
Bai Ling11.
That should be her name.
She cleared her throat softly and walked over to Lin Yan’s side: “Underage? Three years minimum, death penalty maximum12, Forensic Doctor Lin.”
“Yo, listen to you. As if coercive intercourse13 involving someone not underage doesn’t carry criminal liability,” Lin Yan swirled the liquor in her glass, a sarcastic smile touching her lips, her tone lukewarm.
“I…” She had intended to make a joke to ease the tension, but was rebuffed by the other’s tepid response.
She really wasn’t suited for cheering up girls.
Song Yuhang rubbed her nose, racking her brains14: “Um, right…”
Before she could finish, Lin Yan caught sight of Lin Ge walking towards them out of the corner of her eye, her smile growing even fainter.
“Officer Song, enjoy yourself. I’m going to find some fun.”
Her glass empty, Lin Yan placed it on the table and walked towards the bar. She wore an off-the-shoulder, hip-hugging leather dress today, swaying gracefully on her high heels. In this bizarre and motley bar, even her retreating figure seemed vibrant and fragrant15.
Duan Cheng spotted her from afar, waving frantically: “Forensic Doctor Lin, over here, over here!”
Song Yuhang watched her walk over and start chatting and laughing with several young colleagues from the police station.
Lin Ge’s voice sounded beside her ear: “What’s wrong with her? Why did she leave? I was just about to have a drink with her.”
Song Yuhang smiled faintly, stepping back slightly: “Maybe she’s still angry.”
Seeing the bruise on her face and Lin Yan’s strange behavior today, even ignoring him, Lin Ge suddenly understood: “That Lin Yan, did she fight with you again?!”
“No, just normal sparring.”
“Normal sparring leaves someone looking like this?” When they first met, his friends were urging him to drink, so he hadn’t paid much attention. Now, looking closer, Song Yuhang’s face clearly had bruises that even makeup couldn’t hide.
Besides Lin Yan, who would dare lay a hand on her? And who could beat her up like this?
“Too much. I’m going to find her.”
“Hey, don’t go—”
Duan Cheng was watching Lin Yan mix drinks. He saw her pick up a shaker, shake it left and right a few times, then show off her skills by tossing it high in the air amidst cheers, catching it smoothly behind her back.
She took a glass from under the bar, wiped the rim with a freshly cut lemon, sprinkled some salt, poured the mixed drink into the glass, and pushed it towards Duan Cheng.
“Here, for you.”
Duan Cheng was ecstatic16: “Lin-jie, Lin-jie, what’s this one called?”
Lin Yan thought for a moment, leaning on the bar, resting her chin on her hand: “Let’s call it ‘Bright Future’.”17
“Wow!!!” The others cheered too: “Lin-jie, I want one too, I want one too!”
“Wait your turn.”
Lin Yan then poured 30ml of vodka into the shaker, carefully poured liqueur down the side of the glass, the bartender handed her several other flavoring liquors, finally added ice, and shook it vigorously, making clinking sounds.
Lin Ge walked over and tapped the counter: “Lin Yan…”
Lin Yan had no time for the two of them: “Get in line if you want a drink.”
She slammed the shaker onto the counter with a ‘thump’, opened the lid, and the aroma of alcohol filled the air.
She took a glass, poured the drink, pushed it to Fang Xin, and even gave her a flirtatious wink: “Fine wine for a fair lady. This one’s called ‘Like a Flower, Fair as Jade’.”18
If Fang Xin hadn’t become immune19 from seeing that face in the office every day, she would have been starry-eyed like the others right now.
Even so, she blushed slightly: “Thanks, Lin-jie.”
After making a “Lose Weight Properly” for Zheng Chengrui, she finally seemed to notice these two people, turning to Lin Ge: “What do you want?”
Then, her gaze shifted to Song Yuhang, carrying a hint of mischief.
“And you?”
“Lin Yan, you know I came to find you…”
“Eh—” Lin Yan cut her off, looking up with a smile that seemed utterly harmless20: “I know what you want. Let me give you a ‘Match Made in Heaven’.”21
She picked up rum and poured it into the shaker, adding vodka and Cointreau. The alcohol content made Duan Cheng scared stiff22.
Lin Yan kept adding until the shaker was almost full: “You must drink this. Consider it a toast from me, your little sister.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Song Yuhang, only to find her looking back.
Their eyes met. Lin Yan turned her gaze away, ultimately swallowing back the words “long and lasting”. “Happy Birthday.”
In front of so many people, accepting was awkward, refusing even more so. Lin Ge hesitated, then reached out and took the glass. Fine, there would be plenty of time to lecture her privately. Lin Yan cared about face, so he’d give her this face.
“Thanks.”
Lin Yan smiled, looking at the last person in the group without a drink, and switched to a large 550ml shaker.
Duan Cheng watched her pour in vodka, white rum, gin, tequila… and several other base liquors he couldn’t name, his teeth chattering.
This… how strong would this be?
Lin Yan’s mixing posture was very attractive. She wasn’t a professional bartender; compared to someone who followed the rules23, she had more carefree flair, occasionally humming along softly to the music’s beat. The lights overhead sprinkled down, making her profile seem somewhat gentle.
However, Song Yuhang knew the drinks she mixed were anything but gentle.
Watching those long fingers tapping against the glass, she spoke: “What’s this drink called?”
She asked this while sitting at the bar. She had also dressed carefully today; her medium-length hair was neatly tucked behind her ears, her eyebrows seemed to have been drawn, less messy, making her whole appearance seem softer.
The powder was applied too thickly, making pores visible, but…
Lin Yan met her eyes, a clear smile within those light brown pupils.
Song Yuhang saw her staring blankly, thought she hadn’t heard clearly, and regardless of what others thought, stood up, leaned slightly closer to her ear: “I asked you, what is this drink called?”
A flush crept up Lin Yan’s ears. She instinctively dodged, already pushing the glass forward: “Lai… Lai Ri Fang Chang.”24
Song Yuhang smiled, caressing the glass: “Nice name, good meaning.”
Lin Yan wanted to bite her own tongue off. Did she have a brain fart25? Really, such a cringey phrase actually came out of her mouth, ptooey ptooey ptooey!
“Hey, don’t drink it, the alcohol content is too high—” Lin Ge was too late to stop her.
Song Yuhang tilted her head back and downed a large gulp, choking and coughing repeatedly, her face flushed red.
Who drinks cocktails like that?
It would be strange if she didn’t get drunk!
Lin Yan pressed her lips together tightly, averted her gaze, struggled internally for a moment, then finally poured a glass of plain water from behind the bar and pushed it towards her.
Song Yuhang didn’t take it, took another sip of the cocktail, covered her mouth, and leaned on the bar, coughing softly. In just that short time, the glass was already more than half empty.
“Don’t…”
Someone spoke even before Lin Ge – it was Lin Yan. She stood up, grabbed Song Yuhang’s wrist, and started pulling her towards the washroom: “Stop drinking! Go throw it up.”
Song Yuhang could barely stand, swaying dizzily from being pulled. She leaned against a table, about to vomit right there.
Lin Yan hauled her up again: “Damn it, hold it in for me26! Puke in the washroom. If you dare dirty my clothes, I’ll make you pay27!”
“Don’t drink if you can’t hold your liquor!”
“Trying to be a hero!”
Lin Yan scolded her as they walked.
Lin Ge, being a man after all, wasn’t as meticulous in his thoughts. He couldn’t exactly follow them into the women’s washroom, could he?
“This… they’ve made up just like that?”
Fang Xin held her glass, watching the two depart, her expression meaningful: “This, perhaps, is what they call ‘fighting is affection, scolding is love’.”
LP: Re-translated on April 16, 2025
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