Cocktail
Lin Ge followed to see the guests off, wearing a welcoming smile. However, as soon as the guests left, he immediately displayed a disdainful expression and said, “What a piece of work.”
In the world of business, some people can only discuss business matters and cannot engage in personal connections.
As he prepared to apologize to Lin Yan, he saw her bend over and vomit twice. She was supported by the girl she had just rescued.
“Sister, are you okay?”
Song Yuhang raised an eyebrow, pondering the address. Lin Yan wasn’t someone who liked to stand out, so did she know this girl?
Lin Yan held onto the table and waved her hand, indicating that the girl didn’t need to worry about her. “You’re not… not…”
The three words “picking up trash” she had thought to say were swallowed back, considering the crowd around. She chose a different way to phrase it.
“Why did you come to Milan to work?”
“It was introduced by an uncle. Anyway, I go to school during the day and work part-time for four hours at night. After a month, I can save up enough for tuition.”
It’s really tough.
Lin Yan waved her hand at her, completely treating Song Yuhang as if she were invisible.
As the girl approached, she reached into her own pocket and pulled out a bank card, stuffing it into the girl’s coat pocket. She reached out to straighten the name tag for her, smiling so enchantingly that it could captivate anyone.
“Take it, a gift from your big sister.”
Song Yuhang remained composed as she watched a blush spread across the girl’s face, a twitch at the corner of her mouth.
“This… this can’t be… it’s too much…”
“If I give it to you, just take it. Am I that short on 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 noticed two small characters on the girl’s name tag:
Bai Ling.
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That should be her name.
She cleared her throat and walked up to Lin Yan. “Minors, starting from three years, up to the death penalty, Dr. Lin.”
“Oh, look at you, as if being a minor means not being criminally responsible for everything,” Lin Yan swirled the drink in her glass, a hint of a mocking smile playing on her lips, her tone neither warm nor cold.
“I… ” She had intended to make a playful remark to ease the tension with Lin Yan, but she found herself met with indifference.
She indeed wasn’t good at cheering up girls.
Song Yuhang touched her nose, racking her brain. “Um, well…”
Before she could finish her sentence, she caught a glimpse of Lin Ge approaching, and Lin Yan’s smile became even more faint.
“Officer Song, have a good time. I’m off to find some fun.”
The glass was now empty, and Lin Yan placed it on the table as she walked toward the bar. Today, she was wearing a shoulder-baring, figure-hugging leather skirt and swaying gracefully in high heels. In this eclectic bar, even her silhouette seemed to come to life.
Duan Cheng spotted her from afar and waved frantically. “Dr. Lin, over here, over here!”
Song Yuhang watched her walk over and engage in lively conversation with some young officers from the police station.
Lin Ge’s voice sounded in her ear, “What’s going on with her? Why did she leave? I just said I wanted to have a drink with her.”
Song Yuhang smiled and kept her distance. “Maybe she’s still upset.”
Looking at the bruises on her face, Lin Yan’s strange behavior today, and the way she was ignoring even him, Lin Ge suddenly realized, “This Lin Yan, did she get into another fight with you?!”
“No, just a normal sparring session.”
“A normal sparring session wouldn’t leave someone looking like this!” When they first met, his friends had urged him to drink, so he hadn’t paid much attention. But now, as he approached, he could clearly see the marks on Song Yuhang’s face, which no makeup could hide.
Who else but Lin Yan would dare to lay hands on her, and who could turn someone into this state?
“This is going too far. I’m going to find her.”
“Hey, don’t go—”
Duan Cheng was watching Lin Yan mix drinks. He saw her pick up the cocktail shaker, giving it a few vigorous shakes, then, as if showcasing her skills, she tossed it high into the air, catching it flawlessly to cheers from the crowd.
She reached under the bar and pulled out a glass, wiped the rim with a fresh-cut lemon, sprinkled some salt, and poured the prepared cocktail into the glass, handing it to Duan Cheng.
“There you go, for you.”
Duan Cheng was ecstatic. “Lin Jie, Lin Jie, what’s this called?”
Lin Yan thought for a moment, leaning on the bar counter with her chin in her hand. “How about ‘Bright Future’?”
“Wow!!!” Others cheered too. “Lin Jie, I want one too!”
“Wait for it.”
Lin Yan poured another 30 milliliters of vodka into the cocktail shaker, carefully poured in some lime juice along the glass rim, and the bartender handed her several other flavored liqueurs. Finally, she added ice cubes and shook it vigorously, creating a clattering sound.
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Lin Ge walked over and tapped the table. “Lin Yan…”
Lin Yan didn’t have time to pay attention to the two of them. “Line up for drinks after me”
She said, slamming the cocktail shaker onto the table, opening the lid, and releasing a fragrant aroma.
She grabbed a glass, poured it in, and handed it to Fang Xin, even tossing a flirtatious glance her way. “Fine wine for a lovely lady, this one’s called ‘Beauty Among Flowers.'”
If it weren’t for Fang Xin seeing her face every day in the office, she would have been as smitten and love-struck as the others, her eyes turning into hearts.
Even so, she blushed slightly. “Thank you, Lin Jie.”
After making a “Stay Fit” cocktail for Zheng Chengrui, it seemed like she finally noticed these two individuals. She turned to Lin Ge and asked, “What would you like to drink?”
Then, she shifted her gaze to Song Yuhang with a slightly mischievous look.
“And you?”
“Lin Yan, you know I came to find you…”
“Eh…” Lin Yan interrupted him, looking up innocently. “I know what you want to drink. Let me offer you a ‘Hundred Years of Harmony.'”
She picked up the rum and poured it into the cocktail shaker, then added vodka and Cointreau, a combination that made Duan Cheng tremble with fear due to its high alcohol content.
Lin Yan kept pouring until the cocktail shaker was almost full. “You must drink this glass,” she said, “consider it a toast from your little sister.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Song Yuhang and noticed that she was also looking at her.
Their eyes met, and Lin Yan redirected her gaze, choosing to hold back the words “long-lasting” that had almost slipped out. Instead, she said, “Happy birthday.”
In front of so many people, he couldn’t refuse. After some thought, Lin Ge reluctantly reached out and accepted the glass. Well, if he wanted to teach her a lesson, there would be plenty of time for that privately. Lin Yan had a strong sense of pride, so he decided to give her this small victory.
“Thank you.”
Lin Yan smiled and looked at the last person in the crowd who didn’t have a drink, then switched to a 550ml large cocktail shaker.
Duan Cheng watched as she poured vodka, white rum, gin, tequila, and several other spirits whose names he couldn’t recall into the shaker. His teeth were chattering.
This… this had to be incredibly strong.
Lin Yan’s cocktail-making posture was quite elegant. She wasn’t a professional bartender, but she had a certain flair that set her apart from the usual conventions. Occasionally, she even hummed along with the rhythm of the music, and the overhead lights cast a gentle glow, making her profile appear even more graceful.
However, Song Yuhang knew that the cocktail she was crafting was anything but gentle.
As she watched those long, slender fingers tap against the glass, she asked, “What’s the name of this cocktail?”
She posed this question while seated at the bar. She had taken care to dress up today, with her medium-length hair neatly tucked behind her ears. It seemed like she had also done her eyebrows, making them less unruly and giving her a softer appearance.
Although her makeup might have been a bit too heavy, it…
Lin Yan met her gaze, and her light brown irises clearly held a smile.
Seeing her in a daze, Song Yuhang thought she hadn’t heard clearly. Regardless of how others might perceive it, she stood up, leaning slightly closer to her ear, and asked, “I’m asking you, what’s the name of this cocktail?”
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Lin Yan’s ears tingled, and she instinctively flinched. She pushed the glass away in her hand, saying, “It’s called ‘A Long Day Ahead.'”
Song Yuhang smiled, toying with the glass. “Not bad, it has a good meaning.”
Lin Yan wished she could bite her own tongue. Had her brain malfunctioned? She couldn’t believe she had uttered such a melodramatic phrase. Ugh, ugh, ugh!
“Hey, don’t drink it. It’s too strong—” Lin Ge was too late to stop her.
Song Yuhang tilted her head back and took a big gulp, which immediately made her cough and turn red in the face.
Who drinks cocktails like this?
Not getting drunk would be strange!
Lin Yan bit her lip, avoiding eye contact. After some inner struggle, she poured a glass of water from under the bar and pushed it towards her.
Song Yuhang didn’t take it, and instead, took another sip of the cocktail. She covered her mouth, leaning on the bar, and started coughing softly. In just a short while, she had already consumed most of the drink.
“Don’t…”
Someone else spoke even earlier than Lin Ge. Lin Yan stood up, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards the restroom. “Don’t drink anymore. Go and vomit.”
Song Yuhang could barely stand, swaying unsteadily, and was about to bend over to vomit, leaning on the table for support.
Lin Yan quickly lifted her up. “Damn it, hold it in. Go to the restroom and vomit. If you dare to dirty my clothes, I’ll make you regret it.”
“You shouldn’t drink if you can’t handle it!”
“Trying to be a hero!”
Lin Yan scolded as she walked.
Lin Ge, being a man, wasn’t as sensitive to details, so he couldn’t possibly follow them into the restroom.
“So… they’ve made up again?”
Fang Xin held her glass, watching the direction the two of them had gone, with a meaningful look. “Well, it’s probably something like ‘fighting is a form of affection.'”