Slightly tipsy
Just a simple touch, a shallow taste.
Even so, the movements of the two are still awkward and tentative, as if it were the first time.
Almost forgetting even the way to breathe, Lin Qing, on the verge of experiencing asphyxia, pushes away Qiao Yu. The latter sighs softly and gently retreats, but her wet eyes can’t help but keep glancing at her.
Physical contact is truly a miraculous thing. Without even going deeper, Lin Qing feels certain unsettled parts in her heart being soothed, like a cat getting stroked from head to tail along its fur.
The side effects are quite evident as well. Lin Qing awkwardly puts on her duckbill cap, lowering the brim, unsure how to continue talking to Qiao Yu with her face flushing red and trying to maintain a cold tone.
She subconsciously licks the corner of her lips, tasting not only the salty bitterness of Qiao Yu’s tears but also another intriguing flavor.
“Have you been drinking?”
In the midst of confusion, a hint of alertness arises within her. Lin Qing raises her head, furrowing her brows slightly.
“… With whom did you drink? Doesn’t that person know you can’t handle alcohol?”
To her surprise, the person in question seems even more puzzled than her. Tilted head, she earnestly reply to her.
“I didn’t drink. I’m very careful; I only had juice.”
“No, you definitely drank.”
With a tone of certainty, Lin Qing sighed helplessly, realizing that even Qiao Yu’s previous unstable emotional fluctuations had found a catalyst in this situation.
“…”
Just like how someone who is drunk often claims they are not, although Qiao Yu didn’t stubbornly argue back, her expression clearly did not fully accept Lin Qing’s statement, appearing somewhat aggrieved.
“Qingqing, why are you so sure that I drank? I am perfectly sober now—”
“If you’re sober, then don’t shout recklessly.”
The mood that had just calmed down was easily stirred up again. Lin Qing couldn’t help but reach out and cover Qiao Yu’s cheeks with her hands, trying to stop her from saying anything more with that unguarded mouth. Qiao Yu’s forced pout was somewhat cute, and she didn’t attempt to speak, only obediently blinking at her.
The next sentence, “Don’t act so familiar,” remained stuck in her throat and couldn’t come out. Lin Qing withdrew her hand in frustration, no longer wanting to deal with this drunken person.
Why was she so certain? Of course, it was because she had tasted the alcohol.
But can she say those words?
(Originally translated on littlepandatranslations.com, let's go!)
Lin Qing’s face flushed again, she shamefully lowered her head, but Qiao Yu, who had regained her freedom, didn’t stay silent honestly. Instead, she amicably nodded and said,
“Alright, then I must have had some alcohol, not very sober, listening to Qingqing.”
“…My statement didn’t mean you could call me that when you’re not sober.”
Almost about to burst into laughter at her, Lin Qing couldn’t help but cover her forehead, looking at the confused Qiao Yu. Suddenly, she felt that now was not the right time to be angry.
After all, who kisses someone and then reverts to a cold demeanor with a single rebuke, especially towards Qiao Yu, who had been drinking?
The night breeze blew, and the September wind was starting to feel chilly. Lin Qing subconsciously tightened her clothes, which Qiao Yu, being observant, noticed.
“Are you cold?” She hurriedly approached but hesitated to touch Lin Qing, expressing her concern, “I just felt earlier that your lips seemed a bit cold—”
“Enough, Qiao Yu.”
Qiao Yu, under the influence, had an unparalleled level of frankness compared to usual, making it challenging for Lin Qing to handle. Fortunately, she still listened to Lin Qing; after a reprimand, she fell silent, looking at Lin Qing eagerly. She seemed to be in better condition than before, with her tears now dried up, looking more spirited. However, her every move and gesture seemed to exude a sense of caution.
“From now on, let’s not mention what happened earlier.”
“What happened earlier… do you mean the kiss?”
Looking at it from a different perspective, there were some benefits to having her drink a bit, such as her straightforwardness being elevated to a whole new level. Issues that she would normally keep to herself and ponder over were now blurted out impulsively.
Lin Qing was close to becoming furious from embarrassment. She shot her a glare before turning away. She could hear the person behind her sounding visibly flustered, hesitating to speak, as if wanting to say something but not daring to voice it.
“I’m going to find a warmer place.”
Her initially cold demeanor had softened, causing Lin Qing to feel frustrated at her inability to act tough. After hesitating several times, she added the next sentence.
“Whether you want to come along is up to you.”
No matter how you listened to this sentence, it sounded like a childish argument. As soon as the words left her mouth, Lin Qing regretted it and quickly walked away.
But upon hearing footsteps cautiously following her, she breathed a sigh of relief.
When talking about finding a warmer place, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Lin Qing passed by a brightly lit neon sign with the words “Hotel” written in large letters, and she unnaturally quickened her pace.
Rejecting other options like dessert shops or cafes where they could have some privacy, Lin Qing ultimately led Qiao Yu into a bustling fast food restaurant. They calmly chose a spot near the entrance where people passed by frequently.
If asked why, it was because Lin Qing’s danger radar was frantically warning her.
Whether it was over-confidence or lack of confidence, Lin Qing had an inexplicable conviction: being alone with Qiao Yu in this situation would likely lead to an awkward atmosphere and an uncertain relationship, spiraling out of control.
“Do you want to eat something?”
Although this noisy place was not ideal for conversation, in a sense, it provided an added layer of security. Lin Qing pretended to look at the menu display, casting a sidelong glance at Qiao Yu seated across from her.
The impeccably dressed girl seemed out of place in this setting, attracting a lot of attention. Qiao Yu, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable as she tugged at her tie, oblivious to her surroundings.
However, her slightly tipsy attempt to loosen the tie lacked finesse and only made it tighten further. Lin Qing’s eyes subtly drifted over to that stubborn knot, fingers moving, then clenching into a fist, silently watching as Qiao Yu eventually gave up trying to undo it.
“…I want something cold to drink.”
Qiao Yu, dejected, lowered her head, then immediately perked up with a start, blocking Lin Qing’s path to the ordering counter. In a stuttering manner, she volunteered, “I’ll go order, Qingqing, what would you like?”
Her intentions to impress were now blatantly obvious.
Without exposing her, Lin Qing thought for a moment, leaned back in her chair, and politely smiled at her.
“Then hot lemon black tea it is,” Lin Qing paused and added, “Two cups.”
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
“…”
Qiao Yu remained silent, but even in her current foggy state of mind, she understood the implied meaning behind Lin Qing’s words.
Looking pitifully at Lin Qing for a few moments, she realized that the other party had no intention of changing the order. In the end, she obediently placed the order, returned to the table dejectedly with two cups of hot tea, and under Lin Qing’s gentle gaze, she obediently picked up one cup and started drinking.
“So, I still have some questions that I didn’t finish earlier, let’s continue,” without giving Qiao Yu another chance to bring up that incident, Lin Qing preemptively spoke, “Even at this time, the banquet shouldn’t be over yet, right?”
“As the protagonist of the banquet, why did you come outside?”
Casually fiddling with the rim of the paper cup, she suddenly stopped when she heard the voice across from her.
“Because I wanted to find you.”
Even though Lin Qing knew Qiao Yu wouldn’t lie now, she couldn’t help but glance at her, confirming that it wasn’t just empty words. After taking a sip of the lemon black tea, she spoke again.
“…Why did you come looking for me now? You didn’t think of finding me before the banquet.”
“No, I—”
As Qiao Yu started to speak, she became flustered, trying to succinctly explain the whole situation. She kept repeating “I didn’t mean to” and “I thought you all forgot about me” until she noticed Lin Qing’s slightly darkened expression and slowly fell silent.
“Qiao Yu.”
There was a hint of disappointment in her voice, making Qiao Yu uneasy. She straightened her back, waiting for Lin Qing’s next words.
“If I truly had completely forgotten about you, what would you do?”
There was no emotion in her words or her gaze, just a calm tone. Qiao Yu involuntarily avoided Lin Qing’s eyes, hesitating whether to speak out the words on the tip of her tongue.
Lin Qing didn’t urge her, only quietly observing her, unconsciously tightening her grip on the paper cup.
The stalemate was broken by Qiao Yu’s ringing phone.
Startled, Qiao Yu hastily took out her phone and saw that it was Cong Ye calling.
Confused, Qiao Yu turned the phone screen towards Lin Qing and received a nod of approval before answering the call.
“Hello! Qiao Yu! Caught red-handed!”
As soon as she picked up, she heard a deliberately hushed voice filled with tension. Qiao Yu furrowed her brows in confusion, unable to respond before the rapid-fire explanation continued from the other end.
“Anyway, Uncle has already found out that you’re not at the hotel! Mi Yi is still stalling him, but it won’t last long. Should we coordinate our stories? Right now, we’re saying you went out for some fresh air, but Uncle is clearly suspicious—”
“Coordinate our stories?”
A faintly heard voice of a middle-aged man sounded puzzled on the other end of the call, followed by Cong Ye making a sound like a cat being choked. Qiao Yu heard a chaotic exchange on the other end of the line, then a sudden silence.
“Ahem. Is it Yuyu?”
This time, Qiao Yu heard Father Qiao’s voice in her ears, full of confusion. Her alcohol-addled brain couldn’t quite grasp what had just happened, so she instinctively responded with a vague sound, hearing Father Qiao let out a sigh of relief.
“Why did you run out midway? Didn’t even tell your dad.”
“Um, it’s nothing, Dad—” As Qiao Yu uttered these words, she suddenly felt something was amiss. Turning her head, she indeed saw Lin Qing’s face filled with shock. In her flustered state, she accidentally bit her tongue, causing her to inhale sharply in pain. Nevertheless, she hastily patched up her words, “Dad, why are you holding Cong Ye’s phone?”
In reality, the answer to this question was irrelevant. It was just crucial not to let any misunderstanding arise from her addressing Cong Ye as “Dad.”
In this strange situation, being obstinate felt like she was at a loss. Qiao Yu could only focus on these matters, absentmindedly listening to Father Qiao stating that he heard her talking to Cong Ye – sensing that her accomplice was enduring some difficulty.
After Father Qiao rambled on for a while, he returned to the main point, sternly asking, “What were you doing? Where are you now?”
Qiao Yu had no idea where she was; she was just following Lin Qing. She could answer the previous question at least. She glanced at Lin Qing again, who had a peculiar expression, seemingly holding back a laugh at the previous blunder.
(Support me at littlepandatranslations.com)
This was perhaps the softest expression Qiao Yu had seen from Lin Qing that night, melting her heart. She smiled with squinted eyes.
“I went to find Lin Qing.”
As she finished speaking, she noticed Lin Qing pause for a moment, her attention suddenly drawn towards her. Lin Qing’s gaze, however, was evasive, as she lifted the paper cup to her lips, covering the lower half of her face.
“Ah, your classmate back then… right, I remember now.”
“Why did you suddenly want to find her in the middle of the banquet? Even if she wasn’t invited this time, you could meet her anytime.”
“To nurture a relationship, one mustn’t rush into things. Let me tell you, Qiao Yu, friendships require a steady and enduring flow—”
Father Qiao continued mumbling to himself for a while before finally bringing Qiao Yu’s attention back. She hadn’t paid much heed to his earlier words, but upon catching the last sentence, she instinctively interrupted him.
“We’re not friends.”
Qiao Yu’s voice was serious and candid, correcting a misconception as if it were a basic math error, without hesitation.
“She’s my girlfriend.”
“…!”
Before the reaction from the other end of the phone could be heard, the person sitting across from her stood up in panic.
Seemingly absent-minded, a dull sound resonated as the tea cup was placed on the table. Lin Qing, who had always been attentive to etiquette, seemed too preoccupied to notice this. Her expression now was one of unguarded shock, looking at Qiao Yu with a mix of emotions.
Startled by her sudden movement, Qiao Yu was momentarily speechless. She raised her head, gazing at Lin Qing in a daze for a moment before a look of realization crossed her face.
Then, her expressions shifted back and forth like a battle of emotions. After a considerable moment of hesitation, she reluctantly spoke again with a serious tone.
“I… I misspoke just now. She’s not my girlfriend… she’s my, ex-girlfriend.”
The other end of the phone had fallen silent, but Qiao Yu’s wounded heart couldn’t care less about that now. She felt that she didn’t have the mood to continue talking to Father Qiao. She vaguely remembered saying a couple of words to comfort him, something about coming home by herself later, before abruptly hanging up the phone without waiting for a response.
The extinguished phone screen reflected her gloomy and dejected face. Qiao Yu stared at it for a while, feeling worse the longer she looked.
Her mind’s system seemed to have sucked in a breath in shock, as it was shouting something at the top of its lungs, causing Qiao Yu to feel even more restless. She quickly stopped it from speaking. The system continued murmuring in fear, but Qiao Yu felt her head buzzing and throbbing.
Feeling overwhelmed and blaming herself, Qiao Yu shook her head vigorously to break free from the emotional turmoil. She turned to think about the situation at hand.
What to do? She had instinctively referred to Lin Qing as her girlfriend just now— and Lin Qing had just said she hadn’t forgiven her yet. Was she being presumptuous and offensive? No wonder Lin Qing got up angrily, looking visibly upset.
Feeling even more despondent, she slowly collected her phone before daring to look at Lin Qing. However, she was trembling in fear.
…It was all over. The current expression on Lin Qing’s face made it feel like an Arctic bear was sitting next to her, about to yell coldly.