Chapter 172: A Few Things About the Dinner Gathering (3)

At those words, the man bent over in a half bow slowly lifted his head, his handsome face flushing a bright red.

Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, and there was a faint look of pain at the corners of his eyes and brows.

Ji Yueniang walked over with concern. Even from dozens of steps away, she could smell a strong stench of alcohol.

Her delicate brows furrowed. “You’ve been drinking?”

Jiang Chi let out a drunken hiccup, his face rosy. “No… no problem! Just drank a bit with my father while entertaining a client, got a little drunk, I’ll be fine after I throw up.”

“How much did you drink?”

“A bottle of red wine, half a bottle of beer, half a bottle of baijiu. The client likes mixing drinks.”

“…”

Ji Yueniang fell silent.

That drinking capacity… really has plenty of room for improvement.

She helped him sit down on a public bench by the fountain, and her small hand gently patted the man’s back, trying to comfort him a bit.

“Jiang Chi, your alcohol tolerance needs work. Back before my gender swap, I could drink red wine, beer, or even go for it straight from the case.”

“And now?” The drunk man asked.

“Mm… three bottles.”

The short-haired queen awkwardly touched her nose, only to feel two hands suddenly wrapping around her waist. A faint scent of tulips mixed with alcohol drifted over as a blurry, handsome face drew close. “Ji Yueniang, you smell nice.”

Ji Yueniang’s face twitched. She gave the man a push. “Go away, I’m not gay, I have no interest in you.”

“Me neither.”

Breathing in the faint mint fragrance on the short-haired queen, Jiang Chi’s muddled mind flashed with a moment of clarity, but it was soon drowned out by drunkenness. “Let me smell you.”

He leaned in closer. “Ji Yueniang, can I get a hug?”

The warm breath he exhaled brushed over the short-haired queen’s neck, making her shrink her neck, a few streaks of red creeping up her fair neck. “Um… um… Jiang Chi, I’m a real man.”

“I know. I just want a hug. You remind me of her, you have her scent.”

“You said you would make it up to me.”

Ji Yueniang still hesitated, her heart fiercely struggling. But when she heard Jiang Chi’s last words, it was as if something fiercely tugged at her heart. She clenched her teeth, closed her eyes, and gently leaned forward.

The man’s arms hugged her waist, resting his chin on her slim, pale shoulder. His breathing grew heavier, as if the whole world had faded away, leaving only the two of them.

“Mmm…” A wave of warm, wetness slid slowly from the back of her neck, mingled with stifled sobs. “Ji Yueniang, I hate you so much. It’s you who made me lose her, made me lose that girl I loved so deeply—and who loved me in return.”

His voice trembled, carrying endless pain and conflict. “But I can’t hate you, because you are her, you are the girl I like, you are ‘Ji Qingchan.'”

At these words, Ji Yueniang fell silent, the air seeming to freeze.

Only that small hand that had been lightly patting his back quickened its pace, as if to deliver even more comfort.

She, of course, referred to ‘Ji Qingchan,’ the idealized anima Ji Yueniang had once fantasized about in the depths of her heart—Jiang Chi’s virtual girlfriend.

Once, Ji Yueniang had curiously asked Jiang Chi if he was the sort who believed in “one love for a lifetime,” and now, she had her answer.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I know my apology is pale and powerless, but I really will make it up to you.”

“Jiang Chi, pull yourself together. If you say I’m ‘Ji Qingchan,’ then I am ‘Ji Qingchan.’ I hope you recover—and that means ‘Ji Qingchan’ wants you to move on, too.”

“It’ll pass, it’ll all pass. In the future, you’ll meet girls better than me, better than ‘Ji Qingchan.’ Time will heal the wounds of your soul…”

Ji Yueniang kept saying comforting words, but inside, she’d never felt such guilt. Her heart was being yanked by an invisible hand, suspended in mid-air, unable to go up or down, so uncomfortable she could hardly breathe.

She’d thought that, after being emotionally betrayed, Jiang Chi would be like his group of lackeys who’d been dumped by their girlfriends: a few drinks, a round of cursing the ex, and the next day, full of energy as ever.

But who would’ve guessed…

Sigh.

After a long, long while, the sobbing slowly died away, fading to silence.

Ji Yueniang kept patting his back. Jiang Chi raised his head, opened his eyes, and looked at Ji Yueniang. His eyes were still red, lashes shimmering with tears.

“Sorry, I lost control again.” His voice was hoarse, the turmoil in his emotions clearly audible.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Crying more helps vent your feelings.”

“Honestly, I’m the one who owes you. You… never mind, as long as it’s not about that thing in bed, I can make it up to you for anything else.”

“I, Ji Yueniang, never owe anyone a favor!”

With that, Ji Yueniang pounded her chest hard—only to feel that soft area, making her a little embarrassed.

When the alcohol wore off a little and he could stand steadily, Jiang Chi went to the pool and washed his face, once again returning to that clean, cool, and aloof god-like appearance.

“Ji Yueniang, give me a hug.” Suddenly, Jiang Chi’s low, slightly despondent yet yearning voice sounded in the silence.

Ji Yueniang was stunned for a second, then quickly stepped forward, opened her arms, and gave Jiang Chi a light hug. After a brief embrace, she let go again.

Watching the man’s silhouette grow distant, until it disappeared from sight, a trace of guilt flickered in Ji Yueniang’s eyes.

She tilted her head slightly, glanced at the rippling pond beside her, then moved her gaze to a smooth, round pebble on the ground. Bending down, she was just about to pick up the stone and skip it across the water to vent her tangled emotions.

Just then, a girl’s voice, clear with surprise and barely-suppressed excitement, rang out behind her.

“Yueniang-gege, do you like men?”

Ji Yueniang’s body jolted at the sound. She quickly turned around and saw a delicate, petite face appear in her vision. In the dark grove, a girl walked lightly toward her.

Meng Mengtu had also keenly noticed his shocked reaction. She blinked those clear eyes, like mountain springs, sparkling with barely-hidden excitement—Ji Yueniang was all too familiar with that kind of look.

It was the same look her mom would get when binge-watching BL dramas and shipping couples.

“When did you get here?”

“Just when that guy was asking Yueniang-gege for a hug.” As she spoke, Meng Mengtu proudly waved her phone, a sly glint flashing in her eyes.

“Yueniang-gege, you don’t want Haotong-ge and the others to find out you’ve come out of the closet, do you?”

Ji Yueniang couldn’t help cursing silently: Damn!

But on her face, she forced a fawning smile. “Sister Meng, is there anything I can do for you?”

“Let me think.” Meng Mengtu tilted her head, pretending to ponder, then, as if offhandedly, said, “Haotong-ge has been avoiding me lately…”

“Got it!” Ji Yueniang replied without hesitation.

“From now on, I’m your wingman!”