Su Yao thought for a long time afterward, but in the end, she stepped out the door, standing on the street, letting the cold wind sweep past her as she walked slowly forward.
It was 6:40 p.m., and the sky had long since darkened. The shop signs along the street were all lit up, and this was a bustling commercial area with all sorts of stores, naturally drawing a large crowd. The sounds of laughter and chatter filled the air, but the world’s liveliness had nothing to do with Su Yao.
Her mind was entirely focused on counting the tiles on the ground.
The tactile paving tiles were spaced half a meter apart, and she walked along them, counting as she went. Sometimes her mind would falter, and she’d lose track of her count, forcing her to start over. When someone approached her from ahead, Su Yao hurriedly stepped aside.
It was a group of several people, walking shoulder-to-shoulder in a row. Su Yao furrowed her brow slightly.
She was a little annoyed.
What’s so impressive about taking up the whole sidewalk? If they were really bold, they’d go block the main road!
But annoyed as she was, she wouldn’t say anything. Just as she was about to keep walking, she spotted a milk tea shop. Her lips pursed slightly. She hadn’t felt it before, but seeing the shop’s sign made her mouth feel dry.
So, she bought a cup of lemonade, sipping it as she walked. The sweet-tart flavor brought a satisfied smile to her face.
Passing by a stall selling jianbing guozi, the savory aroma tempted her to try it, but seeing the crowd gathered around, she immediately abandoned the idea.
With so many people, she didn’t even dare speak up to place an order.
Instead, she went to a less crowded stall and bought a grilled sausage stick. After nibbling it down, her once pink, delicate lips now glistened with oil.
Tossing the skewer and finishing the last sip of her lemonade, she threw the cup into a trash bin and continued her leisurely stroll. Up ahead was a certain entertainment city, where the crowd of young people grew denser, hanging out in groups of three or five. People like Su Yao, wandering alone, were rare, and she hadn’t seen a single other girl walking solo so far.
Well, it made sense. Why would someone without friends come to a place like this to stroll?
But there were such people—she herself was one, wasn’t she?
Su Yao noticed occasional glances directed her way, some people sizing her up before laughing and chatting with their friends. She had no interest in hearing what they were saying and quickened her pace. Following the map Yun Qing had sent her on her phone, it took her over ten minutes to finally find the place.
She had never been to this entertainment city before, only hearing its name mentioned in passing by classmates.
Su Yao stood not far from the KTV’s entrance. Just as she was about to head over, three couples came out, startling her. She immediately turned around, pretending she was about to leave. When she glanced back after walking a bit farther, the couples were gone, and Su Yao let out a sigh of relief.
In her mind, she silently cheered herself on: Su Yao, you’ve got this!
Then she walked toward the KTV’s entrance.
Before reaching the door, she had convinced herself her resolve was firm enough to push through like a charging warrior. But when she actually stood before the door, her hands faltered.
If she went in alone like this, what would the people inside think of her?
Ugh, that feeling—it was mortifying…
Suppressing the panicked expression on her face, Su Yao still reached out with a slightly trembling hand. At that moment, she thought, If only someone else were going in right now, I could slip in behind them and avoid all those stares…
Just as she gripped the door handle, took a deep breath, and prepared to push, the door was pulled open from the inside. As the black glass door slowly swung open, Su Yao’s scalp tingled. She hurriedly let go, stepped back, and turned her head, pretending she was just about to enter.
This time, a striking woman stepped out, dressed more for style than warmth. Su Yao stole a glance before subtly shifting her gaze away. Just as she was about to seize the chance to slip inside, the woman spoke.
“Hi, are you Yao Su?”
Su Yao’s foot froze mid-step. She knew the woman was addressing her, but it took a moment to register that “Yao Su” was her name.
The woman covered her mouth, chuckling softly.
“Yao-meimei, right? I saw you pacing back and forth out here a few times without coming in…”
Cough, cough… “You… you didn’t… come out to get me, did you?”
Su Yao choked on her own breath. It dawned on her belatedly that the black door allowed people inside to see out. That meant all her earlier actions had been observed by this woman, who likely knew who she was from the start but had watched her flounder foolishly outside.
How mean! Truly, she and Yun Qing were cut from the same cloth!
In that instant, Su Yao felt a flush of embarrassment, her forehead breaking out in a fine sweat.
“Yao-meimei is so adorable,” the woman teased, then took Su Yao’s hand. “Come on, I’ll take you inside.”
Yao or Su, same pronunciation anyway, but being called “meimei” wasn’t something Su Yao liked. Still, there was nothing she could do about it—she wasn’t bold enough to punch someone for it. Glancing at the woman’s tall, elegant figure, Su Yao thought to herself with a touch of resignation.
As she followed along, Su Yao glanced down at her chest. Why do I only grow here and not in height? She was barely over 1.6 meters.
Please, heavens, no more filling up here—give me some height instead!
Lost in her random thoughts, she soon found herself at the door of a private room.
When Su Yao saw the two towering men in suits standing like pine trees, she froze.
“Don’t be scared of them,” the woman said. “They’re Hua-jiejie’s bodyguards. Without her permission, no one gets in. Later, they’ll drive us home, so even if you get blackout drunk, someone will carry you.”
Su Yao nodded, both surprised and reassured by the explanation.
Bringing two bodyguards to a drinking party? Impressive.
She glanced at the imposing bodyguards, both built like oxen and so tall that Su Yao felt she could only reach their knees even if she jumped. With these two gatekeepers standing on either side, no one would dare cause trouble.
While the bodyguards made her feel safe, Su Yao suddenly worried she might not be able to leave once she went in. A flicker of retreat crossed her mind, but she was already here, and the woman wasn’t about to let her go. Grabbing Su Yao’s wrist, she pulled her inside.
Su Yao knew she probably couldn’t escape. Thinking Wang Jing was inside and nothing bad should happen, she half-reluctantly followed.
Inside, she saw a completely drunk Wang Jing, swaying unsteadily, clutching a banana as if it were a microphone and earnestly singing an off-key song.
Su Yao had never been particularly interested in music. Aside from occasionally listening to a few songs that suited her taste, she knew little about it.
She had no idea what Wang Jing was singing, but it seemed… rather heartfelt?
“Li-zi’s back! Without you, Qing-er was about to lose it.”
Besides Wang Jing, there were four others in the room. The first to catch Su Yao’s eye was Hua Mingye, who looked utterly out of place in her plain, pristine attire, like a white lotus. Her expression was calm and approachable, yet she was the organizer of this gathering.
There were also two short-haired girls and Yun Qing, the class monitor, sprawled on the couch with her belly exposed.
Seeing Yun Qing’s slightly rounded, pale belly and the mischievous hands of the two short-haired girls, Su Yao was dumbfounded. What was going on?
Was Yun Qing pregnant?!
Still reeling from shock, the tall woman nicknamed Li-zi laughed and pulled Su Yao to sit down. Su Yao instinctively sat up straight, head lowered, like a model student in class.
“Yao-meimei, introduce yourself so everyone can get to know you,” Li-zi said with a smile, resting a hand on Su Yao’s shoulder.
“Uh, I’m Su… Yao Su, from the same school as Yun Qing,” Su Yao said with a shy smile, her hands nervously clenched into fists inside her sleeves.
“I can’t drink anymore, waaa…”
Right after she spoke, Yun Qing, who had been quiet, suddenly burst into tears, prompting giggles from the two short-haired girls.
“Qing-er’s belly is so full it looks like she’s got a baby in there!”
“Take a picture! We’ll tease her with it when she sobers up.”
One pulled out her phone while the other playfully patted Yun Qing’s stomach. They even turned to Su Yao politely.
“Yao-meimei, want to feel it? It’s nice and soft.”
“…”
Is this how you guys have fun? Su Yao was stunned again, but seeing Yun Qing, who’d been so smug before, now reduced to this state, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Weren’t you all high and mighty before? Now who’s the little sister?
Hua Mingye spoke up to rein them in. “Alright, you two, go easy. Don’t hurt her.”
“Waaa…” Yun Qing kept crying, trying to crawl into Hua Mingye’s arms, but the effort made her stomach ache, and she gave up.
Hua Mingye gently patted her head, and Yun Qing quieted down.
Su Yao watched their interactions silently, a question forming in her mind.
Is this what a girls’ night out is like?
The muffled sound of the speakers, the air-conditioned, enclosed space, and the lingering smell of alcohol filled the room.
It was hot…
“Take off your jacket. Aren’t you warm in all that?” Li-zi suggested.
“Oh, okay…”
Without thinking, Su Yao shed her coat, revealing a maroon sweater underneath. It was an old piece, slightly tight, meant to downplay her figure, but it only accentuated her curves instead.
Li-zi’s eyes nearly popped out. Su Yao’s chest was practically unrivaled in the room, save for Hua Mingye. Feeling a pang of envy, Li-zi subtly shifted half a seat away.
“Wow, Yao-meimei, what a figure!” the two short-haired girls exclaimed, openly appraising her. Su Yao, unused to such attention, crossed her arms over her chest.
No looking!
“Yao-meimei’s a bit shy, huh? Here, have a drink,” Li-zi said, her eyes gleaming as she poured a full glass and handed it to Su Yao. “One drink, and you’ll loosen up. Look at Qing-er—she used to be so reserved, but after learning to drink, she’s a different person.”
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