Chapter 16: The Bar

Zhou Hui’s words fell like a stone into a still lake.

Ji Huaqing looked at Gu Yining. Only when Gu Yining turned her eyes toward her did she realize, a beat too late, that her gaze had been too bold.

She lowered her head to cover it up, her long fingers gripping the edge of the phone, veins standing out on the back of her hand, betraying her nerves.

Gu Yining glanced at her, then looked away, a smile blooming at the corner of her mouth. “Everything I said that night was true. Why won’t you believe me?”

“Pull out your own graduation photo. Look at me in it, then look at her. What enormous sin did I commit, that time has singled me out alone?”

Zhou Hui’s voice over the phone was hoarse. Just from the sound of it, you could tell how unhinged she was getting.

Gu Yining smiled. “If you don’t believe me, let her and Ningning do a DNA test. How’s that?”

“Are you for real? Are you going to dig up a Ji-family relative for me? You’ve got money and looks. Find someone else, won’t you? Your company has so many internet celebrities—every one of them knockout gorgeous.”

Zhou Hui was walking the edge of a meltdown.

Gu Yining was still smiling, pleased. “It’s true, Teacher Zhou. Trust me. I haven’t done anything illegal. She really is Ji Huaqing. When I get back, I’ll host and you two can talk properly.”

“I refuse.”

“Why?”

“I just refuse! I don’t believe she’s Ji Huaqing!”

“Because she’s young? Because her skin is nice?”

Zhou Hui hung up abruptly.

Song Mingyao in the front seat laughed until she couldn’t breathe. In the rearview mirror, she caught her boss’s smug, languid face. “Even if you explain like that, Teacher Zhou won’t listen.”

“Forget her. She’s my teacher, not my student. I don’t have to manage her.” Gu Yining arched a long brow, the tail of her words rising, stressing the words “teacher” and “student” as if to remind Ji Huaqing of something.

Her eyes held a shallow smile—beautiful and cold.

She looked at Ji Huaqing. “Explain it to her yourself. She’s gone crazy now. Say she’s old to her face, and she’ll fight you to the death.”

“I understand.” Ji Huaqing avoided her gaze, looked down, opened the screen, found the green app, tapped the recommendation, and sent a friend request.

Gu Yining watched her work, a look of pleasure rising in her eyes. “You have to add a note, or she’s so busy she won’t accept.”

Saying this, Gu Yining took Ji Huaqing’s wrist, tapped back, re-sent the request, and typed a note: 【I am Ji Huaqing】.

Done, she withdrew her hand, leaned lazily back, and turned her gaze to the computer screen.

Ji Huaqing didn’t look at her. She stared nervously at her own screen, but no response came.

“Is the internet bad?” Ji Huaqing fiddled with her phone.

“It’s not the internet. She doesn’t want to accept. She doesn’t believe you.” Gu Yining kept her lips curved in a faint smile.

Back in their school days, Ji Huaqing’s class had always ranked first in Chinese. Zhou Hui, refusing to accept it, had made her class compete for first in math too.

But Ji Huaqing’s class was an arts-and-humanities class! A humanities class fighting a science class for first in math?

Was that possible?

Zhou Hui went on shouting about winning first, encouraging the students, even promising that if they placed first, KFC was on her, pick whatever you want.

Gu Yining laughed endlessly, lolling against the seat back, her smile cold and beautiful, her long neck slowly flushing pink.

Ji Huaqing felt uneasy under her laughter.

A faint light softened Ji Huaqing’s form. She’d meant to look away, but something seemed to stick, pulling her gaze back to Gu Yining’s face.

She understood Zhou Hui’s concern. The Gu Yining before her was beautiful and wealthy. Ji Huaqing looked like someone scheming to get close to Gu Yining for her money.

She lowered her head. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She looked at once—Zhou Hui had accepted the request.

Zhou Hui: 【Has Gu Yining brainwashed you?】

Ji Huaqing: 【Between you and Du Li, you fell first. She was your student when you were a tutor in college.】

Gu Yining, curious, leaned over to look and laughed again.

A loose strand of hair brushed Ji Huaqing’s neck. Her heart trembled, but the phone vibrated again.

Zhou Hui: 【Gu Yining is pretty, and she’s rich. But inside that gorgeous shell lives a complete lunatic. Coming this close to her under Ji Huaqing’s name—you’ll fall off a cliff and smash every bone in your body.】

A quick glance, and the other side retracted the message.

“You can retract messages?” Ji Huaqing was impressed. Modern technology was so good—sent messages could be taken back.

“Mm.”

That low tone made Ji Huaqing look up. She suddenly found herself eye-to-eye with Gu Yining, mere inches away. She saw the emotion in those dark eyes—like a raging storm.

Ji Huaqing thought: Zhou Hui called her a lunatic, so she was angry.

This Gu Yining—cold, ruthless, untouchable—was she still the Gu Yining who used to hug her and act spoiled?

She remembered her own cat. In her arms, it was a soft, boneless ball. But when it left her and faced other cats, it turned vicious. Yet the moment she appeared, it became a paper tiger that burst at a poke.

Zhou Hui’s chat showed “typing…” but no message came for a long time.

The car was terrifyingly quiet.

Suddenly, Song Mingyao in the front spoke up: “Sister Gu, Teacher Ji, what’s for dinner?”

Gu Yining said, “I have plans with Pei Yirou tonight. She says we’re going to a bar—Ten Li of Jianghuai.”

Ten Li of Jianghuai was a bar on the Huai River. The Huai River wrapped around half of Hang City, and this bar’s business had always been booming. It was a famous influencer bar.

At the mention of a bar, Ji Huaqing frowned.

Seeing her reaction in the rearview mirror, Song Mingyao quickly offered an emergency solution: “Teacher Ji, should you come along?”

“No.” Ji Huaqing refused.

Song Mingyao rushed to persuade: “I really think you should come. Miss Pei can be crazy—Sister Gu might not be able to handle her.”

Gu Yining, typing, paused, and instinctively looked at the rearview mirror. “Speak clearly. What kind of ‘can’t handle’? Song Mingyao, don’t cause misunderstandings.”

“I—Teacher Ji, I mean Miss Pei gets wild when she plays. It has nothing to do with Sister Gu—she doesn’t play around. But when Miss Pei drinks too much, she gets out of control. You’re the elder; your presence will keep things in check.” Song Mingyao gulped, explaining for all she was worth, winking at the mirror. “Don’t misunderstand. I can keep explaining.”

“No need. I have no interest in bars.” Ji Huaqing responded coldly.

Gu Yining laughed. “Teacher Ji, look it up on Baidu yourself, see what a bar looks like these days. You think it’s still the bar from fifteen years ago?”

Another lesson learned.

Blushing, Ji Huaqing felt around the screen, found an app called “Baidu,” and dutifully searched.

In the end, Ji Huaqing said nothing more.

The car stopped steadily at the police station. Song Mingyao watched the two go in, then collapsed exhaustedly into the driver’s seat.

The registration officer took the documents and quickly handled the new household registration booklet. “The ID card will take a few days. Here’s a temporary ID card. Also…”

She paused and smiled at the two beautiful women. “If we summon you, come immediately. Ji Huaqing, you’re the first to leave successfully, so cherish this opportunity. We will do our best to arrange your lives. Don’t talk recklessly, don’t wander, don’t spread rumors. Understood?”

“Understood.” Gu Yining answered for her. “I’ll take responsibility for her affairs. Rest assured.”

“Good. I wish you both a happy life.” The officer pulled the new household registration booklet from under the printer and handed it to Gu Yining.

Gu Yining looked at the brand-new booklet, a little dazed. Ji Huaqing, more composed than she was, took it calmly.

Ji Huaqing clutched the household registration booklet, waves churning in her chest. After a pause, she asked, “What about them?”

“I don’t know.” The officer offered a proper smile.

Ji Huaqing took the hint and didn’t ask again, offering her sincere thanks.

They left the police station. The June sun was fierce, blinding. Stepping out of an air-conditioned room was like walking into a furnace.

The road was filled with traffic, flowing like water, every current breathing with vitality.

Standing on this road of modern technology, Ji Huaqing suppressed her panic. Beside her, Gu Yining looked down at the never-more-new booklet and asked, “Teacher Ji, do you appear on my household registration, or do I appear on yours?”

“Is there a difference?” Ji Huaqing was taken aback. Both in the same booklet, they’d fight over who got the head-of-household first page?

Gu Yining opened the first page. There was her name, plainly written. She said, “Give it time, and I’ll let your name appear there.”

Because she was the property owner, Ji Huaqing was the “moved-in” party, so naturally, Gu Yining’s name was on the first page.

Ji Huaqing didn’t care. Being on the first page or not was irrelevant.

“Let me take you for a walk?” Gu Yining tilted her head, a shallow smile in her clear eyes. “See your hometown.”

Ji Huaqing looked at the sun. It was two or three in the afternoon—the hottest time of day. Where was there to walk?

The heat was suffocating; a single move and you were sweating. Ji Huaqing could see fine beads of sweat on Gu Yining’s forehead. The red shirt made her look like a brilliant red peony—cold, beautiful, intellectual.

Before Ji Huaqing could refuse, Gu Yining took her hand and calmly led her across the street.

Her hand was very warm. The instant it closed around hers, Ji Huaqing froze, a finger of warmth poking the tip of her heart.

Once across the street, Gu Yining released her hand and began to tell her, in detail, about the development of Hang City over the years.

She talked; Ji Huaqing listened quietly.

They strolled along the roadside, working up a sweat—especially Gu Yining, whose red shirt was dampened, the red deepening.

Ji Huaqing watched her, sensing herself sinking deeper and deeper into her gentle trap.

Song Mingyao arrived then, driving them back home to change before going to the bar.

Back home, Gu Yining showered. When she came out again, she’d changed into a long red dress—not the deep-V kind, but something simple. Her hair hung loose, lying lazily on her shoulders.

Watching her approach step by step, Ji Huaqing’s breath stopped. “You’re going to the bar in that?”

“The dress is long, and it doesn’t show any cleavage. What’s improper about it?” Gu Yining asked with feigned confusion, her long, slender brows arching under Ji Huaqing’s displeased gaze.

She smiled. “So worried? Then come with me, Teacher Ji.”

For some reason, she pronounced “Teacher Ji” with perfect precision.

Like a mirror set before Ji Huaqing, reflecting her thoughts with total clarity.