Chapter 37
The lights in the bar were dim, desire pulsating under the flickering rays. The atmosphere was enchanting, with ambiguous heat flowing recklessly in the small space. Everything coalesced to create a decadent and garish vibe. In this atmosphere, distant scenes were unclear, easily creating visual errors.
Standing over here, their behavior seemed a bit too intimate.
In reality, there was still a palm’s width of distance between Qiao Xi and Qin Si. It looked intimate, but nothing actually happened; Qin Si didn’t even touch Qiao Xi.
But from a distance, it looked like a different story. When Qin Si raised her hand slightly, it looked as if she was about to embrace Qiao Xi. She leaned close to Qiao Xi several times to speak, asking perfectly normal questions. Wan San and his girlfriend were the ones truly inseparable, hugging and kissing when the mood struck, making bystanders envious.
Qiao Xi didn’t notice the presence of Fu Bei and her group. When someone next to her offered a drink, she accepted it out of politeness. The alcohol content wasn’t high, not intoxicating. But just as she brought the glass to her lips, she seemed to remember something and put it down, switching to a soft drink instead.
It wasn’t a social obligation; drinking was optional, and no one would force her.
After arriving at the bar, Qin Si became the center of the group again. However, she was a bit distracted, interacting perfunctorily with others. Friends noticed her mind wasn’t there and gradually stopped disturbing her, either staying in the booth or going to the crowd to play.
The phone in her pocket vibrated. Taking it out to check, it was an unfamiliar number sending an advertisement. Qiao Xi didn’t care and put the phone away.
Qin Si glanced subtly, both attentive and indifferent to Qiao Xi, chiming in occasionally but not focusing entirely on her.
Therefore, Qiao Xi didn’t notice anything unusual about Qin Si from beginning to end, feeling it was similar to their past interactions. Qin Si was just like that—lazy and listless, lacking energy.
Fu Bei sat at the bar counter, her face showing no other expression, her peripheral vision constantly glancing over there.
Zhuang Qiyang was in a good mood, personally mixing drinks for the two in front of him. once the boss arrived, the employees consciously made space for them.
Chen Shuo talked to Fu Bei from time to time. The youthful love had long vanished like smoke. He got engaged before the New Year; the bride was beautiful and generous, also a Jiang City local. He came back this time for the wedding, helping Fu Bei with a small favor for old times’ sake.
“Staying in Jiang City for development later, or leaving after the wedding?” Zhuang Qiyang asked.
“Haven’t decided yet; depends on her arrangements,” Chen Shuo said, his face brimming with a happy smile.
Zhuang Qiyang knocked on the table, asking the other one, “What are you thinking about? Zoned out for ages.”
Fu Bei lowered her gaze. “Nothing.”
“If you’re tired, go back and rest early. Been busy these past two days.”
Fu Bei didn’t reply, taking a sip from her glass, lost in thought. The light where they were was dim, completely invisible from a distance, and separated by so many people, making them hard to spot.
Seeing her expression was really off, Zhuang Qiyang followed her gaze and saw Qiao Xi over there, along with Qin Si’s group.
Unexpectedly, Qiao Xi lowered her head, and strands of hair fell over her forehead. Qin Si directly raised her hand to tuck them behind her ear. The action was too natural and ambiguous; even straight girls rarely did this, let alone Qiao Xi, who wasn’t straight. Qiao Xi was stunned. Zhuang Qiyang, witnessing this scene, was also stunned, subconsciously looking at Fu Bei beside him.
Fu Bei’s face remained calm, even calmer than the boundless sea, indifferent to an unbelievable degree. Only her slender fingers gripped the glass tightly, knuckles turning white.
As if telepathic, Qin Si seemed to sense someone peeking. Looking over by instinct, she saw Fu Bei and the others. At first glance, she wasn’t sure if it was them, having rarely seen them. Upon closer inspection, she confirmed it. Although Qiao Xi never mentioned it, she knew the relationship between Qiao Xi and Fu Bei wasn’t simple. Having known each other for a few years, it wasn’t hard to see if Qiao Xi held someone in her heart. She knew it the first time she met Fu Bei.
Some feelings are too profound; even if two people pretend not to know each other, they can’t be cleared away.
Besides, given Qiao Xi’s awkwardness towards Fu Bei, what else could it be?
Separated by a long distance, even if unclear, the two looked at each other like that. Qin Si went a bit overboard, provocatively shaking her glass, making a move as if to embrace Qiao Xi, but didn’t actually hug. Halfway through, her hand turned, handing a can of drink to Qiao Xi instead.
Qiao Xi didn’t notice, chatting with Wan San’s girlfriend while habitually accepting the drink.
Fu Bei had no reaction, not even a change in expression. She raised her eyes indifferently, skipping over them directly, withdrawing her gaze and no longer paying attention to that side.
Someone played too wildly, running to the booth to ask for a drink, saying they wanted to make friends with Qin Si and the others. Then, accidentally, they swept the cards on the table onto the floor, landing right at Qiao Xi’s feet. Without thinking, Qiao Xi bent down to pick them up. Just then, that person stepped back, knocking over a glass at the corner of the table. The drink spilled directly onto Qiao Xi’s forearm and instep, sticky and uncomfortable.
Feeling uncomfortable, Qiao Xi used the excuse to go to the restroom.
Seeing this, Zhuang Qiyang silently looked at Fu Bei.
The restroom was at the end of the corridor. The light here was barely brighter, but not much better than outside. Some men and women were hugging and kissing in the dim corners, even getting intimate inside the restroom.
While washing off the alcohol stains with water, Qiao Xi heard strange noises coming from one of the stalls. Instantly embarrassed to death, she quickly finished cleaning up and left. She was indeed unconventional usually, but not to this extent. For adults, bars were the easiest places to indulge and get lost; such things were common, incomprehensible to ordinary people.
Leaving the restroom and drying her hands, she shook herself with some disgust, walking quickly. Encountering those hugging and gnawing at each other, she tactfully looked away.
And just like that, slightly inattentive to the path, walking to the corner, she was suddenly seized by a pair of strong hands. Her heart tightened. By the time she recovered, she had been dragged behind the wall at the corner.
In the darkness, that person pressed tightly against her, arms clamping her waist that could be grasped with one hand, pressing heavily but careful not to hurt her.
Hot breath mixed with the smell of alcohol hit her, ambitious as if to envelop Qiao Xi. The force on her waist was excessive, making Qiao Xi very uncomfortable. She struggled resistantly, almost breaking free, only to be clamped tighter the next instant.
Too tight, so tight she couldn’t move.
The other party had no intention of letting go, burying their face in Qiao Xi’s neck. The breath was warm and moist; close up, the smell of alcohol was even stronger. Both were dressed lightly. Hugging like this, Qiao Xi could clearly feel the round softness on her chest, and the looming touch on her neck. Thin lips lingered on the tender skin, coolness gradually moving up.
The possessiveness was overly obvious, as if wanting to dismantle her bone by bone and swallow her whole.
Fortunately, this place was secluded, and those flirting couples didn’t come here to join the fun. The heavy metal music outside continued, clearly just a wall away, yet seemingly isolated from here. The thick darkness was an invisible, airtight wall, separating a small world for the two alone.
A sudden slight sting on her neck made Qiao Xi suck in a breath.
She knew this person’s nature well. Usually like a pool of rippleless water, but when truly fierce, she could stir up huge waves.
Unknown what stimulation she received, or if she was crazy drunk.
The closer they got, the more scorching the alcohol smell.
Qiao Xi twisted her waist, her red lips accidentally brushing past the other’s cheek. Her sensitive earlobe was instantly wet and warm. After all, they were outside; someone could come in at any time. Her face burned instantly—angry and ashamed.
“Fu Bei, let go!”
The other party remained unmoved, hugging her even tighter.
Qiao Xi wasn’t as tall as Fu Bei, a bit shorter. Being held almost lifting her hips, such a posture was too heated and ambiguous, leaving her nowhere to hide.
“Did Qin Si ask you to come?” Fu Bei asked, the force in her hands not loosening a bit.
She no longer clamped Qiao Xi’s waist but placed her hand on the tail end of the hibiscus flower stem. Qiao Xi had said the tattoo was done by Qin Si personally. Such a large piece—how was it done? At first, she didn’t care much about these things, didn’t delve too deeply into Qin Si, nor cared about everyone around Qiao Xi, remaining relatively indifferent. No matter how many entanglements or intermittent secrets, she didn’t care. But tonight, Qin Si’s demeanor was too frank and naked, completely unconcealed.
Qin Si had designs on Qiao Xi, harboring thoughts long ago.
Giving away her first tattoo design so easily to Qiao Xi—what else could it mean?
Qiao Xi hadn’t thought deeply about it, but Fu Bei could see it.
Kneading the stem of the hibiscus flower, Fu Bei used somewhat heavy force, wanting to wipe away the traces belonging to someone else, making Qiao Xi very uncomfortable.
“What are you doing? Possessed?” Qiao Xi whispered, pushing her, unable to stop her ears from getting hot. This person was usually so proper in public; now she was really…
Fu Bei was never a good person, just indulging Qiao Xi. When they were intimate before, Qiao Xi deliberately scratched faint red lines on her smooth, jade-like back with force. She always bore it silently, lifting Qiao Xi’s overly slender waist, returning all of these in different ways one by one. The harder the scratches on her back, the more she returned.
The time hadn’t come yet; some things couldn’t be said, but it didn’t mean she didn’t care.
“No,” Fu Bei said, almost pressing against Qiao Xi’s red lips.
Qiao Xi turned her head to avoid it, pinching and twisting this person’s arm. Not daring to use too much force, but not light either; it still hurt a bit.
But Fu Bei seemed not to feel it, not even frowning.
“Let go, I’m going back.” Qiao Xi didn’t want to stay in this pitch-black place, nor face Fu Bei like this. She twisted her body, determined to break free.
Fu Bei was dead set on not letting her go, blocking her.
The door was suddenly closed with a squeak.
Only then did Qiao Xi realize they weren’t behind a wall at a corner, but in a small rest room.
“What exactly do you want?” she asked grumpily.
The moon came out from the clouds, casting silvery white light through the high window, barely illuminating the silhouette of the person in front of her.
Fu Bei leaned over her, expression unclear, slowly getting closer, asking seriously and quietly, “What is your relationship with Qin Si?”
Simply inexplicable.
What relationship could it be? It was obvious.
Qiao Xi was stunned. “You drank too much!”
What kind of relationship could she have with Qin Si? Just like that. She didn’t even know Fu Bei was here; if she had known earlier, she definitely wouldn’t have come.
Fu Bei was probably really drunk tonight. One hand climbed up, pinching her chin, eyelids drooping, asking ambiguously, “Did I drink too much, or did she? I haven’t finished a single glass tonight, less than you.”
These words had deep meaning, containing too many intricate implications, making Qiao Xi unable to turn the corner. Pursing her lips, she swatted this person’s hand away.
“Too lazy to talk to you; can’t explain clearly.”
Qiao Xi was always impatient, the same with everyone. Facing such irrelevant questions, she couldn’t be bothered to defend herself. Pushing the other party away, fumbling to find the doorknob, she was about to open the door and leave.
Unexpectedly, Fu Bei pulled her back first, not letting her leave.
Qiao Xi subconsciously blocked, but couldn’t withstand this person’s offensive. Fu Bei embraced her, half helpless and half enduring. The next moment, moisture pressed against her lips, deftly prying open her teeth, wantonly presumptuous.
Through a thin layer of clothing, the hibiscus flower was gently stroked. The flower branch swayed and twisted a few times, held down by long, slender, white hands. The fabric was pushed up and bunched at her slender waist, revealing the hibiscus flower completely.
Qiao Xi’s eyes widened—shocked, stunned, and caught off guard.
She pounded this person’s arm without softening her heart, even hitting the shoulder once with considerable force.
However, Fu Bei did nothing else, stopping just there. Only using her fingertips to constantly stroke the hibiscus flower, lingering on her spine, as if to wipe this part away completely, like a surging wave swallowing everything falling into it.
Qiao Xi’s brain was buzzing, momentarily unsure how to react, especially with this person stroking her tattoo somewhat pathologically.
Wet, hot, deep interaction, love surging.
Extreme possession, yet extreme restraint.
Doing nothing more that shouldn’t be done.
The dark night covered everything. Outside the wall, the crowd was manic, noisy, fanatical, indulging in wine and lust. Behind the wall, the two pressed tightly together. Qiao Xi left some leeway and didn’t really strike hard, only pushing forcefully. The other party was terribly unreasonable, biting her lip, then grabbing both her hands and pinning them against the walls on either side.
Just then, the moonlight brightened a notch, illuminating this hidden place more clearly, as if to expose the two completely.
Qiao Xi took the opportunity to free one hand, pressing it in between, cursing her: “What kind of drunken madness are you having?”
