Forbidden to Flirt and Run 6

Chapter 6

A car horn broke the silence.

Xu Qingtang instinctively leaned further in, her expression unchanged. “It was just a joke with a friend.”

Gu Yizhi smiled. “The friend who asked you to Zhaomu?”

Xu Qingtang had never liked revealing too much about herself to people she wasn’t familiar with. She just pursed her lips and said, “I have to go.”

Gu Yizhi glanced at her. “In such a hurry?”

“Yeah, I have something to do. We’ll talk next time.”

This was clearly just a polite, perfunctory remark, yet Gu Yizhi gazed at Xu Qingtang with a gentle expression, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her delicate earring was revealed as she smiled faintly. “Will ‘next time’ also be a few seconds of conversation?”

Xu Qingtang: “…No.”

Gu Yizhi said, “Then you can go.”

The subtext seemed to be that if she dared to say yes, Gu Yizhi wouldn’t let her leave.

Mulling this over, Xu Qingtang couldn’t help but glance back before she left—

The woman’s slender, tall figure was perfectly complemented by the suit, with a narrow waist and shoulders. The golden sunlight framed her back as she slowly walked into the Zhishang building.

No wonder she’s the white moonlight that one can’t forget, even going so far as to find a substitute. Xu Qingtang had to admit that this person was indeed quite remarkable in every aspect, especially her appearance.

***

In the evening, just after returning from the hospital, Xu Qingtang received a call from Tang Gui. According to her, the new company was great, the colleagues were easy to get along with, and the new CEO liked to leave work on time, so by extension, they didn’t have to work overtime either. She proposed they celebrate.

Xu Qingtang: “Alright.”

Tang Gui: “I see you.”

Xu Qingtang looked around. There were few pedestrians in the evening, and the streetlights flickered. “Where?”

“In five minutes.”

Xu Qingtang: “…”

Half an hour later, Xu Qingtang fell silent as she looked at the sign of a bar. She looked at Tang Gui, amused. “Isn’t tonight’s gathering for bullwhip hotpot?”

Tang Gui laughed heartily. “You actually took that seriously.”

The two walked in. Tang Gui seemed to be looking for someone, her eyes scanning the various seats. Seeing this, Xu Qingtang asked, “Who are you looking for?”

“No one,” Tang Gui retracted her gaze and sat down near the bar, looking slightly disappointed. “Just looking around. What do you want to drink?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Xu Qingtang glanced at her again.

“What could be wrong?” Tang Gui shrugged and then started to gossip with her. “There are so many pretty ladies at my company, but I heard our CEO is even more beautiful. I just don’t know when I’ll get to see her. By the way, there’s a girl in finance there who’s also one of us. Want me to introduce you two someday?”

Gu Yizhi knew she didn’t want to talk about it, so she played along. “I thought you’d want to introduce me to your CEO.”

Tang Gui scoffed. “I wish. The day I kick the director and punch the shareholders, I’ll definitely introduce you.” She rested her chin on her hand. “Besides, I haven’t even seen what she looks like. What if it’s just people sucking up to her?”

That made sense.

Xu Qingtang raised her glass. “Then I wish you an early promotion to a position where you can introduce her to me.”

Tang Gui wasn’t modest. “Sure, sure.”

Halfway through their drinks, the resident singer on stage had just finished a rock song. Tang Gui put down her glass and said, “Qingtang, I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

Xu Qingtang ordered a Bloody Mary. Just as the bartender served the drink, a distinctly displeased female voice sounded from behind her. “Xu Qingtang, why aren’t you home yet at this hour?”

Xu Qingtang, with one foot on the stool’s leg, slowly turned around. As expected, Lin Huaijia was looking at her with a foul expression, her brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a fly.

Seeing her silence, Lin Huaijia’s gaze swept over her from head to toe. Xu Qingtang wasn’t wearing a qipao today. A black, wide-necked top paired with a shiny leather miniskirt, and high heels on her long, straight legs. Her aura fit the ambiguous atmosphere perfectly. She was beautiful, and also an eyesore.

Lin Huaijia frowned again. She held back her temper, walked up to Xu Qingtang, and said, “Haven’t you made enough of a scene?”

“Do you know how busy I’ve been lately? I have to work and socialize every day. You know my family situation, my stepsisters come to cause trouble for me from time to time, and now I have to spend energy coaxing you. Xu Qingtang, I’m really tired. How old are you? Can’t you be more sensible?”

The deep affection in her eyes and the fatigue in her features were not fake.

Xu Qingtang propped up her face and smiled faintly. “I went to your place the other day.”

Lin Huaijia’s expression changed instantly. She suddenly remembered the photo she couldn’t find these past few days.

She felt that Xu Qingtang had no reason to break up with her, but she would occasionally wonder—could it be that she had discovered that the one she truly liked was Gu Yizhi?

Watching the almost unconcealable emotion on her face, Xu Qingtang found it inexplicably amusing. That little bit of wicked satisfaction was fulfilled, and only then did she say slowly, “Your ID card is still at home. You weren’t on a business trip at all.”

Lin Huaijia couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

She softened her tone. “Alright, it was my fault. That night, my stepsisters insisted I go. They brought up my dad, so I couldn’t refuse. I was afraid you’d misunderstand and think you weren’t important enough to me, so I lied to you. Qingtang, you know what their attitude towards me is like.” As she spoke, she observed Xu Qingtang’s expression. “If you had told me about your misunderstanding earlier, none of this would have happened.”

Xu Qingtang almost laughed out loud. She averted her gaze and said coldly, “We’ve already broken up. Don’t be an eyesore in front of me.”

Lin Huaijia’s expression changed again, her tone no longer as gentle as before. “Fine, if you like making a scene, then go ahead. A client recently gave me a few tickets to an art exhibition next Friday. It features paintings by XX, whom you like. I was originally planning to go with Youling, but if you want to go, it’s not impossible for me to cancel on them.”

“How did it go?” Su Mengyu got up from the booth and asked Lin Huaijia with a smile. “Did Qingtang agree?”

Lin Huaijia felt that she had already extended a huge olive branch. Xu Qingtang should know what was good for her. She nodded. “Probably.”

Su Mengyu said happily, “That’s great. It’s heartbreaking for me to see you two fighting.”

Lin Huaijia said nothing, patting Su Mengyu’s hair affectionately. “It’s been hard on you, being so considerate of her.”

Su Mengyu poured a glass of wine and handed it to Lin Huaijia. “If you really want to thank me, then have a drink with me. If it weren’t for Qingtang, I would have never been to a bar.”

Because of this sentence, Lin Huaijia once again thought of Xu Qingtang’s attire. Her brows tightened. She took a sip of wine and said thoughtfully, “She’ll understand…”

Meanwhile, the Xu Qingtang they were talking about had just gotten up from her seat. Feeling unlucky after running into Lin Huaijia, she decided to go outside for some fresh air.

But just as she passed through the aisle, she suddenly saw a few heavily made-up women blocking the way. One of them was teasingly saying to someone, “You don’t have anything to do anyway, have a few drinks with us.”

Xu Qingtang was about to take a detour when she suddenly heard a woman’s soft, whimpering voice. “Sisters, I really have something to do. Next time, can we drink next time?”

“What if we don’t run into you next time?” the person said again. “Look how scared you are. We just want to be friends with you.” As she spoke, she reached out to take the person’s hand.

With her movement, Xu Qingtang got a clear look at the girl’s face. She looked to be in her early twenties, her eyes slightly red. She shrank back, trying to pull her hand away. “Don’t be like this, I don’t know you, I…”

“You what? You come to a bar to drink, so stop pretending to be pure,” the person said, a little annoyed. “Didn’t you dress like this to find some excitement here? I’m doing you a favor by inviting you for a drink, you know? I’m still talking to you nicely now, don’t be ungrateful.”

As she spoke, she forcefully tried to drag the girl.

“Ah!”

The girl trembled as if startled, then looked up at Xu Qingtang. As if clutching at a lifeline, she ran behind her, her voice trembling. “Sister, save me.”

Xu Qingtang frowned, pulling the girl behind her. She looked at the women with a stern gaze, her voice cold. “There’s a police station nearby. What, you want to go in and have a drink with the police too?”

Seeing that Xu Qingtang was not to be trifled with, the women shot a venomous glare at the girl, snorted, and turned to leave.

“Alright, it’s okay now,” Xu Qingtang turned back and took out a tissue from her bag for her. “Wipe your eyes.”

“Thank you, sister.”

The girl said her name was Qiaoqiao and that she was visiting Lin City with her classmates. She had only come here because it was her classmate’s birthday. After her classmates left, she was harassed by these women. She said gratefully, “Thank goodness for you.”

Xu Qingtang wasn’t too concerned. “It’s nothing. Go back early.”

After this incident, Xu Qingtang was no longer in the mood to go out for fresh air. When she returned to the bar, Tang Gui hadn’t come back yet. She simply ordered another drink. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Qiaoqiao looking at her uneasily from a distance.

Xu Qingtang walked over to her and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Qiaoqiao glanced towards the entrance and asked cautiously, “Sister, can you walk me back to my hotel? Those people are still at the door, I’m afraid they…”

Xu Qingtang raised her hand and looked at her watch. “Where is your hotel?”

“It’s nearby,” Qiaoqiao answered quickly. “The Grand Hyatt Hotel.”

It was indeed not far.

Thinking that it was indeed unsafe for a young girl to be alone, Xu Qingtang sent a message to Tang Gui and said, “Alright, let’s go.”

Just as they had taken two steps, someone from a nearby booth suddenly reached out and tugged at Xu Qingtang’s wrist. She turned her head to see Gu Yizhi, with her long legs crossed, slowly sipping a glass of juice. A moment later, she looked at Xu Qingtang with a smile.

Xu Qingtang frowned. “Is there something you need?”

“Yes,” Gu Yizhi put down the glass, rested her chin on her hand, and lazily glanced at Xu Qingtang. “I’m drunk. Can you take me home?”

Xu Qingtang: …

If she were blind, she definitely wouldn’t be able to tell that was a glass of juice.

Xu Qingtang didn’t expose her. Her gaze returned to Qiaoqiao. “I’m busy. I have to take her home.”

“Is that so?” Gu Yizhi got up from her seat. Qiaoqiao watched as the woman slowly walked up to her. Her face was devoid of emotion, but it made her a little nervous. She could only maintain a smile and move closer to Xu Qingtang. “Sister, I have things to do tomorrow. Let’s go back first.”

Gu Yizhi tilted her head slightly to look at Qiaoqiao and said coolly, “Lend her to me. You wouldn’t mind, would you? Your classmates waiting for you at the door must be getting anxious.”

Hearing this, Qiaoqiao’s expression changed slightly. She gave Xu Qingtang an unwilling look, but in the end, she left without saying anything.

Xu Qingtang now understood. She said a soft “thank you.” Gu Yizhi smiled and said, “Then buy me a drink?”

“Next time,” Xu Qingtang shook her head. “I already have plans with a friend tonight.”

Just as she finished speaking, a loud bang came from the adjacent restroom. Xu Qingtang looked over to see Tang Gui, who had been gone for a while, pressing someone’s shoulder against the wall, her voice cold. “You dare to show your face in front of me again?”

The person seemed a little helpless. “Tangtang…”

They seemed to say something else, and then Tang Gui turned her head and kissed the person. In the dim light, the woman seemed to respond to her…

Xu Qingtang was petrified on the spot.

Gu Yizhi’s faint voice drifted over. “Can you have a drink with me now?”

Xu Qingtang: “…Let’s go.”

Even after getting into Gu Yizhi’s car, Xu Qingtang still hadn’t fully recovered. But recalling Gu Yizhi’s calm reaction, she couldn’t help but wonder, could it be that she had deliberately sat there, just waiting for her to say that?

This thought was quickly dismissed by Xu Qingtang herself.

She rested her hand on the car door and asked, “Weren’t we going for a drink? Are we changing locations?”

Gu Yizhi: “No.”

Xu Qingtang: “Then?”

Gu Yizhi said, “Drinking or not isn’t very important.”

That sounded strangely inexplicable. Xu Qingtang thought for a moment and asked, “Have you seen her before?” After Gu Yizhi shot her a look, she explained, “Qiaoqiao.”

Gu Yizhi: “No.”

Xu Qingtang: “Then how did you know?”

Gu Yizhi said, “I arrived a little earlier than you.”

Xu Qingtang had a sudden realization. “You heard them plotting?”

Gu Yizhi couldn’t help but laugh. “Not exactly.”

Xu Qingtang: “Then?”

Gu Yizhi: “I guessed.”

Xu Qingtang: …

The car was silent for a few minutes. Xu Qingtang found the route somewhat familiar and boldly asked, “You’re not planning to abduct me to your place, are you?”

Gu Yizhi was taken aback for a moment, then asked with a smile, “Can I?”

Xu Qingtang thought of Qiaoqiao just now. She touched the window and said, “You can, but this looks more like the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.”

The car had already arrived at the parking lot below Gu Yizhi’s building.

The two walked into the elevator. In the narrow space, the heavy smell of alcohol masked the faint scent of Gu Yizhi’s perfume. She turned her head and asked, “So, are you willing to take the bait?”

Eighth floor. Gu Yizhi opened the door. The lights in the corridor had dimmed due to the lack of movement. Their vision relied on a small, orange lamp inside the room for illumination.

Xu Qingtang looked at those bewitching eyes and said, “The hook is straight and the bait is salty. I don’t think I’m that stupid. What now?”

“Then I’ll just have to add a little more bait…” Gu Yizhi let go of the doorknob. Her right hand hooked the sash at Xu Qingtang’s waist, pulling her closer. Her left hand slowly untied the straps of her slip dress, and the thin straps slowly slid off her shoulders. “Is this enough?”