Chapter 23: That Delicate Flower (23)

They walked inside. The lights were dim, and the soundproofing wasn’t great. From behind several doors came the wails and shrieks of people having the time of their lives—or the worst night of theirs.

Song Qi looked around.

Gu Si had booked a medium-sized room for seven hours, until the place closed at six in the morning.

Song Qi noticed her hands were trembling. Curious, she asked, “System, what’s about to happen?”

“What would be the point of telling you? Don’t worry, you won’t get hurt.” The System sounded almost excited.

“This old-school campus romance has way too many tropes,” Song Qi said, glancing around. Nothing good ever happened in places like this.

Maybe she’s bored with her ordinary life and wants a little excitement?

The attendant led them down a corridor that twisted like a spiderweb. Their room was tucked farther inside. The air still reeked of stale cigarette smoke.

Song Qi’s expression didn’t change. She’d smelled worse.

Gu Si frowned, clearly bothered by the smell. She set down her bag and smiled at Song Qi. “Yangnuan, you pick some songs first. I’m going to buy us drinks.”

“Sure.” Song Qi nodded.

“What do you want?”

“Bottled water’s fine, thanks.”

Song Qi watched Gu Si leave, searched the room from top to bottom, then returned to her seat.

Gu Si came back carrying eight bottles of water. “I saw they could make fresh orange juice, so I asked them to bring us a pitcher. It should be here soon.”

“Okay.”

“Why haven’t you picked any songs?” Gu Si asked, frowning at the screen.

“I don’t know what to sing. You pick.” Song Qi opened a bottle of water and took a sip. She hardly ever sang, hardly ever listened to music, and didn’t know any of the songs on offer.

Gu Si picked a few songs. Song Qi leaned back against the sofa and watched her.

Gu Si had a lovely voice, and she stayed on key. She sang with real feeling, too.

Song Qi glanced at the camera in the corner, then lowered her eyes.

When the orange juice arrived, Gu Si glanced at it. She didn’t seem to realize that her voice had begun to tremble and that she was singing off-key.

Her composure seemed to crumple all at once.

Gu Si checked her watch. After two songs, she put down the microphone, picked up a glass, and began pouring the juice. From the corner of her eye, Song Qi saw a few grains of powder slip from Gu Si’s palm.

Who knew where she’d hidden it.

Gu Si pressed her lips together and stole a cautious glance at Song Qi. When she saw that Song Qi wasn’t looking, she relaxed.

She poured two glasses. The one on the right was drugged; the one on the left wasn’t.

Song Qi watched as Gu Si picked up the glass on the right and walked over.

“Yangnuan, have some orange juice.”

She held it out. It was obvious she wanted Song Qi to drink it then and there.

Song Qi took the glass and set it on the table.

“You’re not drinking it?” Gu Si asked, her voice still trembling.

“I just drank half a bottle of water. I don’t really want anything else right now.”

“Oh. Well, it looks delicious.” Gu Si nodded and went back to her seat.

Song Qi wasn’t sure what to make of Gu Si’s behavior. Gu Si probably thought she’d covered her tracks perfectly, but everything she did was strange.

Usually, when they sat together, Gu Si always wanted to be right beside her. Now she was sitting so far away.

Song Qi looked at the glass of orange juice. System, what did she put in it?

“Drugs.” The System answered bluntly, then fell silent, determined not to offer any more clues.

Gu Si checked the time again, then glanced over at Song Qi. When Song Qi looked her way, Gu Si tensed and gulped down a huge mouthful of orange juice, nearly choking.

“Slow down,” Song Qi said. “If you like it, you can have the whole pitcher.”

“No, thanks. I was just thirsty.” Gu Si clenched her fists. The muffled voices outside the door made her even more anxious.

At last, Song Qi picked up the glass, moving without a hint of hurry.

Gu Si watched her. In the end, she couldn’t hold back. “Yangnuan!”

Her voice was piercing. The music was deafening, but it couldn’t drown her out.

Song Qi had just brought the glass to her lips. She paused and turned to look at Gu Si.

Realizing how she’d sounded, Gu Si tried to compose herself. “You’d better not drink that.”

“Why not?” Song Qi asked, her expression puzzled.

“Because yours looks tastier.” Gu Si hurried over and took the glass from her.

Song Qi kept watching her.

Gu Si had only meant to set the glass down—or maybe knock it over by accident. But under Song Qi’s steady gaze, either move would look suspicious.

In the end, Gu Si took two sips. “Yours really is better.”

She smiled. It looked more like a grimace.

“Then have some more.”

“Fine. The whole pitcher’s mine, then. Don’t try to steal any later.” Gu Si took two more gulps, both of them big ones.

“I won’t.” Song Qi took a sip of water and watched for any change in Gu Si.

She was curious.

A few minutes later, Gu Si finally spoke. Her voice wavered. “Yangnuan, let’s go back. I’m getting sleepy.”

“Sure.” Song Qi had wanted to see what Gu Si would try next, but since Gu Si was ending things herself, there was no reason to make this any harder for her.

Gu Si grabbed her bag and struggled to stand. She tried twice, fighting to keep her balance, but toppled back onto the sofa both times.

“What’s wrong?”

“I…” Gu Si parted her lips. “I’m probably just tired.”

She reached out to Song Qi. “Yangnuan, could you help me up?”

Song Qi was about to when someone shoved open the door and walked in.

Gu Si’s face changed.

Three men had come in. Song Qi turned to look at them. “Are you sure you’ve got the right room?”

“We’re in the right place.” One of the men looked the two girls over, then fixed his gaze on Song Qi. “Yep, this is the room. Damn, what a pretty little thing. Both virgins, I bet.”

He glanced at Gu Si and laughed. “Did little sis drink the stuff herself? Not bad. It’ll feel better once the drug kicks in.”

“System, I don’t think this plotline belongs in this world,” Song Qi said.

“Can’t help it. That’s what the outline says.”

Song Qi’s mouth twitched. “It’s too bloody.”

“Host, this is a society governed by law. They’re not space pirates or enemy soldiers. Watch yourself…”

“I’m protected by the law on minors.”

Song Qi caught the hand reaching for her and twisted it sharply behind his back. As the man cried out in pain, she swept his legs out from under him and slammed him onto the coffee table.

Thud!

The impact, set against the blaring music, made for quite a scene.

Song Qi rubbed her neck and stared coldly at the two men left standing. Then she smiled—a chilling smile. “What was it you just said?”

Gu Si bit down hard on her lower lip, trying to stay conscious. Her thoughts had grown muddled, partly because of the drugs, but even more because of what was happening now.

She watched Song Qi’s figure blur in front of her eyes.

Soon, she couldn’t hear anything around her. Darkness swallowed her whole.