The elevator rose steadily, and Wei Shuyu leaned against the elevator wall, watching the floor numbers jump on the display overhead.
The three transparent glass walls of the elevator made it the perfect time to admire the night view, but Wei Shuyu had no interest in the scenery at all.
Her reflection appeared in the glass—a faint silhouette, her facial expression unclear—but Wei Shuyu knew her cheeks felt a bit hot. She was probably starting to blush.
Jin Yizhu stood beside her, holding up her phone and recording a video in rhythm with the elevator’s ascent.
‘Are you planning not to look at me all evening?’ she suddenly said. ‘Wei Shuyu.’
Her tone carried a hint of amusement, her voice a touch lower than usual, which only made hearts race faster.
Wei Shuyu caught the commanding undertone in her words and had no choice but to lift her face. ‘What?’
‘Indeed, you’re blushing,’ Jin Yizhu said, her camera pointed right at her. ‘How do you blush so easily?’
Caught off guard by the lens, Wei Shuyu froze for a moment, her pupils dilating slightly. She instinctively raised a hand to block Jin Yizhu’s camera, but only for a second—she realized it wasn’t appropriate.
Jin Yizhu was delighted, her smile radiant, her tone cheerful as she fully immersed herself in the joy. She didn’t want to break the moment.
‘If you keep looking at me like that, of course I’ll blush,’ Wei Shuyu said softly. ‘I mean, I’m…’
The kind of girl who likes girls.
But she didn’t say it out loud.
The elevator doors opened to a panoramic bar with dim lighting—quiet, private, with expansive views. The atmosphere was perfectly balanced: not too lively, not too deserted. It was ideal for conversation or for quietly sipping a drink.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, Shibuya’s lights merged into a sea, skyscrapers clustered densely, and traffic flowed like slender ribbons of light stretching into the distance.
Wei Shuyu let out a breath of relief. ‘We’re here.’
‘Huh?’ Jin Yizhu was focused on the screen of her phone, capturing Wei Shuyu’s expressions, and hadn’t noticed the doors opening quietly. ‘Oh, let’s go.’
The bar was very quiet, thick carpet muffling footsteps, soft lights illuminating the wooden bar counter, and a faint aroma of alcohol in the air.
Jin Yizhu had reserved a window seat with a view of all of Shibuya’s nightscape. Lights flickered beyond the glass walls, and Tokyo Tower was faintly visible in the distance.
‘A prime view spot, huh,’ Wei Shuyu said with an ambiguous smile. ‘Jin Yizhu, this wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment idea to come drink, was it?’
She propped her cheek on her hand, letting the heat dissipate faster. After leaving the enclosed elevator, she did feel much better.
‘It really was just reserved,’ Jin Yizhu looked at her innocently. ‘How can you not believe me?’
‘I do believe you, but I tried booking this place’s view spot two weeks in advance and couldn’t get it,’ Wei Shuyu said casually as she flipped through the menu. ‘What are you drinking? Whiskey on the rocks?’
‘Yeah,’ Jin Yizhu replied. ‘I used a bit of money power.’
‘I see,’ Wei Shuyu smiled faintly. ‘Nice. I want money power too.’
‘You can use mine,’ Jin Yizhu emphasized again. ‘If you want to book anywhere, just tell me.’
‘…But I don’t think that’s good.’
Wei Shuyu nodded with a smile, keeping her thoughts to herself.
Asking Jin Yizhu to help with reservations would indeed save a lot of trouble, but it would mean Jin Yizhu knew everything about her.
What she ate, what she did, where she went with friends—it would all be exposed. Was that really okay? Wei Shuyu didn’t think so.
‘Whiskey on the rocks, Hibiki 21,’ Wei Shuyu decided on her own. ‘And a Sunset Flyer.’
Jin Yizhu didn’t object, just nodded slightly. ‘The Hibiki series is pretty good—fruity notes, easy to drink. Want to try it?’
Wei Shuyu hesitated a bit. She didn’t drink much whiskey; even when she drank, it was mostly little sweet drinks.
Fancy-named martinis were just juice-level compared to hard liquors like whiskey.
‘Sure,’ Wei Shuyu nodded in the end. ‘I’ll have one too.’
Soon, the waiter arrived with a tray. First came the two whiskeys in classic glasses with perfectly round ice balls, followed by Wei Shuyu’s little sweet drink—a pink-to-orange gradient in a triangular highball glass, looking just like a sunset.
She first plucked off the cherry floating on top and popped it into her mouth. It was sweet, not sour—a good start.
The cherry carried the taste of alcohol, sweetness giving way to the liquor.
Wei Shuyu didn’t drink her sweet cocktail. Instead, she picked up the whiskey glass.
She always wanted to try things Jin Yizhu liked.
It entered smooth with a warm fruity wood aroma—strangely not the throat-burning harshness of strong liquor. High proof, yet soft on the palate.
‘How is it?’ Jin Yizhu watched her, her smile growing brighter. ‘Pretty good, right?’
She loved recommending her favorites to others, especially seeing them enjoy what she liked. And that feeling was especially strong with Wei Shuyu.
Jin Yizhu always felt a strange longing for Wei Shuyu.
She wanted to get closer to her, talk more, learn more about her, draw nearer—ideally until the world held only the two of them, with no one else to come between.
In that brilliant smile, brighter than sunlight, Wei Shuyu nodded. ‘It’s delicious.’
The taste of the liquor wasn’t the point anymore.
The point was… that look in Jin Yizhu’s eyes.
Amid the sparkling smile, a dark glint hid in their depths, possessiveness like an invisible shackle quietly descending, ensnaring Wei Shuyu.
Wei Shuyu pursed her lips. She wanted to dodge but didn’t know where to.
She’d truly never met anyone like this. Was it because her worldly privileges were so superior that she naturally believed herself omnipotent, or because she’d always been indulged, making her oblivious to the evasion?
Jin Yizhu was like an overly forthright ray of sunlight, barging irresistibly into her world, shattering her high walls, leaving even her final defenses precarious.
‘You seem to drink whiskey every time,’ Wei Shuyu said, grasping at a random topic, her gaze shifting out the window to Tokyo’s eternal lights. ‘Do you like it that much?’
‘Yeah, my whole family loves drinking it,’ Jin Yizhu took two sips, seemingly dissatisfied with the empty space beside her. ‘Can I sit on your side? The view seems better.’
A clumsy excuse.
They were at the best view spot, with floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides. Whether her seat or Jin Yizhu’s, both offered a full panorama of Shibuya’s nightscape.
‘Scoot over just a bit,’ Jin Yizhu said as she came over with her glass, sitting right next to her. ‘I won’t take up space.’
Wei Shuyu: ‘…’
Was this about taking up space?
She felt a bit helpless but still shifted inward a little, making room for Jin Yizhu. Jin Yizhu took a sip from her glass, then set it down, looking her way—unclear if admiring the night view or her.
‘So beautiful,’ Jin Yizhu sighed. ‘I really do prefer Tokyo’s nightscape after all.’
‘Why?’ Wei Shuyu asked. ‘Hong Kong’s scenery is prettier, isn’t it?’
‘Mm, but Tokyo has the taste of freedom,’ Jin Yizhu said, then suddenly leaned against her with a thud, tilting her face up with a smile. ‘You think so too, right?’
‘I… sort of,’ Wei Shuyu turned her head uncomfortably. ‘Do you not get along with your family?’
She wanted Jin Yizhu to move a bit farther away. The seats were designed for one, barely one-and-a-half at most. Two people squeezed together meant shoulders brushing.
As if turning her head would brush lips.
‘No, our family gets along great,’ Jin Yizhu answered. ‘We’ve lived together since my grandpa’s generation. My uncle didn’t have kids, so I’m the only child. They all treat me well.’
She had a habit of wearing perfume. Dressed low-key today, but the scent wasn’t—Bulgari night jasmine, a subtle fragrance like tiny hooks brushing over Wei Shuyu’s heart.
‘Like that… then why mention the taste of freedom?’
Wei Shuyu grew a bit distracted. She knew she should listen carefully—Jin Yizhu was sharing something important, related to her own life, not where to see cherry blossoms this year.
But the fragrance lingering in the air, mingled with Jin Yizhu’s breath, fell on her shoulder, making her skin quiver faintly.
She was too close.
Her trench coat was draped over the opposite chair; Jin Yizhu wore only a thin silk shirt, fabric that should have been cool but carried her body heat. As she leaned in, Wei Shuyu clearly felt the warmth of her skin.
‘Because I’m the only child, someone’s always watching whatever I do. It’s annoying,’ Jin Yizhu said lightly. ‘They wouldn’t let me do this or that. Later, when I studied abroad, they even got me a roommate, saying it’d be safer with company.’
A flicker of confusion passed through her eyes, as if recalling something.
‘Later I found out they were paying my roommate—haha, like a life assistant. I thought she actually liked me and wanted to be friends.’
Wei Shuyu hesitated a second, then reached out and patted her back.
She wanted to comfort Jin Yizhu, and she should, but that fragrance made her feel like getting any closer would be a crime.
‘Why is your face so red?’
Mid-sentence, Jin Yizhu suddenly turned to look at her and reached out to touch her cheek.
‘Is it too hot? Want to take off your sweater?’
The bar had the heat on; a single layer was just right. Wei Shuyu’s outfit was indeed a bit thick.
Plus the hard liquor, and now she felt a little dizzy.
‘No… not convenient to take it off,’ Wei Shuyu shook her head. ‘The inner layer isn’t pretty.’
‘Alright, then shall we head out first?’ Jin Yizhu glanced downward. ‘This time of night, the streets should be empty.’
‘Let’s take a walk first. When we’re tired later, we can call a cab back.’
Jin Yizhu waved the waiter over for another whiskey on the rocks to go.
‘Want another drink?’
‘No need,’ Wei Shuyu shook her head. ‘Did I tell you? Shibuya ward has a total alcohol ban.’
‘Huh?’ Jin Yizhu blinked. ‘What does that mean?’
‘It means no drinking while walking,’ Wei Shuyu pressed her hand to the back of Jin Yizhu’s, smiling at her. ‘Why not chug it? Otherwise, such a waste.’
‘I can’t drink that fast…’ Jin Yizhu said, then noticed Wei Shuyu’s eyes reddened at the corners—she was clearly a bit drunk. She couldn’t help but grip her hand in return. ‘Oh, you—get a little tipsy and start messing with me?’
‘I didn’t,’ Wei Shuyu looked perfectly innocent. ‘Drink slowly. I’ll wait.’
Looking at those watery eyes, Jin Yizhu felt her heart thud hard, a strange heat rising to her cheeks, leaving her surprised.
She abruptly let go of Wei Shuyu’s hand and downed more than half the freshly arrived drink in one go.
Crap, she’d accidentally teased her a bit.
Wei Shuyu stared at her own hand, full of bewilderment.
But Jin Yizhu was a straight girl, right? Teasing her once wouldn’t matter.
