Chapter 60: Drinking

“No,” Gu Yu refused instinctively. “It’s not really convenient for her.”

Jiang Bomu was a popular celebrity with a slow-to-warm personality. She didn’t seem to enjoy making friends or noisy occasions. And given that Gu Yu was the director’s granddaughter, the fewer people who knew about their connection, the better. Even with Sister Xia Li, whom she’d been getting along with so well lately, Gu Yu didn’t dare risk divulging everything so easily.

“It’s no inconvenience at all,” Jiang Bomu said, walking straight over and extending her hand with natural ease. “Hello, I’m Jiang Bomu.”

Gu Yu turned her face, somewhat shocked. How could she just come over so simply?

Xia Li was even more astonished than Gu Yu. She had never imagined her romantic rival would be Jiang Bomu. The voice in the car clearly hadn’t been hers… but that wasn’t the main point now. Xia Li put on a smile and grasped her hand.

“Hello, Xia Li.”

Gu Yu had no choice but to invite her in. The three of them sat down together on the sofa.

Only, these two were like a pair of grand Buddha statues. The moment they sat down, they stared straight at each other without moving an inch. Gu Yu, already hungry, stopped paying attention to them and quietly began unwrapping the packaged ingredients.

Xia Li had bought barbecue: plates of lamb rolls, steak, and similar items were spread across the table, along with a few refreshing side dishes to cut the grease. It looked incredibly appetizing.

She swallowed, murmuring, “This looks so good.”

The two Buddha statues finally stirred. Jiang Bomu turned on the grill, while Xia Li took out the sushi pressed at the very bottom of the bag. “Have something to fill your stomach first,” she said considerately.

“There’s even sushi?” Gu Yu’s eyes lit up, and she immediately took one. “Thanks, Sister Xia Li.”

“This barbecue place is actually quite famous for its sushi. Takeout was a last resort today; I’ll take you to eat there in person sometime soon.”

Gu Yu nodded in agreement, smiling. “It really is delicious.”

Jiang Bomu lowered her eyes, pondering the words “last resort.” She couldn’t help thinking about what arrangements they might have had before she arrived.

And they were chatting so happily, with such a familiar tone, while she seemed like an outsider.

“You should eat too,” Xia Li said with a beaming smile towards Jiang Bomu. “Treat this like your own home, don’t be so reserved.”

That was another stab to the heart.

Jiang Bomu smiled back at her but didn’t touch the sushi. Instead, she picked up some lamb rolls and placed them on the grill, where they sizzled loudly.

“Oh, I almost forgot, you probably can’t eat at night, right?” Xia Li said with a hint of chagrin. “How about I pour you a glass of water instead?”

She got up and left before Jiang Bomu could even stop her, opening her mouth to speak but ultimately letting it go. She watched as Xia Li opened the fridge and, without a moment’s hesitation, took out a bottle of mineral water and several cans of pineapple beer.

“Both Xunxun and I like drinking this,” Xia Li said, placing the water on the table before moving with practiced ease to get a glass. “Would you like some?”

“She doesn’t drink it,” Gu Yu said, shaking her head.

She knew exactly how much Jiang Bomu detested beer. Although pineapple beer barely had any alcohol content, the word “beer” was still in the name. Why invite displeasure? After tonight, they would truly be strangers anyway. There was nothing wrong with being civil.

“Ah, I see,” Xia Li said, her smile stiffening slightly. “Never mind, then.”

She turned back to Gu Yu with a grin. “Xunxun, let’s have a toast, just us.”

The tab was pulled, and the scent of pineapple began to spread, without any hint of unpleasant alcohol smell. As it gurgled into the glass, the color was somewhat similar to beer.

Jiang Bomu stopped looking their way and focused intently on grilling the meat.

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

The glasses clinked with a crisp sound.

Jiang Bomu suddenly found herself unsure why she had even come to Yiqing anymore.

Gu Yu had found someone who understood her better. She and Xia Li seemed far more compatible together. There were none of the careful, timid mannerisms Gu Yu displayed around her. With Xia Li, Gu Yu could be herself.

It was just… Jiang Bomu asked herself if she could truly let go of a love that had once been within her grasp.

The answer was impossible.

Love is possession, not letting go.

She stopped thinking about how sad and heartbroken Grandma Qiao might be. Her mind was entirely filled with the dream she’d had for the past half month—a dream where she couldn’t break free from invisible shackles. But this was reality, and she had the right to decide her own future.

Jiang Bomu let out a soft breath and placed the grilled meat into Gu Yu’s bowl.

Xia Li glanced at the empty bowl in front of her and teased, “Did Miss Jiang forget about me? Why such favoritism?”

“I apologize,” Jiang Bomu said apologetically. “Having spent so much time with Xunxun, I forgot this isn’t my home.”

She immediately placed a piece of grilled meat into Xia Li’s bowl.

Xia Li was so stunned by her words that she forgot to thank her, forgot the dipping sauce, and picked up her chopsticks to put the meat directly into her mouth, finding the taste somewhat bland.

So much time… how much time?

Gu Yu glanced at Jiang Bomu, pursing her lips slightly. Why bring this up out of the blue?

Xia Li didn’t give them a chance to talk. She raised her glass again, smiling. “This toast is to congratulate Xunxun on successfully being elected president of the Drama Club!”

Drama Club? President? Jiang Bomu looked over with some surprise, a mix of pride and regret in her heart.

She was proud that Xunxun was shining so brightly, but regretted… that she hadn’t been there to be part of it.

If they had gotten together back then, Xunxun would have been the first to tell her, right?

Too bad there were no “ifs.”

In that instant, regret and despair overwhelmed her. Jiang Bomu smiled self-deprecatingly. She needed to make some changes.

“Thanks, Sister Xia Li,” Gu Yu said, clinking her glass. “You deserve part of the credit too.”

She downed the drink in one go. As she lowered her glass, she saw Jiang Bomu pulling the tab on a can of pineapple beer. Psshht — the sound was decisive and resolute.

Gu Yu subconsciously gave the two already-open cans a shake; there was clearly still plenty left.

“Xunxun, congratulations to you.” Jiang Bomu raised the pineapple beer, her fingertips trembling slightly.

“You…”

“Aren’t you going to clink glasses with me?”

Gu Yu closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Finally gathering her words, she looked at her directly and spoke coolly, “You said drinking harms the body.”

“People’s thoughts can change.” Jiang Bomu’s hand remained stubbornly raised in mid-air.

Gu Yu’s expression softened a fraction. As if to cover it up, she quickly tapped her glass against Jiang Bomu’s and drained it in one gulp, then immediately fixed her gaze on whether Jiang Bomu would drink it.

Jiang Bomu inhaled the fresh scent of the pineapple beer and cautiously took a tiny sip. The taste wasn’t as pleasant as the smell. Besides a hint of sweetness, there was only an indescribable weird taste—though, fortunately, it wasn’t quite like beer.

Finding it truly hard to accept, she stopped after that shallow sip and put the can down.

Gu Yu deliberately made things difficult. “I finished mine, and you only took one sip?”

Jiang Bomu bit her lip. Not wanting to make her angry, she had no choice but to pick up the beer again, holding her breath as she continued drinking.

Gu Yu rested her chin in her hand, watching her tilt her head back, her long, elegant swan neck stretching out. The way it moved up and down as she swallowed was indescribably sexy.

She wanted to kiss it.

Spinelessly, Gu Yu averted her eyes, but from the corner of her vision, she caught a bead of liquid slipping from the corner of Jiang Bomu’s lips, trailing down towards her jaw, about to drip but not quite—maddeningly tantalizing.

She wanted to kiss away that glistening droplet, to kiss the red lips she yearned for day and night.

This woman, Jiang Bomu, was always alluring without even realizing it.

Feeling parched, Gu Yu picked up her pineapple beer and began drinking in small sips. It didn’t quench her thirst. Rather, it felt as if it had an incredibly high alcohol content, burning through her until she felt dizzy and disoriented.

Xia Li glanced at the flush on Gu Yu’s cheeks and the infatuated, intoxicated look she was directing at Jiang Bomu, and sighed inwardly. Had she still come too late?

Xia Li’s heart was in turmoil. No longer wanting to watch them exchange amorous glances right in front of her, she excused herself halfway through the meal, citing some matter, and politely left.

The door clicked shut softly, and silence descended upon the room.

Jiang Bomu seemed to have developed a taste for the drink, opening another can and sipping it slowly, her gaze fixed on Gu Yu’s face, her expression dazed and unfocused.

“You’re not actually drunk, are you?” Gu Yu frowned, glancing at the can’s label. The alcohol content was practically negligible.

“Xunxun, when are you planning to sleep?”

Her speech was still relatively clear, but the words sounded like a suggestive invitation.

“Whenever,” Gu Yu said without looking at her. “I’ll go make the bed.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Bomu stood up, feeling a bit dizzy. She rubbed her temples and finally felt a little more clear-headed, then simply tidied up the dining table.

When Gu Yu came back out and saw she had already cleaned up, she said helplessly, “Just leave it there. I’ll clean up tomorrow.”

“I didn’t want to leave a mess.” Jiang Bomu looked at her. “Let’s go to sleep, okay?”

Gu Yu made a sound of agreement and led her into the master bedroom, then immediately moved to take the spare blanket and leave.

Jiang Bomu asked sluggishly, “Where are you going?”

“I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

She immediately followed, her tone soft. “I want to sleep on the sofa too.”

Gu Yu: “…Then I’ll sleep in the bed?”

“I’ll sleep in the bed too.”

Gu Yu’s heartstrings quivered. She asked bluntly, “You want to sleep with me?”

“Mm, just like before,” Jiang Bomu pleaded softly. “Xunxun, can we go back to how things were?”