Liang Lei in the video was covered in sweat, with a healthy, sunny smile on her face, asking Chen Ningxi,
"What's going on?"
Chen Ningxi noticed the familiar silhouette behind Liang Lei, her gaze following it, and she answered absent-mindedly, "Nothing much, just watching you."
Liang Lei walked toward the changing room, and the familiar silhouette disappeared from the screen as Chen Ningxi snapped back to reality.
Liang Lei said, "You sure don't look like nothing's wrong. What, having a spat with Guo Heming?"
Chen Ningxi took a sip of tea, replying casually, "We broke up."
"Broke up? Weren't you two going to—" Liang Lei's words ca to an abrupt stop, quickly changing her tone, "You should've broken up sooner. How could he be worthy of you? Looks, personality, nothing matches. You shouldn't have just gone with the flow back then. There are so many rules, finding a partner should be about fate, especially when it cos to marriage."
Chen Ningxi interrupted her, "If you keep nagging, you'll turn into an old lady soon."
"I'm not nagging." Liang Lei's eyes lit up, "You're not looking for so healing ti with , are you? Co on, a few of us climbing friends are heading to Youle later. We'll show you so cute guys, all types, from grown-up puppies to gentle puppies, ani boys, and abs-studded cuties. Anything you like, they've got it."
"No need for healing, I'm fine," Chen Ningxi glanced at the ti, seeing it was only past seven, "Isn't it too early to go now?"
Liang Lei's excitent was overflowing, "We've got to go early! Tonight's headline MC at the bar is Xiao Chuan." When she got excited, Liang Lei even wiped her mouth, making a slurping sound, "He's been touring out of town for a month. I must be there for his first coback performance; I miss his eight-pack abs so much."
"Oh co on, wipe your drool before it gets on my screen." Chen Ningxi gave a look of feigned disgust, making Liang Lei burst into laughter, "I just like handso guys. Is there a law against it?"
"No law whatsoever. Who would dare stop you? You're so cool, Sister Lei from Danjiang. You're sothing else." Chen Ningxi gave her a thumbs-up.
"Stop teasing . You'll be srized when you see Xiao Chuan."
"Hehe."
"What's with the 'hehe'? Stop pretending. You'll know when you see him."
Having seen videos of Xiao Chuan in Liang Lei's friend circle, the man did have a decent build, but it wasn't Chen Ningxi's type.
They arranged to et at Youle's entrance, where Liang Lei, a mber, had booked the best spot.
To get close to the MC, seat selection was crucial. You must buy seat nine in zone D by the stage. The MC would stand there to interact with the audience to liven up the atmosphere. Seats in zone D are often taken by well-off young won, so naturally, for performance and fan engagent, the MC would frequently interact with them.
As Chen Ningxi's car turned the corner, she saw a long line already forming in front of Youle as if a celebrity was present.
She parked her car and went to find Liang Lei. With her tall figure, Chen Ningxi stood out in the crowd, and Liang Lei waved at her.
"Ningxi, over here, over here."
Chen Ningxi made her way through the crowd, "Excuse , sorry, thanks."
After squeezing through, reaching Liang Lei's side, she was introduced to several climbing friends. Chen Ningxi remarked, "There are quite a few people here."
Liang Lei grinned with pride, "Xiao Chuan's draw isn't like any regular MC. But it's okay, I've booked the best spot."
Chen Ningxi rembered the Xiao Chuan ntioned in the video, "Can we interact with Xiao Chuan?"
Liang Lei chuckled smugly, "Of course."
While the two were chatting, a man in front of Liang Lei turned around, and Chen Ningxi t his gaze.
Chen Ningxi: "..."
Could it be more coincidental?
Liang Lei realized she hadn't introduced the new climbing friend yet and noticed Chen Ningxi's stiff expression, curiously asking, "Do you know each other?"
Chen Ningxi, unsure why, perhaps finding explanations cumberso, denied it, "No, we don't."
But Cheng Qiaobei's response was a stark contrast, "We know each other."
Liang Lei's expression was instantly filled with an intriguing playfulness, her eyes darting between them, "What's this about? I sll sothing fishy."
Afraid of a misunderstanding, Chen Ningxi hurriedly explained, "Don't talk nonsense, we know each other from work, not that familiar."
This answer was considered fair, but hearing it was work-related made it lose interest instantly.
Liang Lei said to Cheng Qiaobei, "She's my good friend. If you need anything, feel free to ask her."
Cheng Qiaobei teased, "Is flexing your connection effective?"
"Of course," Liang Lei hooked her arm around Chen Ningxi's shoulder, "Take care of her."
As the bar opened for entry, Chen Ningxi seized the opportunity to interrupt the conversation, pushing Liang Lei forward, "They're letting us in, let's go."
Cheng Qiaobei seed to notice Chen Ningxi's discomfort and intentionally kept so distance, entering with the other climbing friends first.
Watching them move ahead, Chen Ningxi whispered in Liang Lei's ear, "How do you know him?"
She rembered Cheng Qiaobei ntioning he hadn't been in Danjiang for long, so how did he know Liang Lei?
Liang Lei replied, "We're from the sa climbing club, just t tonight, and he's quite good at climbing."
Realizing this, Chen Ningxi nodded.
"Handso, right? Interested?" Liang Lei teased, raising her eyebrows playfully.
Chen Ningxi shook her head adamantly, "No interest, don't ss around."
"Who's ssing around? I'm sincerely scouting for you a quality single young man."
Afraid the people in front might hear her, Chen Ningxi said, "Keep your voice down."
Liang Lei said, "They're far away, they can't hear us. Think it over, really not interested?"
Chen Ningxi shook her head.
"Alright, if you're not interested, I'll match him with Little Ni." Liang Lei glanced toward the small crowd in front, where a pretty girl was looking at Cheng Qiaobei with tender eyes, her infatuation clear, "Look at how Little Ni looks at him, she's practically lting him with her gaze."
Chen Ningxi and Cheng Qiaobei sat at opposite sides of the booth, their gazes occasionally eting over the distance. Without much exchange, they would look away. The table was laden with beers and snacks, and everyone chatted and drank. Chen Ningxi held a beer bottle, her fingertips lightly tapping to the music's rhythm.
The atmosphere remained pleasant until the headliner MC Xiao Chuan took the stage, instantly sparking everyone's enthusiasm. Chen Ningxi managed to stay composed at first, given Cheng Qiaobei's presence. Overreacting would make her stand out awkwardly among the group.
But as Xiao Chuan took off his white shirt, revealing his strong, muscular physique, Chen Ningxi couldn't remain calm. Her eyes had nowhere to settle, and she suddenly understood how n felt beholden to a beautiful woman.
When Kukai's DJ track played, Xiao Chuan stood before Chen Ningxi, twisting his waist. His hand slowly traced down his neck to the rhythm, and Chen Ningxi felt the bustling atmosphere around her almost engulf her. Her cheeks started to warm. The next mont, Xiao Chuan reached out his hand to her, gesturing for her to step forward, and in her daze, she forgot about Cheng Qiaobei sitting nearby.
Xiao Chuan retrieved a rose, biting it at the blossom end, his deep black eyes staring into Chen Ningxi's. The rose stem slowly approached her lips.
Beside them, Liang Lei held her phone up to record, screaming as she captured the mont, "Ah—"
Realizing she didn't know how to respond to the interaction, Xiao Chuan nudged the rose against her lips, and under his enchanting gaze, Chen Ningxi bit the stem he offered.
Liang Lei yelled excitedly, "Ahhhh—"
Cheng Qiaobei sat in his seat, his long legs crossed, fingers caressing the beer bottle he held, his narrow eyes flickering with unspeakable emotions in the shifting lights.
Reviews
All reviews (0)