"Miaoke, I'm not trying to discourage you, but I still think you and Chu Lulin aren't a good match," Zhang Xue said earnestly to her friend.
Liu Miaoke was taken aback. "Xiao Xue, do you also think that no matter what I do, he'll never like me?"
Thinking back to the rejection that day, a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes.
"That's not the point," Zhang Xue waved her hand. "The point is, even if you two did get together, what about when school starts? Long-distance relationships just don't seem reliable."
She and Liu Miaoke were college students working summer jobs here. Their school was in the south, while Jing City was over two thousand kilometers north-south. Even a direct flight would take three to four hours.
With such a long-distance relationship, most of the connection would be through a phone. How could it last?
Liu Miaoke didn't think so. "It's okay. We'll be starting our internships next semester anyway. I can find an internship company in Jing City, so it won't be long-distance."
As long as their relationship was stable, she wouldn't mind staying in Jing City after graduation.
Zhang Xue thought that was a viable idea. Jing City was a big city with plenty of good job opportunities.
Still, seeing her friend so lovesick just from imagining it, she found it hard to believe.
They had known each other for years, and Zhang Xue had never seen her like this. Liu Miaoke was the department beauty at their school and never lacked suitors.
Okay, she admitted Chu Lulin was handsome—drop-dead gorgeous, even.
But there were plenty of handsome guys who had pursued Liu Miaoke. Even the school's heartthrob had tried, only to be rejected.
"It's different. Those guys were handsome too, but I didn't feel anything."
"Feelings?" Zhang Xue didn't understand. "What kind of feelings? Be specific."
Liu Miaoke pursed her lips, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I mean, they were handsome, but they didn't attract me. They didn't inspire that... naughty thought, you know what I mean?"
Zhang Xue let out an 'Oh' of sudden realization.
She casually picked up a piece of cantaloupe with a toothpick and put it in her mouth, summing it up succinctly: "Got it. How you feel about Chu Lulin is—"
"You want to sleep with him."
Jian Ran nearly choked on her orange juice. She gave the two girls a surprised glance.
Wow... Young girls these days were bold!
*
Not long after, the bar officially opened. The people Jiang Man had invited arrived one after another.
Besides Jian Ran, Jiang Man had also invited a few other guests from the villa—people they had all crossed paths with before.
Of course, Liu Miaoke and Zhang Xue were among them.
As it turned out, Jian Ran's composure was a bit lacking.
After their 'bold words,' the two young girls could still face Chu Lulin calmly, but Jian Ran, who had overheard them, felt awkward around him.
Sigh—she was regressing as she aged, Jian Ran thought with a wry smile.
"Sister Jian Ran, what drink would you like? I'll order for you," Liu Miaoke said, sitting next to Jian Ran.
Jian Ran smiled, thinking the young girl was quite friendly.
"Thanks. I don't have a high alcohol tolerance, so please help me order something low-proof."
The girl nodded and then leaned over to look at Chu Lulin, who was sitting on Jian Ran's other side.
Without saying a word, Chu Lulin simply picked up the drink menu. "No need to trouble yourself. I'll do it."
He not only ordered for himself but also ordered for Jian Ran.
The girl was taken aback, and a look of obvious disappointment flashed across her face.
Jian Ran silently sighed and gave Chu Lulin a subtle glance.
Tsk tsk—such a heart of stone.
To be honest, sitting between the two of them was really awkward. When they had taken their seats, the young girl had clearly wanted to sit next to Chu Lulin, but he had pushed Jian Ran into that spot instead.
Of course, Jian Ran wasn't stupid. She hadn't wanted to sit there at first—she could imagine how awkward it would be—but in the end, she had relented under Chu Lulin's pleading gaze.
Since it had come to this, there was no other choice but to pretend she didn't notice anything and carry on.
Jiang Man's farewell party was quite simple: everyone sat together, drinking and chatting casually. No one pressured anyone to drink. To liven up the atmosphere, they played a few harmless games. It was a comfortable evening.
At one point, Xu Zhi even went up on stage and sang an English song for Jiang Man. Though Jian Ran hadn't heard it before, she thought it sounded nice.
Seeing that the time was about right, Jian Ran said goodbye to Jiang Man. She didn't have a good alcohol tolerance and didn't dare to drink too much.
Leaving the bar, she looked helplessly at Chu Lulin, who had followed her out.
"You really don't need to walk me back. It's just inside the villa. It's not like I'll get lost."
From the bar back to the villa area, there was only one path. Even with her poor sense of direction, she could remember it. But Chu Lulin just didn't trust her.
Chu Lulin smiled and replied, "It's not that I don't trust you. I just don't feel comfortable staying inside."
Jian Ran was taken aback. Why wouldn't he feel comfortable? Young people usually liked hanging out in bars.
Just like her younger cousin—every time he came back from abroad, he'd have bar-hopping sessions.
But then something occurred to her, and she suddenly understood the source of his discomfort: the girl who liked him.