Lin Yiran looked directly at Qiu Xing. Someone called him from the side, and Qiu Xing turned his gaze away.

“Hey, you haven’t dated anyone for so long?” Zhou Keke asked Qiu Xing. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Qiu Xing wasn’t easy to chat with. If you asked him serious questions, he would answer seriously. But if you asked him about less serious gossip matters, he wouldn’t respond.

“Stop prying,” Qiu Xing brushed her off. “Mind your own business.”

“Such an attitude,” Zhou Keke clicked her tongue. “Who could be with you?”

For these past few years, Qiu Xing had been busy making money and repaying debts. Later, even after the debts were cleared, he was no longer the fun-loving, playful boy from before. He had too many burdens in his heart.

Even now, though he sat among the crowd in this environment, he still seemed different from everyone else.

Most of the time he remained silent, just sitting there listening to others talk, sometimes with a hint of a smile on his face, though the smile never reached his eyes.

These years had created a significant difference between him and his former classmates, the friends he used to play soccer with. Although they had all graduated and were working now, that youthful, vibrant, even unrestrained energy they had carried—Qiu Xing had lost that long ago.

“You can drink, right? I remember you could,” someone next to him bumped Qiu Xing’s shoulder and asked.

“He can!” The guy surnamed Ding from earlier said, “We drank together before, remember? He can handle it.”

“I remember,” the guy said. “One time we got Xiao Qi drunk, and he fell face first. When Xiao Qi got home, he sent us all videos cursing us for not taking him home.”

The one called Xiao Qi swore and said: “Of all things, that’s what you remember!”

They were talking about an incident from the summer after high school graduation. At that time, everyone had just escaped from high school. They had all done well in their exams, with bright futures ahead, and the passionate world of university waiting for them to run wild.

A small group of brothers got together every day to eat, drink, play, travel, and raise hell.

In this setting today, they couldn’t avoid drinking a bit. Qiu Xing was the one who had fallen behind for a few years, so naturally, his brothers wanted to pour drinks for him. Qiu Xing didn’t refuse, seemingly accepting whatever came his way.

At first, Zhou Keke drank fruit juice, and Lin Yiran drank water. The guys were getting tipsy, but no one pressured the girls to drink. Apart from the time she spent talking with Zhou Keke, Lin Yiran mostly watched Qiu Xing and the others.

Later, Zhou Keke got restless. She was usually lively and playful, and she found it boring to just drink fruit juice the whole time.

Zhou Keke asked Lin Yiran, “Should we have some too?”

Lin Yiran hesitated but didn’t refuse.

“Give us some of your drinks,” Zhou Keke said to the guys.

Zhou Keke had drunk with them many times before, and no one tried to stop her. Someone opened two bottles and passed them over.

Qiu Xing glanced at Lin Yiran, but Lin Yiran pretended not to notice.

They hadn’t arrived together today, and since sitting down, they hadn’t spoken to each other, appearing as if they weren’t very close.

Lin Yiran hadn’t drunk much alcohol before. She didn’t like drinking, and there were no drinking gatherings in her social circle. She rarely even went out to eat with people.

“Since we’re all here, let’s drink together,” one of the guys organized, raising his glass and saying, “To celebrate us dragging Qiu-ge out, and also to welcome the pretty young lady.”

Everyone raised their glasses. Qiu Xing looked across the table and, after a slight delay, also picked up his glass and downed it.

Besides that first glass, Lin Yiran didn’t drink much with the guys afterward. Most of the time, she and Zhou Keke chatted while slowly sipping their drinks. Zhou Keke had a plate of dried fruits brought in, and the two of them peeled and ate the fruits, quite content.

They had many topics to discuss, mostly about school matters, unlike the noisy conversations among the guys.

One of the guys went out to make a phone call. When he came back, he passed by the two of them, saying something indistinct. He was a bit drunk and squatted between them, his hands resting on each of their chairs.

Lin Yiran nodded, took out her phone, and let the guy scan it.

“Hey! Why are you scanning her WeChat?” someone asked.

The guy stood up, tucked his phone away, and said: “Mind your own business.”

Qiu Xing leaned against his chair, not joining the conversation, picking up his glass for a sip.

Lin Yiran appeared relaxed and calm, not at all nervous, slightly tilting her head with a smile.

She had already drunk two bottles, her face slightly flushed, but her demeanor remained clear, showing no signs of intoxication. Zhou Keke had drunk more than her and called over a server to bring two more bottles.

Lin Yiran’s phone lit up on the table. She opened it and looked.

Qiu Xing: Don’t drink anymore.

Lin Yiran didn’t reply, locked her screen, and put the phone back. But when Zhou Keke asked her again, she shook her head and didn’t open a new bottle.

Lin Yiran was being somewhat deliberate, perhaps because of Qiu Xing’s earlier “no more after this” or maybe because of today’s “I’m not worthy of her either.” Various emotions mixed, suddenly making Lin Yiran want to rebelliously drink a little alcohol. With Qiu Xing present today, it meant she would be safe no matter what.

But after receiving Qiu Xing’s message, she instinctively chose to listen to him.

It was already very late when they finished. Someone suggested going to a second venue, but Qiu Xing shook his head and said he was tired and wanted to go home to sleep, so they all dispersed.

Zhou Keke wanted to take Lin Yiran home, but Qiu Xing said, “I’ll take her.”

“Do you know where she lives?” Zhou Keke’s mind was a bit dulled from drinking. After finishing, she suddenly remembered and laughed, saying, “Right, you introduced us. You know.”

Lin Yiran said goodbye to her, seeing that someone would take her home, then followed Qiu Xing.

Qiu Xing hadn’t driven there, so they had to walk a bit to catch a taxi. Lin Yiran followed behind Qiu Xing, stepping on his shadow.

“I don’t want to go home,” Lin Yiran suddenly said.

“Where do you want to go?” Qiu Xing turned back to ask.

Lin Yiran shook her head, only repeating: “I don’t want to go home.”

It had rained in the afternoon, and the ground was still damp, with occasional shallow puddles. The puddles reflected the lights and moon. Lin Yiran didn’t want to step in them, so she carefully avoided every shining patch of water.

Qiu Xing looked back at her. Lin Yiran was just stepping over a small puddle, the hem of her long skirt lifting slightly with her movement, then gently falling back down.

Sensing Qiu Xing watching her, Lin Yiran raised her head and said: “Zhao Ning added my WeChat.”

“Ignore him,” Qiu Xing said. “He’s a player.”

“He said his sister wanted to ask about subject selection and wanted his sister to contact me,” Lin Yiran honestly told Qiu Xing everything. “He also said if his sister wanted to apply to our school, she might want to ask me about it.”

“Nonsense,” Qiu Xing said. “Wouldn’t it be more convenient to ask Zhou Keke?”

Lin Yiran nodded.

Qiu Xing continued: “You don’t need to respond to what he says.”

“Okay,” Lin Yiran walked quietly for a while, then asked: “Are you afraid he’ll pursue me?”

“You wouldn’t be interested in him,” Qiu Xing said flatly. “I’m worried you’ll find him annoying.”

Lin Yiran let out a soft laugh, looked back to see that everyone had gone, then took a few quick steps to catch up with Qiu Xing and took his hand.

Later, Lin Yiran changed to interlocking their fingers, and Qiu Xing let her hold his hand.

Everything that happened between them afterward started on that night when Qiu Xing had been drinking. From that time, they began to grow closer, becoming tied to each other.

Today, though they had both been drinking, they couldn’t begin a new story like before, and Lin Yiran couldn’t continue their relationship.

On the hotel bed, Lin Yiran was held down by Qiu Xing as he kissed her fiercely, making her breathless several times. From his breathing to his gaze, Qiu Xing was intense, while Lin Yiran’s expression remained gentle, accepting everything from him.

Qiu Xing didn’t intend to do more, just kept kissing her. The Qiu Xing who had been drinking was different from usual; his gaze was more direct, keeping Lin Yiran trapped immovably in his embrace.

They kissed for a long time on the bed. Lin Yiran’s eyes grew red as she extended her arms to hug Qiu Xing.

Lin Yiran asked something in a low voice. Qiu Xing glanced at the bedside tables on either side, brushed her temple with his thumb, and shook his head, saying “Not going to.”

His alcohol-tinged gaze, full of possessiveness and aggression, enveloped her. Under his heavy stare, Lin Yiran determinedly met his eyes.

“Why don’t you want to be with me?” Lin Yiran asked softly. “Don’t you like me?”

Qiu Xing seemed surprised that Lin Yiran could ask such a direct question, clearly momentarily lost in thought.

Lin Yiran touched his lips, calling gently: “Qiu Xing?”