Hearing the familiar voice, Jing Mian sat up and stared at the number on the screen, the alcohol clearing a bit from his head.
So, Ren Xingwan was outside?
How could that be?
Realizing this, Jing Mian jumped to his feet, feeling a bit weak in the legs. The heavy-headed, weak-limbed sensation didn’t dissipate just because his mind had been forced to wake up.
“Ah, MianMian, you’re awake?”
A teammate who was still drinking nearby noticed the new recruit had woken up and couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up, praising, “Don’t look at the new guy, but he can drink more than any of us.”
Jing Mian turned his head and found that even Xuan Cheng had fallen asleep, his cheeks pressed into an imprint.
“…” The young man was secretly amazed. What an incredible drinking capacity, to knock out even their team captain.
“MianMian, are you leaving?” One of the more senior teammates, no longer joking around, stood up and asked Jing Mian worriedly, “Why don’t you stay at the club? There are beds and a lounge, warm and safe. It’s so late, how can you go back by yourself?”
Jing Mian shook his head and said, “I have a car, don’t worry.”
The man asked again, “Is that okay? Is someone picking you up?”
“Yes.”
Jing Mian answered softly, picked up his clothes, pulled up his sleeves, and subconsciously put on a mask before leaving the restaurant.
*
Outside the restaurant.
The night was dark and long, enveloping the entire bustling street, though it was late, people still came and went in a steady stream.
Jing Mian stopped and looked around.
He didn’t see Mr. Ren, nor the car he had seen that day.
Jing Mian began to doubt himself.
Was that phone call just a hallucination?
No, he wasn’t that drunk. Or did he give the wrong address, and Ren Xingwan went to the wrong place?
Jing Mian took a few steps forward, then stopped, completely lost.
He took a deep breath and stood there for a few minutes, dazed.
Then he turned and left.
“…”
Don’t trouble Mr. Ren anymore, Jing Mian thought to himself. They weren’t related in any way, so he might as well go back to school.
But he should still call Ren Xingwan to make sure he wasn’t waiting at the wrong place, and to thank him.
Jing Mian took out his phone and dialed Ren Xingwan’s number.
Just as the intermittent ‘beep’ sounds started, Jing Mian was suddenly grabbed by a large hand on his elbow.
In the next second, he was pulled over with great force, almost lifting his feet off the ground.
His vision spun wildly, and before he knew it, Jing Mian’s back was pressed against a broad chest, with no room to retreat.
“…”
Even though he wasn’t fully sober, Jing Mian could tell they were in a deep corner of the street, a narrow space that could barely fit two people.
Being suddenly brought to such a hidden and dangerous place, Jing Mian’s breathing almost stopped. The man seemed to be wearing a hat and mask, deliberately hiding his identity, making it impossible to see his face.
Jing Mian’s heart sank. Just as he was about to struggle free, a familiar voice suddenly came from his ear,
“It’s me.”
Jing Mian felt his hat being held from behind, and the skin on the back of his neck tightened slightly.
The man’s two fingers pulled down Jing Mian’s mask from behind, the slightly cool fingertips brushing against his skin, revealing a face that was slightly red from the mist of his breath.
The man also looked surprised, and they stared at each other for a few seconds.
Mr. Ren spoke, his voice becoming hoarse,
“Jing Mian, you don’t recognize me again?”
*
Jing Mian was stunned.
His heart started pounding wildly.
“…”
Even if he wasn’t fully sober, Ren Xingwan might have heard it.
Before this, Jing Mian had thought they would never cross paths again.
After all, his behavior and reaction during their first meeting weren’t the type that would make a man fall in love, but rather made their childhood friendship as pure as it could be.
He never expected to meet Mr. Ren, whom he hadn’t seen for four days, in such a way on such a night.
… But he still didn’t recognize him this time.
Could it get any more awkward?
No.
Seeing how angry Mr. Ren was, he even called him by his name.
But Jing Mian felt he had a good reason this time.
When he was a student, he always thought celebrities were out of reach. He saw them on TV, in movies, on the internet, on billboards… and even at a school anniversary where a celebrity guest was invited.
But even so, Jing Mian still felt they were too far from his life.
And his childhood friend had become one of them.
He needed some time to adapt to this fact.
So, thinking about it, someone in Ren Xingwan’s position couldn’t just show his face like a regular person. Hats, masks, and anything that could hide his appearance were always worn when he went out. This might be Mr. Ren’s usual way of life.
And tonight, it was the first time he had seen this side of him.
So the surprise and the racing heart… were inevitable.
Jing Mian swallowed, recalling the first time he didn’t recognize him, and looked away, pretending it was just a hallucination, saying:
“I recognized you.”
Even as he said it, he felt it was a bit fake. Jing Mian was a bit embarrassed, especially since he had genuinely tried to break free in front of Mr. Ren.
But after a while,
The other person didn’t seem to want to expose him.
With his mask pulled down, Jing Mian felt like the last layer of protection had been removed, leaving his defenseless, pale skin exposed, ready to be picked.
His breath mixed with the slightly cold air, becoming abnormally slow and long.
But Ren Xingwan lowered his gaze, his eyebrows twitching slightly, as if he had sensed something.
“Did you drink?”
Jing Mian’s eyelashes fluttered.
He was discovered too quickly.
Jing Mian nodded almost imperceptibly.
“Did they force you to drink?”
The voice sounded cold and casual, successfully waking up the young man’s emotional radar.
Feeling that Mr. Ren had misunderstood, Jing Mian shook his head and denied it, “I only had one cup.”
After a few seconds of silence,
Jing Mian seemed to hear the man behind him laugh lightly.
The sound was so faint that it was almost inaudible, but Jing Mian’s senses were more acute than usual, and the surroundings were so quiet.
They seemed to be isolated in a small world, just the two of them.
Jing Mian pressed his lips together, as if he could already hear the unspoken words from Mr. Ren—
You’re still a kid.
He lowered his eyes, looking a bit unhappy.
When Jing Mian was drunk, he became more honest, or rather, more straightforward. Even he might not have known this about himself.
He wanted to say he wasn’t a lightweight, it was just that the alcohol content was higher than usual.
But once he opened his mouth, it felt like he was trying to cover something up.
Jing Mian felt his ears growing hot. He paused, lifted his head, and asked softly, “Can we go home now?”
Ren Xingwan’s gaze fell on Jing Mian.
Jing Mian had long eyelashes, and from this angle, the moonlight shone through the narrow alley, illuminating his downcast eyes.
“… No.”
The man was silent for two seconds, then said softly:
“We have to go somewhere else.”
*
When Jing Mian got into the passenger seat, he was still dazed.
The alcohol had taken over part of his brain, battling with the remaining consciousness, but soon, the seatbelt was fastened by the man.
This time, it wasn’t the same car they had ridden in during their first meeting. Jing Mian vaguely understood that celebrities used a different type of car for their schedules, one with more space inside.
So the car he was in now must be Ren Xingwan’s own.
Despite the unfamiliarity, at this distance, Jing Mian could faintly smell the man’s scent, light and fragrant, familiar like the first time they met.
It gave him a sense of security in the enclosed cabin.
Jing Mian took a light breath.
Feeling the alcohol gradually taking over, his hazy consciousness began to sway.
The car started slowly, and Jing Mian held onto the seatbelt, focusing on the street outside, where the lights began to pass by in a neat, orderly manner.
Jing Mian watched for a while, then couldn’t help but glance at Mr. Ren, who was driving beside him.
The man’s fingers on the steering wheel were long, and in the night, they seemed even paler than Jing Mian had imagined, with clear joints and well-defined veins, beautiful yet powerful.
Even without exerting any force, it seemed like he was in control of everything.
But the index and middle fingers that had pulled down his mask earlier made Jing Mian feel uneasy, and he was momentarily flustered.
Jing Mian looked away.
As he closed his eyes, he tried to clear the recent memories from his mind.
But after an unknown amount of time, Jing Mian vaguely felt that Ren Xingwan had made a slight turn, with a faint sound.
The steering wheel’s movement was small, and Jing Mian realized it wasn’t a turn… but more like pulling over.
Indeed, the car slowed down.
They pulled over to the side of the road.
The man’s tone was flat, leaving only one sentence:
“Wait for me a moment.”
Jing Mian: “?”
His sluggish nerves didn’t give him time to respond before Mr. Ren got out of the car, the door closing softly.
Where is he going?
Jing Mian looked in the direction Mr. Ren had gone, his face showing a puzzled expression.
But he obediently stayed in place, not even unfastening his seatbelt.
The car’s heater was on full, and even in the cooling weather, Jing Mian didn’t feel the slightest chill.
He even felt a drowsy urge.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, Jing Mian suddenly felt the driver’s door open, bringing a slight chill from outside, then quickly closing again.
Jing Mian: “?”
So he came back so quickly?
He was very sleepy, and the usually curious Jing Mian didn’t want to open his eyes this time. His head drooped, leaning against the edge of the seat, as if he had already fallen asleep.
“MianMian.”
The man was silent for a few seconds, then spoke in a low, magnetic voice, “Open your mouth.”
Ren Xingwan, who usually had a cold and powerful presence that made people’s legs weak, seemed different now. Jing Mian wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the cold, indifferent aura was gone, replaced by a gentle, almost coaxing tone.
This voice felt like a treat for Jing Mian’s ears.
But it didn’t stop him from pretending not to hear.
Jing Mian had one small wish: to sleep.
But a few seconds later, Jing Mian suddenly felt his chin being gently held, forcing him to turn his head.
The man’s fingertips lightly pressed against Jing Mian’s lips.
The lips indented slightly, feeling soft.
Mr. Ren repeated, but this time his voice was different, “Take the medicine first.”
Despite the repeated effort, there was a hint of hoarseness that added to the effect.
Jing Mian struggled for a few seconds, then suppressed his drowsiness and opened his eyes blankly.
He saw that the man was holding a small, dark bottle, which seemed to contain a liquid, the cap already unscrewed.
Jing Mian took the bottle and couldn’t help but ask, “What is this?”
“An antidote for alcohol.”
Jing Mian realized that during the short time Mr. Ren had disappeared, he had gone to buy this antidote for him.
Jing Mian’s throat moved, and he said, “Thank you.”
This time, he didn’t add “sir” after “thank you.” Ren Xingwan glanced at him but didn’t say anything.
The bottle was small, fitting perfectly in his hand. Jing Mian brought it to his lips and drank it slowly.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t unpleasant.
On the contrary, the liquid was slightly warm, perfectly balancing the bitterness of the alcohol. It brought a warm sensation to his stomach.
Jing Mian felt very refreshed.
The car started slowly, leaving their temporary parking spot.
Speaking of which, Jing Mian still didn’t know where Mr. Ren was taking him.
But the man didn’t seem to want to say, and Jing Mian didn’t ask further. He consoled himself that since Ren Xingwan was here, it was better to go out for a walk than to go back to the dorm alone.
It would help him sober up.
But the car kept driving further.
Jing Mian’s familiarity with this area was limited to a ten-kilometer radius around the school. Anything beyond that was unknown.
Finally, they drove through a long road, and Jing Mian was slightly stunned to see the car heading towards a low building.
Ren Xingwan made a phone call, and although Jing Mian couldn’t hear the content, the gate next to the building soon opened, allowing them to pass.
Jing Mian didn’t ask where they were, because he soon saw it clearly.
—It was the sea.
Behind the lonely building was an endless, vast expanse of ocean.
Mr. Ren… had actually brought him to the beach?