They walked for a while before Xu Fang realized that they were aimlessly wandering. He stopped and felt a bit lost, asking her in a low voice, “Where do you want to go now?”
Lin Xi Chi, perched on his back, was chattering away, her emotions now more stable, unlike earlier when a few words would make her cry. She sounded like a child.
Upon hearing his question, Lin Xi Chi closed her mouth. After a brief silence, she whispered, “Not home.”
Xu Fang didn’t say anything either. He hailed a taxi by the roadside, put her down, half-carrying, half-supporting her into the car, and then told the driver the name of a hotel.
Lin Xi Chi was exceptionally talkative, not only when she was sober but even when she was drunk. She leaned against the seat, her eyes blinking as she watched him. Then, leaning closer, she said mysteriously, “Ah-Pi, you look quite handsome today.”
Xu Fang glanced at her but remained silent.
Lin Xi Chi slowly raised her hand, using her fingertip to poke his eyelashes.
Xu Fang froze in place.
She seemed to find it amusing and poked his cheek, then poked his lip.
Noticing that her hand was moving downward, Xu Fang’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he grabbed her hand, pushing it back to its original position, his face cold as he said, “Sit properly.”
“Okay,” Lin Xi Chi sniffled and, in all seriousness, said, “You look the kind of handsome that’s very kind.”
“…If it weren’t for Lin Xi Chi’s sometimes stumbling speech and her tendency to respond foolishly when scolded, Xu Fang would almost think she was pretending to be drunk.
He rubbed his temples and didn’t pay her any more attention, thinking about what to do next.
Soon, he remembered someone and turned his head to look at Lin Xi Chi. She had shifted her attention to something else, tugging at a small ornament on her clothes, looking very serious.
Xu Fang retrieved his phone, fumbling in the contacts for a while before finding Lin Xi Geng’s number.
He dialed it without hesitation.
It rang five or six times without an answer.
Xu Fang’s patience was wearing thin from waiting, and he was about to try someone else when Lin Xi Geng finally picked up the call.
It was quiet on Lin Xi Geng’s end, as if she were shocked that he was calling her. After a few seconds of silence, she asked uncertainly, “Brother?”
Xu Fang got straight to the point, “Where are you?”
“Where else could I be, big bro?” Lin Xi Geng deliberately lowered her voice, seemingly puzzled by his question. “I’m at school, there’s still one more evening self-study session later.”
“Can you come out now?”
“How is that possible?” Lin Xi Geng immediately refused. “If the teacher catches me, I’ll be dead.”
“Oh,” Xu Fang was about to hang up.
“Wait a minute.” Lin Xi Geng found his sudden call very puzzling. “Why are you calling me? Where’s my sister? Did you come back to Xicheng? Are you leaving my sister alone on Mid-Autumn Festival?”
Just at that moment, Lin Xi Chi leaned over curiously and asked, “Ah-Pi, who are you talking to on the phone?”
Xu Fang lowered his gaze, looking at her.
She was entirely focused on his phone, not even sparing him a sidelong glance.
Xu Fang tugged at the corner of his mouth and handed her the phone in silence.
Lin Xi Chi obediently took it but didn’t bring it up to her ear to listen. She played with his phone like a child, and accidentally hit the speaker button.
“Hello! Where are you?” Lin Xi Geng’s voice came through the phone’s speaker, tinged with urgency. “Is my sister with you? Did you come back to Xicheng? Why didn’t she tell me?”
Upon hearing that familiar voice, Lin Xi Chi blinked and called out to her, “Lin Xi Geng.”
“…” Lin Xi Geng’s voice stopped abruptly, then she quickly spoke again, devoid of the earlier anxiety, her tone turning cold, “What?”
“I’m back in Xicheng,” Lin Xi Chi said casually.
“Oh.” Lin Xi Geng didn’t react much but couldn’t help adding, “I still have to work tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow’s a holiday,” Lin Xi Chi pondered for a moment, her words somewhat disjointed because of her fuzzy mind. “Does that mean today is a holiday?”
“…”
Lin Xi Geng finally noticed something was amiss and her words carried a hint of suspicion, “Lin Xi Chi, are you drunk?”
“Yeah, I drank…” Lin Xi Chi smiled and counted on her fingers in a slow, leisurely manner, her voice drawling, “One, two, three, four, five… I drank five bottles, as many as one hand can count!”
Lin Xi Geng fell silent.
The taxi came to a stop because of a red light, and the driver, looking at the GPS, suddenly asked, “We’re almost there. Do you want to get off right in front of the Nice Hotel?”
The atmosphere in the car seemed even quieter than before.
No one in the car spoke, and neither did the person on the other end of the phone.
Xu Fang lifted his eyelids slightly and was about to respond to the driver.
Then, suddenly, a loud shout came from Lin Xi Geng through the phone, “What the f***, Xu Fang, are you even human?!”
“…”
“Where are you taking my sister? You got her drunk and brought her somewhere?”
This was followed by a series of rustling sounds and the sound of shoes hitting the ground as if someone were running. At the same time, a male voice yelled, “Hey! Lin Xi Geng, where are you going? The bell has rung! The teacher will come to check attendance later!”
Lin Xi Geng shouted back, “I don’t give a damn!”
The car arrived at the entrance of the Nice Hotel.
Xu Fang paid the fare, helped Lin Xi Chi out of the car, and when he saw that she was stumbling with each step, he squatted down again, lifting her onto his back.
Lin Xi Chi slumped on his back, seeming tired. Her voice became very soft and indistinct as she spoke, and she was mumbling something that was hard to make out.
Xu Fang couldn’t hear her clearly.
The people around them were bustling, and there was the sound of car engines starting. Overhead, the hotel’s glass canopy was adorned with star-shaped lights for decoration, making the world appear lively.
With Lin Xi Chi on his back, the two of them didn’t exchange any more words, but there was no sense of loneliness either.
Xu Fang pressed his lips together, looking ahead.
Suddenly, he felt a deep sense of frustration.
He knew that Lin Xi Chi would tell him almost everything, even the smallest details like tripping over a stone on the street or eating a little extra at lunch. She would treat these as significant matters and share them with him. However, when it came to something that made her unhappy, she would keep it tightly sealed, not allowing even a trace of it to be revealed.
Is it really because someone dropped a glass that she’s upset?
Xu Fang turned his head and looked at her, now fast asleep. From this angle, he could only see half of her face, partially hidden by stray strands of hair. Her breathing was soft and rhythmic.
He lowered his gaze and let out a gentle laugh.
“You silly girl.”
Not wanting to leave two young women alone outside, Xu Fang used his and Lin Xi Chi’s identification cards to book two separate rooms. He then used the key card to escort Lin Xi Chi to one of the rooms.
Gently placing her on the bed, Lin Xi Chi instinctively sat up, removing her shoes and socks. Xu Fang stood by, silently observing her habitual actions, making no attempt to intervene.
In the next moment, Lin Xi Chi grabbed the hem of her clothes, seemingly intent on removing them.
Xu Fang’s gaze momentarily froze, and he swiftly walked over, preemptively lifting the blanket before she could undress. He covered her from head to toe.
Lin Xi Chi remained still.
After a while, she seemed to find it stuffy under the blanket and stuck her head out. Her eyes were closed, and she appeared to be asleep.
Alcohol truly had a unique effect. When intoxicated, she would prattle on aimlessly, neither vomiting nor causing a scene. She became docile, making one want to take care of her.
Xu Fang settled back onto the nearby sofa, his head slightly lowered. His expression was obscured by the fringe of hair falling over his forehead. After a few seconds, he suddenly covered his face with one hand.
His ears were burning red.
In a disheveled state, he lowered his head, refusing to look in Lin Xi Chi’s direction any longer.
He cursed under his breath, “Damn.”
When Lin Xi Geng arrived, it had already been half an hour.
She was about the same height as Lin Xi Chi, wearing a blue and white striped school uniform and sporting a tidy ponytail. She appeared to have rushed over, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
As soon as she saw Xu Fang, Lin Xi Geng’s initially anxious expression transformed into one of hostility. She stormed into the room in search of Lin Xi Chi.
Only after seeing Lin Xi Chi peacefully asleep on the bed did she relax. She was about to turn around and confront Xu Fang when he walked out of the room, saying, “Keep an eye on her. I’m going to buy some things.”
Sensing that Xu Fang’s mood was not great and not knowing what had happened, Lin Xi Geng didn’t dare to speak further. She simply replied with an “okay.”
After leaving the hotel, Xu Fang went to the adjacent mall. He asked a shop assistant to pick out two sets of women’s clothing and then ventured into the lingerie section. He hesitated at the entrance; the prospect of entering this awkward territory was daunting.
He forced himself to calm down and entered the store.
One of the shop assistants approached him and asked warmly, “Are you here to buy lingerie for your girlfriend?”
Xu Fang didn’t even acknowledge the assumption.
The shop assistant seemed accustomed to such situations and inquired, “Do you have a particular style in mind?”
Xu Fang’s temper flared, but he managed to keep it in check. He had never found himself in such an awkward situation before. His tone was sharp and rude, “I said anything will do. Don’t ask me again.”
The shop assistant looked at him in confusion and ventured to ask, “Size?”
“…”
“You need to tell me; otherwise, I can’t offer any advice.”
“Anything,” Xu Fang gritted his teeth, struggling with the situation. He finally snapped, “I said anything. Don’t ask me again.”
The shop assistant gave him an inexplicable look, her mind forming a hypothesis. She then grabbed a set of lingerie from nearby and asked, “How about this one?”
Xu Fang didn’t even look at it; he demanded, “Pack it up for me.”
Having dealt with that ordeal, Xu Fang’s spirits finally relaxed somewhat. He went online to check, then proceeded to the adjacent supermarket. There, he bought some yogurt and honey, along with two bowls of porridge.
Xu Fang handed the items to Lin Xi Geng and glanced through the door to check on Lin Xi Chi. He then entered the adjacent room.
Lin Xi Geng rummaged through the bags. She examined the two identical sets of clothing, a bra, and the jar of honey and yogurt. It seemed that Lin Xi Chi didn’t need the bra.
She raised an eyebrow at this peculiar choice, seemingly amused. Lin Xi Geng stuffed the clothing and lingerie into one of the bags and hung it on the doorknob for Lin Xi Chi.
Soon, Lin Xi Chi emerged from the bathroom. Her hair was still damp, and water droplets traced a path down her body, soaking her clothes slightly. She frowned, holding the lingerie that Lin Xi Geng had placed in the bag.
She asked, “Did you buy this?”
Lin Xi Geng, who was engrossed in her phone, glanced at her and then quickly looked away.
“No, it’s from Xu Fang ge.”
Hearing this, Lin Xi Chi stood still without saying a word.
Lin Xi Geng felt that she seemed even less sober after her shower. She looked at Lin Xi Chi with a puzzled expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I think Xu Fang ge bought this for me.”
“…”
“This bra is a size 32A.”
“…”
“Could Xu Fang ge have some misunderstanding about me?”
“…”
As she spoke, Lin Xi Chi suddenly scratched her head, clutching the lingerie in her hand as she walked towards the door.
Lin Xi Geng was puzzled. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to confront him.”
“…”
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