Several people made plans to visit a horse ranch, departing early Saturday morning.
Located in the suburbs, it was a private ranch. It operated on a membership basis, not open to the public. Members could freely enjoy both track riding and trail riding.
Jiang Wen leaned over the second-floor railing to gaze for a while before heading down the stairs. A few people, trying to escape the heat, had gathered at a table downstairs to play cards.
He paused mid-step, glancing down at his clothes when Cheng Jiajia caught his arm.
“Hey, would you mind helping me buy some drinks? I’m afraid I can’t carry them all by myself,” she said softly with a hint of coyness, her cheeks flushed.
He nodded absent-mindedly, neither particularly enthusiastic nor cold.
As soon as they appeared with several bottles of drinks, teasing remarks immediately erupted from the group.
Ji Chiyang smiled mischievously, “What’s this about, little sister Cheng? Sneaking off somewhere with brother Wen?”
Xi Gaoyuan was quick to join in, “Tsk tsk, why do I smell romance in the air?”
They kept going back and forth until Cheng Jiajia interrupted them, “What are you all talking about? We were just buying drinks, what else could we be doing? You guys have too much imagination.”
Seeing her flustered, they became even more unrestrained, making crude jokes: “Oh, are you embarrassed? We’re just asking. Besides, there wasn’t enough time for our brother Wen to do anything anyway.”
Cheng Jiajia stamped her foot, “Why do you keep joking about me and Jiang Wen today!”
Everyone could hear the different tone she used when saying Jiang Wen’s name.
Ji Chiyang asked seriously, “Well, who told you to always stick so close to Jiang Wen?”
Jiang Wen stood by listening to their teasing, tossing drinks into their laps one by one, but remained silent.
Zhao Binlin lounged on the sofa, watching them with meaningful looks.
Around three or four in the afternoon, they prepared to head back. They had come in two SUVs.
Cheng Jiajia and Pei Shurong waited until last, arm in arm, but the others insisted on separating them, wanting one girl in each car to prevent boredom during the trip.
They both hesitated for a moment, wondering how to split up. Pei Shurong gently pushed Cheng Jiajia toward the car where Jiang Wen sat, “You take that one.”
The return trip to the city would take about two hours, passing through countryside. One section of road was unfinished and quite bumpy.
Cheng Jiajia and Jiang Wen sat in the back seat, their arms occasionally brushing against each other’s legs.
The person next to them pretended to doze off. She turned to watch the scenery flying past outside the window, immersed in this subtle hint of romance.
Cheng Jiajia noticed a phone ringing and gently poked the back of his hand, “Jiang Wen, it’s yours.”
Jiang Wen responded with a slight delay, opening his eyes. It was a call from home. He gathered himself and answered, “Hello.”
There was no music in the car, and sitting so close, Cheng Jiajia could faintly hear a woman’s voice speaking rapidly on the other end.
Jiang Wen lowered the window slightly to let in some air. He switched the phone from his left ear to his right, responding with soft acknowledgments.
The car suddenly turned at a fork in the road.
Cheng Jiajia lost her balance and bumped into Jiang Wen’s chest, her elbow landing on his hand.
His fingers were cold. Her eyelashes fluttered as she mumbled, “Sorry.”
Jiang Wen didn’t move, his expression neutral as he made a simple sound of acknowledgment.
Often, he was like this, seemingly blind to everyone. Yet it was precisely this indifference that made him irresistible.
Being the weekend, the city streets were alive with neon lights and bustling crowds. Traffic was at its peak, and after parking in a random shopping mall’s underground garage, they walked to the night market for food.
The area had a strong street atmosphere, with stray cats and dogs running around, and flies buzzing near garbage heaps. The streets were packed with people, and many barbecue restaurants lined the road – perfect weather for eating crayfish. Sitting at these outdoor food stalls, gathered around a table with ice-cold beer and cola, really captured the summer mood.
Though they were all used to fine dining, everyone agreed to try something different here.
The sun had set, and darkness had fully descended when they chose a seemingly popular restaurant and found their seats.
Perhaps due to being short-staffed, no one came to serve them for quite a while.
Zhao Binlin sat next to Jiang Wen and noticed him playing on his phone. Peering over, he saw it was Tetris. “Are you fucking kidding me, what are you, a primary school kid?”
A male student banged on the table, shouting impatiently, “Is anyone there? Are you still doing business? Can we order?”
“Coming, menu’s coming.”
Zhao Binlin turned his head and was surprised, “Feng Ning, why are you here?” He noticed her clothes and asked curiously, “You work here?”
“Oh, I didn’t expect to see you guys eating here on East Street.” Feng Ning was also surprised, scanning the faces at the table before smiling, “I’m helping a friend out here. What would you like? I can take your order.”
Unlike usual, she hadn’t tied her hair up today, and her smooth black hair hung loose and clean. She wore no makeup. With her hair tucked behind her ears, her delicate eyebrows and eyes looked particularly gentle and peaceful in the dim light.
Zhao Binlin suddenly came to his senses and nudged Jiang Wen, “What do you want to eat, young master?”
Across the crowd, Jiang Wen and Feng Ning’s gazes met like a silent mime show. He frowned slightly, his expression blank as he looked away and started another game.
Cheng Jiajia wiped the greasy table corner with a tissue while looking Feng Ning up and down. She slowed her movements and moved her lips, exchanging glances with Pei Shurong.
Pei Shurong snorted softly and raised an eyebrow.
Their fashionable appearances stood in stark contrast to the dirty environment.
The food came quickly, glistening with oil. Others at the table chatted while eating, and after they finished, they ordered several rounds of drinks, mixing beer and spirits. Jiang Wen barely touched his food, just holding his glass and occasionally lifting the corners of his mouth.
He tilted his head back, drinking steadily on his own.
Through some keen intuition, Cheng Jiajia could tell his mood had been off, and she said softly, “There’s a convenience store nearby. I’ll go buy you some yogurt to drink, otherwise your stomach might hurt later.”
Jiang Wen’s facial features were refined, and his graceful eyes turned up slightly, giving him a romantic air. The alcohol made it hard to think clearly. He watched her expressionlessly, his dark eyes deep as a pool, as if trying to figure out who she was.
Cheng Jiajia wanted to say more, but being stared at by Jiang Wen made her blush.
Jiang Wen leaned back against the table edge, turned his head, his eyes looking somewhere distant, and tugged at the corner of his mouth, “Who do you like, hmm?”
She let out a small “ah” sound, too embarrassed to answer. Her heart suddenly started racing, and she could barely string words together, “I… you…”
Though she’d dated before, Cheng Jiajia inexplicably felt nervous in front of him. When she looked again, Jiang Wen had completely wiped the playfulness from his face.
Over there, while they were waiting to pay, Ji Chiyang opened WeChat, “Miss, should I scan your code or you scan mine?”
Feng Ning smoothly displayed a sign, “You scan mine.”
Half the people present were drunk, and Ji Chiyang, worried about accidents, discussed with Xi Gaoyuan and decided to send the two girls home first. They’d come back later for those who were already passed out on the table.
Someone patted his head, but there was no response. After a while, they patted again.
Jiang Wen caught a whiff of shampoo fragrance. He opened his eyes slightly to see Feng Ning leaning down, “Hey, what are you doing lying here?”
In the dim lamplight, she wore pure silver camellia flower earrings that sparkled faintly.
Jiang Wen looked back at her with confused eyes, his brows tightly knitted as if in discomfort, asking slowly, “Who are you?”
Seeing his confused state, Feng Ning knew he must be quite drunk, not even recognizing people. Her expression unchanged, she enunciated clearly: “Feng Ning. Feng as in ‘meeting by chance,’ Ning as in ‘rather break than bend.’ I’m your father, you’re my son.”
His tongue seemed tied as he asked, “Restless like chickens and dogs?”
When drunk, Jiang Wen didn’t get flushed like others, but instead turned deathly pale, his breath heavy with alcohol.
“Well, looks like you’re not that drunk after all.” Feng Ning laughed, waving a finger in front of his eyes, half-seriously asking, “Son, how many fingers do you see? Can you still tell?”
Jiang Wen pulled her hand down, saying very seriously, “One.”
Seeing Jiang Wen like this, Feng Ning suddenly had the urge to take out her phone and snap a few photos of his face. She laughed, “You’re so funny when you’re drunk, looking like this.”
Someone shouted from the other end, “Bring the grilled skewers to table 7!”
Feng Ning responded, about to leave, but stumbled as Jiang Wen pulled her, making her lose her balance. She snapped in frustration, “What are you doing, brother? I’m busy here.”
“Busy with what?”
Feng Ning squinted at him, looking down, “It’s packed here, business is good.”
He didn’t move or show any sign of letting go. She sighed, turning to call out to Meng Hanmo, “Brother, bring some ice water from the back, got a drunk friend here.”
She could only use one hand, struggling to pour the ice water into a glass and hand it to Jiang Wen. When he didn’t take it, she had no choice but to help this young master drink it herself.
A passing crew-cut guy saw this scene and stared, grinning slyly, “Ning, who are you flirting with here?”
Hearing someone call her, Feng Ning glanced sideways, annoyed, “Fuck off, what flirting? My classmate’s drunk.”
She put down the water glass, impatient to waste more time with him, forcefully pulling her clothes free, “Alright, that’s enough. Stay put and wait for your friends, I need to get back to work.”
Just as she turned around, she was pulled back again.
Feng Ning looked down and sighed in exasperation: “For fuck’s sake, what’s your problem? What do you want?”
Jiang Wen’s mind was foggy, still in a state of confusion.
Under the flickering neon lights, he squinted, his expression unclear, obviously still not fully conscious. He pressed his lips together, then opened his mouth slightly.
In the hot weather, sweat had formed on their backs, and the night breeze felt sticky and uncomfortable. The environment was noisy, overwhelmingly loud. As people passed by in small groups, Feng Ning couldn’t hear him at first, so she bent her neck down, “What did you say?”
She stamped her foot slightly, waving away mosquitoes.
Jiang Wen’s voice dropped lower, completely hoarse now, like a tired whisper, “Who do you like?”
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