On Saturday night, before Jian Tang arrived for her shift, Feng Ning was sprawled lifelessly across the counter.
After resting for a while, the delivery worker brought the containers to the shop entrance. Feng Ning was called over to check the inventory. She skillfully sorted the beverages – spirits, aperitifs, dessert wines, fruit wines, and fresh milk – arranging them on the refrigerator shelves.
She chatted casually with Tongtong.
Tongtong was wiping down the bar counter with a damp cloth, noticing Feng Ning’s listless state. “Are you on your monthly cycle?”
“Yeah,” Feng Ning replied weakly while recording inventory. “Must’ve been that ice cream from yesterday.”
Her cycle was irregular, with the first two days usually being quite painful. Sometimes it was so uncomfortable she felt like doing anything to make it stop.
Checking the wall clock and seeing it was almost time, Feng Ning turned on all the ambient lights.
Soon after, a group came in, gathering noisily at the corner table.
A young man came to the counter and asked Feng Ning, “Do you have hookah here?”
“Yes, we have watermelon, honeydew, strawberry, and blueberry flavors. Which would you like?”
“Could you recommend one? Which flavor do girls usually like?”
Feng Ning thought for a moment. “Watermelon. How many pipes?”
“Four.” The young man shifted awkwardly and said with slight embarrassment, “Also, could you help heat some water? My girlfriend is on her period. She wants to drink with us, but I’m worried cold drinks might hurt her stomach, so I wanted to warm the alcohol.”
Feng Ning smiled, “You’re quite thoughtful.”
She found an electric kettle, filled it with water, and took a glass bowl for ice upstairs to their table. After plugging in the kettle, she instructed, “When it boils, pour the water into this bowl. If you need more, call me downstairs.”
The young man thanked her.
The spherical spotlights cast colorful, intimate light across the venue. Feng Ning took a sip of hot brown sugar water and spaced out briefly until she felt someone kick her foot.
She looked up. “What?”
Tongtong, who had just delivered fruit platters, blushed slightly and pointed at the door. “Some people are looking for you.”
They were waiting on the steps. Zhao Binlin wore a flashy purple t-shirt, chewing gum.
Seeing only four people, Feng Ning asked, “Where’s Meng Taoyu? Didn’t come?”
“Her parents wouldn’t let her,” Xi Gaoyuan pointed to the girl beside him. “I brought my girlfriend instead.”
“Welcome, come in and sit.”
Under the clear lights, Jiang Wen was tall and slim. He wore simple, clean clothes that clearly showed his good family background.
Tongtong’s handsome-guy radar activated, and she stared that way, unconsciously commenting, “Heavens, that guy is so handsome.”
Feng Ning said casually, “Handsome, right? Control your drool, it’s about to drip off your chin.”
Tongtong snapped out of it but still couldn’t look away. “Wuwuwuwu, is he your classmate? Does he have a girlfriend?”
“Yes, he does.” Feng Ning arranged plates, not too seriously. “Not only is he handsome, he has good grades, comes from money, and his girlfriend is a rich beauty too, so beautiful~”
“Damn, he’s so perfect.” Tongtong’s cheeks flushed red, her face full of longing. “I- I don’t even know who to envy more.”
Feng Ning personally made a yogurt fruit bowl.
She picked out several bottles of good fruit wine and brought them over. After setting up their plates, napkins, and small lights, she smiled and said, “You guys enjoy first, I’m busy now but I’ll join you when I’m done.”
Jiang Wen leaned back lazily, one arm resting on the table edge.
Xi Gaoyuan’s girlfriend, Lin Ru, asked curiously, “She works in a place like this?”
Xi Gaoyuan responded indifferently, “What’s wrong with a place like this?”
“Nothing, just feels a bit…” Lin Ru didn’t finish. After they played cards for a while, she got up to use the bathroom.
On her way back, she was stopped by a man with slicked-back hair trying to chat her up. “Miss, can I get your WeChat?”
Lin Ru had a fierce temper and was used to looking down on others. She rolled her eyes, “Move.”
“How about I buy you a drink?”
“Get lost, I don’t want one.”
Finally shaking him off, she had just sat back down when the slicked-hair man followed over, holding a drink, looking smug: “Miss, I just want to buy you a drink, why so hostile?”
Several thuggish-looking guys followed him, making themselves comfortable on their sofa, loudly saying, “How many of you are there? Let’s all hang out together?”
Zhao Binlin and the others exchanged glances.
After hearing what happened earlier, Xi Gaoyuan was furious. In a burst of anger, he grabbed a nearby drink and splashed it in slicked-hair’s face, “Bastard, who are you hitting on?”
The slicked-hair man’s expression froze for two seconds.
The table was suddenly flipped over, glass shards scattering everywhere.
Xi Gaoyuan was panting, with two people holding down his shoulders as he struggled and cursed, “Idiots, let go of me!”
Hearing the commotion from afar, Tongtong quickly pulled Feng Ning, who was talking to someone else, “Ning, something bad happened!”
Feng Ning rushed over and, in the dim light, recognized one of the troublemakers was someone she knew.
Ah Xin slapped Xi Gaoyuan, “Little punk, acting tough huh?”
People at nearby tables, not knowing what happened, instinctively scattered. Some watched while others took out their phones.
Ah Xin pointed around, shouting loudly: “I dare anyone to film this!”
The situation was escalating. Service staff came and left, and after a while, the normally lively bar became so quiet people barely dared to breathe.
Ah Xin played casually with a fruit knife. Tongtong was scared weak-kneed and quietly asked Zhao Huiyun, “Should we call the police?”
Zhao Huiyun leaned against the wall with crossed arms, “Police won’t help, these guys have committed who knows how many crimes and are always ready to run. Let’s not provoke them, it’ll just cause more trouble later.”
Feng Ning stood alone in front of Ah Xin, “Brother Xin, these are my classmates. Could you let them go?”
“Let them go? What about the drink splashed in my face?” Ah Xin looked her over, “I know you, you’re Meng Hanmo’s sister? You know them?”
Feng Ning nodded, “Yes, but tonight has nothing to do with my brother. I’ll take responsibility.”
Ah Xin leaned back, crossing his arms carelessly: “You’ll take responsibility? How do you plan to do that, for how many people, do you know the rules?”
“All four of them.”
Ah Xin looked at her, considering for two seconds, “Fine, I’ll give Meng Hanmo face today. Triple count, twelve drinks, how’s that?”
Feng Ning paused, “Okay.”
Ah Xin ordered his men, “Go pick the drinks.”
Tongtong went along. She tried to sneak in some low-alcohol fruit beers, but got a meaningful look from one of them, “Sister, trying to cheap out on us?”
Tongtong broke into a cold sweat and didn’t dare try anything else.
Soon, the table was full of yellow, white, and red drinks.
Feng Ning quickly scanned them, picked up one, “Is this enough?”
Ah Xin lifted his chin, “About right.”
Before anyone could speak, she tilted her head back and gulped down a drink.
Tongtong watched as Feng Ning drank one after another, as if numb to it.
Remembering the girl earlier whose boyfriend had lovingly warmed her drinks, her heart ached.
A choking sensation rose in her throat. Jiang Wen was also being held down. He struggled hard but couldn’t break free, sweat pouring down his back, “Let go of me! Don’t let her drink anymore!”
Lin Ru had never seen anything like this and was crying continuously.
Feng Ning acted as if she heard nothing, maintaining her focus as she finished one drink and reached for the next.
Jiang Wen’s head was held down, making it hard to breathe. He felt helpless, “Stop drinking.”
By the twelfth drink, she was nearly finished.
The others were too shocked to speak, some looking away, unable to watch anymore.
Ah Xin slowly lost his mocking expression.
In the dark, shifting lights, all other sounds faded away. Feng Ning couldn’t hear anything until someone suddenly grabbed her drink, “Enough, stop drinking.”
She stopped, wiped the alcohol from her mouth with her hand, struggling to keep her voice steady: “Is this settled?”
When Ah Xin finally nodded, Feng Ning seemed to relax.
She stumbled towards the exit, swaying back and forth for a few steps before rushing out the door.
The people holding Jiang Wen were caught off guard as he pushed them away. Before they could curse, he ran out after her.
Outside the bar, Feng Ning was drunkenly holding onto a tree, vomiting. On the ground was a puddle of white mixed with red streaks of blood.
Her legs too weak to stand, she crouched down.
Jiang Wen reached out helplessly, wanting to touch her but not daring to. He awkwardly patted her back.
She kept retching until eventually her throat spasmed and nothing more would come up. Feng Ning smiled bitterly with a thick tongue, “Ah, being a heroine isn’t so easy after all.”
Finally catching her breath, she tried to stand but fell backward.
Jiang Wen bent down, instinctively wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her from sliding down.
Feng Ning had no strength left and limply let Jiang Wen hold her.
Through the haze, she saw his clothes were disheveled and his eyes full of panic. Even in her unclear state, she could feel the uncontrolled force.
“Hey, you’re holding me so tight…” Feng Ning’s whole body was trembling slightly, but she was still smiling.
Before losing consciousness, she heard someone saying sorry over and over by her ear.
The night had turned quite cold with strong winds on the street. They finally hailed a taxi, yanking open the door urgently and startling the driver, “What’s wrong?”
Zhao Binlin shouted: “To the hospital!”
“Don’t panic, young man.” The driver smelled the strong alcohol on Feng Ning as he started the meter, “How much did they drink?”
Feng Ning’s collar was half soaked with alcohol, her lips pale and frighteningly fragile.
Sitting in the car, Zhao Binlin turned to look at the back seat. From his angle, he could only see her being held tightly against someone’s chest.
Looking at Jiang Wen’s face, he was stunned for a moment before turning back to look out the window.
Jiang Yuyu arrived at the hospital very late.
The young ones sat in a row outside, each looking dejected with guilt written all over their faces.
Seeing her arrive, Zhao Binlin stood up nervously, calling her “Sister.”
Jiang Yuyu’s heart sank, “What happened? Where’s Xiao Wen?”
Xi Gaoyuan looked on the verge of tears as he explained what had happened.
“Who dares bully my brother, which bar?”
Jiang Yuyu was furious. Gritting her teeth, she made a phone call, “Help me investigate some people. If I don’t take down those thugs tomorrow, I’m not worthy of the Jiang name!”
Seeing her rage, the bodyguards stayed absolutely quiet, no one daring to speak.
After finishing the call and handing her phone to her assistant, Jiang Yuyu took a deep breath, “How’s your classmate, are they okay?”
Zhao Binlin shook his head nervously: “Had stomach pumped, still lying inside.”
Standing at the hospital room door, Jiang Yuyu tilted her head slightly to look inside.
Her brother sat by the bed, leaning forward with great patience, using a wet towel to wipe someone’s hands, from knuckles to back of hand.
The person on the bed mumbled something unclear.
Jiang Wen accommodated her height, his bangs falling forward as he leaned in close to hear what she was saying.
With a click, the door opened slightly, and Jiang Yuyu paused.
The room smelled of disinfectant and medicine.
Jiang Wen sat by the bed, his gaze fixed on Feng Ning. He was like a statue, motionless and oblivious to other movements.
She opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing, closing the door behind her.
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