Chapter 68
When Zhuo Zhi arrived and saw Lan Xi, she froze.
She asked, “What’s wrong, Sister?” her eyes darting towards the stage.
“Nothing, you’ve been working hard all night, must be tired, come and sit down for a bit,” Li Qinyue pushed the prepared juice towards her.
“I’m not tired,” Zhuo Zhi glanced at Aijia, feeling a little embarrassed, “I haven’t done much.”
Aijia patted her shoulder, “Take a break, there are no more customers coming in now.”
“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi had been surprised when she first received the security alert, but now, seeing Lan Xi performing, she understood.
She sat down, holding the juice glass, and complimented Li Qinyue, “The drinks you make are so beautiful, Sister.”
“This one is called ‘My Little Darling,’” Li Qinyue said, “Non-alcoholic, just for you.”
Zhuo Zhi took a sip and giggled.
“Tsk,” Aijia turned around, “I’m going to the kitchen…”
“Sister Ai,” Zhuo Zhi called out to her, “Lan Xi’s contract hasn’t expired yet, right?”
“Yes,” Aijia said, “We signed a long-term contract, didn’t expect her to become famous so quickly.”
“Then is she scheduled to perform at ‘Shengge’ regularly? If we can confirm the dates, the security team can make arrangements to prevent any incidents.”
Aijia laughed, finding the girl endearing, her dedication to her job a stark contrast to the person behind the bar, who was clearly just there to cause trouble.
Aijia couldn’t help but pat Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder again, “We’ve already discussed the contract situation. It’s not appropriate for her to perform here after joining ‘I’m a Musician’.”
She glanced at Li Qinyue, “We have the same boss as ‘Shengle Media’, so it’s not that strict. Her being here tonight is an exception.”
“Oh, I see,” Zhuo Zhi nodded.
“I’m going to the kitchen now,” Aijia said, waving her hand and leaving.
Zhuo Zhi watched Lan Xi sing for a while, then turned to Li Qinyue and asked, “What kind of exception, Sister?”
Li Qinyue paused in her mixing, “What kind of exception? She just wanted to come, that’s all.”
“Oh,” Zhuo Zhi looked at Li Qinyue, then turned back to the stage, “That’s the end of her song, it was nice.”
Li Qinyue changed the subject, “You have a nice singing voice.”
“I can’t compare to a professional singer, I’m just humming randomly,” Zhuo Zhi said.
“I like listening to your random humming,” Li Qinyue said.
Zhuo Zhi stared at her for a moment, then chuckled, “You don’t have to do this, Sister. It’s just a coincidence, I’m not angry.”
“Good girl,” Li Qinyue reached out to gently boop her nose.
But just as she finished speaking, she saw Lan Xi walking towards them.
Suddenly feeling nervous, she quickly put down her tools and said to Zhuo Zhi, “I’ve been standing here all night, I’m tired, let’s go upstairs and sit down for a bit.”
There was a private room upstairs, their usual spot, off-limits to regular customers.
But Zhuo Zhi wasn’t a regular customer, nor was she a VIP. She was a staff member. It was already pushing it for Li Qinyue to bring her here to rest, going to the private room would be too much.
She felt embarrassed and mumbled, “Sister, this isn’t appropriate.”
Li Qinyue, keeping an eye on what was happening behind Zhuo Zhi, was relieved to see that Lan Xi was surrounded by two girls, probably asking for autographs and pictures. Lowering her eyes, she suddenly touched her head and said, “I don’t know, maybe I had too much to drink, I’m feeling a little dizzy.”
“Huh?” Zhuo Zhi immediately became concerned. She jumped off the stool and looked at Li Qinyue, “You were drinking while making cocktails? Testing the flavors? How much have you had tonight?”
Li Qinyue, not wanting her to worry too much, said, “I just had a couple of sips.”
“Let’s not go to the private room,” Zhuo Zhi said, “Let’s go out the back door and get some fresh air. It’s stuffy inside.”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue readily agreed. She immediately came out from behind the bar and pulled Zhuo Zhi along.
They almost bumped into the group surrounding Lan Xi.
Lan Xi saw Li Qinyue, her brows furrowing, but Li Qinyue had Zhuo Zhi with her, and she was surrounded by enthusiastic fans. They didn’t even have a chance to greet each other.
Li Qinyue dragged Zhuo Zhi out the back door. The cold wind blew away the warmth of the bar, and she let out a long sigh of relief.
Seeing her take a deep breath, Zhuo Zhi stood on tiptoe and touched her forehead, “Feeling better?”
“Much better,” Li Qinyue said with a smile, “It must have been the stuffy air, my Xiao Zhuo is so smart.”
“Hehe,” Zhuo Zhi was also happy, but her smile didn’t last long. She frowned again, “But if you feel uncomfortable after staying inside for too long, you can’t do this job long-term.”
“It’s fine,” Li Qinyue put her arm around Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder, “I’ll do it for as long as I can, I’ll try my best.”
Zhuo Zhi turned to look at her, feeling sorry for her, “If you don’t like it, don’t force yourself, Sister. I told you, I can support you.”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue squeezed her cheek, agreeing without any hesitation.
They stood by the back door for a while, Li Qinyue wrapping her coat tightly around herself.
Zhuo Zhi rubbed Li Qinyue’s hands, warming them up.
It was late at night. In winter, there were few people in the back alley, the bright lights creating a stark contrast with the dark corners, a cold yet alluring beauty.
Li Qinyue looked at the person in front of her, Zhuo Zhi’s fair skin glowing with a rosy hue, her long eyelashes fluttering, so adorable.
It was a quiet moment. They were standing near the back door, and they could faintly hear a conversation.
Someone was talking to the security guard at the back door. Customers weren’t usually allowed to exit through the back.
It was Lan Xi, Li Qinyue recognized her voice.
She frowned. Although Zhuo Zhi had said she wouldn’t get angry over coincidences, was this really a coincidence? Li Qinyue knew that Lan Xi had come here after hearing about her, even if she didn’t dare to do anything drastic, her goal was to be seen by Li Qinyue, to make her presence known.
It was annoying.
Li Qinyue frowned. She wasn’t going to leave the bar because of this person. They had finally found a job, and she didn’t want it to be ruined by her former friends, let alone by Lan Xi. It was frustrating, to say the least.
Zhuo Zhi was still holding her hands, her small, soft hands with their slight calluses, the touch incredibly comforting.
As Li Qinyue took a deep breath, looking around for a suitable place to hide, she saw Fang Yi not far away.
He was standing by the back door of another bar, talking to a man. The man was smoking, his hand resting on Fang Yi’s shoulder, their posture quite intimate. It was unclear how long they had been there.
When Li Qinyue looked at them, Fang Yi, sensing her gaze, looked over. Their eyes met, and he froze for a moment before quickly looking away, his gaze landing on Zhuo Zhi.
Damn, Li Qinyue cursed inwardly, I’m surrounded by wolves tonight.
Compared to Lan Xi’s behavior, Fang Yi’s interest in Zhuo Zhi was undeniable now.
Li Qinyue hadn’t explicitly revealed their relationship to Fang Yi because she felt that homosexuality wasn’t widely accepted, and it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. Unrelated people didn’t need to know.
But now, she felt she had to act decisively, to let everyone know that they were a couple.
A couple in love, so sweet, so disgustingly sweet that no one else had a chance.
Li Qinyue looked around and spotted a red, European-style phone booth, a decorative piece.
The location wasn’t too exposed, but not too hidden either. It wouldn’t be immediately noticeable, but people with ulterior motives, like Lan Xi and Fang Yi, would definitely see them.
The conversation by the back door had ended. This was her chance. Li Qinyue grabbed Zhuo Zhi’s hand and pulled her towards the phone booth.
Zhuo Zhi was clearly confused, but she trusted Li Qinyue enough not to question her.
Li Qinyue pulled her into the shadows beside the phone booth, pressing her against the wooden exterior.
Zhuo Zhi looked at her. Li Qinyue put her arm around her waist, leaned closer, and whispered, “There’s a situation.”
“What kind of situation?” Zhuo Zhi also lowered her voice.
“A situation where I need your help to avoid bad guys,” Li Qinyue said, “Have you learned nothing from all those movies?”
Zhuo Zhi wanted to look around, but Li Qinyue held her neck, “Don’t turn your head, they’ll see us.”
Zhuo Zhi couldn’t think of any situation that would require this kind of secrecy, but since Li Qinyue had said so, she would cooperate.
If there were bad guys, they couldn’t let them ruin their plan.
If there were no bad guys, then this must be one of Li Qinyue’s games.
Li Qinyue wouldn’t do anything too outrageous in public, probably just hugging and kissing. Zhuo Zhi, as her official girlfriend, found it exciting.
She hummed in agreement, stopped moving, and looked at Li Qinyue obediently.
Li Qinyue leaned even closer and asked, “Aren’t you going to ask what I want you to do?”
“You’re so smart, Sister…” Zhuo Zhi’s voice was a soft murmur of flattery, “Do whatever you want.”
“Tsk,” Li Qinyue’s voice tickled her ear, “You’re getting better and better with your words.”
Zhuo Zhi’s lips curved into a smile. Li Qinyue’s lips brushed against her cheek, moving downwards, soon reaching her lips.
“Let’s see if your skills have improved.”
Her skills, of course, referred to kissing.
Kissing in public was a little embarrassing, but thankfully, there was no one around at this hour.
Zhuo Zhi, with her sharp senses, could still perceive her surroundings even with her eyes closed.
As Li Qinyue parted her lips with her tongue, someone walked to the back door of “Shengge”, then stopped.
As their tongues intertwined, two cars passed by at the intersection not far away.
Li Qinyue’s hand tightened around her waist, her fingers restlessly moving on Zhuo Zhi’s back. The street was quiet, and Zhuo Zhi knew that all the sounds were far away. She relaxed into the kiss.
She embraced the intimacy, while a part of her mind remained alert, on guard for any approaching passersby.
Zhuo Zhi’s heart danced to the rhythm of Li Qinyue’s movements, her body warm, her feet almost leaving the ground.
The sensation was exhilarating. Zhuo Zhi didn’t forget that Li Qinyue wanted to see her skills, and she kissed back passionately, trying to take control.
But she had underestimated Miss Li.
When Li Qinyue was willing, she could lie in bed and let Zhuo Zhi take the lead. But when she wasn’t willing, her instincts and experience were far superior to Zhuo Zhi’s.
Li Qinyue pushed her away, their breaths mingling, their faces inches apart.
She pulled Zhuo Zhi deeper into the shadows, into a recessed area of the building, her back pressed against the cold stone bricks.
This was much more stable than that wooden phone booth. Li Qinyue didn’t loosen her grip, pressing Zhuo Zhi against the wall with all her strength.
The height difference made Zhuo Zhi stand on tiptoe.
Li Qinyue’s lips descended again, her arms wrapping around Zhuo Zhi’s waist, lifting her off the ground.
Zhuo Zhi’s heart soared.
Li Qinyue didn’t lift her high, just enough for her feet to leave the ground. With her back against the solid wall, they formed a strangely stable structure.
Li Qinyue was lost in the kiss, and Zhuo Zhi knew she wasn’t struggling.
It was Zhuo Zhi who was struggling, trying to hold back her weight so she wouldn’t tire Li Qinyue.
Her mind was filled with anxieties, but her senses were heightened.
Every point where Li Qinyue touched her felt like a taut string, vibrating with each pluck, sending tremors through her body, making her fingertips tingle.
Zhuo Zhi had no energy left to pay attention to her surroundings, and Li Qinyue, sensing it, pulled back slightly, her lips brushing against Zhuo Zhi’s, “Don’t worry, no one’s watching.”
“I’m not worried,” Zhuo Zhi swallowed, her voice soft and husky, “I don’t even care if someone sees us.”
Li Qinyue chuckled softly. Just as she was about to kiss her again, something flew towards them.
It was fast and accurate. If it weren’t for the fact that they were in a peaceful country with good law and order, she would have thought it was a bullet.
And for a split second, her mind did think it was a bullet, instinctively making her move to shield Zhuo Zhi.
But Zhuo Zhi was much faster. She pushed Li Qinyue away with one hand and reached out to catch the “bullet” with the other.
Li Qinyue’s mind went blank, her heart skipping a beat.
Because of their previous position, Zhuo Zhi lost her balance and fell forward.
She landed on her knees, her hand still clutching a squashed… orange.
Across the street, an old lady in a military coat was holding a bag of bright oranges.
Under the streetlights, the oranges gleamed. As Li Qinyue reached out to help Zhuo Zhi up, the old lady took out an orange.
She held it in her hand and said, her voice low but clear, “Touch her again, and you’ll regret it.”
Leave a Reply