"I don't like making friends, especially girlfriends," Jiang Chuan gazed into the distance and said.
"Hehe, you're interesting," Yang Qingya's lips curled into a smile, staring at Jiang Chuan, "Let me ask you a question, why are you drinking alone here?"
"Then why are you, a woman, drinking here?" Jiang Chuan glanced at Yang Qingya and asked back.
"I like this atmosphere," Yang Qingya placed her glass on the bar, turned around leaning against it, and softly said while looking at the restless young men and women, "It's so freeing and untethered."
"How about you?" Yang Qingya looked at Jiang Chuan again.
Jiang Chuan remained silent.
Seeing Jiang Chuan not speaking, Yang Qingya bent down, brought her face close to his ear, and whispered with fragrant breath, "What? Do you find me annoying?"
A warm breath brushed against his ear, mingled with a faint fragrance, causing Jiang Chuan's soul to tremble, making him somewhat restless. He took a sip of his drink and said bluntly, "Yes, very annoying."
"Hehe."
Yang Qingya straightened up, swirling her wine glass, took a sip and said with a smile, "You're the first man to speak to me like that, ever."
Jiang Chuan looked up at Yang Qingya.
Yang Qingya smiled sweetly and said, "Bars are where nightlife begins, and nightlife includes alcohol and women. People who come here are basically of two kinds: those who want to vent their dissatisfaction with the world through drinking, numbing their senses, or those seeking excitement, looking for a night-time companion."
"Which one are you?"
"I'm neither."
"You broke up," Yang Qingya said confidently.
Jiang Chuan didn't speak for a while, then he took out his cigarette case from his pocket, lit one up, and retorted, "I wasn't in love, so what breakup?"
"Had a fight with your wife?"
Jiang Chuan glanced at Yang Qingya suspiciously, and laughed at himself. A fight? He and Qiu Qianyu don't fight. In Qiu Qianyu's eyes, he's just a bastard, a despicable bastard. How would Qiu Qianyu fight with a bastard?
"Did I guess right?" Yang Qingya smiled sweetly and said.
Jiang Chuan didn't speak, picked up his glass and drank it down in one go, a flash of hostility passed through his eyes. He didn't care, he didn't care about many things, but today's matter, made him feel a bit aggrieved inside.
Qiu Qianyu could not trust him, could treat him as a bastard, but no matter how you look at it, he was still her husband, yet she didn't even give him a chance to explain, just so sure it was him?
One glass after another, in the blink of an eye, he had downed five glasses. Slightly drunk, Jiang Chuan said, "A mature and sexy woman like you shouldn't lack male company, why come over to strike up a conversation with me?"
"Because I see you're alone, and I'm alone too."
"Hehe." A smile appeared on the corner of Jiang Chuan's mouth.
"Want a drink?" Yang Qingya picked up her glass.
Jiang Chuan also picked up his glass, clinked it against hers, and they both downed it in one go. The two of them sat by the bar, drinking and having a sporadic chat.
Chatting with Yang Qingya lifted Jiang Chuan's gloomy mood considerably.
Just as Jiang Chuan and Yang Qingya were talking, five young men squeezed out from the crowd, their eyes casting around. One of them suddenly looked in Jiang Chuan's direction, his eyes lit up immediately.
He nudged the man at the front, who also looked towards Jiang Chuan's direction, his eyes revealing a joyful expression, as if seeing prey.
"Sister Ya."
The five men gathered in front of the bar, the leading skinny, small man kept sweeping his eyes over Yang Qingya, grinning, saying, "It's a rare occurrence to see Sister Ya at Manluo Bar, a once-in-a-century chance."
Hearing the voice, Jiang Chuan turned and glanced at them, raising his eyebrows but not saying anything. These five looked like riffraff, clearly small-time hooligans.
"So it's Brother Gou. What brings you here?" Yang Qingya's smile didn't fade as she spoke.
"Just noticed Sister Ya, so we came specifically to say hi. As the lady boss of Manluo Bar, you're a rare sight indeed. We've all heard of Sister Ya, but never seen you in person."
Brother Gou smiled, his eyes flashing over Yang Qingya, as if trying to see through her: "It's indeed rare to see Sister Ya."
"Hehe."
Yang Qingya gave a charming smile and said, "You've seen me now, and you've greeted me. Brother Gou, you can carry on with what you're doing."
"No hurry, no hurry."
Brother Gou looked at Yang Qingya, then at Jiang Chuan next to her, with a lewd smile on his lips, "Sister Ya, are you feeling lonely? Coming to a bar to find a man. If you're lonely, why not let me keep you company? I guarantee to make you feel so good you won't need another man."
...