Chapter 23 #2
Yan Jun made a hushing gesture, signaling him to keep it from the others. “I have social anxiety,” he confessed. “For heaven’s sake, please don’t bring out a cake later.”
“All right.” Zhang Yuwen laughed. “I’ll spare you that.”
The dinner was a lavish feast of barbecue and hot pot.
Since it was New Year’s Eve, the resort also prepared some special dishes.
Worried that the six of them wouldn’t get enough to eat, Zhang Yuwen planned to add in some extra dishes, but the resort had accurately estimated their capacity for food.
The portions were generous on top of the food itself being exquisite.
Xiao-Qi even got her own children’s special.
They all watched the New Year’s Eve gala as they dug into their meal.
Huo Sichen treated everyone to drinks, and they tactfully refrained from probing into his relationship with Zhang Yuwen.
While the mood was lively, it was also a little odd.
Chang Jinxing and Zhang Yuwen conversed nonstop, sitting so close they were shoulder to shoulder, while Zheng Weize entertained Xiao-Qi and chatted with Chen Hong.
Meanwhile, Huo Sichen drank with Yan Jun, downing glass after glass.
Occasionally, Zhang Yuwen heard Yan Jun’s voice. “You’re pretty successful…”
Huo Sichen patted Yan Jun, a bit tipsy himself. “And how would you know?” Then something occurred to him, and he glanced at Zhang Yuwen, who was typing something on his phone to show Chang Jinxing.
It took a moment for Zhang Yuwen to glance over at them. “Go easy on the alcohol, you two,” he reminded them. He didn’t want to have to clean up the rooms if someone got sick later.
“We’re good,” said Huo Sichen. “This isn’t strong stuff.”
Zhang Yuwen was asking Chang Jinxing what had happened the night before, since it seemed like he had a falling out with Zheng Weize.
Chang Jinxing typed: I showed him my new gf.
Zhang Yuwen eyed Chang Jinxing skeptically, and Chang Jinxing pulled up a photo of a gorgeous girl to show him. Zhang Yuwen raised an inquiring eyebrow: Was it true?
Chang Jinxing waved his hand. She was only one of his clients. Zhang Yuwen understood then that Chang Jinxing had just wanted to stop Zheng Weize from getting his hopes up, so he wouldn’t end up hurt in the long run.
Huo Sichen and Yan Jun began to play finger-guessing games as they drank, although they were restrained and didn’t make too much noise. Xiao-Qi started to get sleepy around half past eight.
“Is it Xiao-Qi’s bedtime…?” asked Zhang Yuwen. “Yan Jun! Huo Sichen! Why did you drink so much?”
There were several empty bottles in front of them. Huo Sichen was slumped over the dining table, and Yan Jun’s eyes were glazed over as he replied, “S’fine. It’s fine. I’ll carry Xiao-Qi back now…”
Zheng Weize laughed. “Are we still watching the New Year’s fireworks later?”
Zhang Yuwen suspected Yan Jun of deliberately trying to get Huo Sichen drunk, and he was a little angry with him. Of course, since his drinking capacity was about the same as Huo Sichen’s, Yan Jun had ended up getting drunk too.
“I’ll take them back,” offered Chen Hong.
“Then I’ll take care of Sichen,” Zhang Yuwen said.
So Zheng Weize carried Xiao-Qi back to Crane Hall while Zhang Yuwen tried to pull Huo Sichen, who pushed him away, -hollering. “I can still drink! Yan Jun! Yan Jun!”
Yan Jun, who Chen Hong was supporting back to his room, turned around when he heard the shouts.
“Let’s go already!” Chen Hong said loudly. “You two are crazy to drink so much.”
Chang Jinxing lent a helping hand. Zhang Yuwen thought it was fortunate they were all guys, or this situation would have been hell to manage.
Just as they were about to leave, the bill came: ￥3,000 worth of alcohol. Zhang Yuwen was speechless.
In the corridor, Huo Sichen shoved Chang Jinxing away and hugged Zhang Yuwen. “L-listen to me,” he mumbled. Mischievously, Chang Jinxing grabbed a handful of snow and stuffed it into Huo Sichen’s collar, eliciting a yell.
“Jinxing!” Zhang Yuwen said angrily.
Chang Jinxing ran off laughing, and Zhang Yuwen half-dragged, half-carried Huo Sichen, trying to make it back to the room. But Huo Sichen sank to his knees and clung to Zhang Yuwen’s leg.
“I’m so sorry, Yuwen,” he said, sounding sincere. “I didn’t want this. I really don’t…”
Zhang Yuwen was flummoxed. He looked doubtfully at Huo Sichen. Chang Jinxing, who was a distance ahead, suddenly looked back at them.
“Sorry about what?” Zhang Yuwen asked. Huo Sichen bowed his head, looking like he was going to lie down right there in the corridor. “It’s too cold here. Let’s go back to the room.”
“I’m sorry…” Huo Sichen was acting like a child who knew he’d done something wrong.
Chang Jinxing slowly walked back toward them, but Zhang Yuwen waved a hand to tell him it was okay.
Meanwhile, Chen Hong helped Yan Jun into his room.
“I like Yuwen!” Yan Jun shouted. “Yuwen! I love you!”
“Shhh!” Chen Hong and Zheng Weize slapped their hands over Yan Jun’s mouth in fear that Zhang Yuwen might hear him. That would have been embarrassing. This was the first Zheng Weize was hearing of this, and he looked at Chen Hong in shock.
“Xiao-Qi… Go look after her,” Chen Hong said. They didn’t just have to supervise Yan Jun, they also needed to take care of his daughter, putting them in a little bit of a predicament.
Yan Jun lay on his side on the ground, mumbling to himself, utterly wasted. “I like you… Yeah, I like you… I didn’t have the courage to tell you…”
The commotion woke Xiao-Qi up, and the sight of her father dead drunk for the first time startled her so much that she began to bawl.
Zheng Weize couldn’t placate her no matter what he tried.
Yan Jun, meanwhile, stared at Xiao-Qi without saying a word.
After a while, Xiao-Qi crawled toward Yan Jun.
Silently, he hugged her tight to his chest and closed his eyes.
Seeing this, Zheng Weize started crying instead. “Why are you crying?” sputtered Chen Hong, who had been preparing milk for Xiao-Qi.