At a small table in the corner of Qinggang Bar, Luo Qingchuan ordered a bottle of low-alcohol fruit wine and sat down with Chen Yanyu.
The fruit wine was poured into two separate glasses... If he wasn't worried the server would get suspicious, Luo Qingchuan wouldn't have bought any alcohol at all.
"Miss Chen, here."
"What's this?"
"A straw."
"Oh, oh!"
Chen Yanyu put it into the cup, then lightly held it between her lips in small sips. She looked at Luo Qingchuan.
"I actually knew what it was. It's just too dark..."
"Then put the sunglasses away." Luo Qingchuan still hadn't given up on persuading her.
"...Okay."
Chen Yanyu agreed. She put the sunglasses into the small case in her shoulder bag, then shyly revealed to Luo Qingchuan a flawless face so beautiful it was almost breathtaking.
Luo Qingchuan's heart thumped twice. He turned his gaze away.
Light and shadow kept shifting. Luo Qingchuan's eyes swept across every inch of the bar, refusing to miss a single corner.
He was looking for Peony.
And so, Luo Qingchuan saw person after person.
To the east, one guy was laughing with high spirits.
In the back corner, a drunken couple clung to each other and kissed passionately.
On the left, a bespectacled young man chatted freely with close friends.
Near the entrance, someone sat alone, silently playing on their phone.
This wasn't exactly the full spectrum of life.
But Luo Qingchuan could feel it even more clearly. They were all individuals. Just like him, they were living people.
Not numbers in the news.
23:19:12... a time like a curse.
Man or woman, young or old, all of them could fall into reincarnation in the blink of an eye, no matter what attachments they still had.
Luo Qingchuan had Peony's appearance on file. In the future text of the book, after Peony cultivated the Blood Demon Spirit Tempering Art, he fed on the flesh and blood of his own kind and became broad and powerful, tall and tiger-like.
Chen Yanyu secretly glanced at Luo Qingchuan's face.
Heavy, but not gloomy. The boy's eyes were deep as he stared at the entrance, carefully watching every guest who came and went, unwilling to miss anyone.
"Hey, handsome and pretty lady!"
All of a sudden, a stylishly dressed girl ran over from her group and said with a grin, "You two are both so pretty. Are you on a date?"
Blushing, Chen Yanyu was about to shake her head, but then she saw Luo Qingchuan nod and smile politely.
"Yes."
A sharp pain shot through his thigh... Luo Qingchuan wanted to give up too.
Go ahead, pinch all you want. Talking to people would only distract him. He just wanted to deal with this quickly.
"C-can I take a photo with you two?"
"Sure," Luo Qingchuan agreed at once.
The girl probably thought they were some kind of minor celebrities. She leaned in, click, and took a group photo of the three of them.
Luo Qingchuan still had his hat on, but he'd taken off his mask. He did his best to make his fierce-looking face show a friendly smile, so he wouldn't leave a bad mark in someone else's picture.
Chen Yanyu's little face was slightly red. Her pale, delicate fingers held the cup as she bit the straw and gave a restrained little smile. She looked unbelievably cute.
"Thank you! Hope you two have fun!"
The girl ran back, seemingly showing off to her friends at the table.
After a while, Luo Qingchuan still hadn't found any sign of Peony.
Could it be the butterfly effect? Even if I never met him, had the future already changed without me noticing?
Luo Qingchuan frowned, then thought again... Maybe he just hadn't arrived yet.
He checked the time.
It was only eight at night.
There were still three hours left.
Luo Qingchuan glanced at Chen Yanyu and realized she'd been staring at him the whole time.
Their eyes met. Chen Yanyu immediately pretended to be admiring the scenery, then took a big pull of fruit wine. Her cheeks were stunning, like peach blossoms.
This girl had lived all alone in the undersea Dragon Palace for more than ten years. Had she never drunk alcohol before?
After hesitating, Luo Qingchuan asked with concern, "Are you getting used to it?"
"It's really good..." Chen Yanyu seemed a little tipsy already, her face flushed.
Under the bar's shifting lights, the silver-haired girl's dazed little face looked even more adorably unique.
Luo Qingchuan fell silent for a moment, uneasy inside. "Miss Chen, with just this little bit... you won't get drunk, right?"
Chen Yanyu gave a little huff. "Anyway, I definitely won't get drunk, so don't worry! When the time comes, I'll definitely help you beat up the big bad guy!"
She raised her soft pink little fist at Luo Qingchuan, showing it off like a threat.
It would've been better if she hadn't said anything. The moment she did, Luo Qingchuan's heart jumped.
"Don't go raising death flags..."
"What does raising a flag mean?"
"It means saying something that's very likely to come true."
"I won't get drunk. I'm a dragon!"
A trace of pride appeared on Chen Yanyu's little face. At last, it matched her identity.
Only then did Luo Qingchuan notice that the low-alcohol fruit wine in Chen Yanyu's cup was already gone.
He'd only finished half of his.
Chen Yanyu sucked up the last dry sound through the straw, then decisively pushed the empty glass away and said in a sulky tone, "I want more."
"Don't push yourself. Drink in moderation," Luo Qingchuan advised.
Chen Yanyu fell silent for a moment, then lowered her voice in embarrassment. "It's sweet... I want to drink it..."
She hadn't had many drinks from the human world. She was craving it.
"Luo Qingchuan, buy me another bottle," Chen Yanyu said. Her eyes were like clear spring water in the woods, misted with a faint white haze, carrying a hint of intimacy. "I want it."
Luo Qingchuan sighed and pushed his half-full glass toward her.
"If you don't mind, drink this. I'm not buying you another one. Next time, I'll drink with you to your heart's content."
Chen Yanyu stared hesitantly at the cup he pushed over.
"But that would be... an indirect kiss."
Luo Qingchuan laughed, amused. "Didn't you already give me your first kiss? What are you being shy about now?"
"Wuwuwu, that's different!"
The moment he brought that up, Chen Yanyu's eyes instantly turned watery. Her sweet little face was full of grievance.
"That was just a brush! My first kiss is definitely still there! Still there!"
"Okay, okay, it's still there, it's still there. Have a couple sips and calm down." Luo Qingchuan pushed the half cup of fruit wine a little closer to her.
For some reason, whenever he was with Chen Yanyu, he always wanted to tease her a little.
Chen Yanyu gave a cold huff, pinched the straw, and stuffed it into her rosy cherry lips, pressing it with her soft little tongue.
"Indirect kiss. Miss Chen, now your first kiss is gone again."
Chen Yanyu froze. Her cheeks puffed up. Her delicate oval face seemed to deflate into a round one. Crystal-clear tears welled up in her big eyes as she glared at Luo Qingchuan and made muffled whining sounds.
"Luo Qingchuan! You big meanie, you're so awful... all you do is bully me!" She cried like pear blossoms in the rain.
Luo Qingchuan felt like his heart had melted from the cuteness.
Good grief, and you still say you're not an anime girl!? Your face is practically turning chibi!
"Sorry... your reaction was just too cute. I couldn't help it."
Luo Qingchuan leaned closer and used his hand to wipe away Chen Yanyu's tears. The girl trembled slightly, but she only pouted and didn't dodge, quietly feeling the warmth of his fingers.
"I'm not forgiving you that easily!"
Luo Qingchuan couldn't help laughing. "Then what do you want me to do?"
Sniffling, Chen Yanyu slowly thought it over.
She seemed to have fallen into a serious case of indecision.
"I want you, want you, um..."
As she kept thinking, Chen Yanyu's voice, in the noisy bar, was like a breeze brushing past a train.
"Luo Qingchuan, let me sleep on you for a while."
Luo Qingchuan froze slightly. "?"
Chen Yanyu tilted her head and dizzily collapsed onto Luo Qingchuan's shoulder. Like a kitten, she opened her little mouth wide and let out a yawn, then rested on his shoulder and fell fast asleep...
