Lu Jin’an applied for the flight route at top speed and called Xie Yunting. “Watch her. I’m on my way.”
“You? From North City?”
The clamor blaring in his ear was giving Xie Yunting a headache. He rubbed his temples. “Fine.”
He couldn’t stop Lu Jin’an’s decision anyway.
Xie Yunting kept a close eye on the two women from a distance, not daring to get too close for fear of alerting them prematurely.
He and Lin Qianyu couldn’t handle them—especially since one of them was his brother’s wife.
He had to maintain proper boundaries and distance.
Ming Yue wasn’t much of a drinker, but she had plenty of nerve. With Lu Jin’an away on business, she’d dragged Gu Nianyi out to a bar.
Thank goodness Lin Qianyu knew Gu Nianyi.
Still, Ming Yue’s identity was out in the open now, and Xie Yunting had never intended to hide it anyway.
The bond between him and Ming Yue was an unsolvable knot. From the very start, she’d held all the power.
She controlled the life and death of their relationship.
Gu Nianyi and Ming Yue had no idea Xie Yunting was at the bar. Gu Nianyi had only come out on a whim when Ming Yue insisted.
“You’re dragging me out here just to drown your sorrows?”
The mood had been off since they arrived. Ming Yue hadn’t ordered any alcohol—just two glasses of orange juice.
Coming to a bar for soft drinks was like bringing a bazooka to swat a fly—total overkill.
The music in the bar was deafening, forcing Gu Nianyi to shout. The flashing lights made it hard to keep her eyes open. She vowed never to come back.
Ming Yue leaned close to Gu Nianyi’s side and yelled back, “No drowning sorrows here. No alcohol involved.”
She took a sip of her orange juice and got down to business. “I’ve booked two photo shoots for you this weekend. A birthday gift.”
Gu Nianyi turned her head. “What made you think of this?”
They’d agreed beforehand: dinner on her birthday, no gifts needed.
Ming Yue rummaged in her bag for a hair tie and explained while looking down, “It’s your zodiac birth year. We should commemorate it. Can’t waste that gorgeous face of yours, Baby.”
Gu Nianyi said, “Let’s do it together.”
In Blue Mountain Town, a child’s tenth birthday was the most important before adulthood. Families usually threw big parties with relatives and took commemorative photos.
Neither of them had experienced that. As adults, they shied away from cameras, lacking confidence. Their photo plans had been shelved year after year.
Ming Yue was fulfilling a childhood wish for her. Now, Gu Nianyi’s one true wish was for both of them to be happy.
“Sure,” Ming Yue agreed.
The bar wasn’t quite what she’d imagined tonight. The upbeat music had shifted to slow, melancholic tunes.
“Because you have your own life, and I have my own journey.
There’s someone waiting for you up ahead.”
Gu Nianyi tilted her head to listen. When the song ended, she joined the crowd in applause.
It sounded like a farewell to an old friend.
The melody’s haunting sorrow amplified in the darkness. The revelry had nothing to do with them. Partings were just part of life.
In a moment Gu Nianyi didn’t notice, Ming Yue wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I saw the diamond ring Xie Yunting prepared. ‘MY’ is engraved inside.”
The words she’d wrestled with all evening finally spilled out.
Gu Nianyi rested her chin on her hand and watched Ming Yue quietly. “What do you think?”
Ming Yue lowered her head with a bitter smile. “I don’t know.”
She’d had a feeling for a while now. After so long with Xie Yunting, she knew exactly how he treated her.
But building a family with someone? She didn’t have the courage.
Gu Nianyi took Ming Yue’s hand. “Then don’t overthink it. Follow your heart. Say yes if you want to, no if you don’t.”
All the noise around them faded away. In their little world, only the two of them existed.
No one could intrude.
The manager came over to report to Lin Qianyu. “They’ve ordered drinks.”
Xie Yunting instinctively wanted to stop it, but Lin Qianyu held him back. “Let them have it. We’re watching.”
He was happy to watch the drama unfold—especially since both women had kept secrets from him.
Of course, it was for his brother too. Sometimes, alcohol was a good thing.
Gu Nianyi had seen too many negative stories about drinks. From the moment they arrived, she never let the glasses out of her sight.
“Just one for you. Not a sip more.”
Ming Yue clinked glasses with her. “Two for you. Not a drop extra.”
Their two “ice cream coffee” cocktails collided, the fresh cream on top wobbling precariously.
Like the bar’s lights, swaying back and forth.
The first taste was sweet, smooth foam—like foamy milk. The aftertaste brought a bitter, aromatic edge that cut through the sweetness.
It was delicious. The two women ordered a second round.
The bar surged back to life. The DJ spun tracks on stage while a motley crowd danced their own unique steps in the floor.
Gu Nianyi and Ming Yue’s corner stayed quiet. Neither spoke.
She glanced at the limited-edition Esther Doll dangling from her bag—the one Lu Jin’an had gone to great lengths to find, a discontinued treasure.
In that instant, she admitted it: she missed him a little.
The thought flickered only briefly before the noise drowned it out.
Gu Nianyi usually hated loud music, but tonight it tasted different.
She sank into it.
An hour later, Lu Jin’an arrived, still in his suit jacket. “Where is she?”
Lin Qianyu tilted his chin forward. “Right there. You two take your wives home. I’m heading to bed.”
No boss stuck around his own place this long.
Following Lin Qianyu’s gesture, Lu Jin’an spotted Gu Nianyi. She was playing some game with Ming Yue, laughing nonstop.
One look told him she was drunk—very drunk.
She was in a state of utter exhilaration.
He asked Xie Yunting, “What did they order?”
Xie Yunting spread his hands. “Irish Fog.”
He couldn’t stop them. Ming Yue had something weighing on her; he wanted her to let it out. He was there the whole time anyway.
Seeing Gu Nianyi order another, Lu Jin’an’s brow furrowed. He said to Xie Yunting, “Nice one.”
Watching them order Irish Fog.
It wasn’t as notorious as Long Island Iced Tea or Blueberry Tea, but it was one of the top ten knockout cocktails.
The cream on top was even more deceptive, making it easy to overdo it without realizing.
Just then, a man approached Gu Nianyi and sat beside her, reaching out with wandering hands.
Lu Jin’an strode forward through the crowd, his voice icy. “Don’t touch her.”
He pulled her into his arms with one long arm, shielding her.
The man, humiliated, wouldn’t back down. “Who the hell are you?”
Before Lu Jin’an could respond, security dragged the guy out.
No need to get their own hands dirty.
Gu Nianyi had downed a few drinks; her brain lagged like a buffering connection.
The blurry figure before her sharpened. For a moment, it was like she didn’t recognize Lu Jin’an. Then she broke into a grin. “Dr. Lu? What are you doing here? Am I dreaming?”
“There were only Xie Yunting and Lin Qianyu a minute ago.”
Human intuition was a strange thing. From the moment they entered the bar, Ming Yue had sensed a familiar heartbeat.
Under the dim lights, she glanced back with her peripheral vision and spotted Xie Yunting.
Otherwise, how could they have relaxed enough to drink?
Gu Nianyi’s nose filled not just with the scent of alcohol, but more with the familiar pine fragrance she knew so well.
The embrace was warm—the one she’d once craved but hadn’t dared approach again.
Afraid it was just a fleeting dream. Afraid it was a mirage.
Afraid he’d chosen someone else and no longer cared.
Just like her parents had once done.
Lu Jin’an draped his suit jacket over her. “I’m here for the Drunkard.”
His voice was clear and cool, soaking into her heart, especially alluring in the quiet night.
Dream or not, this moment was real. That was enough.
Gu Nianyi smiled radiantly, a sly glint in her bright eyes. “Where? Where’s the Drunkard?”
Lu Jin’an ruffled her hair. “Far away at the edge of the sky, close at hand right in front of you.”
“So the Drunkard is Dr. Lu.”
“That’s me.”
He was happy to play her childish game.
Xie Yunting had already taken Ming Yue away. Lu Jin’an grabbed Gu Nianyi’s white mini-bag and took her hand.
The warmth of his palm felt real. Still, Gu Nianyi could hardly believe it. “Dr. Lu, do you have an Anywhere Door?”
Lu Jin’an focused on the path ahead. “What’s an Anywhere Door?”
Married this long, and this was the first time Gu Nianyi felt the generation gap. “Dr. Lu’s getting on in years. Never seen Doraemon? Totally normal.”
Lu Jin’an: “…”
She was teasing his age again. “Too late now.”
“Oh, three years a generation gap. We’re 1.33333 gaps apart.”
The next five minutes were all Gu Nianyi talking.
Lu Jin’an got a full rundown on Doraemon, the Anywhere Door, Time Machine, Treasure Bag, Bamboo Copter, and more.
“Careful.”
Worried she’d trip, Lu Jin’an wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her down the dim path toward the exit.
It was nearing midnight; the alcohol-fueled energy peaked.
All sorts of people were unleashing their wild sides.
At a corner, a couple making out blocked the way.
The DJ’s music couldn’t drown out the sounds of their kiss.
Lu Jin’an’s expression stiffened. He stopped. Gu Nianyi looked up, puzzled. “What’s wrong, Dr. Lu?”
“Nothing.”
The path was too narrow to pass. He pondered a detour.
The couple turned, locking eyes with them—four gazes meeting head-on. “What, never kissed before?”
Then they stepped aside.
The late autumn night breeze carried a chill. Gu Nianyi was already hovering between tipsy and sober, and the wind sobered her up in an instant.
She mulled it over in her heart. She really had never been kissed before.
Even after they got into the car, Gu Nianyi was still pondering the question.
Kissing was just two pairs of lips touching—what could it possibly feel like?
She leaned back in her seat and quietly turned her head. The man’s hand, with its distinct knuckles, rested casually on the steering wheel.
His jawline was sharp and angular, his thick lashes curled upward, casting a layer of shadow in the hazy moonlight.
His thin lips were pressed together lightly, revealing a profile that looked utterly aloof.
Her gaze landed on his lips. Had Dr. Lu ever been kissed?
That was exactly what Gu Nianyi was thinking—and exactly what she asked.
“Dr. Lu, have you ever kissed anyone?”
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling with flecks of light, brimming with pure curiosity.
She looked just like one of the children he encountered in the ward.
It wasn’t flirtation. She was genuinely curious.
Lu Jin’an didn’t have time to answer before he heard the girl answering her own question. “You don’t have an ex, and there’s no one you like, so you probably haven’t.”
“Drop the ‘probably.'”
Lu Jin’an glanced downward. Gu Nianyi had forgotten to buckle her seatbelt. He leaned over to fasten it for her.
Their faces were mere inches apart.
Their eyes met unexpectedly. She tilted her head up slightly, her clear eyes colliding with his deep black ones.
The lingering effects of the alcohol combined with the depth of his gaze, and Gu Nianyi suddenly smiled. She raised a finger and tapped the bridge of Lu Jin’an’s perfectly straight nose.
“Dr. Lu, you’re so handsome. Your nose is so high, your lips so thin—perfect. But the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it gets. Like a typhoon. Better to stay away.”
What kind of novel metaphor was that?
Lu Jin’an froze, his hand hovering in midair as he carefully studied her eyes.
Her phoenix eyes were pure and innocent, the pupils turning slightly.
She wasn’t teasing him. She was simply complimenting him.
He wasn’t in a hurry to start the car. Instead, he picked up his phone from the center console and searched for the “perfect form of a typhoon.”
The search results informed him that super typhoons of level 17 or higher, represented by Haiyan, had perfectly round eyes—that was the ideal shape.
In the satellite imagery, Haiyan looked perfect and beautiful, but everywhere it went, it left devastation in its wake, posing extreme danger.
Lu Jin’an echoed her words. “People aren’t like typhoons. Why are you afraid to get close to me?”
Gu Nianyi lowered her voice, putting on a mysterious air. “The fortune teller said people with thin lips are fickle and unfaithful. I’m not the lucky type—no blessings for me to enjoy that.”
With a click, Lu Jin’an reinserted the seatbelt buckle into its slot and rested his arm on the car window. “What else did the fortune teller say?”
“That I’ll get remarried.”
Gu Nianyi smoothed down a strand of long hair stirred by the wind and hugged her pillow tighter.
The car fell abruptly silent, an eerie atmosphere quickly taking hold.
Lu Jin’an glanced sideways at her. “Someone raised under the red flag shouldn’t believe in superstitions.”
His dark pupils blended seamlessly with the night.
His tone was just like that of her high school homeroom teacher.
Gu Nianyi pressed her lips together, unable to suppress her laughter. “Dr. Lu, you didn’t actually believe that, did you? I was just messing with you.”
Lu Jin’an: “…”
He really had believed it.
“Time to take the drunkard home.”
He crooked his index finger, drawing back as if to strike, but in the end, he merely tapped her head lightly.
“Owl Driver, let’s go!”
Emboldened by the alcohol, Gu Nianyi called out his nickname and even gave him an order.
Drunk, she seemed to have shed all her restraints.
She was playful, lively, utterly unrestrained.
In the deep night of South City, there were few cars on the road. Twenty minutes later, the car pulled smoothly to a stop at Cypress View Pavilion.
Gu Nianyi rubbed her eyes. “Dr. Lu, your driving is so hypnotic.”
The moment the car started moving, her sleepiness had kicked in, leaving her drowsy.
Lu Jin’an’s lips curved slightly. “You knew?”
“At first, I was pretending to sleep because there was nothing to say. Later, it was real—I was actually sleepy.”
Lu Jin’an drove steadily, neither rushing nor impatient. The car’s suspension was excellent, perfect for sleeping.
When she was drunk, she spilled every kind of thought—fake ones, real ones, all sorts.
Gu Nianyi stood at the entryway, kicked off her shoes, and padded inside in her slippers with quick thumps, showing none of her usual gentle demeanor.
Lu Jin’an followed behind her, carrying her bag and coat. In his hand was a hangover remedy; he opened one and handed it to her.
“When did you buy this? Do I have to drink it?” Gu Nianyi pouted, eyeing it like it was poison.
The brownish liquid looked just like traditional Chinese medicine. She didn’t want it.
She wasn’t even that drunk—just a few cocktails.
Lu Jin’an’s face grew stern as he firmly pressed it into her hand. “Be good.”
Gu Nianyi gripped the glass bottle. It was still warm. She set it down on the dining table behind her.
She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and gave a wry smile. “Dr. Lu, I’ve never been the obedient type. If you want an obedient wife, I can’t be that for you. You can find someone else who is.”
No one was born obedient and sensible.
Today, she was being rebellious, twisting his words even though she knew that wasn’t what he meant.
“It’s sweet.” Lu Jin’an placed the remedy back in her palm and stuck a straw in it. “I’m not looking. Divorce would get my legs broken.”
Gu Nianyi took a small sip. It really was sweetly refreshing—he hadn’t lied.
“Someone as handsome as Dr. Lu would still be popular even with broken legs. Every time I go to the hospital, I hear all the aunties wanting to set you up.”
Lu Jin’an: “Oh. I have the self-awareness of a married man.”
The self-awareness of a married man? Where?
Gu Nianyi looked him up and down. His ring finger was bare, and she had no idea where he’d tossed the marriage certificate.
She deeply doubted the truth of that statement.
Sensing her thoughts while her buzz hadn’t fully worn off, Lu Jin’an asked, “Where’s the wedding ring?”
“In the safe. You put it there yourself.”
“And the marriage certificate?”
“On the top shelf of the bookcase. You tossed it up there like a basketball shot.”
Suddenly, the room went quiet. Lu Jin’an leaned back slightly. “Do you mind?”
Mind what? His disregard for their marriage, or his indifference toward her as his wife?
Gu Nianyi pointed to her head. “Trying to trick me, huh? Dr. Lu, you’re a little naughty. I’m drunk, not stupid.”
“I don’t mind. You were just listening to your elders, like I was. We’re the same.”
It was no fun discussing things that had already happened. Gu Nianyi’s alcohol haze had mostly cleared, and her rationality returned.
Whether it was the hangover remedy working or her fast metabolism, she wasn’t sure.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
She left Lu Jin’an standing there alone. They were the same, after all.
Equally indifferent, equally going through the motions.
The two of them lay flat on the bed. The subtle sounds of the night were amplified endlessly in the darkness. Lu Jin’an asked, “Have you ever kissed anyone?”
His voice was slightly hoarse, tinged with faint weariness.
Was this turnabout fair play?
Gu Nianyi thought for a few seconds. “Yeah, it was pretty nice. Sweet and soft. I kinda miss it.”
Her tone was full of delight and joy—it sounded like a wonderful memory.
Lu Jin’an’s Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty. “With who?”
Gu Nianyi burrowed her head under the covers, squeezing two words out from between her teeth in embarrassment. “Nian Gao.”
Lu Jin’an: “…”
She’d teased him again. She’d done it N times that night alone.
And yet, he fell for it every time.
“Good night, Dr. Lu.”
Good night?
Teasing him and then getting off scot-free? Not a chance.
Lu Jin’an stretched out his long arm, hooked her waist, and pulled her into his embrace.
“Ah, Dr. Lu!” The girl let out a startled cry.
He pulled the plush toy from her arms and tossed it to the floor. His hot breath sprinkled across the tip of her nose.
Her breathing grew labored, as if she were drowning.
Her heart pounded erratically, like a tape that had lost its rhythm, tangled and disordered.
“Dr. Lu, what’s wrong?”
A hint of tremor she couldn’t quite suppress hid nowhere in the darkness.