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墨書 Inktalez
A group of seven or eight people had planned to head to the Riding Arena on Saturday morning.
Located in the suburbs, it was a private Riding Arena. Membership was exclusive to horse owners, and it wasn't open to the public; they could ride freely, whether on the track or out in the wild.
Jiang Wen leaned over the railing on the second floor, gazing out for a moment before heading down the stairs. A few people, feeling the heat, had gathered around a table on the first floor playing cards.
He paused, glancing down at his shirt hem, when Cheng Jiajia caught his attention with a gentle tug.
"Hey, could you come with me to buy some drinks? I'm afraid I can't carry them all by myself," she said, her cheeks flushed and her voice soft, tinged with a hint of playfulness.
He felt neither particularly enthusiastic nor cold; he simply nodded absentmindedly.
As soon as they appeared with a few bottles of drinks within sight of the group, teasing remarks erupted immediately.
Chi Chiyang grinned mischievously. "What does Cheng Mei mean by sneaking off with Brother Wen?"
Xi Gaoyuan chimed in quickly. "Tsk tsk, is that a whiff of romance I smell?"
They continued to banter back and forth, and Cheng Jiajia interrupted them. "What are you talking about? We're just getting drinks! What else could we be doing? You all have such wild imaginations."
Seeing her flustered only encouraged them further, and they began to make more suggestive comments. "Oh, are you shy now? We’re just asking casually. Besides, we don’t have enough time for anything else anyway."
Cheng Jiajia stomped her foot. "Why is everyone making jokes about me and Jiang Wen today?"
It was clear to everyone that when she called Jiang Wen's name, her tone shifted noticeably.
Chi Chiyang replied seriously, "Who told you to stick so close to Jiang Wen all the time?"
Jiang Wen stood by, listening to their teasing as he tossed the bottles of drinks one by one into their arms without saying a word.
Zhao Binlin lounged on the sofa, looking at them with a meaningful gaze.
They played until around three or four in the afternoon, planning to head back. They had come in two SUVs.
Cheng Jiajia and Pei Shurou held hands until the end, but the group insisted on separating them, assigning one girl to each car to avoid boredom on the way.
They hesitated for a moment, considering how to split up. Pei Shurou nudged Cheng Jiajia toward the car Jiang Wen was in. "You should take that one."
The drive back to Nancheng City would take about two hours, winding through the countryside, with some unpaved bumpy roads along the way.
Cheng Jiajia and Jiang Wen sat in the back seat, their arms occasionally brushing against each other's legs.
The person next to them closed their eyes to rest. She turned her head to look out at the scenery whizzing by, lost in a subtle sense of budding intimacy.
Cheng Jiajia noticed a phone ringing and gently poked Jiang Wen's hand. "Jiang Wen, it's yours."
Jiang Wen took a moment to respond, opening his eyes to see it was a call from home. He straightened up and answered, "Hello."
There was no music in the car, and since they were sitting close together, Cheng Jiajia could vaguely hear a woman's voice on the other end speaking quickly.
Jiang Wen lowered the window slightly to let some wind in. He switched the phone from his left ear to his right and responded softly a couple of times.
Ahead, there was a fork in the road, and the car suddenly swerved.
Cheng Jiajia lost her balance and bumped into Jiang Wen's chest, her elbow inadvertently resting on his hand.
His fingers were cold. She blinked her eyelashes and murmured, "Sorry."
Jiang Wen remained still, his expression calm as he replied with a soft "Mm."
Often, he would act this way, ignoring everyone around him. Yet, this indifferent demeanor made people both love and hate him.
*
Today is the weekend, and the streets of the city are bustling with neon lights and lively crowds. It is peak traffic time, with cars everywhere. They casually turn into an underground parking lot of a shopping mall, park the car, and walk to the night market in search of food.
The atmosphere here is very local, with stray cats and dogs running around, and mosquitoes and flies buzzing around the garbage piles by the roadside. The streets are filled with people, and there are many barbecue shops along the way; it’s a great time for eating crayfish. Sitting at an outdoor stall with a group of friends, along with ice-cold beer and cola, creates a perfect summer vibe.
All of them are used to fine dining and unanimously decide to come here for something new.
As the sun sets and darkness envelops the area, they randomly choose a shop that seems to be doing well and find a place to sit down.
Perhaps due to a lack of staff, no one comes over to attend to them for quite a while.
Zhao Binlin sits next to Jiang Wen and notices he is playing on his phone. Leaning over to take a look, he sees it’s Tetris. “Are you seriously playing like a grade schooler?”
A boy at the table slaps the table and shouts impatiently, “Is anyone here? Is the boss open for business? Can we order or not?”
“Coming right up, here’s the menu.”
Zhao Binlin turns his head and is surprised to see Feng Ning. “Feng Ning, what are you doing here?” He glances at her outfit curiously. “Are you working here?”
“Wow, I can’t believe you guys would come to East Street for dinner.” Feng Ning looks equally surprised as she scans the table and smiles. “I’m just helping out a friend. What do you want to eat? I can help you order.”
Unlike usual, she hasn’t tied her hair today; her smooth black hair falls cleanly down without any makeup. The loose strands on either side are tucked behind her ears, and in the dim light, her delicate brows and eyes give off a particularly gentle and serene vibe.
Zhao Binlin snaps back to reality and nudges Jiang Wen. “What do you want to eat, young master?”
Across the crowd, Jiang Wen and Feng Ning exchange glances from afar, resembling a silent mime act. He slightly furrows his brow, shifts his gaze away with an expressionless face, and resumes playing his game.
Cheng Jiajia wiped the grease off the corner of the table with a piece of tissue, glancing up and down at Feng Ning. She slowed her movements, her lips moving slightly as she signaled to Pei Shurou with her eyes.
Pei Shurou let out a light scoff, raising an eyebrow.
They looked glamorous, completely out of place in the dirty environment around them.
The dishes arrived quickly, glistening with oil. The others at the table were chatting, and after they had eaten most of their food, they ordered several rounds of drinks. Beer and liquor mixed together. Jiang Wen barely touched his chopsticks, holding a glass in his hand and lifting the corners of his mouth slightly.
He leaned back slightly, drinking alone, taking one sip after another.
Out of some sharp intuition, Cheng Jiajia sensed that he was in a bad mood. She gently said, “There’s a convenience store nearby. I’ll go buy you some yogurt; otherwise, your stomach will hurt later.”
Jiang Wen had delicate features, with slightly raised eyes that gave him a romantic air. The alcohol clouded his thoughts; he showed little expression as he looked at her thoughtfully, his dark eyes deep like a well, seemingly trying to discern who she was.
Cheng Jiajia wanted to say more, but under Jiang Wen's intense gaze, her face involuntarily flushed.
Jiang Wen leaned back against the edge of the table, turning his head away as if looking somewhere else. He tugged at the corners of his mouth and asked, “Who do you like, hmm?”
She gasped softly, feeling too shy to answer. Her heart raced suddenly, almost making her tongue-tied. “I... you...”
It wasn’t that she had never been in a relationship before, but for some reason, Cheng Jiajia felt inexplicably nervous in front of him. Looking over again, she noticed that Jiang Wen had wiped away all traces of frivolity from his face.
Meanwhile, waiting for them to settle the bill, Chi Chiyang opened WeChat. “Sister, do you want to scan me or should I scan you?”
Feng Ning skillfully revealed a QR code. “You scan me.”
Half of the people present were already drunk. Chi Chiyang discussed with Xi Gaoyuan for a moment and decided to take the two girls home first. Those who were passed out on the table would be sent back one by one later.
A hand patted his head; there was no response. After a while, another pat followed.
Jiang Wen caught a whiff of shampoo and slightly opened his eyes, seeing Feng Ning leaning down. "Hey, what are you doing lying here?"
In the dim light, a pair of pure silver Camellia earrings sparkled on her earlobes.
Jiang Wen's gaze was hazy as he looked back at her, his brow furrowed in discomfort. He slowly asked, "Who are you?"
Seeing his foolish expression, Feng Ning realized he was probably quite drunk and couldn't even recognize her. Maintaining her composure, she pronounced each word carefully, "Feng Ning, the 'Feng' from 'meeting too late,' and 'Ning' from 'rather bend than break.' I am your father, and you are my son."
His tongue seemed to be tied. "Chicken and dog don't know peace?"
Unlike others who turned red when drunk, Jiang Wen was pale as a ghost, with a strong smell of alcohol on his breath.
"Oh, looks like you’re not that drunk after all," Feng Ning laughed, waving a finger in front of his eyes and half-seriously asking, "Son, what number is this? Can you still recognize it?"
Jiang Wen pulled her hand down and said seriously, "One."
Seeing Jiang Wen like this made Feng Ning suddenly feel an urge to pull out her phone and snap a couple of pictures of him. She chuckled, "You're so funny! It's hilarious how you act when you're drunk."
Someone on the other side shouted several times, "Send the grilled skewers to table seven."
Feng Ning responded and was about to leave when she stumbled as Jiang Wen pulled her back. Annoyed, she said, "What’s up, big brother? I'm busy here."
"Busy with what?"
Feng Ning squinted at him from above. "There are so many people; business is good."
He didn't move or loosen his grip. She sighed and turned to call Meng Hanmo, "Brother, help me get some ice water from the back; a friend has had too much to drink."
She could only manage with one hand, struggling to pour the ice water into a cup before handing it to Jiang Wen. He didn’t take it, so she had to personally bring it to his lips for him to drink a few sips.
Passing by, Crew Cut saw this scene and his eyes widened, laughing mischievously, "Ningzi, who are you flirting with?"
Hearing someone call her, Feng Ning glanced over and irritably replied, "Damn it, flirting my ass. My classmate is just drunk."
She put down her cup, impatient to waste time with him, and forcefully pulled her clothes back into place. "Alright, you should stop. Just wait here for your friend. I have things to do."
Just as she turned around, she was pulled back again.
Feng Ning looked down and sighed in resignation. "What the hell? How long are you going to keep this up? What do you want?"
Jiang Wen's mind was in a haze, still in a daze.
Under the dim neon lights, he squinted as his eyes adjusted, his expression blurred and clearly not fully awake. He pressed his lips together and slightly parted his mouth.
On this hot day, sweat had formed on his back, and the night breeze felt sticky and uncomfortable. The environment was noisy, filled with overwhelming sounds. As people passed by in groups, Feng Ning momentarily didn't hear him and leaned down to ask, "What did you say?"
She lightly stomped her foot and waved her hand to shoo away mosquitoes.
Jiang Wen's voice dropped lower, now completely hoarse, sounding like a weary whisper. "Who do you like?"
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