MTB - Chapter 22
Chapter 22: Mints
Yun Yang’s party ended close to midnight. They had originally planned to head to a club, but Guan Yan was spending the evening alone with her boyfriend. Without the guest of honor, there was no point, so the group broke up and went their separate ways.
In the end, reason prevailed. She stopped after just two drinks—not because of Tang Yuelou, but simply because she still had a cold.
At least, that’s what Yun Yang told herself.
Tang Yuelou’s apartment was only a five-minute walk away, but she just didn’t feel like going back. And while her dorm didn’t have a curfew, her other two roommates were probably already asleep. So, Yun Yang and three of her friends booked a room at a nearby hotel, planning to crash there for the night.
There were four of them. One was so drunk she couldn’t tell which way was up, while another was only slightly less disoriented. The two sober ones, Yun Yang included, each supported a drunk friend as they headed for the hotel. The rain had just stopped. Dressed in a short skirt and tall boots, Yun Yang walked against the wind through the bleak Beicheng autumn night, propping up a drunkard who was clinging to her. As they passed the intersection in front of the hotel, a car parked on the other side of the road flashed its headlights at them.
The car looked familiar. Yun Yang’s numb-from-the-cold nerves took a moment to react, a beat behind schedule. She quickly pulled out her phone—and sure enough, Tang Yuelou had sent her a message ten minutes ago: Are you done? I’m coming to pick you up.
And another one five minutes ago: Where are you?
Even through the screen, she could almost feel the oppressive atmosphere around the sender.
What terrible timing, Yun Yang thought, shivering in the cold wind.
When it rains, it pours. Misfortunes never come singly.
Her friend noticed her expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Sorry,” Yun Yang said, shoving the barely conscious friend she was holding into the other girl’s arms and backing away. “We’re here, so I have to go. I’ll leave them to you, thanks for your trouble. I’m off, see you later.”
Her friend looked completely bewildered. “What’s going on?”
Yun Yang’s expression was complicated. “My… family is here to pick me up.”
Yun Yang figured that the best defense was a good offense. If she started the interrogation first, no one could find fault with her.
Tang Yuelou wasn’t driving today. Yun Yang glanced at the driver, then plopped into the back seat with an aggressive air. She shot a sidelong glance at Tang Yuelou, crossed her arms, and sneered. “So, you finally remember I exist? You didn’t answer my calls or reply to my texts. Where have you been for the past two days?”
“I’m sorry,” Tang Yuelou apologized sincerely. “My father is critically ill, so I was a little tied up.”
Yun Yang choked, suspecting she had misheard. “What?”
This was the “small problem” she had mentioned before leaving?
Tang Yuelou paused, then said with a hint of confusion, “But… it doesn’t seem like you ever called me.”
Yun Yang: “Er…”
“Or is there something wrong with my phone?”
“Hahahaha, you’re quite the kidder.” With a stranger in the car, Yun Yang didn’t dare act out. She gave an awkward laugh and stiffly changed the subject. “Let’s not talk about that. Teacher Tang, is your esteemed father doing okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine. Thank you for asking.”
Something about her tone seemed off… but Yun Yang couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.
She quietly reached for Tang Yuelou’s hand, only to have her own captured in a firm grip. Yun Yang turned her head to study her. Tang Yuelou’s skin was very fair, which made the dark circles under her eyes stand out. She was still wearing the same clothes she’d left in that morning, looking travel-worn and carrying a damp chill and an unconcealable exhaustion.
And yet, for some reason, Yun Yang felt that she was in a rather good mood.
“Ms. Tang,” the driver asked, “where should I drop you off?”
“That’s alright, Secretary Li. Just pull over up ahead. We’ll get back on our own,” Tang Yuelou said.
“Would this count as driving while fatigued?” Yun Yang blurted out. Two pairs of eyes immediately turned to her. She gave a dry laugh, realizing it was a poorly timed question. “Never mind, pretend I didn’t ask.”
Tang Yuelou got out and exchanged a few words with Secretary Li, then slid into the driver’s seat. She glanced back at Yun Yang, raising an eyebrow with a smile. “Why are you sitting in the back? Do you have a guilty conscience?”
Yun Yang had just popped a mint into her mouth, hoping to hide the fact that she’d been drinking. At Tang Yuelou’s words, she nearly choked on her own saliva. Covering her mouth, she said, “It’s nothing, I just wanted to lie down for a bit. It’s more spacious back here… Mmph—”
Tang Yuelou grabbed her by the collar and kissed her.
It was a sudden, unexpected kiss. Yun Yang was pulled forward, her collar digging into the back of her neck as she leaned over in an awkward posture, clinging to the back of the passenger seat. The mint dissolved as their lips and tongues tangled, and Yun Yang was slowly drawn into Tang Yuelou’s rhythm. Just as she was savoring the gentle kiss, Tang Yuelou gave her earlobe a little squeeze.
“Yangyang,” she said softly, “you’ve been drinking.”
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