MTB - Chapter 50
Chapter 50: Extra - Before It All Began
“Sister Rayray, a Negroni, please. Thanks.”
The bar hadn’t hit its peak yet. The bartender looked up and saw Yun Yang sitting listlessly at the counter, chin in hand, looking completely drained.
“I’ve really been craving something sweet lately.”
“What’s wrong?” the bartender asked with a smile, grabbing a bottle of gin from the shelf. “Craving sweets… run into some trouble recently? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”
“I haven’t been here because of finals month. Look, don’t I look haggard?” Yun Yang spun around in front of her.
“Not at all. You’ve gotten prettier.”
“Sister Rayray is the best.” Yun Yang leaned on the counter, watching her mix the drink, and sighed. “Exams were already stressful enough, but a couple of days ago, someone showed up under my dorm shouting about getting back together. So pathetic.”
The mortifying scene of not knowing whether to go downstairs or not—just thinking about it made her cringe. She never wanted to experience that a second time.
“If you think I’m so great, then come by more often and liven the place up for us.” The bartender pushed the finished cocktail in front of her. “I’ll tell the boss to put it on the house.”
“That’d be fantastic. One day I’ll drink you guys into bankruptcy.”
The night was deep, the perfect time for nightlife to begin. The bar was popular, and booths had to be booked in advance. By now, they were gradually filling up. After one drink, the bartender brought her another, a low-alcohol Pink Lady. The color was beautiful. Yun Yang gently swirled the ice in her glass and glanced around, her eyes inadvertently meeting those of a woman in a booth not far away.
The woman was gorgeous. She wore a light-colored shirt with the top two buttons undone, projecting a quiet, low-key air. But perhaps because her features were so exquisite, this understated quality became a unique kind of flamboyance. Yun Yang was momentarily stunned when she first saw her.
Newly single and with time on her hands, Yun Yang’s interest was immediately piqued. She turned back to the bar. “Who’s that?”
“Hm?” The bartender followed her gaze and shook her head. “Don’t know her, but she looks familiar. I think this is her first time here. She’s ordered quite a few drinks, though.”
Yun Yang let out a long, meaningful “Oh.”
“She’s not alone. She’s with a group of men and women. I think they were here to meet a client at first. They just saw one off, and then her handsome friend ordered more drinks and said he was going out to pick someone up. Look, that’s the handsome guy.” The bartender had an eye for everyone, and it was unclear which person in the group had caught her interest, but she was well aware of their movements. At this, she looked at Yun Yang pointedly. “What I mean is, she might not be ‘one of us,’ you know?”
“It’s fine. No harm in getting to know her, right?” Yun Yang ran a hand through her hair, picked up her glass, and stood. “Excuse me for a moment.”
“How come you’re the only one waiting here? Where are Yezi and Zhao Lin?”
By the time Ouyang Zhou returned to the booth with his friends, the DJ had switched to an up-tempo track. Men and women were swaying together on the dance floor in a scene of wild abandon. He saw Tang Yuelou leaning lazily against the sofa by herself, seemingly undisturbed by the chaotic atmosphere. She was so quiet she almost seemed lonely.
“Ziqiu is taking President Huang home. Zhao Lin was worried, so he went with them,” Tang Yuelou replied, greeting the friends behind him.
She brushed her hair back and poured another drink. Ouyang Zhou was truly shocked—after all these years, he still had no idea where this woman’s alcohol tolerance maxed out.
Today, they had been negotiating with a major client surnamed Huang. But the client was short-sighted and had impure motives. Seeing that he was accompanied by beautiful women, he insisted they go to a bar to “talk business” first. A few drinks in, his true colors were revealed—he became handsy and his words turned vulgar.
But Tang Yuelou and Ye Ziqiu were no ordinary women. They worked in perfect sync, cycling through beer, spirits, red wine, white wine, and cocktails. They each became a walking distillery and also managed to get President Huang so drunk he couldn’t see straight. On his way to the restroom, he stumbled and vomited all over, making a complete spectacle of himself with his atrocious drunken behavior. Half the bar gathered to watch the show, a scene dramatic enough to make the local news.
President Huang had disgraced himself all the way back to his company, so the deal was likely dead. As for whether they had made an enemy, that depended on how much room was left in President Huang’s liquor-and-lust-filled mind once he sobered up.
To be safe and have someone to handle any fallout, Ouyang Zhou hadn’t drunk much during the meeting. Having witnessed the epic drinking bout, he gave her a thumbs-up in sincere admiration. “You’re seriously incredible. But I don’t think he can do much, anyway. Doesn’t your dad’s reputation count for something?”
“I’ve never had much ‘face’ with Tang Ruitian,” Tang Yuelou said calmly, adding a few ice cubes to her glass. “He’s probably more concerned with your dad’s face.”
Rich kid number two, Ouyang Zhou, frowned and thought for a moment. “That’s true, too. But it doesn’t matter, as long as there’s money to be made.”
Tang Yuelou was speechless.
One of their friends looked at the drink menu, finding the noise downstairs unbearable. He shouted over the music, “Yuelou, Ouyang, it’s impossible to talk here! Want to go upstairs? Old Zhou saved that private room for us. We just have to say the word!”
“Let’s go, then?” Ouyang Zhou picked up his jacket. Seeing her staring into space, he waved two fingers in front of her eyes. “How’s it going? Still sober? How many fingers am I holding up?”
Knowing her personality, whether she answered correctly or not, the very act of responding to such a stupid question would mean she was probably drunk.
“Let’s wait a bit,” Tang Yuelou said, predictably ignoring his question.
Curious, Ouyang Zhou followed her gaze across the writhing crowd, his eyes finally landing near the bar. He first noticed a striking, bright red cocktail held in a woman’s hand. She was leaning on the bar, bathed in the club’s lights, seemingly chatting with the bartender.
Everyone appreciates beauty, and Ouyang Zhou’s eyes lit up when he saw her. Maybe it was the colorful bar lights that washed out makeup, or more likely, it was because she was genuinely young. Her long black hair fell over her spaghetti-strapped shoulders. When she tilted her head and smiled casually, her eyes curved into crescents, possessing a beauty that was somewhere between sensual and pure—more eye-catching than the vibrant cocktail.
—But the girl clearly wasn’t smiling at him.
“Oh…” Watching the two exchange glances, a mischievous thought struck him, and he changed his tune. “What are you waiting for? You want to go dance? Let’s go together. That girl in the black dress over there, I’m gonna go get her We…”
Just then, a clear voice came from behind him. “May I sit here for a moment?”
Ouyang Zhou turned around, stunned. The person in question was right beside him, pointing to the empty seat next to him.
“Of course, you can,” he replied reflexively, seamlessly transitioning into a charming smile. “Be my guest.”
“What are you playing? Dice? Highest roll or ‘Liar’s Dice’?” The girl propped her chin on her hand with great interest, casually glancing at Tang Yuelou across from her. “Can I play a couple of rounds?”
Before he could react, Tang Yuelou asked with a faint smile, “Can you handle it?”
“Why couldn’t I?”
“The loser has to take a penalty drink.”
“I can drink. But, jiejie, you seem a little drunk already.”
The music changed again. As if to enhance the atmosphere, the lights dimmed, and when the girl blinked, the hint of a smile in her eyes grew even more dazzling in the shadows.
Tang Yuelou lowered her gaze, offering no rebuttal.
One of their friends, who clearly loved a good show, laughed along with her. “President Tang is terrible at dice. She loses every single time. The weird thing is, you can pour drinks into her all day and she never gets drunk.”
Ouyang Zhou was speechless.
He wanted to tell his dear friend that even when you’re acting as a wingman, you should at least make some sense.
“Really? That makes me want to try even more.” The girl stood up and moved to the seat next to Tang Yuelou, eager to play. “I’m really good at dice. How about I help you win a couple of rounds?”
Tang Yuelou nodded with a smile. “Alright.”
“Should we introduce ourselves first? My name is Yun Yang.”
“Tang Yuelou,” she replied with a gentle smile. “My name is Tang Yuelou.”
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