BSS - Chapter 121

Chapter 121

Slow saxophone music drifted through the air, and lights spun overhead, casting the booth in momentary dimness. Gu Ninglu stared at the smooth bridge of Deng Chuan's nose, revealed in the shifting light, and once again felt her gaze.

She raised the corners of her lips into a smile, then heard Deng Chuan greet her. "Senior Sister Gu."

"What a coincidence," Deng Chuan said. "What are you doing here?"

Her tone was somewhat flat, holding none of the joy of meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land, nor any discomfort or awkwardness from their lack of contact. Gu Ninglu was a little disappointed by this, but she remained composed. The reaction fit the image she had of Deng Chuan.

She raised a hand to smooth her hair, then walked over and sat beside Deng Chuan, not forgetting to explain to the others, "We're old friends who haven't seen each other in a long time. We went to the same university."

Deng Chuan seemed to have no objection to this description. Satisfied, Gu Ninglu leaned against her, feeling the warmth of her body, and whispered, "Why aren't you avoiding me now?"

Deng Chuan gave her a serious look, confirming that the senior sister she hadn't seen in so long wasn't joking, before frowning and saying, "I wasn't."

Gu Ninglu was noncommittal. Seeing Deng Chuan's earnest expression, she suddenly found her cute again. In just a few short sentences, she helplessly discovered that the resentment she had built up for over half a year had vanished without a trace. She could only pick up a newly opened bottle of beer from the table and tap it against Deng Chuan's. "Have a drink with me, and I'll forgive you."

Deng Chuan passively allowed the tap. She knew this Senior Sister Gu was coming on strong, and with the booth so crowded, she had nowhere to retreat. She could only grip her bottle and watch as Gu Ninglu downed half of hers in one go. Then, shaking the bottle, Gu Ninglu tilted her head and looked at her. "Why aren't you drinking?"

Deng Chuan said, "Aren't we about to play a game? I'm a lightweight, and I'm afraid of getting drunk. I'll drink later if I lose."

It was a perfectly good excuse.

Gu Ninglu huffed. She was wearing a slip dress and deliberately pressed herself against Deng Chuan. When Deng Chuan tried to sit up and shift away, Gu Ninglu held her in place. "Don't move. I'm cold. Let me lean on you for a while."

In the early autumn weather, she was indeed dressed too lightly for the cold. Deng Chuan took off her own button-up shirt and gave it to her, then leaned slightly in Lao Lin's direction.

Knowing Deng Chuan wouldn't let her lean on her, Gu Ninglu wrapped the shirt around herself, considering her goal partially achieved. She finally settled down a bit and called out to her friends, "Hey, clear the table. Aren't we playing a game?"

Someone pointed out that the venue wasn't very suitable for Truth or Dare, so after some discussion, they switched to a different game.

A space was cleared on the table, and an empty beer bottle was laid on its side. Whoever the bottle pointed to after a spin had to name something they had done, and anyone present who had not done it had to drink.

The first spin pointed to the red-haired Spanish girl next to Deng Chuan. She didn't seem to quite understand the rules, but after a flurry of explanations from the others, understanding dawned. She slapped her forehead and declared loudly, "I've had five exes!"

Everyone laughed, shaking their heads as they reached for their drinks. The booth filled with the sound of bottle caps popping. Gu Ninglu turned her head to look at Deng Chuan and saw her take a sip with a slight smile, her lips glistening.

She secretly swallowed, pulling Deng Chuan's shirt tighter around herself, wanting to inch just a little closer to her.

The game continued, and it was the red-haired Spanish girl's turn to spin the bottle. She gave it a powerful whirl, and it spun like a top for several seconds before slowly coming to a stop.

Everyone held their breath, the scene suddenly as quiet as a lottery drawing. The lucky winner was Lao Lin. He scratched his head and said, "I've road-tripped across all of Europe."

This time, it was mostly the Asians who raised their bottles to drink.

The bottle spun several more times but never landed on Deng Chuan. Still, she had drunk a fair amount, and on an empty stomach, she was starting to feel the alcohol go to her head. She quietly pressed her temples.

Gu Ninglu's eyes shifted. She subtly stretched out her leg and kicked the person across from her who was about to spin. He had known her since they were kids and understood that after a quiet evening, the young heiress was finally making her move. He carefully gauged the force of his spin and, as luck would have it, the bottle stopped pointing directly at Deng Chuan.

Quite proud of himself, he gave Gu Ninglu a light kick back.

Gu Ninglu ignored him, waiting for Deng Chuan to speak.

Deng Chuan seemed momentarily at a loss for what to say. Everyone watched her with curiosity.

After a moment of silence, Gu Ninglu, staring intently at Deng Chuan's profile, heard her say calmly, "I have a girlfriend."

Having been in England for a few months, her pronunciation had inevitably picked up a bit of an old-fashioned accent, which made the statement sound particularly charming.

Lao Lin turned to look at her and saw the smile playing on her lips. He was single, so he raised his beer bottle and drank. He didn't think much of it, feeling at most a little surprised.

"Wow!" Everyone applauded. Gu Ninglu's friends stole glances at her face, seeing her grip her beer bottle tightly before tilting her head back and downing half of it.

Most of the people there took a drink. Some were eager for more gossip and asked Deng Chuan, "DO YOU?"

Understanding the subtext, Deng Chuan smiled unhurriedly and replied, "That's a second question."

Now that someone had opened the door to private topics, everyone's interest was piqued. They urged Deng Chuan to hurry up and spin the bottle, eager to hear from the next person.

As fate would have it, the bottle stopped right in front of Gu Ninglu.

Like Deng Chuan before her, Gu Ninglu was silent for a long moment. Her friends grew nervous, afraid their heiress friend was about to say something crazy. Gu Ninglu lowered her gaze, thought for a moment, and then said slowly,

"I have lots and lots of money."

The mood turned awkward. People exchanged glances. Then Gu Ninglu broke into a smile and, as if making a joke to liven things up, repeated loudly, "I have lots and lots of money!"

Only then did the group erupt in laughter. Someone whistled and shouted, "That's the capital to conquer the world!"

Lao Lin nudged Deng Chuan and asked in a low voice, "This senior sister of yours is quite something, huh?" He had also done his undergraduate degree at P University, so technically he had a connection to Gu Ninglu, but she had ignored not only him but also his friends, focusing solely on Deng Chuan. Even a blind man could see how much she cared for her.

Deng Chuan didn't know how to answer, so she just raised her bottle and smilingly tapped it against his.

Lao Lin continued to gossip. "So how did you two meet?"

Deng Chuan patted him. "It's your turn."

He looked up, and sure enough, the bottle was pointing at him once more.

After half a night of revelry, the group left the bar, which didn't stay open late. People supported their drunken friends out to the door, where the night wind swept through the empty streets. The sudden silence was a stark contrast to the laughter and music from moments before. Lao Lin and Deng Chuan got back into the car, each pulling on a hoodie they had brought along.

"What should we do?" Lao Lin asked quietly, gesturing at Gu Ninglu, who was insisting on going with Deng Chuan. "There's nowhere to drop her off around here."

Deng Chuan pulled her arm free from Gu Ninglu's grasp and helped her lean back against the seat. She was slightly amused by Lao Lin's clumsy Beijing accent. She glanced at the night outside the window. It would be after midnight by the time they got back, which meant it would be morning in China. She could still say goodnight to Xu Wei before bed. Her mood suddenly brightened considerably. "It's fine," she said. "Just let her sleep in our living room for the night."

Lao Lin started the car and shrugged. "You knew her before, so it's your call."

Gu Ninglu, her eyes closed, heard Deng Chuan let out a soft, huffing laugh.

The three of them drove in silence. Leaning against the seat, Gu Ninglu secretly opened her eyes. Deng Chuan was sitting beside her, head bowed over her phone. The light from the screen illuminated her face, tracing the smooth lines of her profile.

Have I looked at her like this before? Gu Ninglu thought hazily. She was genuinely drunk, and the intoxication was spreading, making her chest burn.

The drive wasn't long, and they soon reached the apartment building. Lao Lin got out, preparing to help Deng Chuan support the unsteady Gu Ninglu, but she completely ignored him, intent on clinging only to Deng Chuan.

Her intentions were so blatant. Lao Lin shrugged again at a wryly smiling Deng Chuan and quickened his pace to call the elevator.

They made it back to the apartment without further incident. Deng Chuan helped Gu Ninglu onto the sofa, then pulled one of her own blankets over her.

Lao Lin offered her a chilled bottle of mineral water, but Deng Chuan shook her head. She didn't want anything more to drink.

Lao Lin smiled, said, "Goodnight," and closed his bedroom door.

As Deng Chuan stood up, she heard a very faint voice.

"I have something to tell you."

Deng Chuan looked down but could only see Gu Ninglu's head buried in the blanket, her expression hidden.

She reeked of alcohol and a jumble of different perfumes. Deng Chuan was anxious to wash up and say goodnight to Xu Wei, so she had no patience for a long talk. She turned to leave, tossing over her shoulder, "I'm tired. We can talk tomorrow."

Then she heard Gu Ninglu utter:

"Coward."

Deng Chuan turned back around. Gu Ninglu had lifted her head from the blanket and was now sitting up unsteadily, staring straight at her.

Deng Chuan said, "Senior Sister Gu, you're drunk."

"I don't believe you didn't notice at all." Deng Chuan's nonchalant attitude angered Gu Ninglu again, and her voice grew louder. "Didn't you say you have a girlfriend? Well, did you hear what I said? I have lots and lots of money." She enunciated every word. "Is it enough to buy your affection?"

The words were deeply offensive. Deng Chuan bit her lip and glared at her, fierce as a little lion cub. She was finally showing a side beyond her usual good temper. Even if it wasn't for her, it was still a reaction different from how she treated others. At this thought, Gu Ninglu actually felt a strange sense of happiness.

It was as if she had detached from her drunken body, letting that inebriated self say things to provoke Deng Chuan while she heard her own cool, detached voice ask, "What can she give you?"

"How old are you now? Nineteen? Twenty? What did I tell you before? Just say the word, and I can get you a great internship immediately, at home or abroad, wherever you want-" Gu Ninglu gritted her teeth. She loved Deng Chuan's brilliance as much as she hated it. "You're certainly outstanding now, but will that still be true once you're out in the real world? With me, when you graduate, you could surpass most of the graduates in your field with zero effort."

"Most people in this world are struggling… what for? What are you struggling for? Believe me… I'm a gift sent by fate. You have the assets, and I can afford the price…"

Gu Ninglu swayed to her feet and reached out to touch Deng Chuan's face, but her wrist was caught in a firm grip. Still, she smiled brightly. "In this day and age… jobs are hard to come by, starting a business is even harder. The things you truly want… has that girlfriend of yours ever told you about them?"

Deng Chuan stared at her, speaking very, very slowly. "Are you trying to be my patron?"

Gu Ninglu shook her head drunkenly. "No… that's not it…" She tilted her head back to smile up at Deng Chuan. "Can't you tell? I like you-don't make it sound so ugly, and don't look at me like that. I just… want to give you the best of everything."

Deng Chuan said, "Then I'm truly honored."

She shook her head, as if she had lost all interest in continuing the conversation. Releasing Gu Ninglu's hand, she turned and closed her bedroom door without a backward glance.

Get instant access to all the chapters now.

Previous Table of Contents Next