Chapter 264: Even Dreams Are Restless ③
Nie Qiu felt uncomfortable and didn’t notice anything different about the beverage she was drinking. The bowl of the high-footed cup was quite large, and the part holding the drink was shorter, so its capacity wasn’t great. After a few sips, Nie Qiu had almost finished it.
As Ye Haifei spoke, he saw Nie Qiu almost finish the cocktail in the **fat man’s** high-footed cup. He snapped back to reality and finally remembered what he had put in that cup. His breath hitched, and he immediately realized he should say something now, but he was too nervous to utter a word.
“Nie Qiu,” Ye Haifei suddenly called out.
“Hmm?” Nie Qiu took another sip of the cocktail and looked up to respond.
“I like you.”
Nie Qiu paused and could only respond with an “Oh,” as she really didn’t know what to say at the moment.
“I’ve liked you since the first moment I saw you. I’m serious. I’ve never seen any girl remain so calm and composed during an exam. I thought… you were different.” Ye Haifei’s speech suddenly sped up. “I was right, you are indeed different…” Her appearance wasn’t particularly striking, but he just found her beautiful. Her temperament was something no other girl possessed.
Nie Qiu remained silent. What Ye Haifei had said made her feel very uncomfortable, as if a fire was raging in her chest, about to burn her.
“I’ve never liked anyone this much before, so I really want you to like me too,” Ye Haifei said eagerly, looking at Nie Qiu’s flushed face.
Nie Qiu said helplessly, “There’s nothing that can be done about this, Ye Haifei. I don’t like you.” There is no absolute fairness in this world; just because I like you doesn’t mean you have to like me back. If that were the case, there wouldn’t be so many lovesick men and women committing suicide for love in this world.
“I know…” Ye Haifei said with a bitter smile, looking at Nie Qiu. “Nie Qiu… I’m sorry…”
Sorry? What?
Ye Haifei’s apology became a blur in Nie Qiu’s ears. She tried hard to hear clearly but found herself unable to resist closing her eyes. She tried to open her eyes to hear what Ye Haifei was saying, but it seemed futile. Her vision was unfocused, blurring and then clearing.
Nie Qiu suddenly understood something. The thought that exploded in her mind at that moment made her widen her eyes in surprise as she looked at Ye Haifei. “You… what did you put in the drink?” She had drunk this kind of cocktail before. Honestly, because this kind of beverage had become popular among young people, Li Kai often bought it. Although it wasn’t expensive, for students, being able to afford such a drink meant they were keeping up with trends and were considered well-off. But she knew from the beginning that this kind of drink wouldn’t get you drunk, not even after ten or eight bottles. However… she hadn’t even finished a quarter of a bottle.
Ye Haifei swallowed with difficulty. “…I’m sorry.”
The apology exploded in Nie Qiu’s mind. Indeed… indeed… Ye Haifei had tampered with the drink? What did he want to do? Nie Qiu stood up unsteadily, her whole body feeling weak. She took a step forward and collapsed onto the floor, knocking over the high-footed cup and fruit plate on the table. The beautifully arranged fruit scattered everywhere, losing its former beauty and charm.
The scattered things on the floor blurred in Nie Qiu’s vision. Nie Qiu gave a bitter smile, realizing she had overestimated Ye Haifei. He wasn’t a good person from the start.
Ye Haifei stood stunned for a while before stepping forward to help Nie Qiu up. Nie Qiu’s struggles seemed weak and powerless, having no effect. After placing Nie Qiu on the sofa, Ye Haifei looked at Nie Qiu’s eyes, which she was struggling to keep open. He knew that his elder sister had bought sleeping pills because of insomnia, taking one every night before sleeping to help her rest. If sleeping pills were used sparingly, they wouldn’t make someone fall asleep immediately. If used excessively, they would prevent someone from falling asleep quickly. He had used three sleeping pills, not too many, not too few.
Yes, Nie Qiu was awake now, but her mind was gradually becoming hazy, similar to the feeling she had when she stayed up for two days and two nights to rush a thesis in university. When she was extremely tired, she could fall asleep standing up.
Ye Haifei looked at Nie Qiu like this, feeling distressed. He clenched his fists and then released them, clenching and releasing them repeatedly. After a few cycles, he knelt on the sofa and leaned over Nie Qiu, supporting himself on either side of her head.
Nie Qiu’s eyes were hazy as she looked up. A thought stirred in his heart, and he slowly lowered his head, slowly pressing his lips onto hers. They were as soft and as sweet as he had imagined.
But he felt distressed. Even while kissing her lips, he still felt distressed and heartbroken. Why? Why had his parents not been by his side since he was young? If his parents had been around when he was little, how could he have become a bad student in the eyes of others? Late for class, absent, fighting; teachers disliked him, the principal disliked him, and his neighbors disliked him too. If he hadn’t been a bad student, he could have pursued her openly, instead of feeling that it was natural for her not to like him and that he should just accept his fate.
So uncomfortable, so uncomfortable.
The moment Ye Haifei touched her lips, Nie Qiu closed her eyes. So… disgusting, so disgusting. She knew from the beginning that the previous Nie Qiu was a pure and innocent young girl. In this ostentatious and dark society, pure and innocent girls were hard to find, but the previous Nie Qiu was one. Perhaps because the previous Nie Qiu was dark-skinned, didn’t like to dress up, and was a bit unkempt, those dark influences hadn’t approached her, so she had remained a young girl.
But… was this purity about to be lost? Now she was Nie Qiu! If it wasn’t someone she liked… if it wasn’t someone she liked… Nie Qiu thought, and tears began to flow. If it wasn’t someone she liked, then… what was this?
Ye Haifei kissed Nie Qiu’s lips, ears, and neck haphazardly. Then he reached out, his trembling hand beginning to unbutton Nie Qiu’s shirt. At the transition from spring to summer, Nie Qiu didn’t wear much; a bra and a shirt were enough. Ye Haifei unbuttoned one button and saw the pink bra underneath.
Her breasts, which could be held in one hand, didn’t seem as firm because she was lying down, but they unexpectedly drew his gaze. He looked up at Nie Qiu’s face. The tears flowing from the corners of her eyes towards her ears were exceptionally striking. As he watched, and watched, his eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and then one by one, tears began to fall. The tears landed on Nie Qiu’s collarbone, the droplets turning from warm to cool.
