Chapter 19: Undercurrents Surge
The night was deep.
The ancient capital, a thousand years old, was ablaze with lights, dazzling and vibrant, the colorful illumination a brilliant contrast to the profound night sky.
All the liveliness and warmth remained within that opulent clubhouse; outside, the starlight was sparse.
The late autumn breeze permeated her skin with a chill, and Lian Li shivered.
The temperature difference between day and night was significant; it was truly cold now.
She didn’t dwell on it any longer and got into the car.
The car’s interior was spacious. As soon as Lian Li sat down, she looked up and met the eyes of Jin Shi Yue, who was sitting directly opposite her. For a fleeting moment, it felt as if a faint track running sound hissed past her ears. But his gaze casually swept over her, as if brushing past air, and he didn’t speak.
It was Jin Yan Ting, sitting beside him, whose gaze was fixed on her, who asked, “How much did you drink?”
“Two glasses.” Lian Li subconsciously raised her hand and pressed the back of it against her slightly flushed cheek. “They were all low-alcohol fruit wine.”
“Do you want some water?” Jin Yan Ting asked.
Lian Li was a little thirsty and didn’t stand on ceremony with him, nodding, “Okay.”
The small refrigerator was on Jin Shi Yue’s side. Jin Yan Ting called out to him, “A Yue, help get a bottle of water for Xiao Li.”
Jin Shi Yue lazily shifted his leg, leaning back comfortably in his seat, crossing his legs. Without even looking at Lian Li, who was sitting opposite him, he said with a smile, “What’s up? Not enough serving the old madam at home, so you have to serve a young girl when you go out?”
At first glance, he seemed like a dissolute noble young master, but upon closer inspection, he was a complete scoundrel with a thousand wicked intentions.
His foot almost touched her… Lian Li subtly shifted to the side.
Before Jin Yan Ting could speak, Jin Shi Yue took a bottle of mineral water from the small refrigerator and handed it to Lian Li.
Whether it was poor eyesight or a slow reaction time, he didn’t immediately let go when she took it, and they both pulled on the ends of the mineral water bottle.
Lian Li felt Jin Shi Yue’s strength and, before she could react, he casually let go.
The moment was so brief that she almost mistook it for an illusion.
“…Thank you.”
Since the parties involved were in a daze, the third person in the car naturally wouldn’t notice the fleeting undercurrent.
“Grandma never said you had to serve me,” Jin Yan Ting said to Jin Shi Yue.
Jin Shi Yue smirked lazily and improperly.
Lian Li finished her water and screwed the cap back on.
Jin Yan Ting tapped the partition to signal the driver to start the car.
The car drove out of Guili Blue Bay and onto a quiet road. Jin Yan Ting glanced at Lian Li, who was sitting upright, and asked, “What did you drink tonight?”
Lian Li thought for a moment and said, “Tuberose.”
Jin Yan Ting nodded. “I’ll have Zhang Sao make some hangover soup when we get back, or you’ll have a headache tomorrow morning.”
“Mm.” Lian Li’s hands, clasped on her lap, unconsciously tightened a little.
“Is Third Uncle part of this promotion round?” Jin Shi Yue suddenly asked, his tone casual.
Jin Yan Ting turned his head to look at him. “Yes, the number of spots is limited this time, and the competition is fierce. It’ll be a while before the promotion orders are issued.”
Third Uncle Jin should have been promoted last year, but for some reason, it was delayed until now. He was also worried that Old Master Jin would call him unmotivated, so he didn’t dare to return to the compound and had been hiding for nearly half a year.
Jin Shi Yue chatted with Jin Yan Ting intermittently, then gradually fell silent, leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed to rest.
The overhead light was turned off, and the car grew dark. A dim environment usually felt intimate, but at this moment, there was no intimacy at all.
Her fingertips seemed to still retain the cold vapor from the mineral water, chilling her skin.
Lian Li rubbed her fingertips, trying to wipe away the cold sensation.
But it was unreasonable and couldn’t be removed, making her feel as if she had been marked by a cold, ruthless beast.
The business Maybach stopped at the apartment building, and only then did Lian Li’s slightly tense nerves relax.
She let out a barely perceptible sigh. “Brother, I’m going up.”
Jin Yan Ting reached out and gently patted her head. “Go up and rest.”
Lian Li: “Okay, goodnight.”
She seemed to glance inadvertently at Jin Shi Yue opposite her; he was hidden in the dimness, his face unclear.
Lian Li got out of the car and walked straight inside. When she returned home, the living room was brightly lit.
To make it convenient to take care of her, Zhang Sao stayed there at least three days a week.
After changing her shoes, Lian Li walked into the kitchen and smelled a delicious aroma from the doorway.
“Zhang Sao, why aren’t you asleep yet?”
If Zhang Sao were asleep, Jin Yan Ting wouldn’t have woken her up.
“Miss,” Zhang Sao said with a kind smile, “I couldn’t sleep. You’re back just in time; the hangover soup is ready, try some.”
She ladled a bowl of soup for Lian Li. Too lazy to go to the dining table, Lian Li leaned against the gleaming island counter and slowly drank the soup.
“It smells great, and it has a sweet fragrance. Are you sure it’s hangover soup and not some golden soup made by a five-star chef?”
Zhang Sao was overjoyed by the compliment, her smile deepening. “You mustn’t tease me.”
“Is telling the truth considered teasing? Your thinking is outdated; you need to keep up with the new era and new ideas,” Lian Li said with a smile.
Miss Li Li was not only beautiful but also very good at comforting people, often making Zhang Sao laugh until her eyes crinkled.
After drinking the hangover soup, the nerves that had been frozen in the car slowly warmed up. Lian Li returned to her bedroom, plugged in her nearly dead mobile phone, and took out her pajamas from the wardrobe.
She stood before the dressing table and, with one hand, removed the delicate bracelet from her wrist, placing it carefully in the purple velvet box.
After showering, Lian Li’s hair was still damp, wrapped in a hair towel. She picked up her mobile phone from the table and sent a message to Xue Shufan, asking if she had returned home.
After waiting for a while with no reply, just as she was about to put down her phone, Xue Shufan called.
“Hello, Li Li.” Xue Shufan’s voice on the other end was hoarse and dry.
“What’s wrong with your throat?” Lian Li put the phone on speaker, placed it on the table, and took out hand cream to apply.
“I was too high; I sang until my voice went hoarse.”
Lian Li couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “You’re definitely the queen of singers at Jing University.”
“Tomorrow I have to be a teaching assistant for the junior students. Do you think they’ll think I’m a weird Senior Sister?” Xue Shufan said with a troubled tone.
“No.”
“Really?”
“Really, they’ll just say your voice is sexy and charming.” Lian Li paused and asked, “Are you home yet?”
“Not yet… I’m in Pei Qingji’s car.” Xue Shufan mumbled, running a hand through her messy hair.
Lian Li said, “Then message me when you get home. I’ll see you when I get back to school on Wednesday.”
Xue Shufan groggily said OK.
*
Wednesday, the sky was clear and the air crisp. Warm sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, creating dappled patterns of light and shadow. Golden leaves swayed in the wind, and the school’s red walls and vermilion tiles appeared even more magnificent against the backdrop of autumn colors.
Lian Li was in the School of Mathematics and Sciences building verifying student records. She spent the entire morning on it and left during lunchtime.
As she walked, she messaged her lunch buddy, Xue Shufan, asking her to eat together.
Passing by Boya Pagoda, Lian Li stopped. The orchestra manager had sent her a message.
Asking if she was interested in performing a concerto 《 for the Central Concert Hall 》.
Lian Li slowly typed her reply. After sending the message, she looked up again and suddenly a bouquet of red roses appeared before her eyes.
