Chapter 30: Kiss

Qin Li had just been kissed.

Qu Dani gave her a knowing look, one that screamed, We understand. No need to explain anything.

Qin Li jolted back to reality, instantly sobered. She shoved Yan Sen away, her cheeks flaming as she stumbled back to her seat. Grabbing her beer, she downed it in one go, treating it like water. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a shadowy figure moving in her direction. Her heart thudded wildly. Clutching her purse like a lifeline, she bolted toward the women's restroom.

In the bathroom, she splashed cold water onto her face, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen and tinged with the faint pink of smudged lipstick—irrefutable evidence of what had just happened.

"What's wrong with you, Qin Li?" she muttered to herself. "Why are you acting like some lovestruck teenager?"

She touched her lips, feeling the lingering warmth of his kiss. His scent, faintly intoxicating, still seemed to hover around her, stirring something unfamiliar inside. Her mind replayed the moment, how his tongue had traced the shape of her lips…

"Ugh, stop it!" She shook her head furiously, trying to banish the vivid memory.

Reaching into her purse, she reapplied her lipstick, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the restroom.

A man was leaning against the wall outside, smoking. His face was obscured by shadows, but the glow of the cigarette lit up his features in flashes. Qin Li glanced at him briefly, not paying much attention, and kept walking.

She had only taken a few steps when a hand clamped down on her shoulder. Thinking it was Yan Sen, she spun around, only to see the smoker from earlier. Up close, he was surprisingly good-looking.

When he smiled and greeted her with a casual, "Hello," Qin Li was baffled.

Who is this guy?

Seeing her confusion, the man extended a hand. "I'm Patrick. Nice to meet you."

Qin Li didn't shake his hand, inwardly scoffing, Patrick? Or should I call you "Pat Wants My Money"? Either way, I'm not interested.

Patrick didn't seem bothered by her cold reaction. Lowering his hand, he continued, "You might not remember me, but I know who you are, Miss Qin Li."

His words caught her off guard. "How… how do you know my name?"

Was he a former classmate? A neighbor?

She scrutinized his face, but nothing about him rang a bell.

Patrick smiled. "We met briefly on a flight once. And…"

That jogged her memory. Vaguely, she recalled him handing her a handkerchief when she'd been crying.

"And what?" she asked.

Patrick chuckled. "And as luck would have it, I'm also your friend Dani's neighbor."

Qin Li blinked in surprise. "Oh! So you're that guy—Dani's 'neighborly lawyer.'"

Patrick raised an eyebrow. "Neighborly lawyer?"

The nuances of Chinese slang were too complicated to explain, so Qin Li waved it off. "So, you're the famous attorney she keeps talking about."

He nodded, his smile widening. "Ah, so Dani's mentioned me."

Qin Li finally extended her hand for a polite handshake. "Nice to meet you."

"So, what brings you here? Did Dani invite you?"

Patrick shook his head. "Just a coincidence. I came with some friends to unwind and happened to spot your group."

"Oh," Qin Li replied nonchalantly.

Just then, Shu Shu approached, her eyes darting between Qin Li and Patrick. "So this is why you didn't come back. Off flirting with a handsome stranger?"

Qin Li rolled her eyes. "I wasn't flirting. And he's not a stranger—he's Dani's friend."

Shu Shu's curiosity piqued. "What does he do?"

"He's a lawyer."

Shu Shu's eyes sparkled. "Is he Dani's boyfriend?"

"No, just a neighbor," Qin Li corrected.

Hearing this, Shu Shu's demeanor shifted, and she stepped forward to introduce herself. "Hi, I'm Shu Shu, one of Dani's friends."

Patrick greeted her warmly but soon excused himself, saying, "I won't keep you ladies. Have a good evening."

He nodded politely and walked off, hands casually tucked into his pockets, exuding effortless charm.

Watching him leave, Shu Shu clicked her tongue in admiration. "Dani sure knows how to pick her acquaintances. Not a single ordinary guy among them."

Qin Li hummed noncommittally. She found Shu Shu's tendency to fawn over people with status or looks a bit off-putting—no wonder Dani often called her shallow.

Turning her attention back to Qin Li, Shu Shu smirked. "So, about you and Yan Sen—are you two officially a thing now?"

Qin Li knew this was coming. She brushed it off with a vague, "It's just Truth or Dare."

"Come on," Shu Shu pressed. "That didn't feel like a game. Yan Sen seems really into you."

Picking up on the hint of envy in Shu Shu's voice, Qin Li shot her a pointed look. "We're here for an arranged marriage, so us hitting it off wouldn't exactly shock anyone."

Shu Shu hesitated. "But… you said you didn't like him."

Without answering, Qin Li strode ahead, leaving Shu Shu trailing behind. It's not that I don't like him, she thought. I'm just afraid to. Afraid of getting hurt again.

Shu Shu hurried to catch up. "So, do you think you and Yan Sen have a shot?"

"Why do you care so much?" Qin Li countered. "Don't tell me you like him."

Shu Shu blushed. "Who wouldn't? He's gorgeous!"

"Then go for Thomas—they're identical twins," Qin Li quipped.

Shu Shu shook her head vehemently. "Are you kidding? Yan Sen's appeal isn't just about his looks. It's his… vibe."

Qin Li laughed. "What vibe? He's a farmer."

Shu Shu retorted, "He's not just any farmer—he's a rich one."

Qin Li raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

Shu Shu stammered, "I just… get the impression that German farmers are pretty well-off."

Her evasiveness only made Qin Li more suspicious. Shu Shu, who always prioritized social standing, wouldn't normally give a farmer a second glance. Yan Sen must have something extra going on to catch her interest.

But instead of pressing further, Qin Li let it go. Shu Shu quickly changed the subject, steering the conversation elsewhere.

When they returned to their table, Thomas and Yan Sen were on the dance floor, completely letting loose. Qu Dani staggered over, gulping down water.

Qin Li leaned in with a sly grin. "Guess who I just bumped into?"

Qu Dani, tipsy and uninhibited, slurred, "Neuer?"

"Where? Where is he?" Ma Shushu spun around, her head darting like a curious pigeon.

Qin Li rolled her eyes. "Focus. I just saw your neighborly lawyer Patrick."

Qu Dani waved a hand dismissively. "And who cares? What's the big deal?"

Ma Shushu was quicker to jump in, her voice laced with excitement. "He's that lawyer, right? The one Dani always talks about!"

"Oh," Qu Dani replied, her tone flat, as if Patrick were no more exciting than a passing breeze.

Qin Li raised a brow. "He didn't say hi to you?"

Qu Dani shook her head, looking as uninterested as ever.

Ma Shushu's eyes narrowed suspiciously, a sly grin forming. "Then why did he only come up to you, huh?"

"I have no idea," Qin Li replied, though her own thoughts were already spinning. He had been waiting outside for a while; was it possible he was waiting for her?

Don't be ridiculous, she thought. You're not the center of the universe. But since Patrick was Qu Dani's neighbor, she decided it was best to clarify before any misunderstandings arose.

Qu Dani, however, was oblivious. She was already several drinks deep, giggling at nothing in particular. Suddenly, as a random guy passed by, she reached out and slapped him on the butt.

The poor guy let out a yelp of surprise, his face turning bright red.

Qin Li's heart sank. To make matters worse, the guy's girlfriend was right there—a tall blonde Amazon with a glare that could cut steel.

Before Qin Li could drag Qu Dani away, the girlfriend shoved her. "What's your problem?"

Qu Dani, clearly too drunk to care, responded with a lopsided grin and a wink.

Seriously?! Qin Li thought, her stomach churning with panic.

The blonde wasn't letting it slide. She jabbed a finger into Qin Li's forehead. "Watch yourself, or you'll regret it."

Qin Li stammered an apology, glancing nervously at the blonde's posse hovering nearby. Ma Shushu, true to form, had already retreated to the sidelines, leaving her to fend for herself.

Just as Qin Li braced herself for the worst, a hand shot out, grabbing the blonde's finger mid-jab.

It was Yan Sen.

With a quick twist, he bent the blonde's finger just enough to make her wince, her tough-girl facade crumbling into a grimace of pain.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the blonde hissed, clutching her hand.

Yan Sen didn't respond. He simply fixed her with a cold, penetrating stare. His silence was far more intimidating than any words could have been.

The blonde faltered, her bravado deflating.

Without another word, Yan Sen threw some cash on the table, then looped an arm around Qu Dani to steady her. Grabbing Qin Li's hand with his free one, he marched them toward the exit.

Ma Shushu scrambled to follow, looking a bit dazed.

"Thomas," Yan Sen said curtly as they passed her.

It was the first time he'd addressed Ma Shushu directly, and she was so flustered by the acknowledgment that she nearly tripped over herself rushing back to the dance floor to retrieve Thomas.

Outside, the cold night air bit into Qin Li's skin. Her mind was still reeling from the confrontation inside. She stole a glance at Yan Sen, who walked beside her, steady as a rock.

"You're safe now," he said.

Only then did Qin Li realize she was still clutching his hand, her fingers clamped tightly around his. Flustered, she let go as if burned, the memory of their earlier kiss flashing through her mind.

Yan Sen noticed her discomfort, his lips quirking into a faint, unreadable smile. His gaze lingered on her, sharp and disarming.

A gust of wind blew past, rousing Qu Dani from her drunken haze. She looked around in confusion. "Huh? Why are we outside?"

Qin Li smacked her lightly on the shoulder. "You little troublemaker! Do you know what you just did?"

Qu Dani blinked, still lost. "What did I do?"

"You nearly got us into a fight with some blonde giantess!"

"What? Why?"

"Because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself and groped her boyfriend!"

Qu Dani gasped, horrified. "I didn't!"

"Oh, you did," Qin Li shot back, exasperated.

At that moment, Ma Shushu emerged from the bar with Thomas in tow. Thomas, clearly still tipsy, tugged on her sleeve. "Why'd we leave? I wasn't done drinking! Or dancing!"

"Pipe down," Ma Shushu snapped, shoving his face away with one hand. "Where are we heading now?"

"Home," Qin Li said firmly.

But before she could finish the word, Qu Dani interrupted, "No way. If I sit in a car, I'll puke for sure."

Ma Shushu seized the opportunity. "Then let's get a hotel nearby. We can stay the night."

"Hotel? What for?" Qu Dani scoffed. "My place is right around the corner. We'll just crash there."

Qin Li hesitated. She didn't mind staying at Qu Dani's apartment—it was where she was already living, after all. But the idea of bringing two men along felt… awkward.

Before she could voice her concerns, Yan Sen settled the matter with a simple, "We'll go to your place."

"What about me?" Ma Shushu whined.

Qu Dani rolled her eyes. "You live in Munich. Go to your own damn house."

Ma Shushu pouted, stomping her foot in frustration. But with everyone too preoccupied to indulge her tantrum, she had no choice but to watch them head off without her.