019 Leaning Against the Window, Enjoying the Joyful Night Rain (1)

——Hope is like a faint glimmer in the darkness. It briefly lights up one's eyes, only to vanish in a blink.

In the bustling city, there stands a renowned tequila bar. Its neon sign flickers softly in the night, like a mysterious beacon. Inside, the dim lights cast a hazy glow, and every nook and cranny is filled with guests. Waiters scurry back and forth, while the air is filled with the sounds of clinking glasses, hushed conversations, and boisterous laughter. The bartenders perform dazzling tricks as they mix an array of cocktails, their movements as fluid as a dance.

Leng Yan's figure is concealed in the darkest corner of the bar. Her eyes are locked on Ming Xichen, who is sitting on a high - stool at the bar, gulping down drinks like a parched traveler.

Ming Xichen is parched beyond measure. She is like a dying, desiccated tree desperately yearning for the salvation of water. But there is no water here, only alcohol. Xichen pours those potent liquids into her mouth, allowing them to slide down her throat and esophagus, and finally crash into her stomach. They seem to be performing a wild dance in her stomach, weighing down her eyelids.

She then orders a stronger Bloody Mary and downs it in one swift gulp. She can't fathom why people around the world love to drink. It's nothing but self - inflicted trouble. From her mouth to her throat, even her esophagus and stomach start to burn, as if she has swallowed a searing ball of flame, as powerful as the True Samadhi Fire of Hong Haier.

Fueled by the alcohol, she orders another drink. As always, the glass is emptied in an instant. Ming Xichen turns her head and gazes out of the window. Outside lies a deep - blue night sky, and the twinkling neon lights are like countless shattered gems scattered across the canvas of the night.

She yearns to laugh, but the laughter gets stuck in her throat. She wants to cry, but the tears won't come.

New lovers and old flames, such a clichéd and melodramatic plot keeps playing out in her life. Is this so - called fate? It feels more like an inescapable curse!

Staring at the empty glass, Ming Xichen points at the bartender with a bleary look in her eyes. "Keep them coming."

The bartender is young, his handsome and youthful face swaying in front of Xichen like a gentle breeze. She leans forward, stretches out her small hand, and playfully pinches the bartender's fair cheek. "Youth is a precious gift. So fair, so tender, so full of vitality."

The bartender dodges backward, breaking free from her "claw". His face flushes like a ripe tomato. He dares not speak loudly. "Miss, you've had quite a bit. Don't drink anymore. Drinking too much is bad for your health!"

"Hmm?" Her phoenix - like eyes are raised, exuding an air of authority even without anger. The bartender shivers in fear.

"Mix me an Angel's Return."

These words escape her red lips. The bartender shivers again. "I don't know how to make it."

Ming Xichen gives him a disdainful look. "Get someone else to mix it."

"None of our bartenders can make the drink you mentioned." The bartender is at a loss. This customer is truly a handful.

Leng Yan sees that she is thoroughly drunk and steps out of the corner. "Xichen, let's go back. It's really late." Leng Yan places her hand on Xichen's shoulder and glances at the row of empty glasses.

Ming Xichen's cold and fair face is now flushed. Her phoenix - like eyes are half - closed. Without even looking at Leng Yan, she slurs, "I've already said, don't... follow me. Can't you just let me indulge for once?"

She pushes Leng Yan away and points at the bartender. "Then make me... your specialty."

Ming Xichen's speech is now slurred. The bartender looks at her and then at Leng Yan beside her. He thinks to himself that it's a relief someone has come. He doesn't want to be in a situation like last time, when a drunk customer had no money or phone, and he had to stay with them all night. Only after the customer woke up the next day and sent someone to pay the bill was he finally able to relax. Looking at this young lady's current state, it's quite risky, but luckily she has her phone right in front of him.

The bartender mutters to himself but doesn't stop his hands. He mixes another drink for Xichen.

Ming Xichen picks up the glass and downs it in one go, as if it's the most natural thing to do.

Whether she has become numb to the alcohol or the bartender deliberately made a milder drink, she smacks her lips and says, "Not bad. One more."

Leng Yan shakes her head at the bartender, and the bartender stands still.

Just as they reach a standstill, her phone lights up. The same pleasant American country music as the call - waiting ringtone plays. She grabs the phone and presses the answer button without even looking.

"I want to listen to a song." A deep male voice comes from the phone.

Ming Xichen takes the phone away from her ear for a moment, as if trying to decipher what the other person is saying, and then puts it back to her ear. "I'm... drinking. Come... here. I'll sing... for you."

The call is from Shen Yunyi. Ming Xichen's tongue is so thick that Shen Yunyi quickly asks for the name of the bar and hangs up.

When Shen Yunyi arrives, Ming Xichen is wrestling with Leng Yan. He nods at Leng Yan as a greeting and then turns his gaze to Xichen.

Ming Xichen can no longer be described as having charming eyes or a blurred look. She is on the verge of passing out.

Shen Yunyi doesn't say a word. He bends down and picks her up. She still struggles and sways in his arms.

Carrying her out of the bar, Leng Yan follows behind.

As the alcohol on her meets the cool wind, Ming Xichen immediately feels dizzy. Her stomach contracts and spasms. She has truly drunk too much. While vomiting, she is almost unconscious.

After Ming Xichen finishes vomiting, Shen Yunyi helps her into the back seat of the car. He adjusts her to a more comfortable position and then gets into the driver's seat and quickly starts the car, speeding away.

Leng Yan has been watching from the side. Only when the car becomes a tiny dot in the distance does she turn around and walk towards her own car. She didn't take Xichen back because she knows that this man holds a special place in Xichen's heart. As Xichen's shadow, she only follows her master's will.

Half - lying in the car, Xichen feels that the whole world is spinning. The wind squeezes through the gaps in the car window, howling like a wild beast. Amidst the howling wind, she drifts into a drowsy sleep.

Half an hour later, the car stops in front of a lakeside villa.