Zhu Ran drained the glass in his hand in one gulp and ordered another from the waiter. While waiting for the drink, he went to the bathroom, washed his face, and as he came out, he spotted Huo Boyan from afar, sitting by the window.
On the other side of the window was a whole transparent brick wall, through which the lights from outside shone, creating a dazzling display of colors. Huo Boyan sat alone by the wall. While Zhu Ran was in the bathroom, he had taken off his suit jacket and draped it over his lap, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves to his elbows. His demeanor had completely changed.
The waiter brought the new drink, and a man followed, walking up to Huo Boyan and saying something. He actually sat down directly on Zhu Ran’s stool.
Zhu Ran stopped in his tracks. Because the guy had taken his seat, he felt a bit unhappy.
The young man who had taken his seat was very slim, wearing a short tight T-shirt and low-waisted jeans. As he turned sideways to talk to Huo Boyan, half his waist was exposed.
He didn’t know what Huo Boyan said, but the young man suddenly looked up in surprise and met Zhu Ran’s gaze.
Zhu Ran didn’t say a word, but right after, Huo Boyan looked over too and waved at him.
Only then did Zhu Ran nod and walk toward the seat.
Before he even got close, the young man had already left the seat. As he passed Zhu Ran, he gave him a thumbs-up. “Handsome Guy, you’re eating well.”
Zhu Ran: ?
The young man added, “But you’re handsome too. Want to exchange contacts?”
Zhu Ran: “…”
“Thanks, no need.”
Zhu Ran fled in shock, stunned by the guy’s boldness. He returned to his seat and took a big gulp of alcohol to calm his nerves.
“Zhu Ran.” Huo Boyan suddenly called his name.
Zhu Ran: “What?”
Huo Boyan: “Next time you’re out, don’t keep drinking if the alcohol leaves your sight.”
Zhu Ran looked baffled. “Weren’t you watching it for me?”
“You trust me that much?” Huo Boyan seemed to smile, then added very seriously, “Even with friends around, it’s the same.”
Zhu Ran was a bit surprised by his stern attitude and nodded, saying okay.
They stayed until the bar closed. Zhu Ran had drunk three glasses in total. Because they were on the sweeter side, he hadn’t noticed anything off while sitting. But when he stood up to leave the bar, he suddenly found he couldn’t walk straight and bumped right into Huo Boyan.
“Drunk?” Huo Boyan steadied him, then quickly let go.
“No,” Zhu Ran shook his head. “Just a bit dizzy.”
Huo Boyan hummed in acknowledgment, lowered his head, took out a cigarette, and bit it between his lips.
A number of people stood by the roadside waiting for cars. Zhu Ran patted his flushed cheeks and looked up at Huo Boyan. “Where are we going?”
Huo Boyan looked down at him. “Where do you want to go?”
Zhu Ran shook his head. “Don’t know.”
Huo Boyan didn’t say anything more. He had his suit jacket draped over his arm, one hand in his pants pocket, his shirt a bit wrinkled, and a cigarette unlit between his lips.
Zhu Ran leaned against the wall, still recovering from the alcohol.
They were standing quite far apart, about a meter between them, making it clear they weren’t together.
Someone boldly came over to hit on Huo Boyan and offered to light his cigarette.
Huo Boyan took the cigarette out and politely said sorry. Maybe because his voice was too low, or perhaps the tone sounded gentle in the night, it came off that way.
Zhu Ran couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
Huo Boyan didn’t know what had gotten into him tonight; every move was so affected. Who was he trying to seduce?
The person hitting on him was clearly enchanted and unwilling to give up easily. Pretending to be drunk, he tried to lean into Huo Boyan.
Huo Boyan took a step back, his expression cooling. He said something in Cantonese, and the guy’s face changed immediately. He left looking terrified.
Zhu Ran didn’t understand and didn’t want to ask. He felt dizzy and hot, so he took off the headphones hanging around his neck.
“Are you feeling unwell from drinking too much?” At that moment, a stranger’s voice suddenly rang out, solicitous. “Want to rest over there?”
The man in front of him wore a blue pinstripe suit, had a lean build and sharp demeanor—typical Hong Konger look, probably an office worker out for a casual drink after work.
“Thanks, I’m fine.” Zhu Ran shook his head.
The man wouldn’t give up. “Then, add contacts? You’re a tourist, right? I know a lot of fun spots.”
Zhu Ran was getting annoyed and was about to refuse when a shadow suddenly fell over him.
“Let’s go.”
Huo Boyan had come over at some point. His gaze swept over the man hitting on Zhu Ran, then landed on Zhu Ran’s flushed cheeks. His voice was low, emotion unreadable. Seeing Zhu Ran not respond, he called his name in Cantonese again.
This time, Zhu Ran understood. He liked hearing his name in Cantonese; it always sounded especially nice.
Zhu Ran said “oh,” and because he was dizzy, he instinctively reached out to grab something.
The man hitting on him reached out immediately, but Huo Boyan got there first.
The hard, cold face of the man’s watch dug into him, making Zhu Ran uncomfortable. He felt he wasn’t that dizzy and pushed Huo Boyan away directly.
Huo Boyan’s face darkened a bit, but he didn’t snap. He gave the other man a warning look, then steadied Zhu Ran’s shoulder again and said mildly, “Gonna throw up?”
Zhu Ran had meant to say he wasn’t that drunk, just dizzy, but for some reason, when the words reached his lips, they became “Yeah.”
The bar had closed, but staff were still cleaning up. Huo Boyan borrowed their bathroom from them and helped Zhu Ran inside.
