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"Who do I like?"
Jiang Wen's eyelids were half-closed, his gaze somewhat unfocused as he looked away, nodding slightly.
Feng Ning chuckled and teasingly replied, "Then who do you like?"
"You tell me, who do you like?" He insisted on her answering.
"Me?" Feng Ning smiled lightly, responding at a leisurely pace, "I like the stars, I like the moon, I like the sun, I like the sea, I like the beach, I like Nietzsche, I like Osamu Dazai, and I also like Guo Degang. How about that? Satisfied?"
Meng Hanmo walked by carrying two boxes of beer. He was dressed in a black tank top and wearing a mask that revealed only his eyes. Sweat covered his neck and arms as he glanced at Feng Ning. "What are you doing?"
Feng Ning turned her head and casually replied, "Just entertaining a kid."
"Your classmate?" Meng Hanmo leaned in for a closer look and nodded slightly. "This kid's not bad-looking; take your time with him."
The East Street Night Market was never particularly peaceful. With Jiang Wen's flashy designer outfit and his drunken state, he was practically a prime target for pickpockets. Yet Feng Ning still felt a twinge of kindness; she went to the kitchen to prepare a bowl of vegetarian porridge and kept watch over the little lamb while smoking a cigarette, waiting for Zhao Binlin to arrive.
As soon as she saw him, she stubbed out her cigarette.
Zhao Binlin leaned in to peek at Jiang Wen slumped over the table and chuckled, "Thanks, Feng Ning."
Feng Ning gestured with her chin. "Here, feed him the porridge. If he throws up later, it’ll be fine."
"Got it." Zhao Binlin held his breath and with great effort managed to get his arm under Jiang Wen's armpit to lift him up. His eyes widened in disbelief as he exclaimed, "This is the first time I've seen him drink so much; he's so heavy I can barely move him. No way, I need to get Xi Gaoyuan here; I can't handle this alone."
Suddenly, a phone rang.
Jiang Wen's head hung down, while Zhao Binlin struggled to pull his phone out of his pocket. Without even checking the caller ID, he answered loudly, "Hello? Who is it? I'm busy here. If there's nothing important, don't call! I'm hanging up now."
After a brief silence of two or three seconds, a familiar female voice came through, "Why can't I reach Xiao Wen? Are you two together?"
In the next moment, Zhao Binlin's expression changed dramatically, and he froze in place.
He gasped and hurriedly stammered, "Sister, Jiang Jie, it's you! Yes, Jiang Wen is with me. We just finished a late-night snack. Yes, we're heading home soon. He and Xi Gaoyuan are sleeping at my place tonight. You can rest easy."
The voice on the other end was firm: "Give me your location. I'm coming to pick you up."
The call ended.
Zhao Binlin stepped forward, placing both hands on Jiang Wen's shoulders and shaking him frantically, his face twisted in desperation. "Wake up! Young Master, Brother, Headliner! Please wake up! Can you hear me? Your sister is coming! Do you remember who Jiang Yuyun is?! She's on her way! If you don't wake up, we're both done for! Brother! Are you awake?!"
Jiang Wen lay there with his eyes closed, motionless. His face was pale, but his lips and the corners of his eyes were redder than usual.
Zhao Binlin was like an ant on a hot pan, lifting a bowl of porridge and wailing, "Brother, please drink a couple of sips! Will that help you wake up?"
Jiang Wen barely opened his eyes and mumbled for him to stop bothering him. He waved his hand dismissively like shooing away a fly, knocking the entire bowl of porridge onto the floor.
Feng Ning stood nearby with arms crossed, watching the scene unfold with amusement. "What's going on? Why are you so flustered?"
Zhao Binlin truly looked panicked as he grimaced. "You don't understand! His sister is coming! You have no idea how fierce she is—she's universally brutal! If she finds out we're messing around outside, we're all finished."
After all that commotion, he was still as helpless as a puddle of mud.
"Step aside and watch me!" Feng Ning shouted decisively. "Jiang Wen, if you don't wake up now, don't blame me for being rude!"
He heard her voice and groggily lifted his head.
She reached out and slapped him hard, "Are you awake?"
Feng Ning had a fierce look on her face as she pinched his chin with one hand, lifting it up. She spoke slowly, "I am Feng Ning. Can you hear me? You are about to see your sister. Get yourself together, act normal, and stop pretending to be crazy. Do you hear me? Open your eyes, wide!"
After saying that, she gave him another swift slap.
The clear sound startled Zhao Binlin, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Watching her prepare to slap again, Zhao Binlin hurriedly rushed over to support the swaying Jiang Wen, pleading, "Sister Ning, aren't you being a bit too rough? Could you be a little gentler? Our young master is delicate and can't take it."
Feng Ning ignored him and leaned closer to Jiang Wen's face, "I'll ask you again, are you awake?"
Jiang Wen let out a couple of sounds, his voice slightly aggrieved, "Stop hitting me, it hurts."
Seeing him finally open his eyes, Zhao Binlin was overjoyed.
Feng Ning nodded in approval, "You're quite sensible." She picked up a glass of water beside her and commanded, "Drink!"
Jiang Wen still looked dazed but tilted his head slightly and glanced at her before obediently drinking.
Zhao Binlin stood by, wanting to say something but hesitating. He felt both admiration and sorrow in his heart, thinking how after more than ten years of brotherhood, he was easily swayed by a woman's finger without any lingering attachment. This disparity in treatment was truly heartbreaking; his buddy was really unreliable.
*
A Red Ferrari parked by the roadside immediately attracted a lot of attention.
Two people, one big and one small, got off the car.
Jiang Yuru, wearing a white princess dress, broke free from her sister's hand and ran towards Zhao Binlin, saying, "Brother, where is my brother?"
Zhao Binlin pinched her cheek and said, "Why didn't you call me brother when you saw me? Do you have no conscience?"
Reluctantly, Jiang Yuru mumbled, "Binlin brother," then quickly circled around him and opened her arms to jump into Jiang Wen's embrace.
Jiang Wen was sitting on a plastic chair, lazily stroking his sister's hair. When he looked up, he saw his sister walking over in high heels and straightened his back.
"What brings you to this kind of place?" Jiang Yuyun swung the car keys and looked him up and down. "Have you been drinking?"
Jiang Wen nodded.
"Not going back today?"
Jiang Wen remained silent and nodded again.
Jiang Yuyun chuckled, "Afraid of being scolded by Grandpa but still daring to come out and mess around."
She turned her head and shot a sidelong glance at Zhao Binlin, asking, "How much has he had to drink?"
Zhao Binlin shrank his neck and smiled ingratiatingly, "Not much, really not much. Sister, I was watching him; I won't let Jiang Wen drink too much. Look, he's still clear-headed."
At that moment, Feng Ning came over with a broom and rag, rolled up her sleeves, and efficiently started cleaning up the mess on the floor and table. While she cleaned, she tilted her head and smiled broadly, "Are you finally leaving?"
Zhao Binlin clasped his fists together and coughed lightly in an ambiguous manner, saying, "Thanks for today, Heroine Ning."
Feng Ning calmly gathered the plastic tablecloth, tied a knot, and pulled on both sides. "It's a small matter, don't take it to heart."
"Do you know her?" Jiang Yuyun asked suspiciously as she looked at them.
Zhao Binlin introduced, "This is our classmate, a top student."
"Oh," Jiang Yuyun nodded. "Thank you, little sister."
Feng Ning smiled sweetly. "It's no trouble. They took care of the business and even paid me; it's what I should do."
When they got in the car, Jiang Yuyun commented, "This girl is quite interesting."
As she turned the steering wheel and glanced in the rearview mirror, she asked in confusion, "Xiao Wen, what happened to your face? Did someone hit you?"
Zhao Binlin, who had been serious, couldn't hold back and laughed.
Jiang Wen felt a bit embarrassed and turned her eyes away in annoyance.
As the car started moving, she couldn't help but look back again. On this summer night, the densely packed buildings were lively and bright with lights, but her figure was no longer visible.
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