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墨書 Inktalez
The sound of a horn brought Feng Ning back to her senses as she shifted gears. Min Yueyue was still on the phone, pleading, "Come on, please! You're the best, Ning Ning, the absolute best!"
As the car pulled out of the parking lot, Feng Ning sighed lightly. "Alright, what time are we eating?"
"Yay! You agreed!" Min Yueyue cheered. "How about seven? I'll come pick you up then."
Hearing her cheerful voice made Feng Ning's lips curl into a smile. "Okay, call me when you arrive. I need to hang up now; I'm driving."
She got home at three in the afternoon. After taking a shower, Feng Ning set an alarm for three hours later. Lately, her schedule had been turned upside down as she and two translators worked together to proofread the menu translations for a French restaurant. In just a few days, she had barely managed to get ten hours of rest.
She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
*
As night fell, the urgent ringing of the doorbell jolted Feng Ning awake from her dreams. Dragging her weary body out of bed, she went to answer the door.
A rush of fragrant air greeted her as Min Yueyue burst in and hugged Feng Ning tightly, planting two quick kisses on her cheeks.
Feng Ning released the doorknob and wiped her face with her hand. "What are you doing here?"
Min Yueyue replied matter-of-factly, "It's already six o'clock! I called your phone but no one answered. I was worried you'd stand me up!"
"Missy, I set my alarm for six-thirty," Feng Ning said with a hint of exasperation as she went to the living room to grab a glass of water and took a couple of sips to clear her throat.
Min Yueyue plopped down on the sofa and ordered, "You have half an hour to get ready. Hurry up!"
In less than a few minutes, Feng Ning emerged from her room dressed and ready.
She wore a plain black short-sleeve shirt and denim pencil pants, with no makeup on her face and dark circles under her eyes that were neither too heavy nor too light.
Min Yueyue pointed at her, "Is this how you're going out to have fun with me?"
Feng Ning had just woken up, her dark hair a mess. She picked up a white baseball cap from the entrance and put it on. "What else? Should I put on makeup, wear a dress, and come back smelling like Elder Brother Official?"
"Alright, alright."
As they took the elevator, Min Yueyue carried her bag in one hand and linked her arm with Feng Ning's. "I'll introduce you to my new toy, Little Pink. It's nice and warm; my brother just helped me pick it up this afternoon."
"What about your Little Yellow? Did you abandon it?"
"Little Yellow was my first love. It's been tired lately, so I let it rest at home."
They went downstairs together and exited the community, where a few people were taking pictures of a Maserati parked by the roadside.
The trident emblem gleamed nobly in the night.
Min Yueyue huffed and naturally led Feng Ning through those envious gazes, opening the door to Little Pink and getting in.
She pressed the gas pedal and shifted gears, the Maserati let out a deep roar as it sped away.
It was Friday, and as the lights began to shine brightly, they happened to hit the evening rush hour, with traffic jammed tight. Feng Ning sat in the passenger seat, half-heartedly checking work emails while listening to Min Yueyue complain about her new boyfriend. The car crawled at a turtle's pace toward Heavenly Life Plaza.
"There’s no parking space left; how annoying," Min Yueyue said as she turned the steering wheel. "Forget it; let's just park here."
Once the car came to a stop, Feng Ning unbuckled her seatbelt and got out to take a look. She was somewhat speechless. "What are you doing? You're blocking that car behind us."
Min Yueyue had already turned off the engine and was swinging her keys around. "Oh come on, there was no place to park!" She spotted a silver-gray car and whistled lightly. "Oh look, it's a Bentley. Never mind, let’s go; it’s fine. If worse comes to worst, we can move it later."
Out of habit, Feng Ning always carried a pen and paper with her. She quickly wrote down her phone number on a sticky note and added: [Call this number if needed].
"Feng Ning, what are you doing?"
Feng Ning stuck a note on the hood of the Bentley, took off the pen cap, and said, "Just leaving a contact number, in case someone damages your car."
*
The crowd at Elder Brother Official was as lively as ever. By the time they got their number and were allowed inside, two hours had already passed.
The waiter led them to their seats and handed them the menu.
"Bring me fifteen frogs," Min Yueyue waved her hand dramatically.
"Fifteen?" The waiter confirmed, "That might be a bit much for just the two of you."
"I can finish all fifteen by myself," Min Yueyue began to select her dishes.
"While other rich kids enjoy delicacies, why do you insist on frogs?"
Min Yueyue replied, "I can only say that Elder Brother Official's hunger marketing is too successful; the harder it is to get something, the more I crave it."
Min Yueyue had a peculiar habit—she wouldn’t allow any dishes she didn’t like to be on the table during meals. So when ordering, she never asked for anyone else's opinion, and only Feng Ning would indulge her.
Min Yueyue handed the menu to the waiter and said, "By the way, Ning Ning, have you noticed anything different about me today?"
"What’s different?"
"Don’t you see? My outfit!"
Min Yueyue stood up and twirled around. "This is the latest little black dress from Chanel's spring-summer collection. Isn’t it beautiful?"
After a brief silence, Feng Ning said, "I suggest Jennie give you the title of Human Chanel."
Min Yueyue burst into laughter, "Ning Ning, how can you be so funny?"
Feng Ning maintained her serious demeanor. "To be honest, I've been watching De Yun Society since high school, and I learned from Guo Degang."
"Haha, you're just too adorable! If I were a guy, I would definitely pursue you."
"Please don't," Feng Ning gestured for her to stop. "I can't imagine what you'd be like as a man with that personality."
"That would mean transforming from a peacock girl to a peacock boy," Min Yueyue teased, aware of how others referred to her. "What's wrong with being a peacock boy?"
Feng Ning seemed to ponder something and slowly shifted away from the teasing. "Well, it could be quite nice."
There were many guests, and they had been waiting for ten minutes without their food arriving. Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the nearby table, prompting Min Yueyue to glance over.
There were both men and women, and one of the women appeared to be drunk, her eyes glazed over as she tangled with those around her.
Min Yueyue scanned the scene briefly but then froze as her gaze was drawn to a man sitting in the corner.
He was focused on unwrapping a cigarette. Perhaps mindful of the public setting, he only took one out, playing with it between his index and middle fingers without lighting it. A casual smile lingered at the corners of his mouth as he listened to the conversation around him.
Min Yueyue blinked twice and then widened her eyes in excitement, lowering her voice. "Wow, Ning Ning, look at that handsome guy! He's a total catch, right in front of you."
Just as Feng Ning was about to turn her head, a few drops of cola splashed onto their faces. Min Yueyue leaned in quietly and wiped her face with a tissue.
The drunken woman at the nearby table swayed as she stood up, holding a cup and slurring loudly, "Bro, you finally came back home! You have to drink with me today!"
—The cola had just splattered from her cup.
Min Yueyue muttered softly, "I can't even... This woman looks terrible when she's drunk and acting crazy."
Feng Ning wiped the cola off her hand. "You don't look any better when you're drunk either."
Tonight at Black as Coal, the atmosphere was particularly slow. Min Yueyue was chatting with her boyfriend on WeChat while Feng Ning, feeling bored, opened a mobile game to pass the time.
A few minutes later, a man approached Feng Ning and asked for her WeChat.
Feng Ning looked up. "Sorry, I don't add strangers on WeChat."
The man, undeterred by the rejection, replied, "Come on, let's just be friends."
Min Yueyue rolled her eyes. "She already has a boyfriend."
Once the man left, Feng Ning laughed and said, "You're quite good at shutting people down now."
"Did I learn that from you?" Min Yueyue replied.
"Learn what from me?"
Min Yueyue recalled, "Remember when we were having lunch in the cafeteria at the start of graduate school? That junior who lost at Truth or Dare came over and asked if you needed a boyfriend. Do you remember what you said?"
Feng Ning couldn't recall. "What did I say?"
"You said..."
Min Yueyue remembered it clearly, mimicking her tone perfectly. "A boyfriend? You might need one more than I do."
After finishing her impression, she couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my gosh, I remember thinking how could there be such a unique girl."
While chatting, the table next to them also finished eating. Several people stood up one after another. The drunk woman was supported by someone, and when she passed by them, she suddenly struggled. Her arms were waving wildly, knocking over the lemon juice on the table. Min Yueyue screamed and stood up quickly, but unfortunately a corner of her skirt was affected. She immediately got angry, "What are you doing? This skirt is very expensive. I just bought it two days ago. Why don't you go home and get drunk?" She complained loudly, and the group of people who were about to leave fell silent. Those people looked at each other, and one of the women said nonchalantly, "How much is it? I'll compensate you." The "Handsome Guy" who had just excited Min Yueyue happened to be next to him. His facial features are unforgettable, with a deep outline and thin lips. He said, "Sorry, my sister is drunk, this is my business card." Min Yueyue is a Bass Cannon control. As soon as the handsome guy opened his mouth, the expression on her face, along with her legs, softened instantly. Feng Ning was wearing a baseball cap, and his vision was blocked. She was concentrating on playing games and didn't really listen to what the handsome guy said. She turned her head and looked at the man's lower body first, then slowly moved up. Light gray suit pants and light blue shirt. The business card was held between slender fingers, the sleeves were rolled up to the forearms, and on the exposed wrist was a low-key and expensive silver watch. The brim of the hat blocked her view and she could only see up to the waist. The waist was very thin and the legs were long. The figure was good. Min Yueyue opposite had already entered a fanboy state and was stunned. Feng Ning was amused and raised his hand, without paying much attention, and took the business card for Min Yueyue.
A flash of red passed over her pale, slender wrist.
"Bass Cannon" said, "If you need a dress, come find me."
Upon hearing that voice, "Feng Ning" paused, her heart racing for a few beats as she quickly turned her head.
The person beside her urged, "Alright, Ryan, let's go."
The one being called suddenly stopped, staring at the red string on "Feng Ning's" wrist.
"Min Yueyue" was puzzled, not knowing what was happening.
"Feng Ning" lifted her head, caught in the half-light and half-darkness. Without any mental preparation, she clearly saw his appearance.
He had eyes with upward-turned corners, his eyelashes half-lowered, exuding a low desire with no emotion at all.
Suddenly, the surroundings fell silent.
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