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Some people nearby noticed the waiter bringing Chi Yan a cup of plain water. Others who had intended to offer him drinks realized that this was not going to happen, as he clearly wasn’t interested in alcohol.

Many people were watching, unsure of Chi Yan’s personality. Approaching him without knowing his temperament might result in an awkward rejection. While most just observed, someone eventually made a move and walked directly toward Chi Yan.

Chi Yan was sipping his warm water, finding it much more comfortable than the beer earlier, which had smelled so bad it made him want to vomit. He absentmindedly placed his hand on his stomach, feeling an odd sensation there.

A girl approached him, sporting a neat, short haircut, wearing light makeup, with delicate and attractive features. She had a small, palm-sized face.

She sat in the empty seat to Chi Yan’s left. You Xiaoqi and the others had been sitting on his right, so this seat had remained vacant.

“Can I sit here?” The short-haired girl smiled brightly, her voice cheerful and vibrant.

“Sure,” Chi Yan replied, feeling that he was usually a good judge of character. When their eyes met, he instantly found the girl likable. She seemed to be around his age, perhaps in her early twenties.

“I was really afraid you’d say no. If you had, I’d be crying all the way home,” the girl said playfully, blinking her large eyes mischievously.

Chi Yan responded to the girl’s friendly attempt at conversation with a warm smile, his eyes reflecting a bright and lively spark, which caused the girl beside him to be momentarily mesmerized.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” the girl blurted out her thoughts, surprising even herself with the sudden question.

Luckily, the lighting in the bar was dim, so Chi Yan couldn’t see how red her face had become.

The girl wasn’t sure if the thumping she felt was her own heartbeat or the loud music.

“No, I don’t,” Chi Yan replied, smiling.

The girl’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Really? That’s impossible—you’re so handsome!” she said, still doubtful.

“I don’t have a girlfriend because I like men,” Chi Yan stated matter-of-factly. Since they were in a bar and would probably never meet again, he didn’t mind being honest with the friendly girl.

The girl was even more surprised, her eyes widening further as she scanned Chi Yan up and down. Under Chi Yan’s clear and sincere gaze, she had the sense that he was being completely honest. She even felt that Chi Yan was someone who never lied.

“Then you must have a boyfriend, right?” the girl asked, convinced that with Chi Yan’s looks, he must have many admirers.

But once again, Chi Yan shook his head.

“No way, I don’t believe it!” the girl squinted skeptically.

Chi Yan took another sip of his warm water.

The bar’s music suddenly switched to a more intense track, so loud it felt like the floor was shaking along with the beat.

Chi Yan’s stomach, which had been feeling somewhat better, suddenly acted up again, causing him discomfort.

He furrowed his brow slightly, thinking it might be time to leave the bar.

The girl next to him seemed to be saying something, but Chi Yan couldn’t hear clearly. He turned to her, and she leaned in close to speak into his ear. In this intimate position, to onlookers—especially a certain someone watching intently from a corner of the bar—it seemed like something was happening between them.

Crash. Feng Min crushed the glass he was holding, shattering it in his hand. The alcohol spilled out, and shards of broken glass pierced his fingers, drawing dark red blood.

Despite the sharp pain in his fingers, Feng Min’s attention was entirely focused on Chi Yan, watching him laugh and chat with the girl who had intentionally approached him.

Their interaction was like a sharp knife stabbing into Feng Min’s heart.

Anger surged through his chest as he clenched his fist, a shard of glass embedding itself into his palm. The sharp pain spread through his entire body, yet it suppressed the violent rage inside him.

He couldn’t just walk over and stop them. Feng Min still remembered that night not long ago, when Chi Yan had told him those painful words. He couldn’t bear to make Chi Yan hate him any more than he already did.

So Feng Min just sat there, allowing the sharp pain and anger to torment him.

The girl introduced herself as Fang Yuan. She had stopped attending school after high school and now worked at the front desk of an internet café.

Fang Yuan was cheerful but not aggressive, and Chi Yan found her quite pleasant.

The two exchanged contact information.

No matter how the music changed in the bar, Chi Yan continued to feel increasingly uncomfortable. Initially, it was just stomach cramps, but soon his head began to ache as well.

If he stayed any longer, he feared he might pass out.

He explained to Fang Yuan that he wasn’t feeling well, and left first.

Noticing that Chi Yan indeed looked unwell, Fang Yuan kindly offered, “Let me help you outside.”

Though she was younger than Chi Yan, when he stood up and swayed slightly, she immediately reached out to support him. His body seemed even thinner than it appeared, and in that moment, Fang Yuan felt a sudden urge to protect him.

“Thank you,” Chi Yan said, turning to express his gratitude. Despite the loud music, Fang Yuan could read the words from his lips.

The two walked out of the bar together.

At that moment, some people passed by, blocking Feng Min’s view of Chi Yan.

By the time the group had passed, Feng Min looked over again, but Chi Yan and the girl were already gone.

Suddenly standing up from his seat, Feng Min almost sprinted across the room to where Chi Yan had been sitting.

Standing by the now-empty seat, his eyes anxiously scanned the crowd, searching for Chi Yan.