The Evening Show bar was one of the most popular spots among young people in City C, known for its unique themed parties every week. On weekends, when night fell and the lights came on, ES bar turned into a lively oasis that defied the darkness, where young men and women lost themselves on the dance floor, indulging in the vibrant nightlife.

Xu Xing and Lu Che arrived right on time, exactly at 9 p.m.

Ke Di had reserved a large booth in advance. When Lu Che brought Xu Xing over to join them, they were surprised to see Ke Di’s girlfriend there as well. She looked just as she had when they first met: in a light-colored, simple dress, paired with black loafers, her long hair cascading like a waterfall, exuding an ethereal charm that starkly contrasted with the more provocative outfits of the other girls around.

Ke Di was busy welcoming friends as they arrived, while his girlfriend sat next to Zhou Mang, her posture upright, her gaze following Ke Di closely.

“Lu Che is here~ It’s been a while!”

When Lu Che arrived, he stole much of the spotlight from the birthday boy himself. Aside from Lu Che’s striking good looks and the fact that he had the kind of presence that was hard to ignore, people were also curious because Lu Che, once a regular at bars, had suddenly stopped coming out when senior year started. He often got questions about what he was up to these days.

Ke Di stood up enthusiastically to greet them, “Lu Che, Class Leader, you finally made it! Thanks to Lu Che for joining us tonight. Our table’s odds of being approached have definitely gone up! But, of course, it’s even more thanks to the Class Leader’s presence, which got Lu Che to come along.”

With one arm around Xu Xing, Lu Che leaned in close to Xu Xing’s ear, chuckling, “Ke Di isn’t wrong~” After all, he’d long ago given Xu Xing the final say over his plans.

Xu Xing’s expression remained calm. “So, it’s alright to be constantly approached, huh?”

Xu Xing was used to Lu Che clinging to him every day, so much so that he sometimes forgot Lu Che was the kind of guy many girls dreamed about. And, of course, there were probably a few guys who secretly admired him too…

“…”

Xu Xing cleared his throat, shrugged off Lu Che’s arm, and sat down in the spot Ke Di had saved for them.

Lu Che, however, was delighted; Xu Xing’s cool glance had struck a spark in his heart—his class leader could actually feel jealous!

Feeling pleased, Lu Che slid in beside Xu Xing, leaned close, and whispered something in his ear.

Xu Xing looked down, silent.

Lu Che whispered, “I’m your accessory—no issues there.”

He was more than willing to be Xu Xing’s “accessory.”

A guy next to them poured two drinks for Lu Che, who only accepted one and ordered a different drink for Xu Xing.

Turning back, Lu Che saw Xu Xing looking at him intently, eyes dark and serious.

Amused by Xu Xing’s serious expression, Lu Che asked with a grin, “Class Leader, what’s up?”

Xu Xing answered solemnly, “You’re not my accessory.”

Surprised, Lu Che hadn’t expected Xu Xing to seriously reflect on his words just to refute his playful remark. He looked at Xu Xing with a puzzled tilt of his head, eyes bright under the dance floor lights, and asked innocently, “Then what am I?”

“You’re a priceless piece,” Xu Xing replied seriously.

Lu Che froze.

Xu Xing quickly clarified, “Don’t get the wrong idea; I don’t mean some freebie item on display. I mean like a museum’s centerpiece or a star player that’s irreplaceable. It’s not that you have to stay with me—it’s that I need you. Do you get it?”

You’re invaluable. I’m grateful that fate brought you to me, but I shouldn’t dictate whether you stay. If you choose to leave, I’ll wish you well. But if you decide to stay, it’ll be my life’s greatest honor.

“…”

Amidst the bustling noise around them, Xu Xing’s words to Lu Che were unmistakably clear.

It was the first time Lu Che had seen someone speak so earnestly, using neither “love” nor “like,” even explaining it with examples, yet he found himself captivated by Xu Xing’s straightforward confession. He hadn’t even touched his drink, but Lu Che felt dizzy, like he was entirely intoxicated.

While Lu Che could easily say “I love you” or “I like you” a hundred times without blushing, he was completely unprepared for Xu Xing’s single “I need you.”

To Xu Xing, it wasn’t “You have to stay,” but “I need you.”

To Lu Che, it wasn’t “You need me,” but “I need to stay.”

Lu Che covered his mouth with a fist, giving a light cough. He leaned forward, burying his face in Xu Xing’s back, and fell silent.

Xu Xing took a sip of his drink, his body shifting slightly as he glanced back and asked, “What are you doing?”

Lu Che, still with his head on Xu Xing’s back, mumbled softly, “I’m shy…”

“…”

Xu Xing nearly choked on his drink.

Clearing his throat, he raised his glass to his lips, then reached back to pat Lu Che’s waist.

Two guys coming back from the dance floor noticed the scene and, with curiosity in their eyes, paused to watch the person leaning on Xu Xing’s back. One of them, hearing from his friend that it was Lu Che, grew even more intrigued and grinned, “Lu Che, what are you up to here?”

Xu Xing took a sip of his drink, glanced at the guy beside him, and said, “He’s hiding because he’s considerate enough to avoid stealing Ke Di’s spotlight.”

“…”

The guy clicked his tongue, impressed. “Good-looking people are really hard to understand.”

Xu Xing gave a half-hearted smile. Just then, the flashing lights on the dance floor switched to a warm orange glow, and the intense rock music softened into a slow, flowing beat.

Feeling the atmosphere brighten, Xu Xing glanced around. Zhou Mang was seated a couple of spots away, keeping an eye on Ke Di’s girlfriend. He was drinking quietly, while Ke Di’s girlfriend’s gaze was fixed solely on Ke Di. Xu Xing rarely saw the two interact much, so he assumed the girl was used to her childhood friend’s introverted nature.

As Xu Xing sipped his drink, his gaze fell upon the corner of the booth, where he hadn’t noticed earlier due to the dim lighting. He now realized that Wang Zicong’s girlfriend was there too—a stunning beauty with a red string tied in a butterfly knot around her chest. However, she was sitting far from Wang Zicong, the string subtly hanging down and not as noticeable as when they were together.

She was dressed in a black, white, and gray streetwear style, with a loose hoodie partially covering her face. Just then, she raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, revealing a striking profile that caught the crowd’s attention: natural and makeup-free, with pale lips holding a cigarette. The small flame slowly burned, creating a soft trail of white smoke.

The warm orange lighting from the dance floor cast a noble, aloof glow on her face, making her seem quite different from how she appeared next to Wang Zicong.

Xu Xing: “…”

Xu Xing furrowed his brows, feeling a bit conflicted.

Wang Zicong’s girlfriend sat alone in the corner, paying little attention to the friends around her. The people beside her had gotten up to watch the performance, leaving her to drink on her own.

Xu Xing’s gaze was suddenly drawn to a man approaching from behind her. Despite the chilly weather, he’d taken off his jacket, revealing his tank top, clearly meant to flaunt a tattooed arm.

The man, broad-shouldered and rough-looking, had a toothpick in his mouth and a sleazy grin as he leaned against the sofa near the beauty, attempting to flirt.

The beauty gave him a lazy glance and turned away with little interest. Seeing her face up close, the man seemed unable to contain his desire and reached out to touch her cheek—

Xu Xing tensed, noticing that Zhou Mang and others at their table had seen it too. But they appeared unbothered, some even seeming to enjoy the drama.

Xu Xing suddenly stood up, causing Lu Che, who had been leaning on his back, to lose his support and wobble before steadying himself.

Xu Xing didn’t have time to check on Lu Che, and standing up gave him a clear view of the scene. The man’s expression changed abruptly as his outstretched hand was intercepted and twisted against the sofa’s backrest by the beauty.

She turned, took the cigarette from her lips, and pressed the burning tip firmly against the web of his fingers.

Xu Xing: “…”

The man gasped in pain, retreating a step, embarrassed and furious, only for the bar’s security to intervene and escort him out.

For the beauty, this little incident seemed to have no impact. She simply took out another cigarette, put it in her mouth, and, unable to find her lighter, lifted her head to ask someone nearby, only to see Xu Xing standing across the way.

Seeing Xu Xing, the beauty showed no particular reaction. Her expression softened just a bit, and she gave him a small nod without a hint of embarrassment about being seen by her boyfriend’s friend.

Xu Xing, feeling awkward, nodded back.

When he sat back down, Lu Che leaned against his shoulder and snickered, “That was cool~”

Xu Xing turned and pinched Lu Che’s cheek, saying calmly, “Quiet.”

Lu Che: “…”

Lu Che hadn’t quite processed Xu Xing’s teasing pinch when Xu Xing pulled out his phone and sent Wang Zicong a message: “I saw your girlfriend at Ke Di’s birthday party.”

Wang Zicong replied instantly—

Wang Zicong: We broke up tonight…

Wang Zicong: [forced smile.jpg]

Wang Zicong’s seven simple words left Xu Xing momentarily confused.

Xu Xing: ???

Xu Xing: Who ended it? Why did you two break up?

Just yesterday, Wang Zicong had been excited about a new restaurant he wanted to take her to after school, and now, only a few hours later, they’d broken up!

Wang Zicong: I was the one who ended it…

Wang Zicong: [awkward][awkward]

Xu Xing: [awkward][awkward]

Wang Zicong didn’t go into the details, and Xu Xing didn’t feel it was his place to ask.

When Xu Xing looked back at the beauty, he finally found the word to describe the strange feeling she’d given him tonight—

Loneliness.

The beauty drank quietly, cigarette in hand, without a trace of the gentle smile she used to have when looking at Wang Zicong.

---

Author’s note:
Wang Zong → Wang Cong → Wang Zicong (This is the progression of Wang Zicong’s “nickname” given by Xu Xing).

• 
  For friends worried about too many same-gender pairings, rest assured—the only change in the outline is that Ke Di and his girlfriend’s red string now goes from heart-to-heart to hand-in-hand. The only pairing in the main story with a romantic red string is Xiao x Jiang. Other characters won’t get romantically paired in the main text, though I might explore a bit in the extras (emphasis on might [covers face]).