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Read advanced chapters at Shanghaifantasy.com
After Wei Qi parted ways with Yu Xiaowen, he received a call from one of his rowdy friends. “Wei Qi, why haven’t you been coming out lately? Come out and drink with us!”
Thinking he had nothing better to do, Wei Qi hung up and headed to the club’s private room. As soon as he opened the door, he was choked by the thick, smoky air, causing him to cough. “What’s going on with you guys?”
The room was filled with smoke. A few teenage boys were lounging on the sofas, some sitting, some lying down. When they saw him, their eyes lit up, and they beckoned him over, “Come on, Dongzi got some fun stuff.”
Although Wei Qi was a troublemaker who skipped classes and got into fights, he wasn’t interested in smoking or drinking. Seeing the boys in such a state of intoxication, he instinctively frowned and scolded sharply, “You guys didn’t touch *that* stuff, did you?!”
While they liked to have fun, Wei Qi knew better than to cross the line when it came to dangerous substances.
Hearing his stern tone, the boys froze for a moment, then, realizing what he was insinuating, they exchanged glances and burst into laughter. “Brother Wei, where’s your mind at? We’d never go that far!”
Wei Qi’s face darkened. “Don’t call me Brother Wei!”
The boy who had spoken earlier was biting down on a cigarette, trying to hold back his laughter, his face contorting in the effort. Fearing Wei Qi might lose his temper, he quickly coughed and said, “It’s because Dongzi just got dumped and wanted to unwind a bit.” Saying this, he pulled out a cigar from a wooden box on the coffee table and offered it to Wei Qi. “Dongzi’s sister brought this back from abroad. Want to try it?”
Wei Qi wasn’t interested and waved it away. “Dongzi got dumped? What happened?”
The boy called Dongzi sat on the sofa with a gloomy expression, drinking sullenly. “She’s the school beauty at First High. I fell for her at first sight, but…”
The other boys immediately chimed in, “She shot him down instantly.” They burst into laughter once again.
Dongzi clenched his fists and shouted, “Cut it out, will you?!”
Wei Qi, reminded of his own experience, suddenly had a flash of Wang Shasha’s face in his mind—a face he had once dismissed but now made his heart race. Could it be that he liked Wang Shasha…? Wei Qi quickly shook his head and sat down, grabbing a beer from the coffee table and taking a long gulp.
Could it be? Was he really into Wang Shasha?
But he did care about what she thought. Should he call her again to find out? Almost unconsciously, he took out his phone and dialed her number. The phone rang for a while with no answer. When he tried again, she hung up.
Wei Qi: “…”
The boys then watched as Wei Qi began to drink heavily, trying to drown his sorrows, looking visibly upset.
“She said she doesn’t like me.”
Dongzi, who had been nursing his own heartbreak, suddenly looked up in surprise, forgetting his own misery as all the beer was now being chugged by Wei Qi.
Big news! Wei Qi had been dumped too? This was a once-in-a-century event that definitely needed to be documented!
Meanwhile, Wang Sasa expertly hung up on Wei Qi’s call. After a moment of thought, she concluded that the two of them probably wouldn’t have any further contact in the future, so she decisively blocked his number.
Another week passed in the blink of an eye, and Wang Sasa fulfilled her promise.
The “fun” place she mentioned was just a karaoke bar, where she could belt out a few songs at the top of her lungs. When Wang Sasa felt stressed, she liked to book a private room and choose a song that could release her emotions. She didn’t care much about singing well; it was all about venting her feelings.
Since she had invited Tan Yixuan out, Wang Sasa wanted to maintain some decorum. She gracefully passed the microphone to Tan Yixuan while she ordered some snacks to enjoy the “concert.”
Tan Yixuan, a little shy, said, “I’m not very good at singing.”
Wang Sasa absentmindedly flipped through the snacks. “It’s fine.” After all, no one could sound worse than her.
Tan Yixuan held the microphone and sang a tender love song.
When she finished, Wang Sasa clapped enthusiastically and called for an encore.
Embarrassed, Tan Yixuan blushed and said, “Then I’ll sing one more.”
Wang Sasa rested her chin on her hand and listened to Tan Yixuan sing again. It was another slow, melodious love song. At first, it was refreshing, but soon, Wang Sasa found herself growing a bit bored.
Tan Yixuan, sensing Wang Sasa’s shift in mood, immediately felt downcast. “Being with me… Is it boring?”
Caught off guard, Wang Sasa felt awkward. She bit into a chip, chewed a few times, swallowed, and forced a smile to smooth things over. “Of course not! But two people alone… it’s a bit quiet. Maybe we should invite more people?”
Upon hearing this, Tan Yixuan lowered her long lashes. After a long pause, she softly replied, “Okay.”
Since Wang Sasa had entered the book’s world, she hadn’t made any new friends. Unless there was something to gain, she wasn’t the type to go out of her way to befriend others. The people she was closest to were those four lackeys. But since Tan Yixuan didn’t get along with them, she naturally wouldn’t invite them.
As she was lost in thought, the light in front of her suddenly dimmed. It turned out that Tan Yixuan had switched off the wall lamp, leaving only the flickering light from the TV casting shadows on their figures.
“Tan Yixuan?” Wang Sasa called out in confusion.
Tan Yixuan didn’t respond. She sat beside her and leaned in slightly. The light from the TV shone on her porcelain-white face, revealing her deep, unfathomable eyes.
In the dim lighting, their breaths intertwined. Tan Yixuan was so close that Wang Sasa could smell the scent of laundry detergent on her snow-white collar.
Wang Sasa asked, “What’s wrong?”
Tan Yixuan cupped Wang Sasa’s face, gazing down for a moment, then gently wiped the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were soft as water, and she smiled, “Ketchup…” Her gaze fell back to Wang Sasa’s mouth, and the pad of her thumb gently stroked her cheek.
The touch of her slightly calloused fingers on Wang Sasa’s skin felt peculiar—warm, with a faint ticklish sensation…
Wang Sasa’s heart skipped a beat, her face growing inexplicably warm. “Is… is that so?” She instinctively wiped her mouth and gave an awkward laugh, “Seems like it. Hold on, I’ll just head to the restroom.”
Tan Yixuan’s fingers slid down her cheek, giving a little squeeze to her hand resting on her knee before she softly hummed in response.
Wang Sasa quickly got up and pushed the door open, leaving the room.
Behind her, Tan Yixuan watched her retreating figure, then licked her fingers and smiled faintly.
Once outside the private room, Wang Sasa’s face immediately cooled down. She went to the restroom and stood in front of the mirror, touching up her makeup. As she thought about the strange atmosphere earlier, she found herself a bit distracted.
She had never been that close to anyone before, so Tan Yixuan’s actions had made her feel flustered, which was perfectly understandable, right?
After fixing her makeup, she stepped out of the restroom, only to find herself lost. The hallway twisted and turned, and she soon lost her sense of direction. Spotting a waiter in a uniform ahead, she quickly called out, “Excuse me…”
The person turned around, and Wang Sasa immediately frowned, “Ji Yiran? What are you doing here?”
Taking a closer look, Ji Yiran was wearing a black uniform with heavy makeup. Given the dim lighting, if Wang Sasa hadn’t been sharp-eyed, she might not have recognized her.
Ji Yiran was startled as well. Stammering, she said, “B-boss… what are you doing here?”
Wang Sasa crossed her arms and frowned, “That’s what I should be asking you! Why aren’t you at home studying? What are you doing here?”
Caught in the act, Ji Yiran nervously tugged at her uniform, mumbling, “S-sorry.”
Wang Sasa sighed, “You don’t need to apologize to me. We’re in our third year of high school. How do you have time for part-time jobs?”
Ji Yiran looked down at her shoes, a bitter smile appearing on her face. In order to keep up with her classmates, all the money she earned had gone toward buying the shoes on her feet. Otherwise, whenever she went shopping with Wang Sasa and the others, she’d end up standing aside, holding their bags, unable to buy anything for herself. It was hard to keep up.
Once or twice was fine, but over time, they’d eventually realize she wasn’t like them and start distancing themselves, just like Tan Yixuan had been ostracized.
Speaking of which… Tan Yixuan.
Glancing up cautiously at Wang Sasa, Ji Yiran hesitantly asked, “Boss, are you serious about Tan Yixuan?” Was she really trying to be friends, or just playing around?
“Serious?” Wang Sasa’s face flushed as she thought of the scene from earlier. She immediately snapped back, “What nonsense are you talking about! We’re just…” Wait, why was she explaining herself to Ji Yiran? And why was she feeling flustered?
Clearing her throat, Wang Sasa said, “I’ll pretend I didn’t see you here today. Don’t meddle in my affairs.”
After parting ways with Ji Yiran, Wang Sasa returned to the private room and stayed with Tan Yixuan for a while longer before noticing how late it had gotten. They decided to head home together.
Wang Sasa accompanied Tan Yixuan to her apartment complex. Just as she was about to hail a taxi, Tan Yixuan hesitated and said, “Sasa… I’m a little scared.”
Wang Sasa looked down at her wrist, which was being held by Tan Yixuan. She quickly realized what Tan Yixuan was afraid of.
After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Don’t worry. Grandma Tan will be fine.”
Tan Yixuan shook her head, holding her wrist even tighter. “It’s not that… I’m afraid of being alone.”
Wang Sasa was taken aback. Was Tan Yixuan really afraid of being alone? That didn’t seem like her at all.
But then she remembered that Grandma Tan was in the hospital preparing for surgery, leaving Tan Yixuan by herself at home. Wang Sasa was used to living alone, but Tan Yixuan had always been with her grandmother, so it must be hard for her to adjust.
Still… she wanted to go home and read her comics. It was her vacation, and she didn’t want to waste it!
Wang Sasa tried to comfort her. “From what I’ve seen, your community seems pretty safe. Not many thieves or robbers around.” She attempted to pull her hand away, but it wouldn’t budge.
Tan Yixuan stubbornly added, “I… I’m afraid of ghosts.”
Wang Sasa shot her a sideways glance. “…”
The biggest “ghost” in this story was telling her she was afraid of ghosts? That was the funniest thing Wang Sasa had ever heard. But when she glanced at Tan Yixuan’s sad little face, she couldn’t help but give in. “Fine, I’ll stay.”
Tan Yixuan immediately beamed with joy. She tentatively wrapped her arms around Wang Sasa’s waist. When Wang Sasa didn’t react negatively, she whispered in her ear, “With you here, I’m not afraid.”
Wang Sasa touched her ear and slightly turned her head, remaining silent.
After putting on slippers, Wang Sasa made herself comfortable on the sofa.
She told Tan Yixuan to wash up first, then wandered around her small room while waiting. Since her plan to read before bed had been disrupted, she decided to check out what Tan Yixuan had been reading.
Her eyes scanned the spines of the books on the shelf, but none of them caught her interest. She turned and saw the clutter on Tan Yixuan’s desk, smiling wryly.
Wang Sasa casually sat at the desk and began flipping through the items. Her gaze fell on the desk, noticing that although Tan Yixuan’s house was small, it was always clean. She knew that Tan Yixuan was almost obsessive about tidiness, so it was rare to see such ‘chaos.’
Absentmindedly tidying up for her, Wang Sasa moved aside the open workbook and suddenly discovered a brown notepad underneath.
The diary was carelessly spread out, revealing the figure of a person sketched on the snow-white page.
Wang Sasa thought the face looked somewhat familiar, but just as she was about to take a closer look, the notebook was snatched away. She looked up and saw Tan Yixuan staring at her with an unreadable expression. “Did you see it?”