CHAPTER 24: BAND-AID

The weekend slipped by in the blink of an eye, and soon a new week began. Ruan Zhizhi’s hand had already started to scab over and no longer needed to be wrapped. Every time she went out now, she just stuck a band-aid over the scab to cover it up.

On Monday morning, Ruan Zhizhi woke up to her alarm, got washed and dressed, grabbed her bag, and headed out to catch the subway to work.

When she reached the entrance of Line 3, the previous train had just thundered past, leaving the crowd of commuters sighing and waiting for the next one.

Ruan Zhizhi stood among the crowd patiently, surrounded by the noisy chaos of people. Bored, her gaze wandered over the unfamiliar faces around her. Among the crowd, there were office workers in sharp suits rushing to work, groups of high school students in uniform heading to class, and sweet, affectionate couples clinging to each other.

One girl pouted, leaning against the man’s chest, whining in a spoiled tone about missing the last train. The man chuckled helplessly, lowering his head to gently ruffle her hair, his eyes full of tenderness.

Ruan Zhizhi stared blankly at the couple’s intimate display, dazed without realizing it.

Shi Yan liked to ruffle her hair sometimes, too.

Come to think of it, over the weekend… apart from sleeping, she had spent nearly every waking moment with Shi Yan.

She didn’t know why, but every time she glanced at his side profile, she would find herself drifting back into memories of her university days.

Gu Nian had told her before that every time the four of them went out together — whether it was to the library, the cafeteria, or the supermarket near campus — they would “coincidentally” run into Shi Yan.

Lowering her head, Ruan Zhizhi’s gaze fell on the waterproof bandage in her palm — the one Shi Yan had specially bought for her at the pharmacy. At last, she believed it. None of it had been a coincidence.

But since he never said anything, she could only pretend not to know.

After squeezing onto the crowded subway, Ruan Zhizhi hurried into her company building and clocked in right on time. She finally let out a long sigh of relief.

She was still aiming for the full-attendance bonus this month.

Back at her desk, she sorted through the documents she needed for the day and was just about to grab a cup of coffee when she bumped into a delivery guy.

The courier was struggling to hold an enormous bouquet of fresh, vibrant roses. The bundle was so thick and lush that it looked heavy even in his arms.

There had to be at least ninety-nine roses in there. Ruan Zhizhi glanced at it casually, assuming someone in the office was getting pursued again. Stuff like this happened often, so it wasn’t anything new.

She held her mug and was about to take a detour when the courier’s loud voice suddenly rang out across the office:
“Who’s Ruan Zhizhi? Delivery for Ruan Zhizhi!”

Ruan Zhizhi froze, stunned to hear her own name. It wasn’t until she double-checked that she realized — the roses were actually for her.

Still dazed, she signed the delivery slip and took the massive bouquet from him. With no other choice, she returned to her desk and found a discreet corner to place them carefully.

In the center of the bouquet, a purple greeting card was tucked between the roses. Frowning slightly, Ruan Zhizhi opened it. The handwriting on it was all too familiar:

Zhizhi, one day apart feels like three long autumns.

I’ll pick you up after work tonight. Wait for me.

It was signed with Li Sichen’s name in bold, confident strokes.

Right. It was Monday already. Li Sichen was back from his business trip. But… were they really going to keep going on like this, tangled up in this unclear, undefined relationship?

She was still lost in thought when someone suddenly patted her on the shoulder. Startled, Ruan Zhizhi turned around and saw Lu Wanyi standing behind her.

Lu Wanyi leaned over curiously, glancing at the card, and couldn’t resist teasing her.
“Tsk tsk, look at this — ‘one day apart feels like three autumns’? Zhizhi, this guy is seriously into you. Sending flowers first thing on a Monday morning!”

She leaned closer to sniff the roses and then added playfully,
“So? Has your heart been captured yet?”

“Stop joking around. I told you before — there’s nothing between us.” Ruan Zhizhi hastily tucked the card away, flustered.

But Lu Wanyi, a certified gossip-lover, wasn’t about to let it go.
“Nothing now doesn’t mean nothing in the future. You know what they say — feelings grow with time. And women are emotional creatures. With such a handsome, outstanding guy chasing you this persistently, it’s only a matter of time before you give in.”

She paused dramatically, giving Ruan Zhizhi a sidelong glance before continuing seriously:
“Unless… like I said before, there’s already someone else in your heart.”

Ruan Zhizhi’s heartbeat instantly sped up. She lowered her gaze, staring at her palm, suddenly flustered and unsettled.
“Alright, enough teasing. Get back to work before we end up staying late again.”

“Ugh, my life is so tragic.” At the mention of overtime, Lu Wanyi’s previously excited expression dimmed, and she reluctantly returned to her desk to finish her article.

….

By the time they got off work, it was almost seven. Night had fallen when Ruan Zhizhi and Lu Wanyi stepped out of the company building, only to spot Li Sichen’s car parked steadily across the street.

As soon as he saw her, Li Sichen drove over and rolled down the window.
“Zhizhi, you must be exhausted after a whole day of work. I’ll take you somewhere fun to relax.”

“Where to?”

Li Sichen didn’t answer directly. Instead, he smiled mysteriously.
“You’ll know when we get there.”

As he finished speaking, he glanced at Lu Wanyi through the corner of his eye and, reading the situation, politely extended an invitation.
“And this must be your colleague. If you don’t have plans tonight, you should come with us.”

Lu Wanyi’s face lit up immediately.
“Really? That’s perfect! I was just wondering how to kill time tonight.”

Ruan Zhizhi hesitated for a moment. While she would’ve preferred Lu Wanyi’s company, she still reminded her kindly:
“Won’t your boyfriend be upset if you come home late?”

“Oh, it’s fine. He’s on a business trip these few days anyway. I’ve been rotting at home alone; I’m dying to go out.” Lu Wanyi waved it off nonchalantly.

Hearing that, Ruan Zhizhi finally relaxed and got into the car with her.

Li Sichen drove them to a place Ruan Zhizhi knew well — A City’s most famous 1943 Bar Street. Like many young people, she and Gu Nian used to be regulars here on weekends.

But the bar he stopped in front of looked unfamiliar.

Noticing her confusion, Li Sichen explained as he parked the car.
“A friend of mine owns this bar. Today’s the grand opening. I figured it’d be lively, so I thought I’d bring you two to check it out.”

“Perfect! I’m in desperate need of alcohol-induced therapy,” Lu Wanyi cheered, pulling out a compact mirror and foundation cushion to touch up her makeup before getting out.

Ruan Zhizhi sighed helplessly.
“Don’t forget we still have to get up early for work tomorrow.”

Lu Wanyi waved her off.
“Who cares? Drink while we can, sleep later! Zhizhi, why are you always so rational about everything?”

She pulled out an Armani lipstick, carefully applying shade #501 as she spoke.
“Tell me the truth — has your life ever gone off the rails?”

Off the rails? Of course it had.

In her otherwise calm, controlled life, there had been only one time Ruan Zhizhi had truly lost control — the time she fell hopelessly, painfully in love with Li Sichen.

Just once. But the pain had been enough to carve itself into her memory forever.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Li Sichen was on the phone confirming things with the bar owner.
Ruan Zhizhi looked at his familiar features and suddenly felt a little self-mocking — turns out she wasn’t as deeply infatuated as she thought she was.

The person she had once loved so deeply was right in front of her, yet her heart felt almost as calm as still water.

How did that saying go again?

Perhaps I like missing you more than seeing you. Perhaps I like imagining you more than having you.

From the outside, the bar looked huge, lavishly decorated, with dazzling, colorful lights spilling across the street. It was indeed the kind of place made for indulging in debauchery and forgetfulness.

From afar, the girls going in and out of the bar were dressed in revealing, sexy outfits. The weather was barely over ten degrees, yet they were wearing thin, tight-fitting dresses.
Ruan Zhizhi glanced at them, then lowered her head to look at her own sweater dress and ankle boots — suddenly feeling completely out of place.

Beside her, Lu Wanyi was in high spirits, holding onto her arm and chirping nonstop.

“Wow, there are so many people tonight! I haven’t been somewhere this lively in ages. Who knows, maybe I’ll even have a romantic encounter later!”

“If I remember correctly, you already have a husband,” Ruan Zhizhi said flatly.

“Ugh, I was just joking!”

…

Li Sichen listened to their chatter from the side, smiling faintly. The three of them walked to the entrance, and he led them inside with practiced ease.

Once inside, the DJ’s music roared even louder, pounding in their ears.

The bar owner was busy greeting guests at the door. When he spotted Li Sichen, his eyes immediately lit up.

“Finally! You’re here! It’s my grand opening tonight, and I thought you were gonna stand me up.”
He punched Li Sichen on the shoulder in a friendly way, then turned and noticed Ruan Zhizhi and Lu Wanyi standing behind him. The man gave a low whistle.

“Damn, bro, bringing two beauties along? Not bad.”

Li Sichen ignored his teasing and simply smiled, then casually slipped an arm around Ruan Zhizhi’s shoulders.

“Let me introduce you — this is Zhizhi, my former university classmate, and… the one I’m currently pursuing.”

Caught off guard, Ruan Zhizhi froze for a moment. She glanced up at him and immediately shifted uncomfortably, subtly trying to wriggle out from under his arm.

“Don’t tell me there’s actually a woman out there that our Young Master Li can’t handle?” The bar owner’s tone was light and teasing, but his probing gaze made her uneasy.

Ruan Zhizhi didn’t like his attitude — not one bit.

Sensing her discomfort, Li Sichen turned toward her and said apologetically, “Zhizhi, I need to say hi to a few friends here. You two go find somewhere to sit first. Order whatever you like — I’ll settle the bill later.”

Ruan Zhizhi nodded quickly, almost relieved, and tugged Lu Wanyi along to escape further inside.

They found two empty seats at the bar counter. Lu Wanyi, clearly long deprived of nightlife by her controlling boyfriend, looked like a bird finally set free. She waved down a waiter and ordered a jug of beer without hesitation.

“Zhizhi, how’s your alcohol tolerance?”

Ruan Zhizhi thought for a moment and answered honestly, “Terrible.”

Lu Wanyi burst out laughing. “No worries, you drink less, I’ll drink more.”

The two of them chatted and laughed, sipping their beer as they talked, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.

But soon, just drinking beer wasn’t enough for Lu Wanyi. Her eyes were glued to the bartender’s smooth, dazzling moves as he mixed cocktails. She couldn’t resist and ordered two glasses, pushing one toward Ruan Zhizhi.

By now, Ruan Zhizhi’s head was already a little fuzzy. She lowered her gaze to the drink — a pure, icy blue liquid so clear it reflected her black pupils like glass. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Unable to resist the temptation, Ruan Zhizhi tilted her head back and downed it in one go, throwing caution to the wind.

“Cool!” Lu Wanyi whistled and followed suit, finishing hers too.

But acting cool always came at a price.

Not long after finishing the cocktail, Ruan Zhizhi felt her head growing heavy and her vision hazy.

It was as if someone had lit a fire in her stomach — heat surged up, threatening to swallow her rationality whole. Frowning, the last shreds of clarity in her mind told her she needed to get to the restroom, throw up, and splash cold water on her face.

Lu Wanyi, meanwhile, was fully immersed in her fun and didn’t notice anything wrong.
Ruan Zhizhi swayed as she stood, forcing herself to take one unsteady step after another toward the restroom.

Her vision blurred; all she could make out were flashing, multicolored lights. The crowd around her — men and women entangled — blurred into meaningless shadows, and the music sounded like sharp, jarring noise in her ears.

Finally, she stumbled through the crowd and found the restroom — but in her dazed state, she failed to notice the bold “Men” sign at the door and pushed it open directly.

The moment she spotted a trash bin, her body reacted on instinct.
Staggering over, she crouched down and started vomiting violently.

Her stomach churned as waves of nausea wracked her body, the air around her thick with alcohol fumes. Hugging the trash bin, she retched until there was nothing left in her stomach, until she felt completely emptied out.

Her head spun, vision dim, and her throat burned with acid as dry heaves wracked her body.

Just then, one of the stall doors opened, and a man’s restrained yet unmistakably shocked voice sounded behind her—

“Ruan Zhizhi… what are you doing here?”

That voice — like a spell breaking.

Even in her muddled state, Ruan Zhizhi instantly sobered a little. Though her thoughts were still scattered, she recognized it at once.

It was Shi Yan’s voice.

She slowly lifted her head from the trash bin, her glassy eyes landing on his tense, furious face. Tilting her head slightly, she slurred softly, as if reminding him:

“Shi Yan… you’re in the wrong place. This is the women’s restroom…”