Chapter 288

Chapter 288: 281: Miss Wen: Xie Shang, I love you very much Chapter 288: 281: Miss Wen: Xie Shang, I love you very much On Chinese New Year’s Eve that afternoon, Gu Yihuan’s bar had a singing event, and Xie Shang took Wen Changling there.

Gu Yihuan was a person who emphasized a sense of ceremony, and the bar was decorated with a strong New Year’s atmosphere. Because there was no admission fee and drinks were free, a lot of people came.

Before going, Wen Changling had asked Xie Shang, “Does Gu Yihuan still have money?”

As far as she knew, Gu Yihuan’s bar was losing a lot of money due to constant discounts and a lead singer with subpar singing skills.

Xie Shang said, “Miss Pang San is footing the bill.”

So that was it.

Xie Shang also mentioned that this was Miss Pang San’s signing gift for Gu Yihuan. After the New Year hype died down, a performance video of Gu Yihuan at the bar would “accidentally” go viral, and then “naturally,” he would debut as a singer.

Wen Changling thought Miss Pang San really was a successful businesswoman.

The opening song was sung by Gu Yihuan alone, a low-to-mid-tempo love ballad.

Wen Changling exclaimed, “He has improved so much.”

“Pang Zijin got him a teacher and specifically tailored a song for his voice and range,” Xie Shang explained.

Wen Changling felt even more that Miss Pang San was a successful businesswoman, willing to invest and knowing how to package an artist.

The second song was a New Year’s theme, and the atmosphere heated up immediately.

Every audience member attending the singing event received a light-up red headband, and the whole audience danced along, creating a sea of red when viewed from a higher vantage point.

Around the stage, half-height fireworks burst forth, and many girls in the front row lit their Fairy Sticks in the firelight. Wen Changling didn’t join the excitement at the front but sat with Xie Shang at the bar, where there were fewer people. He asked her if she wanted to play with it?

She shook her head; she was someone who abided by fire safety regulations: “Aren’t you afraid of a fire playing with fireworks indoors?”

“No worries, these fireworks are specially made with a very low ignition point.”

They could even be lit with a cigarette.

Xie Shang got Wen Changling a fruit wine with a very low alcohol content. After she finished hers, she took the barely touched drink from Xie Shang, smiling innocently but with a naughty glint in her eyes: “The person who made these fireworks really knows how to have fun, huh?”

“What are you thinking about?” Xie Shang handed the empty glass to bartender Nick and ordered another one.

Wen Changling didn’t reply, her mind was on adults-only matters.

When she was studying abroad, her flatmate was a very open-minded Westerner, and Wen Changling had accidentally been exposed to some eye-opening things. Of all the things she encountered, she loved chokers the most, of course; she preferred it when men wore them. In some Western countries, chokers symbolize decay, depravity, violence, and eroticism.

In the years when her sickness was at its worst, if it hadn’t been for Yueyue watching over her, she might have tried everything once.

Gu Yihuan had contract questions for Xie Shang, and midway through, he was called over. Wen Changling was left alone for a few minutes, during which someone came over to strike up a conversation.

The bar was hot, so Wen Changling took off her coat. Her off-white sweatshirt looked pure, as if untainted by society, but the highlighted color of her hair made her seem rebellious and unique.

A man came over, resting his right hand on the bar, and raised his chin handsomely to reveal his jawline: “Beauty, want to dance?”

Wen Changling, who had always worn glasses before, was new to such a clichéd phrase, and found it amusing. Her gaze moved past the man to Xie Shang, who was already approaching. She coyly imitated the tone commonly used for flirting in bars, acting like a female player: “Baby, he called me a beauty.”

The man turned around, saw Xie Shang, and looked slightly embarrassed. He picked up a drink from the bar and took a casual sip before walking away.

The cheers suddenly rose to a crescendo.

A singer took the stage; it was the hottest one from Huasheng Music. This was also part of the signing gift from Pang Zijin to Gu Yihuan. In an era of traffic stars, becoming quickly memorable through the internet means stoking a romantic pairing was one of the fastest methods.

Xie Shang sat back beside Wen Changling. He wasn’t interested in whatever was being sung on stage. The dim lights of the bar barely brightened, and his gaze fixed on Wen Changling’s eyes: “What did you just call me?”

“Just babbling,” she said.

The fruit wine Nick mixed tonight was delicious, and Wen Changling focused on enjoying her drink.

Xie Shang leaned in closer with a smile, coaxing, “Miss Wen, could you babble once more for me?”

Miss Wen was strict with her words, even at her most affectionate and bewildered moments. No matter how Xie Shang coaxed her, she would never call him anything apart from Xie Shang and Xingxing.

She asked earnestly, “Don’t you think it’s cheesy?”

Xie Shang shook his head, “I want to hear it.”

Wen Changling couldn’t bring herself to say it, so she drank instead. She was bold enough to play and to act, but her tongue was as rigid as reinforced steel when it came to expressing emotions.

Xie Shang took away the glass she used for strategic drinking, “Changling.”

Wen Changling hadn’t had enough and leaned forward with her mouth slightly open, chasing after the glass.

Worried she might hurt her teeth, Xie Shang reluctantly stopped his hand, allowing her to wrap her lips around the rim of the glass. He tilted it slightly, feeding her the remaining half glass of fruit wine, accommodating her greedy sipping.

A few drops of the red wine spilled, lingering on the corner of her lips. He bent down to kiss them off, but she pushed against his chest, dodging away.

Once the drink was finished, she got up, “Let’s go back, let’s go back.” The concert wasn’t over, but she wasn’t really a music enthusiast.

Xie Shang grabbed her coat and followed her, “Wen Changling.”

His tone still carried a hint of cajoling. He was so stubborn, simply wanting to hear some sweet nothings she would not normally say.

Wen Changling walked ahead, turning back to glare at him with a mix of pride and annoyance, “Baby, you’re so annoying.”

Xie Shang embraced her with a smile.

Outside, it was just about to get dark, and the street lights along the way were lit up.

He helped her into her coat, “Changling, Happy New Year.”

The girl who had been fierce just moments ago obediently stretched her hands through the sleeves and hugged Xie Shang’s waist, “Happy New Year.”

“What do you want for a New Year’s gift?”

She thought for a moment, as if there was nothing she wanted, then said, “I want the stars.”

“I’ll pick them for you.”

Xie Shang lowered his head.

Miss Wen, who wouldn’t allow kisses in the bar, took the initiative to kiss Xie Shang on the lips and then held onto him.

“Changling.”

“Hmm.”

He whispered in her ear, “Can you accept using props?”

She looked up in surprise, incredulous, “Lawyer Xie, are you into such fancy play?”

Xie Shang knew what she was thinking and corrected her misunderstanding, “It’s to be used on me, not you.”

She was baffled, “Why? Do you like it?”

After all, who would volunteer for that.

Winter brings short days and long nights, and the concert had ended. People started flooding out from the bar entrance, and they stood at the roadside, away from the crowd, amid the noisy surroundings.

His voice was very low, audible only to Wen Changling, “I know you like it.” He knew about her slight masochistic desires, and if she could vent them, maybe she would stop hurting herself in the future.

Wen Changling had tested her IQ in her school days; it was very high. There was a book titled ‘Genius on the Left, Lunatic on the Right’.

She knew she was a little crazy, but not completely so. She was always too soft-hearted; she shouldn’t have plucked the stars from their high perches.

She reflected, “I used to want to see you cry, but not anymore.”

Okay then.

It was Xie Shang, after all, who liked to hear sweet words.

She told him earnestly, “Xie Shang, I can’t bear it, I love you very much.”

Roses collided with the universe and exploded into an entire galaxy.

In the years that would follow, whenever Xie Shang thought about love and fondness, he would recall this Chinese New Year’s Eve evening, standing on a bustling street, kissing his beloved.