Chapter 96: Drunk Appearance |
Lan Yixian gripped the disposable cup tightly and tilted her head back, downing the beer Liu Changqing had handed her.
The icy beer slid down her throat, her neck curving gracefully. As she swallowed, Liu Changqing couldn’t help but notice the movement of her throat and reflexively swallowed himself.
Lan Yixian finished the beer in one go, placing the cup back on the table with a loud belch.
“Burp!”
“Is the rice noodles really that spicy? Didn’t you just say you could handle spice?” Liu Changqing shifted his gaze and picked up a bite of rice noodles with his chopsticks.
After chewing and swallowing, he paused and looked at her in surprise.
“It’s not even that spicy. Are you sure you can’t handle… Wait a second!”
He abruptly stopped mid-sentence, grabbed the beer bottle nearby, and gulped several mouthfuls. Then, placing the bottle down, he opened his mouth wide, exhaling deeply.
The spice had a delayed punch.
“Here’s the rest of your order!” the boss said, turning to leave.
Liu Changqing quickly grabbed him.
“Wait, why is this rice noodles so spicy?”
“Didn’t you order extra spicy?” the boss replied with a puzzled look.
Liu Changqing was momentarily stunned but quickly figured it out.
“When you said ‘extra,’ which tone did you mean?”
“The fourth tone!”
“I said ‘medium spicy,’ the neutral one—not ‘extra’ as in heavy!”
“Well, you didn’t make that clear! I thought you meant extra spicy… Do you want me to take it back and make a new one?”
“That works…” Liu Changqing nodded after a moment’s thought. The misunderstanding was purely due to poor communication, not intentional negligence.
Watching the boss take away the overly spicy noodles, Liu Changqing sighed and turned toward Lan Yixian, who was staring blankly at him.
For a moment, he froze, subconsciously touching his face.
“I shaved today, didn’t I?” he thought.
Realizing her gaze was fixed on the seat he had just vacated, Liu Changqing understood she was simply dazing out. He waved his hand in front of her eyes.
Her gaze was vacant.
“Lan Yixian?” he called tentatively.
“Mm~” she murmured in response, her tone slightly off.
“Has the spiciness passed?”
“What spiciness?” she slurred, her head wobbling lightly, hands stiffly clasped on her lap as her body swayed slightly, as though she couldn’t maintain her balance.
Seeing her like this, Liu Changqing hesitated briefly before picking up a lamb skewer and offering it to her.
“Want to try?”
“Sure~” she responded cheerfully, reaching out her hand—but instead of grabbing the skewer, she held onto Liu Changqing’s hand.
“…”
“I meant the skewer. Why are you grabbing my hand?”
“Oh, this is your hand?” She blinked, staring at the hand she was holding. Leaning closer for a better look, she quickly withdrew her hand.
“Sorry…” she mumbled, finally taking the skewer and nibbling on it delicately.
Liu Changqing retracted his hand and picked up a grilled kidney, biting into it. He had grown fond of kidneys after his initial reluctance to try them and now enjoyed their unique flavor.
As he chewed, he glanced at Lan Yixian, who was still working on her skewer. Her hands, pale and slender, had a strength about them likely honed by her early morning breakfast shop routine. They were delicate yet sturdy, a combination that subtly caught his attention.
She took another small bite, her eyes narrowing as her cheeks turned red.
Noticing these changes, Liu Changqing paused mid-bite.
“Hey! Are you okay?”
“Mm~”
“Seriously… have you never had alcohol before?”
“Alcohol? I’ve had it before!”
“Then why is your face as red as a monkey’s butt after just one cup?”
“Really?” she asked, confused, touching her flushed face before exclaiming, “Why is my face so hot?!”
“You’re drunk,” Liu Changqing declared.
When he had ordered the beer, he hadn’t planned for her to drink. But due to the mix-up with the spicy noodles, she had gulped it down to rinse her mouth. He had assumed her boldness indicated prior drinking experience.
“Why didn’t you just rinse your mouth? Why did you swallow it?”
“Did you… say that?” her voice trailed off, the alcohol clearly taking its toll. Her eyelids drooped as if struggling to stay open.
Watching her, Liu Changqing sighed.
“You should head home. Don’t worry, I’ll pack everything up and take it with me.”
“Go home? Why?”
“You’re so dizzy. What, are you planning to fall asleep on the street?”
“Hehe… you’re so funny~” she giggled, facing him with a smile—this time, without covering her mouth.
For a moment, Liu Changqing didn’t know what to say. After a brief pause, he called out to the boss.
“Boss! Pack up those two portions of noodles!”
“Got it!”
Standing up, Liu Changqing turned to Lan Yixian. “Wait here. I’ll grab a plastic bag for the food.”
“Okay!” she replied, nodding so vigorously that her skewer nearly poked her face.
Liu Changqing sighed, took the skewer from her hand, and placed it on the table.
After returning from inside with the packed noodles and a bag, he carefully tied it up. Stuffing the change into his pocket, he grumbled internally about always being the one to pay.
He packed up the untouched clams, leftover vegetables, and meat skewers, tying them neatly in the bag. Then, walking over to Lan Yixian, he lightly patted her shoulder.
“Are you still awake?”
“…”
No response.
Liu Changqing froze, a bad feeling welling up. He gently lifted her head, only to find her eyes tightly shut.
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