Chapter 013: I Drink for Her

On the bench beneath the broad parasol tree outside the hospital, Jiang Yao and Cheng Yanchi sat side by side. Cheng Yanchi cradled a box of marinated duck feet in his arms, tilting his head to ask, “Didn’t you say your parents died a long time ago? How come there’s suddenly a mother appearing out of nowhere?”

Jiang Yao shot him a look. Instantly, Cheng Yanchi mimed zipping his lips shut.

Jiang Yao lifted her gaze, looking up at the deep blue sky. The autumn heavens always seemed more expansive than at any other time of year.

“Cheng Yanchi,” she called his name softly.

“Hm?”

“Aren’t you upset with me, for keeping so many things from you?” Her words hovered somewhere between speaking to him and talking to herself.

There was no answer. Jiang Yao turned her head to look at him, only to find the man watching her with a broad, radiant smile, bright as the sun at its warmest hour.

Such a fine-looking man, from such a good family—if not for his peculiar way of thinking, how could he possibly still be single?

“If you don’t tell me, you must have your reasons. Whether you speak or not, we’ll always be good friends. If you want to talk, I’ll listen; if you don’t, I’ll stand by you,” Cheng Yanchi said, crossing his arms.

“That’s so cheesy,” Jiang Yao laughed, wrinkling her nose as she teased him. She reached out to tap the lunchbox in his arms. “Eat your duck feet already!”

Cheng Yanchi grinned, unceremoniously picking up a piece and popping it into his mouth. He nodded repeatedly. “It really is good. You sure you don’t want any?”

Jiang Yao leaned her head gently against the tree trunk, saying nothing, her thoughts drifting far away.

She had no idea who her father was. Her mother had brought her into the world out of wedlock, then abandoned her to go off and work. From childhood, she’d lived with her grandmother, the butt of every joke among the neighborhood children.

When she was nine, her grandmother passed away. That was when she finally saw her mother again. Her mother took her to a tiny flat in the city, and pointed to a man in his thirties. “I’m marrying this uncle. He’ll be your dad from now on, okay?”

She could only nod in confusion, and from then on she lived under the same roof with her mother and this stranger. But her mother never got the wedding she wanted—what she received instead was beating after beating. And that man became a lifelong nightmare for her…

A buzzing sound from her phone dragged Jiang Yao abruptly back to the present. She glanced at the screen: it was her boss.

“Jiang Yao, you really are something.”

She swallowed. “Boss, I’ll contact Mr. Zhang early tomorrow, I promise I’ll do my best—”

“No need. You don’t have to come in tomorrow either,” he interrupted.

“Boss, please listen—” The company wasn’t exactly big, but in times like these, a steady job was hard to come by. Besides, Chen Shu still needed money for treatment and school.

“I mean,” the boss drawled, “it’s all settled. Mr. Zhang has decided to work with us. You’re sick, right? Take another day off tomorrow, rest at home.”

“Huh?” Jiang Yao was baffled by the sudden change in tone.

“I’m telling you, Jiang Yao, you’re really something. You managed to get He Yunqing as a guest for the wedding—Mr. Zhang was thrilled. I never realized you had such talent!”

Jiang Yao scratched her head. Her boss’s compliments always sounded like backhanded insults. But when had she ever invited He Yunqing? She didn’t even know what he looked like.

“I didn’t, are you sure there’s not a mistake?”

“There’s no mistake. Don’t be modest. Mr. Zhang told me himself. Just rest at home, you’ve got a tough challenge ahead when you come back.”

Hanging up, Jiang Yao was left utterly lost. Still, as long as the problem was solved…

The next day, she stayed home and rested. When evening came, she went to work at “Spring Breeze Lane” as usual. It was one of the city’s top leisure clubs, and three nights a week, Jiang Yao worked there as a part-time bartender.

Over the years, she had transferred much of her scholarship money to Chen Shu for living expenses. To earn more, she’d taken on countless part-time jobs.

Behind the bar, Jiang Yao expertly mixed a cocktail, glancing at the clock—it was nearly closing time. She rotated her aching ankle, and as she looked up, her attention was drawn to a nearby table.

Three or four middle-aged men had surrounded a young girl. One had his arm slung around her shoulders, saying something she couldn’t hear. The girl looked visibly uncomfortable, shrinking away slightly.

Another man, with an air of nonchalance, passed his hand over the girl’s glass. Jiang Yao clearly saw a small amount of powder fall into the drink.

“Come on, drink up…” the men coaxed, pushing the glass toward the girl.

Jiang Yao had seen far too much working here—many things she preferred to ignore, but some she simply could not.

Without hesitation, she picked up a cocktail and strode toward their table. With a casual lurch, she tipped the entire contents of the glass onto the floor.

“What’s wrong with you?!” the man holding the drink barked at her.

Jiang Yao quickly put on her most apologetic smile. “Sorry, I was in a hurry. How about I replace your drink with mine?”

As she spoke, she gently pulled the girl closer to her. “It’s getting late, shouldn’t you head home?”

“I think you did that on purpose!” The men were clearly displeased. “Let me tell you, mind your own business!”

The meaning was clear.

“What business is it of mine? Gentlemen, this is a place for entertainment, not for crossing the line,” Jiang Yao replied calmly, her tone measured and polite.

“Don’t be ungrateful!” The man raised his hand, pointing angrily at her, but another quickly pulled him back.

That man poured a full glass of wine, pushing it toward Jiang Yao. “We’re just here to have fun. No one wants trouble. If you don’t want her to drink, then you drink it. After that, we’ll let it go.”

Jiang Yao stared at the glass, slowly reaching out.

Just as her hand hovered above the drink, another pale, slender hand swiftly took it away.

Jiang Yao froze. Following the elegant hand upward, she saw a face with finely chiseled features, deep and cool eyes, and a profile as sharp as a knife’s edge.

Who else could it be but him?

He Yunqing held the glass. “I’ll drink it for her.”

With a tilt of his head, he downed the entire glass in one go.