Chapter 11: Hurry and Get Out of My Sight!
"Hurry and get out of my sight!" Jin Qingyue hollered while chasing Long Tianze out.
As he exited the door, Long Tianze was panicking. Little did he expect that Jin Qingyue's attitude towards him would remain the same even after all this time — she still detested the sight of him.
The sky turned pitch black as the sun set and night arrived. It was already seven o'clock in the evening when Jin Qingyan arrived at the Night Vixen bar.
"Good evening, Mr. Jin," greeted Anbao as he approached his car.
"Has your boss kicked the bucket?" asked Jin Qingyan.
"No, he's still alive," Anbao answered.
"That's good," Jin Qingyan locked his car and walked towards the bar.
Taking a seat at his usual spot, Jin Qingyan crossed a leg over another and reached out for the glass of whisky on the waiter's plate. "You insisted on having me come all the way here. What's the matter?" he asked, looking at a tipsy Long Tianze.
"I feel like I'm about to die," muttered Long Tianze drunkenly.
"You say that all the time, but look, you're still alive and kicking aren't you? I know you best," said Jin Qingyan, used to his best friend's antics.
"Why doesn't your younger sister like me?"
"Hasn't it always been that way?"
Staring at the alcohol left in his glass, Long Tianze said frivolously, "There are plenty of fishes in the sea, why am I so caught up with that single one? I really need to get a grip on myself..."
"Where are you going?" asked Jin Qingyan when he saw Long Tianze stand up.
"To answer nature's call."
"..."
His business too urgent to go all the way to his personal restroom, Long Tianze made his way to the washroom on the first floor, only to find that it had been locked from the inside.
Damn it.
He had a desperate need to empty his bladder. It did not help that someone had the guts to lock the door of the washroom in the bar he owned.
How frustrating!
Long Tianze had hit the roof by now, for he could not hold in his urine any longer.
Running to the bar counter with his legs crossed, he grabbed the keys to the toilet door and unlocked it forcefully.
He was greeted by the sight of a set of women's clothing hanging on the door frame of a cubicle. As he did a double take, Long Tianze was convinced that it belonged to a shameless crossdresser. It was no wonder the door had been locked.
After he was finished with his business, he snatched the set of clothes off the door frame and walked out with it in his hands.
Curious as to why Long Tianze was holding on to a set of women's clothing, Jin Qingyan asked, "Did you hook up with a girl when you went to the toilet?"
"Talking about it just makes my blood boil. I was already in a hurry, yet someone had locked the restroom. I quickly grabbed the spare key and unlocked it, only to find this set of women's clothes hanging on the door frame of the cubicle. It must've belonged to a crazy crossdresser trying to disguise himself as a woman. Whatever."
"What if it really belongs to a woman?" remarked Jin Qingyan, unable to help bursting into laughter.
"Why would a woman change in the Gents'?"
"That's true..."
After Jin Qingyan left, Long Tianze decided to check the security camera footage out of curiosity. He realized that he was the only one who exited the washroom, along with a few others who had entered earlier.
After a short while, he entered the washroom again and tried to open the cubicle where he found the set of clothing previously. This time, it was locked yet again.
How strange.
"It can't be ghost, can it?" he thought to himself.
Knocking on the door, he yelled, "Is there anyone?"
"..."
There was not a single response.
He exited the washroom and returned with a stool. Standing on the stool, he peeked into the cubicle from above.
Oh gosh, why is there a woman? he thought to himself upon realizing that it was a female in the cubicle.
A girl with doll-like features was sitting on top of the toilet seat. She was clad in an oversized set of men's clothing, and she appeared to be rather infuriated.
In a bid to look for her younger sister, she had decided to dress herself in a set of waiter's uniform and disguise as one. However, she realized that the uniform was too big for her and wanted to change back into her own clothes, only to find that they were missing!
She sat atop the toilet seat, at a complete loss on what to do. All of a sudden, she heard a voice coming from above. "Did you steal my clothes?" asked Mei Yangyang in agitation, looking up and staring at Long Tianze.
If it wasn't him, who else would bother coming into the restroom to check if it was a male or female inside the cubicle? she thought to herself.
"What do you mean 'steal'? I should be the one asking, what are you doing in the Gents'? You even locked the door. Besides, you're wearing a bar waiter's uniform, which obviously belongs to a man. You're the one who's stealing, aren't you?" he retorted.
"Quick, return my clothes!"
"I could, but I don't intend to. Not without something in return."
Long Tianze got off the stool as he finished speaking.
"Hey, don't leave!" she exclaimed anxiously.
"Call me Big Brother and I won't," he teased, his lips twisting into a smirk.
"Big Brother."
"How old are you?"
"20."
20? She looks barely a day over 16, with that baby face of hers, he thought, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"And your name?"
"Mei Yangyang."
"Pssht... I'm Hui Tailang then['Mei Yangyang' and 'Hui Tailang' are characters in a popular Chinese cartoon series, 'Xi Taiyang and the Big Gray Wolf']. Come on out. Bring along your pants and follow me to get your clothes," Long Tianze said with a snort.
But my pants are so loose, I have to hold them up all the time. It's too embarrassing,she thought in her head.
"Your Big Brother is drunk. There's no way I can bring them back here for you. Leave with me if you want your clothes back. Otherwise, you can keep sitting here," he continued.
"Hold up," she opened the door, holding up her pants awkwardly to stop them from falling off.
Long Tianze proceeded to stroll back in a relaxed manner, his hands in his pockets.
He handed the set of clothes back to Mei Yangyang once they reached the couch. Noticing that she was about to return to the washroom to change, he offered, "Go change in my private room. There's no one else there."
"Where is it?"
"Go up to the second floor and enter the first room on your left."
"Thank you," she said with a nod.
Long Tianze squinted as he supported his head in his hands.
10 minutes later, she thanked him once again, "Thank you, I'm going to get going now."
"Okay."
At that instant, Mei Yangyang scooted off hurriedly.
She had initially planned to bring her younger sister home after learning of her whereabouts. She did not expect the bar to be full of sleazy, lecherous men, and thus, she had no choice but to dress up as a waiter to avoid attracting unnecessary attention. Yet, things did not go according to plan, almost getting stuck in the washroom of the bar. It was just her luck.
——
Jin Qingyan arrived home to An Xiaoning lying in bed in her nightdress, reading a book.
"Why have you started reading? Trying to become more refined?" he asked.
"Yes."
Contrary to what he had expected her to be reading, he realized as he moved closer towards her that she was actually looking at ancient drawings.
"Why don't you read some poems or classic writings instead?" he remarked, pursing his lips.
"Hubby, look how beautiful these ancient drawings are!" she exclaimed, dismissing his remark.
"There have been numerous people who are artistically-talented, be it in the past or now. What's the big deal? Let's stop looking at those drawings and get some sleep, honey," he said with a mellowed, gentle voice.
Turning to face him, An Xiaoning said out of the blue, "I still think I'm rather inferior."
"Inferior in what?"
"In bed, of course. It's my first time doing it with you, though it's definitely not your first."
"How do you know it's not my first?" he asked, turning the arrow back at her.
"Huh?"
"No 'huh's, it is what it is," he said, poking her forehead teasingly.