Chapter 201 - May It Never Fade

Qing Lok got in the car with no destination in mind. He just wanted to be out of their house. He didn't want to be in a house with people who wanted to kill each other.

He stepped on the gas, not really caring if he was over the speedlimit. Maybe a night in jail would not be so bad. At least, he would have a reason not to come home.

His phone had been blaring since earlier. He knew it would not be his brothers. They would not call him at a time like this. They knew how to give space. It was space or a fist fight. He was in no mood to get his pretty face scratched up.

Finally he paid attention to the caller and answered the call. "Where are you, man?" asked his friend. "We've been waiting for you."

Qing Lok barely heard him with the loud bass in the background. "Where are you again?"

His friend named the club. "I'm on my way." He took the nearest u-turn. He had to slow down once he was out of the highway and into the busy city streets at night. He breathed out his mouth.

The line to enter the club rounded around the whole block. It was a pain to get a parking spot here, but fortunately he was a regular so he just threw his keys in the air the valet caught it. They both grinned at each other and Qing Lok made his way inside.

While he was walking, he was looking at his feet. Not falling in line in places such as this was one of the perks of being overly rich. He was sometimes ashamed of his own privileges.

"Qing Lok!"

He looked around and saw all the women looking at him from the line. It was a mass of faces that he did not know.

"Over here!" waved a girl. His eyes focused on the slim slightly pointed face. Her hair almost reached her waist which was exposed with the tube top she was wearing along with a denim skirt with a huge belt. The only thing that he thought was, she must be cold.

On the nights that Qing Lok was not working for his brothers or his father, he would be out in the clubs and bars with his friends. He did not recognize the girl but he nodded at her.

"It's been a while since I've seen you."

He smiled and beckoned her and her friends with his fingers. They gave a short shriek of happiness and carefully stepped over the rope barrier in their high heels.

"Where have you been?" the girl clung on his arm. Her perfume made him want to sneeze.

"I've been busy," he answered. Lucky him, he didn't have to endure much more as they were already at the exit. "She's with me," he said the bouncer who only nodded and let them through the thick gray curtains.

There was a short tunnel where you could already see the flashing lights and neon streaks of it in the dark. He could feel the vibration of the music at his feet and he could barely hear the girl at this point who was talking about how she was supposed to be meeting someone tonight who would let them in but bailed—

"I have to go," he said to her ear.

The woman tightened her fingers on his arm, pressing her chest against it. He fought the urge to wince. "Why are you leaving?" she was using these puppy eyes on her.

"There's a party I have to go to upstairs. I'll come find you later." He gave the girl a swift kiss on the cheek. "Put your drinks on my tab."

He was not going to find her later.

He made his way to the right side of the club where a staircase was. It was manned by another bouncer whom Qing Lok patted on the shoulders as he was let in. He was not even at the landing when his friend saw him.

"There you are!" his friend's hair reached below his ears and he was wearing orange aviators INDOORS. His shirt was loose and his words were slurring. He obviously already had too many drinks while Qing Lok was on the way. "You finally showed your face."

A drink was pressed into his hand. He sniffed it and placed it back on the table with the rest of the drinks. He wasn't in the mood for anything hard. "I'll have a banana cream pie," he told the girl who was holding a tray.

"I haven't heard of that drink before," said a smooth voice.

His lips immediately smiled when he saw who it was. "What are you drinking?"

Liu Meilien raised her glass. "Water?"

"Oh no, no. You don't come in this bar and drink water." Qing Lok stood up and plucked the glass from her fingers. "She'll have a blushing geisha."

"A blushing what?!" Liu Meilien laughed.

"Geisha," he beamed. "This place is known for drinks like that. You should've seen the menu. Don't worry it's nothing hard."

"When did I last saw you?"

"I think it was at Feng Xuan's opening. Gretel's."

"Wow!" said Liu Meilien. "It had been that long?"

"No, I actually saw you at the opening of YANG but you were too busy hosting it. So…"

"Right," Liu Meilien nodded. "I'm just happy to see you again."

"Me too. So why are you here?"

Liu Meilien pressed herself against the metal railing and pointed to a girl with a high ponytail under the arm of Qing Lok's friend. "I think they're dating."

"Since when?"

"Yesterday."

Qing Lok grimaced.

"That bad of a play boy?" asked Liu Meilien.

He shrugged. "Just be ready to wipe your friend's tears when it's over."

"When would that be?"

"Next week," he answered. Their drinks arrived and Liu Meilien gasped when he handed it to her.

"It's so pretty!" the small glass was filled with crushed ice and light pink liquid. A small flower was squeezed at the side. It looked like a drink you would have on a beach. "How would it taste?"

"Fruity, citrusy, with just a splash of alcohol," Qing Lok answered as he was taking his glass off the tray. His was in a light beige color with crushed grahams on the rim and a tall glass.

"What about that?" Liu Meilien was eyeing his glass curiously.

"Well, tastes how it was called—like bananas and cream," he chuckled. "I'll let you have a sip if you want."

"Alright," she smiled. "Let's toast first."

He said the first thing at the top of his head. "To your beauty, may it never fade."

Liu Meilien cackled. "You flatter me too much."

"No," he answered and they clinked their glasses. "Not at all."

"Rumor has it then."

"What? What rumor?"

She only giggled and took a sip of her drink.