CH 24

Chapter 24: Bandage

The leisure time on the weekend passed in the blink of an eye. Soon, it would be a new week. Ruan Zhizhi’s hand injury had already reached the stage of scabbing, and there was no need to bind it anymore. So long as she stuck a bandage to cover the scab before she left the house, it was fine. 

On Monday morning, Ruan Zhizhi was woken up by the sound of her alarm clock. After washing up and getting dressed, she grabbed her bag and left home to catch the subway to work. 

When Ruan Zhizhi walked to the entrance of the No. 3 subway station along with the stream of people, the subway had just hurtled past. The remaining people could only continue to wait for the next one. 

Ruan Zhizhi stood among the crowd waiting patiently. The throng of people around her were noisy and clamourous. She regarded the surrounding strangers with the utmost boredom. Within the crowd were hurried office workers in suits and leather shoes, students in high school uniforms going to school in groups of threes and fours, and couples who held hands and hugged each other, looking extremely sweet.

A girl pouted her lips and leaned against a man, complaining in a coquettish voice that she didn’t have time to take the next subway. The man smiled helplessly, lowering his head and stroking her hair with affection and indulgence to placate her. The expression in his eyes was full of love. 

Without blinking, Ruan Zhizhi watched the sweethearts’ intimate actions in a daze. 

Shi Yan also liked to touch her hair occasionally.

Speaking of which—this weekend, twenty-four hours a day, except for when she slept at night, she was together with Shi Yan almost all the time. 

She didn’t know why, but every time she looked at his side profile, Ruan Zhizhi would vaguely recall some things from her university days.

Gu Nian had once told her that every time the four of them went out together, whether it was to the library, cafeteria, or supermarket near the school, they would always happen to come across Shi Yan nearby.

Ruan Zhizhi’s head drooped down, her line of sight sweeping over the waterproof bandage on her palm that Shi Yan had specially bought her from the pharmacy. Finally, she believed that everything was not a coincidence. 

But if he didn’t say it, she could only pretend not to know.

She squeezed onto the subway with great difficulty. After Ruan Zhizhi stepped into the bustling company office building and punched her card in, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This month, she still wanted to get the perfect attendance award.

She walked to her desk and sorted out some documents she needed that day. Just when she was about to get up and pour herself a cup of coffee, she bumped into a courier. 

The courier was carrying a large bouquet of beautiful, alluring roses in his hands. Because the layers of the bouquet were too heavy, he appeared to be straining himself to hold them. 

There seemed to be at least ninety-nine roses. Ruan Zhizhi glanced at it casually, thinking that maybe someone wanted to pursue a female colleague in the company. This kind of thing happened frequently and it was already a common occurrence.

Holding the mug in her hands, she was about to take a detour and leave when she heard the courier’s angry voice ringing in the office: “Who is Ruan Zhizhi? I have your delivery.”

Ruan Zhizhi was stunned to hear her own name. After confirming it again and again, she was convinced that these roses were indeed for her.

Mystified, she signed the delivery receipt, then took the bouquet of roses from the courier’s hands. Ruan Zhizhi couldn’t do anything about it. She had no choice but to go back and try to find a suitable, discreet place to settle the bouquet of roses. 

In the centre of the bouquet was a purple greeting card. Ruan Zhizhi wrinkled her brows and opened the card with a little suspicion. On it was the handwriting she knew all too well:

Zhizhi, one day apart seems like three years.

I’ll pick you up after you get off work tonight, wait for me.

Inscribed in flamboyant and bold calligraphy was Li Sichen’s name. 

Right. Today was already Monday, and Li Sichen had returned from his business trip. But…did they really want to continue this kind of unclear relation?

She was shaking her head when someone behind her suddenly patted her shoulder. Ruan Zhizhi jumped in fright. When she turned around, she discovered that the person standing behind her was Lu Wanyi.

Lu Wanyi stretched her head out and shot a glance at the contents of the greeting card with a curious expression on her face. She couldn’t help teasing: “Tsk tsk, look at this sappiness, even saying one day apart seems like three years. Zhizhi, this man is really set on you. He even started sending flowers early on Monday morning.” Once she finished speaking, she walked over and sniffed the fragrance of the roses, continuing to investigate, “How is it? Has your heart been captured?”

“Don’t joke around. I didn’t tell you before, but there is nothing between me and him.” Ruan Zhizhi put the greeting card away in panic and retorted subconsciously.

Lu Wanyi, who adored gossip, didn’t intend to let her off like that. She argued with conviction: “Right now there is nothing, but that does not mean there will be nothing in the future. It is said that familiarity breeds fondness, and women are emotional creatures. To have such an outstanding and handsome man persevering in his pursuit, it’s only a matter of time before you are won over.”

Speaking up until there, she stopped, making a show of taking things very seriously. She secretly sized up Ruan Zhizhi’s expression, then proceeded to talk with scrupulous attention to detail: “Unless—just as I said last time—you already have another person in your heart.”

At this moment, Ruan Zhizhi’s heartbeat suddenly became violent. She lowered her eyes, staring at her palm. She was suddenly a little flustered: “Alright, don’t make fun of me here. Quickly get to work, or else you will have to stay behind and work overtime tonight.”

“Ai, my life is really bitter.” At the mention of overtime, Lu Wanyi’s happy and excited expression from a moment ago promptly dimmed. She obediently went back to catch up on her manuscript.

It was approaching seven o’clock when they got off work. As night fell, Ruan Zhizhi and Lu Wanyi walked out of the company building. Sure enough, Li Sichen’s car was parked steadily across the road.

Seeing that Ruan Zhizhi was coming out, Li Sichen turned the car around and drove up towards them, then rolled the window down: “Zhizhi, you must be exhausted from working all day. I’ll take you to a fun place to relax.”

“What place?”

Li Sichen did not answer directly, but smiled mysteriously: “When we arrive you’ll know.” After his voice fell, he caught a glimpse of Lu Wanyi from the corner of his eye. With a thorough understanding, he opened his mouth to invite her: “Is this your colleague? If you don’t have any plans this evening, then come with us.”

Lu Wanyi was obviously a little excited when she heard this. “Really? That’s great, I was worrying about how to pass the time tonight.”

Ruan Zhizhi thought about it. Although she also hoped that Lu Wanyi would come along to accompany her, she still reminded her out of goodwill: “If you go back late, will your boyfriend get angry?”

“Aiya it’s fine, he’s been on a business trip these past few days. I sit alone at home every day, I’m going to get moldy,” Lu Wanyi waved her hand and replied without a care.

Only then did Ruan Zhizhi set down her heart, getting in the car with Lu Wanyi.

The place Li Sichen brought them to was one she knew well. It was City A’s most famous 1943 bar street, and like the numerous young people of the city, Ruan Zhizhi and Gu Nian used to be frequent visitors here on the weekends.

But now, the bar he drove to appeared very unfamiliar. 

As if sensing her doubts, Li Sichen parked the car in a parking space on the side of the road and opened his mouth to explain, “This bar was opened by one of my friends. Today is considered to be the first day of the official opening. I think it ought to be very lively, so I’m bringing you guys here to play.”

“That’s great, right now I urgently need the numbness of alcohol,” Lu Wanyi cheered. Before getting out of the car, she didn’t forget to take out a small mirror and cushion foundation, earnestly touching up her makeup.

Ruan Zhizhi was helpless. “Don’t forget that you have to get up early tomorrow morning to go to work.”

Lu Wanyi didn’t care in the slightest. “It’s fine. Live in the moment, Zhizhi, why are you always so sensible?” After she finished speaking, she took out an Armani lipstick in colour 501 and carefully applied it. “I say, hasn’t your life ever gotten out of control?”

Gotten out of control? Of course it had.

In Ruan Zhizhi’s calm and self-regulated life, there was only one major time it had gotten out of control. That was her period of unrequited love for Li Sichen. It was only that one time, but that pain was engraved in her memory for the rest of her life.

In the driver’s seat, Li Sichen was now calling the owner of the bar to confirm. Ruan Zhizhi looked at his still-familiar eyes and brows. She suddenly mocked herself a little. It turned out she was not as infatuated as she imagined. 

The person she once deeply liked was right before her eyes, but at this moment, her heart was as still as water.

How did that saying go?

Perhaps I like the memory of you more than seeing you. Perhaps I like the imagination of you more than getting you. 

The bar looked very large from its shopfront. Its decorations were sumptuous and the lighting was also very dazzling and multi-coloured. It seemed like a good place to get into a drunken stupor. 

From a distance, the girls who went in and out of the bar’s doors were all dressed in seductive clothes. Currently, the weather was only ten degrees, but they were all wearing flimsy, revealing, skin-tight dresses. Ruan Zhizhi examined them, then looked down to examine her own sweater dress and ankle boots, deeply feeling out of place for the occasion. On the contrary, Lu Wanyi, who was beside her, looked enthusiastic. At this moment, she was pulling her along while chattering incessantly.

“There are so many people here tonight. I haven’t been to such a lively place in quite a while. Who knows, maybe I’ll even have a romantic encounter soon.”

“If I remember correctly, you are already a taken woman.”

“Aiya, I was just joking.”

……

Off to the side, Li Sichen listened to them chat and immediately cheered and laughed along with them. The group walked to the door, and Li Sichen brought them in with familiarity. 

After entering the bar, the DJ’s music in her ears became more and more deafening.

The owner of the bar was at the doorway greeting guests. Seeing Li Sichen, his eyes lit up in a flash: “Aiya, you’re finally here. Today is my first day of business, I thought you were going to stand me up.” Li Sichen punched him with his fist intimately. The boss turned his head and saw Ruan Zhizhi and Lu Wanyi standing to the side. He couldn’t help whistling. “Not bad, brother. You have two beautiful women to accompany you.”

Not caring about his teasing at all, Li Sichen just smiled and embraced Ruan Zhizhi’s shoulders solely. “I’ll give you an introduction. This is Zhizhi, my previous university classmate, and the target I’m currently pursuing.”

Being pulled over and introduced by Li Sichen, Ruan Zhizhi was caught off guard and looked a little unnatural. She raised her head to glance at him, then lightly twisted her body. She was uncomfortable and wanted to escape from his shoulders.

“Don’t play jokes, how are there still women that our great nobleman Li can’t handle?” The bar owner’s tone was quite frivolous, and he looked into Ruan Zhizhi’s eyes with some inquiry. 

Ruan Zhizhi didn’t like his manner of speaking.

Afraid she would feel uncomfortable, Li Sichen turned to look at her and said somewhat apologetically, “Zhizhi, I’m going to say hello to my friends here. You two find a place to sit first. Order whatever you want to drink and eat, I’ll come in a while to pay the bill.”

Nodding, Ruan Zhizhi got exactly what she wanted and pulled Lu Wanyi in first.

The pair found two empty seats in front of the bar and sat down. Lu Wanyi had obviously been restricted by her chauvinistic boyfriend for a long time. At this moment, it was like she had regained her freedom. She called the bartender over and ordered a glass of beer without demur. “Zhizhi, how’s your alcohol capacity?”

Ruan Zhizhi reflected for a bit and then answered very honestly: “Extremely bad.”

Hearing this, Lu Wanyi couldn’t help bursting out in laughter. “Never mind, then you drink less. I’ll just drink more.”

The two of them talked and laughed, sitting at the bar chatting and drinking beer. It was quite pleasant.

Later, only drinking beer was no longer enough to satisfy Lu Wanyi. She was unable to take her eyes off the bartender’s flowing movements while mixing drinks. She couldn’t help opening her mouth and asking him for two cocktails, handing one of the glasses to Ruan Zhizhi. 

Ruan Zhizhi was also a little dizzy at this moment. She lowered her head and stared at the liquid in the glass in front of her. It was a very pure ice blue colour, so transparent that it could almost reflect her black pupils in the glass. It was really very beautiful.

Unable to endure the temptation of beautiful things, Ruan Zhizhi tilted her head back and drained the glass regardless of the consequences.

“Cool!” Lu Wanyi whistled excitedly and followed by finishing her own cocktail.

However, pretending to be cool obviously demanded a price.

After downing one cocktail, it didn’t take long for Ruan Zhizhi to feel a little unbalanced.

It was as if a fire had been lit in her stomach, and now it was raging and burning, almost engulfing her rationality. She wrinkled her brows, and the remaining reason in her brain told her that she should go to the bathroom now to induce vomiting, then wash her face with cold water to sober up.

Lu Wanyi was obviously high on fun at the moment and didn’t notice the situation on Ruan Zhizhi’s side. Ruan Zhizhi shook her head, used all her willpower to support herself to stand up, then wobbled to the bathroom one step at a time.

The vision before her eyes was blurred. She could only see the multi-coloured lights flashing incessantly. The men and women around her seemed spellbound, but in her ears, she could only hear the same type of ear-piercing static.

At last, she overcame the severe obstacle and successfully found the bathroom. Currently, Ruan Zhizhi was completely confused. She didn’t catch sight of the eye-grabbing “male” sign on the door and directly pushed her way in.

As soon as she saw the garbage bin in sight, she was unable to control herself. Ruan Zhizhi staggered over and had just bent down when she couldn’t help opening her mouth and throwing up.

Her stomach was like overturning seas and rivers for a while, and her entire body was permeated with the smell of alcohol. She crouched down and held the garbage bin, recklessly throwing up in a state of chaos and darkness.

After throwing up the food in her stomach from that day, Ruan Zhizhi felt faint and had blurred vision. Due to her surging stomach acid, she couldn’t help retching again. At this moment, she suddenly heard the door of one of the bathrooms being opened, and the next second, there was a man’s voice trying to restrain his surprise—

“Ruan Zhizhi, what are you doing here?”

As soon as this spell-like voice sounded, Ruan Zhizhi, who was delirious, immediately returned to her senses. Even though her consciousness was still unstable, she instantly recognized that this was Shi Yan’s voice.

Lifting her head from the garbage bin, Ruan Zhizhi looked at Shi Yan before her. He was unable to hide his anger. She tilted her head and reminded indistinctly, “Shi Yan, you went to the wrong place, this is the women’s toilet.”

Translator’s Note: I looked up the Armani lipstick in 501 and it’s actually a very nice colour!