Chapter 62 Drunk

I raised my head and looked into Zhao Kewen's tear-filled eyes. I slowly flashed a smile: "Sister Kewen..."

"You silly little brother..." Zhao Kewen gently stroked my cheek with her fingertips, then walked behind her back toward the audio control room. Suddenly, the booming upbeat music cut off. I heard Zhao Kewen clear her throat and say, "Everyone's energy is so high today. Riding this wave of excitement, I'd like to sing a song for all of you. What do you think?"

As soon as the patrons below heard Zhao Kewen's soft and sweet voice, it was as if they had been given a shot of adrenaline. They shouted loudly, "Agreed!" and "Sing one, Sister Wen!" Many young men and women even let out whistles. Although the music in the bar had stopped, the arrival of Zhao Kewen seemed to propel the atmosphere to yet another peak.

Caught up in the infectious energy of the scene, I stood up and clapped vigorously, eagerly anticipating what song Sister Kewen would choose to sing.

Yang Xiaoyu, sitting beside me, was much calmer. Though she cheered and rooted for me from behind, she didn't scream her lungs out like the others. Perhaps the others were fueled by alcohol, but there was no denying the magnetism Zhao Kewen held in these people's hearts. She was like a major celebrity—with just a wave of her hand, legions of fans would swoon.

"Brother Yang, I actually think you and Sister Fox make a great match." Yang Xiaoyu leaned close to my ear at some point, speaking to me amid the noisy shouts.

Puzzled as to why her thoughts would wander in that direction, I replied without really thinking, "And what about you and your boss?"

"I don't know. I don't really understand your situation... But just now, I felt my heart touched by the conversation between the two of you. Perhaps that's a kind of unspoken understanding—a tacit bond that belongs only to you and Sister Fox." Yang Xiaoyu struggled to articulate her inner thoughts, speaking haltingly, which left me somewhat confused.

"A tacit bond?"

"I can't put my finger on it. It's just a feeling... I'm certain that if you and Sister Fox are together, you'll be happy," Yang Xiaoyu said earnestly, watching as Zhao Kewen walked to the center of the stage.

"Oh, really? Then tell me, what kind of person is Sister Kewen in your heart?"

Standing on the stage in dazzling attire, Zhao Kewen looked like an enchantress who could captivate all living souls—the very embodiment of sexiness and temptation. Every movement, every gesture, every smile and frown of hers was imbued with irresistible allure. I saw her give a slight nod toward the control console, then glance over at me with a faint smile and a wink.

As the stage lights suddenly dimmed, a spotlight overhead washed over Zhao Kewen like a beam of pristine moonlight. The music began to play slowly, and I recognized the song as "Ignorant and Insensate" by Chen Chusheng. I used to be very fond of this song back when I was in high school, a time when I loved to play and live carefree. I had been especially drawn to the rhythm and vibe of the song back then.

"Sister Fox, actually, aside from Sister Xiaohong, the person I admire most in my heart is Sister Fox... Even though her view of love is a bit hard to understand, maybe she's not wrong, is she? Love is inherently selfish, and whether you like someone or not is just like a game. What truly brings joy or pain isn't love itself, but rather us, trapped inside it."

I nodded, watching Zhao Kewen casually keep time with the music. Not paying too much attention to analyzing Yang Xiaoyu's words, I just tossed out a casual remark: "You better never treat men like that in the future."

With the opening line, "Did you hear it, in the distance," Zhao Kewen began to sing.

Hearing Sister Kewen sing for the first time, I had to admit I was quite astonished. While her vocal technique couldn't compare to a singer of You Qin's caliber, her unique vocal timbre and slightly seductive voice gave the performance a special quality. It felt as though her singing could transport one into an environment of total abandonment and release.

The entire audience swayed along with Sister Kewen's voice, fully letting go of the stress from a day of work or study. The atmosphere in the bar reached an unprecedented high. I couldn't help but marvel at the sheer magnetism she possessed.

"Wow, Sister Fox sings so well!" Yang Xiaoyu had secretly been drinking at some point; the beer bottle that had been more than half full was now empty. She stood up, walked out of the booth, and joined the crowd, swaying her sexy hips while raising both hands high to wave energetically at Zhao Kewen.

"Can we continue living a life of wine and romance?" Sister Kewen's voice slowly faded with the final line of the song. She smiled, nodded at Yang Xiaoyu, and gave a slight bow to thank everyone for their support. Then, she put down the microphone and stepped off the stage.

"Little brother, how was my singing?" Zhao Kewen trotted over to me happily, asking with eager anticipation, like a child rushing to claim credit. At that moment, the girlish innocence she displayed almost left me dumbfounded.

"You sang brilliantly," I said from the bottom of my heart.

Soon, the fast-paced rock music of the bar resumed. After dancing on the dance floor for a while, Yang Xiaoyu seemed tired and came back to sit beside Zhao Kewen.

"Sister Fox sings so wonderfully," Yang Xiaoyu said with a smile, pulling out a tissue to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"Really? Little Yu, you should go up and sing one too. I've never heard you sing," Sister Kewen seemed overjoyed by the praise. She opened three more bottles of beer and handed one each to me and Little Yu.

"I can't. I don't know how to sing," Yang Xiaoyu hurriedly waved her hands with a smile, then shyly picked up her beer bottle to signal everyone to take a sip.

Zhao Kewen pulled out two cigarettes, handed one to me, and said, "Little brother, I've decided to put an end to all these things that started because of me."

I didn't speak. I took out my lighter, helped Sister Kewen light her cigarette, and then lit my own. I took a deep drag and nodded.

"But this isn't just my own idea, you know. I simply couldn't bear to watch my little brother suffer so much because of me, so..." Zhao Kewen gracefully exhaled a puff of smoke. "As a reward, little brother, you have to drink with me tonight until we're thoroughly drunk."

"This..." I hesitated. I hadn't been drunk in a very long time, and I was gradually growing to hate the feeling of intoxication... Raising my head to meet Sister Kewen's expectant gaze, I sighed helplessly. "Alright."

After that, Zhao Kewen and I chatted about random stories like old friends of many years, clinking our bottles and sipping our beer. Yang Xiaoyu's alcohol tolerance was naturally poor, and under the pretext that she wasn't grown up yet, the two of us restricted her intake.

Later, Zhao Kewen ordered a fruit platter and some dice, and we began playing drinking games while snacking. Naturally, the ultimate penalty for losing was always drinking.

Before I knew it, five or six empty beer bottles were lined up in front of both Sister Kewen and me, and even Yang Xiaoyu had two empty bottles by her side. I began to feel dizzy and lightheaded. Perhaps it had been too long since I drank like this, as my once-impressive alcohol tolerance had long since vanished. Looking at the group of young men and women dancing on the stage, I actually started seeing double.

Meanwhile, Sister Kewen's face was flushed red as if she had a fever, and the alcohol seemed to be taking full effect.

Retaining a shred of sobriety, I stammered, "Sister... let's call it a night... Any more and I'll pass out."

Yet Zhao Kewen paid no heed to my advice. She asked for another bag of beer to be placed on the floor and had the waiter pop the caps off all of them. Then she placed three bottles in front of me and three in front of herself.

With the alcohol surging through me, I lost all inclination to think further. Seeing Sister Kewen raise her glass, I drank along with her, forgetting the time and forgetting many of the things that had once troubled me so deeply.

Glass after glass, bottle after bottle, Zhao Kewen and I lost count of how much we drank. In my hazy state, I seemed to see that little girl Yang Xiaoyu run up to the stage to sing. I couldn't quite remember the details, but it seemed to be a Japanese anime song.

Slumping over the table, my final impression was of Zhao Kewen draped over me, seemingly completely defeated by the alcohol in her system. Then, wave after wave of intense drowsiness washed over me. I couldn't even summon the energy to think about going home, and I simply fell asleep right there against the table.

I slept deeply and soundlessly. No dreams, no awareness of anything. When I finally opened my eyes, bright daylight was already streaming in through the window.

The moment I laid eyes on the curtains, however, I suddenly realized this didn't seem to be my rented apartment. I quickly sat up, my limbs feeling numb and weak, and looked around the room. To my shock, I discovered a woman sleeping right beside me.

Subconsciously, I kicked the blanket away, and the woman turned over. As I caught sight of her face, I found it hard to believe my eyes—it was Su Xuefei.

Seeing that Su Xuefei was fully and properly dressed in her pajamas, I let out a long breath of relief. It looked like I hadn't done anything inappropriate. Thank goodness, thank goodness.

Quietly climbing out of bed, before I could even slide my feet into the slippers by the bedside, Su Xuefei's gentle voice suddenly rang out: "Yang Chen, you're awake."

Feeling Su Xuefei's gaze upon me, my body froze on the spot, not knowing what to do.

"What's wrong? Still feeling unwell?" Su Xuefei asked as she sat up in bed as well. She crawled closer to me and gently patted my back with her delicate white hand.

"Um... stop patting for a second, I feel a bit nauseous..." I straightened up quickly, racking my brain to recall the events of the previous night, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember what had happened afterward. Had I really just slept the whole time? Who brought me back here? And why was Goddess Su in my bed?

"Where is this?" I looked at the familiar arrangement of the room, but my mind was in complete chaos and refused to function.

"This is the hotel where I'm staying," Su Xuefei gently shook her head. "Don't drink like that again in the future. Good news or bad news, you shouldn't drink yourself half to death like this."

I nodded, got up, and hurried to the bathroom. Lifting the toilet lid, I began dry heaving. Su Xuefei followed me into the bathroom without hesitation, gently patting my back again with her small hand to help me purge whatever was in my stomach.

After dry heaving for a moment without managing to throw up anything substantial, I turned on the faucet to rinse my mouth, then spoke softly to the Goddess Su standing behind me: "Did I vomit last night?"

Su Xuefei didn't answer immediately. Instead, she carefully examined my pale complexion, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "No."

"Really didn't vomit? Goddess Su better not lie to me."

"False."

Damn it... absolutely merciless... But I had brought this upon myself; I deserved it.