CH 20

Chapter 20: Happy birthday, Xu Sui.

Zhou Jingze didn’t know when Bai Yuyue had left. When he called out to Xu Sui, she reflexively walked over. Qin Jing was stubborn and hard to shake off that as soon as a person lifts their foot, he follows.

Zhou Jingze’s expression wasn’t cold, but he raised his eyes and glanced at Qin Jing: “Is something the matter?”

“Hai, isn’t it because Sheng Nanzhou invited me to your celebration dinner. I ran into you guys, so I’ll just come along,” Qin Jing reached out and hooked his shoulders.

Zhou Jingze pulled his arm away and nodded: “Okay. Run to the front to call for a taxi and wait for us there.”

Qin Jing: “…”

Heartless, of course, it was Master Zhou. In front of a girl, Qin Jing had to be more hospitable. As he ran past Zhou Jingze, he quietly raised his middle finger at him, indicating how he refused to give in.

When Zhou Jingze took the mints from his pocket, he caught a glimpse of his movement and let out a slight chuckle: “Fool.”

“What?” Xu Sui raised her face and asked him.

Zhou Jingze lowered his head to look at her. He swayed the mint candies in his hand and asked: “Do you want one?”

“Sure.”

Xu Sui extended her white hand, and Zhou Jingze leaned over. His shadow casting down. She could smell the faint smell of mint from him. The green mint candy gently fell on her palm.

Zhou Jingze put the mints back in his pocket and raised his chin in the direction Qin Jing had just left:

“You stay away from that kid. He’s no good.”

It was okay to be friends with Qin Jing, but he had a lot of love history, sometimes dipping his foot in two boats. He was never short of hospital visits with his girlfriend.

Xu Sui quickly raised his head and asked: “What about you?”

Zhou Jingze was stunned. He chewed the mints, breaking them into pieces. Then he said with a smile but not quite one:

“Of course, I’m not a good person either.”

When he got into the car, Zhou Jingze seemed to think of something. His voice was a little hoarse: “Almost forgot to say this, but your performance tonight was pretty good.”

The three finally took a taxi to Flamingo Club. Zhou Jingze opened the door, stretched out his long legs, and got out of the car. The door made a “bang” sound closing behind him.

When Sheng Nanzhou saw them, he immediately commented: “You guys are so slow, don’t tell me you went to elope.”

The group laughed. It was a joke, but Xu Sui stood there with a hint of tension and unnaturalness.

Zhou Jingze was unaffected at all. He slowly walked over towards Sheng Nanzhou, who was smiling proudly and directly kicked his chair with his foot.

The chair fell backward under the impact, and Sheng Nanzhou leaned back. He was about to fall to the ground and shouted: “Master Zhou? Dad— dad, I was wrong.”

Zhou Jingze hooked his lips and let him go. He raised his hand and pushed the back of the chair back again. Amidst the laughter and remarks of the group, Hu Xixi sat on the other side of the dining table and waved at Xu Sui:

“Baby, come here. I saved a seat for you.”

Not long after Xu Sui sat down, Qin Jing also followed. He sat beside her and would occasionally ask her questions warmly. He’d either pour water for her or ask about whether she could reach the food, appearing very courteous.

Xu Sui was always polite and distanced, thanking him in a low voice. Zhou Jingze sat opposite of her, a little far away. When she would listen to the others talk, she glanced at him.

He hung his jacket on the chair and wore a black sweater. He sat there nonchalantly, casually listening to what other people were saying while holding a bottle of beer. When someone cracked a joke, he would raise his eyelids and laugh openly.

At first, Zhou Jingze briefly reminded her to stay away from Qin Jing and didn’t mention anything else. He sat there without paying any attention.

Xu Sui retracted her gaze and lowered her eyes, eating silently.

After the meal, the group packed their things, and a waiter led them to the VIP room on the top floor. Xu Sui accompanied Hu Xixi. In the middle, her phone rang and she took a step aside, walking to the end of the corridor to answer the phone.

Her mother called and wished her a happy birthday again, asking: “Have you eaten well today?”

“Yes, with my roommates,” Xu Sui seemed to remember something, “With a lot of other people too.”

Mother Xu was sitting on the sofa in the living room with a blanket and repeatedly reminded: “I watched the weather forecast in North Beijing, and the temperature has gotten colder in the past few days. Your hands and feet are naturally cold, and you’re even afraid of the cold. Remember to wear more clothes and when you go out, bring a hand warmer.”

Xu Sui held the phone and listened to her mother’s reminders. She glanced at the tree outside the window and smiled: “I know mother, but don’t worry, I dressed very thick today.”

After she hung up the phone, she went on the elevator to the top floor. As soon as she entered the room, it was noisy. Some were playing games, others were singing.

She found that they were all people she didn’t know. Zhou Jingze, Qin Jing, and Hu Xixi were not there.

Only Sheng Nanzhou sat on the sofa with his long legs spread out, with the word “unhappy” written all over his face. Xu Sui walked over and sat next to him, asking: “Where’s Xixi?”

Sheng Nanzhou sneered: “Got abducted by a wild man who emerged out of nowhere.”

“Huh?” Xu Sui was surprised.

Ten minutes later, Hu Xixi walked in fiercely. It was the first time that Xu Sui saw her face so red. She sat between the two of them and kept fanning her face: “Damn. It’s so hot here. Is there any ice water?”

“It’s better to drink warm water these days. I’ll pour a glass for you,” Xu Sui leaned over and poured a glass of water for her. She asked: “Where did you go? You’re sweating a lot.”

Hu Xixi held the glass of water and drank it continuously. After a few gulps, she caught her breath, and her eyes were sparkling: “Sui Sui, I just met a person who made my heart throb. Listen to me…”

A few seconds ago, when Xu Sui picked up the phone call, Hu Xixi went upstairs first and didn’t go into the room immediately. Instead, she saw a small vending supermarket in the corner and went straight in and bought a bottle of Sprite.

She likes to shake it before drinking and listen to the bubbles make a sizzling sound. She walked down the corridor with her head lowered to reply to a message while opening the drink.

She was too attentive on her phone that she inadvertently hit something hard. At the same time, she shook the drink for too long that the moment she opened the bottle, there was a loud “bang”. The bottle cap shot straight out, and the bubbles fell on the other party’s white shirt.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Hu Xixi quickly apologized.

She raised her head in a hurry and ran into a pair of narrow and dark eyes. The other party wore a waiter’s uniform and had a pale expression. His back was straight, and the red bow tie was neatly tied. Yet his temperament was as cold as a green pine.

At that moment, Hu Xixi’s heart pounded like a drum.

The green bottle cap that popped off hit his face, and a clear coin-sized red mark appeared on his cold face. The sight was inexplicably funny.

Hu Xixi laughed out loud, and Lu Wenbai glared at her. She realized something was wrong, and her eyes twinkled: “I’m so sorry. How about I buy you a new set of clothes?”

He didn’t reply. She then grinned and asked: “What’s your name?”

Lu Wenbai looked at her, exuding an icy and cold atmosphere from all over his body. His red lips spewed out a word:

“Leave.”

…

“What happened next?” Xu Sui listened, wanting to know the follow-up.

Hu Xixi replied: “Then I left. It would be annoying if I kept pestering.”

“But yeah—I know his name; it was on his tag. There wasn’t any hint of frustration on her face. She gave a meaningful broad smile: “He can’t escape hahaha.”

While Hu Xixi was vividly recounting the scene when she met Lu Wenbai, she didn’t notice the dimness in Sheng Nanzhou’s eyes.

——

Zhou Jingze met Qin Jing in the bathroom. After washing his hands, he took a paper towel and walked out. When the two met, he was smoking cigarettes in the air outlet of the corridor.

Zhou Jingze threw the wiped paper towel in the trash can and took out a cigarette from his cigarette case. He had a habit of hitting the cigarette against the case with his fingers and then biting it in his mouth.

As soon as he lowered his head, Qin Jing lit up the lighter and handed it over. Zhou Jingze tilted his head and moved forward, lighting the cigarette. A puff of white smoke exhaled from his thin lips.

Qin Jing also lit a cigarette and said casually: “The girl Xu Sui is very interesting. I was trying to talk to her during the entire meal just now, and although she looked like a pretty and pure girl, those black eyes were clear and cold. Ai, it’s so hard to get this kind of girl.”

Zhou Jingze paused, and the ashes piled up. He lightly gave it a flick and it scattered to the ground. He put the cigarette back in his mouth again, turned around, and dropped a sentence:

“You have no chance.”

The two walked back to the room one after the other and pushed the door open. It was noisy inside. Da Liu was so drunk that he was on the table with the mic.

As soon as Zhou Jingze walked in, he rushed over to him. He put his arms around Zhou Jingze, and his voice echoed with the speakers:

“I said hey.”

Da Liu took the mic and looked at Zhou Jingze, hoping this fan could interact with him. Zhou Jingze looked at him blankly; the coldness in his eyes was obvious.

There was silence in the air.

He hesitated and withdrew his hand, continuing the line himself: “You said hehe.”

“… How much did he drink?” Zhou Jingze raised his head and looked at Sheng Nanzhou.

Sheng Nanzhou pointed to the bottles lined up on the ground and said: “He drank all those dozen.”

Zhou Jingze pulled away from Da Liu’s arm and went to sit down next to Sheng Nanzhou. As soon as he entered, the girls stuck to him like adhesive.

Several girls wanted to sit next to him, but Sheng Nanzhou was in a bad mood tonight. When he’s upset, he pulls Zhou Jingze over for a drink that other girls didn’t have a chance.

Except for a tall and beautiful girl who was majoring in English. She was a bit familiar with them and sat on the left of Zhou Jingze.

She held a straight face and quietly declared: “Hey, drink less. What will you do when you go back to the dormitory later?”

Zhou Jingze grabbed the wine glass and raised his eyelids. He glanced at her with a smile. The girl’s heart throbbed, and she didn’t know what to say next. Instead, Sheng Nanzhou waved at her like it was no big deal: “Don’t worry, we can’t get drunk.”

In the middle, unsure of who selected an English song, someone shouted, “Whose song? I can’t sing it!”

Sheng Nanzhou raised his eyes and saw that it was a gentle English song. He nudged Zhou Jingze’s shoulders: “Hey, you go up and sing. You’re good at it anyway.”

“Yeah, I want to hear it too. You must sound really nice,” the girl chimed in.

Except for Sheng Nanzhou, almost no one has heard Zhou Jingze sing. After hearing this, a group of them also chimed in, wanting Zhou Jingze to sing.

In the cold weather, Zhou Jingze nestled on the sofa and slowly inserted a piece of iced strawberry into his mouth with a knife. He refused: “No.”

“F*ck, he can’t sing.”

“Maybe Master Zhou is so afraid of singing badly that he doesn’t want to scare us hahaha.”

A group of boys made fun of Zhou Jingze, and the disappointment on the girl’s face was obvious. The deity didn’t care how they laughed and joked at him. After eating a few bites of iced strawberries, he raised his eyebrows: “It’s pretty sweet.”

Xu Sui was a little uncomfortable being here and tried her best not to glance and see how Zhou Jingze was doing. She could only play with her phone with her head down. Qin Jing eventually saw her boredom and took a box of chess to play with her.

After a few rounds, Xu Sui rolled the dice and looked at the board attentively. The boredom in her heart gradually disappeared.

Halfway through, the screen of Zhou Jingze’s phone flashed. He took a look and turned his head facing Sheng Nanzhou:

“Go, there’s a game.”

Xu Sui turned her back to Zhou Jingze while she was playing chess. The voice reached her in a casual tone. Xu Sui paused and lowered her eyelashes, her mind wandering away.

“Throw it away,” Qin Jing urged her.

She snapped out of her thoughts and focused on the chessboard again. The surrounding was noisy, with dim, red lights dangling from the ceiling. However, when it comes to Zhou Jingze, her senses seem to be infinitely magnified. She caught a glimpse of him leaning over, placing the wine glass on the table and revealing his slender and white wrist. When he got up, his black clothes rubbed against the table.

Hu Xixi stopped him with a domineering tone: “No, you can’t go!”

Zhou Jingze felt a little funny and seemed to be speaking with an irritated voice: “Why not?”

“Because…because today is Christmas Eve!” It took her so long to think of this gift.

Hu Xixi’s words reminded a group of people in the venue of the holiday. They hollered and asked each other, shouting: “Where is my gift for Christmas Eve huh?” Someone selected a Christmas song that made the room livelier.

“And…” Hu Xixi leaned forward and whispered something. Her words drowned in the noisy chatters.

Zhou Jingze cast his gaze in a certain direction and sat back on the sofa again. Xu Sui’s back was against them and didn’t know what happened. She was playing chess and landed on a spot smoothly. At this moment, with a grin on her face:

“I won.”

As soon as she said that, there was a “Pa” sound as if the switch was disconnected. Xu Sui’s eyes were dark, and she couldn’t see her fingers. The surroundings were surprisingly quiet as if someone were leaving one after another. She didn’t think much about it. Instead, the darkness in front of her made her feel anxious and worried.

The last time the elevator failed, she could vividly recall Zhou Jingze’s claustrophobia. She hurriedly searched for her phone on the sofa to turn on the flashlight and called out: “Zhou Jingze?”

She looked around with the light source and suddenly met a pair of dark and narrow eyes. He idly responded: “I’m here.”

Xu Sui moved to his side and held up the light in an urgent tone: “Are you okay?”

Zhou Jingze was sitting there. As soon as he lowered his head, he came into contact with a pair of clear eyes with light ripples. Her eyes were full of worries. She raised her flashlight, looking a bit in a daze. This made his heart lightly move.

“I’m fine,” Zhou Jingze looked at her.

Xu Sui let out a sigh of relief. When she was about to speak again, she heard a delicate and crisp “deng deng deng”. She raised her head and saw Hu Xixi holding a cake, with a group of people following behind her and singing: “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!”

At the same time, the ribbons and gold feathers fell one after another. Hu Xixi walked to her with the cake and smiled: “Happy birthday, my baby.”

Sheng Nanzhou opened a bottle of champagne. The “bang” sound made everyone around him shout. They all smiled and wished her a happy birthday. Xu Sui discovered that Hu Xixi not only called Liang Shuang but also the people in her class.

Her eyes were a little hot, and she didn’t know what to say at first. Eventually, she turned towards Hu Xixi: “Xixi, thank you.”

The song playing was a happy birthday song. Hu Xixi lit up the candles and brought the cake in front of Xu Sui. She clasped her hands and blew out the candle after making a wish.

The group toasted. They were a bit ignorant after drinking that they’d say anything on their mind. The beer rippled in the collision of the glasses:

“For first place in the competition!”

“Celebrating tonight!”

“Happy birthday!”

“Long live Christmas Eve!”

Amidst the noisy and laughing voices, there was suddenly a unique low and textured voice. Everyone turned to look at the source. When the sound rang, the people became miraculously quiet. Xu Sui was the last one to look up.

Zhou Jingze was sitting on a high stool with his back slightly arched and his long legs tapping on the ground. He held the mic in one hand and was singing a Cantonese song. The other hand loosely held his jacket. The side of his face was sharp and well-featured; his voice was soothing and pleasant.

He appeared a little cold but also alluring.

After he finished singing, everyone first caught a breath, and then the screams and applause spread across the room. Qin Jing was the first to return to his senses, “Fuck, your voice is really awesome!”

“It was so good. Zhou Jingze, is there anything you can’t do?”

“What did I say. I wasn’t boasting. Doesn’t my Master Zhou sing so nicely?”

After he sang, everyone wanted to hear more. When another song was played, someone came forward with the mic and joked: “Master Zhou, I also ordered a song.”

“Screw off,” Zhou Jingze laughed and scolded while handing the mic back to him.

The lights in the room were very dim. The red lights would flicker once in a while, ambiguously and tirelessly. Xu Sui was stunned. She watched Zhou Jingze walk towards her step by step. Her heart was beating quickly, and her palms were already sweating.

Zhou Jingze smiled and said to her: “Happy birthday, Xu Sui. May you be happy every day.”