Chapter 9

Having finished preparing, the lead singer eagerly awaited the stage. The stage lights dimmed appropriately, and the men and women in the dance floor stood like scattered straw poles in the center of the dance area. Through a sea of indistinct figures, Ye Meng spotted Li Jinyu, who was slinging his large guitar over his shoulder. Suddenly, in the dim light, he turned his head as if he had determined she was watching him, beckoning her with a gesture. Without waiting for her response, he turned and walked through the back corridor.

Ye Meng smiled without answering, her face full of excitement as she scrolled through her social media and played on her phone

Fang: I can understand your sympathy and compassion for Li Jingyu, but I advise you not to get involved with him. You also mentioned that he clearly has not received proper treatment, and perhaps he is even unaware that he has depression

He never truly intended to do anything; he merely wanted to teach Ye Meng a lesson, so that she would not dare to provoke him again

In ten minutes, the band will perform. Li Jinyu secured his guitar on his shoulder and stood by the dance floor, engaged in conversation with the band’s lead singer. Most of the time, it was the lead singer who spoke, while he listened quietly, occasionally smiling. As they chatted, the lead singer suddenly directed his gaze towards Ye Meng. Li Jinyu followed his line of sight but quickly looked away, smiling and gently shaking his head. The lead singer displayed a slightly surprised expression.

"Well, I heard it," he said

Fang: You mentioned that his condition is very similar to that of your mother at the time. Are you aware of this yourself? Do you genuinely want to help him, or are you merely trying to understand whether your mother's illness was as severe as the forensic expert claimed? If it is the latter, then that would be quite cruel

The old man stood behind, completely lost in thought, standing there in a daze. Li Jinyu, holding Ye Meng, smiled helplessly and took the initiative to greet him first

"I didn't expect you to have this hobby," Li Jinyu's guitar was thrown to the ground as he leaned against the door, unexpectedly looking down at Ye Meng with a cold smile and said, "Let go, I'm not interested in playing with you."

Li Jinyu remained silent and took out her phone to scan for them

Then, Li Jinyu, who lazily leaned back in the rear seat and began to rest his eyes as usual, fell into confusion. Why does this sister look more spirited the more he looks at her? The effect of Four Loko is basically one cup and you're done. When he was in the United States, he was tricked into drinking a cup, and if it weren't for a friend's reminder, he would have almost been taken advantage of that day

After several years of not seeing each other, he still looks outstanding, his features strong and no longer bearing the youthful innocence of his younger days. However, that straightforward youthful spirit remains, and his gaze is still clear and bright. With a casual remark of "long time no see," Yang Bingzhang's eyes have already begun to well up with emotion

The man's warm breath fell upon her head, enveloping her in his scent, which carried a hint of freshness, quite unfamiliar.

Li Jinyu cannot be considered a professional singer here; his singing is merely passable, with good pitch and at least some musical talent. However, he lacks the extra techniques and emotions, singing purely without touching the hearts of the audience. Yet, he has at least made a mark in their hearts. Regular patrons of the bar frequently inquire about him, and the owner invites him to perform regularly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

She repeatedly asked if it was so, all in an effort to lower his guard, her voice soft enough to reach his heart, melting into water

What Ye Meng had never smelled before was unexpectedly pleasant and attractive

Yang Bingzhang was his earliest psychologist and had watched him grow up since childhood. Yang Bingzhang was fully aware of his excellence and careful efforts. In order not to affect his brother's college entrance examination, he was abandoned by his mother at the age of thirteen, losing the opportunity for direct admission to a domestic affiliated school, and was left alone abroad for three years

Half a minute later, a black Nissan Teana stopped in front of the two. Ye Meng, a person of particular taste, still called for a dedicated car.

Unexpectedly, Ye swiftly grabbed him, with his foot against the door frame, and turned to shout at the uncle inside, "Uncle Yang! Help me out!"

He glanced slightly to the side and noticed that Ye Meng was still energetically liking posts in her social circle. She was truly very bored, liking every single post. Just like his friend, Gou Kai, who was equally annoying; what he found most bothersome about Gou Kai was that he was like a human-like "like" machine. They had many mutual friends, and sometimes when he carelessly liked a post, Gou Kai's comments would flood his social circle. However, since coming here and changing his phone and WeChat, it has become much quieter.

Li Jinyu leaned against the trash can in the back alley of the bar, waiting for her. He chewed on a milk candy and, upon seeing her come out, crumpled the candy wrapper into a ball and tossed it into the trash can. He smiled and asked her, "Where to? The hotel?"

The phone is vibrating incessantly in the pocket, it must belong to Fang Ya'en. Just a moment ago, he was singing, and the two of them were casually chatting on WeChat.

The car stopped at the entrance of the hotel, and Ye Meng, without even completing the check-in procedures, skillfully led Li Jinyu past the service desk to the room

Ye Meng realized that things had actually deviated from her initial thoughts

Li Jinyu leaned against the wall, chewing on candy. Upon hearing this, he paused, his mouth still holding the candy, glanced at her, and replied coldly, "What is there to ask? You will find out later."

The popular wine in the United States is well-known among men and women who frequent bars and similar establishments. Generally, those who offer you this wine are mostly looking to seduce you. In fact, the alcohol content is not high, only 12 degrees. However, its taste is fruity, making it easy to drink, and one can easily consume several glasses without issue. This is a type of wine that foreign scoundrels specifically use to deceive young girls for one-night stands.

With a loud "bang!", Ye Meng exerted all her strength, almost using both her hands and feet to block him at the door. With a strong push, the man, standing at 184 centimeters tall, was pinned in her embrace in a wall-slam style. Ye Meng was only 164 centimeters tall, and the old man was even shorter, barely 160 centimeters. The three of them resembled a Wi-Fi symbol.

So it turns out to be adding WeChat

At the entrance of the alley stood two streetlights, casting a soft yellow light upon their heads. Piled at the entrance were several bags of black plastic for garbage collection and a heap of scrap metal that seemed unlikely to be picked up anytime soon. Aside from these, the scene was still beautiful; the two of them stood there so quietly, truly an unexpectedly pleasing sight.

......

The door slowly pushed open, and Li Jinyu first saw a pair of worn leather shoes. As he raised his gaze, he noticed a man sitting on the bed. He turned around and left, saying, "I am not interested in a 3p."

Ye Meng followed him to the back seat, playfully teasing him: "Next time, I will drive to pick you up"

Li Jingyu curled the corner of his mouth but did not speak

Why did Ye Meng say that Li Jinyu resembled her mother? It is because Ye Meng could sense that, despite Li Jinyu's current state appearing lifeless, on that night when he sat on the high stool at the bar, casually playing with the escape room puzzles, his eyes still held warmth, reminiscent of her mother during those years when she was at home restoring artifacts. He was not beyond saving

Uncle Yang then rushed out from inside, trembling and looking as if he might fall apart at any moment due to his frail frame

Ye Meng took it out and glanced at it, seeing a series of more than ten pop-up messages.

Fang: Are you saying that Li Jinyu has depression

Uncertain whether it is the effect of the wine or if her heart is truly racing, the pounding seems to strike against her chest

Suddenly, two young ladies with bashful expressions approached them from the dance floor. The lead singer, with a cigarette in his mouth, smiled and asked something, to which the two ladies lowered their heads, feeling so shy that they nearly buried their faces in their clothes. In the end, they mustered up their courage and asked something, though it was unclear what.

"Li Jinyu, listen to me," Ye Meng cleared her throat. The alcohol really had a strong aftereffect, even making her voice hoarse. Although he was as rigid as a wall, Ye Meng felt as soft as cotton candy, her voice unconsciously softening as if she were coaxing a child: "Uncle Yang is a psychologist. He was an authoritative expert at Beijing Sixth Hospital in his early years, and he is truly a very, very authoritative psychological expert! He is indeed very authoritative. For the past few years, he has been offering free consultations in our town. I know that if I tell you directly, you will definitely not agree, but you also know your own issues, don't you? In fact, you really want someone to help you, right? Can you talk to him?"

Ye Meng is not very familiar with bars and has never been abroad. He does not have a deep understanding of this type of alcohol

Fang: Mengmeng, I know that you are very concerned about your mother's death, but your mother indeed committed suicide. Even if she really called you before her death, the autopsy report from that year and all the identification results can only prove that your mother committed suicide

Ye Meng raised her head to glance at him and swiped the door card, saying, "Please come in."

Li Jinyu was waiting for Ye Meng to open the door, slinging his guitar bag over his shoulder. Leaning against the wall, he sarcastically remarked, "You seem quite experienced, as familiar as a waiter here."

At this moment, Ye Meng's heart was racing extremely fast, like a drum beating, her head buzzing and swelling, as if wrapped in a layer of gauze. She found that she could not see clearly the hazy, handsome face of the man in front of her. She could only feel his breath, as if the aftereffects of Four Loko had kicked in, making her heartbeat more frantic than ever before

"You really have a thick skin," Li Jinyu said to her

Li Jinyu chewed on the candy and stared at the car for a moment, then scoffed from the back seat, mocking her: "You are quite particular."

Ye Meng sat on the sofa outside the dance floor, waiting for him to finish singing. When Li Jingyu came off the stage, the music had already changed to DJ dance tracks, the white spotlight was extinguished, and colorful disco balls slowly spun overhead. The entire dimly lit bar felt as if it were wrapped in a vibrant candy shell, as everyone rushed into the center of the dance floor, beginning a chaotic and frenzied dance.

Her mind was in chaos, and the last bit of strength had just been exhausted outside the door. In the next moment, she seemed about to collapse into his arms, yet her voice still persistently asked, "Li Jinyu, can you hear me?" After saying this, she fell straight into his embrace

The car is still one kilometer away from them. Ye Meng noted down the license plate number, tucked his phone back into his pocket, and casually asked, "It seems that your younger brother has quite a bit of experience?"

Li Jinyu looked tall and slender, yet he was still a young man full of vigor. Uncle Yang, wearing a pair of reading glasses, appeared to be in his early sixties. He was afraid that even the slightest movement might cause him to fall apart, and he was also concerned about hurting Ye Meng, so he could only endure it as he was forcibly pulled into the house by this old man and young man.

The vague memory of that youth surged into his mind like a mountain breeze, gradually becoming clearer and more distinct

Four Loko

Upon closer inspection, Li Jinyu is undoubtedly a seasoned player in the realm of romance, well-versed in the tactics employed by scoundrels both domestically and internationally to woo women. Ye Meng thought to herself that if he were to genuinely pursue a girl, it would likely be impossible for anyone to withstand his charm

Leaning against the door panel, one hand tucked in his pocket, the other hand wrapped around her waist, he gently lifted her, cradling her like a soft little kitten in his embrace, lowering his head to glance at her tender, flushed face resting against his firm chest

Ye Meng did not reply, calmly turning off WeChat. Under the dim streetlight, she opened Didi and called for a car, telling the driver: "Just to the nearby Home Inn."

Ye Meng finished the drink on the table in one go before standing up and leisurely following behind.

Ye Meng softly fell asleep, resting on his chest, and in a daze, she murmured, "Good girl"

Li Jinyu instinctively embraced her

Uncle Yang, long time no see

Jin Yu, you have lost weight