Chapter Nine: Color and Restraint (2)

He certainly does not know how to flatter girls

She said nothing further, tapped the car door to signal to A Yang that he could leave, and then waved goodbye to Jing Fuzhou

The two people in the back seat fell silent, leaving only Taozi's voice in the car for a moment. An Yuan had never intended to pry into Jing Fuzhou's family; her focus was solely on him as an individual. She actually wanted to ask, why do you call yourself A Tan? But the atmosphere was simply too dreadful at that moment, and she could not bring herself to say anything.

Lifting my eyes, I see the chiseled face of Jing Fuzhou.

Jing Fuzhou had been talking to the person next to him since he took his seat, using many strange terms that were likely their coded language, which An Yuan found difficult to understand. However, judging by the current setup, it seemed that the main character had not yet arrived. While waiting, Jing Fuzhou leaned closer to her, lowering his head to her ear: "If someone tries to pour me a drink later, please help me fend them off"

He even took her to meet his stepfather

But it seems that she has put away her thorns tonight, raising her hand to tuck one side of her hair behind her ear, An Yuan looked at the dormitory building in the night, her voice blending into the evening breeze: "Do I look like Cinderella tonight? When the clock strikes twelve, I take off my beautiful dress, remove my makeup, the magic disappears, and I still have to return to my little attic to live a life of dust and dirt."

The joke did not elicit a response from Jing Fuzhou, who merely cast a faint glance at him. An Yuan speculated that the person's status was likely not as high as Jing Fuzhou's, which is why he remained silent. Their silence did not imply that the atmosphere would cool down; the group of men and women were having a great time, with some engaging in questionable activities under the table. An Yuan suddenly realized that this place might be their usual den of indulgence, where the external grandeur and opulence were merely a performance put on by this group of societal parasites for others to see. It seemed that with such a facade, the substance was also deemed superior. She lowered her gaze to her nails, which were unpolished and appeared quite clean compared to those of the other women.

As the pear blossom rose, he saw her large expanse of fair skin hidden beneath the quilt. The fire that had long been dormant within him finally began to ignite. Jing Fuzhou lowered his head and touched her face, asking with rare tenderness: "Do you resent me?"

"Send your card number to A Yang, the reward will be transferred to you tomorrow." Jing Fuzhou did not get out of the car; through the car door, she looked down at him. He was a rugged-looking man, and such a man must possess an incredibly tough heart. An Yuan wanted to see that heart, to understand what it was like, but she found it very difficult. Despite her efforts for so long, she still felt so far away from him

What I actually want to say is, An Yuan, I would like to watch the sunrise with you, will you come?

Jing Fuzhou brought An Yuan to a place that resembled a private club. She was draped in a coat, and as she entered, someone politely approached to take her outer garment. An Yuan glanced at Jing Fuzhou, who gave a slight nod, allowing her to confidently hand her coat to that person.

He reeked of smoke and alcohol, which made An Yuan wrinkle her nose. This expression did not escape his notice; he reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards the car, his tone finally warming up: "Do you dislike me? Why don't you take a whiff of the scent on yourself."

Still deceiving oneself by talking about work, compensation, and blocking drinks

The sweet ones are no different from the women in those other rooms

Taozi awkwardly fell silent and exchanged glances with Ayang. By this time, he had mostly sobered up and began to feel curious about the cold beauty who had been sitting in the back seat earlier. However, the beauty had gotten off the car early, and he hadn't had the chance to say a word before she left.

His breath was too close, and Anyuan couldn't help but shiver. Jing Fuzhou reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze, his palm resting against her rounded shoulder, looking a bit puzzled: "Wearing less? It's not cold in the room."

Jing Fuzhou slowly blinked his eyes, half of his profile shrouded in darkness. The car turned a corner, and the neon lights illuminated the interior, revealing the gloom in his eyes. An Yuan suddenly realized that he had misspoken, and the effects of the alcohol faded significantly. He opened his mouth to say something, but heard Jing Fuzhou sigh: "He is my stepfather"

He took off his coat, walked over, and gave her shoulder a gentle push. Since the last time he had sent her to Ah Yang and the others, he had not come back. The woman on the bed finally heard the noise, turned over in a daze, and reached out to turn on the bedside lamp

The restlessness gradually cooled down, and Jing Fuzhou's hand moved downward, sliding down from her gracefully contoured shoulder. The undulations were beautiful, still embodying that youthful beauty, but suddenly he felt a wave of nausea.

Are girls aged eighteen or nineteen so easily assimilated?

Because of that voice, the men and women in the private room all turned their heads. An Yuan stood behind Jing Fuzhou, his tall figure completely shielding her. It was only after they entered and took their seats that someone, with a smile, whistled and said: "Oh, who is Brother Zhou bringing today? Looks unfamiliar. Is she from Gulou or Mengsi?"

Perhaps it was those few glasses of wine that clouded An Yuan's mind, causing her to blurt out some words without thinking: "The old man enjoys a lively atmosphere, yet he does not like you, does he?"

I just didn't expect that the first drink of the night would also be the only one, and it came from this old man. He had a kind and gentle appearance, but there was a coldness between his brows. Raising his eyes to look at Jing Fuzhou, the old man's voice carried the roughness typical of someone of his age: "A Tan, will you not toast me a glass?"

It turns out to be the elder's birthday

It seems that a long time has passed since the last visit to Gulou. Jing Fuzhou is not a particularly lustful person, but he enjoys being surrounded by women and likes to see them infatuated with him, which is why he used to visit frequently. However, in the past two months, he has changed his ways, spending more time at home, making it difficult for A Yang to find an opportunity to indulge in pleasures at Gulou.

However, no one dared to pour wine for Jing Fuzhou, including A Yang and Taozi. While others were already flushed with drink, Jing Fuzhou remained composed. Ever since the old man entered the room, whether it was the foul-mouthed men or the petulant women, everyone became obedient. Even when chatting, they spoke calmly, and jokes were rarely made.

The old man enjoys a lively atmosphere; in previous years, I have also brought other women here, so you need not overthink it. His response was not candid.

The car left Lingchuan Music College, heading towards the Drum Tower. Jing Fuzhou looked at the school gate receding in the distance, then withdrew his gaze and kicked the back of the passenger seat hard, saying, "You have been talking nonsense the whole way, can you just be quiet for a moment?"

According to what she had learned from film and television works, at this moment she should perhaps take the initiative to link her arm with Jing Fuzhou's, and then accompany him with an elegant smile as they weave through the crowd. However, upon pushing open the door to the private room, An Yuan was brought back to reality. The room was filled with swirling smoke, and the man sitting closest to the door saw them and shouted with a laugh, "Zhou Ge!"

Regardless of whether it is observing Jing Fuzhou, m. hetushucomcom, or watching her, there is always a profound sense of resentment.

An Yuan was somewhat awkwardly shoved into the car, her head resting against the cold window. She found the temperature quite comfortable and thus closed her eyes, remaining silent. The two glasses of wine were not enough to make her drunk, but alcohol has always had a way of stirring up one's sorrows, making unspoken grievances feel even heavier at this moment. She thought it might be better to just take a nap, after all, it would take quite a while to get from here to the makeup room. The two glasses of wine were not enough to make her drunk, but alcohol has always had a way of stirring up one's sorrows, making unspoken grievances feel even heavier at this moment. She thought it might be better to just take a nap, after all, it would take quite a while to get from here to the makeup room

What? The pear blossom raised its head, smiling sweetly

The old man glanced at her, clearly unimpressed: "A-Tan, you can blame me if you wish, but why must you disgust me in this manner?" His words implied that he believed An Yuan did not possess the qualifications to offer a toast, equating her with the women around her.

Until she reached the makeup room to remove her makeup, there was silence all the way. By the time they returned to school, it was already past 12 o'clock. An Yuan got off the car with a clean face, and the streetlights were dim; Jing Fuzhou probably could not see the dark circles under her bare face.

A Tan. An Yuan turned her mind around and realized she had never heard of Jing Fuzhou being called by this name. However, it was evident that this was indeed directed at him, as the next moment, Jing Fuzhou's gaze fell upon her. An Yuan recalled her so-called job and quickly picked up a glass of wine, smiling as she stood up: "Old Master, Boss Jing has not been well lately, so I would like to toast you on his behalf."

Li Hua's room is located in Jing Fuzhou, but he couldn't quite remember. In the corridor, he encountered a woman who had just finished bathing. After asking her a question, he received several fragrant kisses. By the time he pushed open Li Hua's door, he had already been infused with the scent of another perfume. The woman on the bed was sleeping soundly and did not move.

He pondered her emotions, which must be a mix of sadness and anger, yet a helplessness that dared not express itself. All the women he had sent away were like this, though they gradually became accustomed to it. However, Li Hua was young; would such a girl possess even greater resilience? What would he do if she threw a tantrum like An Yuan did?

To speak frankly, she really does not differ much from those people

"Are you drunk?" However, Jing Fuzhou did not fulfill her wish and reached out to pat her face. An Yuan opened her eyes, her dark pupils somewhat inscrutable in the night: "No."

At 1:30 AM, Anyuan in the dormitory received a call from Jing Fuzhou, who said that the wages for work during the night would be doubled. Are you coming?

The pear blossom's arms encircled his neck, cautiously and affectionately attempting to kiss his chin. The man by the bed remained still, standing there like a statue. She felt anxious and reached out to unfasten his belt, only to be pushed away by him.

He retracted his hand and sat properly against the backrest of the rear seat. Taozi was sitting in the passenger seat; he was indeed quite drunk, excitedly chatting nonsense with Ayang, his words occasionally interspersed with some inappropriate remarks. Anyuan watched for a while and then turned his head towards Jing Fuzhou: "Why did you bring me here?"

Jing Fuzhou smiled, pulling An Yuan's arm to indicate that she should sit down, and took the wine glass from her hand. He tilted his head back and drank all the wine in the glass, then shook the glass to show that he had truly finished it. An Yuan could not understand their relationship and did not care; it was always good not to have to drink. Although her alcohol tolerance was decent, she did not enjoy the spicy taste.

Until the end of the meal, An Yuan still did not understand the identity of that old gentleman. Later, Taozi got drunk and insisted on having Jing Fuzhou drink with him. An Yuan stepped in to block him, and now she felt a bit dizzy. As she walked out of the club, the cool evening breeze slightly refreshed her. Jing Fuzhou's voice came softly from behind: "First, go back to the dressing room to change clothes, and then I will take you back to school"

After getting off the car, Jing Fuzhou let A Yang and Taozi go play by themselves, reminding them in advance to remember to save the pear blossom for him. The two sensed that Jing Fuzhou seemed to have a different attitude towards the pear blossom, and secretly resolved not to touch her again in the future, lest they provoke Jing Fuzhou's displeasure. With so many women in the Drum Tower, one more or one less does not make a difference.

Anwen is a toxic and thorny flower, and one must think thrice before touching it

Those useless moral constraints are still binding her, does this not foreshadow her subsequent failure from the very beginning

From the very beginning, this game was never equal. An Yuan stood in the parking lot for a month, never paying attention to him, even though he got into that Maserati on time every night, even though he was the wealthy benefactor of her dreams. Yet, he had noticed her long before, taking note of her faded jeans and her cold, desolate face

He finally admitted that Li Hua was merely a substitute for An Yuan, perhaps not even a substitute, but just a fantasy he wished to destroy. Because he could not have An Yuan, he knew from the very first moment he saw her that what she desired was something he could not provide

Cinderella is the most cunning girl in the world; she intends to leave behind a glass slipper, so that from then on, the prince will regard all other girls as mere commoners. Yet, where is the glass slipper that she wishes to leave behind? He clearly did not see it. This feeling of being apart from the mundane makes him feel restless, and he leaves the pear blossom behind, turning to exit.

An Yan speculated that this was a person of very high status, so much so that Jing Fuzhou had to personally come to celebrate his birthday

He frowned, looking at her in confusion

Jing Fuzhou appeared much more natural, being the first to stand up from his seat and inviting the elder to sit down beside him: "The birthday star has arrived just in time, the dishes will be served shortly."

Not long after, Ah Yang and another man walked in. Almost simultaneously as they entered, they turned back to respectfully invite the person behind them. An Yuan raised her head and saw an elderly man, around sixty years old, entering, dressed in a bright red Tang suit, exuding an air of nobility. As he entered, his gaze immediately fell upon Jing Fuzhou, and then he looked at An Yuan. An Yuan couldn't tell if it was her illusion, but she sensed a deep-seated resentment in the old man's eyes.

Ayang in the front glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror, only to see Jing Fuzhou's increasingly calm expression

The moonlight and the streetlight cast a gentle glow on her face, unlike her usual assertive demeanor. He thought he would hear her farewell, something akin to "I'm heading back, goodbye." He did not even hope that she would say something caring like "Take care on the way," after all, she was An Yuan.

She must say something; otherwise, she might drown in her own emotions

It seems as if she is truly a Cinderella, abused by the entire world, waiting for a prince to come and rescue her

An Yuan did not speak, merely lowering her head. In fact, she did not understand why they had to wear such expensive clothes while sitting here, surrounded by people adorned in gold and silver, while the interior was filthy to the extreme. This banquet seemed somewhat out of place, yet the demeanor of Jing Fuzhou did not appear incongruous. Sitting beside him, she could only brace herself and sit up straight.

The man who had just entered with A-Yang happened to sit beside her, and An Yuan heard A-Yang call him "Taozi." The conversation at the table was quite dull; she could hardly understand it. Most of the time, she simply focused her gaze on Jing Fuzhou, waiting for someone to come over and toast, so she could extend her hand to block it for him.