Leaning against him, Mu Fu felt a sense of safety and comfort she hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was like a storm inside her had finally calmed.
But for other people, dates weren’t going so well.
When Wu Qingyi saw Ding Binbing practically glued to Xia Sihan yesterday, she knew right then that today’s date would be a bust. And she was right. When they met this morning, their interaction was stiff and polite, with absolutely no spark between them.
She took a sip of her drink, staring at the bubbling hotpot in front of her, feeling a bit lost. These days, whenever she saw hotpot, her mind automatically went to Yu Mo. She had been the one to chase him, and it had taken a lot of work to win over someone as quiet and private as him.
Hotpot, to her, symbolized warmth, something she believed could melt his reserved nature. That’s why it used to be her favorite kind of date.
Looking back now, all the messiness of their breakup didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore. Yu Mo was her first love. They were college classmates, and the first time she saw him on campus, her heart skipped a beat. Especially when she overheard someone call him an “untouchable flower on a high mountain peak”—beautiful, distant, and not to be messed with—she found herself even more drawn to him.
She made a promise to herself: she would win him over before graduation. And in their senior year, after a lot of persistent effort, she finally did.
At first, she was incredibly happy. But once they both started their internships, cracks in their relationship began to show. She went to work, and he stayed home to write novels. He preferred peace and quiet; she loved being active and social. She often went out for dinner and drinks with friends, coming home drunk and a mess. Every time, Yu Mo had to stop his writing to take care of her, which completely threw off his routine.
Their arguments became more frequent until they agreed she’d only go out once a week.
But what did they fight about after that?
Wu Qingyi thought hard. It was about the sweet, loving habits that had once made her heart flutter. Their daily lives had drifted apart. While she was at work, Yu Mo stayed home. Yet, he still clung to their old routines from school: calling in the morning to ask “Did you get there okay?”, again at noon for “Have you eaten?”, and then in the evening with “Are you done with work yet?” If she didn’t answer, he’d just keep calling until she picked up.
Things got even worse when she was out with coworkers or friends. Before she’d even finished half a drink, he’d already be calling to ask where she was, then insisting he come pick her up.
Her friends used to be so jealous of how sweet Yu Mo and she were, always together. But eventually, she just got tired of it.
His constant texts and calls, which used to feel nice and caring, started feeling like he was watching her every move. To her, they weren’t signs of love anymore—they felt like control. She felt like he was trying to trap her, to keep her completely to himself. That possessiveness, which had once seemed so lovely, turned into something bitter she just couldn’t handle anymore.
In the end, when he calmly asked her one last time if she was sure about breaking up, she said, “Yes.” And that was it. It was over.
Now, with a little more life experience, she finally understood how rare and special that kind of love had been. But seeing the way Yu Mo looked at Mu Fu now—so gentle, so focused—she knew they could never go back. Still… why did her chest feel so tight? Why did her heart ache with such a sharp, bitter pain?
Wu Qingyi threw back another shot, then another. Before long, the whole bottle was empty.
Across the table, Ding Binbing gently stopped her hand as she was about to signal for more. “Wu Qingyi, that’s enough. One more and you’ll be completely drunk.” He looked at her flushed cheeks and glossy eyes. She was already pretty tipsy.
She managed a faint smile. “I’m not drunk. I can still drink.”
Ding Binbing frowned. He wasn’t sure what had made her suddenly want to drink so much, but it clearly had something to do with the people back at the villa. With a sigh, he said, “Stop drinking. Eat something first.”
She lowered her gaze to the table, not saying anything. He figured she wasn’t really thinking about anything at all—just lost in the alcohol haze.
He quietly put slices of meat and vegetables into her bowl. “Come on, eat. After you eat, I’ll drink with you back at the villa.”
She looked up at him blankly. “Back where?”
“Back at the villa, okay? We’ll drink more there.” He figured if he got her back, someone would be there to keep an eye on her.
“Alright. Let’s go back.” She started eating mechanically, quickly finishing the food he’d given her. Ding Binbing added more to her bowl—she hadn’t eaten much before drinking, which was never a good idea.
Seeing that she was getting seriously drunk, he gave up on the idea of walking around the city and just paid the bill. Then he helped her to the car. Letting her sit in the back alone felt wrong, so he put her in the passenger seat next to him. But trying to get a drunk person to follow instructions was just asking for too much.
Wu Qingyi was stubbornly trying to get into the front passenger seat by herself, but she could barely walk straight—she was all over the place. There was no way she could manage it alone. In the end, Ding Binbing had no choice but to half-carry and half-guide her into the seat.
“I can do it myself. I don’t need your help.” Her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, and her eyes were hazy, totally unlike her usual calm self.
Ding Binbing gently reassured her, “I know, I know. I believe you.” As he spoke, he reached over to buckle her seatbelt.
But reason had already left her. All she could think was that he was brushing her off. And now he was even reaching across her to do up her seatbelt? No way—she could definitely do it herself.
Suddenly, she lunged forward and tried to yank the seatbelt from him. Ding Binbing, caught off guard and worried about hurting her, didn’t let go fast enough. As a result, their faces collided—his lips accidentally bumped into hers.
Wu Qingyi let out a pained yelp and immediately covered her mouth with both hands. “Ouch.” Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at him, as innocent and vulnerable as a child.
Ding Binbing froze, stunned by how fast things had escalated. Before he could even process what had just happened, her tearful gaze snapped him back to the moment. Panicking, he quickly tried to comfort her. “Let me blow on it. It’ll stop hurting, okay?” And just like that, he actually blew gently a few times at her lips—falling back on how he used to soothe his two-year-old nephew.
Miraculously, it worked. Wu Qingyi calmed down and stopped crying. Ding Binbing had always been helpless when a woman cried.
He quickly started the car and drove her back to the villa. Unfortunately, when they arrived, the place was empty—looks like they were the first ones back. Wu Qingyi had wanted to keep drinking, but seeing no one around, she grew quiet.
Not wanting to leave her alone in the women’s dorm in her state, Ding Binbing settled her on the sofa in the living room and draped a blanket over her. Thankfully, she was peaceful—no throwing up, no outbursts. She just quietly fell asleep.
Now that he finally had a moment to breathe, his mind went back to that accidental kiss. His thoughts were all jumbled up. For some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about how it felt. He looked down at Wu Qingyi sleeping so quietly, his eyes lingering—almost against his will—on her lips, now redder from the alcohol.
A wave of guilt rose up in him. He had taken advantage of her—kissed someone who was too drunk to know what was happening. With a heavy breath, he ran a hand through his short hair, frustrated. But no matter what he did, her tear-streaked, innocent face kept flashing in his mind. Eventually, Ding Binbing closed his eyes, sinking into a light sleep.
It wasn’t until after 5 p.m. that the second couple got back from their date. When Feng Ningran and Xu Kangning walked in and saw the two of them asleep on the living room couch, they were both surprised. The strong smell of alcohol was still thick in the air.
Hearing the door, Ding Binbing slowly opened his eyes and sat up. In a hushed voice, he said, “You’re back.” He’d only meant to rest a little, but after an hour of waiting, he’d ended up falling asleep too.
Xu Kangning nodded and whispered, “Where’d you guys go? Did you drink?”
Ding Binbing glanced over at Wu Qingyi, still fast asleep. “Not me. Qingyi had a bit too much.” At that, both Xu Kangning and Feng Ningran turned to look at her.
Feng Ningran stepped closer and asked softly, “What happened? How’d Qingyi end up drunk?”
Ding Binbing shook his head. “I don’t know. As soon as we got there, she just started drinking. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen.”
Feng Ningran said, “I’ll go change first, then come back down to take care of her. You’ve done enough.”
Ding Binbing nodded. It was probably better for one of the girls to look after her anyway. He honestly didn’t know how to face Wu Qingyi right now—especially not knowing if she’d remember what had happened when she sobered up.
Once Feng Ningran came back downstairs, now changed, Ding Binbing quickly slipped away and headed back to his room. Xu Kangning caught a flicker of guilt on his face but said nothing. He sat quietly across from Feng Ningran and the still-sleeping Wu Qingyi.
A little while later, Xia Sihan and Rong Yongxin came back. Naturally, they asked what had happened with Wu Qingyi. But when they realized Feng Ningran and Xu Kangning didn’t know much either, they let it go.
By now it was already past six in the evening. The only ones still out were Mu Fu and Yu Mo.
Tonight, Wu Qingyi and Xu Kangning were supposed to make dinner together. But with Wu Qingyi still passed out from drinking, Xia Sihan volunteered to step in and help. She leaned over the back of the sofa where Xu Kangning was sitting and said softly, “Kangning, I know it was supposed to be you and Qingyi cooking tonight, but I’m free now—I can help. Let Ningran stay here and keep an eye on Qingyi. It’s not safe to leave her out here alone.”
Rong Yongxin had gone back upstairs—no one knew what he was up to. So for now, it was just the four of them downstairs.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Thanks, Sihan. Sorry to bother you later,” Xu Kangning said.
“It’s nothing,” Xia Sihan replied, with a warm, understanding smile. Inside, she let out a silent sigh of relief. She’d been worried that Xu Kangning and Feng Ningran would get along so well today that he’d start ignoring her completely.
Watching this happen, Feng Ningran could barely keep her face straight. Xia Sihan was clearly making a move on her crush—and she couldn’t say a word. After all, she’d just given up the job of looking after Wu Qingyi. If she suddenly insisted on taking it back, wouldn’t that just ruin the sweet, thoughtful image she’d tried so hard to build?
All she could do was shoot daggers at Xia Sihan. But Xia Sihan just gave her an innocent smile, all sweetness and light. Of course, as a rival, Feng Ningran could see right through her. That smile was anything but innocent; it was condescending. She was furious.
Xia Sihan, on the other hand, didn’t pay her any attention. She just let Feng Ningran fume behind her, completely unfazed by the burning glares aimed at her back.
A little while later, Mu Fu and Yu Mo finally came back. After soaking for about fifteen minutes, the two of them came back out.
Axolotl Translations 
Leave a comment