Chapter 76: Alcohol

Chen Li sat beside Gu Yu. She patted the empty seat on his other side, inviting Luo Ming to sit down. Luo Ming hesitated for a moment, but still sat down. Chen Li remained between them, raising her voice to keep the lively atmosphere going.

Gu Yu couldn’t help but glance at Luo Ming. The girl’s profile seemed even more beautiful now. Two months had brought her a kind of growth that made her feel unfamiliar to him. She was still very quiet, sitting beside Chen Li and rarely interjecting, wearing a serene smile as she played her part. Since entering the room, she had only glanced at Gu Yu once—a calm look, as if they were meeting for the first time.

Maybe his own cowardice had disappointed her. That affection had faded away. The physical distance had shrunk, but the emotional distance was growing. Gu Yu suddenly caught Luo Ming’s second glance at him. She still smiled at him, but the smile was light and natural, carrying no sweetness—like a mask, the same one she wore for everyone else.

The love from the past had been intense, and rekindling it after a long separation made it even more restless. But he seemed to have lost the right to meet her halfway. Regret grew like wild weeds across a barren plain.

A hand suddenly waved in front of his eyes. Chen Li looked down at Gu Yu, her eye shadow dark and seductive, her gaze like a demon’s charm.

“Why are you spacing out? And you keep staring at Luo Ming. Do you really like the prettier one more?”

“No, no. You guys go ahead.”

“No? Then tell me, am I pretty?”

“You’re pretty.”

“Then you can look at me. If you keep staring at Luo Ming, she might get angry.”

She moved closer, her voice laced with a flirtatious allure. The expensive, rich perfume swirled around the boy’s nose. He remembered Yun Qianxin was right—he really didn’t know how to handle this kind of teasing. Chen Li placed a hand over the back of his hand, leaning in toward him. The girl’s actions didn’t pay much attention to distance, and Gu Yu wasn’t sure how to respond. He wanted to avoid any trouble that might come from this, so he brushed it off casually.

But in the shadows hidden by the light, there was a hint of red spreading in her pupils.

“It’s no fun just drinking. Let’s play a game. Truth or Dare. How about it?”

“Great, great! I’m down. What about you guys?” Zhao Yuanqiu echoed Chen Li’s suggestion, and the others all agreed.

The two sofas were arranged to form a rough circle. The bottle on the table spun a few times before stopping, pointing directly at Luo Ming. On the other end of the bottle was Lu Xiaoxi, her face flushed with intoxication, but her speech was still clear.

“Then Luo Ming, tell us about your romantic history. Everyone else already shared.”

“What’s the dare?”

“The dare is just to drink a glass. That shouldn’t be hard.”

A glass of golden liquid was pushed in front of Luo Ming. The transparent glass reflected a hazy, dreamy light. A pair of blurry, drunken eyes stared at her. She picked up the glass calmly, but hesitated for a moment. Then she turned sideways, holding it out to Gu Yu.

“It’s my first time drinking, so I’m a little scared. Could you drink with me, Gu Yu?”

Gu Yu was startled. Uncontrollably, he poured himself a glass and raised it to meet Luo Ming’s. As their glasses clinked softly, Luo Ming’s glass suddenly dropped. The liquid splashed straight onto Chen Li, who was between them, soaking her pants.

Luo Ming quickly apologized, her voice full of innocent regret.

“Sorry, sorry! I lost my grip. Let me wipe it for you.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll just go to the restroom and clean it up. You guys keep playing.” Chen Li stood up casually and left.

The glass on the floor was thick and intact. Luo Ming picked it up and smoothly moved over to sit beside Gu Yu. The little incident didn’t dampen everyone’s spirits. The atmosphere quickly heated up again, and Luo Ming’s dare was conveniently skipped as the next round began.

“I didn’t expect you to come to an event like this,” Luo Ming said softly. Her tone was no longer as intimate as before.

“Socializing. I came to check it out.”

Luo Ming picked up the glass in front of Gu Yu.

“Are you still going to drink this?”

“Yeah, I’ll drink it.”

Without hesitation, Gu Yu took it and downed it in one gulp. His throat wasn’t used to it, and he let out a few uncomfortable coughs. Luo Ming watched calmly. A flicker of pleasure passed through her eyes, half-hidden by her hair, as if a sensation of satisfaction was rising inside her. Pale veins appeared on her fair neck. She stared at Gu Yu’s arm and casually reached out to pat it, as if brushing off something dirty.

“You can’t drink.”

“Yeah, I’ve only had alcohol once. I have a very low tolerance.”

“Then why are you drinking?” Luo Ming narrowed her eyes slightly, observing every detail on the boy’s face.

“I don’t know. Maybe I felt… you wanted me to.”

Gu Yu didn’t know why he felt guilty, but somehow he was apologetic toward Luo Ming. Maybe he wanted to make up for it by being obedient. In any case, he desperately hoped she would show him that smile that used to be only for him.

“Alright, you two, stop whispering. It’s Gu Yu’s turn.” The bottle on the table pointed at him. Su Ziyuan interrupted their conversation.

“Can I choose Truth?” Luo Ming suggested with a smile.

“Sure. Luo Ming can ask.”

“Gu Yu.” Luo Ming saw that the boy was already struggling, his face flushed with drunkenness, his eyes dazed. She pressed on relentlessly. “In the past few years, what do you regret the most?”

As she spoke, she poured another glass and handed it to Gu Yu.

“Dare. Drink another glass.”

The boy swallowed. He looked at Luo Ming’s cold face through the glass, took it, and downed it in one go. The game continued, the table’s excitement undiminished. Chen Li returned from the restroom. She didn’t mind that Luo Ming had taken her seat. She sat down and naturally joined in the fun.

In a shadowed corner no one noticed, Luo Ming quietly pulled out a tissue and gently wiped the back of Gu Yu’s hand. She finally softened her tone, adding a hint of concern.

“Does it hurt? Should we stop?”

“No, no. I can still drink. My tolerance isn’t that bad.”

The game went on for a few more rounds. Once again, the bottle pointed at Luo Ming. The Truth question was whether she had ever liked a boy. For the Dare, Chen Li opened a new bottle—dark red, with a rich, intense aroma that signaled high alcohol content. She poured only half a glass.

Luo Ming picked up the glass calmly, her expression still composed. Just as it reached her lips, Gu Yu suddenly stopped her.

“How about I drink it? Luo Ming has never had alcohol before. She can’t handle this high a proof.”

“Oh, Gu Yu! You suddenly figured it out, huh?” Zhao Yuanqiu gave him a meaningful look. “Then drink it for Luo Ming. If you get drunk, we’ll carry you back.”

“Yeah, I’ll leave it to you.”

Gu Yu finished speaking, took the glass from Luo Ming’s hand, and drank it boldly, as if trying to swallow the painful, regretful memories along with it. The drunkenness surged, alcohol seeping into his body. Gu Yu shook his head, forcing himself to stay conscious, and stubbornly urged the others to continue.