"You have a boyfriend now, so you should just forget him. There are plenty of fish in the sea, aren't there? What are you, a model youth, going to do?"
Ning Chen's friend, Zhang Fei, ran a hand over his buzz cut, unable to imagine that their aloof and noble Ning Leng Dao would be troubled by matters of the heart.
"Plenty of fish in the sea?" Ning Chen softly repeated Zhang Fei's words, then suddenly let out a scoff.
"But the other fish aren't my Ning Jing."
Ning Chen paused, then added, "Ning Jing isn't just any fish; she's my one and only rose."
Ning Chen opened his phone's contact list again, but this time, he didn't close it.
Zhang Fei was surprised. Ning Chen, who was usually so indifferent, turned out to be deeply devoted. He didn't know how to advise Ning Chen.
"Don't say anything for a while."
Ning Chen suddenly looked at him sternly. Zhang Fei nodded, his reflexes kicking in, and adopted the serious demeanor of someone carrying out a mission.
Seeing this, Ning Chen turned his gaze back to his phone, took a deep breath, and dialed Ning Jing.
Ning Jing's gentle ringtone echoed from the phone. Zhang Fei guessed that the person on the other end was likely a girl, perhaps the rose Ning Chen had mentioned.
As time passed and Ning Jing didn't answer, Ning Chen's lips gradually tightened into a straight line. His eyes grew dark and inscrutable, and his grip on the wine glass involuntarily tightened.
Finally, just as the call was about to be automatically disconnected, Ning Jing's voice came from the phone.
"Hello."
As Ning Jing's voice rang out, the wine glass in Ning Chen's hand was crushed by his bare hand.
Seeing Ning Chen's hand bleeding, Zhang Fei quickly took off his jacket to tie it. But Ning Chen turned away, shaking off Zhang Fei's hand.
Damn it, this was the sharpshooter who handled sniper rifles.
Zhang Fei looked at Ning Chen's well-defined hands, now stained red with blood, and couldn't help but curse inwardly.
"This is Ning Chen." Ning Chen's gaze softened considerably, but the veins on his hand gripping the phone still bulged.
Ning Jing's voice was hoarse and soft, as if she hadn't fully woken up.
There was silence on the other end. Ning Chen's lips tightened again.
"Ge," Ning Jing's voice came again after a moment, losing its sleepy tone.
"Mm, Jingjing, I've had too much to drink. Come pick me up." Ning Chen's voice was light, tinged with a hint of humility.
Ning Jing paused for a few seconds and refused Ning Chen.
"Ge, where are you? I'll call a designated driver for you." Ning Chen likes Lili, Ning Jing reminded herself silently.
"You don't want to come?" Ning Chen's expression darkened, and he slumped onto the bar.
Ning Jing was taken aback. She hadn't expected Ning Chen to say that.
"Ning Jing, if I don't see you at Ye Se in an hour, I don't know how long I'll be alive."
Ning Chen hung up immediately after speaking.
Zhang Fei's eyes had widened into saucers.
He never thought he'd see Ning Chen, so dejected, so strong yet so utterly humble.
Objectively speaking, Ning Chen was exceptionally handsome. In the few nights Zhang Fei had spent with him, a dozen or so beautiful women would approach Ning Chen every night.
Most of them were scared away by Ning Chen's cold demeanor.
For the few who were not deterred, Ning Chen would directly call the manager to escort those women out himself.
Seeing Ning Chen like this, Zhang Fei was truly curious about the woman who made Ning Chen unable to have her.
With that thought, Zhang Fei took a sip of his drink and waited with Ning Chen.
Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Fei noticed Ning Chen still staring intently at the time on his wrist and clicked his tongue.
Ning Leng Dao was truly terrifying when he fell in love. It inexplicably reminded him of how Ning Chen had once infiltrated enemy territory for five days during a military exercise to capture the mastermind.
But this was a matter of the heart, not a military exercise. He knew that persistence alone wouldn't solve it.
"Ge, let's go home."
Another fifteen minutes passed. Ning Jing was brought to Ning Chen by people Ning Chen had arranged in advance.
Only then did Ning Chen finally shift his gaze from his watch to Ning Jing.
Seeing Ning Jing arrive, Zhang Fei couldn't help but feel a sense of relief for Ning Chen.
Then, Zhang Fei looked with great interest at Ning Jing, who was pretty but not stunning, and at the glowing look in Ning Chen's eyes as he gazed at her.
That look, how to describe it?
It was like a husky seeing a bone.
Fervent and excited.
"Ge, let's go home." Ning Chen didn't respond, so Ning Jing asked again.
"He said he won't let me leave until I finish ten drinks," Ning Chen said, standing up but not leaving with Ning Jing.
"Who?" Ning Jing took a step back, asking confusedly.
Ning Chen pointed at Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei was stunned for a moment, then looked utterly innocent. But receiving Ning Chen's threatening gaze, Zhang Fei could only steel himself and say, "That's right, ten drinks it is."
Zhang Fei glanced at the delicate Ning Jing, feeling a surge of guilt.
"I can't drink anymore," Ning Chen said, leaning towards Ning Jing with a hint of petulance.
Zhang Fei's eyes widened again. He hadn't spoken like this when he was downing bottles of whiskey a few days ago.
Ning Jing was taken aback, then took another step back.
Seeing Ning Chen like this, Ning Jing felt she would easily lose her composure again.
Ning Chen hadn't been very clear on the phone. Ning Jing hadn't dared to tell her parents, so she had come by herself.
Now, seeing the situation, Ning Jing thought for a moment, picked up a glass of wine from the table, and drank it down.
"Cough, cough."
Ning Jing drank too quickly and choked. Ning Chen quickly patted her back. "Slow down, there's no rush."
Ning Chen watched Ning Jing drink glass after glass, his eyes filled with visible heartache and a tender warmth.
"Okay, stop drinking."
After finishing six Bloody Marys, Ning Jing could no longer stand steady but still unhesitatingly reached for the wine on the table.
She enjoyed this dull sensation, as if the unrequited love that had been extinguished in her heart no longer hurt.
"Jingjing, that's enough."
Ning Chen gently pulled her into his arms. This brought Ning Jing face to face with Zhang Fei.
"If you have a problem, come at me. Don't make things difficult for my brother," Yun Shuzhu (Ning Jing's implied name, though not explicitly stated in the original Chinese) snarled at Zhang Fei, looking like a fierce little kitten.
Zhang Fei dared not say a word, silently holding his head and trembling.
Ning Chen chuckled, then scooped Ning Jing into his arms, completely ignoring Zhang Fei, and walked away with her.