Chapter 03
She seemed to like women.
This was something Xia An had deduced from Sheng Ruqiās ambiguous, teasing remarks.
Nowadays, same-sex marriage had already been legal in the country for quite a few years, and true freedom of love had been achieved. A woman liking a woman or a man liking a man was nothing short of ordinary.
As she turned around, Xia An didn’t notice that a gaze had fallen upon her.
Just as everyone held their breath, full of curiosity and waiting to see who Ye Jin would choose, Ye Jin did something completely unexpected. She called out to Xia An, who had just turned to leave, “Wait a moment, don’t leave yet.”
Her voice was crisp and cold, devoid of any discernible emotion, much like a clear, freezing mountain spring gurgling to life after the first snow melts.
Xia An stopped her tracks and turned back around, adopting a standard, professional service-industry tone. “Is there anything else you need, ma’am?”
Instead, Ye Jin asked softly, “Can you drink?”
It was no wonder Ye Jin asked this, because the impression Xia An gave off was roughly that of someone who would pass out after a single glass of alcoholāand absolutely no more than that.
She actually chose me? Xia An froze for a moment, looking at the wine glass in Ye Jin’s hand, before offering a clear response, “Yes.”
The crowd gasped softly, though it made sense upon second thought, because this little waitress was indeed exceptionally beautiful.
“May I offer you a drink?” Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Ye Jin stepped closer to Xia An and held out one of the glasses right up to Xia An’s hand.
Ye Jin couldn’t help but look into Xia An’s eyes. They were very beautiful, especially when she smiled. Perhaps because it had been far too long since she had seen eyes so remarkably clear, Ye Jin unconsciously stared for a few seconds longer.
Is this the Ye Jin I’ve known for twenty years? Sheng Ruqi found it unbelievable. For a split second, she felt as if a thousand-year-old glacier was finally thawing out to welcome the arrival of spring.
To be fair, Ye Jin’s looks alone were seductive enough. If she ever chose to take the initiative, whether it was a man or a woman, who could possibly refuse her? Everyone knew that JM’s President Ye possessed a face capable of bringing disaster to all living things, yet when it came to relationships, she was an absolute rockāor rather, a diamond.
Sheng Ruqi had truly had her eyes opened today. As expected, when a repressed, aloof woman finally takes the initiative, she becomes the absolute finest specimen on earth.
Meanwhile, Shen Weimin’s heart shattered into pieces nearby. So, I just lost to a little girl who pours drinks?
Xia An worked regularly at Ye Se and was long used to being hit on, but there had never been a single time where her heart started racing just because someone was looking into her eyes.
The woman before her was as proud as a queen.
Women naturally enjoyed looking at beautiful women too, and for a second or two… Xia An couldn’t tear her eyes away.
“Is that alright?” Ye Jin asked once more. The reason she chose Xia An was twofold: first, she didn’t want to engage in flirtatious ambiguity with acquaintances to avoid future awkwardness; second, President Ye was a woman of strict principles, and this girl was genuinely the one she found the most beautiful.
Xia An was 165 centimeters tall, which wasn’t considered short when wearing high heels, but she held absolutely no advantage in front of Ye Jinānot to mention the other womanās aura, which resembled a flower blooming high upon an inaccessible mountain peak.
Standing opposite each other, Xia An, who was several centimeters shorter, didn’t show any stage fright at all. Instead, she graciously accepted the glass, tilting her head up to offer Ye Jin a bright smile. “Of course.”
With bright eyes and white teeth, her smile was incredibly moving.
No matter what hardships she experienced, she always maintained a poised and dignified attitude toward life. This was something Xia An had always done remarkably well.
This smile made one feel genuinely comfortable from the bottom of their heart; it was simple and pure. Seeing someone so young hanging around nightclubs, Ye Jin even felt a trace of pity for her. It wasn’t out of prejudice; it was just that while venues like this couldn’t exactly be called filthy, they certainly couldn’t be called clean either.
They were overflowing with money and temptation.
Consequently, many young girls were willing to come here to look for shortcuts. Yet Ye Jin faintly felt that the girl in front of her seemed to be an exception…
As the two looked at each other, lost in their own thoughts, the onlookers actually perceived a hint of romance in the air. They all began to smile and urge them on, “Drink up, drink up~”
Ye Jin raised her glass first.
And Xia An cooperated seamlessly.
The women’s slender arms crossed over, intertwining and hooking together. From time to time, they would brush against each other’s smooth skin, and for a fleeting moment, a tingling, numbing sensation surged straight into Xia An’s heart.
Their movements were strangely synchronized, so much so that it felt as if there really was something going on between them.
Aside from Shen Weimin, whose face was turning green with rage, everyone else was just enjoying the show.
Xia An slowly sipped her wine, drinking it down bit by bit. When she tilted her head back, her gaze happened to land on the elegant lines of the other woman’s neck, and the refined, elegant scent radiating from her body was deeply intoxicating.
It was an intimate posture, yet it still carried an unapproachable sense of distance.
Xia An felt her heart beating even faster, and she couldn’t resist using her peripheral vision to admire the face right next to her. Suddenly, a strange and pointless thought popped into her head: What kind of person could actually walk into the heart of a woman like this?
It seemed she was thinking a bit too much.
After finishing the glass, Ye Jin appraised Xia An for a brief moment before asking in a somewhat lukewarm tone, “Are you feeling alright?”
An icy concern was still concern nonetheless.
Xia An smiled. “I can still handle one glass.”
Seeing that she was fine, Ye Jin didn’t say anything more.
And just like that, the brief joke came to an end.
After leaving the private room, Xia An was still thinking about the little episode that had just occurred.
She only knew that the woman’s last name was Ye.
People often used the word “aloof and detached” to describe certain types, and that was probably exactly how she felt, right? It was only a chance encounter, but Xia An faintly felt that way.
After several rounds of drinks.
“Ye Jin, I’ve known you for so many years, and only today did I find out that you actually like to cradle-snatch…” Sheng Ruqi had drunk a bit too much and was still thinking about what happened earlier. Leaning her head against Ye Jin’s shoulder, she said, “If you like that pure, innocent little white rabbit type, I’ll introduce more of them to you in the future.”
“You’ve had too much to drink.” Ye Jin pushed Sheng Ruqi’s head away.
“I’m not drunk! Come on, let’s go downstairs and loosen up~”
Having just finished their drinks, Sheng Ruqi and her group clamored to go downstairs to party. Ye Jin had never liked overly rowdy environments and naturally refused to join the “frenzied dancing crowd.” Instead, she chose the most inconspicuous corner of the bar to sit by herself and have a few quiet drinks, which suited her much better.
At two o’clock in the morning, Ye Se was still a scene of revelry. The late-night wild partying felt like a disguised form of loneliness.
After sitting alone for a while, Ye Jin grew somewhat bored and annoyed. She sent a message to Sheng Ruqiāthough she estimated the eldest Miss Sheng wouldn’t have time to look at it right nowāand set down her glass, preparing to leave first.
Meanwhile, Xia An was drifting through the nightlife venue. At a scattered table next to the dance floor, she had found a new target. She was currently smiling and chatting lightheartedly, clinking glasses with a customer as they made casual conversation.
