Chapter 652 : A Soaked Senior
“This should be the place, right?”
Ling Ning stood at the entrance of a bar. On Lunar New Year, most places were closed, but not this bar—apparently, it never closed.
A while ago, she had accompanied Qin Qing here a few times. Qin Qing seemed to know the bar’s owner, and from their conversations, Ling Ning learned that the bar stayed open even during the holidays.
The music she had heard during Zhao Rui’s phone call matched the ambiance of this bar. It had to be the right place.
Ling Ning couldn’t understand why Zhao Rui would choose to spend Lunar New Year’s night at a bar.
Sighing, she stepped inside. Dim lighting and loud music filled the space—an atmosphere she disliked. If Qin Qing hadn’t dragged her here before, she doubted she’d have ever come at all.
Despite being the first day of the New Year, the bar wasn’t empty. It wasn’t overly crowded either, just quieter than the times she’d visited with Qin Qing.
Ling Ning scanned the room briefly before spotting Zhao Rui sitting alone in a corner, drinking.
As she approached, Ling Ning noticed that Zhao Rui was dressed in a luxurious evening gown. While the outfit was stunning, it seemed wholly inappropriate for the current weather. How could she step outside in such thin clothing?
Sensing someone near, Zhao Rui looked up, surprised to see Ling Ning. It seemed she hadn’t expected her to show up.
“Ling Ning, how did you find me here?”
“More importantly, Senior Zhao Rui, why are you dressed like this? And what was the phone call about?”
Ling Ning sat across from her as she spoke.
Draining her glass, Zhao Rui chuckled softly. “I was just feeling a bit down and came out for a drink. As for the call, didn’t I say it was a mistake?”
Lowering her gaze, Zhao Rui let out a bitter laugh. She had been scrolling through her contacts earlier, looking for someone to talk to, but found no one suitable. When she saw Ling Ning’s number, she called on impulse, but once the call connected, she didn’t know what to say.
She hadn’t expected to find herself in such a situation.
Watching Zhao Rui, Ling Ning frowned. Something felt off about her tonight. Combined with the formal dress, it seemed like she had walked out of some event.
That’s when Ling Ning noticed Zhao Rui’s dress was soaked, as was her hair. Concerned, she said, “Senior, you should go home, take a hot shower, and change into dry clothes. Otherwise, you’ll catch a cold.”
“Ling Ning, are you worried about me?”
Perhaps due to the alcohol, a faint blush adorned Zhao Rui’s cheeks, making her look unexpectedly alluring.
“Let’s call it concern. But honestly, a young woman out drinking alone at night—aren’t you afraid of being taken advantage of?”
“The owner knows me. Even if I passed out drunk here, no one would dare touch me.”
Zhao Rui reached for the bottle to pour herself another drink, but Ling Ning had already taken it. Judging from her expression, she had no intention of returning it.
“That’s enough. You’ve already had most of the bottle, and it’s raining outside. I’d rather not deal with dragging a drunk you to a hotel.”
Zhao Rui smiled faintly at Ling Ning’s words. Normally, Ling Ning acted the part of a polite, respectful junior, but this side of her felt far more genuine.
What surprised Ling Ning was that Zhao Rui didn’t argue or try to reclaim the bottle. Instead, she rested her chin on her hand and smiled at her.
“Even if you look at me like that, I’m not giving the bottle back.”
“Fine. Since you’re so worried about me, I’ll listen to you for once. I’ll head home. But I didn’t bring an umbrella—could you walk me back?”
Ling Ning sighed. “Alright.”
The two of them left the bar together. Without the warmth of the indoors, the cold wind hit Zhao Rui’s wet dress, and she sneezed instinctively. She hadn’t realized how cold it was until now.
At that moment, Ling Ning removed her coat and handed it to her.
“If you don’t want it, I can take it back.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Zhao Rui took the coat and put it on, the warmth enveloping her. She could even catch a faint trace of Ling Ning’s scent.
Under the umbrella, they walked into the night.
Zhao Rui’s home wasn’t far, but it wasn’t particularly close either. As they walked, rain blown by the wind began to dampen Ling Ning’s clothes. It hadn’t seemed this bad when she first left the house.
If this continued, both she and Zhao Rui would end up soaked.
Glancing at Zhao Rui’s high heels, Ling Ning realized there was no way to quicken their pace. She resigned herself to their current speed.
As if reading her thoughts, Zhao Rui asked curiously, “Ling Ning, why did you come looking for me? Our relationship isn’t even close enough to call us friends.”
“I didn’t want to, honestly. But you treated me to lunch once, so consider this me repaying that favor.”
“Is that so? Then I suppose I should treat you to more meals in the future~.”
Ling Ning rolled her eyes and said nothing.
Zhao Rui chuckled softly at her reaction. Looking at the way Ling Ning held the umbrella—despite already being drenched, she tilted it toward Zhao Rui—she couldn’t help but feel touched.
Noticing Zhao Rui’s gaze, Ling Ning said, “That coat is expensive and dry-clean only. If it gets wet, it’ll be a hassle for me.”
“In that case, I’ll buy you a new one.”
“No need. Just keep mine dry—it’s custom-designed and one of a kind.”
Hearing this, Zhao Rui chuckled again. She could tell the coat was just a popular brand item. The “one of a kind” claim was probably just an excuse to keep herself from getting soaked.