Heart-Warming Youth - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Encounter While Out on a Meal

Translator: Noodletown Translations Editor: Noodletown Translations
Xu Ai dragged Autumn into the ladies’ room and made her stand against the wall; crossing her arms before her chest, she glared at Autumn.
Autumn softened immediately and looked at her ingratiatingly, “Good Ai, I did it for your happiness.”
Xu Ai didn’t buy it. “What did you tell him about me?”
Autumn asked carefully, “If I tell you the truth, you’ll forgive me?”
“Yes.”
Autumn coughed twice and said in a small voice, “I told him everything that happened to you in the school…”
“What?” Xu Ai had expected she had been betrayed but still she was astonished how completely she was sold. She screamed.
“Hush. Lower your voice.” Autumn put a forefinger before her lips.
Xu Ai glared at her. “You told him about Lin Shen?”
Autumn blinked and then nodded under Xu Ai’s stare.
Xu Ai’s face turned dark immediately.
Autumn tried to comfort her. “Don’t worry. I only cleared the rumors circulating in our school about your relationship with Lin Shen. I told him there’s nothing between you two. In the past three years, you didn’t even hold his hand…”
“Wang Qiujing!” Xu Ai’s face turned darker, as dark as high-quality coal.
Autumn had never seen such a dark expression on Xu Ai’s face before. She said in trepidation, “Ai, I didn’t want to say this at the beginning, but your boyfriend is so kind and easy to talk to that I began to tell him all these things without even realizing it…”
Xu Ai stared at her. If she had needles in her eyes, Autumn would have been pierced into a sieve.
“Please don’t be angry. Today my boyfriend is the host. Please forgive me.” Autumn brought her palms together and prayed for forgiveness, as if she was afraid Xu Ai would stuff her into the toilet.
Xu Ai still stared at her.
Autumn put down her hands and said with a straight face, “Ai-Ai, we know how you feel for Lin Shen in the past three years, but how did he treat you? We know it all. We just think it would be a great pity if you gave up Su Xuan because of your past infatuation. Su Xuan likes you and he’s excellent in every aspect…”
Hearing the mention of Lin Shen, Xu Ai’s determination to punish Autumn collapsed suddenly. She interrupted Autumn. “Forget it.”
Autumn looked at her in surprise and then got nervous. “Ai, are you really angry? Please don’t. I was wrong. But you know no one can resist Su Xuan’s charm especially when one hears his melodious voice on the phone. His voice seems to have a sucking force. When I talked to him on the phone, I had the feeling that I’d let him down if I didn’t tell him things about you.”
Xu Ai was so angry that she laughed. “You felt you’d let him down if you didn’t tell him things about me?”
Autumn scratched her head. “Well, I just called you to ask if you have time tonight. I called twice but no one answered; I was about to hang up when he answered. I asked him who he was, and he said he’s Su Xuan and you were sleeping.” She paused and looked at Xu Ai with glints in her eyes. “He said you were sleeping.”
Xu Ai gave her a dirty look. “I left my cell phone in his hands last night.”
Autumn said “Oh” and continued, “I told him about the dinner and asked him if he had time to join us. He said he did, but he didn’t know if you’d agree to bring him to the dinner or not. Of course, I couldn’t let this good opportunity slide from my fingers. I insisted that he must come, telling him that we’re your close friends and want to see him. One thing led to another, and we began to talk about you…”
Xu Ai rolled her eyes.
Autumn swore to her, “At the beginning, I didn’t intend to talk about you. But later the conversation turned to this direction without my noticing it. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Xu Ai thought, “Who’s Su Xuan? He’s so sly that he can get words from anyone, not to mention Autumn who’s a big gossip.” She waved her hand. “Forget it. I’ll get back to you with Wu Xiting anyway.”
Autumn was terrified. “Please don’t.”
“There’s no use begging me now.” Xu Ai snorted. Pushing Autumn away, she went to the sink to wash hands.
“Ai, good Ai, I was wrong. I won’t do it again. I’ll keep my mouth tightly closed even if your Su Xuan tries to pry my mouth open. Please don’t tell Wu Xiting about me. I did too many stupid things in the past three years…”
Xu Ai didn’t buy it. “I’ll find a good time and tell him everything you did.”
“Please don’t tell him. I’ll do anything you say, okay? Good Ai, please…” Autumn grabbed Xu Ai’s sleeve and begged pitiably.
“No way. It’s no use begging me.” Looking at the fearful look on Autumn’s face, Xu Ai felt much better.
Seeing the determination on Xu Ai’s face, Autumn scratched her head and was about to beg her some more when they heard a bam from their left. Startled, she turned her head. Then she yelled in astonishment. “Lin Shen?”
Xu Ai was about to wash hands and didn’t look back when the sound came. Hearing Autumn’s voice, she turned stiff and looked back slowly.
A man was leaning on the wall beside the door of the men’s room on the left; he was Lin Shen.
With one hand pressing on his forehead, he steadied himself with the other hand on the wall. As he did it, the cellphone in his hand made a big sound as it connected with the wall.
Xu Ai was surprised to see Lin Shen in this place. Even from the distance, she could smell the strong alcohol fume from him.
Her mind worked fast, wondering if he was here to have dinner with his clients. Usually, he had excellent self-control and didn’t drink.
In the past three years, she had seldom seen him drink.
Lin Shen looked as if he was in pain. Leaning on the wall for a moment, he looked toward them. When he saw Xu Ai and Autumn standing before the sink, he was stunned. Then his eyes rested on Xu Ai and his pupils contracted slowly.
Xu Ai pursed her lips but didn’t move.
Having recovered from her astonishment, Autumn glanced at Xu Ai and then Lin Shen. As they remained motionless, she finally nudged Xu Ai and whispered, “Is he Lin Shen? How come he’s here?”
Xu Ai shook her head, wondering about the question, too.
“He looks drunk,” Autumn said.
Xu Ai nodded. After a moment of hesitation, he walked toward him.
But Autumn grabbed her. “Ai, what are you doing? Don’t forget Su Xuan is here.”
Xu Ai paused and pried Autumn’s fingers from her arm, saying, “We are from the same university. He’s drunk; we can’t leave him here like this.”
Autumn loosened her grip and followed her.
“Lin Shen, are you drunk?” Xu Ai stood before him and asked.
Lin Shen looked at her unblinkingly.
Xu Ai felt as if his eyes could suck her in.
Autumn stepped up and blocked half of Xu Ai’s body from his view. She waved her hand before Lin Shen’s face. “Lin Shen, can you recognize us?”
Looking away, he rubbed his forehead forcefully and asked in a husky voice, “Why are you here?”
Autumn heaved out a sigh of relief. “Good, you’re not dead drunk yet.”
Lin Shen didn’t speak.
“Autumn’s boyfriend invited us to have dinner here.” Xu Ai looked at Lin Shen. “Are you having dinner with clients? Which room? We’ll walk you back. You’ve drunk a lot.”
Lin Shen lowered his head and didn’t speak.
Xu Ai looked at him. He was a man of good self-discipline and had never indulged in anything. She had never seen him so drunk before. He leaned on the wall and didn’t move; obviously, he was afraid he’d drop to the ground if he moved.
She pushed Autumn to one side and put a hand under his arm.
Autumn widened her eyes and stopped her loudly, “Ai!”
Xu Ai paused but still supported him, asking, “Which room? I’ll walk you back.”
Pausing for a moment, Lin Shen said in a husky voice, “215.”
Xu Ai nodded and helped him to walk forward.
“Hey!” Autumn yelled.
Xu Ai looked at Autumn and said, “I’ll help him walk to Room 215. Go and I’ll be back in a moment.”
Lin Shen didn’t refuse her help; without a word, he let her help him walk out of the washing room.
Autumn stomped her foot and went to wash hands at the sink; Beijing City is huge, but they had the bad luck to meet Lin Shen in this restaurant.
She walked out of the washing room and went back to their room.
She walked only a few steps and saw Su Xuan and Wu Xiting come up. Stopping her steps immediately, she glanced around and heaved out a sigh of relief when she didn’t see Xu Ai and Lin Shen. She waved at them.
Seeing her, Wu Xiting looked relieved. “I was afraid Xu Ai would give you a hard time and came to rescue you. She didn’t do anything to you, right?”
Autumn’s face twitched a bit. Of course, she wouldn’t tell him she had begged Xu Ai’s forgiveness. Shaking her head, she said, “No. Ai is very gentle. She just demanded some answers.” She winked at him. “Answers about someone.”
Wu Tingxi understood the hidden meaning.
“Where’s she?” Su Xuan looked behind her and asked.
She scratched her head. “Ai’s still in the washing room. I came out before her.”
“Huh?” Su Xuan looked at her.
Instantly, she felt Su Xuan could see through her. Forcing herself to calm down, she explained, “She interrogated me for a long time and went into the washing room a moment ago. I just washed hands and came out.”
Su Xuan nodded and went into the washing room to wash his hands.
“Let’s return to our room.” Autumn pulled Wu Xiting to walk back.
“I need to wash hands, too.” Wu Xiting felt Autumn was acting weirdly.
She let go of him immediately and asked, “Is Violet in the room?”
Wu Xiting nodded.
Immediately, Autumn ran back to the room.
Nonplussed, Wu Xiting went into the washing room.
When Autumn ran into the room, Violet was muttering something while reading the menu. Ignoring the mutterings, she grabbed Violet’s hand and said, “Ai-Ai and I saw Lin Shen in the washing room.”
“Huh?” Violet was surprised. “What’s he doing here?”
“I don’t know. I suppose he’s having dinner with clients.” Autumn said in a whisper, “He’s drunk and leaned on the wall after he came out of the washing room. He couldn’t even walk. Ai helped him into Room 215.”
“Fack!” Violet put down the menu. “Are you sure Wu Xiting isn’t Lin Shen’s spy? Why did he choose this restaurant? In the big city of Beijing, how come we met him in this place?”
Autumn froze for a moment and shook her head. “I don’t think Wu Xiting knows Lin Shen.”
Violet asked, “Why did you let her go with Lin Shen? Why didn’t you go with them?”
“I forgot.” Autumn scratched her head.
Violet grabbed her arm. “Let’s go to Room 215. Su Xuan is here; what if he got the wrong idea?”
Autumn nodded.
They didn’t go far when Su Xuan and Wu Xiting walked out after washing hands.
Wu Xiting asked them, “Where are you going?”
“Washing room.” Autumn said immediately, “Violet asked me to go with her.”
Wu Xiting was puzzled.
Su Xuan stopped and asked Autumn, “Where’s Xu Ai?”
Autumn’s heart lurched as she replied, “Huh? She’s in…”
Su Xuan smiled. “You probably don’t know it, but I also had courses of laws and psychology besides my major in finance. I can find loopholes in the best lies. Besides, your lies and acting skills are not the best.”
Autumn was stupefied.
Violet had stars in her eyes as she looked at Su Xuan in admiration. “Wow. You’re awesome.”
“Can you tell me the truth now?” Su Xuan asked with a faint smile.
Autumn’s face fell, feeling embarrassed. After a moment of hesitation, she said in a small voice, “We met Lin Shen in the washing room. Yeah, Lin Shen; you know who he is. He’s drunk and couldn’t walk; so Ai helped him walk back to Room 215.”
Su Xuan raised his brows.
“Violet and I were going to find her.” Autumn continued, “What a coincidence. We were talking and washing hands and he appeared. Ai said he’s our classmate and it’s not nice of us to leave him there…”
Lin Shen turned and walked forward.
Autumn looked toward Violet with a we-are-finished look on her face.
Violet nudged her and signaled to follow him. Autumn nodded and pulled the nonplussed Wu Xiting with them.
Room 215 was in the corner, but the door was open and the room was empty.
Su Xuan looked back at Autumn.
Autumn widened her eyes. “I heard it clearly that it was Room 215. How come it’s empty?”
Su Xuan glanced at her and stopped a waiter who was passing them with a platter in his hands. He asked the waiter, “Where are the people in Room 215?”
“They paid the bill and left,” said the waiter.
Su Xuan narrowed his eyes and went downstairs.
Autumn and Violet exchanged a look and followed him.
Coming downstairs, they didn’t see Xu Ai or Lin Shen at the cashier desk or in the big hall on the first floor.
Violet scolded Autumn, “Why didn’t you go with them?”
Autumn looked regretful and said in a small voice, “Does Ai have a cell phone with her? We can call her!”
“Well, I don’t think so. Her bag is in the room,” Violet said immediately.
Autumn remembered it, too, that when Xu Ai pulled her out of the room, they were both empty-handed. Who’d think they’d see Lin Shen in this place? She looked toward Su Xuan and asked, “What shall we do?”
Su Xuan glanced around and his eyes rested on the entrance. After a moment, he smiled. “Let’s return to the room and wait for her.”