radicalducati Chapter 155 The Charming Bar Owner 2
Chapter 155 The Charming Bar Owner 2
Pei Yu'an suddenly stepped back, almost knocking over the chair behind him.
He gripped the mojito cup tightly, his fingertips turning white, and glared at Liu Yunshu, trying to appear calm.
"Why...why are you getting so close!"
Liu Yunshu casually brushed a stray strand of hair with her fingertips and chuckled softly, "What's the panic? I'm not going to eat you."
Pei Yu'an's Adam's apple bobbed, and he turned his face to the window, trying to hide the blush on the tips of his ears, but he didn't notice that his grip on the cup had loosened a little.
"Who's panicking?"
He muttered something and took another big gulp of mojito, but the coolness of the mint couldn't quell the heat in his ears.
Liu Yunshu stopped teasing him, leaned back in her chair, silently took out a cigarette, and nodded at him.
Pei Yu'an caught a glimpse of her movements out of the corner of his eye. His hand moved faster than his brain, and he pressed the lighter and handed it over. The flame steadily licked the cigarette.
By the time he realized what was happening, Liu Yunshu had already given him a slight nod, her mouth still brimming with cigarette smoke: "Thanks, Xiao Pei."
The way he casually called out "Little Pei" made Pei Yu'an's heart skip a beat. He awkwardly turned around, pretending to stare at the mint leaves in his cup: "No need."
Liu Yunshu took a drag of her cigarette and slowly exhaled. The smoke drifted over the corners of her eyes like a light veil, adding a touch of hazy detachment.
Pei Yu'an secretly glanced at her; this woman seemed exceptionally mysterious.
Especially when smoking, her lazy eyebrows and eyes are half-closed, which is clearly a very charming look.
Yet she exuded a coldness that made strangers feel distant; the combination of these two qualities made it impossible for him to look away.
His Adam's apple bobbed again, and he blurted out as if possessed, "Does Boss Liu often smoke here?" He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.
Liu Yunshu raised an eyebrow, tapped the cigarette between her fingers on the ashtray, and the ash fell in a flurry.
"Occasionally? What? You don't like it?"
"No," Pei Yu'an immediately denied, then added in a low voice, "It's just... bad for your health."
He was stunned after saying that. Why did he care about this strange woman's body?
Her ears turned even redder, and she quickly picked up her cup and took a sip to cover it up.
Seeing his flustered appearance, Liu Yunshu's smile deepened, but she didn't point it out. Instead, she went along with the conversation and said, "You've given me a lecture."
She then took another puff, her slender, fair fingers holding the cigarette, and slowly exhaled a wisp of smoke from her red lips.
The woman's languid eyes were hidden behind the smoke, and her slightly low, husky voice drifted over.
"But I can't quit. When I have a lot of worries, I always need to find something to focus on."
Pei Yu'an tightened his grip on the cup, a strange bitterness rising in his heart.
He recalled his recent troubles, and looking at Liu Yunshu's eyes and brows hidden in the smoke, he inexplicably said:
"Troublesome things... Even someone like Boss Liu has troublesome things?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yunshu paused for two seconds with the cigarette between her fingers, then chuckled softly.
The smoke dissipated with the laughter, revealing a faint mockery in her eyes: "What do you mean, 'no'? Everyone has worries."
She didn't elaborate, but simply stubbed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray, and the embers disappeared with two hissing sounds.
"For example, you have to worry when business is bad, you have to deal with difficult customers, and even the little things at home can be a hassle."
The last sentence was spoken casually, yet it inexplicably struck a chord with Pei Yu'an.
He suppressed his frustration and casually asked, "Even someone as capable as Boss Liu can be stumped by family matters?"
"Heh~" Liu Yunshu chuckled softly, then suddenly leaned closer to him and blew a faint smoke ring at him.
The smoke rings slowly dissipated, brushing past Pei Yu'an's nose, carrying a hint of tobacco mixed with the fruity scent emanating from her.
"Capable?" She raised a teasing glint in her eye, her voice low and even more magnetic and seductive.
"Haven't you heard that even the most capable woman can easily lose her mind when she falls in love?"
Pei Yu'an's face flushed bright red, even the tips of his ears felt burning hot. He shrank back abruptly, almost bumping into the partition of the booth.
His hand gripping the cup trembled slightly, and his eyes darted away, avoiding Liu Yunshu's gaze: "Boss Liu, what are you saying!"
Seeing his helpless expression, Liu Yunshu chuckled softly, straightened up, leaned back in her chair, and lightly tapped the table with her fingertips.
"I was just saying it casually, look how scared you are."
"Who scared me!" Pei Yu'an retorted, his neck stiff, but he lacked confidence.
I could only stare down at the swirling liquid in the glass; the coolness of the mint felt like a burning sensation in my heart.
"Alright, go home early, it's not safe to be out so late." Liu Yunshu tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, her tone returning to its usual calm.
She then lazily stood up, her silk slip dress swaying gently with her movements, outlining her alluring curves.
She took a business card out of her bag and handed it to Pei Yu'an, holding it between her fingers.
"If you come again next time, send me a message in advance and I'll save this spot for you."
Pei Yu'an looked up, his gaze first falling on her fair fingertips.
Then move to the business card with "Liu Yunshu" and contact information printed on it.
Finally, it all converged on that deep career line.
Pei Yu'an abruptly withdrew his gaze as if he had been burned, his cheeks flushed red as if they were about to bleed.
He hurriedly reached out to take the business card, but his fingertips accidentally touched Liu Yunshu's fingertips.
The touch was smooth and slightly cool, and Pei Yu'an's heart pounded in his ears.
He frantically grabbed the business card, his fingertips trembling, and could only clutch the stiff cardstock tightly to hide his panic: "I-I understand."
Liu Yunshu looked at the crumpled corner of the business card he was clutching, a smile hidden in her eyes, but she didn't expose his embarrassment.
He turned and walked towards the bar, leaving behind the words "Be careful on your way," before leaning against the bar and whispering instructions to the bartender.
Pei Yu'an sat in the booth, watching her back, the business card in his hand still carrying the warmth of her fingertips.
He secretly glanced up, his gaze sweeping over her falling hair and slender waist, then quickly lowered his head, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
"Hey kid, what are you looking at?" A soft laugh came from the next table.
Pei Yu'an suddenly snapped out of his daze and realized that he had been staring at Liu Yunshu for a long time.
His ears burned, and he grabbed his schoolbag from the table and rushed out the door.
He had just rushed out of the bar when the evening breeze calmed him down a bit. He opened his hand and looked at the crumpled business card.
The three characters "Liu Yunshu" are printed in a graceful and powerful style, and the contact information next to them is clear and eye-catching.
He traced the name with his fingertips, his mind replaying her eyes and brows when she leaned in, her low, husky laughter, and the words, "It's easy to lose your mind when you fall in love."
"This is insane, this is insane."
Pei Yu'an patted his face and turned to walk back to school.
He hurried back to school, almost running, and only dared to breathe heavily when he rushed into his dormitory, slammed the door shut, and leaned against the cold door panel.
His heart was still pounding violently in his chest, each beat striking his eardrums.
He opened his palm again, the business card was slightly wrinkled from being squeezed.
He frowned slightly, then subconsciously walked to the desk and laid out the business card.
The images of the bar started replaying uncontrollably in my mind again.
When she came closer, she exuded a warm scent of tobacco and fruit, her languid and aloof eyes hidden behind the smoke.
Her soft, husky smile, her pale fingertips as she handed over her business card, and the striking, deep curves of her face in that fleeting glimpse…
"Damn it!" Pei Yu'an cursed under his breath, scratching his hair in frustration.
He casually stuffed the business card into his pocket, then, feeling uneasy, took it out again.
After hesitating for a moment, I carefully tucked it into a professional book that I often read.
He was stunned after making that move.
What is he doing? Keeping the business card of a woman he only met once?
My roommate was playing games with headphones on, typing away loudly on the keyboard, and I didn't notice anything unusual about him.
Pei Yu'an breathed a sigh of relief, walked to the sink, and splashed his face with cold water.
Cool water droplets slid down her cheeks and dripped into her collar, but she still couldn't calm down.
His flushed face and flickering eyes were reflected in the mirror.
He tried to adopt his usual arrogant demeanor, but found his lips stiff and he couldn't manage that familiar, slightly roguish smile.
That woman... Liu Yunshu...
She was unlike any other woman he had ever met.
She wasn't a naive girl from school, nor was she like his mother, a woman who appeared pure and gentle on the surface.
She is mature and charming, like a ripe peach that bursts with juice at the slightest touch.
Yet it carries a thorn, a detached and sharp understanding of the world.
She was clearly teasing him, yet her eyes were so clear, as if she had seen right through his awkwardness and pretense.
The worst part is that he should have resisted, should have felt offended, but his body and heartbeat betrayed him honestly.
His heart raced when she got close.
His fingertips went numb when she touched him.
When she left, he... he felt a strange sense of loss.
And then there was that quote she said—"Even the most capable woman can easily lose her mind when she falls in love."
Is she talking about herself?
A woman like her, could she also be troubled by love?
Thinking of this, Pei Yu'an felt a strange bitterness well up in his heart again, mixed with an inexplicable anger.
He shook his head, trying to banish these chaotic thoughts.
He grabbed a towel, wiped his face haphazardly, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes.
But in the darkness, those smiling, alluring yet clear eyes...
The scent of tobacco and cool fragrance lingering around the tip of my nose became even clearer.
He rolled over, buried his face in the pillow, and groaned softly.
That's... insane.