Chapter 5: Zebra Zebra

Whereas everybody started to play video games on the desk, Ruan Zhizhi started to remorse that she hadn’t gone again to the inn to sleep earlier.

The sport everybody was enjoying now was known as “Ten Thirty”. She had already misplaced thrice in a row, and could be fined to drink for every loss. Ruan Zhizhi was now trying on the liquid that was about to overflow from her glass. She felt that she would throw up if she checked out it once more, not to mention ingesting the total glass of alcohol.

Chen Jiayan was clearly a celebration king. He was having enjoyable at this second, incessantly urging: “Zhizhi, hurry, hurry, you must adjust to the foundations of the sport, ah. Escaping a drink is certainly not allowed.”

Ruan Zhizhi was helpless. She closed her eyes and had no selection however to very gallantly choose up the glass. However within the subsequent second it was abruptly lifted away by the person sitting throughout from her. He raised his head and drained the glass in a single gulp.

From the start till this second, Ruan Zhizhi had drank so much. Now, her thoughts was in an entire mess. She couldn’t actually distinguish between east, south, west, and north. She shook her head and gazed on the man reverse her for a very long time earlier than she realized that the one that completed her glass of beer was really Shi Yan.

Everybody was him in awe. Chen Jiayan was surprised for a second, after which requested a bit doubtfully, “Ah Yan, are you taking her place for the ingesting punishment?”

“No.” Shi Yan put down the empty glass in his hand. “I used to be thirsty.”

Chen Jiayan: “……”

Yan Rui: “……”

He completed talking, unconcerned with the unfathomable expressions of everybody current. He raised his line of sight to take a look at Ruan Zhizhi. His pitch-black eyes had been nonetheless empty. There was nothing in them in any respect. However what he mentioned within the subsequent second made Ruan Zhizhi sober up instantly.

“If you must drink tonight, I’ll substitute.”

The lights within the bar flickered and blurred, flashing throughout his face. After they clearly extinguished, it was very stunning.

It took Ruan Zhizhi almost ten seconds to digest the that means of his phrases. She clearly needed to refuse, however when she thought of that she won’t even be capable of return if she was too drunk, the phrases on the verge of her lips stiffly changed into a “thanks”.

The opposite particular person raised his eyebrows and replied, “No want for thanks. As long as you keep in mind that you owe me a favour.”

In reality, Ruan Zhizhi hated owing others probably the most in her life. Nevertheless, she glanced on the ten or so bottles of beer on the desk. After considering it over rigorously, she felt that this favour was indispensable.

When all was mentioned and accomplished, it was her personal fault for having a poor ingesting capability.

Positive sufficient, Shi Yan didn’t return on his phrase. The whole night, every time Ruan Zhizhi was presupposed to drink, he readily drank all of it. It was so refreshing that Chen Jiayan checked out him with a little bit of inquiry in his eyes; so refreshing that Ruan Zhizhi might understand Yan Rui’s full hostility in direction of them.

She should have forgotten to learn the Chinese language divination almanac earlier than going out at present. Briefly, the most important loser of tonight’s varied video games was her. In the end, Shi Yan completed nearly two thirds of the drinks on the desk.

The case of beer Chen Jiayan purchased was lastly completed, and eventually Ruan Zhizhi breathed a sigh of aid.

She raised her head and subtly glanced at Shi Yan. He was casually folding a ineffective paper serviette. He didn’t appear in the slightest degree drunk. The guilt in Ruan Zhizhi’s coronary heart eased a bit bit.

Seemingly conscious of her gaze, Shi Yan lifted his eyes to take a look at her. Ruan Zhizhi met his darkish eyes and was abruptly at a loss.

She didn’t converse, and he didn’t converse both. After some time, Ruan Zhizhi took benefit of the truth that the others weren’t paying consideration and softly whispered one sentence: “I’m sorry.”

The opposite particular person pursed his lips, and the deep mild that got here from the smile in his eyes died. He reached out and handed her the paper serviette rose he had simply folded, adopted by a quiet reply: “For you.”

Maybe the alcohol had already invaded her mind. Ruan Zhizhi didn’t even give a symbolic refusal earlier than accepting the small, delicate paper rose directly.

The temperature of his palms nonetheless remained on the rose, very faint, but very distinct. Her cheeks had been getting hotter and warmer, and Ruan Zhizhi might really feel the results of the alcohol rising regularly. She bowed her head and stared on the paper rose in her palms, severely considering for a very long time. Simply as she lifted her head and was about to ask him “Have we met someplace earlier than?”, she was robbed of the subject by the chattering ladies at her aspect.

With nice problem, Ruan Zhizhi lastly summoned a bit braveness and promptly introduced that she was exhausted. In spite of everything, it was embarrassing to pose the query she had. Maybe Shi Yan would suppose that she was attempting to strike up a dialog with him. Moreover, she felt that the likelihood that they’d met one another earlier than was virtually zero, subsequently…it was higher to not ask such silly questions.

Even when his eyes really appeared acquainted.

Gloomy, chilly, and a bit drained. All the time greedy the state of affairs totally, at all times watching from the sidelines.

“Shi Yan, simply now I noticed a tattoo in your left arm. Does it have a particular that means?”

“Are tattoos extremely popular overseas? It seems to be so cool, I wish to get one too.”

“Does it harm to get a tattoo? Or do you ask for an anaesthetic?”

……

All kinds of voices got here and went in her ears. Ruan Zhizhi’s head grew to become increasingly dizzy. After fascinated by it, she determined to go to the washroom to rinse her face and clear her thoughts.

Simply after popping out of the washroom, she occurred to come back throughout Chen Jiayan who was on the telephone within the hall.

When Ruan Zhizhi noticed him, she couldn’t assist however cease at a distance.

He actually appeared like Li Sichen, particularly when he smiled.

“Zhizhi, what a coincidence.” Chen Jiayan hung up the telephone and walked in direction of her instantly. He requested with nice concern, “Tonight you didn’t drink a lot, so that you shouldn’t be drunk, proper?”

I’m not drunk you big-headed demon.

Though Ruan Zhizhi’s inside coronary heart had varied complaints surging forth like a gathering storm, she smiled very politely on the floor and replied, “I’m effective, I actually didn’t drink a lot.”

Chen Jiayan peered at her rigorously for a second. After verifying that she was in a clear-headed state, he proceeded to talk whereas grinning: “Anyway, it’s fairly irregular that the uncivilized Ah Yan would aid you block these drinks. He normally retains a cool eye on these sorts of affairs. The final time we went to a nightclub, one of many ladies from work threw up and he didn’t even bat an eyelid.”

The 2 walked again whereas chatting. Ruan Zhizhi tucked the hair that fell away from her ears and replied with out significantly caring: “Perhaps he needed to drink tonight, and he’s by no means misplaced a sport, so he considered ingesting on my behalf.”

“You suppose an excessive amount of, Ah Yan isn’t that type of particular person.” Chen Jiayan waved his hand. After a number of seconds of silence, he abruptly gazed at her and requested in a half-joking, half-serious tone, “Inform me, does he such as you?”

Ruan Zhizhi was surprised: “…What a joke.”

Her coronary heart was palpitating inexplicably.

Luckily, the 2 of them reached the desk right now, lastly placing an finish to the considerably embarrassing topic.

For some unknown motive, Ruan Zhizhi couldn’t assist searching for Shi Yan’s determine at first look. She searched for a very long time, solely to search out that he was really sitting on a chair onstage, to the left aspect of the bar.

He was holding a guitar in his arms.

Shi Yan lowered his head. His lengthy eyelashes drooped down, forming small shadows on his eyelids. His fingers caressed the strings of the guitar as he preferred, and his expression was calm, like a boundless sea so deep that one couldn’t see the underside.

Ruan Zhizhi didn’t know something in regards to the guitar. She solely thought that his enjoying was very nice to listen to. The melody was average and light-weight, with a sluggish and profound sense of loneliness.

“Zebra, zebra, you’ll return to your personal house, however I’ll waste away my frigid years. Not a single door in your metropolis is open for me; I’ll return to the roads in the long run…”

“Zebra, zebra, do you continue to keep in mind me? I’m the idiot who can solely sing. Zebra, zebra, go on to sleep now. I’ll go away the North with my guitar on my again.”1

Ruan Zhizhi had heard this track earlier than, it was a ballad known as “Zebra Zebra”.

Standing subsequent to her, Chen Jiayan was really quiet for as soon as. After a protracted interval of silence, he sighed. “Ah Yan, I don’t know what’s happening in his thoughts all day.”

Zebras couldn’t sleep after they had been alone at night time.

He should have been singing to somebody.

Ruan Zhizhi tilted her head. For the primary time, she felt that this man who was at all times arduous to pin down appeared to have the aura of fireworks.

No less than, he was additionally somebody with seven feelings and 6 wishes. Maybe he had even been harm earlier than.

Pondering so, she couldn’t assist however increase her head to catch a glimpse of the stage once more. She occurred to satisfy that man’s gaze.

The expression in his eyes was darker than shrouded fog, drifting away from the debauchery exterior. All the time worn out, at all times dejected, at all times…enchanting.

Ruan Zhizhi’s fingers inadvertently touched the paper rose within the pocket of her down jacket. All of a sudden, inexplicably, she trembled.