Chapter 25

Xia Xingcheng poured the third glass of the clear liquor.

Under the effect of alcohol, his face was an abnormal red. Looking at the not-so-small clear drinking glass in his hand, he bent down and leaned close to Yang Youming in a distinguishing manner and sincerely apologized again, "I'm sorry, Ming ge."

Yang Youming seized his wrist once more.

Wanting to extract his hand from Yang Youming's grasp, he found that the man's hold on his arm was so powerful that there was no way to escape from it.

Yang Youming looked solemn, as if he was truly upset.

A lot of unspeakable grievances came bubbling up in his heart in an instant, and the sorrow spread from his chest to his nasal cavity. His eyes grew full of unshed tears in a split second, and it would only take a single blink for them to fall.

Xia Xingcheng didn't want his current state to be seen by anyone, so he was trying to put up with it. But even if the others may not see it, Yang Youming, who was so close to him, must have seen it.

Yang Youming suddenly stood up, pulled the glass out of Xia Xingcheng's hand with his other hand, and drained the whole glass in one go before placing it back on the table.

After that, he raised his hand and patted Xia Xingcheng on the shoulder, then put his palm on his back and gently pushed him forward. "Come with me, let's talk."

Xia Xingcheng bowed his head and kept silent as Yang Youming guided him out of the room.

Huang Jixin watched Xia Xingcheng follow Yang Youming out of the private room and nervously stood up, wanting to chase after him. As a result, Cai Meiting raised her hand to stop him and shook her head.

Huang Jixin had no other option but to sit down restlessly.

Li Yun, who had been keeping quiet on the sidelines the whole time, suddenly smiled and said, "Youming has never liked to make things difficult for others, don't worry."

Huang Jixin reluctantly smiled and nodded to her. "Of course I'm not worried about Ming ge. I'm just afraid that Xingcheng won't be sensible."

Cai Meiting said, "Let him go by himself."

When they exited the private room, Yang Youming asked the waiter standing outside the door if there was a quiet place they could talk in.

Xia Xingcheng followed behind Yang Youming in silence, his head hung down.

The waiter immediately took them to the next room, which was a quiet little teahouse that had no one in it.

After opening the door and entering the room, the waiter moved to turn on the light. Yang Youming said, "No need, I'll do it."

Having heard what Yang Youming said, the waiter bowed and retreated quietly, leaving only Yang Youming and Xia Xingcheng in the room, and thoughtfully closed the door for them.

Xia Xingcheng sat down on the edge of the teahouse's wide mahogany tea table. When he looked up, he could no longer hold back his tears. He felt extremely stupid. His only comfort was the fact that there was no light in the room and Yang Youming could not see his face clearly.

However, as time went by, he gradually got used to the darkness in the teahouse, and with the faint light coming through the window, he could slowly make out Yang Youming's face.

Yang Youming stood leaning against the back of a wooden chair, and not a single emotion was shown on his face as he looked at Xia Xingcheng.

Xia Xingcheng raised his hand and carelessly wiped at his tears.

It was getting more and more obvious that the alcohol was getting to his brain, and his flushed face was covered with tear stains as he stared at Yang Youming with a smile, feeling both excited and sad.

Yang Youming said, "There's nothing to cry about."

Smiling, Xia Xingcheng said, "Yes, I'm so sorry, Ming ge."

Yang Youming's voice was low and calm. "I said what's unnecessary is really not necessary. I wouldn't get angry about it."

"You were angry," Xia Xingcheng said.

Before Yang Youming could speak, he stubbornly insisted again, "You really were angry." At that time, at least, he could feel that Yang Youming truly was angry.

Yang Youming stared at him and unexpectedly smiled.

Xia Xingcheng lifted his feet until they were both on top of the tea table and bent his legs until his thighs pressed tightly against his chest and abdomen, hugging his legs and burying his head in his knees.

This was not something that he usually does, it was a little childish, and the unmanly behaviour was unlike him. He was more like the Fang Jianyuan who was speaking to Yu Haiyang as he said, "I didn't do it on purpose. My head was in a mess. How could you kiss me at that time?"

Yang Youming straightened up a little and frowned at him.

Xia Xingcheng whispered, "Sometimes I feel like you're so far away from me."

Yang Youming approached him slowly, one hand in his trouser pocket as the other held Xia Xingcheng's head. "Xingcheng, sober up."

Xia Xingcheng turned his head and pressed his face against the palm of Yang Youming's hand. His tearful eyes twinkled brightly as he gazed at Yang Youming.

Yang Youming sighed, "You really need to sober up."

Xia Xingcheng closed his eyes, seeming completely exhausted.

Helpless, Yang Youming said, "You're drunk."

With his eyes shut, Xia Xingcheng said, "I'm not. If you're still angry, I can keep drinking." He would drink until Yang Youming's temper cooled down.

Yang Yuming softly said, "You don't need to mention this anymore, and you don't need to apologize to me in front of other people."

This kind of apology would instead embarrass the both of them.

Xia Xingcheng did not speak.

Lowering his head, Yang Youming looked down at him, "Stop crying, okay? Go back without crying."

Xia Xingcheng opened his eyes and raised his head. Yang Youming took tissues from the tea table and handed them to him. In a daze, Xia Xingcheng didn't reach out to take it from him, as if he didn't understand what Yang Youming meant.

With his head down, Yang Youming could only fold the tissues in his hand and wipe the tear stains on Xia Xingcheng's face.

Xia Xingcheng lifted his face, like a clever child, and looked at him with an earnest gaze.

Finally, he threw the soiled tissues into the trash can and said, "We should go back."

They returned to the private room next door and sat down.

It was unknown whether it was because he had suddenly loosened up, but Xia Xingcheng fell asleep at the side of the dining table soon after he came back.

Yang Youming said to Cai Meiting, "Ting jie, let someone take him back first."

Cai Meiting nodded and told Huang Jixin to send Xia Xingcheng back to the hotel.

Huang Jixin patted Xia Xingcheng's face but failed to wake him up, so he could only grab his arm and place it around his shoulder, lifting him up and helping him walk outside.