Chapter 85: Chapter 85
“What are we waiting for? Let’s head.” ZhengLi smiled, tugging her with him to the door to put their shoes back on, and YuZhi picked up his jacket but left his tie discarded. Sliding an arm loosely around TangShi’s shoulder to lead the way and heading out with her. They all looked presentable anyway and he definitely needed a night to unwind and get his head straight.
After TangShi told him she would sleep with him, sort of, he had become extra aware of how often he had the urge to hold her hand, touch or cuddle up to her, and yet now it seemed like the innocence in it had been stripped away. He couldn’t stop evaluating it. He kept thinking of the possibility of them together, and what she would feel like to be naked with. How sex with TangShi would be, given he was aware he cared about her on a major level, and it had been screwing with his ability to focus. He needed a drink and a good night to clear the air between them. To stop focusing on it.
It took them a half hour to drive around looking for this place as Linlin couldn’t find the name online and therefore couldn’t remember where it was. Only a general idea of the area. Finally spotting glowing club lights down an alleyway from a neon sign, so close to the art school it was within walking distance.
It was a quaint little building, stuck between older traditional ones and yet was long and narrow so inside was split into a seated quiet bar for regular drinkers and had a rear area for dancing and louder music. It also had a back set of patio doors which led into a private garden area where seats sat out all night in a lit-up courtyard. They picked up a tray of drinks and headed to a corner that was as close to the dancefloor as possible so Linlin and TangShi could use it.
The bar wasn’t overly crowded, was dark and foggy in atmosphere due to a smoke machine in the disco area, but also had a warm and fun environment with friendly staff. Seats were a mix of tables and booths, and it was modern and clean and pretty enjoyable.
YuZhi and ZhengLi got in about the drinks as though they had been deprived for a long time while the girls danced, and yet all four somehow ended up at a level of drunkenness that was equal due to tolerance. The happy stage, where they were still almost all in control of their faculties, only looser, and losing inhibition. ZhengLi and Linlin curled up together in one of the couch booths, always glued together and watched YuZhi and TangShi pouring some beer cocktails for a fun shot. Aware they had been sitting separately.
“Last one to down it has to kiss YuZhi.” Linlin blurted out knowing TangShi was the only non-seasoned drinker here and already struggling to keep up. She had watched them all evening being flirty together but there was a clear barrier of properness between them that wasn’t before, and she wondered if it was YuZhi being cautious.
TangShi seemed overly uptight too. Linlin was calling it extreme sexual tension and realized her friends had reached that crossroads dictated by feelings where they had to choose which direction they would go. Stay on the friend road by making an eternal decision of platonic or bite the bullet and get it on. She hoped booze was loosening them up enough to give in to their desires.
“I second that.” ZhengLi cut in and raised his current drink in salute. Also reading the signs tonight.
“You know that’ll be me! Stop bullying me!” TangShi giggled, too happy and swaying around, to feel offended, but YuZhi slid his arm around her and pulled her up against him on the seat. Alcohol blurring all his lines and boundaries, especially after the last two whiskey shots he did with ZhengLi. He was chilling and forgetting all his reasons to keep a distance.
“I’m not against it.” He teased her and winked, his tone low and sultry, his eyes straying to her mouth impulsively and sighing at how pretty she always looked. Leaning in to angle his face at hers while smiling unintentionally sexily and she pushed him away with a reddening face. Losing her confidence when he was flirting so outrageously and obviously and missing the fact he wasn’t joking. Her heart bumped out of time and her stomach churned up into knots.
The drunker he got tonight, the less he was able to keep thoughts about him and TangShi hooking up out of his head. He knew he was attracted to her physically and that had never been an issue, and he definitely wasn’t grossed out about picturing her naked. The emotional side was holding him back. He had even looked through old online pictures of him and Rhea earlier today to try and douse the flickering flame in his gut, and yet alcohol was removing the doubts.
“I need to go to the bathroom.” TangShi was aware that there was a weirdness between her and YuZhi this evening. A static, almost electric current between them and he had kept looking at her even when she was talking to Linlin, with a faraway look in his eye. Touches had been with restraint, and he hadn’t been all too close and feely like normal and it was painfully obvious. Sliding her to him was the first move he had made all night in getting properly close and it was starting to aggravate her. She wanted to cuddle up and have him holding hands and letting her lean on him like usual. She missed that kind of interaction from him.
“I’m coming. Need to powder my nose and replace the lip gloss Zhengy keeps removing.” Linlin shot up and followed her. Sticking her tongue out at her boyfriend as she darted out of his reach.
“Not my fault it tastes so good. If you don’t want me to kiss it, then don’t wear it.” ZhengLi called after her and then raised a brow at YuZhi and nodded after them when they were out of earshot. “Dude, when are you going to stop with the restraint and kiss her already. It’s been obvious all night she’s angling for it, and you look like you’re seriously suffering from trying not to act on it. Don’t tell me you don’t see it or feel it, you’re hardly inexperienced in reading women and come ons. Even subtle ones from sweet innocents like TangShi.”
YuZhi exhaled heavily and sank down in his seat, his head chaos over the signals and thoughts he was having and shook his head. He had been doubting if he was reading her right all night and now ZhengLi was confirming it. She was shy, reserved, and had zero knowledge on how to flirt but he had still been picking up on it.
“Don’t please. I’m struggling as it is.”
“Stop overthinking. You’re married. You’re hosting an engagement in a week. She could be a real future for you if you just get over whatever is holding you back and grow a pair. Bro, we both know you’re crazy about her, just admit it and be done.”
YuZhi pressed his fingers into the bridge of his nose and massaged to relieve the growing tension from driving himself insane.
“I only really broke up with Rhea recently. I don’t want to be that asshole who jumps from one girl to another. What if this isn’t all that deep and some mental rebound?” YuZhi pointed out, knowing all his excuses about not trying with TangShi came down to lame reasons and only the Rhea issue held any water.
“You broke up months ago, your heart just gave in recently. There’s no reason to be held down by that or to think this is a reaction to it. TangShi likes you, it’s obvious and once upon a time, you were crazy about her too. Enough to keep looking for her after one night. I think it’s still in there, waiting to be let out.”