She was momentarily flustered.
Su Qing finally reacted when she heard the voice, glancing over subtly. In the dimly lit box, no one noticed her.
With a light "huh," Land Repair lightly raised an eyebrow, his tone casual and nonchalant. "Nope."
Upon receiving a confirmation, the girl pursed her lips, her hands intertwined confidently. She then asked with a smile, "Considering finding another one?"
The people around fell silent, some intentionally or unintentionally looking towards the girl in the corner.
"You?" Land Repair raised his tone teasingly, lazily surveying the people in front of him.
The girl was tall and slender, with an exotic charm between her eyebrows. Her eyes were filled with anticipation.
"Who are you?" His expression turned cold as he responded.
She didn't expect Land Repair to speak like this, giving her no face at all. Her smile froze, but she dared not get angry. "Don't you remember me? I sat in front of you in high school."
Land Repair wouldn't remember her, after all, during high school, Land Repair was always around Su Qing. How could he remember her?
Seeing no response from him, she persisted, "What about Su Qing? Do you remember her?"
The people in the box gasped collectively; this person had quite the nerve, daring to mention Su Qing to Land Repair. Is she out of her mind? But they all wanted to hear what he would say.
Su Qing's gaze tightened the moment she heard her name, instinctively furrowing her brows.
Land Repair briefly showed some emotion, but it quickly disappeared. With a hint of sarcasm in his smile, he responded, "What does she have to do with me?"
It had been over four years. Land Repair's admirers weren't limited to this place. But could Su Qing really make him remember her for years? That would be giving him too much credit.
The girl's face immediately lit up with a smug smile.
Su Qing calmly averted her gaze, appearing indifferent. Summer's voiceless gaze at the girl rolled her eyes.
The atmosphere soon eased up again. Su Qing wasn't accustomed to this environment, making her already suppressed self feel even more suffocated. She leaned against the corner of the sofa, no one coming to talk to her, everyone even gathering around Land Repair.
Whether it was the drink she had just now or her own physical condition, her head felt dizzy. She pulled the hood of her coat over her head, wrapping her arms around herself and sinking into the sofa, needing a moment to rest.
She lost track of time. In a daze, she sensed a smell she hadn't smelled in a long time, a lemon scent mixed with a faint hint of mint. Her originally furrowed brows gradually smoothed out.
Then, her waist was encircled, unable to open her eyes no matter how hard she tried. The vague sensation, however, brought no discomfort. With a weight on her shoulder, although separated by clothes, tremors still ran through her body.
Land Repair's hoarse voice, filled with questioning, jolted her awake. "Su Qing, don't you dare play with me again."
Su Qing startled awake, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, her cheeks flushed. Everything felt so real, as if his presence still lingered around her.
She breathed a sigh of relief, surveying her surroundings. Land Repair was no longer there. Glancing at the time, it was past ten in the evening. She calmed down, walking over to Summer who was singing, softly saying, "Summer, I'm going home first, it's too late."
She suddenly turned her head, her voice loud, "Ah, so early?" Summer didn't try to persuade her further, after all, that's just how Su Qing was: "Alright, then be safe on your way home."
*Walking out of the KTV's gate, the cold wind seeped into her clothes, making her feel a lot more awake.
She picked up her phone and opened the taxi app. It was a ten-minute drive from here to her home, but no one accepted the ride for quite some time, and there were no buses at this hour.
Su Qing sighed, squatting by the roadside. People passing by looked at her with puzzled eyes, but she paid no attention, her slender figure looking somewhat pitiful.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. She turned her head and saw Land Repair behind her. It was much brighter outside now, and she could finally see his face clearly. He looked thinner, and perhaps taller too.
She pursed her lips, speaking without much emotion, "Long time no see."
Su Qing didn't know what got into her, saying such a thing.
Land Repair chuckled, pulling her up from the ground. She almost stumbled into his arms due to her unstable balance. Barely managing to stand on her own, she was led into the car by him.
Su Qing reacted and tried to open the car door, only to find it locked.
"Su Qing, you're still the same. What matters to you in your heart?" Land Repair held the steering wheel with his long fingers, speaking after a long while.
It was the first sentence after many years. Years ago, when they broke up, he said something similar to her: Su Qing, you have no heart.
That day was the first time he lost his temper in front of her, and the next day he heard someone say he went abroad.
Regret? There was no regret now.
Sadness? She was so sad that her heart felt numb.
"I want to get off."
"Where to?" Land Repair didn't open the car door for her but asked for her home address.
Knowing his temper, Su Qing didn't want to entangle with him anymore and gave him an address.
The car stopped at the entrance of her rented house. He looked at the surroundings and was taken aback. It was an old residential area with no street lights, pitch black.
Su Qing opened the car door, her body sinking into the darkness. It seemed like she had walked this path hundreds of times, and even without the lights, she could find her way.
Suddenly, a light shone behind her. The entire residential area became bright.
She stopped in her tracks, turning her head to see that Land Repair had turned on the car lights and then drove away.
After closing the door, she, as usual, pushed the chair next to the door and put a glass on the door handle. Everything was so familiar.
After taking a shower and taking her medication, she lay on the bed.
In the morning, she woke up an hour before the alarm went off, rising from bed like a robot, repeating the same routine every day. In the mirror, there was a pale face, like that of a malnourished child.
Su Qing's eyes fell on the window again. Countless times, she had the impulse to jump out, and it was still there now. She took a step forward, longing for liberation, but then abruptly turned back to the cabinet to take her medication. When the alarm went off, after tidying up for just an hour, she grabbed a sandwich from the box and had it for lunch.
As she stepped out, she noticed Land Repair's car parked there. It was quite conspicuous. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if he hadn't returned home last night or if he had come early in the morning.
He got out of the car, taking a few strides to approach her.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"Is this yours? I wanted to come, so I did. What's the problem? Is it bothering you?" Land Repair stared directly at the petite figure in front of him.