After playing mahjong all afternoon, Tong Mengmeng and her husband lost badly. They clamored for Shang Jincheng to treat them that evening.
Shang Jincheng didn't refuse. Everyone, chatting and laughing, chose a dinner location and asked Tong An'an and Zhan Jingge if they wanted to join.
Tong An'an certainly wouldn't go; it wasn't suitable for someone with a child.
Zhan Jingge felt quite displeased after watching Tong Mengmeng and Shang Jincheng bicker all afternoon. The fact that they were planning to have dinner together that night made her even more unhappy.
So, when asked, she naturally said she wasn't going.
Although Tong Mengmeng had known Zhan Jingge for many years, having been in the same social circles from school until now, they were merely acquaintances who nodded in passing, never having formed a deep friendship.
She understood that Miss Zhan was on a different level, so she didn't insist.
After speaking, she casually pulled Shang Jincheng along and left.
Strangely, Shang Jincheng didn't insist on her joining today either.
When she said she wasn't going, he casually nodded and left.
The room, which had been lively moments ago, was suddenly left with just the two sisters-in-law, feeling desolate and quiet.
But Ge'er wouldn't say it. She was seething with anger, hating Shang Jincheng even more.
A scumbag who provoked someone for no reason, then just walked away! She knew he was unreliable!
With a stomach full of resentment, she ordered takeout. Just as she was about to eat, Jiang Jingyu returned.
He had missed his wife and child terribly after two days apart.
He showered the child with kisses and then doted on Tong An'an.
They acted as if they hadn't argued, being so affectionate and in love that it made Ge'er even more furious.
"Since you two have made up, I won't be a third wheel here. You eat, I'm leaving."
Jiang Jingyu followed her to the door and asked her with feigned concern,
"Aren't you eating? Stay and eat before you go back."
"I'm not eating. I don't want to interrupt your intimacy. Live your lives well. Just don't make me clean up your messes in the future."
Back in the car, she felt uncomfortable everywhere, finding everything displeasing and her mood extremely vexed. She longed to vent her frustrations on someone.
But she realized too late that friends are few when you need them; she had never made friends and now had no one to confide in.
Bored, she scrolled through her social media. The annoying Tong Mengmeng had posted food photos again.
Although the faces of the diners weren't visible, she recognized Shang Jincheng's hand.
She wondered who else he was eating with. With women sitting on all sides, he was surrounded, which made Ge'er even more depressed.
If Shang Jincheng were present, she would have slapped him across the face.
She called Tiantian, asking her to come home with her.
Tiantian, however, said she was rushing on a design, as she was participating in a new designer competition.
After going in circles, feeling bored, she decided to go to a bar by herself.
In this world, no one can't live without someone else; she could be brilliant all by herself!
With this self-encouragement, she drove home, changed into a beautiful and revealing outfit, put on exquisite makeup, and drove to a bar.
She specifically chose the one invested in by her uncle Lu Qingxu and her father, ensuring good reputation and safety.
At this hour, it was just starting to open, with only a few people scattered at the bar.
She also sat at the bar and ordered a cocktail, sipping it slowly.
With her mind preoccupied, her gaze kept darting around, unable to settle.
As she watched, her attention was drawn to a young boy on her right.
Like her, the boy had ordered a cocktail, but for some reason, he had brought some candy with him.
Before drinking, he would unwrap the colorful candy wrappers, stir them into the drink, and then sip it slowly, as if it tasted better this way.
Ge'er rarely drank and had a low tolerance, so she was quite worried about getting drunk.
She wondered if it was some kind of candy that helped sober one up.
As she pondered, the boy noticed her and looked over.
Their eyes met, and she was instantly captivated.
He wasn't shy and directly brought his glass over.
"Miss, are you alone?"
He didn't shy away, so Ge'er naturally didn't either, and nodded.
"What are you putting in your drink?"
"Candy."
Saying this, the boy grabbed another piece from his pocket and offered it to her.
"It tastes exceptionally good when added to alcohol. Would you like to try?"
Although the packaging was very pretty, Ge'er didn't know him and felt she should be cautious in a place like this.
"No, thank you. I was just asking. You can eat it yourself."
"Are you worried it's not safe? It's okay, I'll eat it to show you."
The boy said this, unwrapped the candy in his hand, put it in his mouth, and took a sip of his drink.
"It's really just candy. How could I lie to you, being so kind?"
Ge'er smiled at him and asked,
"Why did you think of adding sugar to your drink? Is it sweeter, or does it help sober you up?"
"It might be a psychological effect. I feel it helps sober me up and prevents me from getting too drunk."
"What brand of candy is this?"
"It's not branded; I made it myself. I'm a food blogger."
The boy explained gently.
"Don't worry, it's absolutely safe. If you don't believe me, I can show you the making-of video."
He then took out his phone, opened a short video app, and showed her a video of him making it.
From preparing the ingredients to the step-by-step process and finally the packaging, it was all in the video, confirming he made it himself.
Moreover, the video had voiceover, which was his voice.
Ge'er couldn't help but take his phone to look at his follower count and backend data.
This was her first time interacting with a food blogger, and he was even a big influencer with over 4 million followers.
But so what?
She wouldn't have a biased view of him because of that.
"Are you trying to gain another follower? The video is indeed well-made. I'll follow you when I get back."
The boy laughed, "Haha, that's an unexpected bonus. Thank you."
Ge'er returned his phone and extended her hand to him.
"It's free, right? Let me try."
The video had mentioned that he extracted the sweetness from coconut milk, giving it a very fresh and sweet taste.
As the candy melted in her mouth, the sweetness spread, and it did feel like it was helping her sober up, making the alcohol less intense.
"It's free. I have a lot more in my pockets. If you like it, I'll give it all to you."
Seeing her eat it, the boy was very happy. He reached into the two pockets of his sweatpants and pulled out a large handful of candy.
It was quite unusual to see such cute candy packaging in a bar.
Ge'er couldn't help but ask him, "How much are you planning to drink? Why did you bring so much candy?"
The boy shrugged, "I was bored, you know? No friends, and no one to share my creations with. Today is my birthday, and I thought I'd give them away to someone I meet by fate. I didn't expect to meet you first."
"What a coincidence, it's your birthday today. How old are you this year?"
"Twenty-five. And you?"
"I'm older than you, call me 'Jiejie' (older sister)."
"Really?" The boy smiled very brightly.
"You look no older than 18, don't try to fool me."