You Are Deep in The Stars

After leaving Bai Xi’s office, Liu Chunchun stood in the corridor, deep in thought. Why had his first reaction upon hearing about Zhou Jing been to consider Mr. Wang’s opinion? Logically, these two matters had nothing to do with each other. Even without any supernatural elements, it made perfect sense to visit a sick college classmate in the hospital. So why was Wang Yuanchen the first person that came to his mind?

“Chunchun.” The finance manager approached with some documents, leaning in to whisper, “Is Mr. Bai in a bad mood?”

“No, who told you that?” Liu Chunchun snapped out of his thoughts and asked in surprise.

“I saw you standing against the wall. I thought you’ve been scolded,” the finance manager said, relieved. “Well, I’ll go in and find Mr. Bai. Don’t keep getting punished. Remember to sign the report and return it to me before you leave.”

Liu Chunchun nodded and patted his head in mild frustration. He opened the door and returned to his office, only to find a trash can overflowing with melon seed shells. Wang Yuanchen, it seemed, had disappeared to who knew where—probably flirting with the girl from across the hall.

With a sigh of relief, Liu Chunchun turned on his computer to work, but was immediately startled by the photo on the screen. It had once been a group photo of four people from the dorm, but now it was replaced by a selfie of Mr. Wang—looking as grumpy as ever, with a scornful, awkward expression that suggested he was deeply uncomfortable with appearing in this world.

Liu Chunchun couldn’t help but laugh, though he felt resigned as he opened the folder to get back to work.

.

Later that evening, Han Zhuo entered with two pieces of cake, explaining that Wang Yuanchen had invited all the girls in the company for afternoon tea.

“No wonder it was so noisy outside just now.” Bai Xi sounded helpless. “Does this count as disrupting the normal work order?”

“Actually, it’s not as bad as you think,” Han Zhuo said, “From another perspective, he’s also paying for employee benefits at his own expense. I’ve heard he even offered to take photos together. The models at the neighbouring company are envious.”

“Chunchun hasn’t told him about Zhou Jing yet.” Bai Xi took a bite of cake, thinking. “But I just called Mrs. Zhou and made an appointment to go to the hospital after work this Friday.”

“So, he plans to hide it from Wang Yuanchen?” Han Zhuo smiled and shook his head. “Sounds exciting. I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’ve realized you’re the one most afraid of no chaos in the world.” Bai Xi reached out, tugging on his tie, his voice playful yet firm. “Tell me, where did you disappear to for an hour just now?”

“I thought you’d be too busy to care about me,” Han Zhuo said with a kiss on his hand. “I went to make a call to a beautiful and sexy hot girl.”

Bai Xi narrowed his eyes, tapping the silver cake fork on the table. “Stand up!”

Mr. Han was very cooperative, as expected.

“Explain the problem honestly,” Bai Xi ordered firmly, his tone serious. “Be more serious.”

Han Zhuo raised his hands in surrender. “You’ve met her—Linda, the new bartender who replaced Wang Yuanchen.”

Linda was the definition of punk—her temper as fiery as her ever-changing hair colour, and her exaggerated smoky makeup paired with rivets adorning her body. Bai Xi raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Why did you call her suddenly?”

“In order to find a legitimate reason for Wang Yuanchen to approach Shi Tian,” Han Zhuo said, pinching his nose. “Want to relax tonight? I’ll treat you to a drink at the bar.”

Bai Xi nodded without hesitation. “Deal.”

.

On Qiye Road at midnight, the streets buzzed with life, as goblins and devils awoke, and the world lit up with energy and revelry. The bar was packed with customers, and Linda, the bartender, struggled to keep up with the overwhelming orders, all while holding a lollipop in her mouth and performing magic tricks with her hands.

“Hi, little girl,” a waiter wearing a bull demon headdress leaned on the bar, teasing her. “Aspis was much faster than you.” Aspis had been the previous bartender, known only by his code name, a legendary snake who was feared for his deadly poison and insatiable greed for money.

Linda rolled her eyes so dramatically it almost seemed like they’d reach the sky.

Han Zhuo casually removed his coat and took the new drink order from the waiter before slipping behind the bar.

“Thanks for remembering that you’re the boss here,” Linda grumbled, tossing him a bottle of wine. “I thought you’d just sit and watch the fun.”

Han Zhuo rolled up his sleeves and glanced at Bai Xi with a smile. “What do you want to drink?”

“Just ice water,” Bai Xi replied, knocking on the table to remind him—weren’t they here for business?

“It’s okay,” Han Zhuo replied smoothly, pushing a glass of peach-flavoured sparkling wine in front of Bai Xi. He then grabbed a row of crystal-encrusted wine glasses from above his head. His outfit today—a crisp white shirt with a black suit vest—perfectly complemented his handsome features and ascetic demeanour. With his sleeves rolled neatly up and his eyes ever so full of charm, even his simple touch on a wine bottle radiated a subtle, enticing aura.

Bai Xi’s patience was running thin. “Hey, hey, hey!”he warned in a low voice, narrowing his eyes. “Please restrain yourself!”

Han Zhuo met his gaze, raising an eyebrow, and loosened his tie with one hand, which only amplified the effect.

Around them, exclamations rang out. It was clear someone had noticed Han Zhuo’s presence. Unable to take any more, Bai Xi grabbed the man by the arm and dragged him through the corridor, disappearing from the view of the curious patrons.