115: Chapter 114 I won't disturb you

By the time Su Bai reached the balcony.

The atmosphere between the two women was very harmonious.

"You two should go take a nap."

Mu Qing's voice was very natural, as if she were talking about something very ordinary.

Song Qian was momentarily stunned.

Mu Qing continued,

"Sister Qian, you need to get some good sleep. The total amount of time you've slept over these last three days probably isn't even as much as I slept last night."

Song Qian stood there, not knowing what to say.

Mu Qing had already started walking out, then turned back, blinked at Song Qian, and said,

"I'm going out for a stroll to catch the sea breeze. Hmm… don't worry, I won't disturb you guys."

Su Bai glanced at her, then at Song Qian.

"Alright."

He didn't decline; he walked straight to the bed, pulled back the duvet, and lay down.

Song Qian stood by the bedside, hesitating for a moment.

Then, she took off her shoes and lay down beside Su Bai.

Su Bai reached out, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her a little closer.

Song Qian's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed as she nestled into his arms.

His chest pressed against her back, and his heartbeat came through the skin—steady and strong.

"What's wrong?" He sensed Song Qian's unease.

Song Qian shook her head and buried her face in his chest,

"It's nothing." Her voice was muffled. "It's just… it feels unreal."

"I actually thought that girl was going to beat me up."

"How could that be?" He whispered in her ear,

"Go to sleep now, stop overthinking."

Song Qian closed her eyes.

She soon drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up again, the sunlight had turned orange-red.

Song Qian's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Seeing Su Bai's face, she was stunned for two seconds, as if confirming where she was, before burying her face back into his chest and mumbling:

"Master, what time is it now?"

"Five-thirty."

Song Qian jerked her head up,

"It's past five? I slept for that long?"

She hurriedly sat up, her hair disheveled, with red marks from the pillow still on her face.

She looked at the sky outside, which had already darkened, and then at Su Bai, her face flushing red.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

Su Bai leaned against the headboard, watching her,

"There was nothing to do, why would I wake you?"

Song Qian opened her mouth, then lowered her head, tucking her hair behind her ears to reveal her reddened ears.

"Mu Qing is still waiting for us outside…"

Su Bai pulled back the duvet and got out of bed,

"It's fine, let's go."

When they walked out of the room, Mu Qing was sitting on the living room sofa, looking at her phone.

She had changed into a new outfit: a white T-shirt, denim shorts, and her hair tied in a high ponytail.

There were three glasses of water on the coffee table.

Seeing them come out, she looked up and smiled,

"Awake?" She put down her phone and stood up. "Hungry, right? Let's go, let's make Su Bai treat us to dinner."

"Sure, no problem."

Su Bai looked at her.

She was wearing a white T-shirt and shorts, with a bare face and her hair tied high, looking just like an ordinary college student.

Her smile was very natural, showing no sign of anything extra.

Song Qian stood behind Su Bai, looking at Mu Qing.

Her expression was complex; her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

Mu Qing had already walked to the door to change her shoes. She bent over to tie the straps of her sandals, her ponytail dangling and swaying,

"Hurry up, hurry up. I didn't eat lunch, I'm starving."

Her voice came from the doorway, carrying a hint of urgency and a touch of "stop dawdling" intimacy.

The three of them went out.

Song Qian was wearing the pale yellow dress Mu Qing had picked out for her, her hair tied up with Mu Qing's hair tie, revealing her fair neck.

Su Bai was wearing a white T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops.

The three of them walked down the street, looking like a scene more beautiful than the coastline itself.

The sun was sinking toward the sea, burning the entire sky into an orange-red hue.

They walked along the beach for about ten minutes until they reached a brightly lit area.

Tents were set up on the beach, with plastic tables and chairs, red lanterns, and charcoal grills. The seafood tanks were filled with live fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish, and the air was filled with the aroma of garlic and chili.

As soon as Mu Qing sat down, she picked up the menu and skillfully checked off items,

"Ten grilled oysters, ten grilled scallops, steamed lobster with garlic, spicy stir-fried flower crabs, steamed grouper, boiled shrimp, stir-fried clams, and also some stir-fried rice noodles and a side of stir-fried vegetables."

She handed the menu to the waiter and then looked at Su Bai,

"Is that enough?"

Su Bai glanced at the menu,

"That's about right, add a grilled fish."

"You got it!" The waiter added another checkmark to the menu.

Before the dishes arrived, the draft beer came first.

Ten jin in a large transparent barrel; the golden beer shimmered under the lights, with a fine layer of condensation forming on the walls of the glasses.

Mu Qing poured three glasses, the foam overflowing from the rims and trickling down the sides of the glasses.

"Come on," she said excitedly, raising her glass,

"Cheers to Sister Qian escaping the sea of suffering!"

Song Qian was taken aback. Meeting Mu Qing's sparkling eyes and Su Bai's calm gaze, she raised her glass.

"Cheers," she said softly.

"Clink!"

The three of them clinked their glasses together.

Foam splashed, and they all took a big gulp.

The beer was ice-cold, cooling her from her throat all the way to her stomach, with bubbles popping on her tongue.

The dishes arrived one after another.

Mu Qing ate happily, chatting away while peeling shrimp.

Song Qian sat beside her, listening to her talk, occasionally smiling or chiming in.

She ate slowly, tasting a little of each dish, unlike Mu Qing who was devouring everything.

Su Bai sat opposite them, slowly drinking his beer and watching them.

One quiet, one lively.

One listening, one talking.

Both styles belonged to him.

The night breeze blew in from the sea, carrying the scent of salt and charcoal.

Mu Qing had drunk quite a bit.

Her face was flushed, her eyes bright, her voice grew louder, and she gestured more and more. She stood up and raised her glass,

"Come on, let's have another!"

Song Qian also stood up and clinked her glass against hers.

The two of them downed their drinks. Mu Qing's face turned even redder, and Song Qian's face flushed as well.

"Sister Qian," Mu Qing said, sitting back in her chair and tilting her head to look at her,

"I'm going to Jingzhou University in the future, you have to show me around when I get there."

Song Qian nodded and said sincerely,

"Okay!"

The meal lasted a long time, until the moon rose from the sea to the top of the sky.

Mu Qing leaned on Su Bai's shoulder, her eyes half-closed,

"So full…" she murmured.

Song Qian also leaned on Su Bai, closing her eyes,

"Yeah, me too."

Su Bai called the waiter to pay the bill.

Seeing Su Bai with a girl on each side, the waiter couldn't help but show an expression of envy, jealousy, and hatred.

He grumbled internally,

"You jerk! Don't think I won't refuse to round down the bill for you!"

On the way back, the three of them walked slowly along the beach.

Mu Qing walked in front, her shoes off and carried in her hand, walking barefoot on the sand. As the waves washed up and covered her ankles, she giggled.

Song Qian walked in the middle, having also taken off her shoes, her toes sinking into the sand—it felt cool and soft.

This was a feeling of relaxation she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Back at the hotel, the three of them showered and changed clothes.

Mu Qing wore white pajamas, her hair still wet and draped over her shoulders.

Song Qian wore a pale pink nightgown borrowed from Mu Qing; it was a bit big, with the neckline slipping below her collarbone, so she had to pull it up from time to time.

Su Bai was wearing a T-shirt and shorts, his hair also wet, having just come out of the bathroom.

The three of them sat in the living room, none of them sleepy.

"Can't sleep, let's find some fun," Mu Qing clamored.

Song Qian nodded in agreement,

"I can't sleep either."

Su Bai leaned back on the sofa, waiting to see what kind of mischief they were up to.

"Let's watch a movie," Mu Qing suddenly sat up straight. "This room has a media room; I saw the projector yesterday."

She stood up, walked to the wall, and pulled aside a painting—a projector was hidden behind it.

She pressed the switch, and the screen slowly lowered from the ceiling. She scrolled through her phone, found a movie, and cast it.

The three of them squeezed onto the sofa.

The sofa was large, enough to seat four or five people, but the three of them sat together.

Mu Qing was on the left, Su Bai in the middle, and Song Qian on the right.

Mu Qing hugged a cushion, her legs curled up, leaning against the sofa armrest.

Song Qian also hugged a cushion, sitting very straight.

Su Bai leaned against the backrest, one leg crossed over the other.

The first leg was his, the second one was not.