Chapter 295 - 292: The Beauty Trap

Chapter 295: Chapter 292: The Beauty Trap

"Happy New Year!!"

Watching the clock tick precisely from 23:59 to 00:00, Wang Ming lay in bed and nervously sent a message to Shen Ying, but he received no reply.

’Maybe she’s already asleep?’ he thought.

Lately, due to work-related matters, he had rarely contacted Shen Ying, and Shen Ying hadn’t reached out to him either. He couldn’t help but feel that their relationship seemed to have faded quite a bit.

’It hasn’t even been a full semester.’

Wang Ming sighed to himself. Unconsciously, Shen Ying’s image had grown blurry in his mind. As expected, time and distance could fade everything away.

Just as he was about to turn off his phone and go to sleep, it suddenly started ringing.

He picked it up and saw it wasn’t Shen Ying, but a call from Zhang Yuanyuan.

’Why is she calling me at this hour?’

Wang Ming hesitated for a few seconds, but decided to answer. After all, they were classmates in the same department, and they got along reasonably well.

"Senior Brother Ming, Happy New Year..." A clearly intoxicated female voice came from the other end of the line.

Wang Ming frowned and lowered his voice. "You’ve been drinking?"

"Just... a... little..." Zhang Yuanyuan giggled dazedly.

’She doesn’t sound like she’s only had a little. Besides, who gets this wasted on New Year’s Eve?’

Wang Ming climbed out of bed, threw on a down jacket, and tiptoed out onto the balcony. "Where are you?"

"I’m outside, Senior Brother Ming..." Zhang Yuanyuan slurred.

"I know you’re outside. I’m asking where exactly you are right now."

"Umm... the lounge bar across from campus?"

"What about your roommates?"

"They’re not here..."

"Are you all alone?"

"Mhm..."

"You should call your roommates and have them come get you. It’s really late."

"They all went on dates. I don’t wanna... Senior Brother Ming, I’m not even drunk..."

Wang Ming let out a soft sigh. ’99% of people who drink always insist they’re not drunk. I’m no exception.’

Under the circumstances, he obviously couldn’t just ignore it.

After all, a girl drinking alone in a lounge bar on such a cold, dark night would easily stir a man’s protective instincts.

"Just stay put. I’m coming to get you."

He got dressed, grabbed his phone, and quietly left the dorm room.

But he didn’t notice the penguin icon in the top-right corner of his phone screen flashing frequently.

Once outside the dormitory building, Wang Ming hopped on his bicycle and quickly rode off campus.

He had always felt a faint sense of guilt toward Zhang Yuanyuan. After all, he was the one who had invited her to the group chat, only for Jiang Xia to kick her out for no reason.

Although he had listened to Jiang Xia afterward and tried to keep his distance from girls, he couldn’t stop others from actively trying to get close to him.

Ever since Zhang Yuanyuan found out Wang Ming was the original artist for Cat and Mouse, she had started calling him "Senior Brother Ming" affectionately. She would often ask him questions about animation, and over time, they became familiar with each other.

And with the broadcast of Cat and Mouse’s third season, she started contacting Wang Ming more and more frequently.

However, Wang Ming only saw her as a regular friend and would never initiate contact. He never would have expected Zhang Yuanyuan to call him at a time like this.

’Going out drinking at this hour... I really have no idea what’s going on in her head.’

A short while later, his bicycle came to a stop in front of the lounge bar across from the campus.

Wang Ming locked his bike, let out a soft puff of white breath, and pushed open the glass door in front of him.

The lounge bar wasn’t large, only about a hundred square meters. There were a few sofas in the corners and some tables and chairs in the middle.

The lighting inside was a warm, bright yellow, and soothing soft music played from the speakers. A few student-like people were gathered together, playing cards and drinking heated sake. A few other men and women sat on the sofas, chatting casually. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.

Wang Ming guessed they were probably also students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, just out to celebrate the New Year.

But he wasn’t here for them.

He turned his head to another corner, where a girl in a white down jacket was slumped dazedly over a table, on which sat several empty bottles.

’Good thing this is a lounge bar, not a nightclub; it’s a relatively safe environment. Otherwise, would she still be slumped here, completely unharmed? Someone would have taken her away long ago.’

Wang Ming walked over and sat down. He picked up an empty bottle to examine it—it was a RIO cocktail. The alcohol content wasn’t high, only 3.8%, but after so many bottles, there was basically no girl who wouldn’t get drunk.

"Zhang Yuanyuan, wake up," he called out a few times.

A few seconds later, Zhang Yuanyuan groggily lifted her head, rubbing her eyes with her hand. A surprised smile appeared on her small, intoxicated face. "Senior Brother Ming, you... you actually came..."

Wang Ming couldn’t help but sigh. "Why did you drink so much?"

Zhang Yuanyuan shook her head, forcing herself to stay alert. She cupped her chin with her hands like a flower and spoke listlessly, "I only had three bottles. My friend and her boyfriend drank the rest."

"Then where are they?"

"Probably... went to get a room?" Zhang Yuanyuan said dazedly.

’Well then...’

’Tonight is destined to be a night of roaring cannons and happy accidents.’

"And they just left you here to drink alone? You should probably ditch friends like that," Wang Ming said irritably.

’When I go drinking with Jiang Xia, the more sober one always has to make sure the other gets home safely.’

"But I still have Senior Brother Ming, don’t I? Senior Brother Ming came for me... Hee hee..." Zhang Yuanyuan boldly reached for Wang Ming’s hand. She closed her eyes and tilted her neck up slightly, her face glowing with a deep, drunken flush.

She was a very pretty girl—in terms of looks, no less than Shen Ying—but now she was in this shy and delicate state.

Wang Ming blushed slightly. It was the first time he had ever held hands with a pretty girl. But he already had Shen Ying in his heart, so he discreetly pushed Zhang Yuanyuan’s hand away.

"You’re drunk. I’ll take you back to your dorm."

Zhang Yuanyuan mumbled her agreement and staggered to her feet, but before she could get her balance, she fell right into Wang Ming’s arms.

Catching the scent of apple-flavored alcohol and the faint hint of shampoo on her, Wang Ming froze completely. ’How can a girl’s body be this soft?’

He took a deep breath, trying not to think about anything else, and simply supported Zhang Yuanyuan by the arm. But after only two steps, she was leaning completely against him, their bodies constantly brushing against each other.

Even though they were both wearing thick down jackets, he could still feel her genuine softness.

Wang Ming’s heart pounded in his chest. His eyes were unconsciously drawn to her flushed face and her fair, delicate neck. It took a Herculean effort, but he finally managed to lift Zhang Yuanyuan onto the back seat of his bicycle.

But she couldn’t sit steadily at all; she could fall off at any moment while he was riding.

"Senior Brother Ming, the school dorms are already locked for the night. We can’t get back in..."

Zhang Yuanyuan went limp in his arms and mumbled, "There’s a hotel next door. Senior Brother Ming, can you get a room for me?"