Ch. 26 - Sister Tang from the Streets?
My Fake Girlfriend is Going All Out to Defend Against Their AttacksThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
"The hot water's here."
Chen Yu carefully carried over a cup of hot water and set it in front of Tang Xin.
"It's still pretty hot. Be careful."
"Heh, thank you, Brother Chen Yu."
Tang Xin nodded. But the smile on her face carried a faint hint of contempt. She picked up the cup from the table. The heat made her frown slightly.
Lowering her head, she gently blew on the water. Then she held it up to my lips.
"Come on. Drink some water."
Supporting my drunken body against her shoulder, she offered me the cup.
"I don't want it... it's not sweet..."
Am I a child?! What the hell am I saying?! This was definitely becoming one of the darkest stains on my life.
And Tang Xin—the black-hearted woman that she was—would absolutely use this as leverage to torment me later.
"...Alright."
Even Tang Xin seemed helpless. She sighed and placed the water back on the table.
Seeing the situation, Chen Yu let out a sigh and blamed himself.
"It's all my fault. I really shouldn't have let Bai Qiao drink so much."
At his words, Tang Xin let out a cold laugh. Her eyes narrowed.
"...Oh?"
She stared directly at him.
"Are you saying you didn't know that sweet wine had such a high alcohol content?"
There was an unmistakable hint of accusation in her tone. Anyone looking at her expression could see the anger hidden behind it.
"W-Well..."
For the first time all day, the composed Chen Yu looked uncomfortable.
"Haha... of course I knew."
He forced a laugh.
"That's why I said it was my fault. I didn't explain it clearly enough."
"Didn't explain it clearly..."
Tang Xin tapped the tabletop lightly with one finger.
"...or never intended to explain it in the first place?"
Even through my drunken haze, I could feel the chill hidden in those words.
"...Tang Xin, you're joking."
Chen Yu's body stiffened. Even his awkward smile disappeared.
Tang Xin merely continued staring at him with that cold smile. The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Lunch hour had already passed. There were only a few tables of customers left in the restaurant. Including ours, perhaps only three or four tables remained occupied.
Come to think of it...
It was getting late.
"...Um..."
I rubbed my blurry eyes. A very important memory surfaced through the fog in my head.
"I need to hurry... My sister's performance... I have to go watch it..."
"Bai Qiao, are you in a rush?"
It was almost as though he'd been granted a reprieve. Chen Yu immediately looked toward me and nodded.
"Then I won't keep you any longer."
Turning toward a waitress who was cleaning a nearby table, he called out:
"Miss, the bill please."
The waitress came over and quoted the total. The amount nearly scared me right under the table.
"I'll pay today."
Chen Yu smiled apologetically.
"Consider it compensation for what happened."
Tang Xin remained silent. She merely watched him with an amused expression. After speaking, Chen Yu began patting his pockets. Then he crouched down and searched around the floor. His calm expression gradually transformed into panic.
"M-My wallet..."
He looked at Tang Xin and me helplessly.
"My wallet is missing."
I drunkenly shook my head. Tang Xin simply watched him as though observing an interesting performance.
"...Maybe it was stolen."
After searching unsuccessfully for quite some time, Chen Yu looked dejected.
"The money doesn't matter. But there are important documents inside..."
His wallet had been stolen? I raised my head and looked at his disappointed face.
"Then... I'll pay..."
I mumbled drowsily. The bank card I carried contained the allowance my mother gave me. It should be enough.
"Bai Qiao, I'm really sorry."
Chen Yu immediately looked grateful.
"Could you cover it for now? I'll have my family butler come and reimburse you later."
Then his expression became indignant.
"I think I should call the police and catch this thief."
Pulling out his phone, he prepared to dial.
"Wait."
Tang Xin finally spoke. Her voice halted both Chen Yu's phone call and my attempt to reach for my wallet. Then she opened her handbag. From inside, she pulled out a black leather wallet and tossed it onto the table.
"Are you talking about this one?"
She lightly tapped the table with her finger. The black wallet sat motionless in the center. The moment he saw it, Chen Yu froze. Like a robot that had suddenly lost all instructions.
I was surprised too. The color. The size. The shape. Wasn't that the object Tang Xin had secretly taken from my pocket earlier? That had been Chen Yu's wallet?!
"How did my wallet end up with you, Tang Xin...?"
Chen Yu lowered his head. Avoiding her sharp gaze.
"I suppose I must've dropped it, and you picked it up..."
"Heh..."
Tang Xin laughed softly.
"At this point, why are you still pretending?"
Her eyes regarded him like a clown standing on stage. The coldness in her voice was enough to make even me shrink slightly despite being drunk. My thoughts were a complete mess. Why had Chen Yu's wallet been in my pocket? What exactly was happening?
"...Haha..."
Chen Yu forced an unnatural smile.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Tang Xin closed her eyes. She slowly exhaled. After a few seconds, she opened them again. Turning toward me, she carefully adjusted my posture in the chair. Only after making sure I was sitting securely did she stand up.
She pushed her chair back, walked around the table, stopped in front of Chen Yu, then picked up the wine bottle that still contained about a third of its contents.Without warning—she tipped the bottle over. The remaining wine poured directly onto Chen Yu's head.
The movement was so sudden that both the waitress and I froze. The waitress even let out a startled cry.
"Feeling a little more awake now?"
Tang Xin's expression was calm. Her voice was not.
"What—?!"
Chen Yu sat there drenched from head to toe. His face was filled with shock.
"What are you doing?!"
"You don't know what I'm doing?"
Tang Xin bent forward. Her eyes locked onto his. The anger she had been suppressing all this time finally surfaced.
"Fine."
"Then let me explain. What exactly do you think you are?"
Her beautiful face was filled with fury.
"I don't care what little tricks you've tried on me. I don't care what you've said to my family. As long as it doesn't affect my life, I can tolerate it."
Her voice grew colder.
"But if you try anything against him..."
She pointed at me.
"Bai Qiao. Especially something that could leave a stain on his future...I will never tolerate it."
The restaurant had gone completely silent. No one dared interrupt her.
"Fortunately, I discovered it in time."
Tang Xin's voice became almost a whisper. Yet somehow it felt heavier than anything she'd said before.
"Otherwise...I guarantee that by tomorrow, there would have been one more concrete pillar underneath the Cross-River Bridge."
She paused. Then added quietly:
"...You know my family has the power to make that happen."
The words were soft. Yet they carried the weight of an icy wind.
After saying that, Tang Xin completely ignored the stunned, trembling Chen Yu. She returned to my side. Both hands gently cupped my face. Then she bent down until her forehead touched mine.
Her white hair fell around us like a curtain. Closing her eyes, she murmured softly:
"It's all my fault..."
Then she opened her eyes and smiled. The same familiar smile she always wore. As though the terrifying woman from moments ago had never existed.
"Come on, Ah Qiao."
She gently lifted my arm over her shoulder.
"Let's go."
I was completely confused. From beginning to end, I had no idea what had happened between the two of them. All I knew was that my head was spinning.
And that Tang Xin smelled really, really nice.