Unable to Fall in Love Syndrome - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Tricky Client 04

In the afternoon, Qiao Shan received a WeChat message from Ying Shengnan asking about her progress.
She sent an “OK” hand gesture emoji, signaling everything was under control. Setting her phone down for a moment, she hesitated, then picked it up again, quickly typing, “Mr. Ying, did your brother attend Jiannan Elementary School in Mingyang City?”
Ying Shengnan replied, “Yeah, how’d you know that?”
Qiao Shan replied, “I found out, of course.”

Ying Shengnan followed up, “How’s the investigation going? Does my brother like men or women?”
Qiao Shan sent a sweating emoji and replied, “Mr. Ying, if your brother really liked men, how would you feel about that?”
His response was noticeably slower, the status bar showing “typing” for a while.
Five minutes later, Ying Shengnan answered, “What can I do? As his older brother, I don’t ask for much—just that he has someone to rely on in his old age and doesn’t end up alone. That’s enough for me.”

Qiao Shan replied, “Mr. Ying, you’re really open-minded.”
Ying Shengnan sent a toothy grin emoji and replied, “Of course, as long as my brother’s happy. Hey, little lady, stop calling me Mr. Ying—it sounds so stiff. Call me Old Ying.”
“Old… Ying?” Qiao Shan replied. “I thought you were a super serious guy.”
“Come on, girl, how’s the investigation really going?” Ying Shengnan asked.
Qiao Shan couldn’t exactly admit she’d come up empty-handed, so she said, “Uh… well, it’s hard to explain in a sentence or two. It’s a bit tricky. I’ll let you know when I make more progress, okay?”

Ying Shengnan held his phone, rubbing his chin for a couple of seconds before replying, “Alright, how about this: tomorrow afternoon, let’s grab a coffee, and you can fill me in on my brother’s recent situation. Six o’clock, I’ll pick you up.”
Qiao Shan hadn’t expected him to suddenly suggest meeting in person. Since he was the one paying, she couldn’t exactly refuse without a good reason.

The next day was Sunday, and their meeting was set for six in the evening. Qiao Shan headed downstairs at 5:40 and waited by the roadside. A motorcycle roared past with a loud “vroom,” speeding by her.
It zoomed a hundred meters before making a stylish U-turn and pulling up in front of her.
The bike had clean lines, primarily black with deep blue accents. Compact and low to the ground, it featured a sleek front fork, a double seat, and wide, race-style rear tires—bold, eye-catching, and undeniably cool.

The man on the bike wore a black helmet and a full denim outfit. With long arms and legs and black leather boots, he looked like a cowboy straight out of a motorcycle western.
He took off his helmet, flashing her a beckoning gesture with a playboy vibe from head to toe. Qiao Shan’s jaw dropped—it was Ying Shengnan! He’d come to pick her up on a motorcycle… talk about flashy!

Ying Shengnan casually rubbed the stubble around his mouth with his thumb, tilting his head slightly to motion her onto the bike. “Qiao, hop on,” Ying Shengnan said.
Qiao Shan slung her backpack over her shoulders and climbed on, unsure where to put her hands. Ying Shengnan handed her a helmet, then grabbed her wrist and placed it on his waist. “Hold tight, little lady. My bike’s fast,” he said.
It was Qiao Shan’s first time on such a cool motorcycle.
A month ago, she’d never have dreamed she’d be riding with Ying Shengnan! Nor would she have imagined the guy had this kind of hobby—it felt like something a reckless rich kid would be into. In her mind, Ying Shengnan was the steady, mature type, not some wild, carefree rebel.

“You good back there, little lady?” Ying Shengnan called.
“I’m good.” Qiao Shan put on the helmet and gripped his jacket tightly.
Ying Shengnan shifted gears, twisted the throttle, and with a deafening buzz, the bike shot forward. The inertia threw Qiao Shan back before she lurched forward, her head smacking into his broad back.
Steadying herself, she glanced sideways.
Ying Shengnan was overtaking bicycles left and right at a breakneck speed that left her dizzy.

He parked the bike outside a secluded café. Qiao Shan stumbled off, legs wobbly, nearly collapsing. Ying Shengnan’s quick reflexes caught her just in time.

“Little lady, your stamina’s not cutting it,” Ying Shengnan teased.
Qiao Shan yanked off the helmet and shoved it back at him, her face pale, her small bunny-like teeth biting her lower lip.
She glared up at him, pushed him away, and leaned against the wall behind him, retching. Ying Shengnan handed his helmet and keys to the café’s waiter, pulled out a pack of tissues, and crouched down to offer them to her. “Told you to speak up if you couldn’t handle it. I’d have gone slower. Look at you young folks—weak stamina but too stubborn to admit it.”

Qiao Shan shot him an angry look, snatching the tissues to wipe her mouth, her eyes misty. “Did you even give me a chance to say anything?” she demanded.
Ying Shengnan patted her shoulder and stood. “Alright, you look pitiful. Makes it seem like I’m bullying you. Come on, let’s go inside. I’ll treat you to a drink as an apology,” he said.
Qiao Shan followed him, muttering, “I’d rather you just gave me the cash.”

The café served coffee by day and alcohol and music by night.
It was already evening. Ying Shengnan settled into a sofa, leaning back casually, snapping his fingers to summon the waiter and ordering a few cocktails.
Once the waiter left with the order, Qiao Shan timidly said, “Mr. Ying, I don’t drink.”
“What’d you call me?” he asked.
“Old Ying, I don’t drink,” she said.

As they spoke, the waiter brought the drinks. Ying Shengnan poured her a full glass and slid it over. “You’ve gotta drink! We’re business partners, and it’s not a small deal. Having a drink with me isn’t a big ask, is it?” he insisted. Qiao Shan reluctantly gripped the glass, mumbling, “Am I just here to keep you company while you drink?”
“Come on, girl, why so dramatic? It’s just a drink between friends—what’s the big deal? Drink if you want to give me face. If not, no pressure. I’m not the type to beg a girl to drink,” Ying Shengnan said, downing his glass in one go and showing her the empty bottom. “Totally up to you.”

With him putting it like that, Qiao Shan felt she’d seem petty if she refused.
Gritting her teeth, she chugged the glass in one go.
Qiao Shan’s one weakness was alcohol—she couldn’t handle it. One drink in, her cheeks flushed red, and she started feeling dizzy.
It was as if her reaction played right into someone’s hands. Ying Shengnan refilled her glass and pushed it toward her. “Little Qiao, your job must be pretty interesting, huh? Ever thought about finding a match for yourself?” he asked.

Not wanting to seem rude, Qiao Shan boldly downed another glass.
Now, she was seeing double—Ying Shengnan’s face split into two. She shook her head. “No… no… aren’t we supposed to talk about Zuo Yi? Why’re we talking about me… hic… let’s talk about Zuo… Zuo Yi,” she slurred.
“What’s there to say about him? In such a short time, have you really figured out his habits?” Ying Shengnan sipped his drink, eyeing her with a half-smile.

“Yeah… in such a short time, I… I haven’t found out anything!” Qiao Shan cried. The alcohol hit her hard, and she slammed the table, wailing, “I haven’t found out a single thing! This is such a failure, such a failure! That snot-nosed Zuo Yi… hic…”

Drunk and rambling, Qiao Shan collapsed onto the table, sobbing.
She wasn’t even sure why she was crying. Maybe it was her first taste of such crushing failure? Her heart just felt heavy, and the tears came, her emotions spiraling out of control, amplified tenfold by the alcohol.

Ying Shengnan, still holding his glass, leaned back on the sofa, squinting as he studied her.
Since Qiao Shan could mention his brother’s childhood nickname, it confirmed she’d found the right person.
—This time, his brother might actually have a shot at getting out of the single life.

After getting thoroughly drunk, Qiao Shan downed a few more drinks and started acting wild. Despite her small frame, her drunken antics were as fierce as an ox. Ying Shengnan had no choice but to take her out of there.
She was still out of it, so he couldn’t let her go home alone. He carried her on his back to her apartment door, fished the keys from her pocket, but then glanced at the door across the hall and paused.
After a moment, a sly grin curled his lips. He pocketed her keys, dragged her to the opposite door, set her down, rang the doorbell, and slipped away to hide around the corner of the hallway.

Zuo Yi was about to go to bed when the doorbell rang, forcing him to get up.
Opening the door, he was hit with a wave of alcohol stench. He instinctively covered his nose, frowning at the drunken figure slumped on the floor.

Qiao Shan pounded the ground, crying, “Why am I such a failure… a failure…”

Zuo Yi looked down at her, his handsome brows knitting together. Just as he was about to close the door, the girl lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his leg.

At that moment, he thought he heard a stifled “pfft” of laughter from the hallway.
He glanced at the empty corridor—nothing. Had he imagined it?

When Qiao Shan saw Zuo Yi, she suddenly stopped her tantrum. Pressing her face against his thigh, she rubbed against it, whimpering, “Wuwuwu, Dudu, how’d you get so big? Dudu, you’re so handsome now…”
In her drunken haze, the person in front of her alternated between Dudu’s dog face and Zuo Yi with dog ears sprouting from his head.

“Oh my gosh, Dudu, how’d you turn into a human? My Dudu, you’ve become a spirit?” Qiao Shan rambled incoherently, her stomach churning. Unable to hold it in, she lowered her head and vomited onto Zuo Yi’s slippers.
Then, looking up, she wailed, “Dudu… you’re not allowed to become a spirit after the founding of the People’s Republic! That’s immoral!”

Zuo Yi fell silent. Unable to take it anymore, he grabbed her shoulders, hauled her up, and marched her to her own door.

He rifled through her backpack for her keys. Besides some makeup and a wallet, there was nothing else inside.

The dog inside her apartment heard the commotion and started barking wildly at him through the door.
Zuo Yi could already picture the rabid dog lunging at him the moment he opened the door. He stopped searching her bag, glanced at his barely conscious neighbor, and pulled out his phone to call the female security guard at the complex to take her to a hotel.
Before he could dial, she leapt up, hugged him from behind, her head pressed against his lower back, and vomited all over him.
Zuo Yi, with his near-obsessive cleanliness, reached his limit. He grabbed her, half-dragged her into his own apartment, kicked open the bathroom door, tossed her into the bathtub, filled a basin with water, and splashed it over her.