When the door of the lounge bar was pushed open, a blast of cold air mixed with the scent of wood and alcohol blew out, gently caressing everyone's cheeks.
Unlike the bustling restaurant, the light here was dim.
Only a small colored-glass lamp on each table emitted a soft glow.
There were several abstract paintings hanging on the wall. In the corner, a resident singer was holding a guitar, crooning a song with a soothing melody.
"Wow, the atmosphere here is really amazing!"
Yi Mo exclaimed first. She pulled Meng Ruozhao and found a window booth to sit down.
"Linlin, you're really good at finding places."
Xu Lin waved her hand with a smile.
"I just discovered this place by chance. Their mojitos are especially refreshing. It's the most comfortable drink on this kind of day."
Saying so, she picked up the menu and handed it to everyone.
"Take a look. See what you'd like to drink."
Ai Gao leaned over and pointed at a cocktail named "Starry Sky" on the menu.
"This one looks good. Its color is like the Milky Way."
Meng Ruozhao's eyes fell on the menu. Her fingertips gently glided over those unfamiliar names of drinks. A trace of gloom from the restaurant still lingered in her heart.
It wasn't until Pei Jiangmu sat down beside her, casually hung her bag on the hook inside the booth, and softly asked her.
"Do you want something sweeter? I think this 'Lychee Honey' has good reviews, and the alcohol content is low."
She looked up at him. Just as their eyes met his gentle ones, the tightness in her heart suddenly eased a bit. She nodded.
"Okay, I'll have this."
After a pause, she asked him again, "Have you been here before?"
Pei Jiangmu shook his head. "No, but I saw someone recommend this place online. The reviews are really good."
Meng Ruozhao nodded without thinking too much.
Pei Jiangmu had indeed never been to this place before.
But before they came in, Qi Yu had come in advance to clear the place.
The people sitting here at the moment were all "actors" they had arranged.
To ensure that no one would come to cause trouble tonight and affect Meng Ruozhao's mood.
The group quickly ordered their drinks. The resident singer's song happened to reach the chorus part.
It was a song about secret love.
The lyrics were full of cautious probes and hidden joys.
The singer's voice was a bit hoarse, singing the entanglement of "afraid that you know, yet afraid that you don't know" especially touchingly.
For a moment, no one in the booth spoke. They all listened to the song quietly.
Yi Mo propped her chin up. Her eyes were a bit vacant, as if she was recalling some past events. There was still a faint smile on her lips.
Xu Lin leaned back on the chair. Her fingers gently tapped on the table along with the melody. There was a hint of melancholy in her eyes.
Ai Gao was the most straightforward. After listening to a part, she couldn't help but sigh, "This song is so touching! Who hasn't had a secret crush before?"
As soon as she said this, Yi Mo immediately came back to her senses and replied with a smile.
"Exactly! When I was in high school, I had a secret crush on my neighbor brother. He was also Chinese. He was super handsome when playing basketball."
"I used to make excuses to bring him water every day just to take a few more glances at him."
"What happened later?"
Meng Ruozhao asked curiously.
"Later..."
Yi Mo shrugged. A hint of a smile flashed in her eyes.
"Later he fell in love with a big-breasted blonde girl."
"I didn't dare to tell him that I liked him until I moved away."
"After all, when we look at that girl, we can't help but feel inferior."
Her tone was mostly teasing, obviously she had let go of it long ago.
Xu Lin also spoke up, her tone filled with a touch of nostalgia.
"When I was in college, I had a secret crush on a senior in our department."
"He was extremely gentle. Every time we met in the library, I could chat with him for a few words, but I just didn't have the courage to confess."
"Not until the day he graduated, when he told me that he was going back to his hometown to develop, did I regret not saying it out."
Ai Gao patted her on the shoulder.
"It's okay. At least you chatted with him."
"I had a secret crush on the top student in our class back then. I only dared to write his name on my draft paper. I didn't dare to say a single word to him."
The group talked about their past secret love stories one by one. The atmosphere gradually became relaxed with a bit of the sourness of youth.
Listening to their stories, Meng Ruozhao's heart also rippled.
It was a pity that she couldn't remember anything.
But, as they said, who didn't have a few secret crushes in their youth?
She should have had one too.
Fortunately, they all knew about her amnesia, so no one asked her.
Pei Jiangmu was not so lucky.
Suddenly, Yi Mo changed the subject. Her eyes landed on him. Her eyes were bright, full of teasing.
"Little Brother Pei, we've all finished. It's your turn!"
"You're so outstanding. There must have been a whole bunch of girls with a secret crush on you when you were in school. What about you? Have you ever had a secret crush on a girl?"
As soon as she said this, the booth fell silent instantly. Xu Lin and Ai Gao also looked at Pei Jiangmu, their eyes full of curiosity.
Meng Ruozhao's heart also inexplicably quickened its pace. Her fingers quietly tightened on the skirt, and even her breathing became lighter.
Pei Jiangmu looked up. His eyes first quickly swept across Meng Ruozhao.
That glance was fast and deep, as if carrying some burning emotions, which instantly made Meng Ruozhao's cheeks heat up.
Then, he turned back and looked at Yi Mo and the others. The corner of his mouth curled up into a faint but clear smile. His voice was clear and firm: "Yes."
This single word was like a small stone, instantly causing ripples in Meng Ruozhao's heart lake.
She lowered her eyes and didn't dare to look at him again, but she could clearly feel his eyes falling on her from time to time, with a burning temperature.
Her heart beat faster and faster, and even the song of the resident singer in her ears became blurred.
Yi Mo immediately became interested and leaned closer.
"Wow! Who is she? Is she from your school? Is she good-looking?"
But Pei Jiangmu didn't say any more.
He just picked up the newly served "Lychee Honey" and handed it to Meng Ruozhao. There was a kind of gentleness in his eyes that she couldn't understand.
"Try it first and see if it suits your taste."
Meng Ruozhao took the glass. Her fingertips accidentally touched his. An electric current instantly shot through her whole body.
She quickly withdrew her hand and lowered her head to take a sip of the wine.
The sweet fragrance of lychees mixed with a faint aroma of alcohol spread in her mouth. It was sweet but not cloying, just like the indescribable emotions in her heart at the moment.
Seeing that Pei Jiangmu didn't want to say more, Yi Mo didn't press further. She just winked at Meng Ruozhao. The teasing in her eyes was all too obvious.
Meng Ruozhao's cheeks became even hotter under her gaze. She could only pretend to drink to avoid her eyes.
The resident singer's song continued. The gentle melody lingered in their ears. The atmosphere in the booth was filled with a touch of subtle sweetness.
Pei Jiangmu looked at Meng Ruozhao's red ear tips. The smile on his lips deepened a bit.
He knew that the words he said in the warehouse today must have left a deep mark in her heart.
If he chased after her relentlessly now, it would definitely backfire.
Especially since she didn't seem to like making her relationship public.
Otherwise, the first condition she set when she agreed to date him back then was that only the two of them would know about their relationship.
Once their family members found out, they would break up immediately.
It was also because of this condition that he had a selfish motive and insisted on sending her abroad to study.
Because he simply couldn't hide his love for her perfectly under so many pairs of eyes.