After Being Bent by Reader

Chapter 43: Pt.1

The band's performance happened to be nearing its end when Xu Chuanchuan shouted and slapped the table. As a result, everyone in the bar heard the noise she made and simultaneously turned to look at her.

When Xu Chuanchuan sensed the many stares she received, she quickly realized how uncivilized her actions were just now. Despite being in such a classy establishment, she had behaved as if she was an aunty buying vegetables at a market. Xu Chuanchuan felt utterly embarrassed of herself.

Xu Chuanchuan wasn't the only person who felt embarrassed over her actions. Xu Xiangxiang also covered her face in shame and said, "Sis, I think you should avoid coming to this place next time."

Xu Chuanchuan's complexion switched between white and blue. If not for Murong Shi sitting beside her, she would've long since backed down out of cowardice.

Fortunately, a waiter had reacted to her yelling and came over to ask what kind of alcohol she would like.

While secretly wiping the cold sweat on her forehead, Xu Chuanchuan asked, "What's the weakest drink you have?"

"The fruit wine has the lowest alcohol content, followed by the cocktail," the waiter said.

Xu Chuanchuan counted the number of people at the table and said, "Let's start with seven cocktails first, then."

Xu Chuanchuan opted not to avoid the fruit wine to avoid getting looked down on by a certain someone. Then, she subconsciously looked at Murong Shi.

Noticing Xu Chuanchuan's gaze, Murong Shi said, "I'm not drinking."

"You're forcing me to drink even though you're not drinking yourself?" Xu Chuanchuan asked in surprise.

"Who forced you?"

"..."

Xu Chuanchuan quickly realized her mistake. Murong Shi indeed did not force her into drinking anything. The woman had only incited her with a provocation, and she had foolishly fallen for it!

Xu Chuanchuan was dumbfounded momentarily. She then turned back to the waiter and said, "Make that six cocktails and one iced water."

The iced water was naturally for the person who used driving as an excuse to avoid drinking.

When Xu Chuanchuan pushed the glass of iced water to Murong Shi, Murong Shi became a little stunned. Then, after saying thank you, she said in a suppressed voice, "I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful."

Snorting, Xu Chuanchuan said, "My character is much better than some people."

Raising an eyebrow, Murong Shi asked, "Is bad-mouthing people behind their backs considered having a good character?"

Xu Chuanchuan: "..."

Xu Chuanchuan realized that the biggest mistake she made today was to have a battle of words with Murong Shi. So, she decided to keep her mouth shut. Then, she distributed the bottled cocktails to Xu Xiangxiang's three roommates sitting beside Murong Shi and warned them to avoid drinking too much.

When Xiangxiang eventually received her bottle, she complained, "Sis, you ordered too little. This one bottle won't be enough for me."

"Drink a little less. Who's going to carry you back if you get drunk?" Xu Chuanchuan said helplessly.

In a righteous tone, Xu Xiangxiang replied, "It's my birthday today. Can't I indulge myself a little?"

What else could Xu Chuanchuan say to this? Leaving her little sister to her own devices, Xu Chuanchuan looked at the bottle of alcohol in her hand. Just as she was about to tilt her head and drink it

Murong Shi suddenly raised the glass she held and smiled ambiguously at Xu Chuanchuan. "To you for being a man, cheers."

Xu Chuanchuan was left speechless for a moment as she looked at the iced water in Murong Shi's hand, and she couldn't help but wonder why she never realized that Murong Shi was such a shameless person.

Without waiting for Xu Chuanchuan to respond, Murong Shi clinked glasses with the other party and took a sip of iced water.

When Murong Shi put down her cup, traces of red lipstick were left on the cup's outer edge. Xu Chuanchuan's throat tightened when she saw the lipstick mark, and she let out a muffled choke as she drank her cocktail.

At this time, the singer on stage started humming a folk song with a story. His unique voice appeared to be infectious as the bar slowly quieted down. Some people also sobbed a little at his song.

Even Xu Chuanchuan, who deemed herself to have no artistic cells in her body, couldn't help but be infected by the tranquil atmosphere and become enchanted by the song for a moment. Despite being in the noisy downtown area, she felt as if her soul was being cleansed.

It was no wonder why business in this pub was booming. If not for Murong Shi sitting beside her, Xu Chuanchuan felt that she would fall in love with this establishment.

Of course, not everyone in the pub was quietly listening to the song. An exception to this would be Xu Xiangxiang and Fang Qin. Previously, Xu Xiangxiang had been thoroughly enchanted by the male singer on stage. However, she now drank and merrily chatted with Fang Qin about life, behaving like she had just met her soulmate.

Regardless, the scene in the pub was a beautiful one. When the song ended, the customers in the store broke into a round of applause.

Xu Chuanchuan also applauded.

Xu Xiangxiang's three roommates were called Xiao Lu, Qingqing, and Jingjing. Out of the three, Qingqing had the most intense reaction when the song ended as she jumped and screamed, "Wahhhh! How cool! I want a boyfriend like him!"

"Go up and confess, then," Jingjing encouraged.

Blushing, Qingqing shyly said, "That's too embarrassing for me."

Xu Chuanchuan smiled when she saw the love-struck reactions of these younger girls. However, when she heard Murong Shi chuckling, she could no longer keep her smile.

"See? Even Big Sis Shishi is laughing at you," Jingjing said.

In response, Qingqing put on a look of expectation as she looked at Murong Shi and asked, "Big Sis Shishi, don't you think this lead singer is very handsome?"

After taking a look at the people on stage, Murong Shi answered, "Average."

Looking disappointed, Qingqing said, "That's still average? He's already the most handsome guy I've ever seen. Most importantly, he also knows how to sing well."

Not wanting to dampen the enthusiasm of the younger girls, Murong Shi smiled and did not say anything.

Xu Xiangxiang's three roommates were unaware of Murong Shi's identity, so they could chat with her without feeling burdened. At some point, their conversation topic suddenly changed to relationships.

"Big Sis Shishi, you're so beautiful, so you must have a lot of handsome men chasing after you, right?" Qingqing asked.

However, Murong Shi smiled and said, "No, I don't."

The three girls simultaneously revealed surprised expressions. Then, Qingqing said, "I don't believe it."

"I don't believe it, either," Jingjing followed up.

Xiao Lu was the most introverted of the three. Finally, after pondering for a moment, she said in a soft voice, "I think it's probably because Big Sis Shishi is too excellent that men don't dare pursue her."

Murong Shi smiled cryptically and let the three girls have fun with their wild speculations.

Suddenly, Qingqing clapped her hands and asked, "Then, do you have a boyfriend, Big Sis Shishi?"

After taking a sip of iced water, Murong Shi casually answered, "I did, but we broke up."

Xu Chuanchuan's heart thumped.

Murong Shi and Jiang Shaohua broke up? When did it happen? Was it before or after she forcibly kissed me?

When the last question came up in her mind, Xu Chuanchuan felt as if her brain was damaged. What did it matter to her if the break-up happened before or after the kiss?

Meanwhile, the three younger girls awkwardly looked at each other for a moment.

Then, Qingqing softly said, "We're sorry."

However, Murong Shi nonchalantly said, "It's okay."

In an attempt to break the awkward situation, Qingqing cleared her throat and said, "It's boring if we do nothing but drink, so let's play some dice!"

"Yeah!" the two other girls echoed.

Looking at the person who was currently getting high from alcohol, Qingqing said, "Xiangxiang, we're going to play dice. Stop drinking and join us."

The night was still young. It would indeed be boring if they just kept drinking and listening to songs, so everyone quickly approved Qingqing's proposal.

Xu Xiangxiang was the most excited at this suggestion. Setting her bottle aside, she said, "Let's set some game rules. The one who rolls the lowest needs to finish a glass of alcohol."

"What if we get drunk?" Xiao Lu asked.

"We can have the waiter bring us the smallest glasses they have. Even someone with low alcohol tolerance won't get drunk from drinking such a small amount."

By the time Fang Qin finished speaking, Xu Xiangxiang had already called for the waiter to replace their alcohol glasses. She then grabbed the dice on the table and asked, "Can we start now?"

At this time, Murong Shi said, "You girls have fun. I'm not drinking."

Wrinkling her nose, Xu Xiangxiang said, "Big Sis Shishi, you're such a spoilsport. It won't be interesting if you don't play."

Meanwhile, Fang Qin narrowed her eyes and looked at the little remaining iced water in Murong Shi's glass. Then, she said, "Let's change the rules, then. The person with the most points can give the person with the fewest points a punishment. As for the punishment Let's go with truth or dare. If you refuse both options, then you'll have to drink three glasses. What does everyone think?"

Upon hearing Fang Qin's suggestion, Xu Chuanchuan clapped in agreement as she said, "This is good! This is good!"

The game might sound childish, but it was very entertaining once the game started. As the birthday girl, Xu Xiangxiang had excellent luck today, and she rolled the largest number on her first roll.

Meanwhile, Murong Shi rolled the smallest number for the first game. Then, in a relaxed tone, she said, "I'll go with truth."

Xu Xiangxiang did not expect to clash with Murong Shi on the first roll, so she mentally struggled with what she should ask. It would be rude of her to ask something too private, yet it would also be pointless if she asked something that wasn't private. Finally, after struggling for a long time, she turned to Xu Chuanchuan for help, "Sis, you ask."

Xu Chuanchuan screamed bitterly in her heart. She also couldn't help but lament over how wonderful of a little sister she had. The girl didn't even blink when throwing her elder sister under the bus.

While everyone else was eagerly looking at Xu Chuanchuan, Murong Shi wore a calm and collected look on her face as she looked at Xu Chuanchuan. However, Xu Chuanchuan could also sense a hidden threat in those tranquil eyes, as if they were saying, "You'd better take it easy on me."

Xu Chuanchuan grew upset when she saw Murong Shi's expression. Then, thinking that this was a game and that Murong Shi wouldn't do anything to her so long as she didn't go too far, she inhaled and asked, "When was your first kiss?"