Red Line Resurrection Chapter 18
byChapter 18
The child doesn’t know any better.
Lin Fan, hearing the new topic, instantly felt like dying.
He had forgotten that Ruan Jichuan had already drunk quite a bit before Liang Ji’an arrived.
When his boyfriend was brought up, Liang Ji’an still didn’t seem enthusiastic. He took a sip of wine before saying, “He’s competing abroad. He messaged me a few days ago saying that after the competition, he’s going to the Arctic for a while.”
Lin Fan cautiously chimed in, “You two haven’t seen each other in a long time, right?”
Liang Ji’an said, “We both have our own things to be busy with. Isn’t that good?”
Lin Fan thought, you only say that because you don’t like him.
When Lu Jiayan was pursuing you, it was practically public knowledge. He was rejected countless times, but somehow, they eventually confirmed their relationship. However, because Liang Ji’an frequently neglected him, Lu Jiayan’s persistent calls asking about his whereabouts often ended up directed at their friends. Eventually, Lu Jiayan wised up, learned not to cling or check up on him, and settled into this bizarre relationship with Liang Ji’an.
Ruan Jichuan poured himself another glass, steering the conversation back to the brother Liang Ji’an had just brought home. “Has he been introduced to everyone?”
Liang Ji’an said flatly, “He doesn’t need to know those people in the Liang family.”
Ruan Jichuan nodded in strong agreement. Lin Fan, afraid that his thoughtless friend would start rambling again, quickly brought up recent company matters. When he looked back, he realized Ruan Jichuan was gone.
Lin Fan wondered, “Where is he? Did he drink too much and go out for air?”
Liang Ji’an put down his half-finished drink, pulled out his phone to check if Shen Lingjun had called him, and replied distractedly, “He’s the focus of tonight’s birthday banquet. He probably went out to entertain other guests.”
*
Shen Lingjun only sat in the pavilion in the small garden for about ten minutes. He truly didn’t know anyone, but that didn’t stop people from wanting to meet him. At least eight or ten people approached him. Overwhelmed, he hid on the second-floor terrace.
The person who had been following him remained dutifully three meters away.
He was staring blankly at the fountain downstairs when someone suddenly appeared beside him. Ruan Jichuan was holding two glasses of wine. He waved at the attendant, saying, “Stop watching him. Go get some food.”
The attendant hesitated for a few seconds but ultimately obeyed and left.
Ruan Jichuan, acting completely familiar, handed him a glass. “Want to try some?”
Since he was Liang Ji’an’s friend, Shen Lingjun’s guard naturally lowered. Besides, he had been watched so closely all night that he could only drink soda. After only a slight hesitation, he accepted the glass. “Thank you.”
Ruan Jichuan turned around and leaned against the terrace railing, speaking gently, “Are you finding this uncomfortable? It’s our first meeting, so please don’t mind if the hospitality is lacking.”
He was too polite, so Shen Lingjun immediately shook his head. “No, I actually find it quite interesting.”
“Is that so?” Ruan Jichuan smiled. “Like what?”
Shen Lingjun had only been speaking out of courtesy. Although he genuinely thought the garden was beautiful and the food was delicious, saying so might sound ridiculous. So, he just smiled and raised the glass to take a sip of the wine.
He had never drunk alcohol before, so he couldn’t tell what kind of wine it was, but he found the taste pleasant. It wasn’t bitter or astringent; instead, it had a faint, sweet aftertaste. Shen Lingjun liked the flavor and took another half-sip.
Ruan Jichuan watched as Shen Lingjun wrapped his entire palm around the glass. In the past, he would have immediately mocked someone for not knowing basic glass-holding etiquette, but now he was eager to play the teacher. “You shouldn’t hold the glass like that.”
“The temperature of a person’s palm is high, and it will affect the wine’s flavor and texture.”
Shen Lingjun glanced at him and adjusted his hand position, mimicking Ruan Jichuan. He thought that since he planned to learn bartending later, it wouldn’t hurt to learn new things whenever possible. He also felt Ruan Jichuan was quite nice and slowly opened up the conversation. “What kind of wine is this?”
Ruan Jichuan rattled off a string of foreign words that Shen Lingjun didn’t understand a single syllable of. To cover his embarrassment, he tilted his head back and drank another small portion of the glass. The person opposite him was still talking, having switched to Chinese now, but Shen Lingjun felt like the words were just randomly arranging themselves in his brain, and he couldn’t comprehend anything. He just tilted his head, watching Ruan Jichuan, occasionally responding softly while savoring the taste of the wine in his mouth.
After Ruan Jichuan finished his lengthy explanation, he added, “If you really like it, I can bring you back a few bottles next time I go to a winery abroad. How does that sound?”
Shen Lingjun nodded. “Mhm, mhm.”
Ruan Jichuan continued, “I also have many different types of wine at my house. Do you want to come over sometime?”
Shen Lingjun replied again, “Mhm, mhm.”
Ruan Jichuan tried to coax him further, “So, what’s your phone number? Should we add each other as friends? I can also take you racing and horseback riding.”
He didn’t dare ask Liang Ji’an for his brother’s contact information; asking the person directly had a higher chance of success. Seeing that Shen Lingjun kept nodding and agreeing but didn’t pull out his phone, he finally realized something was wrong. He leaned closer to look, but Shen Lingjun just smiled at him blankly. He was trying hard to stay awake, so his eyes were wide open, completely hiding the small mole on his eyelid, but this made his gaze look incredibly hazy.
The terrace was only lit by a row of dim yellow wall lamps, making faces unclear. When Ruan Jichuan saw Shen Lingjun smile, he thought he looked exceptionally fair-skinned with bright red lips. Coupled with the flush on his cheeks from the alcohol, he looked eerily enchanting, like a mountain sprite.
Ruan Jichuan asked in disbelief, “Are you drunk?”
A drunk person never admits to being drunk, and Shen Lingjun felt he had only had two sips, so he firmly denied it. He raised the glass to take another drink. Ruan Jichuan was startled and immediately snatched the glass away, placing it on the small side table. He thought, how could this little ancestor have such a low tolerance?
The crucial thing was that Liang Ji’an seemed to have instructed him not to drink. If he got this drunk right under his nose, and Ruan Jichuan was the one who gave him the wine, he would be the one to suffer Liang Ji’an’s anger later.
He leaned in closer, trying to find evidence that Shen Lingjun was just sleepy, not drunk. Shen Lingjun instinctively recoiled, mumbling, “What are you doing…”
There was still one thread of awareness left in his mind: the gemstone brooch on his clothes, which he knew cost an unknown fortune. Seeing Ruan Jichuan so close, he thought he was trying to steal his brooch. He immediately covered his chest with one hand and raised the other to strike.
He only meant to push Ruan Jichuan away, but Ruan Jichuan was looking down, and the blow landed squarely on his face. Shen Lingjun hadn’t even processed hitting him, and Ruan Jichuan was stunned. The attendant, who had been sent to fetch dessert, had been given countless tasks in between, finally escaped and returned, only to freeze at the sight before him.
Liang Ji’an rushed over upon hearing the commotion.
Seeing him, Shen Lingjun immediately ran over as if to complain, stumbling slightly. Liang Ji’an quickly caught him and helped him stand straight. Shen Lingjun pointed at Ruan Jichuan and accused him fiercely, “He tried to steal my brooch! I hit him.”
Ruan Jichuan felt his vision go black. “No, buddy, I’ve been wronged!”
Everyone present knew it was a pure misunderstanding, but they couldn’t help finding it amusing. Liang Ji’an first turned back to Shen Lingjun and explained, “He didn’t mean to do that.”
Then he looked at Ruan Jichuan, who was clutching his face, and frowned. “Why did you give him alcohol?”
When he leaned down just now, he clearly smelled alcohol on Shen Lingjun.
“Just let the slap go. The child doesn’t know any better.”
Ruan Jichuan was dumbfounded. He thought, my face has five clear finger marks, and you don’t even apologize for your kid? But he felt guilty, and he genuinely hadn’t intended to hold a grudge against Shen Lingjun, so he said magnanimously, “When did I say I was going to make a fuss?”
He then realized what Liang Ji’an had said. “Liang Ji’an, is that how you spoil a child?”
Lin Fan, watching the drama unfold, raised an eyebrow at him. He walked over to check the injury on Ruan Jichuan’s face and whispered mockingly in his ear, “Did you try to take advantage of him and get beaten? Your eyes were practically glued to the Young Master.”
Ruan Jichuan gritted his teeth. “Get lost! Am I that tasteless?!”