This outfit was a recent purchase from Yan She's shopping spree, so Jiang Qingqing had never seen me in it before. Combined with the mask, she seemed to assume I was just another guy trying to hit on her. However, after tasting the cocktail I'd mixed, she took a sip and seemed genuinely impressed. My drink was undeniably better than the previous guy's, so Jiang Qingqing's interest in me grew. When I stepped out from behind the bar, she even shifted seats to sit right next to me.
As soon as she sat down, I caught the familiar scent of her perfume.
I figured Jiang Qingqing's curiosity had been piqued by the cocktail. Sure enough, it didn't take long before she struck up a conversation. Did you study mixology? she asked.
Of course, I couldn't answer—one word, and I'd be exposed. So I pulled out my phone, opened the notepad, and typed: I had throat polyp surgery recently and can't speak for now. I showed her the screen.
Jiang Qingqing didn't seem suspicious. If you just had surgery, shouldn't you be resting at home instead of going out? she asked. I quickly typed back: No one's home, and I was bored. Then I added: What about you? Did you come alone too?
Yeah, she admitted. I was bored and came out by myself. I nearly laughed out loud. So she's too proud to admit she got stood up, huh?
She then asked what I did for a living. After a moment's thought, I typed: I'm a teacher. Jiang Qingqing looked genuinely surprised. Me too!
I typed: What a coincidence, meeting another teacher here tonight.
She nodded. Maybe we even knew each other in a past life. I could tell she was interested—she leaned in closer as she spoke.
We kept chatting like that—her talking, me typing. The more we talked, the nearer she got, until eventually, when I showed her my phone, she'd press her face right up to it.
Jiang Qingqing always dressed provocatively, favoring short skirts, but I never imagined I'd get this close to her. If I told Gou Mao about this, he'd never believe me. Not that I cared—his mouth was too loose. If I spilled, he'd blab to everyone. After all the times she'd made my life hell, this revenge felt incredibly satisfying.
Our bodies inched closer until we were practically face-to-face, with Jiang Qingqing leaning entirely against me. I was over the moon. This Mask Night was practically made for me!
But then something happened that nearly made me lose my nerve.
While we were chatting, Jiang Qingqing was idly playing with her phone. Then, out of nowhere, she sent me a WeChat message—just three words:
Go to hell.
She must've been furious about being stood up. But here's the problem—I was right next to her, using my phone's notepad to "talk" to her. The moment her message came through, my phone buzzed. By sheer luck, I panicked and dropped it.
That slip saved me. Jiang Qingqing didn't see the notification. What's wrong? she asked as my phone clattered to the floor. I waved it off, pretending it was nothing, but my heart was pounding. That was way too close.
The phone had landed right at her feet.