564. Drinking Buddies【1/20】
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Looks like the afternoon class is going to be skipped.
Lin Nan plops down with a chicken chop rice set and glances over at the group sitting on the floor, drinking and smoking it up with Xiong Da.
Even though she tidied up the dorm once, the floor still looks like a dirt road. But hey, it’s just a little dust; the boys don’t seem to mind.
The stench of smoke wafts through the room, making Lin Nan scowl, especially at Chen Yao’s smoking style, which looks like he’s trying to inhale the soul of the cigarette.
Oh well, it’s just for Xiong Da…
If she were still a guy, she’d probably be sitting on the floor right there, playing the part of the supportive roommate.
The group is pretty quiet, munching on lunch while sipping last night’s leftover beer. Xiong Da leans against the closet, head down, nursing a drink, his eyes a bit red.
Lin Nan feels particularly sorry for Xiong Da. This dude, who usually plays the invisible man in the dorm, might not be her closest friend, but they’ve lived together for a year and a half.
But all she can do is watch from afar. If she were still a guy, she’d probably join in for drinks to comfort Xiong Da.
It’s the first time she’s seen Xiong Da looking this lost.
Lin Nan sighs and orders a barbecue takeout that costs about a hundred bucks to go with their drinks.
No doubt, the beer supply will run out soon too, so she decides to call Big Dog for a rescue mission to bring a box of beer from off campus. Oh, and maybe ask him to take attendance for them during class too.
Only Big Dog could manage taking attendance for four people.
And then she hits a wall; she has no idea what else she can do right now.
Xiong Da starts to cry. Chen Yao, unable to bear it any longer, pats his shoulder and reassures him, “It’s just a girl, why so dramatic?”
Lin Nan glares at him. If this were any other day, she’d kick him, but now she can only hold it in.
“Exactly! Girls are like clothes, bros are like family! We’re here for you!” Tu Junhui takes it a step further.
Lin Nan rolls her eyes and pretends she didn’t hear, though it irks her, especially since her boyfriend is one of those saying it.
Speaking of which, is there any magic that could make someone forget their woes?
Like, I dunno, a psychological magic?
She has a magic that can briefly control a person’s actions and thoughts, but it lasts only for a short while, and Lin Nan can imagine how it’d go.
“Don’t be sad.”
“Okay.”
Then, when the control wears off, Xiong Da would go right back to gloomily drinking and smoking, not saying a word.
So she starts rummaging through Lilith’s memories for similar spells and their unlocking requirements and actually finds something that might work.
But just as she’s getting into it, she glances over to see Xiong Da, tears streaming down his face.
Panic sets in. She can’t stand seeing anyone cry, and his silent sobbing makes her feel all sorts of anxious.
“Stop crying…” she whispers weakly.
Chen Yao turns to look at her and nods, “Not many first loves make it to the end; don’t act like you can’t live without a girl.”
Xiong Da ignores him, gradually letting out actual sobs, takes a drag of his cigarette, and starts coughing up a storm.
With no good options left, Lin Nan averts her eyes, but the sound of his cries is getting on her nerves.
The smoke thickens around them, and she stands up, irritably pushing the back door open and stepping out onto the balcony.
What if she used the psychological magic to make Xiong Da forget about being cheated on? Or to make him not care?
At first, she thought about using magic, but upon reflection, breaking up with your first love is something everyone goes through. Why can others get through it on their own while Xiong Da needs her to unlock a new spell for him?
After all, this is part of growing up, even if it’s a bit painful.
Lin Nan leans against the sink, and before long, Chen Yao comes out to the balcony.
As soon as he spots Lin Nan, he says, “Xiong Da’s probably going to mope for a few days. Give it time; he should be alright.”
“How come you sound so experienced?” Lin Nan glances at him.
“It’s what they say online.” Chen Yao shrugs and sighs, “At the end of the day, Xiong Da was only with that girl for about a month; getting cheated on shouldn’t bring the apocalypse down on his head.”
But honestly, if he were in Xiong Da’s shoes, he wouldn’t be handling it any better.
Lin Nan turns back and looks through the window at the now-drunken Xiong Da still downing beers. This usually cool and collected guy has completely ruined his image in her eyes today.
“He’s probably upset about the thousands of bucks,” she mutters.
“Don’t project yourself onto him,” Chen Yao chimes in, and then dramatically reopens the back door, stating, “I guess I’m stuck here getting Xiong Da wasted today; you don’t mind, do you?”
“Special circumstances, I don’t mind.”
Though she says that, Lin Nan reminds him, “Try not to smoke, it smells awful.”
“I’ll try.” After that, Chen Yao heads back inside to join Tu Junhui in trying to convince Xiong Da to lighten up.
Unfortunately, aside from Xiong Da himself coming to terms with it, or time diluting his emotions, there’s really no better way to handle this.
The barbecue Lin Nan ordered arrives, but the leftover beer is already gone, and Xiong Da, feeling moody, begins throwing a fit like a kid wanting more beer.
Just then, Big Dog appears, dragging a suitcase and peeking into the room, shocked by the scene: “What the heck are you guys doing?!”
“Wasn’t everything fine when the takeout arrived?” he asks, opening his suitcase to reveal hidden bottles of beer. “Lin Nan said you guys wanted to drink; I thought you were celebrating something. What happened?”
He glances at everyone’s faces, landing on Xiong Da’s, and suddenly it dawns on him.
Clearly, Chen Yao and Tu Junhui are just drinking buddies for Xiong Da, and Xiong Da’s poor forlorn expression screams “I got hit by a truck of heartbreak.”
He gets along with everyone around here, but Xiong Da lives next door and they’ve always been pretty cool. Seeing this, he nonchalantly plops down on the filthy floor: “Come on, let’s all drink! This box of booze is on me!”
After sitting down, Big Dog looks at Chen Yao, “What’s going on? Spill the tea; I’m good with words and might even help lighten the mood.”
So Chen Yao and Tu Junhui take turns explaining the situation, making sure Big Dog doesn’t embellish the story too much.
But Xiong Da’s already snatched up the beer and is guzzling it down.
He claims he’s allergic to alcohol, but his tolerance is surprisingly decent; after several bottles, he’s just getting redder and more tearful.
Lin Nan stands outside on the balcony, occasionally peeking in at the newly arrived drinking buddy, Big Dog, and feels a pounding headache coming on.
What am I going to do if you four all get smashed together?
