AFMWDX Chapter 30

TL: Hua

The gathering on the seventh day of the New Year was a tradition in the News Department. It involved dinner, karaoke, and partying all night to truly enjoy it.

In the past two years, the department had expanded, bringing in young, energetic recent graduates. These youngsters had endless energy; singing, drinking, and chatting weren’t enough, so various games were constantly popping up.

Yu Qingtang’s alcohol tolerance was average. Usually, he’d find a corner to sleep in after midnight. This year, being married, he had no intention of tossing and turning with them all night.

He sent his location to Xu Baizhang in advance and arranged for a pickup at 10:00 PM.

At 9:55 PM, Yu Qingtang received a message from Xu Baizhang.

Yu Qingtang grabbed his coat to say goodbye, only to be held back by a group of little drunkards who were at the height of their excitement. They refused to let him leave, clamoring to see the man who had managed to conquer their ace anchor.

Yu Qingtang couldn’t fight off a dozen people alone. At their demand, he called Xu Baizhang and put it on speakerphone.

“Hello.”

At just that one word, the circle of drunks instantly evolved into a frenzy.

“Ahhh, his voice is so attractive!”

“Brother-in-law’s bass is incredible.”

“Such a deep, steady vocal line!”

“A voice gifted by heaven!”

“Dr. Xu could be an anchor too!”

Being in broadcasting and hosting, they were naturally sensitive to voices.

Yu Qingtang put a finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet, and said into the phone, “Baizhang, are you in the car?”

“It’s snowing. I’m at the door.”

The screaming hurt Yu Qingtang’s ears. Without him even needing to speak, the little drunkards were ready to rush out and “capture” the man.

Yu Qingtang was the only calm one in the room. He said to Xu Baizhang, “Wait for me a moment; I’ll come out to find you.”

The little drunkards were dizzy, but they were still clever. Since Yu Qingtang wouldn’t let them follow, and they were afraid he’d run off, they held his coat and phone hostage.

Walking to the lobby entrance, Yu Qingtang realized how heavy the snow was. The streets were dyed white; it was the first snow of the year.

Xu Baizhang closed his umbrella. He wore his gold-rimmed glasses and a mid-length black wool coat. Bits of white snow clung to the tips of his dark leather shoes, melting into transparency as he approached.

He was tall and upright; just standing there was enough to make it impossible for anyone to look away.

Yu Qingtang had finished three bottles of beer. His vision felt like he was looking through several layers of frosted glass.

“Beauty in a blur,” they say. And indeed, the blur was beautiful.

Xu Baizhang shook the snow off his shoulders and draped his own coat over Yu Qingtang. “Why did you come out wearing so little?”

The coat carried a chill as it swung over him, but once wrapped around his body, there was only the warmth of the padded lining.

Yu Qingtang instinctively leaned a bit closer to him. “They were afraid I’d run away, so they kept my coat and phone.”

Xu Baizhang: “They still won’t let you go?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Yu Qingtang’s voice sounded like it had been dipped in wine. “You heard them on the phone; they won’t let me leave until they see you.”

Xu Baizhang smiled slightly. “Let’s go.”

Led by the hand, Yu Qingtang pushed open the door to the private room.

Screams and cheering erupted in waves. The last time Yu Qingtang had heard anything like it was at the comic con.

A dozen pairs of blunt eyes looked ready to stare right through them. Now, even Yu Qingtang couldn’t stay calm.

Only Xu Baizhang remained poised and graceful. Using that voice that could captivate anyone, he said, “Hello everyone, I am Xu Baizhang, Qingtang’s husband.”

He was always like this—steady and appropriate in all public settings, only showing a completely different side when they were alone.

His voice acted as a catalyst, making the alcohol absorb into the brain even faster. Yu Qingtang’s gaze followed the others, turning toward Xu Baizhang.

They had seen the man, and their wish was fulfilled, but these clever kids weren’t about to let them off that easily.

One of them handed over a bottle of beer. “Dr. Xu, Teacher Yu just owed us a bottle. Why don’t you drink it for him?”

“My apologies, I drove here, and I need to get your Teacher Yu home safely.” Xu Baizhang pulled Yu Qingtang a little closer to his side. “Is a different penalty okay?”

The group exchanged glances filled with “wicked” intent that sparkled in their eyes.

“Alright then, since the teacher’s husband has spoken, we’ll make an exception.”

“Mhm, I agree.”

“Fine, we’ve always been easy to talk to.”

Their goal wasn’t to make him drink anyway.

Another person pulled out a deck of cards. “How about a card-drawing game? Since Dr. Xu is taking the penalty for Teacher Yu, Dr. Xu will draw the cards.”

Yu Qingtang’s head was buzzing. He knew these juniors were difficult to deal with. He tried to break free from Xu Baizhang’s grip to grab the beer bottle. “We aren’t playing your games. I’ll drink.”

After three years, Yu Qingtang knew exactly what tricks they had up their sleeves.

The bottle was snatched back, and Yu Qingtang’s hand was caught again. Their fingers interlaced, and Xu Baizhang wouldn’t let him pull away—it was quite overbearing.

Xu Baizhang reached out to touch the poker cards.

The person holding the deck pulled back. “Dr. Xu, don’t be in such a hurry. Let me explain the rules first. We’ve always played by the ‘be willing to draw, be willing to play’ rule—no take-backs. Of course, to make sure we aren’t being too hard on you, you’re allowed to draw two cards at once and choose one of them to complete the task.” The dealer put on a somber expression. “Dr. Xu, are you ready?”

“Go ahead.”

Xu Baizhang didn’t pick through them; he simply took the top two cards.

Yu Qingtang’s heart was in his throat.

The first card was flipped over.

Everyone leaned in curiously to look, including Yu Qingtang, whose heart was pounding wildly in his chest.

[Beer, Poker, and Abs]

[Invite a friend to help you stick a beer-soaked poker card onto your abdominal muscles and keep it there for sixty seconds. You have three attempts. If all three fail, you must draw another card.]

Yu Qingtang felt like his head was on fire, and people kept tossing poker cards and strong liquor onto the flames.

The second card was flipped over.

[A One-Minute Passionate Kiss]

[Invite your significant other and engage in a passionate kiss for no less than one minute. If the kiss ends prematurely, you must draw another card as a penalty.]

Yu Qingtang: “…”

Three years later, the “wicked intentions” of these juniors might be late, but they were never absent.

Now, Yu Qingtang didn’t just feel the heat of the cards and the liquor; he felt a numbness in his lips as if he’d already lost sensation.

A passionate kiss.

Passionate. Deep.

Jeers and cheering filled the room. In that confined space, Yu Qingtang felt infinitely drunk.

Xu Baizhang remained the only calm person in the world. He held the two cards, turned to him, and asked, “Which one do you choose?”