Although They're Mentally ill, They're Extremely Easy to Comfort - Chapter 16

Jiang Xingran returned to the office after class and saw Ling Xi deep in thought, hunched over her desk. She approached to join the fun: “What are you up to, Ling Xi Xi?”

“Preparing the lesson plan for tomorrow’s class, of course.”

“Oh my! Is the world about to end, manifesting a rare sight—the perpetually lazy one actually writing a lesson plan? But don’t you have a lesson plan already? Why rewrite it?”

Hearing “lesson plan,” Jiang Xingran’s delicate body trembled; this was a spectacle of a century.

Ling Xi put down her pen, her tone dripping with disdain: “Is Qiao Bo’er a normal student attending class? If I teach with a standard lesson plan, I’m afraid she won’t understand a single word.”

“Mmm, it definitely requires tailored teaching. Well, keep writing. The revolution is not yet successful, comrade, continue the effort.”

Ling Xi had been dawdling there for at least two hours. Jiang Xingran curiously looked at the lesson plan book, only to be dumbfounded.

The blank lesson plan book had only one large sentence written on it: Qiao Bo’er is a psycho, just teach freestyle casually ($text{^_^}$)!

Freestyle? And she drew a smiley face! This was the ultimate in perfunctoriness. It seemed Director Chen hadn’t squeezed her enough lately, causing her to get itchy skin.

Writing a lesson plan like this, Ling Xi was truly a lost cause.

Xuan City’s decadent nightlife was famous nationwide. The moment the streetlights came on, the wild desires in the hearts of the beautiful men and women began to stir.

Qin Yun drove her flashy pink sports car conspicuously down Xuan City Avenue. Qiao Bo’er was in a good mood, so she brought Chu Xi and Qu Ye along for a midnight happy hour.

Charm Capital Bar was located in the Riverside Business District, the most affluent and valuable area of Xuan City, where the rent for any storefront easily started in the five figures.

Qiao Bo’er sat in the car, quietly watching the scene outside. Neon lights flickered, retreating into a blur, yet failed to capture her attention.

Chu Xi, sitting in the passenger seat, was handling minor tasks on her tablet. Suddenly recalling something, she asked: “Boss, you are going to Xuan University tomorrow afternoon. Do all the following appointments need to be rescheduled?”

“Excluding extremely important meetings and client appointments, all other schedules are to be pushed back according to the class time. Arrange the itinerary and send it to me for review.”

“Understood.”

“Qu Ye, did you order the things?”

“The cones are already in the fridge. Chocolate has a short shelf life in summer, and that brand requires pre-ordering, which will take about half a month.”

“Fine, get the chocolate to me as soon as it arrives.”

“Understood… By the way, Boss, are you planning to stay in Imperial View for this period?”

“Yes, any issues?”

“I’m your assistant, just confirming your living arrangements to facilitate vehicle deployment.”

The discussion brought them to the bar. Qin Yun had already parked the car and waited at the entrance.

The door of Charm Capital Bar was designed like a game of hide-and-seek, very subtle, adding a sense of fun for the guests who came because of its reputation.

Upon entering the bar, the sight was striking: a huge plaster statue of an angel stood inside the rectangular bar counter.

Qiao Bo’er had been wrong; Qin Yun’s establishment was a cocktail bar, but it incorporated multiple elements.

The background music wasn’t traditional lazy blues but powerful, rhythmic electronic music.

Qin Yun leaned against the bar counter, ordering an Irish Coffee for herself, and boasted to Qiao Bo’er: “How is it? Not bad, right?”

Qiao Bo’er sat down next to her and looked around. Booth seating was arranged in the three areas with the best, most unobstructed views of the windows, separated into small worlds by red velvet curtains.

Looking at the transparent tempered glass staircase winding upwards, Qiao Bo’er asked, “How many floors does your bar have?”

“Four.”

“Such a large-scale setup? But there are quite a few guests, so business is good.”

“It’s been open for about a month. I only dared to invite a big shot like you after getting everything running smoothly.”

“A cocktail bar this large must hide some mystery. Why don’t you take us up to look around first?” Compared to Qin Yun’s seeking of praise, Qiao Bo’er was more curious about the world upstairs.

“Don’t rush,” Qin Yun took the menu from Qiao Bo’er’s hand and winked at Chu Xi and Qu Ye: “I’ll introduce it first… The first floor is the coffee and cocktail theme, the second floor is the craft beer area, and the third floor is dedicated to dining and dates. The bar counter has four sides, representing four different cocktail styles. You have to order four hidden drinks from the menu to get the key to the fourth floor from the bartender.”

“Hmph, you certainly know how to do marketing.” Qiao Bo’er scoffed, picking up the menu and looking at Chu Xi and Qu Ye: “You two each order a cup, of different styles. I want to go up to the fourth floor and see what kind of extraordinary thing is hidden there.”

Chu Xi and Qu Ye exchanged glances. Their boss’s plan to sacrifice others for her own gain was completely unhesitating, wasn’t it?

Qin Yun pulled the menu from Qiao Bo’er’s hand and winked at Chu Xi: “One has to earn money for you, and the other has to drive you. Don’t make things difficult for them.”

With that, she turned around and ordered non-alcoholic specialty drinks for Chu Xi and Qu Ye.

As for Qiao Bo’er, one Negroni wouldn’t floor her.

Chu Xi and Qu Ye didn’t follow them upstairs, very tactfully giving the two bosses private space to talk.

Qiao Bo’er followed Qin Yun directly up to the fourth floor. The deliberately aged solid wood double doors looked very heavy. Qin Yun took the key and opened the door. It turned out to be a spacious terrace, the size of the floor below.

The terrace was covered with cobblestones, with a canopy and tents pitched on one side. Lush green potted plants created a camping atmosphere. A row of ground lights was designed along the wall, casting shadows that resembled natural petals.

Walking to the edge of the terrace, the scenery of the river and sea confluence with shipping routes was completely visible.

The marble railing was deliberately widened, seemingly to allow guests to sit on it and enjoy Xuan City’s bustling night view. However, it was somewhat dangerous; a drunk fall could lead to a tragedy.

Qin Yun was bold. She put down her glass, kicked off her high heels, and deftly sat on top of the railing: “Want to come up and feel it?”

Qiao Bo’er accepted the invitation with a smile. The two sat side-by-side. The river wind rushed past, messing up their long hair.

“Cheers, to your bar’s thriving business.”

“That’s such a formal blessing!”

“What do you want me to say then?”

“Of course, ‘Cheers to our everlasting friendship!’ Cheers!” Qin Yun laughed, raising her glass high. Qiao Bo’er, for a rare moment, also burst into hearty laughter and clinked her glass against Qin Yun’s.

“Actually… Dr. J contacted me today, which is why I suddenly came to the company.”

Qin Yun suddenly brought up her true intention. Qiao Bo’er tightened her grip on her glass, and her tone cooled slightly: “What did she want with you?”

“You haven’t had a follow-up appointment with her for two months and haven’t responded to her or Chu Xi, so she came to me.”

“I’m perfectly fine now, aren’t I?”

“Your medication requires her prescription to be purchased. If you don’t report your condition in time, how can she adjust the prescription based on your mental state?”

Qiao Bo’er took a small sip of her drink and countered ill-humoredly: “She’s just like Chu Xi, overreacting to every little thing. Are you here to join the fuss too?”

“Heh, if you weren’t one of my few good girlfriends, I wouldn’t bother with your cold face. Anyway, the message has been delivered. Whether or not you seek treatment is your business.”

Qin Yun’s cold-blooded attitude didn’t bother Qiao Bo’er. In fact, she liked the hint of indifference, which made her want to engage with this woman more.

Qiao Bo’er leaned lazily against the marble pillar and took another sip of her drink: “I know what I’m doing. No need to worry.”

“Hey, let me ask you, are you really not planning to go back to Florence?” Qin Yun changed the subject, yet it seemed to make the existing, meager, comfortable atmosphere even more miserable.

Qiao Bo’er rolled her eyes at her: “If you can’t hold a conversation, then don’t. Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?”

“Alright, alright, don’t go back then. Anyway, Jiatei is flourishing under your leadership. Going back to Florence would only make you feel like every day is a year. Just stay in Xuan City with peace of mind.”

Qiao Bo’er finished the last bit of her drink, enjoying the gentle evening breeze and the unique, dusty air of the concrete world: “I can’t deny that I’m growing to like it here more and more.”

“The world is so big, and people are so many… In this fast-paced era, the rate at which most love disappears is comparable to the usage time of a condom, perhaps even shorter. The Matchmaker God and the God of Love are both on the brink of burnout, yet you are still unable to wake up from that dream.”

Qin Yun was not an idealist who prioritized love, but she used the most down-to-earth analogy, attempting to splash awake Qiao Bo’er’s magical-realist waiting.

Support