Any Closer and I'll Lose Control - Chapter 43

“Where is she?” Meng Tang practically lunged over the bar counter.

The bartender looked bewildered. “Who?”

“There was a girl here earlier, drunk. I’m her friend. Where is she?”

The bartender replied, “Her friend already picked her up.”

“I am her friend,” Meng Tang said through gritted teeth. “How could you just let someone else take her?”

“That person also said she was her friend. How was I supposed to know?”

“You!”

“Calm down.” Wei Chuan placed a hand on Meng Tang’s shoulder and turned to the bartender. “Was the person who took her a man or a woman? How long ago did they leave?”

“A woman. Just five minutes ago.”

“Could be someone from their gathering today,” Wei Chuan said, trying to steady her. “Call Xie Lingyin first. I’ll call Xu Heqing and ask what happened earlier.”

The bar was too loud, so they stepped outside. Xie Lingyin’s phone was turned off.

Xu Heqing, however, answered immediately. Seeing Meng Tang’s agitation, Wei Chuan put the call on speaker. “Where are you?”

“Just finished dinner. What’s wrong?”

“When did your gathering end earlier? Xie Lingyin went to a bar alone and got drunk. Now she’s missing.”

“What?” Xu Heqing’s voice was laced with shock and fear. “Where are you?”

Wei Chuan gave the address.

Xu Heqing said, “She went to the hospital this afternoon. I had organizational matters to deal with. Tell me exactly what happened.”

Wei Chuan explained, “Meng Tang got a call from Xie Lingyin tonight asking to be picked up, but when we got to the bar, the bartender said a woman had already taken her.”

“Call the police and have the bar check the surveillance footage.” Xu Heqing’s voice wavered. “I’ll try calling Xie Lingyin now.”

“Don’t bother. Her phone’s off.”

Xu Heqing cursed loudly on the other end. Wei Chuan and Meng Tang exchanged a glance and immediately decided to call the police.

Less than five minutes later, Xu Heqing arrived at the bar.

The police hadn’t arrived yet, and individuals had no authority to access the bar’s surveillance footage.

Xu Heqing ran a hand through his hair and turned to Meng Tang. “How could you just hang up the phone earlier?”

“I…”

Wei Chuan found the accusation absurd and even shoved Xu Heqing. “Why are you blaming Meng Tang? It’s not her fault Xie Lingyin went drinking. And even if it were, what right do you have to criticize her? In what capacity?”

Xu Heqing’s temper flared.

“But Meng Tang knew Xie Lingyin was drunk. Anything could’ve happened in the twenty minutes it took to get here! If she-”

“Xu Heqing!” Wei Chuan roared, seeing Meng Tang’s face pale. “Don’t fucking cross the line.”

Wei Chuan’s brows were drawn tight, his dark eyes simmering with an intensity Xu Heqing had never seen before, a fury that forced him to slowly regain his composure. He muttered an apology, defeated.

Meng Tang wasn’t rattled by the outburst. She looked up at Wei Chuan, warmth flooding her chest.

She tugged at his sleeve. “Stop arguing. Finding Lingyin is what matters.”

Wei Chuan scoffed but said nothing more.

Xu Heqing muttered under his breath, “I never should’ve let her go to the hospital.”

Meng Tang glanced at him. Xu Heqing had always carried himself with an air of detached elegance. It was the first time she’d seen him so furious he lost control.

Wei Chuan, still seething, turned and grabbed Meng Tang’s wrist.

“I’m taking you back to campus first. Before someone blames you again if the surveillance doesn’t turn up anything.”

“Wait,” Meng Tang said, nudging him to look toward the street. “The police are here.”

The police car came to a stop, and the officers stepped out to ask who had called them. Wei Chuan raised his hand slightly and explained the situation to them.

Just as they were about to enter the bar, Meng Tang’s phone rang.

Seeing it was Shi Lan calling, she answered.

Shi Lan said that Xie Lingyin was drunk and asked Meng Tang to bring a cup of brown sugar ginger tea when she returned through the east gate.

Meng Tang abruptly halted in her tracks. “Lingyin is back?”

Xu Heqing turned around and stopped, signaling for Meng Tang to put the call on speaker.

Meng Tang quickly switched to speakerphone, and Shi Lan’s voice came through: “She’s back. No idea where she got drunk, but an upperclassman brought her back.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Meng Tang hung up and was about to explain the situation to the police when Wei Chuan stopped her, stepping forward with a smile to apologize instead.

The officer tossed out a remark, “As long as she’s fine.”

Xu Heqing paused, then said to Meng Tang, “I’m sorry for my attitude earlier.”

Meng Tang shook her head. “It’s fine.”

Wei Chuan hailed a taxi by the roadside, opened the back door, and called for Meng Tang to get in.

Xu Heqing didn’t move, so Wei Chuan pointed to the front seat, indicating he should sit there.

After giving the address, the three of them remained silent, making the driver glance at them several times.

Wei Chuan tilted his head slightly and noticed Meng Tang’s gaze fixed on Xu Heqing in the front seat. An indescribable irritation churned inside him.

The taxi soon stopped at the east gate of Z University. Meng Tang quietly headed to a popular shop among female students that specialized in fresh-brewed drinks.

It was winter, and since Xie Lingyin was drunk, brown sugar ginger tea would help warm her stomach and ward off the cold.

Xu Heqing stood outside and said to Wei Chuan beside him, “When you walk her back to the dorm, apologize to her again for me.”

Wei Chuan scoffed coldly, swallowing back the words, “Why don’t you say it yourself?”

Seeing he was still being difficult, Xu Heqing chuckled lightly and softened his tone. “I’m not good at comforting people. Could you help me out?”

Wei Chuan gave a lofty “Hmph.” “Fine, if I must.”

Xu Heqing saw through him but didn’t call him out. “Then I’ll head back to the dorm first.”

There was no point in following, he wouldn’t get to see Xie Lingyin tonight anyway. Better to let her rest, and he’d settle the score with her tomorrow.

When Meng Tang came out and didn’t see Xu Heqing, she didn’t ask about him. Noticing Wei Chuan was still following, she turned and said, “You can go back too.”

“I’ll walk you to the dorm building.” Wei Chuan cautiously glanced at her expression. “Xu Heqing’s a real jerk. If you want to curse him out, go ahead. I won’t snitch.”

Meng Tang laughed helplessly. “Why would I curse at him?”

Wei Chuan let out a sarcastic “Oh.” “Got it. Because you like him, so you can’t bring yourself to.”

Meng Tang: “…When did I say that?”

She had felt wronged, of course, but finding Xie Lingyin had been the priority, so she had suppressed it.

Just now, not seeing Xu Heqing after buying the tea had inexplicably relieved her.

Because of tonight’s events, she had started to feel a little hesitant toward Xu Heqing.

“So, what are you thinking?” Wei Chuan muttered.

“I’m not thinking about anything,” Meng Tang said. “Right now, I just want to hurry upstairs and give Lingyin the ginger tea.”

Her subdued tone didn’t escape Wei Chuan’s notice. When they reached the girls’ dormitory, he suddenly said, “Let me tell you a joke.”

Meng Tang looked up silently. Thinking she was waiting, Wei Chuan began:

“A wife told her husband, ‘After work, buy five buns. If you see someone selling watermelons, buy one.’ In the end, the husband came back with just one bun. The wife demanded an explanation, and the husband said, ‘I did see a watermelon seller.'”

Meng Tang stared at him, unamused.

Wei Chuan awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “We’re here. You can go up now.”

Meng Tang stepped into the elevator, then suddenly burst into laughter a beat too late.

Her gloomy mood lifted considerably from this belated realization.