The Woman I Was Flirting With Turned Out To Be A Chaebol Heiress - Chapter 37

Jiang Ji arrived to find the bar’s door slightly ajar, with a “Closed” sign hanging on it. But that sign was unnecessary no one would come to such a secluded corner looking for a drink.

The wind howled through the narrow alley. Business was poor; the few shops that were open were scattered and sparse, giving the place a desolate feeling.

Stepping closer, Jiang Ji could feel the warmth seeping out from the crack under the door, brushing against her exposed skin, chilled by the wind. The warmth did little to comfort her just barely better than nothing.

With a creak, the door was pushed open, and the familiar chime of the wind chime sounded. Jiang Ji saw the back of the woman sitting at the bar counter.

She didn’t turn around, as if unaware someone had entered, simply sitting in the same seat as the first time she came, quietly drinking by herself.

The wooden narrow counter was already piled with several empty bottle all low alcohol fruit flavored sweet wines that wouldn’t get one drunk. But Jiang Ji knew Li Nianyi had a low tolerance; even such mild drinks might make her dizzy if she had too many.

Jiang Ji paced and took a seat beside Li Nianyi still the same spot as their first meeting.

No, that night at the bar might not really count as their strict first meeting.

Li Nianyi was holding the bottle directly, her cheeks flushed faint pink, clearly tipsy. But only when controlled by alcohol could she speak freely and do things without reservation.

“Nian Nian, you’ve had enough to drink,” Jiang Ji said, unable to watch her keep forcing herself to drink. It was all her fault Li Nianyi shouldn’t hurt herself because of it.

“What did you say?”

Suddenly, Li Nianyi buried her head into Jiang Ji’s neck, her soft lips sliding across the skin, warm with the scent of alcohol, filling Jiang Ji’s neck hollow with heat.

“Stop drinking.”

Jiang Ji repeated, but her voice was still not loud enough. Luckily, they were close enough that the volume was sufficient.

“Why won’t you let me drink? Boss Jiang, I’ll pay for it.”

It stung like needles Jiang Ji’s heart hammered painfully for two seconds, then the ache spread, as if her whole heart was folding into itself.

Boss Jiang.

It had been a long time since Li Nianyi called her that. At this moment, the title felt ironic, yet the way she said it was sincere and tender, the trailing tone wrapping around Jiang Ji’s neck, leaving her speechless.

“Boss Jiang, give me another Number 16, please. These others just can’t compare to your skills.”

She pushed the empty bottles aside and gently shook Jiang Ji’s arm.

“I want to drink the one you make.”

Li Nianyi’s voice was not soft; on the contrary, it was slightly hoarse from drinking, like sparks igniting on Jiang Ji’s body, burning her whole self, making her chest feel hot.

“Alright.”

Those repeated calls of “Boss Jiang” pierced Jiang Ji’s body like thorns, but she didn’t dare pull them out for fear the bleeding wouldn’t stop.

Soon, the sound of ice clinking against a metal glass filled the space.

Li Nianyi rested her chin on her hand, feeling heavy headed but still conscious. She looked up at Jiang Ji’s silent movements and recalled the moments when her heart first fluttered.

What does it really mean to understand someone?

Her eyes traced Jiang Ji’s handsome, heroic brows like the finest brushstrokes in a delicate painting.

“Customer, your drink is ready.” Jiang Ji cooperated with Li Nianyi and bowed slightly, serving her only customer.

The elegant highball glass was placed in front of Li Nianyi, the dreamy blue purple liquid causing a dizzying haze.

Li Nianyi lazily lifted the glass and took a sip. How come she only noticed now that the aftertaste carried faint threads of bitterness, tinting her entire mouth with a bitter black?

“Boss Jiang, why is the bar called ‘Y’?”

She asked casually, like many other ordinary customers who had inquired about the origin of the name.

Meeting her gaze, which was lighter than water, Jiang Ji’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

“That’s the first letter of my mother’s name.” But until now, only Li Nianyi knew the real answer.

Li Nianyi recalled a casual evening chat where she once mentioned that ill-fated woman’s name.

Li Nianyi took another sip, her brows involuntarily furrowing. “Then why do you name these drinks with numbers?”

Jiang Ji didn’t answer immediately, seeming to ponder but unable to come up with a good reason, so she could only admit the truth.

“I’m not good at thinking, and I couldn’t come up with any trendy or nice names. Using numbers is just more convenient.”

Li Nianyi was amused by Jiang Ji’s answer. This approach was very much in line with Jiang Ji’s straightforward, one-track mind.

“Is that so? I thought there was some story behind it.”

The transparent glass in the dim light gave a strange illusion the drink gently swirled in Li Nianyi’s hand.

“Come sit closer; it’s tiring to talk looking up like this.”

A slender white hand reached out and tugged at Jiang Ji’s sleeve. She obediently complied.

Their distance shrank again, even the tiny fuzz on her face was clearly visible. Tonight, Li Nianyi was unusually gentle—no intense questioning about Jiang Ji’s secrets, only soft, coaxing questions filled with curiosity.

This kind of interrogation wasn’t what she had imagined to be hysterical, but somehow it felt worse like a dull knife cutting flesh, unpredictable in what she would ask next.

Li Nianyi seemed to treat Jiang Ji as a subject to test, but then she realized Li Nianyi had no interest in counselors.

Just as she settled, a furry head leaned against her chest firmly.

“Nian Nian?”

“I’m drunk.”

So she needed to lean on Jiang Ji to avoid staggering.

“Drink less if you’re drunk.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because it hurts inside.”

“…Does getting drunk make it feel better?”

“Seems not…”

They exchanged a few meaningless lines kind of boring, but not everything needs meaning.

“Jiang Ji.”

“Hm?”

Li Nianyi’s head was still resting on Jiang Ji’s shoulder, her hair brushing her skin.

“Are you the behind the scenes boss of ‘Midnight Paradise’?”

Jiang Ji’s breath suddenly caught, then she exhaled along with a light “yes.”

As if expected, the person in her arms showed no surprise but casually pulled out a straw and dropped it into the glass.

“Sorry…”

A soft sigh floated into Li Nianyi’s ears, but she pretended not to hear and continued speaking.

“I didn’t expect that after calling you ‘Boss Jiang’ so many times, I’d accidentally guess your identity right… Casino boss, huh? That’s not an easy position, dealing with lots of troubles.”

There was even a hint of admiration in her tone.

“Well then, Boss Jiang.”

Li Nianyi lifted her head. Although most of her body was still pressed close to Jiang Ji, her eyes locked directly onto Jiang Ji’s.

“When and where was our first meeting?”

A heavy hammer struck Jiang Ji’s heart. She instinctively wanted to look away but heard Li Nianyi say:

“Are you trying to avoid it again?”

“Our first meeting, Jiang Ji, there’s no need to hide. I just want to hear it from you.”

Jiang Ji swallowed a few times and finally spat out some dry words.

“Shiroyama 4 chome.”

That was Li Nianyi’s address.

Hearing this, Li Nianyi paused, then laughed.

“So that night was really you. Our fate started earlier than I thought… You looked so scary that night, I was afraid you’d hurt me. All I could think about was how to run away.”

Li Nianyi lowered her head and whispered. The scene from that night played like a movie in her mind, every detail magnified infinitely.

Seeing her like that, Jiang Ji panicked.

“Nian Nian… I.. I didn’t mean to hide it from you… I…”

She just didn’t know how to start.

“Alright, Jiang Ji, tell me. I want to hear the voice inside your heart. Jiang Ji, I’m not some casual stranger. I deserve your trust. Maybe I understand you better than you think.”

Li Nianyi affectionately leaned her head back, resting her chin on Jiang Ji’s shoulder. The familiar scent in her breath made her words sound like whispered caresses between lovers.

But Jiang Ji knew this was not normal. She was suppressing her emotions.

She wished Li Nianyi would slap her, or angrily scold and question her, threaten to abandon her. Anything would be better than this calmness, as if nothing had happened, which was driving her crazy.

She closed her eyes tightly, resigned to finally expose her whole self to Li Nianyi.

It should have been done long ago.

She began to tell the stories she wanted to erase.

Memories surfaced the days she worked as an enforcer in the casino seemed to climb onto rusty, blood-stained iron. Every recollection reeked of a heavy metallic stench.

The so-called light-hearted adoption was actually a deal made when she was close to death, a sacrifice for her mother.

She spoke of all the bad things she had done these years, how she had bloodied hands at the Kurosaki Society, how she forced the innocent Suzuki Yuya to fall from a building, the troubles in the casino.

She was the executioner who killed Suzuki.

She was an accomplice who helped Dai cover up money laundering evidence.

Her casino destroyed many families.

Nian Nian, Jiang Ji was a bad person.

Even more wicked than she imagined.

Yet her voice trembled.

“Nian Nian, I’m sorry…”

Li Nianyi felt her cheek suddenly turn icy cold that was Jiang Ji’s tears. When she cried, it rained inside the heart of the one who loved her.

“I’m not someone who deserves your hope.”