Chapter Thirty-One: The Girl Who Drinks

Thank you to Jia Ru at 8:30, and to Handsome But Can't Get Up for your rewards—my sincere thanks!

"Thank you, Mr. Qiu." After finishing his noodles, a young man placed a pile of small change on the table, shrugged at him, and said, "This is all we have, but... thank you so much."

Qiu Fengyu regarded him silently, his gaze shifting between the young man and the two others with him. He knew these three—they were friends of David Birkin. Clearly, they weren’t the sort who only cared for themselves.

The young man grew a little uncomfortable under Qiu Fengyu’s scrutiny, forcing a smile. "We’re David’s friends. We know you’ve done a lot for him..."

"What did he tell you?" Qiu Fengyu’s brows drew together as he looked at him.

"No, no, nothing like that," the young man hurried to explain. "He didn’t say anything, just told us how grateful he was, and asked us to thank you on his behalf. If it’s a secret, I believe that no matter what, he wouldn’t let it slip."

"All right, let’s leave it at that. I didn’t help him with much," Qiu Fengyu said, gathering up the coins and stuffing them haphazardly into his pocket.

The three nodded gratefully, turning to leave.

"Hey, wait—what’s your name, buddy?"

The young man paused, glanced at Qiu Fengyu, saw that he was looking right at him, and quickly replied, "Davis. Harry Davis. These two are my best friends, their names—"

"I only asked for yours. Take care, buddy. Drop by for noodles if you have the chance," Qiu Fengyu interrupted, his tone casual.

A flash of delight crossed the young man’s face, quickly replaced by awkwardness. "If... if I have the money, I will. I promise." He raised his hand as if swearing an oath.

Qiu Fengyu nodded, ending the conversation.

Harry Davis smiled, pushed open the door, and left, catching up with his two companions.

This young man was interesting, Qiu Fengyu mused, a crooked smile playing at his lips. If David could entrust matters to him, it meant the fellow had at least some sense of loyalty—a trustworthy man, not prone to gossip.

"Be careful around those guys. Don’t get involved with them," Britton came over and advised Qiu Fengyu.

"Thanks, you’re a good man," Qiu Fengyu replied, giving his shoulder a light pat.

"How are things with Coffin?" Britton asked.

"With Coffin? Oh, come on—don’t tell me you’re imagining... No, no, that’s impossible," Qiu Fengyu said, suddenly understanding, and pointed accusingly at Britton.

"Have you been in touch with Elissa?"

"Yeah, sometimes. Come on, Josh, don’t be so nosy. You’re starting to sound like a gossiping woman," Qiu Fengyu said, spreading his hands, then picked up the bowl in front of him and walked off.

That afternoon, once things quieted down, Qiu Fengyu emptied the cash register, counting the money before stuffing it in his pocket. He planned to take his car for a spin.

In Texas, if you want to cruise, you can speed along highways that stretch endlessly into the distance. But Qiu Fengyu never ventured further than the road to Paso.

"Vehicle ahead, you’ve been speeding. Please pull over!"

On his way back from Paso City, a police car chased him down, forcing him to the side of the road. If this were Ukraine, Qiu Fengyu probably wouldn’t have given these officers the time of day.

"All right, hands behind your head. Yes, lean against the car, legs spread... don’t try to resist..." Handcuffs clicked shut around Qiu Fengyu’s wrists, and he was turned around.

"Oh, come on, Ariel, don’t do this. I wasn’t speeding—I know exactly where the limit is. Don’t treat me like this unless you’re interested in me..." Qiu Fengyu took the chance to tease Coffin.

"Shut up—address me as Officer Coffin!" she said with a smile, unlocking the cuffs. "So, how’s life in Texas? Enjoying it a little too much? Driving like you’re high?"

"Yeah, I’m high. Want to come over and smell my breath?" Qiu Fengyu leaned in with a grin.

"Get lost! Don’t let me catch you speeding again," Coffin said, half-annoyed, half-amused.

"Yes, Officer Coffin," Qiu Fengyu replied cheerfully, snapping off an American-style salute and whistling as he got in his car and sped away.

Coffin didn’t seem as stern as before. Once, she’d never have joked like that—she was always so serious. Now, she occasionally indulged in these playful exchanges with Qiu Fengyu.

It was a change Qiu Fengyu was happy to see.

That evening, Qiu Fengyu went to the bar. He parked his car in Silsa’s garage and walked the rest of the way. Inside, he spotted Harry Davis with his friends.

Seeing Qiu Fengyu at the bar, Harry raised his glass and smiled. Qiu Fengyu did the same in return, then turned back and took a sip of his vodka.

"I heard you kicked that girl out. What’s your problem? I can recommend a good doctor," Brekin said mysteriously, sidling up to Qiu Fengyu.

"Don’t mess with me—you know the consequences," Qiu Fengyu replied, not bothering to engage.

As expected, Brekin dropped the subject. Qiu Fengyu finished his drink and noticed a young woman take the seat beside him. She ordered from Brekin behind the bar, "A Scotch on the rocks—heavy on the ice."

"Absolutely, gorgeous, my pleasure," Brekin replied, ever the flirt.

Qiu Fengyu glanced at her. "Are you even old enough to drink?"

The girl shot him a sideways look, raised her middle finger, then took the drink Brekin handed her and downed it in one gulp. She beckoned for another, signaling Brekin to keep pouring.

Well, none of his business. Qiu Fengyu said nothing more. If they weren’t afraid of the police, why should he get involved?

Just then, his phone rang—it was Elissa. Smiling, he put in his earphones and answered the call.

"Hey, Elissa!"

"Hey, Fengyu, it’s noisy where you are. Are you at Brekin’s bar?" Elissa immediately recognized the raucous background.

"Yeah, you know me—drop by for a drink every day. Once I’ve saved enough, I’m heading for Los Angeles. I love it there," Qiu Fengyu boasted, not caring about the truth.

"Actually, all you need is the fare to get to LA," Elissa replied, knowing he was prone to exaggeration. "Who’s that girl behind you?" As she spoke, her tone cooled noticeably.

"Damn!" Qiu Fengyu glanced back, catching the girl hastily ducking out of sight.

"All right, goodbye, Qiu. Looks like you’re doing just fine," Elissa said, clearly upset. She hung up before he could say another word.

"Perfect!" the girl snapped her fingers, grinning smugly as Qiu Fengyu glared at her. "Tsk tsk, looks like your little sweetheart’s mad. You’ll have your hands full making it up to her."

Qiu Fengyu saw no point in getting angry with a kid. He suddenly didn’t want to stay any longer, so he got up and headed for the door. As he stepped outside, he saw a man standing by the curb, smoking.

He recognized the man—the one who’d come in with the girl. About forty, sharp and capable. As Qiu Fengyu pushed through the door, the man looked up, saw him, and nodded with a polite smile.

Qiu Fengyu nodded back, hesitated, then walked over. "You... are you that girl’s father?"

The man hesitated, then smiled. "Did she get herself into trouble?"

"No, she’s just drinking. If she’s underage, you might want to stop her. Maybe... that’s what a father should do," Qiu Fengyu said, then continued down the street.

"Thank you, I will," the man replied, watching Qiu Fengyu go. He stubbed his cigarette hard into the ground.

An hour after Qiu Fengyu left, the girl staggered out, visibly drunk. The man moved to help her, but she pushed him away.

"Get lost, you creep! Don’t try to take advantage of me," she spat angrily. "Sending me to this hellhole—damn it, I want to go back. I want to go home..." she muttered, her words dissolving into sobs. She slid down to sit at the base of a lamppost, burying her head in her hands and crying in the darkness.