Staring at Su Tao for a long time, Jiang Qinghan revealed a self-mocking smile. "I feel that I'm an idiot, a joke who waited years for someone who has already forgotten his family."
Shaking his head, Su Tao patiently comforted, "You're deeply in love, and no one will laugh at you. Your love will only touch them."
After Jiang Qinghan fell into a brief silence, she said, "I want to look for him and ask him why he disappeared back then."
"Where is he right now? I'll help you!" Su Tao nodded his head.
Hearing his words, Jiang Qinghan briefly froze before she looked at Su Tao with a complicated gaze and shook her head. "This is my matter, and it has nothing to do with you."
"Since I'm your disciple, how can it have nothing to do with me?" Su Tao replied, firmly.
Wearing a bitter smile, Jiang Qinghan said, "I need silence right now. Since I have already fulfilled your curiosity, then leave me alone now."
It's rare for Su Tao to see Jiang Qinghan in this state, which he felt sour in his heart and did not give up comforting her, "It's not advisable to be alone when you're vexed since your thoughts will go extreme, so let's go grab a drink!"
Jiang Qinghan had been busy with work and did not have any friends, so even if she wanted to quench her sorrow with alcohol, she did not have someone suitable.
"Let's go grab a drink, then!" Jiang Qinghan gently sighed.
Su Tao waited in the courtyard for Jiang Qinghan to change her clothes. She was wearing a white dress with a thin, brown jacket. Her face was filled with luster under the lights as she waved her hand at Su Tao with a smile. "Yan Sha wanted to go with us, but I instructed her to stay at home and study. She's taking her exams soon, and still thinks of playing all the time."
Su Tao knew that Jiang Qinghan's current casual appearance was just an act since she's actually troubled in her heart.
The two of them walked to a nearby barbeque stall. The owner wasn't a stranger with Jiang Qinghan and said, "Officer Jiang, the way you dress up looks really gorgeous, I'll get my wife to learn from you."
But in response to his words, a customer laughed, "Officer Jiang is a natural beauty. With your wife's standards, it's impossible for her to reach Officer Jiang's level even if you sent her to South Korea for plastic surgery!"
Hearing those words, the thick lady boss held onto the steel scraper used for barbeque and said, "Are you making fun of me? Be careful and see if I don't add something special in your food later!"
Everyone here was a frequent customer, so they naturally wouldn't mind joking around with the lady boss in this manner so everyone laughed out.
"In a barbeque stall, what you're enjoying is the ambiance!" Su Tao smiled and continued, "Truth be told, life is simple, and all of us are part of the insignificant. The earth won't stop rotating for anyone."
Rolling her eyes, Jiang Qinghan sourly swept a glance at Su Tao. "Trying to give me guidance?"
Su Tao knew that since Jiang Qinghan was still sober, he had to make her drink. Thus, he ordered some barbeque food along with beer.
"I nearly forgot about it. When Yan Sun and I just got to know each other, we always liked to have our supper in street stalls." Jiang Qinghan sighed.
"Can we not talk about him?" Su Tao's lips twitched.
After cutting a piece of the barbecued gigot and placing it on Jiang Qinghan's plate, Su Tao took one in his mouth. The taste was good, and the meat was fragrant. The exterior was crisp with a faint charcoal scent, garnished with cumin powder. It was no wonder why people were all fond of eating barbecue despite knowing that it could cause cancer.
"You're pretty meticulous!" Jiang Qinghan placed the meat in her mouth along with a mouthful of beer and let out a heavy breath.
"I've just warned you!" Su Tao pretended to be angry.
"But I didn't?" Jiang Qinghan smiled as she continued, "You're too sensitive here."
Venting out his anger on the gigot with a knife, Su Tao unhappily replied, "You just said that I'm meticulous, and there's some comparison in those words. With my understanding of you, you've definitely compared Yan Sun and me in your heart."
Glancing at Su Tao in astonishment, Jiang Qinghan bitterly smiled. "I can't even do that?"
"Nope! We're relaxing ourselves tonight and getting drunk." Su Tao spoke with a domineering tone.
"What about tomorrow morning?" Jiang Qinghan gently sighed.
"That's tomorrow. At the very least, you have to be happy tonight!" Su Tao filled Jiang Qinghan's cup with beer and continued, "Come, let's finish this!"
As Jiang Qinghan locked her brows together, she ate cauliflower and replied, "I have a good capacity for liquor, so you will be getting yourself drunk first."
"How is that possible? Oh, right. We have to promise that whoever is still sober will be responsible for carrying the one drunk back." Su Tao smiled.
"Can't you carry me? You're tall and strong, so how am I going to carry you?" Jiang Qinghan sourly swept a glance at Su Tao.
"That's not my concern. Anyhow, you have to carry me back if I'm drunk." Su Tao persisted.
"Alright, but don't pretend to be drunk. Don't forget about my profession; I have a pair of sharp eyes." Jiang Qinghan's mood was no longer that bad. For some reason, she would tend to forget about the vexing matters whenever she's with Su Tao.
It's not easy to get drunk with beer; on the contrary, one would feel bloated instead. Hence, Su Tao ordered two small bottles of Erguotou liquor. As the white liquor went down their stomachs, the two of them felt a little tipsy so Su Tao burped and smiled. "Master, how about chatting about your first love?"
Hearing those words, Jiang Qinghan fell into silence.
"Your first love is definitely not Yan Sha's father!" Su Tao smirked as he continued, "For someone as beautiful as you, you must have had a lot of suitors, and with so many suitors, there's bound to be one who would break the ice, right?"
"My first love is now in Japan. He had already migrated for years. Our grandfathers were best friends, and they moved their entire family to Japan. It has already been many years since we contacted." Jiang Qinghan sighed.
"That's part of humanity. They will always remember their first love." Su Tao shifted Jiang Qinghan's attention so that she wouldn't think about Yan Sun.
"What about you?" Jiang Qinghan wore a playful smile as she looked at Su Tao.
"My first love? That's you!" Su Tao thickened his face.
"Stop being cheeky. What nonsense are you talking about?" Jiang Qinghan snapped as she glared at Su Tao.
"I'm not joking! If time travel exists, I really want to take a look at your younger self. You must have been very innocent and charming."
When Su Tao noticed that Jiang Qinghan's expression turned cold, he immediately changed the topic, "Uh, I can see your silhouette from Yan Sha."
Lifting her hair, Jiang Qinghan slowly said, "When I was young, society still wasn't this chaotic. Everyone interacted with their hearts, and it's considered overstepping for a man and woman to hold hands together. How are they like the current society where a man and woman could do so many things when they've just known each other for a day?"
"What 'things' are you talking about?" Su Tao feigned ignorance.
Jiang Qinghan patted Su Tao's forehead, he didn't feel any pain. Instead, he felt numbing.
Widening her eyes, she glared at Su Tao. "You're not a kid, so do you need me to go into details?"
Acknowledging her words, Su Tao shrugged. "I understand now. It must be those not safe for work matters."
"Stop getting sidetracked." Jiang Qinghan sourly said.
Seeing that Jiang Qinghan wasn't hooked up, no matter how he tried, Su Tao instantly felt a little helpless. At the same time, he could also tell that Jiang Qinghan was a cautious and conservative woman in her heart. If she was an open-minded woman, she would've been hooked long ago.
Feeling that the alcohol wasn't enough, Su Tao ordered four more bottles.
But Jiang Qinghan's liquor capacity was nothing to be scoffed at. Even after Su Tao felt intoxicated from the alcohol, Jiang Qinghan was still completely sober.
Finally, Su Tao said in muddled words, "Master, your liquor capability is too good. It's too difficult to get you drunk. But don't get smugly, I'll continue to drink with you after a brief rest."
After that, his head fell straight down onto the table.
A smile rose on Jiang Qinghan's lips as she spat out the mouthful of alcohol in her mouth. "Silly brat, do you think that your master is so easy to get drunk?"
There's a rubbish basket beside her, which she used all sorts of methods to get the alcohol out of her system. Even the cunning Su Tao never expected that Jiang Qinghan would play such a card.
Seeing that Su Tao was already unconscious, Jiang Qinghan helplessly sighed before she tried to pull him. However, she never expected that Su Tao would fall towards the ground, which she immediately squatted down and supported his body.
"Forget it. I'll carry you home, then!" Jiang Qinghan might be a woman, but since she had practiced martial arts since young, not only was she agile, but she's also pretty strong.
Although Jiang Qinghan placed Su Tao on her back, Su Tao's feet were dragging on the ground due to his tall structure.
"Officer Jiang, do you need help?" The barbeque stall owner asked with goodwill.
"It's fine. I'll just bring him to the roadside and flag a cab." Jiang Qinghan's forehead was covered in sweat as she looked at Su Tao's hands, which were dangling before her lofty peaks. She felt a little panicky in her heart.
She's trying her best to hypnotise herself that Su Tao is just a kid, her disciple.
When they finally flagged a cab, Jiang Qinghan shoved him into the vehicle with great difficulty, which Su Tao's head bumped several times in the process. As Jiang Qinghan helplessly sighed, she muttered, "Serve you right. This is a reminder for you not to drink so much in the future."
When they got out of the vehicle, Jiang Qinghan placed Su Tao on her back once again. But this time, she suddenly lost her balance for some reason and staggered forth.
Su Tao was akin to a mountain that pushed her down.
Feeling intense pain coming from her knees, Jiang Qinghan also felt a boiling sensation between her legs, which she panicked. She immediately stood up and glanced at Su Tao.
But a few minutes later, Jiang Qinghan took a deep breath as she pulled Su Tao. This time, she did not carry Su Tao on her back but placed his hand on her shoulder. Although it would be slower this way, at least she wouldn't lose her balance like before.
When they finally arrived before the Three Flavour Hall, Jiang Qinghan handed Su Tao over to Liu Jianwei before she sighed out in relief and turned to leave.
After Su Tao was thrown to his bed by Liu Jianwei, a bright pair of pupils flickered in the dark after the latter left with a cheap smile hanging on a handsome face.
Su Tao was pretending to be drunk earlier. The brief excitement from before might seem distant, but it lingered in his heart for a long time.
