Incurable Pain

Incurable Pain | Chapter 18.1

When Bai Xunyin came up, in fact, Yu Luoyin’s heart wasn’t really surprised.

— He always had this kind of confidence, that no girl could resist the ‘trap’ he had carefully crafted, not even Bai Xunyin.

Falling for it was inevitable, just a matter of sooner or later.

But what about afterwards?

Suddenly, Yu Luoyin felt unusually confused. The fleeting joy in his heart disappeared in an instant, leaving only a sense of emptiness.

He had won the bet, but what came next?

Yu Luoyin looked at the pure smile of the girl in front of him. In her clear, pitch-black eyes, he seemed to see his own reflection. He knew he couldn’t show any signs of being ‘lost’.

“Stealing a kiss from me?”

It took only a few seconds for Yu Luoyin to regain his composure after freezing for a moment. He raised an eyebrow playfully, looking at the girl with neck and ears flushed like clouds, “If you steal a kiss from me, you’re mine, do you know that?”

The brief sense of ‘guilt’ vanished in an instant, and he was back to his usual self.

Bai Xunyin didn’t argue, nor did she say anything. She simply kept her head down and messaged Yu Luoyin repeatedly, asking if they could go back to the venue.

She was still hoping to listen to Gu Yuan’s speech, who knew if it was her turn to speak on the stage now?

“Why are you so eager to go back, girlfriend?”

Yu Luoyin deliberately emphasized the last two words, smiling as he spoke, “Isn’t it nice to have some private time together?”

The noisy and crowded venue was hardly appealing to her, but this young lady had been thinking about going back since they just arrived.

[A physics professor I’ve always liked was invited to the school today.]

Bai Xunyin ignored the teasing about being a “girlfriend” and explained seriously through her message.

[I don’t want to miss her speech.]

“Who?” Yu Luoyin leaned against the shaded wall, feigning a displeased expression as he pouted. “Is she more important than me?”

…

Why is this guy acting so childish?

Bai Xunyin couldn’t help but smile. A delicate dimple appeared at the corner of her lips, drawing a graceful curve.

Yu Luoyin’s gaze unconsciously softened, and he casually asked, “Which professor is it? To make you like her so much.”

However, the answer Bai Xunyin sent surprised him.

[It’s Professor Gu Yuan, do you know her?]

When he saw the name ‘Gu Yuan,’ Yu Luoyin’s smile froze for a moment. But then he quickly regained his composure, casually retorting, “So it’s a woman? My girlfriend really doesn’t indulge in worshiping idols of the opposite sex.”

Bai Xunyin bit her lip and typed with embarrassment.

[Don’t talk nonsense.]

“Alright, I won’t talk nonsense.”

Yu Luoyin chuckled. “But do you want to go back, or stay here with me?”

Leaning comfortably against the wall, the young man seemed determined not to go back – a departure from his usual composed self.

He even put his phone away, making it clear he didn’t want to be persuaded by Bai Xunyin anymore.

After a while, Bai Xunyin hesitated, then quietly put her phone away as well.

She thought that even if she admired an idol, she probably wouldn’t choose them over a flesh-and-blood person by her side.

They had just… confirmed their relationship.

It wouldn’t be good to leave Yu Luoyin alone here.

So, Bai Xunyin complied, behaving like a well-behaved cat, trying to make him happy.

“Such a good girl,” Yu Luoyin praised her, and his long fingers lightly rubbed her nape.

Bai Xunyin smiled and looked at his calm smile, feeling a strange sense of peculiarity deep in her heart. But it was gone in the blink of an eye, like a passing breeze.

Much later, Bai Xunyin realized where the odd feeling came from. Yu Luoyin’s attitude towards her wasn’t that of a girlfriend but more like… a pet.

However, people in the “honeymoon phase” of their relationships often become infatuated and fail to see clearly. It’s only when they look back after being captivated for a long time that they would realize how foolish they were.

Back then, Bai Xunyin felt like the time she spent with Yu Luoyin during those few months was the brightest period in her dim high school days.

Every moment was vivid in her mind, making it feel almost unreal.

Like a fleeting dream.

After the teacher’s oath ceremony was the seven-day National holiday, but the high school seniors only had three days off- it was at most a brief respite. Some students even filled their short break with extra classes.

Bai Xunyin didn’t have any extra classes, but during those three days off, she experienced Yu Luoyin’s “harassment.”

Maybe this was one of the differences between having a “boyfriend” and not having one – her phone was rarely at rest.

In real life, Yu Luoyin wasn’t much of a talker, but for some reason, he was very talkative on WeChat.

Although most of their conversations were about studying, he occasionally slipped in lines like “When will my girlfriend favor me?” or “The cakes at Wooden Fish Pavilion are really delicious, should I bring you some?”

These comments, resembling invitations, made it difficult for Bai Xunyin to resist.

Saying so much, this guy’s ultimate goal was to get her to go out with him.

But…

…Bai Xunyin couldn’t muster the courage.

Every time she met Yu Luoyin, she needed some time to calm down afterward before returning to her usual self.

With these days off, spending more time at home, she was afraid Ji Huiying might notice something. After all, in her view, high school students dating was nearly unforgivable –

But who made her encounter Yu Luoyin? It seemed like it was fated was fated to be like this.

Now Yu Luoyin was “pressuring” her through her phone –

[Why don’t you come out with me? You kissed me just now, and now you don’t want me anymore?]

Bai Xunyin couldn’t help but sigh, feeling a tender sensation in a certain corner of her heart.

How could she not want him? Accepting Yu Luoyin meant that she already liked him a lot.

She pursed her lips and texted back obediently, [Where should we meet?]

Yu Luoyin quickly sent her an address.

Carefully examining it, Bai Xunyin realized it was the location of a lounge named “Lu Hai.”

She furrowed her brows slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then got up to change her clothes.

In truth, the “date” location choices were quite limited, and even though Yu Luoyin invited her to a lounge, it wasn’t a bar, so there wasn’t much to be upset about.

However, Bai Xunyin didn’t understand. Even though it was a lounge, it seemed more like a place for adults to “joke around” than for teenagers to hang out.

She had no idea that Yu Luoyin, wo came from a privileged background and lived extravagantly, had already experienced the world beyond her years and entered the realm of ‘adults’ much earlier.

She foolishly believed that Yu Luoyin and his friends were high school students like herself, naive and ignorant. Looking back on it later, Bai Xunyin could only laugh at herself, realizing that she had been deceived so thoroughly.

She was just like a deer who willingly entered a hunter’s territory, utterly clueless about the dangers.

Since she wasn’t going to go to school, Bai Xunyin hadn’t tied her hair into a ponytail. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders to her slender waist. She wore a simple light yellow dress and sneakers, revealing a glimpse of her fair and radiant legs.

Bai Xunyin wasn’t accustomed to wearing makeup. Her fair complexion was untouched by cosmetics, and her face was pure and unadorned.

So pure was her appearance that even the staff at Lu Hai were taken aback when they saw such an innocent girl wandering in a high-end bar like this.

“Miss,” a doorman couldn’t help but approach after seeing Bai Xunyin circling around outside the entrance four or five times.

“Do you have something to do here at Lu Hai?”

Bai Xunyin paused and nodded slightly, showing the doorman her phone. It displayed the location of the private room where Yu Luoyin and the others were.

However, she had expected Yu Luoyin to come out to meet her, and she was surprised not to see him.

“Alright.” The doorman courteously nodded and smiled, “Please follow me. I’ll take you in.”

Bai Xunyin smiled discreetly and followed, feeling something was amiss.

Lu Hai was an upscale bar, located in the prime commercial area of Linlan City. Its interior resembled a luxurious private club, and even the doormen were impeccably dressed.

The well-mannered and polite service staff..

Unlike a typical recreational place, Yu Luoyin and the others were just students.

Why would they come here?

Walking into Lu Hai behind the doorman, treading on dark marble tiles, the slow and soothing sounds of a piano filled the ears.

Bai Xunyin didn’t have the leisure to admire the luxurious surroundings; she only felt her palms inexplicably damp with sweat as she was led to the door of the private room.

“Sorry, miss, I need to verify if you’re one of their group.”

At the entrance of the private room, the doorman smiled and asked Bai Xunyin, “Is that okay? This is a basic security measure for the private rooms, and I hope you understand.”

Bai Xunyin was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.

Clients, confidentiality measures… they were all to be expected.

But Bai Xunyin found it a bit comical that she had actually come to this place.

She numbly watched as the doorman confirmed her identity, politely opened the door, and then Yu Luoyin’s figure appeared behind the partially closed wooden door.

“You’re here, why didn’t you send a message?”

He seemed to have had some drinks, and his slender phoenix eyes shimmered more than usual. Bai Xunyin looked at him in silence for a couple of seconds, not making a move.

Yu Luoyin’s gaze swept over the sneakers Bai Xunyin was wearing. He paused for a moment and reached out to pull her inside, saying, “Come in, the others…”

However, just before his fingertips could touch her, Bai Xunyin instinctively took a step back, shaking her head.

Her swift refusal caused Yu Luoyin’s fingertips to halt, and his eyes slightly darkened.

Bai Xunyin then took out her phone and quickly typed a message.

[I’m not very comfortable in this kind of place, I think I’ll head back for now.]

“There’s nothing you can’t adapt to when I’m around.”

Yu Luoyin reluctantly suppressed a hint of restlessness stirred by the alcohol. He extended his long arm to embrace Bai Xunyin’s slender shoulder, almost forcefully leading her inside.

As they walked, he continued, “It’s not a bad place, and we have other classmates here.”

Being coerced by Yu Luoyin to come inside, Bai Xunyin indeed found the presence of these ‘other classmates.’

They were Yu Luoyin’s friends – Li Yuan, Zhou Xin, Lu Ye… and two girls she didn’t recognize, all around the same age.