Offside game

After this incident, although everyone found it quite exciting, they lost the desire to continue playing. Therefore, when Su Yi suggested leaving together, everyone agreed.

Ji Rong drove there in a beautiful Porsche that could seat five people. One couple was going back to their rented apartment and they weren't going the same way. Su Yi also suddenly wanted to walk, so the rest of them rode in Ji Rong's car back together.

After the other couple left by taxi, Su Yi strolled casually along the roadside. His mind wandered back to the events that had occurred since he obtained the seed, and he marveled at the wonder of life.

He glanced at his watch; it was already past nine. In Dongdu at this hour, the streets would be nearly deserted. But in Yanjing, many people were still hurrying along. Was everyone's busyness truly what they desired? Thinking about this, he couldn't help but chuckle self-deprecatingly. When had he become so sentimental? Life, many times, is perhaps the result of a series of events pushing things along. Without the Mother Nest, perhaps he would have already failed his college entrance exams, was spending his time in an internet cafe, or even become a delinquent.

Suddenly feeling thirsty, and not recognizing where he was, Su Yi realized he hadn't had anything to drink since eating. Just then, he saw a nice-looking coffee shop by the roadside, so he strolled in and casually found a seat.

Ordering an orange juice, Su Yi looked around and unexpectedly spotted a familiar face not far away—Mo Yuqing. She was wearing a beige trench coat and sitting opposite a man. She seemed to be deep in thought, occasionally talking to the middle-aged man opposite her. Because of her position, her back was to the door, and therefore she didn't notice Su Yi entering.

The orange juice hadn't arrived yet. Su Yi sat leisurely, noticing that Mo Yuqing and the others didn't seem to be discussing business. However, Su Yi didn't want to be too gossipy or make unfounded guesses. So, after the orange juice arrived, he sipped his drink and looked out the window. Actually, although there was soft music playing in the shop, if he listened carefully, he could vaguely hear their conversation. But Su Yi wasn't curious for no reason; after all, it involved other people's privacy. So he simply looked out the window at the pedestrians and traffic to distract himself.

Just as Su Yi finished his orange juice, he suddenly heard Mo Yuqing's voice getting more and more heated. Mo Yuqing seemed to be arguing with that man about something. Su Yi overheard them mentioning "Jin'er," which must be Mo Yuqing's daughter, Mo Jin'er.

Because of their argument, other customers in the coffee shop couldn't help but look on curiously. Seeing everyone's reaction, the man said something to Mo Yuqing, who shook her head and refused. The man's face showed anger, and he angrily shouted, "Hey! What are you doing? You're just a bunch of idiots!"

Soon after, Mo Yuqing stood up, paid the bill, and walked out, only to hear the waiter say to her, "Madam, we haven't given you your change yet."

Mo Yuqing didn't turn her head and said, "No need to look anymore." She continued walking towards the door, but seemed to still be in a daze, and stumbled when she reached the door.

Su Yi was a little worried about Mo Yuqing's current state, so he paid the bill and followed her out. As they walked out the door, Su Yi saw Mo Yuqing standing outside, staring blankly at the passing cars, seemingly lost in thought.

"Sister Mo," Su Yi called out.

Hearing Su Yi's voice, Mo Yuqing snapped out of her daze, turned around, and saw Su Yi. She said with some surprise, "Xiao Yi, what are you doing here?"

“I was out with my friends and we just parted ways. That’s when I saw you here,” Su Yi said casually.

But Mo Yuqing looked exhausted and said, "You saw everything just now?"

"I haven't been here long either," Su Yi explained, but he noticed Mo Yuqing staring at him with unfocused, blank eyes. The atmosphere immediately fell silent, and Su Yi was at a loss for words. The two stood there awkwardly, the only sound the music drifting from the coffee shop.

"Can you come with me for a drink?" Just as Su Yi was feeling awkward in the uncomfortable silence, he suddenly heard Mo Yuqing say this. Su Yi knew she was probably in a bad mood and wanted to say something to comfort her, but he felt at a loss for words, unsure how to organize his thoughts, since he didn't know much about her situation.

"Jin'er should still be waiting for you at home, Sister Mo." Su Yi finally remembered this excuse; he didn't want Mo Yuqing to numb herself with alcohol.

"She went to my parents' house," Mo Yuqing said. "Will she come with me? If it's inconvenient, then forget it."

Seeing that she seemed prepared to go alone, and given her current state, Su Yi said, "Alright, I'll go with you. Where to?"

"I know a nice bar in Sanlitun." Mo Yuqing had driven herself there, and as she spoke, she led Su Yi to her car. She opened the door and got into the driver's seat, while Su Yi sat beside her. He couldn't help but feel a little worried about her current state, wondering if it was safe for her to drive.

Seemingly guessing Su Yi's thoughts, Mo Yuqing turned to look at him, finally revealing a smile, and said, "Don't worry, I'm much better now. I just suddenly wanted to drink. It won't do anything to you."

Su Yi was stunned for a moment, unsure how to respond. Mo Yuqing didn't say anything after that, and Su Yi couldn't think of a suitable topic, so the atmosphere in the car remained heavy. Only after the car arrived and was parked did Su Yi finally breathe a sigh of relief, feeling a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

Mo Yuqing led Su Yi into a bar called "Fool's Wharf." Su Yi recalled that it seemed to be a song title. The bar was quite crowded. The two found a corner seat, and Mo Yuqing called over a waiter, ordered a bottle of whiskey, and then asked Su Yi what he wanted to drink. Su Yi rarely came to places like this, and he couldn't very well order a bottle of baijiu (a strong Chinese liquor), so he said he'd have whiskey too. As a result, Mo Yuqing ordered two bottles of whiskey.

After the waiter left, he said to Su Yi, "This is authentic Scotch whisky, it tastes very good, you can try it later."

Su Yi scratched his head and said, "I've never drunk whiskey before, so I probably won't be able to taste anything."

Seeing his expression, Mo Yuqing couldn't help but smile and said, "You're very honest, but to be honest, I find you more mysterious."

“Mysterious?” Su Yi repeated, somewhat puzzled.

"Hmm, mysterious. Or you could say magical. Sometimes it feels a bit like 'The Great Gatsby'," Mo Yuqing said, searching for the right words.

"I'm just an ordinary person. Maybe I just have a bit more luck sometimes, that's all," Su Yi said somewhat embarrassedly.

Just then, the waiter brought over their drinks. Mo Yuqing picked up the bottle and poured the wine into her glass. When she was about to pour one for Su Yi, he quickly declined and poured his own bottle into his glass instead.

"Come on, cheers, to the chance to meet you today." Mo Yuqing finished her drink. Seeing that Su Yi had also drunk his, she poured him another drink, raised her glass, and said, "One more." Before Su Yi could even speak, she drank another glass.

Su Yi also picked up his glass and drank the wine. He felt that the wine didn't taste like the baijiu he usually drank. He said, "Sister Mo, don't drink like this, it will hurt your health."

Mo Yuqing gave a self-deprecating smile, then downed another drink and said, "I'm not in a good mood right now, Xiaoyi, let me have a drink. Sometimes you know you shouldn't do something, but you still do it unconsciously. Maybe that's just how contradictory people are." She looked coldly at the other people in the bar, "These people come here to relax. Everyone has worries, and only in places like this can they relax and not think about certain things."

As Su Yi listened to Mo Yuqing's almost soliloquy, he didn't know how to respond. But then he heard her continue, "Would you like to hear my story?" The woman in front of him smiled, but Su Yi sensed a deeper sense of loneliness in that smile. He couldn't help but say, "If you don't mind, I'd also like to know about Sister Mo's story."

"The person you saw today is my ex-husband. We separated a few years ago; he was my classmate in college." She took a sip of her drink, her gaze sweeping over the person in front of her and extending into the unknown distance.

“I was born into a strict family and had a very strict upbringing. I was always a well-behaved girl and very obedient to my elders. I met him when I was in college. At that time, he was a very ambitious young man. Although his family was not well-off, you could always see his confidence. He was very charismatic. Every time he gave a speech on stage, I was completely absorbed. At that time, he seemed to have the whole world under his control.”

Mo Yuqing's face showed the expression of someone facing the most beautiful thing, and she murmured, "And then, I fell in love with him." As she said this, a slight blush appeared on her face, and she said to Su Yi, "Isn't that silly?"