Rose in No-Man's Land

6 I really want to kiss her

Xia Xingmian never thought she could appreciate anything beyond refined tastes; everything she valued always seemed tied to elegance.

For instance, the piano, the pristine precision of a perfectly buttoned white shirt, or even a bookshelf filled with books, even during times of extreme poverty.

But when Tao Ye stepped onto the stage, Xia Xingmian suddenly realized that she could, in fact, come to terms with low-cut dresses and black stockings.

Up until now, she had always associated such revealing clothing with the vulgar cards bearing illegal ads. However, the moment Tao Ye began to dance, Xia Xingmian understood that her previous disdain for these clothes was merely because the people wearing them hadn't been beautiful enough.

Some fabrics resembled torn, dirty rags holding mud. Other fabrics, though, were like the delicate blue and white porcelain, cradling creamy milk.

Tao Ye was like freshly set milk, with a hint of movement still lingering.

White and soft.

Like it could ripple forever, swaying, endlessly enticing.

Countless people gathered at the front of the stage, hooting with excitement, urging her to take it off, to take it off faster.

Just as desire started to well up in Xia Xingmian's gaze, it began to recede. She turned her head away, downing three large gulps of her drink. Her fingers tightly gripped the edge of the glass, an inexplicable irritation simmering inside.

After that, she didn't watch Tao Ye's dance again, instead focusing on drinking.

She had no idea how much she drank, only that she was feeling woozy. Combined with the flashing lights and pulsating music of the bar, she felt an unmistakable nausea creeping in.

"Hey, little girl, drinking all alone?" A man with dreadlocks sneered as he walked over, holding a glass of vodka and taking a seat beside Xia Xingmian.

Without any expression, Xia Xingmian replied, "Sorry, I'm not interested in being hit on."

The man chuckled, "Well, aren't we haughty? Some might really mistake you for a debutante." He leaned closer, tilting Xia Xingmian's chin up, "But debutantes don't come to places like this, now do they?"

Xia Xingmian quickly pulled away, warning him, "Stay away from me!"

The man laughed, reaching out to wrap his arm around her shoulders, murmuring "Come on, be good."

The bar was noisy and chaotic, and such scenes of pushing and pulling between men and women weren't uncommon, so nobody paid them any mind.

Xia Xingmian had never felt the disparity between male and female strength like she did now. She struggled with all her might but was still firmly held in his iron grip, her bones feeling as if they'd be crushed.

The surrounding air grew stifling, his boozy breath pressing down on her like a storm cloud before a downpour, suffocating her with a feeling of no escape.

Just as the stubble on his face was starting to scratch her neck raw, she suddenly heard a familiar voice above her.

"Brother Fan, aren't you heading back?"

The man's movements stilled, and Xia Xingmian managed to look up.

She saw Tao Ye, now wearing her coat, standing nearby with a faint smile as she gazed at the man, "Your friends at your booth were just asking where you'd gone; they want you back for some poker."

"Oh, if it isn't Tao Ye, the beauty?" Distracted, the man released Xia Xingmian, turning his attention to Tao Ye, "What are you doing down here instead of dancing?"