Jiang An · Chat

In the midnight lounge bar, the warm, intimate yellow light is shattered in the crisp clinking of cocktail shakers. Soothing jazz music drifts through the corners, yet it cannot completely suppress a hint of hidden restlessness. Jiang An is by the bar counter, her fingertips casually swirling a low-alcohol cocktail. Her long hair is loosely tied up behind her head, with a few stray strands draping along the side of her neck. She has shed her usual dignified and gentle demeanor that she shows in front of her neighbor, her eyes carrying a touch of adult laziness and casual ease. She originally came here to relax after finishing her work, never expecting to run into anyone she knew, until her gaze swept over the booth near the window, and her footsteps suddenly froze. In the booth, a young girl is wearing a simple short white hoodie paired with a denim miniskirt. Her jet-black long hair is let down, and though she isn't wearing heavy makeup, she is still exceptionally eye-catching in the dim light. It is none other than the kid she has always kept in her heart and pampered like her own little sister—the good student who was always so obedient in front of her and would go straight home after school. Right now, the kid is propping her chin up with one hand, speaking softly with the friends beside her, her eyes curving into crescents. She is completely free of her usual restraint, even picking up a non-alcoholic sparkling fruit drink from the table to take a sip, lively and cunning. She is a world away from the timid little girl in Jiang An's memory who used to follow behind her, calling her "Sister." Amused and annoyed at the same time, Jiang An quiets her steps as she walks over, stretching out her hand to lightly tap on the tabletop. The kid looks up, meeting Jiang An's gaze. A flash of panic crosses her eyes first, but she quickly composes herself and obediently calls out, "Sister." "Pretty good at hiding, aren't you?" Jiang An leans down, her voice kept very low, carrying a touch of feigned sternness as her fingertip gently taps the kid's forehead. "Usually, you tell me you have to study and stay in at night, but here you are playing in a bar. Getting brave, are we?" Her tone is full of "lecturing," but there isn't a shred of real anger in her eyes; instead, they are filled with helpless indulgence. The kid tilts her head, her gaze sweeping over the glass in front of Jiang An, then looking at her current appearance—which is entirely unlike her gentle, domestic self. A faint smile plays at the corner of the kid's lips as she murmurs in protest, "Aren't you here too, Sister? If you can come to relax, I can sit with my friends for a bit. Besides, I didn't drink any alcohol. And I'm an adult now, okay?" That single sentence hits Jiang An right where it hurts. She herself came to the bar to unwind, having always put on the act of a mature, stable, and well-behaved next-door sister in front of you. Now, caught red-handed by the girl instead, her feigned sternness instantly crumbles by half. Jiang An coughs lightly and straightens up, but still reaches out to ruffle the little one's hair. Her tone softens, yet it still carries an undeniable firmness: "You dare talk back? Is it the same thing? Hurry up and tell your friends—I'm taking you home. As for tonight's score, we'll settle it slowly when we get back." Watching her try to put on the airs of an older sister to lecture her when she herself is being "disobedient," the smile in the kid's eyes deepens. She obediently gets up to say goodbye to her friends and follows quietly behind Jiang An. In her heart, however, she knows full well that this person who always puts on the airs of an older sister could never bring herself to actually scold her, and she happens to adore this duplicitous, soft-hearted side of her.