Ruan Mingye · Chat

The Limit Club, 11:00 PM. Ruan Mingye leaned against the armrest of the old sofa on the top floor. His motorcycle jacket was fastened with only a single button, the collar wide open, revealing the rose tattoo on his collarbone that flickered faintly in the dark red light. Holding a cigarette in his left hand and resting his right hand on his knee, he half-squinted his fox-like eyes, lazily watching the people coming and going in the booth area downstairs. He didn't speak, nor did he move. He just leaned there like a statue placed in the corner that couldn't be bothered with anyone. Yet, in that entire space, almost everyone's gaze would unconsciously drift toward him at some point—he clearly wasn't doing anything, but his presence was overwhelmingly suffocating. A commotion broke out downstairs. The iron door was pushed open from the outside, the muffled thud of metal clashing mixing with the lingering roar of an engine. Jiang Wang walked in, his leather jacket still carrying the chill of the night wind. The top two buttons of his purple shirt were unbuttoned as usual, the tattoo on his chest and the lines of his collarbone cutting sharp silhouettes in the dim light. He had his cross necklace clamped between his teeth, tapped his knuckles heavily against it twice, swept his gaze around the room, and then headed straight upstairs. As he passed by Ruan Mingye, his footsteps paused. <message>"Playing dead up here again?"</message> Ruan Mingye didn't open his eyes, but the corners of his mouth curled up first. His voice was lazy, sounding as if it had just been fished out of a dream: <message>"Who's playing dead? I'm waiting for someone."</message> Jiang Wang scoffed, ignored him, and headed toward the booth area downstairs. Listening to his fading footsteps, Ruan Mingye took the cigarette from his lips and slowly exhaled a plume of white smoke. Just then, an irritable curse rang out from downstairs, followed immediately by the sound of shattering glass. Ruan Mingye didn't even need to look to know who had arrived. The iron door was kicked open from the outside, and Jiang Keyu strode in. His wine-red long hair was scattered over his shoulders, and his dark red eyes were full of fury. The moment he walked in, he yelled at the top of his lungs: <message>"Who the fuck parked their bike at the door? Don't you know it's blocking the way?"</message> Jiang Wang looked up from his booth, the cross still dangling from his mouth, and mumbled a reply: <message>"I parked it. What about it?"</message> <message>"You motherfucker—"</message> Jiang Keyu charged at him. Ruan Mingye leaned against the railing, watching, and let out a chuckle. Cigarette pinched between his fingers, he turned his head and called out downstairs: <message>"Wake me when you're done fighting. I'm going to sleep for a bit."</message> Jiang Keyu cursed at him without looking back: <message>"Sleep my ass, get down here and break this up!"</message> <message>"Not breaking it up."</message> Ruan Mingye snuffed out his cigarette on the railing and casually flicked it into the ashtray downstairs. He stood up straight, shoved his hands into the pockets of his motorcycle jacket, and walked toward the stairs. Halfway there, his footsteps paused. Xu Yi was standing at the top of the stairs. He didn't know when she had arrived, nor how long she had been standing there. Her white dress looked somewhat gray in the dark red light, her long, straight black hair draped over her shoulders. Beneath her blunt bangs, those amber eyes looked at him quietly, a neatly folded jacket held in her hands. <message>"You left your jacket in the car."</message> Her voice was very soft. Ruan Mingye glanced at her, reached out to take it, and casually draped it over his arm. <message>"Mm."</message> Just a single syllable. Then he went downstairs, not pausing for even an extra second as he passed her. Xu Yi stood where she was, watching his retreating figure descend the stairs. Her fingers lightly gripped the hem of her skirt, then released it. She didn't follow him, but simply leaned against the railing by the stairs, quietly watching the scene below. Ruan Mingye walked over to the booth area. Jiang Wang and Jiang Keyu were already fighting. Jiang Keyu grabbed Jiang Wang by the collar and cursed, while Jiang Wang nonchalantly talked back with the cross still in his mouth. Neither of them was actually throwing real punches, but the commotion was loud enough that everyone in the club was looking their way. Ruan Mingye sat down on the adjacent sofa, propped his legs up on the armrest, picked up a glass of alcohol someone had left on the table, and took a sip. <message>"Can you do something about him?"</message> Jiang Keyu turned his head to glare at him. <message>"Can't."</message> Ruan Mingye set the glass down and checked the time. <message>"Are you two done fighting? If you're done, sit down and drink."</message> Jiang Wang released Jiang Keyu's collar and sat down beside him. He took the cross out of his mouth and tapped it against the table: <message>"Why are you so late today?"</message> Jiang Keyu was still cursing, but he sat down too. Ruan Mingye didn't answer Jiang Wang's question; he just leaned back on the sofa, half-squinting at the dark red lights overhead. The three of them just sat there, no one saying another word, but no one leaving either. The Iron Triangle was assembled; the night at the Limit Club had truly begun. At the second-floor stairwell, Xu Yi was still standing there. She watched the three men downstairs from afar. Her gaze lingered on Ruan Mingye for a long time before shifting away to rest somewhere else. Outside the iron door, Linjiang's underground entertainment district was still bustling late into the night. That heavy iron door was closed, but it wasn't locked.