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Liang Kui laughed as he watched and replied: You're partying harder than I do. Didn't see that coming.

Cousin: Of course. How could your barrel waist possibly dance with that kind of flair?

Liang Kui curled his lip: This is MAN. He's on drugs, right? Look at that expression. Tsk, tsk...

Cousin: Maybe. Good thing the one I saw wasn't Chen Wanwan.

Liang Kui scoffed: So what if it was?

Cousin: Didn't you say you hated girls who went to nightclubs most?

Liang Kui: That's right. If she went, I'd just break up with her.

Cousin: I thought you were more serious this time.

Liang Kui: Serious? What, get married and have kids? No way.

Cousin: True enough. You're still young. Marriage is a long way off.

After finishing his chat with his cousin, Liang Kui grinned as he browsed through the saved photos. The more closely he looked, the more shocked he became. To be honest, he had always refused to admit that Su Yan was handsome, but now he was wavering. Su Yan's features really were handsome, especially in those photos. Every one of them had a different appeal, making him more attractive than the well-behaved high school student studying in the classroom. He had a completely different aura, like two separate personalities.

Liang Kui frowned at Su Yan's hollow gaze in the photo, then curled his lip disdainfully. He had secretly visited nightclubs many times since middle school and secretly tried all sorts of fun things, but drugs were the one thing he disliked. He had tried them once and never touched them again. He found that stuff especially boring. Was it fun to let his mind slip out of his control? He didn't think so. He liked seeking thrills with a clear head. At the very least, he didn't want to wake up sober one day with some hideous woman in his arms.

Zhang Wei kept a cigarette between his lips as he watched the dance floor. From time to time, he saw people stumble off in exhaustion, but Su Yan remained energized. He seemed tireless, like a bird suddenly released from its cage, madly breathing in fresh air and greedily savoring freedom, unwilling to ever turn back. Maybe the pressure of studying was just too much, Zhang Wei thought. A sixteen-year-old kid had to earn money to support himself, take care of himself, and keep up with school. With no father to dote on him and no mother to love him, how could he not be under pressure? Letting off some steam now and then was fine. Better than bottling it up until he went crazy.

"Brother Wei, is that your friend? That little handsome guy is really something. Great figure, great dancer. Look at that slim waist and those long legs, not to mention that face. Tsk, tsk..."

Zhang Wei frowned and shot the chatterbox beside him a cold glare. "Put away those twisted thoughts of yours before you disgust me."

"...Heh heh, I was just joking, that's all..."

Zhang Wei snorted and continued smoking.

The young man let out a breath and hurried away. Zhang Wei had disliked him for more than a day or two. If he hadn't wanted to curry favor with him, why would he have shamelessly come over? He really shouldn't have run his mouth today.

But then again, he wasn't like Zhang Wei. Zhang Wei might have seen only a boy in need of some stress relief, while he saw a beauty—and exactly his type.

Zhang Wei patiently held his glass and waited for Su Yan. His friends had invited him to go wild with them, but he had turned them all down.

He knew Su Yan didn't need anyone worrying about him. Su Yan wasn't drunk or high; his mind was clearer than anyone else's on the dance floor. He was merely doing it on purpose, wanting to get drunk and sweat it out. Su Yan was not some fallen young man with poor self-control.

Time passed slowly. When the clock struck midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve, the night erupted once more. Men and women laughed and celebrated the arrival of the new year in this way.

Once midnight had passed, more and more people gradually left. After all, they had places they needed to return to.

Su Yan wiped the sweat from his head and walked over to Zhang Wei. "Why did you come here if you weren't going to get drunk or dance?"

Zhang Wei laughed. "Maybe I'm old."

"Heh, doesn't that mean you got another year older today? Let's go back. We've had enough fun."

Zhang Wei nodded. Without even saying goodbye to his friends, he left with Su Yan.

Zhang Wei drove Su Yan back to his residential complex. In the car, Su Yan straightened his clothes and smoothed down his hair, his eyes clear and bright. He looked nothing like the Su Yan from before.

"Su Yan, did you used to go to nightclubs often?" Zhang Wei recalled Su Yan's practiced dance moves and couldn't help asking.

"No, this was my first time. I was just itching to let loose and dance my heart out." Su Yan chuckled.

Unable to tell whether he was lying, Zhang Wei said, "Next time, I'll take you to a higher-end nightclub. There's nothing wrong with young people having fun, but you need to watch your health. Besides, in a little place like this, you won't meet anyone worthwhile. They're all a bunch of unreliable fools."

"Weren't you the one who asked me to come?" Su Yan laughed.

Zhang Wei froze, then couldn't help laughing too. "I'd completely forgotten. I was bored out of my mind alone in the apartment, so when someone invited me out, I agreed. If you hadn't gone, I would've left ages ago."

"Anyway, thank you for today. I was pretty bored too. Happy New Year. Go back and get some proper rest."

"Mm. Happy New Year."

Su Yan happily washed himself in the pool beneath the waterfall, with not a trace of fatigue on his face.

"Yanyan, you've grown taller again."

"I think so too." Su Yan happily measured his own height with his hands. "I still have two years left to grow. I'll try to break through to an even greater height."

"If you wanted, Yanyan, I could make you taller than those basketball-playing monkeys."

"Pfft. You illiterate old man, keep your mouth shut. What basketball-playing monkeys? They're world-famous basketball stars. I don't even play basketball. Being that tall would just get in the way."