Every Now And Then (On Revision)

2- Wrong Question

Zeng Keni

Oh, shit. Well, fun doesn't last long, and as luck would have it, the bottle pointed at me. All of them are grinning and smirking like creeps with evil intentions—no, forget "like," they are creeps with evil intentions.

They've been whispering among themselves for way too long, and it's making me nervous. Most of us are drunk by now since even when it wasn't their turn, they kept chugging cups of tequila.

Shuxin and Lingzi are both tipsy. I'm surprised Shuxin isn't loud at all—she's actually the quiet drunk type. Lingzi, on the other hand, is ridiculously clingy. I've never seen her this affectionate before. There was even a time when I thought she and Linfan weren't really that close, but look at her now, practically glued to her girlfriend.

"So, are you ready?" Sun Rui asks, her voice filled with mischief.

My heart feels like it's about to burst. "No hard feelings, alright?" she adds, trying to sound reassuring. Yeah, right.

"When we were stupid teenagers, how did you feel when YuYan and Jiaqi dated back then?"

I freeze. That was not the question I was expecting. Memories come rushing back from our high school days.

Yes, you heard it right—Jiaqi and YuYan used to date. YuYan once told me about it, but she never really shared any details. All I know is that one day, they weren't together anymore, and soon after, Jiaqi ended up with Shaking. But I never got to ask—why did they break up? Did one of them fall out of love? Did things turn toxic? Or... do they still have lingering feelings for each other? Maybe that's why they still get along so well.

"Well... I couldn't exactly afford to be jealous or mad because there was nothing between us at the time," I answer, forcing a small smile. "I would just watch from afar and adore them."

I chuckle, reminiscing. "YuYan once told me that you two had history," I say, looking directly at Jiaqi. "So when you guys got together, I was surprised. I wasn't expecting it—I thought you were just buddies." I pause, then continue. "But she never told me why you broke up."

Jiaqi swallows hard, her Adam's apple bobbing slightly. She stays silent.

Xiaotang tries to break the awkward tension. "Okay, enough of that! Keni, spin the bottle already."

I let it go—for now—and spin the bottle. It whirls for an unreasonably long time before finally landing on Jiaqi.

"Kiki," I say, my voice more serious than usual. "Answer me if you can. And if it's alright. I won't push you."

Everyone exchanges glances. It's like they're having a conversation with their eyes, moving their brows and frowning at each other. But I don't care. It feels like they're hiding something from me.

"Do you know where she is right now?"

Silence.

"Come on, now," I press. "This is how conversations work, right? I ask, and you answer."

Jiaqi hesitates before reaching for a cup of tequila.

"Stop!" I shout, startling everyone. Jiaqi flinches at my sudden outburst.

"Keni, you're drunk," Sun Rui says, rubbing my back. "Let's stop here, okay?"

"No."

Jiaqi's voice is firm when she finally speaks. "No, I don't know where the hell she is or what the fuck happened to her." Her tone is loud and clear, but something about it feels... off.

I exhale sharply, forcing a smile. "See? That wasn't so hard. Your turn. Spin the bottle."

But Xiaotang stands up, pulling Shuxin, who can barely walk. "I think we've had enough. We should stop."

Lingzi helps me to my room, assuming I'm too drunk to walk. We divided into four pairs for the night:

Me & Sun RuiLingzi & LinfanJiaqi & ShakingShuxin & Xiaotang

"I think you should cool down and take a shower before bed," Lingzi says, sitting me on the edge of my bed. "And you should reflect on your actions earlier."

With that, she leaves, closing the door behind her.

Maybe I did overreact.

I grab an oversized shirt and shorts before running the cold water in the shower. Maybe I let my emotions get the best of me. It's been two years since she left us, and in that time, we've all moved forward—working hard, building our careers, even starting families. So why am I still stuck here?

After drying off, I turn to YuYan's cabinet. I haven't touched her things since she left. Hell, even when we were together, she never let me touch them. She liked everything organized, so I never messed with her stuff.

But things are different now.

I take a deep breath and open the cabinet. As expected, everything is neatly arranged—books, notes, and albums, all sorted alphabetically and color-coded. Neat freak, I mutter under my breath before picking up a notebook from eight years ago, dusting it off.

When I open it, a picture and some handwritten words greet me.

01-01-2010
Hello my Yanzi, Happy New Year! I enjoyed our date tonight—let's do it again when we have time, alright? Or maybe after our dance rehearsals. We need to take home our victory first, and maybe then I can reward you ;> I hope you won't get tired of me... of us.
Loving you faithfully,
Your little fox, Xu Jiaqi

I flip to the next page.

01-04-2010
Hi, love of my life Yanzi, Thank you for protecting me earlier. I really appreciate it, and I wish I could have kissed you right there and told the world that you're mine. But since social media life is complicated, I can't.
Just remember—I love you forever. I can't wait for us to grow old and get married.
Your one and only wife,
Xu Jiaqi

They looked so sweet together... so why did they break up? Was there an affair? Family problems? It couldn't be that—YuYan had already broken free from her family by then. What the hell happened between them?

I reach for another page, but a knock on my door stops me.

I quickly close the notebook. 'Part 2' is scribbled on the cover. I didn't notice that before.

Opening the door, I see Sun Rui standing there.

"Hey, I—um—sorry for how I acted earlier. I killed the mood when we were supposed to be having fun, and—"

Before I can finish, she presses her lips against mine.

I freeze, shocked. Then, for some reason, I kiss her back.

She pushes me onto the bed, leaving wet kisses along my jaw, my neck, my collarbone.

But then, reality crashes back in. I push her away, panting. "I—I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you back. I'm confused, and drunk. And... so are you. We shouldn't do this."

She stares at me, dumbfounded.

I exhale, grabbing a pillow. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight."

Hey guys, I hope you liked this chapter! Just a reminder—this book contains 18+ content, so if that's not your thing, feel free to skip. Love you all!