Just as he turned and walked toward the hallway, the small chandelier inside the bar suddenly lit up. Qi Jingren, who was bent over the bar inspecting red wine labels, lifted her head, probably having heard the sound of footsteps. She looked toward the origin of the sound.
She was one second too late. As her gaze followed the sound, Qin Shaobai had just gone past a corner, disappearing at the end of the corridor without even leaving a glimpse of his back.
Qi Jingren shrugged, thinking it might be a guest heading to a pre-booked room, and didn't dwell on it. She took a corkscrew to open the bottle of red wine, then grabbed a delicate goblet from nearby.
She sat down on a swivel chair, holding the wine glass and looking at it for a while, her expression always calm and unchanged. She hasn't liked smiling all along, but after meeting Qin Shaobai, her style slowly changed.
