Grabbing the lighter from her bag, Yu Ning heard someone call out to her.
"Ning Ning, they just brought over more drinks!" Li Wen gestured excitedly to the fresh glasses on the table.
Smiling at her colleagues, Yu Ning joined them, clinking her glass against everyone else's.
She downed the drink in one go.
The cool, bronze liquid burned a trail down her throat, leaving a sharp aftertaste. The table cheered, immediately urging her to have another.
"I'll come back for seconds! You guys enjoy," she laughed, holding up her lighter and cigarette pack as an excuse.
David hummed in acknowledgment before turning back to the group, launching into a wild story about a party he'd attended in Barcelona.
Yu Ning slipped on her jacket and stepped back out onto the balcony.
To her surprise, the man was still there.
Gently pushing the door shut behind her, she felt the cool evening breeze brush against her cheeks.
Flick... Flick...
She held the cigarette between her lips, thumbing the lighter.
A small spark flickered for a second before vanishing.
After a few more useless attempts, she realized the gas had finally run out.
She stared at it for a moment, a tinge of annoyance bubbling up, before sliding the dead lighter into her back pocket.
Just as she was about to give up and head back inside, a cool voice spoke up.
"Need a lighter?"
The man was only a few steps away, leaning casually against the railing.
He extended a metallic lighter toward her.
"Oh, thanks." Yu Ning reached out, glancing up as she did.
Her hand paused halfway.
Up close, she was met with a pair of bright, kind eyes.
Unlike the cold demeanor she had sensed from a distance, his gaze was unexpectedly soft.
His long eyelashes curled upward, and a small, easy smile played on his face.
Yu Ning could feel her heart thudding against her eardrums as she took the lighter from his palm, her fingertips grazing his skin for a fleeting second.
As she lit her cigarette, she stole another glance at him.
His glasses were now clipped to his collar, making his features look much more youthful. He looked to be only a few years older than herself.
She handed the lighter back.
Without looking up, he tucked it into his side pocket.
Around them, the night was a muffled symphony of city traffic, distant laughter, and the steady pulse of jazz from inside the bar.
Her cigarette had burned nearly halfway when he spoke again.
"Girl's night out?"
His voice was mellow, carrying the faint, crisp lilt of a Northern accent.
Yu Ning exhaled a slow trail of smoke before replying.
"Colleague's farewell party," she stated simply, offering a polite side-smile.
She figured he was just being friendly, exchanging the kind of pleasantries common in a place like this.
He hummed in response, extinguishing his own cigarette against the railing.
Silence followed.
Sensing she might have seemed a bit too indifferent, Yu Ning searched for a way to reciprocate.
"Guy's night out?"
"You could say that," he replied, turning fully to face her.
Though an arm's length separated them, a subtle mix of sandalwood and vanilla wafted over to her. She noticed a wine glass perched on the railing next to him and realized he had likely come out here to drink alone.
"A guy's night out... without friends?" She raised an eyebrow slightly.
"They're inside. I just came out for a breather."
"Oh." Yu Ning nodded, fidgeting with the edge of her jacket.
Sensing the small talk had reached its natural end, she stubbed out her cigarette and tossed it into the nearby tray.
"Well, I hope you have a nice night. Thank you for the lighter." Giving him a warm smile, she turned to head back to the noise and heat of the party.
"You're welcome," he called out softly.
He watched her retreating figure for a moment before his hand gripped the wine glass. He emptied it in one slow draft, then followed her back inside.
When Yu Ning reached her table, she found one of the other part-timers slouched over the mosaic table, evidently defeated by the alcohol.
"Ning Ning, you're back!" Li Wen cried out, stretching her arms toward Yu Ning like a child.
Her face was flushed a deep, bright crimson.
"How many did she have?" Yu Ning laughed, sliding back into her seat.
David glanced over, counting on his fingers before holding up six.
He shrugged. "Enough for her to be as red as a lantern."
Yu Ning let out a sigh, watching Li Wen lean back and begin to doze off.
Observing that the rest had their fill of alcohol, she reached for the last shot left on the table.
Just as she raised the glass, a familiar voice drifted over from the opposite side of the bar.
She turned slightly, spotting the man from the balcony.
He was sitting with a group of men all dressed in sharp suits and tuxedos, there were about six of them in total.
Beside their two tables, the third floor was mostly empty; it was clearly the level reserved for private parties and high-spenders.
A European man in a navy suit held up a bottle of expensive champagne, tilting it to fill the stranger's glass.
The corners of the man's eyes crinkled as he accepted the drink, his posture relaxed but commanding.
Fragments of business jargon floated over, terms Yu Ning didn't recognize and couldn't quite follow.
She turned back to David, her previous thought of the man being her age flying out the window.
He wasn't just a "guy out for a breather".
She scoffed internally.
The night eventually wound down. Outside the bar, the cool air helped sober the group as they said their final goodbyes to David. Li Wen and Yu Ning gave him a long hug, the weight of the farewell finally settling in.
"Thanks for the treat, Manager. This place must have cost a fortune," David said, glancing back toward the sophisticated interior.
Manager He let out a hearty laugh, clapping David on the shoulder. "Don't get too sentimental," he joked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I've already made a note of the bill. It's all being deducted from their overtime next month."
Manager He glanced to the rest of the staff as they all groaned playfully.
Li Wen giggled, leaning heavily against Yu Ning's shoulder.
"Safe travels, David. Don't forget us when you're back in the States," Manager He added, giving him a supportive pat on the back.
David gave him a warm smile, then turned to Yu Ning.
"I hope tonight was enough to take your mind off things," David said in English, giving Yu Ning a sideways squeeze.
She smiled, feeling a genuine flicker of gratitude. "It was. Can't wait for you to come back and visit us already."
As the group dispersed, Yu Ning helped the stumbling Li Wen into a cab. With no way other way for Li Wen to get home alone in that state, Yu Ning decided to let her stay the night at her apartment.
Just as she pulled the cab door shut, her gaze caught the group of well-dressed men exiting the establishment.
Her eyes landed on the figure in all black. His pale skin looked almost luminous under the glow of the street lamp.
His back was turned to her as he shook hands with the man beside him, before turning toward a sleek, black sports car parked at the curb.
The cab pulled away from the curb, and the silhouette of the car faded into the city lights until it disappeared completely.