Chapter 1 : First Encounter at the Bar

Night Bar was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.

"One Starry Night, please." Ernest Carnegie tugged at his tie and lazily spoke.

Francis Mellon was stunned by the man in front of him for a moment. Since he started working after graduation, it was the first time he had seen such a handsome man. Realizing he was a bit out of line, he quickly responded, "Sure, just a moment."

The Starry Night was a specialty of their bar, and this man didn''t seem like it was his first time here. Why hadn''t he seen him before?

Francis was puzzled but didn''t show it. He methodically placed a few ice cubes into the tequila, poured orange juice and lemon juice into the shaker, shook it well, then poured it into a tall glass. He slowly added blueberry juice and pomegranate juice, stirred it, and pushed it in front of the man, bowing slightly, "Here you go, sir."

Ernest propped his chin with his hand, observing him with interest, and took a sip of the drink. "Not bad."

He also thought to himself that the bartender looked good. He hadn''t been here for a few months due to his busy schedule, and now there was a new bartender. Although he himself wasn''t bad-looking, he enjoyed admiring people who fit his aesthetic. Thinking of this, he smiled at Francis.

Francis quickly turned around to mix another drink. This man smiled at him so charmingly; could he be a pervert? He patted his chest, thankful he hadn''t struck up a conversation earlier, or he would have definitely been hit on.

At this moment, Ernest had no idea he had been labeled a pervert. He scrolled through his social media, finding nothing but notifications, boring, very boring. He switched to his QR code screen and, on a whim, held it up to Francis. "Want to scan?"

Francis swallowed hard. This guy must be a pervert, right? Who adds someone on social media the first time they meet? "No need, sir." He tried to push the phone away.

"Have we met before?" Ernest''s eyes slightly narrowed, giving off a seductive vibe.

"No, no, I can''t be swayed by good looks." Francis kept reminding himself, but outwardly he calmly replied, "Sir, that''s outdated."

Ernest chuckled softly. So he was mistaken for hitting on him? This was the first time someone misunderstood him. It wasn''t so boring after all. "So, want to scan?"

Actually, he wasn''t lying earlier. When Francis turned to mix the drink, he did look familiar. When had he seen him before? Or was it just his imagination?

Ernest found it amusing to see Francis''s conflicted face as he scanned the code. Was he really that scary? "Another drink, please." He showed the empty glass to Francis.

"The drink is strong," Francis kindly reminded him.

"I''m very annoyed," Ernest wasn''t one to show his emotions, but for some reason, he felt it was okay to share his feelings with this person.

Francis mixed the drink and pushed it over. He opened his mouth several times but hesitated to speak. He wasn''t good at comforting people. After a moment of internal struggle, he tentatively asked, "Heartbroken? Lost your job?"

Ernest shook his head, indicating neither. Just yesterday, he had found several hidden cameras in his room and bathroom.

He considered himself a cautious person, so these things must have been placed when he wasn''t home. It was almost certain they were from obsessive fans. As he became more popular over the past two years, more people disliked him, and obsessive fans started to appear.

Ernest clicked his tongue, getting more annoyed the more he thought about it. He downed the second drink in one gulp. "Another one."

His tone was flat, as if he had just drunk water. Francis doubted his tolerance was that good, but since he was a customer, he had to comply. How else would he make money?

He had just started this job, wasn''t very skilled, and only worked night shifts, so he didn''t earn much. He instinctively felt he wouldn''t last long in this job and needed to plan an exit strategy. Otherwise, he''d end up with nothing, and he didn''t want to relive the first ten years of his life.

"This is your third drink." Francis felt the man in front of him didn''t seem as sober as he appeared, but he couldn''t say he was drunk either.

Francis thought for a moment but didn''t continue speaking. Whatever, someone should come to pick him up if he''s drunk.

Ernest nodded to show he understood. He wasn''t a heavy drinker, but he wanted to indulge just this once. In the two years since he became an idol, he had always managed himself strictly. Every time he came to the bar, it was just to relax, and he rarely drank. He hardly smoked either, but now he was craving it a bit.

"Got a cigarette?" He decided to let loose for just this one night. After all, he didn''t have any schedules for the next couple of days, and who knows, he might get the news of leaving the group tomorrow. He didn''t care about those things, but he still felt a bit blocked inside.

"Yeah." Francis looked at the men and women on the dance floor. "Not going to dance?" After all, just sitting and drinking was quite rare.

Ernest shrugged and took a drag of the cigarette. "It''s boring."

For a moment, Francis suddenly felt that the person in front of him seemed a bit more despondent.

Ernest felt a bit dizzy. He rubbed his temples and stubbed out the cigarette. "When do you get off work?"

Francis was stunned for a moment. This question sounded like they had known each other for a long time. Ernest also paused after saying it. "Sorry, that was rude. I might be a bit drunk."

Francis shook his head to indicate it was okay. He glanced at the time; it was indeed time for a shift change. He greeted Ernest and went to change clothes. "What kind of long-term job should I look for?"

As he thought about it, he suddenly paused. Didn''t he major in Chinese Language in college? He had come to bartend because he didn''t want to be a teacher, but with this major, he could do more than just teach.

The conversation between the two students from earlier was still replaying in his ears.

"Have you read Albert''s new book?" asked a girl with big wavy curls.

"Yes, yes! Is it Moonlight? It''s amazing, it broke my heart!"

The two of them chatted enthusiastically about the plot, ignoring the handsome guys trying to hit on them. Francis, passing by, listened to the conversation thoughtfully.

Francis changed his clothes and left the changing room. He intended to go straight home but hesitated and walked back into the bar. The man was still drinking. Hmm? Why did it seem like he had stopped drinking?

He opened his social media app and saw, "Ernest has accepted your friend request."

"Ernest? That''s a nice name." He put away his phone and approached the man. "Ernest?"

Ernest opened his eyes groggily, looking more and more familiar. "Where have we met before?"

"Hey, you, are you still not done? Are you okay?"

"No, take me home."