许向阳站在酒吧门口，看着里面昏暗的灯光和震耳欲聋的音乐，嘴角勾起一抹嘲讽的笑。他 Inserts himself into a crowd, feeling like the life of the party, but inside, he was dying for a drink. He walked to the bartender and ordered a whiskey, his gaze sweeping across the room.

"Are you always this boring?" a feminine voice beside him asked. He turned to see a girl with bright eyes and a warm smile, holding a glass of water. It was Lin Wanxing, his ex-girlfriend.

"I guess you're used to it," he replied, handing her a drink. They sat at a booth, the silence between them comfortable but awkward. He didn't mind the silence; it meant she was still there.

"You look like you haven't slept in days," she observed. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he said, taking a sip of his whiskey. "Just thinking about things."

"You always do that," she said, leaning closer. "You're like a cactus, full of sharp edges. But then you met me, and suddenly you're柔软."

He chuckled. "I'm not soft. I just learned to hide my刺."