Once Upon A One Night Stand

Shu Tian walked into the villa deadpan. Instead of going back to the bedroom, she went into the guest room by the side. After locking the door, she slid down on the floor before she could even reach the bed. She didn't turn on the lights, and the thick curtains blocked out all the illumination. She hugged her knees with both hands and circled herself in a small space. The temperature in the villa was warm, but she felt cold and stiff.

She felt betrayed by the person she trusted the most. She had already experienced it once in her life, which almost cost half her life. It was Li Han who had saved her from the abyss, but now, this man had also lied to her.

Sister?

It was not that Shu Tian could not understand the nostalgia and tender feelings in Jiang Chujing's eyes. She could tell that this woman had reservations about Li Han, and women always knew the best when it came to the same sex.

What about Li Han?

She believed that he had not yet done anything to cheat her, but was it right to deceive her?

Shu Tian felt like an outsider. If he had told her about Jiang Chujing's existence, he might not have made her so sad. The helplessness and sadness emanating from within her bones made her at a loss of how to face it.

His words made her believe him so foolishly for so long. Seeing that she believed him like a fool every day, would he feel a little guilty or sad?

Shu Tian did not dare to think. She was afraid that everything she saw was nothing but an illusion, afraid that the man she fell in love with would become a stranger.

He had squandered her trust, so at this moment even his explanation seemed so pale and invalid that she could not dare to believe him again.

Shu Tian had no idea how long she had cried on the floor. All she knew was that the man in the car had left again as she heard the sound of the engine starting from the front yard of the villa and the car came back.

Shu Tian hugged her arms even harder as if by doing so she would be able to build a defense wall for herself. Her eyes were closed as tears trickled down. Shu Tian's sobbing gradually turned into wailing. Where did he go? To the company, to another abode, or back to the North Villas?

No one could answer, and no one knew about that. The flustering and anxious feeling once again overwhelmed her.

[...]

Before Li Han drove away from the Imperial Villa, he had already asked someone to keep an eye on the villa. If Shu Tian left or anything happened, he would be informed immediately.

She said she wanted to calm down in a quiet place, but as long as he was at home, he couldn't help but want to find her, so he could only control himself by leaving.

Time slowly ticked away to the early morning. It was clearly the middle of the nightlife, but he was at a loss where to go. Usually, he was busy with work, and he was not keen on having fun. After mulling over it for some time, he could just come up with Pei Yu as the only one to turn to.

He dialed Pei Yu's number grumpily, and it was quickly connected. With the loud music, he heard, "Mr. Li Han? It's rare that you would call me at this time..."

His voice was a little erratic, and it was obvious that he had drunk a lot.

Li Han was not in the mood to banter. "Where are you now?"

"Where else can I be? It must be Red Club. Why are you looking for me?" It seemed that Pei Yu turned off the music because of the noise around him, and a coquettish complaint from a girl beside came, "Yu, why did you turn off the music?"

Pei Yu coaxed her perfunctorily. "Later. Wait a minute."

Li Han turned the car around and drove in the direction of Red Club. "I'll go look for you."

"You're coming!" Pei Yu raised his voice two degrees in surprise. "Now?"

"Yes."

"No problem!" The excitement in Pei Yu's voice was so obvious. "I'll ask the manager to bring the best wine later. Just come. I'll wait for you in the private room, Mr. Li Han!"

Li Han answered briefly and hung up the phone. He stepped on the gas pedal under his feet again and again, eager to dilute the annoyance in his heart with alcohol.

Forty minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of Red Club. The parking boy recognized his license plate and respectfully took the key and drove away.

The club manager came down to greet him personally. When Li Han walked into the private room, Pei Yu was sitting alone on the sofa, cross-legged and smoking a cigar. Seeing him come in, Pei Yu quickly got up and greeted him, "Mr. Li Han."

Li Han didn't look very pleased. He went straight to the side and sat down, took the bottle of wine worthy of several hundred thousand from the table, and poured it into the glass.

The fiery liquid slit his throat and flowed down his esophagus into the stomach, burning his whole body. His numb heart finally had some feelings. Li Han continued to pour the second glass but was stopped by Pei Yu.

"What's wrong?" Seeing Li Han's abnormality, Pei Yu did not quip and asked seriously.

Li Han snorted and gritted his teeth twice, his cheeks bulging. "Vexed."

Vexed?

Pei Yu brought his glass away and pondered to himself about what would make Li Han vexed and come out late at night to get drunk. There was no one else but Shu Tian, the only uncontrollable factor. "Because of Shu Tian?" He habitually uttered the name, only to find it improper when he spoke. He squinted at Li Han from the corner of his eye and was relieved when he saw that Li Han did not react much. "She... went to see Chujing today." Li Han spoke of what had happened not long ago, his eyes an obsidian abyss.

Pei Yu's narrow eyes widened unconsciously. "Did she know?"

"Yes." Li Han rested his hands on his knees and buried half his face in his palm. "She knows about Chujing but doesn't know about our relationship."

Only then did Pei Yu understand why Li Han came to him for a drink in the middle of the night. If it happened to him, he might be even more troubled and didn't know how to deal with it. "Did you explain it to her?"

Li Han let out a deep breath, uttering his words bitterly and helplessly. "She doesn't believe it."

And now, he had no reasons to ask her to believe him.

Pei Yu didn't know how to comfort him. He looked at the glass in his hand and gritted his teeth. "Mr. Li Han, vent out all your vexation. I'll sacrifice my life to accompany you tonight!"

Li Han smiled, but there was not much warmth in his smirk. "Okay."

The two of them kept poring wind for each other and toasted. Before long, most of the wine on the table was consumed. Although Pei Yu was a good drinker, it was the first time he had drunk so much at such a fast speed. In the end, he was almost unconscious. There was a bathroom in the private room, but he still pushed the door open to find the bathroom outside, and he almost tripped himself over after staggering a few steps.

The club manager behind him was shocked and hurriedly stepped forward to hold him. "Mr. Pei, Mr. Pei!"

Pei Yu vaguely heard someone calling out to him as he almost lost his balance and words. "What, what's wrong?"

"You're drunk. Let me help you go upstairs to rest." The club manager choked at the strong smell of alcohol on his body. If Pei Yu weren't his immediate superior, the manager would have considered him a drunkard on the street.