Chapter 566: Episode 23: Chance Encounter at the Bar

"Thank you for coming to see me," Lin Jing said. "Is it okay for you to run out of the office like that?"

Lu Feng smiled, "It’s fine, I already took leave. How are you feeling? Is it serious? What did the doctor say?"

"It’s not serious, I can go back after the IV finishes."

"That’s good. Are you hungry now? Do you want to eat something first? I brought some preserved egg and pork congee, along with a few light dishes. Do you want to have a bowl first?"

Lin Jing shook her head, she had no appetite right now. She stared blankly at Lu Feng, Fu Chenxuan’s face seemed to appear before her eyes, so she shook her head to clear it.

Lu Feng was talking to Lin Jing, but after speaking for a while, he didn’t get a response from her. When he turned his head, he saw her staring at him in a daze, with a sad look in her eyes. He paused; she wasn’t really looking at him. She must be thinking of someone else, right?

He really wanted to know who she was thinking about now, but felt he shouldn’t ask. His intuition told him that the person Lin Jing was thinking about now was the one who caused her to end up in the hospital from drinking too much.

Lu Feng knew Lin Jing wasn’t sick; when he had inquired at the nurse’s station earlier, he had casually asked about Lin Jing’s condition. He wanted to ask her why she drank so much, but the words swirled on his lips, he shook his head, and thought better of it—the timing wasn’t right.

The door to the room opened—it was Jiandan returning. Jiandan was taken aback upon seeing the person in the room; Lin Jing had a very small social circle and didn’t seem to communicate with others normally. Now that she was hospitalized, the fact that there was someone visiting her, and a man at that, naturally caught her attention.

"Jingjing, who is this?"

"Hello, my name is Lu Feng. I’m Lin Jing’s coworker. I heard she was sick, so I came to see her," Lu Feng introduced himself.

Jiandan smiled and nodded, "Hello, hello, um... my name is Jiandan, I’m Lin Jing’s good friend."

"Lin Jing, since your friend is back, I’ll take my leave." Lu Feng said his goodbyes.

"Okay, thank you for coming to see me," Lin Jing expressed her gratitude.

Jiandan watched him leave and then turned to Lin Jing, "Is this one of your suitors?"

"No, he’s just a regular coworker," Lin Jing replied indifferently.

Jiandan glanced at the bouquet and the thermos, clearly disbelieving. Would a regular coworker bring these? But now wasn’t the time to tease Lin Jing. She set aside the porridge she had bought, "I only managed to find plain congee. Do you want to have some?"

Lin Jing shook her head; she really had no appetite at all.

Jiandan didn’t press her and set the things aside, "If you don’t want to eat, wait till later." She glanced at the IV bag, which was almost done, "You should close your eyes and rest for a bit. I’ll keep watch."

"Jiandan, you should go back and rest," Lin Jing guessed Jiandan had been up all night, and she probably hadn’t finished writing her daily update.

"It’s almost over, I’ll wait for you. We can go back home together. I wouldn’t feel at ease leaving you here alone," Jiandan said, having been quite scared by Lin Jing’s condition the night before. Even now, the memory made her shudder.

Seeing Jiandan’s insistence, Lin Jing didn’t speak anymore, after all, it would only take another half an hour at most.

After the IV finished, Lin Jing had some of the plain congee Jiandan had bought. Jiandan pointed to the flowers and the thermos Lu Feng had brought, "What should we do with these?"

"Take the thermos back. I’ll bring it to him when I go to work tomorrow. We can discard the flowers."

"Why get rid of them? If you don’t like them, just give them to me," Jiandan said as she picked up the bouquet.

Lin Jing replied indifferently, "If you like them, you can keep them."

Back at home, Lin Jing went straight to her room. Her head was aching, and she wanted to sleep, but she still couldn’t sleep soundly; her dreams were filled with bizarre and disjointed images.

Jiandan came in to check on her from time to time. It was obvious that Lin Jing wasn’t sleeping well, but as Jiandan wasn’t a doctor or a psychologist, she felt helpless regarding Lin Jing’s condition. Based on Lin Jing’s state last night, she certainly had some psychological issues, most likely stemming from her family.

Jiandan had known Lin Jing for many years but rarely heard her mention her family. She didn’t know what Lin Jing’s parents did and only knew that Lin Jing disliked talking about her family members. From what happened last night, their relationship seemed very strained. It was the first time Jiandan knew that Lin Jing had a brother, and it seemed like the brother might have passed away young.

Lin Jing didn’t sleep long. When she awoke, Jiandan was cooking in the kitchen. Seeing her come out, Jiandan said, "Dinner will be ready soon; take a seat for a while."

Jiandan hadn’t eaten breakfast, and with Lin Jing in this state, she naturally couldn’t have takeout for lunch. But Jiandan had limited cooking skills and couldn’t prepare many delicious dishes, so she just cooked some noodles.

Lin Jing nodded but didn’t take a seat, instead helping Jiandan by picking up two bowls.

The two sat opposite each other, silently eating their noodles. Jiandan occasionally glanced at Lin Jing, who had not smiled since waking up.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Lin Jing looked at her.

Jiandan hesitated for a few seconds, then clenched her teeth and spoke, "Jingjing, Fu Chenxuan already has a girlfriend now. What do you plan to do?"

Lin Jing’s eyes darkened, this matter was what she least wanted to think about. She would rather not have gone to look for Fu Chenxuan last night, so that she wouldn’t have had to learn of such a fact.

"Jingjing, I know you really like Fu Chenxuan. Normally, matters of the heart aren’t about right or wrong, but now that he has a girlfriend, are you going to continue to persist?"

Jiandan was extremely torn. This was her best friend, and she truly wanted the best for her, but if Lin Jing persisted, chances were that she would be the one getting hurt. And if Lin Jing did something drastic, things would become even more difficult to settle.

Lin Jing pursed her lips.

"Jingjing, don’t misunderstand, I don’t mean anything else, I just don’t want you to get hurt."

"I know, Jiandan, I still have my basic principles as a person." Lin Jing’s expression was bland, but the sorrow in her eyes was heavy. She did like Fu Chenxuan, and if he hadn’t had someone he liked, she would have persisted even if it took a lifetime. However, he now had someone he liked, and her feelings would only trouble him. She couldn’t bring herself to wreck their relationship, and even if she couldn’t bring herself to wish them well, she could at least try to learn to let go.

Hearing this, Jiandan breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Lin Jing wasn’t stubborn. "Eat up, eat up. There’s more in the pot."

Lin Jing acknowledged with a sound, bowed her head to eat her noodles. However, her appetite was poor, and she put down her bowl after eating only half.

**

B University female dormitory.

Upon seeing Fu Shuyi returning, Lu Yimeng tossed her a pack of chocolate, "Shuyi, this is chocolate my friend brought me from abroad. Give it a try."

Fu Shuyi took it, "Thanks. Yimeng, haven’t you gone home yet? Winter break is about to start." In fact, their winter break had already begun. All the exams finished last week, and some students had already left, like the other two from their dorm.

"I’m going back tomorrow. What about you? When are you leaving?"

"I’m leaving today. I just came back to pack my things," Fu Shuyi said as she packed. She often went home, so she didn’t need to bring a lot of things back from the dormitory, making the packing easier.

Lu Yimeng’s expression flickered slightly, "Your brother is coming to pick you up?"

"No, he’s busy with my future sister-in-law. He doesn’t have time to pick me up. A friend will come get me," Fu Shuyi continued as she packed. She normally went home quite frequently and thus didn’t need to take a lot of stuff from the dormitory, which made packing quite easy.

Lu Yimeng was startled. "Your future sister-in-law? Isn’t your brother single?"

"That was before. He now has a girlfriend, and they’re about to get engaged." Shuyi had heard her mother mention this when she went home last time. Although the exact date wasn’t set, it was approaching.

"Engaged? That’s so fast?" The smile on Lu Yimeng’s lips was stiff, but Fu Shuyi, busy packing, didn’t notice.

"It’s not that soon. They’ve known each other for a long time. They just separated for a few years, and now that my future sister-in-law has come back, they’ve gotten back together," Fu Shuyi said casually. Hearing her phone vibrate, she looked at the message, her eyes lighting up, "Yimeng, my friend’s here to pick me up. I have to go."

Lu Yimeng nodded. After Fu Shuyi left the dorm, the smile on Lu Yimeng’s face vanished instantly, and she walked to the balcony, looking down expressionlessly.

Fu Shuyi walked towards a white sports car. She couldn’t see who was inside, but greeted the person and then got in the car.

Lu Yimeng watched with wide eyes as the sports car disappeared before returning to her bed. She quietly stared at the box of chocolates on her desk. She had bought them through a personal shopper, spending quite a lot of money—over forty per piece—especially to please Fu Shuyi, only to learn such news.

"Brother Jun Nan, will you picking me up delay your plans?" Fu Shuyi asked with a cheerful smile.

Bai Junnan smiled warmly, "What could it possibly delay? I’m just an idle person."

Last night, as Fu Shuyi and Bai Junnan chatted on WeChat, the subject came up, and she planned to take a taxi home the next day. Junnan offered to drive her, and as Shuyi was well-acquainted with him, she didn’t hesitate to accept.

Bai Junnan dropped Fu Shuyi off at the gate of the Military District, "Brother Jun Nan, come in and sit for a while. My brother should be coming home today too."

"That’s alright, I need to head home myself later. I’ll visit some other time." Bai Junnan said with a smile. Leaning over, he took a bag from the back seat, "This was a gift I brought you from abroad. I’ve been meaning to give it to you, but kept forgetting."

"What is it?" Shuyi was curious.

"Just a little something. I saw it and thought it suited you, so I bought it. Take it home and enjoy."

Fu Shuyi did not open it right there, "Thanks, Brother Jun Nan. I’ll head off now. Let’s watch a movie together sometime."

"Sure." Bai Junnan nodded with a smile, watching until Fu Shuyi entered the gate before leaving.

The house was empty except for the housekeeper. Shen Qinglan had agreed to meet up with Yu Xiaoxuan and Fang Tong later and would come back late. Fu Chenxuan wouldn’t return until he finished his work at the company. As for her father, well, he wouldn’t be back this week, apparently due to an exchange trip to another Military Region.

Fu Shuyi went back to her room and opened Bai Junnan’s gift. It was a pair of cherry-shaped earrings inlaid with small diamonds, very delicate. She tried them on and liked them a lot.

"Thank you, Brother Jun Nan, I really like your gift."

Bai Junnan glanced at the message while waiting for the traffic light and smiled, his expression tender.

"Good to hear that you like it."

That evening, Fu Chenxuan came back with Gu Qingzhu, which counted as Gu Qingzhu’s first visit.

"Sister Qingzhu, you finally came, I’ve been waiting for you for so long." Fu Shuyi stood up from the sofa and ran towards Gu Qingzhu.

Gu Qingzhu smiled, "What did you miss about me?"

"Of course, your valiant and heroic air," Fu Shuyi said without hesitation, adding a playful look. She squeezed her brother out of the way to push Gu Qingzhu’s wheelchair herself.

She had lots of secrets she wanted to share with Gu Qingzhu.

Before meeting Gu Qingzhu, she had imagined countless times what kind of person her brother’s girlfriend would be—whether she was gentle and tender or lively and adorable—never envisioning someone like Gu Qingzhu. But when she learned that her brother liked Gu Qingzhu, she felt it really should be this way, only such a person could match her brother.

This, too, was a kind of love for the house and its crow.

Shen Qinglan had already returned. Since the future daughter-in-law was visiting for the first time and Fu Hengyi could not because of work, it was necessary for her as the mother-in-law to be there.

"Auntie, hello." Gu Qingzhu greeted with a smile.

Shen Qinglan smiled faintly, her gaze sweeping over the still plaster-wrapped leg, "Is your leg feeling better?"

"It’s much better now, I was actually supposed to get my stitches out, but Chenxuan doesn’t feel reassured and didn’t let me." Her injuries were severe but not life-threatening. At that time, she was undercover, and her identity was somehow discovered by the organization. After being captured, they wanted to torture her to a point worse than death, and naturally, they wouldn’t let her die so quickly, still harboring the thought of using her to exchange for their captured Boss.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "That’s good to hear. Tonight, I asked the auntie at home to stew a big bone soup for you, drink more of it."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Shen Qinglan smiled.

**

School was out for winter break, Fu Shuyi didn’t have to go to school anymore, and staying at home every day was terribly boring if not for chatting with Shen Qinglan or watching TV, so she decided to invite Bai Junnan to watch a movie. It was a New Year’s film, very funny; she had laughed from beginning to end until her stomach hurt.

As they left the movie theater, Fu Shuyi rubbed her belly, looking conflicted. Bai Junnan watched her with amusement, "Still uncomfortable?"

Fu Shuyi sighed, "Is my sense of humor too low? I don’t see anyone else laughing like me."

Bai Junnan consoled her, "Girls who love to laugh are always lucky."

Fu Shuyi smiled, "Brother Jun Nan, your words always comfort me, unlike Fu Shuchen who always mocks me. Brother Jun Nan, are you going home later?"

Bai Junnan raised an eyebrow, "Where do you want to go?"

Fu Shuyi gave him a thumbs-up, indeed he was so on point, her eyes crescenting, "Let’s go to Charming Color?"

Bai Junnan opened the car door, "Get in."

Charming Color was bustling at night, and when they arrived, it was already crowded. Bai Junnan handed the keys to the valet, "Which floor do you want to go to?"

"Let’s go to the bar," said Fu Shuyi, who didn’t like drinking but loved watching bartenders mix drinks.

"Let’s go then." Bai Junnan draped an arm around her shoulders, Fu Shuyi glanced at him but didn’t mind.

"You like watching them mix drinks?" Bai Junnan asked as he saw Fu Shuyi fixated on the bartender since reaching the bar.

Fu Shuyi nodded, "Don’t you think they are incredible? Ordinary liquor becomes a dazzlingly colored cocktail in the blink of an eye, and they can create different flavors too." Probably inheriting Shen Qinglan’s good genes, she was sensitive to colors. Although her talent for painting was not as high as her mother’s, she was considered exceptional among her peers.

Bai Junnan thought for a moment, stood up to speak with the bartender, and after the bartender glanced at Fu Shuyi, he nodded. Then, under her curious gaze, Bai Junnan walked behind the bar.

He picked up a glass and casually started grabbing bottles of liquor, mixing a drink. His movements were not flashy, but he was earnest, and Fu Shuyi watched his hands, which were well-defined and beautiful.

Before long, a vivid cocktail was placed before Fu Shuyi, "Winter Night Summer Speech, please enjoy."

Fu Shuyi looked at the cocktail in front of her, her eyes showing a flash of amazement for its beautiful color.

She tasted it, noticing the faint sweetness and fruity aroma, while the alcohol content was surprisingly light, "This drink is not very strong in alcohol, and it doesn’t have a strong aftereffect, you can drink it with ease," said Bai Junnan.

Fu Shuyi smiled, "Actually, I can hold my liquor quite well." Even several shots of strong alcohol wouldn’t easily make her drunk.

Bai Junnan didn’t drink; he had to drive tonight. Fu Shuyi didn’t sip leisurely. She swept her gaze over the men and women in the bar, and then turned her attention toward the dance floor, where there was a pole dance performance tonight.

The pole dance at Charming Color wasn’t lewd or vulgar since the clientele was either rich or noble; there was no need to attract customers with such lowbrow tactics. Here, the pole dance was more like a form of dance art—at least, that’s how Fu Shuyi saw it.

Her gaze shifted ever so slightly, and a flicker appeared in her eyes. She thought she had seen Lu Yimeng, but in a blink, the person was gone. She blinked, searched again, but the person had disappeared—perhaps she had been mistaken.

"Brother Jun Nan, I’m going to the restroom," said Fu Shuyi.

Bai Junnan nodded.

After leaving the restroom, Fu Shuyi heard soft crying and pleading; she hesitated for a moment before heading toward the source of the sounds.

"Mr. Li, I’m really not that kind of girl, please let me go," pleaded the girl.

The one called Mr. Li snorted coldly, "If you’re not, then why dress so provocatively? If you didn’t have some looks, do you think I’d bother with you?"

Fu Shuyi immediately recognized the girl speaking as Lu Yimeng. It seemed she hadn’t been mistaken earlier. She didn’t know the man, but judging by his attire, he must be from their circles, probably some rich second-generation heir.

Lu Yimeng was trapped between the man and the wall; his hand was placed unscrupulously on her waist. Dressed revealingly tonight in a slit maxi dress that opened all the way up to her thigh, with an open back top and heavy makeup, she was almost unrecognizable, even to Fu Shuyi, who spent day and night with her.

Her gaze flickered. What was Lu Yimeng doing dressed like this here? And how did she get in? Charming Color was membership-based, and without significant financial ability, entrance was impossible—the annual membership fee alone was a hefty sum.

Even if Lu Yimeng’s family was well-off, it couldn’t be to this extent.

Lu Yimeng didn’t notice someone watching them; her focus was on the hand Mr. Li placed on her waist, wishing to chop off that hand, yet not daring to offend the man in front of her. After all, his father was the boss of her dad’s company—if she offended him, her dad’s job would be over.

"Mr. Li, with your status, there’s no woman you couldn’t have. Why bother with me? I’m boring and dull; I am sure to disappoint you."

Mr. Li chuckled, "Having had my fill of sea cucumbers and abalone, I now fancy some plain congee and side dishes. How is it, does being with me make you feel you’re losing face?"

"No, that’s not it, Mr. Li, it’s just not a good time for me," Lu Yimeng said, visibly troubled.

"Don’t use that as an excuse. I don’t mind giving a personal inspection, and if you dare lie to me..." His face turned cold, and his hand moved along her waistline to her buttocks.

Lu Yimeng’s face turned pale with fright; she grabbed his hand, pleading, "Mr. Li, please spare me, I’m really not suitable." While she did want to catch a "golden son-in-law," she never intended to get involved with a playboy who treated women like toys. Her body was her asset and she couldn’t let such a person spoil it.

A flash of anger crossed Mr. Li’s eyes. When in a good mood, he might have cajoled her a bit, but now that she was not giving him ’face,’ she needed to be taught a lesson. He gripped her chin, "Don’t force me to teach you a lesson. If you and your family no longer wish to stay in Beijing, feel free to leave."

Her chin ached from his grip, tears welling up in her eyes; just as she felt at a loss, the hand on her chin suddenly let go, followed by a cry of pain from Mr. Li.

Mr. Li wanted to see which bastard was interfering when he met Fu Shuyi’s icy gaze. He was stunned, captured by her beauty, "Wow, who do we have here, a pretty lady."

With a smile that belied the pain in his wrist, Mr. Li quickly forgot the hurt.

Seeing Fu Shuyi, Lu Yimeng was also taken aback, "Shuyi."

Hearing this, Mr. Li laughed, "Oh, a friend of Yimeng, is it? Nice to meet you, I’m Li Zhishen."

Fu Shuyi’s eyes grew colder as she looked at the man before her and pulled Lu Yimeng over, "Are you alright?"

Lu Yimeng shook her head, "I’m fine." Embarrassment flashed through her eyes—being caught in this situation by Fu Shuyi was truly mortifying.

Li Zhishen, noting that Fu Shuyi was ignoring him, wasn’t angry. A beautiful woman was always forgivable, after all.

"Since we know each other and have met here, it’s fate. Let’s enjoy our time together," he suggested.

Lu Yimeng tugged at Fu Shuyi’s clothes, desperately signaling with her eyes. Fu Shuyi gave her a reassuring look and when she faced Li Zhishen again, her eyes had returned to being frosty, "You think you’re qualified to play with me?"

Li Zhishen was displeased. No matter how beautiful a woman was, in his eyes, she was still just a woman and should not eclipse him. The woman in front of him had repeatedly shown disrespect, clearly needing to be put in her place.

His eyes held a glint of lewdness, as he was about to get rough, but before he could move, Fu Shuyi’s foot shot out in a kick, and Li Zhishen let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.