Make It Clear

"Why?" The moment Gu Yan stepped through the door of Suite 521, Shen Hong's voice reached her.

"Huh? Why is President Shen here?" Completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere, Wei Hao blurted out. Shen Hong ignored Wei Hao entirely, keeping his gaze locked on Gu Yan, whose face remained utterly indifferent. "There was no need." She spoke without looking at him. Once upon a time, she might have harbored illusions of reconciliation, but after experiencing that night, her heart had died completely. Even facing a stranger whose stomach illness was acting up, one could hardly remain indifferent, let alone a legal wife. That could only point to one conclusion: he did not love her.

"You two know each other?" It was only when Shen Hong slammed the door behind him in fury that Wei Hao finally pieced things over in his mind.

"We're not close."

The stagnant air was thick with the scent of tobacco and alcohol, and the music, turned up to maximum volume, was nearly deafening. Men and women twisted their waists and hips wildly on the dance floor, while coldly glamorous women laughed and mingled among groups of men, exchanging flirty banter to tease those who could barely keep their impulses in check. Seductive women snuggled intimately into men's arms while the men drank and doused themselves in debauchery. This was the city's most vibrant nightlife destination: a bar.

Under the dim, hazy lights, a bartender gently swayed his body, with utmost elegance concocting a colorful cocktail. A man dressed in a sharp suit sat at the bar counter, pouring drink after drink down his throat.

"Well, well! Our esteemed Young Master Shen actually has moments of loneliness. Do you need me to find a few babes for you?" This was the scene that greeted Luo Xiaomeng as she walked in. It wasn't that she wanted to kick a man while he was down or take advantage of his vulnerability, but she was simply too furious to hold back.

Shen Hong glanced at Luo Xiaomeng and went right back to his drinking.

"Spit it out. What do you want with me?"

"Tell me about her." Perhaps due to the alcohol, his voice sounded somewhat hoarse.

"Ha!" Luo Xiaomeng couldn't help a sarcastic sneer. "Should I be happy for little Yan that her ex-husband is drowning his sorrows in a bar over her?"

"Tell me about her." Ignoring Luo Xiaomeng's tone, he simply repeated the phrase. He didn't understand why, when she was the one who had asked for the divorce, the entire world seemed to treat it as his fault.

"You're asking the wrong person." Perhaps startled by the grimness in Shen Hong's voice, Luo Xiaomeng stopped teasing. "To be honest, I failed little Yan too; I have hardly earned the right to call myself her sister. Three years ago, when she was at her most heartbroken, the ones by her side were not us, her so-called friends. He should know, but I doubt he'll ever tell you."

Hearing this, Shen Hong set down his glass. "Who is it?"

"Zheng Yingqi. Back then, Cai Meiyuan was away in South Korea, Xu Xian was seriously injured and unconscious, and both Yilin and I were actually blaming little Yan at first. I don't know what happened to her during those days, but in the end, she simply vanished without a word."

Watching Shen Hong fall into deep thought, Luo Xiaomeng continued, "You clearly had feelings for little Yan. Even as a bridesmaid, I could deeply feel the happiness between the two of you at your wedding. Why did your attitude change after the marriage? I know little Yan; she loved you. And I know even better under how much pressure she was when she married you. With so many eyes watching, I think little Yan wanted to hold on more than anyone, just to show those waiting for a joke how happy the two of you were. If you think she divorced you for money, then I feel terribly sad for her. Think about it—Zheng Yingqi is superior to you in every single way; why on earth would little Yan choose to marry you? Before it's too late, reconciliation isn't entirely hopeless. Think it over carefully. I don't want you to live with regret."

After Luo Xiaomeng left, Shen Hong remained seated at the bar, drinking. *"Why did your attitude change after the marriage?"* He wanted to know the answer to that as well. Was chastity really that crucial to him? Shen Hong asked himself in the silence of his heart, yet still could find no logical reason.