Chapter 36: Shi Wei Probes Lu Chengfeng

Shi Wei snorted with laughter. “Give me a break. True love doesn’t exist in this world. There’s only physical attraction.”

The bartender shook his head. “That’s not true, Boss. You say that because you’ve never been in love. Once you have, you won’t talk like this anymore. If I didn’t love someone, I would never become intimate with her.”

Shi Wei curled his lip. “Don’t be so certain. You might end up eating your words. Take Cheng Feng’s obsession with Shu Yan, for instance. I don’t think he loves her. I think it’s because she was his first woman.”

“If he met someone more beautiful than Shu Yan, I refuse to believe he wouldn’t be tempted.”

The bartender shook his head again. “I don’t think Captain Lu is that kind of man. Boss, if you don’t believe me, find a beautiful woman and test him. Let’s make a bet.”

Shi Wei raised one eyebrow. “All right. Let’s make a bet and see.”

…

After leaving Shi Wei’s bar, Lu Chengfeng drove aimlessly around the city.

Before he realized it, he had arrived outside the residential complex where Shu Yan lived.

He pulled over by the roadside and gazed up at the building where she lived.

The light in her living room was on.

The last time he had gone to her home, it had been to make dumplings for her. He wondered whether she had finished eating them.

She did not seem to have much of an appetite lately. Whenever she ate in the cafeteria, she barely touched her food.

As a result, she had grown thinner by the day. Seeing her that way broke his heart.

Lu Chengfeng was deeply regretful. He should never have said those things to Shu Yan outside the convalescent hospital and frightened her away.

He had been too eager. He should have let things take their natural course and given her time to accept him.

As Lu Chengfeng pondered how to make amends for his earlier mistake, his phone suddenly rang.

Seeing that it was Shi Wei calling, he grew irritated and hung up immediately.

Then Qin Yanbin called.

Lu Chengfeng had no choice but to answer. “Hello, Mr. Qin.”

“Captain Lu, are you free at the moment? I’ve reserved a private room at Yiyun and invited some friends over for a get-together. I’m leaving Licheng tomorrow to develop my career in the capital. I just signed on for a new production yesterday.”

“If you’re available, come over with Shi Wei. I’m afraid I won’t know when I’ll have time to come back and meet up again.”

Lu Chengfeng thought for a moment before replying, “All right. Have Shi Wei send me the address.”

Ten minutes later, Lu Chengfeng arrived at Yiyun.

Shi Wei was standing outside the club, smoking. When he saw Lu Chengfeng arrive, a gleam of triumph flashed in his eyes.

He waved. “Chengfeng, over here. Why is it so cold tonight? It’s already mid-March. In previous years, we could have changed into short sleeves by now, but this year we still have to wear jackets. It’s ridiculous.”

Lu Chengfeng ignored Shi Wei’s muttering and walked past him.

Shi Wei hurried after him and shamelessly asked, “Where did you go just now? Did you go home? I thought you weren’t coming out.”

Lu Chengfeng remained silent.

“Just now at the bar, I was in the wrong. I shouldn’t have said those things, but I really was thinking of your best interests. Of course, since you don’t like hearing it, I won’t mention it again.”

Lu Chengfeng shot him a glance and said coldly, “Mind your own business.”

Shi Wei nodded. “Fine. I’ll never interfere in your affairs again. If I ever do it again, I’ll be the son of a tortoise.”

Lu Chengfeng said nothing more. The two of them took the elevator upstairs and arrived at Qin Yanbin’s private room.

When the door opened, Lu Chengfeng immediately frowned.

Apart from Qin Yanbin, six or seven women sat inside, dressed revealingly and wearing heavy makeup.

Qin Yanbin rose to greet them. “Captain Lu, Shi Wei, you’re here. Come in and sit down. Here, let me introduce you. These ladies are friends from my circle.”

Lu Chengfeng disliked this sort of gathering. He was about to turn and leave when Shi Wei seized him by the arm and dragged him inside.

Shi Wei forced him onto the sofa, greeted the women, and introduced Lu Chengfeng to them.

He even urged them to toast Lu Chengfeng.

Lu Chengfeng had more or less guessed what was going on, so he refused every drink they offered him.

Seeing how resolute he was, Shi Wei poured him a glass of fruit juice.

“Chengfeng, then just drink some juice. Look, once Old Qin goes to the capital, who knows when he’ll be back? Let’s raise a glass together and wish him success there. May he land so many roles that his hands ache from signing contracts.”

Lu Chengfeng had no choice but to raise his glass and clink it against Qin Yanbin’s.

“Mr. Qin, I wish you every success. I’ll leave after I finish this drink. I have to work overtime at the office tomorrow, so I need to get some rest early tonight.”

Shi Wei stared at him. “What? You have to work overtime tomorrow?”

Lu Chengfeng ignored him, tipped back his head, and finished the juice. Then he set down the glass, rose, and left.

The moment he stepped out of the private room, Qin Yanbin grabbed Shi Wei’s hand.

“I put something in that drink. Shouldn’t you tell Captain Lu? What if something happens?”

Shi Wei rubbed his temples. “If I go out and tell him the truth, he’ll wring my neck. Let’s pretend we know nothing. Tomorrow morning, you should fly to the capital as planned.”

Qin Yanbin was still worried. He was deeply uncomfortable with something so underhanded.

But Shi Wei had said that the only way to help Lu Chengfeng forget Shu Yan was to make him fall for another woman.

All Qin Yanbin could do now was pray that nothing happened to Lu Chengfeng.

The drug had come from another friend, and Qin Yanbin did not know how effective it would be. It might not work at all.

After leaving the club, Lu Chengfeng went to the parking lot and got into his car.

He started the engine and drove back toward Shi Wei’s home.

After traveling some distance, he began to feel increasingly strange.

Restless.

Hot.

The blood in his body surged relentlessly toward his head.

It did not take long for Lu Chengfeng to realize what had happened. That bastard Shi Wei had drugged the juice.

Thinking of all the women in that room, Lu Chengfeng guessed what Shi Wei had intended to do.

He desperately wanted to turn around and wring the fool’s neck.

But he could not. He had to find a way to deal with his condition first.

His breathing grew faster and heavier. He wanted to go to the hospital, but even the nearest one was at least half an hour away.

Lu Chengfeng did not think he could hold out that long.

Shu Yan’s home was nearby. If he drove faster, he could get there in seven or eight minutes.

But he was afraid that if he went to her in this state, Shu Yan would be angry and grow even more distant from him afterward.

He clenched his teeth as his hands began to tremble…

After taking a shower, Shu Yan carried the undergarments she had washed by hand to the living-room balcony to hang them up.

She tossed the rest of her clothes into the washing machine.

After closing the living room’s sliding glass door, she was about to return to the bedroom when the doorbell rang.

It was nearly ten o’clock. Who could be coming at this hour?

The doorbell continued ringing without pause. Whoever was pressing it was clearly in a hurry.

Shu Yan quickened her pace toward the front door. She leaned toward the peephole and looked outside.

The first thing she saw was Lu Chengfeng’s flushed face.

She knitted her brows and opened the door.

Lu Chengfeng immediately forced his way inside.

“What are you doing?” Shu Yan cried.

Lu Chengfeng slammed the door shut. Looking down at the petite woman, he swallowed hard, then suddenly lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.

Sensing that something was wrong with him, Shu Yan shoved him away with all her strength. “Lu Chengfeng, have you been poisoned?”

Breathing heavily, Lu Chengfeng replied, “That bastard Shi Wei drugged me.”

Shu Yan’s eyes widened. “Why would he drug you?”

Lu Chengfeng felt like a bomb on the verge of exploding. Gritting his teeth, he answered, “To make me forget you. Shu Yan, I’m sorry. I can’t forget you. I’m sorry for what I’m about to do tonight.”