Shen Peichuan requested for a fresh cup from the waiter and poured a cup of wine for him. “Tell me about it.”
Zong Jinghao gave him a sidelong glance. “Since when were you so nosy?”
Shen Peichuan sighed. “I wanted to invite the two of you for a gathering, to talk about He Ruize, but I didn’t expect to see Su Zhan drinking himself to oblivion here. I figured that he’ll feel better with you around, but it looks like you’re not in a good mood either.”
Zong Jinghao picked up the cup of wine and downed it in one shot before slamming the cup onto the table. As for Lin Xinyan, she had gone to pay a visit to Cheng Yuxiu with her two kids.
He could tell that Lin Xinyan was close to Yuxiu, even though they did not know each other for long.
That alone made him uncomfortable.
Their proximity to one another could only mean one thing; they had been spending time together behind his back.
Lin Xinyan had not spoken a word about her relationship with Yuxiu, and he did not bother to ask her about it.
“How do you think I can impress Qin Ya, Peichuan?” an intoxicated Su Zhan drawled as he slung an arm around Shen Peichuan’s shoulder while swaying on his feet. “She left me before I could even react…”
Shen Peichuan frowned and tried to push him away. “You reek of alcohol! Get away from me!”
However, Su Zhan merely hugged him closer. “I pity you! You’re getting on in your years, and yet, you’re still single…”
Shen Peichuan fell silent.
“I would have left you too if I was Qin Ya!” Shen Peichuan muttered out of spite.
Su Zhan ignored him with a pained expression in his eyes, which was out of character for him.
Shen Peichuan sighed. “Look at how drunk you are! If you want her back, make sure that you’re honest with her! I think that you should clear up the whole Liu Feifei situation with her and give her the security that she wants.”
“Security? What’s that?” Su Zhan slurred, slapping his chest like a gorilla. “I told her everything! I told her that Liu Feifei was my first love, but we’ve since lost interest in each other. She just won’t believe me!”
“Are you sure that she didn’t catch you meeting up with Liu Feifei?” Shen Peichuan asked.
He knew that Qin Ya would not be so decisive if she had no evidence to back it up.
Su Zhan sniffed. “Liu Feifei left me because she didn’t want to burden me with her fertility issues, but she came looking for me the other day and told me to spend a night with her…”
“What?” Shen Peichuan exclaimed, slamming his palm against the table. “Are you crazy, Su Zhan? You’re a married man! Why are you sleeping with your ex-girlfriend?”
“We didn’t do anything…” Su Zhan protested, as his voice grew softer with guilt by the second. “I had merely spent a night at her house since I felt that she didn’t do anything wrong back then.”
He began to regret his actions. “What should I do now?” he asked.
Shen Peichuan shrugged. “I don’t know, but if you’re sincere enough, I’m sure that she’ll…”
Buzz, buzz…
Suddenly, Zong Jinghao’s phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out to see who the call had been from before accepting the call and pressing his phone against his ear.
“It’s me,” a low voice rang out.
Zong Jinghao mumbled affirmatively.
“Bring them to me tomorrow.”
“Alright,” Zong Jinghao agreed.
He put down his phone after the line was cut.
Shen Peichuan glanced at him. “Was that your uncle?”
Zong Jinghao ignored him as his expression turned grim. Shen Peichuan smiled and picked up the bottle of wine to pour some for him. “I know that you’re not interested in riding on the Wen family’s coattails or taking advantage of their power, but I don’t think that there’s anything to worry about.”
“Lin Xinyan and Yuxiu seem pretty close…” Zong Jinghao announced before he was interrupted by someone coming in.
He pursed his lips and glanced at the visitor before leaning backward and disappearing into the darkness.
The waiters wearing identical outfits stood in a row and took turns placing the dishes in their hands onto the table.
“Please tell us if you need anything else, Sir,” one of them announced after that.
Shen Peichuan waved his hand. “Understood. Please leave.”
The waiter that spoke bowed and led the group out of the room.
Shen Peichuan lowered his head for a moment before saying, “Your mother’s case made your father and the Wens drift apart. Are you worried that the Wens will retaliate if they’ve discovered Lin Xinyan and Yuxiu’s friendship?”
Zong Jinghao took another gulp of alcohol. “I don’t like it either.”
He had a hunch that Wen Xian had died because of Yuxiu.
Why else would my father marry Yuxiu within a month of Wen Xian’s death?
I don’t think that Yuxiu would have agreed to it so quickly, even if she did have feelings for him…
He could not let it go, no matter how hard he had tried to.
Shen Peichuan did not enjoy the meal a single bit. The two men beside him seemed to be brooding over the women they cared about, which made him appear as though he was a carefree loner.
After the meal, Shen Peichuan helped to send Su Zhan home, as he was passed out drunk.
Even on the car, Su Zhan continued to toss and turn while muttering something unintelligible. Shen Peichuan tossed a glance at him and sighed. “Why is your alcohol tolerance so low?”
“It hurts…” Su Zhan moaned, ignoring him completely.
“We’ll deal with that later,” Shen Peichuan affirmed. He had originally planned to send him home, but he realized that it might have been a better idea to send him to the hospital, where his grandmother and Qin Ya were. He had wanted Qin Ya to know that Su Zhan had drunk himself to oblivion because of her.
He made a turn at a junction and headed towards the hospital.
Su Zhan’s grandmother had yet to wake up, and Qin Ya had dared not leave her side.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and Shen Peichuan entered with Su Zhan slung over one of his shoulders. Qin Ya stood up in shock and asked, “What has happened to him?”
“He’s drunk,” Shen Peichuan answered as he looked around for a place to set Su Zhan down. The only viable option seemed to be a narrow sofa by the side.
The VIP room that Su Zhan’s grandmother had stayed in was fully equipped with every amenity they would ever need, however, it lacked an extra bed for caregivers.
“Oh! The nurse said that we can request for an extra bed. I’ll go and tell them now,” Qin Ya informed him, knowing how uncomfortable it would be for Su Zhan to stay curled up on the tiny sofa.
She still cares about him! Shen Peichuan thought. “Sure. Thanks a lot.”
Qin Ya ran over to the nurse station and made a request for another bed. Her request was answered within minutes, and another bed was set up in their room quickly.
Shen Peichuan heaved Su Zhan’s body onto the bed. “He’s heavier than he looks…”
Qin Ya handed him a cup of water. “What happened?”
Shen Peichuan took a few gulps of water to calm himself down before answering. “He’s in a bad mood,” he uttered, looking at her intendedly. “I think that it’s got something to do with you.”
Qin Ya spun around and lowered her head.
Shen Peichuan put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “He failed to think things through before meeting up with Liu Feifei, and he regrets it. Why don’t you give him another chance?”
