Blue Cocktail chapter 26

The hangover’s aftermath hadn’t passed. Sitting up, Cheng Shuo experienced a moment of dizziness and nausea. He rubbed his eyes that he couldn’t quite open and put on a pair of slippers that had long lost their original shape. However, instead of immediately getting up, he sat on the edge of the bed for a while, slowly erasing the residual images of the nightmare.

He typically combined breakfast and lunch, and after finishing, washed the bowl by habit. Suddenly, he didn’t know what to do.

This Sunday, he was supposed to rush to complete the drawing drafts for a client until eight or nine in the evening, then take a break to watch a movie or the live stream of his favorite gaming team. It would have been a fulfilling life if Lu Huaiqian hadn’t invited him to the Mo Blue bar.

Lu Huaiqian.

Cheng Shuo lowered his gaze, staring blankly for a few seconds. He licked his dry lips as if recalling something. Suddenly, he stood up from the couch, walking hurriedly back to his bedroom, almost as if he were about to run.

He stopped at the foot of the bed, scanning around, not finding his phone. He lifted the corner of the blanket, causing it to brush the floor and collect dust, still no phone. He grabbed the pillow and threw it aside—

Finally found it.

The phone.

He opened WeChat and scrolled through the familiar profiles, two unread messages in total.

Twenty-one minutes after sending the red packet, at 8:43 PM last night, Lu Huaiqian replied: “Why did you send me a red packet?”

Five minutes later, he sent a Samoyed question mark emoji to ease the awkward atmosphere.

However, Cheng Shuo was already out of it by then and left the other person hanging for an hour and five minutes.

Then, Lu Huaiqian sent another message: “Is the beer good?”

“Not really,” Cheng Shuo thought. He didn’t want to get drunk again.

The red packet was still unopened. On the orange bubble frame, white characters, “Congratulations, good luck” were glaring, reminding him of the foolish thing he did in a moment of recklessness.

However, it was a good thing that in his hazy state, he didn’t change the system default greeting to “beer money,” so he could still fix it.

Cheng Shuo long-pressed the first message and replied: “Sorry, wrong person.”

Sent.

Then, he long-pressed the second message about the beer and replied: “So-so.”

Sent.

He didn’t intend to engage in a deep conversation with the other person, having explained the abrupt red packet in their chat. Cheng Shuo felt he had nothing more to say and was about to toss the phone back to the pillow when the palm of his hand suddenly vibrated a few times.

Instant reply.

The Unscrupulous Tycoon, Mr. Lu: “What were you doing last night? You didn’t reply to my message all night. Sad~”

Cheng Shuo habitually ignored some emotional expressions, like the last three words. He knew Lu Huaiqian’s way of exaggerating when he talked. “When you messaged me, I was already out cold from the beer.”

The Unscrupulous Tycoon, Mr. Lu: “Using alcohol to drown your sorrows?”

Cheng Shuo: “It’s a beer that you gave me, if I didn’t drink it, it would have been a waste.”

He avoided the question.

Thankfully, Lu Huaiqian didn’t press on: “Are you free this afternoon?”

Cheng Shuo: “What for?”

The Unscrupulous Tycoon, Mr. Lu: “No reason, just come and hang out!”

Cheng Shuo: “Sorry, I might be busy with my secondary activities.”

The Unscrupulous Tycoon, Mr. Lu: “Secondary activities?”

Cheng Shuo: “I’m an illustrator. Occasionally, I take on assignments to make extra money.”

The Unscrupulous Tycoon, Mr. Lu: “That’s not right. I remember the first time you came looking for an apartment, you said you were a student with no income, so I gave you the room discount.”

Cheng Shuo was about to reply when a client sent a WeChat message. So he turned to deal with him first. After all, the client had paid money, and proper service might lead to future cooperation opportunities.

Twenty minutes later.

The Unscrupulous Tycoon, Mr. Lu: “I have something to give you, maybe something pretty important.”

Reading the message, Cheng Shuo suddenly realized that he had just mentally responded to it – he thought he had replied but hadn’t actually done so.

He felt it was a sign of a good relationship, although many people around him disagreed with this viewpoint.

Cheng Shuo: “What is it?”

The Unscrupulous Tycoon, Mr. Lu: “You’ll find out when you come, shy.”

Cheng Shuo furrowed his brow, again playing coy, as if this gave him some sort of discomfort.

Cheng Shuo: “Why can’t you tell me in advance?”

The Unscrupulous Tycoon, Mr. Lu: “Mainly, I also don’t know what’s inside.”

Playing guessing games, Cheng Shuo replied: “?”

The Unscrupulous Tycoon, Mr. Lu: “Dog carrying roses.jpg”

Seeing that Lu Huaiqian wouldn’t reveal what it was, Cheng Shuo knew he wouldn’t get an answer. He never beat Lu Huaiqian in conversations, not even once.

Cheng Shuo was too lazy to deal with it. Perhaps alcohol hadn’t entirely cleared from his system. He was already not much of a social person, and now, communicating with people felt even more energy-draining.

If he didn’t say anything, he wouldn’t go. No matter how important the thing was, it wasn’t more crucial than making money.

He decided to take a good nap in the afternoon, to reset his brain.

Cheng Shuo tossed the phone back to the pillow, leaned back, closed his eyes, then sat up, placing the phone a little farther away on the bedside table. He climbed back into the covers, burying half of his face beneath the blanket.

He started to sleep.

The phone buzzed near his ear.

He didn’t know if it was a message from Lu Huaiqian.

He refused to look. He didn’t want to be friends with someone who wasn’t straightforward.

Cheng Shuo adjusted the blanket over his head, hoping he wouldn’t hear the vibrations.

However, the buzzing didn’t happen again, as he wished.

Five minutes later.

Cheng Shuo turned onto his side.

Another five minutes passed.

Cheng Shuo turned over again, telling himself not to move until he fell asleep.

He closed his eyes tightly and remained motionless, rigidly curled up in bed for half an hour.

Finally, as if accepting his fate, he threw off the covers, sat up, reached for the phone, and opened WeChat.

A message from forty minutes ago.

The Unscrupulous Tycoon, Mr. Lu: “Are you coming? Let me know if you’re not coming!”

Staring at the line of text, he silently read it for a while. Cheng Shuo heaved a long sigh and fished out the house keys from his backpack.

He took the subway.

Another hour’s journey.

Long and boring.

Actually, Cheng Shuo could have chosen a taxi, but he didn’t like it.

Perhaps for him, a taxi was a relatively private and confined space, and he had heard news of taxi drivers deliberately robbing and killing passengers.

In contrast, the subway, a means of transport with high traffic and a wide space, often carried less risk, and that’s what Cheng Shuo deemed a better choice.

Standing in front of the bar, he glanced at the signboard for a moment, seemingly hesitating. Cheng Shuo eventually pushed the door open and walked in.

The bar had only a few scattered customers.

Aru was standing behind the bar counter, waving to him. “Cheng Shuo!”

Cheng Shuo waved his hand in response.

Possibly due to Lu Huaiqian, the bar’s staff members all knew his name, not just Aru.

Before Cheng Shuo could ask, Aru seemed to have foreseen it. “Boss Lu said he’s waiting for you on the second floor.”

Cheng Shuo was slightly stunned, nodded in thanks, and headed towards the stairs.

At the end of the staircase, the living room on the second floor was lit up, and Cheng Shuo saw Lu Huaiqian lounging lazily on the couch, relaxed as ever.

“You’re here,” Lu Huaiqian had an indifferent appearance, but there was a glint in his eyes when he saw Cheng Shuo. “You didn’t reply to my messages. I thought you wouldn’t come, turns out you wanted to surprise me.”

Cheng Shuo remained silent, resigned. He was used to it.

“Come, come, sit.” Lu Huaiqian gestured and patted the empty seat beside him, then picked up an inverted glass from the coffee table and poured hot water into a cup for Cheng Shuo.

“No need, I’m not thirsty.” Cheng Shuo took the cup but didn’t drink. He put it down on the table and got straight to the point. “What did you want to give me?”

Lu Huaiqian’s expression changed slightly at Cheng Shuo’s question, “we haven’t talked seriously in a long time. We should catch up and talk.”

Cheng Shuo, puzzled, furrowed his brow, “I only came because you said there’s something very important to hand over to me.”

Lu Huaiqian’s gaze faltered for a moment, then shifted, “Actually, it’s not that important.”

Cheng Shuo could tell that Lu Huaiqian was acting unusually. “If you have something, just say it directly, don’t worry about anything, so we don’t waste each other’s time.”

“Alright.” Lu Huaiqian’s smile faded considerably. He was unusually silent for a few seconds and, to Cheng Shuo’s surprise, his expression turned serious. “There’s something I must say first. I’ve been hesitant for a long time.”

“I don’t know whether I should hand it over to you. I feel you have the right to know of its existence, yet I fear you’ll be very angry when you see it.”

With that, he pulled out an envelope from under the sofa cushion and handed it to Cheng Shuo.

There was nothing written on the envelope.

Cheng Shuo asked in confusion, “What is this?”

“I have never opened this letter, so I don’t know either.”

Cheng Shuo tore open the envelope, pulled out the letter inside, unfolded it, and read two distinct lines in beautiful and familiar handwriting:

“Dear Cheng Shuo:

It’s He Yin.”

In an instant, Cheng Shuo’s expression turned extremely unpleasant. In this world, anyone could call him “dear,” except for He Yin and Cheng Yu.

He clenched his lips into a tight line and hastily skimmed through the content on the paper because there was never a need to read it in detail.

It was almost identical to the harassing messages He Yin had sent before.

She initially apologized for past actions, then repeatedly emphasized that it was not premeditated, but rather a spur-of-the-moment decision. She then traced the root cause, blaming Cheng Yu. According to her, if Cheng Yu hadn’t committed marital rape, she wouldn’t dislike Cheng Shuo so much. Finally, she divorced Cheng Yu, feeling liberated and free, allowing her to begin repenting.

He Yin’s apology letter always found various excuses for her actions, downplaying the severity, and came off as extremely hypocritical.

Then the conversation would always turn to money. It was as if she feared Cheng Shuo would forget: her second marriage was to a wealthy man. Every single time, she disgustingly mentioned that if he ever needed money, he could ask her, and she’ll provide as much as he needed. She talked as if Cheng Shuo was in desperate need of money, whereas in reality, he wished to sever all ties with her.

However, this time, surprisingly at the end of the letter, she brought up something new. She expressed a desire to build a large amusement park and wanted to take him there someday to make up for past regrets.

Regrets.

Cheng Shuo felt betrayed by this term. In He Yin’s eyes, his daily and yearly nightmares were merely what she referred to as regrets. He didn’t understand why He Yin glorified earning money, as if building an amusement park was for him. As if, without the past regrets, He Yin wouldn’t have to tirelessly search for land or worry day and night, affecting her peace of mind.

Since middle school, Cheng Shuo hadn’t been fixated on He Yin’s apology. However, he didn’t understand why He Yin was so fixated on his forgiveness. It was as if He Yin’s entire life depended on him saying ‘it’s okay,’ for her to find closure and fulfillment. But why should he be responsible for completing He Yin’s life?

His hands trembled uncontrollably, creasing the paper. Cheng Shuo closed his eyes, exhaled heavily, then slowly opened them. He folded the paper, then again, and in front of Lu Huaiqian, he tore the letter into pieces, tossing it into the nearby trash can.

The differently shaped paper scraps fell into the empty black garbage bag, stark against the white.

He looked at Lu Huaiqian, “Is this what you said was very important?”

Cheng Shuo’s brows furrowed, “What did He Yin say to you to convince you to pass this letter to me?”

Lu Huaiqian, unusually, had a momentary silence, “She didn’t say much, she just asked me to pass the letter on to you.”

“Why did you agree, then?” Cheng Shuo stared into Lu Huaiqian’s eyes, “Two percent of the shares might help you, help her convince your brother to transfer the land use rights to her for her dream amusement park. I can understand that. Businesspeople tend to seek benefits. But does that also include helping He Yin send a meaningless letter to me?”

Cheng Shuo seemed to sneer, his expression gradually cooling down.

“Oh, I understand now. You two are partners, so you can’t refuse her outright. You have to save some face for her. That’s your style of handling things.”

“If He Yin asks you to pass something to me again, you can pretend to accept it and then throw it away directly. I won’t accept anything she gives me. This way, you won’t feel awkward, okay?”

He left without looking back.

“Cheng Shuo!”

Lu Huaiqian suddenly stood up, “Last night, around 9 pm, He Yin came to the bar again. She left this letter on the counter and told me that if I saw you again, I should pass this letter to you. After saying that, she left without giving me any time to consider.”

“I only knew that there was some conflict between you and He Yin, but I didn’t know the extent of it. I don’t know if what He Yin did to you is forgivable, or if you are waiting for an apology from her. That’s why I said I didn’t know whether to pass the letter to you.”

Cheng Shuo tugged at the corner of his mouth, a hint of a smile playing on his face, “Is that so?”

After locking eyes with Cheng Shuo for a few seconds, Lu Huaiqian eased up, “Well, I admit, that’s only part of the reason.”

“The conversation between you and her at the bar wasn’t friendly, even quite negative. I can assume you must really dislike her.”

“The red packet you sent me equals the price of a beer. I can probably guess your intention. If, at that moment, I messaged you on WeChat saying I had a letter from He Yin for you, you would have refused. You wouldn’t have come to the bar. You would have seen me as He Yin’s accomplice and drawn a clear line in the sand between us.”

Cheng Shuo stayed silent for a few moments, “Then why do you think I’m standing here now?”

Lu Huaiqian’s face twitched slightly, “Sorry.”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “I could have chosen to discard the letter directly, but I didn’t. Because if I threw away the letter, it would be like burying the story behind it with my own hands. I know your nature isn’t inclined to tell me these things, but I want to know more about you. I admit I’m despicable. It’s my selfishness.”

Lu Huaiqian looked at Cheng Shuo seriously, “If my actions have accidentally hurt you, I’m sorry.”

Cheng Shuo diverted his gaze elsewhere, “The story behind this is quite dull. You’ll find it boring if I tell you. There’s no need to be curious.”

Lu Huaiqian apologized again, his expression serious, “Meeting you was to explain the two percent shares. I feel this matter can’t be delayed and needs to be discussed face-to-face.”

“Yesterday, I only superficially agreed with He Yin. Later, I could have told her that I tried my best. In reality, I didn’t speak a word for her in front of Huai Xuan as I knew his stance was firm. I did this to avoid offending people.”

“It was you who agreed to He Yin’s conditions first, and then she saw me. She inexplicably apologized to me. I’m not that illogical. I don’t think you need to change your stance now, saying you pretended to agree to her. It would make you seem more sincere. Two percent of the shares is an enticing offer, and there’s no need for you to deny it.”

“Yes, when I agreed with her, I didn’t know there was an issue between you. But my initial intention was not to make enemies. I don’t maneuver in business circles myself, but Huai Xuan does. I can’t afford to make enemies for Huai Xuan.”

After speaking, Lu Huaiqian paused for a few seconds. He rarely felt this uncertain, and his inquiring tone was also somewhat softer, “Do you trust me?”

Cheng Shuo remained silent for a while, “I don’t know.”

“Why?”

Cheng Shuo lowered his eyes, “Then, consider from my perspective. You’re articulate, tactful, and know exactly what to say to make everyone happy. So, I can’t tell if I’m listening to the person who says pleasing things, or the one speaking sincerely.”

Lu Huaiqian suddenly froze.

Cheng Shuo took a few steps, remembered something, then abruptly paused, “The red packet I sent you yesterday, you can accept it.”

His footsteps then quickly faded away.

Lu Huaiqian sank back into the sofa, closed his eyes, not pursuing Cheng Shuo, as he didn’t know what to say. He’d said what he should and shouldn’t. There was no falsehood in his words.

Cheng Shuo sent him a red packet last night, leaving him without a response all night. Lu Huaiqian could almost infer its meaning –

“I won’t take advantage of you, nor do I owe you anything. I’ve paid you back for the beer, and we’re even. If you can understand my intention, let’s silently fade away from this relationship. After all, saying it out loud will be embarrassing for both of us.”

Suddenly, Lu Huaiqian thought Cheng Shuo was right. He was slick, insincere, and his position wasn’t clear enough. He knew how to please everyone.

He felt like the protagonist in the story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” always mixing lies with truth, and when the time came to speak only the truth, nobody believed him.

Crossing his arms, Lu Huaiqian rested his head against his hands, pulling a self-deprecating smile.