Chapter 20

But that calm, peaceful feeling lasted only a few seconds.

Afterward, the deafening DJ music, the overwhelming stench of smoke and alcohol, made Li Jichuan frown in annoyance.

The music was so loud that speaking required yelling.

Ouyang: “Mr. Li, I want to work at your company after graduation. You… you won’t look down on me, right? Wuuu…”

Li Jichuan didn’t catch a word and just saw Ouyang shouting, crying, and flailing, so he leaned closer, puzzled.

“What did you say?”

“I said, Mr. Li—”

Ouyang shouted even louder, startling the still-drunk Su Pu.

The strobe lights blurred his vision; instinctively, Su Pu shifted sideways, wedging himself between Ouyang and Li Jichuan.

Then he stood, placing Li Jichuan behind him.

No one would bully his husband!

Ouyang froze. Why was Su Pu suddenly blocking him from talking to Li Jichuan? Was he afraid of stealing his friend?

Su Ge’s possessiveness over friends was intense!

Everyone seemed to have something—or someone—they cared about.

Unlike him… he had nothing.

Ouyang laughed bitterly, leaning back into the booth with his beer.

Su Pu stood for a while longer, ensuring the threat was gone, before retreating softly back onto the sofa.

But…

This sofa felt strange…

Why so hard?

The flashing lights above made Su Pu even more dizzy.

He had to press himself into the sofa’s backrest.

“Su Pu—”

Li Jichuan’s voice entered his ear, clear and intimate. Su Pu opened his eyes and suddenly felt the view unfamiliar.

Before, he could see the dance floor directly; now he had to turn his head.

The dance floor was the same…

So it was he who had shifted positions.

Su Pu propped himself up on the “cushion” and wondered why it felt different.

A breathy laugh came from above.

“Su Pu, how long are you going to touch that?”

“How did I never notice you had this little… habit…”

Su Pu froze, eyes widening.

If he wasn’t mistaken, he was now sitting…

Slowly, Su Pu turned his head back.

Li Jichuan’s face was right there, so close.

Su Pu: !!!

He panicked, jumping back and instinctively glancing at Ouyang.

The kid was already tipsy, face, neck, and hands all flushed bright red, muttering at his phone screen.

Su Pu’s heart sank.

Had Ouyang been drunk-dialing the girl he liked?!

He didn’t have time to apologize to Li Jichuan. Taking long strides, Su Pu grabbed Ouyang’s phone.

“…” Ouyang froze, realizing what happened, then pouted.

“What are you doing? I just wanted to ask her a few questions, just to check—wasn’t harassing, give me back my phone…”

Ouyang staggered forward, swaying drunkenly toward Su Pu.

“Ge, I’m serious. I… I’m not drunk.”

Su Pu, still a bit tipsy, felt dazed.

In his vision, it seemed like three Ouyangs were charging at him. He couldn’t dodge, frozen like a puppet.

When Ouyang lunged, Su Pu was still like a ragdoll, ready to topple at any moment.

Suddenly, a hand gripped his wrist, pulling him aside with force.

Ouyang missed, falling straight onto the sofa.

Su Pu returned to his previous seat.

This time, Li Jichuan didn’t tease him.

Instead, he leaned close and asked in a low voice:

“Why didn’t you dodge?”

“Su Pu, why didn’t you move out of the way just now?”

The sound of his heartbeat drowned out the deafening music, echoing in his chest.

Why not dodge?

Perhaps instinctively, he felt some disasters were inevitable, impossible to avoid.

Even if he avoided this one, he’d be caught again, punished more severely.

So dodging was useless. He could only endure.

“Su Pu, why do you have nightmares every night?”

Li Jichuan gripped Su Pu’s thighs, giving him no chance to escape.

“Are you really that afraid of me?”

Hearing this, Su Pu looked up, surprised, staring at Li Jichuan.

His clear, round eyes were full of disbelief, and he shook his head vehemently.

Afraid of him? No way—he barely had time to love him as it was…

Li Jichuan relaxed slightly and asked, “Then if you’re not afraid of me, what are you afraid of?”

Su Pu didn’t know how to answer.

Perhaps because there were too many things to fear, and his life seemed to offer no certainties.

The happiness he felt in one moment could vanish in the next.

The treasure he held in his hands could shatter into dust the very next second.

Fate had never granted him even a hint of favor.

Everything he cherished slowly drifted away…

The alcohol amplified his emotions. Su Pu’s nostrils flared, and his eyes burned hot in an instant.

A single tear fell, sliding down his smooth cheek to his collarbone.

Strange—he rarely cried. During the toughest times, he would just bury his face in the covers at night and quietly weep.

Yet Li Jichuan had only asked two questions, and the tears came all the same.

“Heavens, Su Ge!”

Ouyang climbed up from the sofa, immediately spotting Su Pu sitting on Li Jichuan’s lap. He assumed it was just drunken mischief.

That realization sobered him instantly.

Sitting on someone’s lap like that—was he really giving up such a treasured friend?!

Ouyang climbed over the circular booth to pull Su Pu away.

“What are you doing? Look at you—drinking and acting foolish!”

He shook him and made faces to warn him.

“Hurry and apologize to Mr. Li, be straightforward, don’t be shy about it.”

Li Jichuan: “…”

He had just hit the heart of the matter. Thanks.

Ouyang only sobered for a short moment; soon the alcohol hit him again. This time, he flopped in the booth, grinning foolishly at Li Jichuan.

“Ge, forgive us. We’re both bad with alcohol.”

Li Jichuan didn’t hear a word of it; the chatter just spoiled everything.

After the commotion, Su Pu seemed a bit more sober. He wiped his tears and sat at the other end of the booth, keeping some distance from both Li Jichuan and Ouyang.

Ouyang squinted for a few moments, then sat up and resumed drinking beer.

Li Jichuan was startled, blocking him. “Stop drinking.”

Ouyang shook his head. “I know, I’m aware of it.”

“I already bought this alcohol. Can’t take it home. Just let me finish it.”

“After this, I’ll have to tighten my belt for months. Consider it the price of one wild night…”

Li Jichuan frowned sharply at the excuse.

Youth—wasting their bodies and still finding so many grandiose justifications.

“Su Ge, if you and Mr. Li can’t drink, then have juice. I already spent money; don’t waste it~”

Ouyang gestured to them, signaling to drink the blue juice on the table.

Su Pu, feeling thirsty, poured a cup for Li Jichuan.

Li Jichuan instinctively recoiled slightly.

Su Pu pursed his lips. He knew Li Jichuan was picky about drinks; he probably wouldn’t like artificially colored sweet juice.

Fine, he’d drink it himself.

Leaving the cup for Li Jichuan, Su Pu returned to his seat and downed a cup himself.

Sweet, with a strange aftertaste.

A little scratchy on the throat…

One cup wasn’t enough. He grabbed another.

Six cups total; leaving one for Li Jichuan, Su Pu drank four himself.

Across the distance, Li Jichuan’s gaze never left the little mute.

Watching him guzzle like a tiny water buffalo, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

What kind of juice was this to be so enjoyable?

Finally, Li Jichuan sipped his own cup.

Su Pu liked the flavor so much, he could remember it and have Mantian recreate it.

But this taste…

Juice? Not even close.

It was clearly a cocktail!

By the time Li Jichuan realized and looked at Su Pu, the last cup had already been finished.

Su Pu shot Ouyang a teasing, “You can’t keep up!” look, as if mocking his slower drinking pace.

Ouyang couldn’t take the challenge. Fueled by competitiveness, he grabbed a beer and chugged.

Looks like no one was leaving this bar in one piece tonight.

Li Jichuan pressed his hand to his forehead, massaging the throbbing temples.

Looking up again, the little mute glanced at him, smiling sweetly.

Li Jichuan: “?”

Su Pu formed a heart with his hands, sending out love waves—biubiubiu.

Love me, please… love me…

I rarely make wishes, but if there were one I truly wanted to come true, it would be this: I hope you love me!

…

The next morning, Su Pu woke up in the apartment bed.

His head was splitting.

Any movement hurt—not just his head, but his whole body, as if he’d been beaten to a pulp.

Looking himself over, he saw he was wearing pajamas, and there were no visible bruises or injuries.

So he hadn’t been beaten…

Then what had happened?

And Li Jichuan—where was he?

Panicking, Su Pu jumped out of bed and started searching.

Wait.

Where’s my husband? My huge, solid husband?!