All because of him

He drank that glass of liquor as though he meant to sever all ties.

"We're done for..." Everyone watched Pei Yang stagger toward the door, yet not one of them dared stop him. Wei Ziyun was terrified, swallowing over and over.

Just then, the boy sitting beside Feng Wanting recklessly reached for his hand, his voice soft and coy. "Young Master Feng... don't be angry-"

Crash! Feng Wanting smashed the glass he had been gripping for so long. The sudden shattering made everyone shudder. The boy went pale with fright and edged backward, trembling.

"A bunch of clueless idiots." Wei Ziyun kicked the floor manager. "Is this how you trained them? All of you, get out!"

"Yes, yes, of course." Sweating profusely, the manager ushered everyone present out as though fleeing for their lives. "You're absolutely right, Young Master Wei. I'll make sure they're properly disciplined!"

Once everyone had left, Wei Ziyun cautiously sat back down beside Feng Wanting, his head hanging so low he could have tucked it under the table. "Wanting... did I screw this up?"

Feng Wanting said nothing.

Sensing that things had gone terribly wrong, Wei Ziyun swallowed his pride. "I was wrong. I never should've tried to find you a stand-in. I just... posted the photo in the club's members' group chat. Everyone there is rich and likes to have fun. I have no idea how Pei Yang, an ordinary office worker, found out about the group, let alone tracked us down here..."

Feng Wanting still said nothing.

"I-I'll go after him right now and explain everything! If he doesn't believe you, I-I-I'll kill myself right in front of you!"

Wei Ziyun was truly pulling out all the stops to appease him and was about to rush off. His efforts finally paid off when Feng Wanting spoke. "No need."

"...?" Wei Ziyun glanced at him timidly. "A-are you sure? Don't say that out of anger. My pride doesn't matter. Pei Yang is so proud, and he's the only way to treat your condition. He already didn't want to be your remedy. Now that this has happened... I'm afraid he'll be even less willing..."

"I said there's no need," Feng Wanting said flatly. "Don't you understand?"

"Oh, okay... then I-I won't."

Feng Wanting closed his eyes wearily, his body going slack as he leaned back against the sofa.

That glass Pei Yang had just drunk clearly meant he intended to cut off all contact with him. Though there had hardly been any contact between them to begin with, though this wasn't the first time Pei Yang had meant to "never see him again," though Pei Yang had initiated sex both times, he had plainly treated Feng Wanting as a tool for venting his frustrations.

Feng Wanting understood now. Pei Yang would use any means to get what he wanted. When he wanted to sleep with him, he would do everything he could to lure him in until he was utterly spellbound. But once that rush of emotion faded, he would return to being the cool, self-possessed Pei Yang, as though all the clamor of the world had nothing to do with him.

-and at the root of it all was his ex-boyfriend. Pei Yang's impulsiveness, his abandon, his loss of control-all of it was because of him.

It felt as though a stone pressed against Feng Wanting's chest, so heavy he could barely breathe. Remembering something, he said hoarsely, "He's been drinking. Have someone follow him."

Wei Ziyun hastily agreed.

After leaving the club, Pei Yang stood beneath the awning, which was lit as brightly as day, and took out his phone.

As expected, Feng Wanting had neither accepted the transfer nor replied to his message.

As long as Feng Wanting refused the money, the two of them could never be square.

Pei Yang let out a soft breath, unsure why he was getting so sentimental. Whether or not he could settle things with Feng Wanting, he still had to live his own life well. The sun would rise as usual tomorrow. His life wouldn't change in the slightest just because Feng Wanting wouldn't take his money.

"Yangyang!" Song Yixiao got out of a taxi nearby and ran straight toward Pei Yang when he spotted him.

Pei Yang's eyes were a little red from drinking, and even the night breeze hadn't dispersed the smell of alcohol clinging to his collar.

Song Yixiao's heart clenched. "Did they bully you?"

Without speaking, Pei Yang shook his head, then found the doorman, retrieved the car keys, and returned them to Song Yixiao.

Seeing Pei Yang's reddened eyes and smelling the alcohol all over him, Song Yixiao turned angrily. "I'm going to confront them."

"Song Yixiao." Pei Yang stopped him. "Are you out of your mind? Do you know who 'they' are? What good would provoking them do you?"

"I don't care about any of that!" Song Yixiao growled. "All I know is that they bullied you. Did they force you to drink, too?"

"I drank of my own accord. No one bullied me."

"Then who the hell is looking for a stand-in for you?!"

"What does that have to do with you, Song Yixiao?" Pei Yang's brows drew into a deep frown. "Stay out of my business."

He walked down the steps, the fierce wind buffeting his eyes. Once again, Song Yixiao took off his jacket and draped it over Pei Yang. "I'll take you home, Yangyang."

Feng Wanting had agreed to come to the club with Wei Ziyun intending only to have a drink or two, but alcohol went to his head far too easily, and he had drunk too much before he knew it. He lounged deep in the sofa as the private room's neon lights swept across his sharply defined profile. The malt whisky in his glass shimmered amber beneath the lights, like melted gold leaf. When he tipped his head back, the line of his neck formed an arrogant curve.

"Stop drinking, Feng Wanting."

Wei Ziyun reached for his glass. "Drinking like this is bad for you. How about I take you out for something to eat?"

Feng Wanting had to be drunk. His gaze drifted, though his expression remained composed. His thick brows knitted as he asked, "Did Pei Yang get home?"

"Give me a moment... I'll call and ask."

After searching for ages, Wei Ziyun finally found his phone wedged between the sofa cushions and made a call. The person on the other end answered almost instantly. "Young Master Wei."

"How's the person I told you to escort?"

To put Feng Wanting at ease, Wei Ziyun deliberately switched on speakerphone and held the phone's speaker beside his ear.

"Don't worry, Young Master Wei. He got into a man's car. I followed them the whole way and made sure they both got home safely."

"What?" Wei Ziyun bellowed. "What do you mean, he got into a man's car? Why didn't you report it? What if that man was up to no good?"

"Uh... surely not?" The underling sounded flustered. "When I was following him, he seemed pretty intimate with that man... they looked like they knew each other well."

Feng Wanting jolted.

"Oh, right, I took a photo too," the underling said. "I sent it to you on WeChat, Young Master Wei. Take a look."

Wei Ziyun hurriedly hung up and stammered, "P-P-Pei Yang got home safely. No need to worry, Wanting. Come on, let's get something to eat."

Although Feng Wanting had drunk more than Wei Ziyun, his words were clearer. "The photo. Let me see it."

"Let's not bother. What's there to see?"

Feng Wanting wasted no more words on him and snatched the phone.

Wei Ziyun had a pile of WeChat messages. Feng Wanting scrolled for a long time before finding the photo the underling had taken.

Outside the club, Pei Yang stood in the shadows, his expression obscured. The man behind him had one arm around him in an unmistakably intimate pose as he draped a jacket over his shoulders.

Feng Wanting stared at the screen for a long time, then lowered his eyes and gave a quiet laugh. The curve of his lips was like a blunt knife, slicing slowly and heavily through the air.