Chapter 34: Three Glasses of Wine
Shen Zhuying pushed the door open, looked at He Yiming, and with a smile brimming on her face said, “Seems like Class Monitor He has quite an opinion about me.”
The expressions of those in the private room varied, but most turned to look at He Yiming, their eyes full of both confusion and anger.
After all, what he had just said was unreasonable and overbearing, it really crossed the line.
Half sobered up, He Yiming removed his glasses and rubbed his temples. “Sorry, I drank too much and spoke inappropriately. Please forgive me, everyone.”
“That won’t do. You’ll at least need to punish yourself with three glasses if you want to show sincerity,” someone spoke up for Shen Zhuying.
“Come on, Class Monitor, drink. What you said just now really wasn’t right. How could you talk about a young lady like that?”
“All right.” He Yiming gave a little smile, as if returning to his usual mild manner. “I’ll punish myself with three glasses and apologize to Zhu Zhu.”
“Here, let me fill your cup.”
Others took the chance to give him a step down as well.
“No need.” Shen Zhuying’s smile faded. She calmly pulled out a chair and sat down, her words pointed. “I’m afraid if Class Monitor He drinks three more glasses, he might speak inappropriately again.”
The room fell silent for a few seconds. Then came a small, derisive snicker, someone openly laughing without giving any face at all.
It was Zhou Qinqin, who had always disliked her.
“Let him drink. For him to say what he did just now, it doesn’t seem like the alcohol talking, it seems more like—” Zhou Qinqin deliberately dragged out her words, “—his character is rotten.”
Everyone in the private room was genuinely stunned, looking at each other in confusion.
What was going on?
How come the two rumored girlfriends of He Yiming were now taking turns to cut him down?
The warm, polite mask on He Yiming’s face could no longer hold. His expression turned ugly. Holding the wine glass, he looked caught, drink and lose face, don’t drink and lose face too.
In the end, someone stepped in to smooth things over.
“Drink, drink. Once you’ve had these three glasses, let’s call it even here. Later, apologize properly to Zhuzhu in private.”
He Yiming downed the three glasses, then had no face to stay any longer. He turned and excused himself.
Naturally, no one tried to stop him.
Back in school, He Yiming had always leaned on his good grades, carrying a streak of arrogance. His popularity was never great, certainly nothing compared to Shen Zhuying.
The group continued eating, but the atmosphere had been affected, not as lively as before.
Shen Zhuying went to the restroom midway to touch up her makeup.
A girl came out of a stall, turned on the faucet, and silently washed her hands.
After reapplying her lipstick, Shen Zhuying tilted her head. In the mirror, she happened to meet the girl’s gaze. Searching her memory for a moment, she finally dug her name out from the farthest corner.
“Dong Zhuojia?” Shen Zhuying’s tone carried a hint of uncertainty.
“It’s me, Zhuzhu.” Dong Zhuojia seemed a little surprised.
She gave a shy smile, and two dimples appeared.
“You’ve changed so much,” Shen Zhuying said with emotion.
Back in class, Dong Zhuojia had been the most inconspicuous type.
She always wore a pair of thick glasses, was a little chubby, with a few pimples on her face, quiet and withdrawn, like a piece of dull, gray cloth.
But now, the heavy glasses were gone. Her figure was slender, her skin pale, dressed in a crisp suit, her whole person clean and sharp.
“I’ve become much better than before, haven’t I?” Dong Zhuojia’s tone carried a touch more composure.
“If you like your current self better, then of course it’s much better. But the you from before was good too.”
“I prefer who I am now,” Dong Zhuojia said.
“Then that’s amazing. Making a change is something really difficult.” Shen Zhuying smiled, sincerely lifting a thumb in praise.
“Mm.” Dong Zhuojia pressed her lips together, fell silent for a while, then finally asked, “They said… you married Fu Sizhuo. Is that true?”
Shen Zhuying froze for a moment. Meeting the girl’s fearful yet sincere eyes, she suddenly felt a heavy weight.
For a long time, she had often seen the same eyes in the mirror.
Just like when she first heard Fu Sizhuo had a girlfriend—
Eyes full of loss, unwillingness, and yet as if they had no choice but to stop there.
“Yes, I married him,” Shen Zhuying said softly, lowering her head to wash her hands.
“Then… congratulations to you both.” Dong Zhuojia’s voice carried a trace of melancholy, but more of release.
So… it should end here, unsurprisingly.
She lowered her head, washing her hands, blinking once to cover the glimmer of tears.
Along with that story about him, the one only she knew.
——
After touching up her makeup, Shen Zhuying didn’t return to the private room right away. Instead, she found a quiet corner, opened a window, and let the wind blow against her.
Outside, the wind was bitterly cold. Shen Zhuying stretched out her hand, feeling the icy air cut across her fingertips.
The wind whipped her hair. Under the pitch-dark night, her skin looked especially pale, the hazy moonlight outlining her soft, full figure.
He Yiming watched silently from the shadows. Suddenly, desire, laced with uncontrollable anger, flared through him like wildfire.
In his mind flashed the words the girl had spoken the year they graduated from high school, when she rejected him.
“I’m sorry, Class Monitor He. Thank you so much for your feelings, but… I already like someone else.”
Why?
Why was it that whether ten years ago or ten years later, she still looked down on him all the same?
What was so wrong with him? In what way was he inferior to Fu Sizhuo?
Shen Zhuying closed the window and turned, about to head back to the private room, when suddenly a dark figure rushed at her, reeking of alcohol, slamming against her, seizing her chin, and trying to press his lips against hers.
Shen Zhuying’s body reacted faster than her mind.
She jerked her head to the side, barely dodging, then lifted her leg and kicked his lower body with all her strength.
The man doubled over in pain.
Shen Zhuying seized the chance to run.
As she ran, she shouted loudly,
“Help! There’s a pervert, on the thirty-second floor, at the very en—mmph—”
The man quickly yanked her back, clamping a hand over her mouth. His face twisted with pain, his gentlemanly façade nowhere to be seen.
Through gritted teeth he cursed, “Bitch, if you don’t want to get forced, then behave yourself.”
By the light of the moon, Shen Zhuying finally saw his face. He Yiming.
Shock widened her pupils, and she struggled even harder.
“You fucking—” He turned his head, trying to bite at her neck.
“He Yiming, are you out of your fucking mind?!!”
Zhou Qinqin, coming back from the restroom, saw the scene and grabbed her purse, slamming it at him with all her strength.
“He Yiming, what the hell are you pretending at? Haven’t you always hated her? Didn’t you always say she stole your spotlight? Back in high school you never stopped badmouthing her in front of me. And now what, acting the hero?”
He Yiming wrenched the purse from her, flinging her whole body to the ground, his rage boiling over. “Stay the fuck out of this!”
“I’m no saint, but I’m not trash like you!”
Zhou Qinqin struggled to crawl back up. Seeing He Yiming, like a rabid dog, pouncing toward Shen Zhuying again, she was so furious she nearly cried, hating only that she didn’t have the strength to stop him.
Damn it.
The strength difference between man and woman was too great. Shen Zhuying’s arms and legs were pinned, she couldn’t move, forced to watch helplessly as his twisted face drew closer and closer.
But the next second—
A fierce gust of a fist cut across Shen Zhuying’s cheek.
With a resounding “Bang—”
He Yiming was sent flying, slammed to the ground, his body skidding across the hotel tiles for several meters before coming to a halt.
