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Xu Lie downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, his eyes already reddening. His voice, though low, sounded like a roar: "Get out!"

He didn't even know when the woman beside him left. He only felt a wave of emptiness and pain in his heart, followed by a torment of resentment and bitterness that made it hard to even breathe. He had no choice but to drink one glass after another, hoping that alcohol could numb him.

"Hey, Joyce's right, this kid really is unbelievably handsome." A slick, greasy voice, as disgusting as a slug, came from beside him. "Look, he's still the type you like, boss!"

Xu Lie snapped his fingers, and the bartender looked at him with a mixture of embarrassment and pity. His handsome face was deathly pale, and his fingers holding the drink trembled slightly, but he still whispered, "You've had too much to drink."

A cold snort came from behind, a stern, slightly hoarse male voice: "Xiao Ye, your sister is receiving guests inside. Would you like me to bring her out?"

Xu Lie's lips twitched slightly as he snatched the wine from the waiter's hand and poured it into the glass he had just been holding. His clumsy technique caused the transparent wine to spill, splashing onto his empty fingers, where it felt almost burning. Memories flooded back like a tidal wave.

Galan loved holding his hand and playing with it. She gently pried open his long, slender index fingers one by one, then pressed her cool, dry palm against them. Comparing their sizes, she laughed and said, "Xu Lie, your hands are so beautiful." Then she intertwined her fingers with his.

She preferred playing with the ring on her hand, curling up on his lap, trying to find ways to take the ring off his hand and swap it with hers. She was extremely petite, with slender fingers and barely visible knuckles. The ring couldn't even fit on her pinky finger, yet she enjoyed this little act every day, a satisfied smile on her face.

Sometimes, when he got impatient, he would grab her, pull her into his arms, and kiss her deeply. Until she blushed and buried her face in his chest, murmuring, "Xu Lie... I love you..."

He wasn't one to deceive himself. In fact, his pride and self-respect prevented him from having any expectations about things he wasn't entirely certain of. But Galan was different! He had clearly felt her wholehearted love, and he had clearly believed that Galan would never love anyone but him. That belief, though only in the past, still made him unable to help but hold onto hope.

Unable to fully believe Galan's betrayal, yet lacking the courage to reveal the bloody truth, Xu Lie stared at the clear glass, its surface marked with an obvious and unsightly horizontal line. Suddenly, Bing Ye's handsome, cold face appeared in the glass. He said, "Xu Lie, you're becoming more and more pathetic." His fingertips, stained with alcohol, touched his forehead, gently supporting it. A throbbing pain shot through his temples, his chest began to burn, and his mind became somewhat hazy. The aftereffects of the whiskey were finally kicking in.

"Hey kid, drinking alone is so boring! How about you have a round with us brothers?" A pair of hands grabbed his wrists, the fingertips resting on the surface of the Swiss gold watch.

The man exclaimed in surprise, "Boss, this kid is probably a runaway rich kid. Look at his clothes, they must cost at least a thousand, if not ten thousand."

"Haha..." another person lewdly laughed, "Little Bai, don't you know? The boss's favorite thing is to ravage these precious newborns."

Xu Lie slightly turned his body and withdrew his hand, glancing at the scoundrels, but his eyes were empty. A dull ache throbbed in his heart; he felt increasingly pathetic with each passing year… Bing Ye was right, he really was becoming more and more pathetic with age.

A pair of rough hands gripped his chin. Xu Lie's gaze shifted slightly, meeting a face covered in scars. The features were sharply defined, with thick, dark eyebrows, and deep, aggressive eyes that stared at him.

"Indeed, she's a gem. No wonder even someone as picky as Joyce has taken a liking to her." The cold voice carried a hint of satisfied laughter. "Kid, obediently come back with me, and you'll be spared any physical pain."

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Chapter Six: Confusion

Chapter Six: Confusion

Xu Lie almost burst out laughing. Although he knew that gay people existed, he never expected that he would encounter one, or even be teased by him.

He stepped back, freeing himself from the boss's grip, and leaned against the bar. Even though things were going well, he couldn't stop thinking about things he didn't want to remember. Happy, shy, angry, heartbroken, desperate—each face was a reflection of Galan's, each reappearance etching a new mark. He thought he could forget, he thought he could stop loving those faces.

"Don't be stubborn and refuse to listen to reason!" The eldest brother looked at him coldly and walked towards him step by step.

At their last gathering before leaving Shanghuai City, Bingye tossed a card in front of him before leaving: "Lingyun's intelligence network is all here. Go take a look whenever you don't want to run away anymore."

He clearly still loves her, yet he insists he doesn't! He clearly wants to keep her by his side, yet he pushes her far away! He clearly wants to believe him, yet he resists the truth! Xu Lie, oh Xu Lie! Is this still you? Is this cowardly person, this person who only knows how to run away, really still you?

"Bang!!" A loud noise silenced the noisy bar instantly, and everyone turned their attention to the bar counter. The ambiguous atmosphere turned into a heated argument.

Xu Lie shook his hand, took off the crooked gold watch from his wrist and threw it on the bar, saying without turning around, "Give me six more drinks."

He never uses force, but that doesn't mean he can't! He never hurts people randomly, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the ability! Not to mention that Xu Tian himself comes from the underworld, his only friend, Shui Bingye, was once one of the top assassins in the dark underworld.

He has never stepped into darkness, yet he has always been its companion; his hands are unstained with blood, yet he has always wielded a bloodless blade in the business world. In essence, Xu Lie is a man of unwavering resolve, just like Bing Ye; otherwise, how could he have established himself in the business world?

However, he handled matters of the heart terribly. Arbitrary, impulsive, hesitant, and insecure—weaknesses he would never normally exhibit—came flooding back the moment he discovered Galan's betrayal.

"Boss... are you alright?" After the initial shock, the bar erupted into chaos.

The man who had been thrown out and landed awkwardly on the ground rubbed his stomach in pain as he got up, roaring angrily, "Damn it, cripple this kid!"

Perhaps there really is nothing that can't be understood. Find out the truth thoroughly. If it's true that I misunderstood Galan, then I'll find her and bring her back. No matter how she punishes me, I will never let her go again, and I will never let her suffer any harm.

If…if that betrayal was real…Xu Lie shook his head, grabbed the man's wrist, and easily threw him to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw. A woman who had deceived his feelings, only to run off with his money and elope with someone else, a woman he deeply loved—what should he do with her? Revenge, or ruthlessly seize her, or…let her go?

Xu Lie felt his head burning, his eyes bloodshot, which terrified the men. He seemed to have an inexhaustible pent-up pain, and he mercilessly unleashed his fists and feet on the thugs who dared to offend him at this time.

He grabbed a man by the collar and lifted him into the air. Xu Lie looked at him with hazy but burning eyes, a fierce fire of jealousy burning in his heart. He roared, "Shao Junyi, die!" He threw a punch, and the body let out a painful howl, falling straight down five meters away, breaking a chair before falling to the ground like a rag doll.

Xu Lie turned away with a cold laugh, downing another glass of wine in one gulp. Yes! How could he have forgotten? No matter the truth, no matter the outcome, he would first skin Shao Jun alive and make him taste what it meant to wish he were dead!

Xu Lie had no idea when the bar had become empty. He drank one glass after another, his vision growing increasingly blurry, yet his mind remained perfectly clear. He vividly remembered Galan's face and the sweet memories of the past.

A pair of hands gently pushed him: "Sir, please stop drinking. If they come back later, you'll be at a disadvantage."

Xu Lie heard it clearly and wanted to scoff and tell him that when they left the store, they would probably have been dealt with by the bodyguards who were secretly following them. But he had no strength; exhaustion, weakness, and pain tormented him to the point that he had no ability to speak, or even scoff. He vaguely heard the waiter talking to a woman, but Xu Lie couldn't be bothered to pay attention. He drank glass after glass of wine, feeling his head growing heavier and heavier, as if filled with lead, making it impossible for him to think.

"Brother, are you really going to help him? What if Boss Shan and the others find out..."

“It’s alright. There are only the two of us in this bar now. If Boss Shan comes and can’t find him, he’ll just assume he left on his own. He’s drunk so much, he definitely can’t go back by himself. Take him to the hotel next door and let him stay for the night.”

"But brother, will he pay? A hotel night isn't cheap! ...Oh my god! A Rolex gold watch. Okay! I'll take him!"

“Sir…” A pair of small hands placed on his arm, and a gentle female voice sounded in his ear, “Don’t drink anymore, I’ll take you to rest.”

Xu Lie looked around in a daze, seeing only a blur. He coldly shook off her hand, picked up his coat, and walked out on his own.

A gust of cold wind outside brought Xu Lie a bit of clarity, but his head still throbbed with a splitting pain. He stood at the bar entrance, momentarily dazed and confused by the effects of his intoxication.

Hurried footsteps and a woman's voice called out from behind: "Sir, it's dangerous for you to be alone like this. Let me take you to the next room to rest."

Xu Lie tried to walk forward, but suddenly stumbled, and a pair of small hands quickly caught him. The whiskey had a strong aftereffect, and he had drunk several large bottles without regard for his own safety. Now he felt his thoughts were chaotic and his limbs were sluggish. Only... only the feeling of heartache was so clear. He simply stopped resisting and let the girl help him turn a corner, stumbling into a simple inn.

He was confused throughout the process until the man helped him to a hard wooden bed and fed him a cup of water.

It felt as if a pair of dry, slightly cool little hands were gently stroking his cheeks, murmuring something.