Chapter 26 - Drunk

Shen Shuyun was sitting in the kitchen with Aunt Wu, picking beans together. He had nothing else to do, so he came here to chat with Aunt Wu to pass the time.

"Mr. Shen, why have you suddenly lost weight recently? Are you feeling unwell?"

Since Shen Shuyun and Ning Wan got married, Aunt Wu had been working in this villa. Gradually, she became familiar with Shen Shuyun and Ning Wan. She was in her fifties, with a kind face, quick hands, and excellent cooking skills. Shen Shuyun regarded her as an aunt, so he would chat with her when he had free time. Their relationship can be considered good.

"Really?" Shen Shuyun pinched lightly and snapped off the tip of the bean before throwing it into the bowl. "Maybe because I've been eating less, I haven't had much appetite lately."

"Then today, I'll make a sweet and sour cucumber salad. It's appetizing."

Shen Shuyun was taken aback for a moment, then softly said, "That works, but don't make too much."

Aunt Wu turned to look at Shen Shuyun and asked, "Is Mr. Ning not coming back for dinner?"

"He..." Shen Shuyun's heart tightened, and his lips gradually turned pale. "He probably won't be coming back."

Aunt Wu didn't catch the deeper meaning in Shen Shuyun's words and just lowered her head, following his words, "Yes, it seems Mr. Ning has been busy with social engagements these past few days. Maybe he's busy with work at the company."

Busy?

Busy with what?

Shen Shuyun, not paying attention, snapped the bean in his hand in half. He looked down at the two broken pieces of bean in his palm, lost in thought.

Some things, once broken, can never be pieced back together.

He thought again, how could a person's heart change so quickly? He and Ning Wan had only been together for three years, and Ning Wan's passion for him had already dissipated... They hadn't even reached the seven-year itch or the ten-year mark. Just three years, and it was already over.

"Mr. Shen?" Aunt Wu called him.

Shen Shuyun came back to his senses and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'm so clumsy..."

"What's the big deal? It's just a bean. Mr. Shen, it's you whose face doesn't look too good," Aunt Wu looked at him worriedly, "Do you want to go upstairs and rest for a bit?"

"Alright."

Shen Shuyun left the kitchen, sat in the living room, and opened a book. The book lay on his lap, and he didn't turn a page for a long time. Who knows how many words he read.

He was alone, solitary, and somewhat lifeless.

What Shen Shuyun had now been only some relatively good memories and a marriage that exists in name only.

It was as if he were a person who had already been sentenced to death, being led to the execution platform, pressed to the ground, waiting for the guillotine to fall— Shen Shuyun was waiting, waiting for Ning Wan's choice when he's willing to confess to him.

Fortunately, they didn't have any more inseparable ties, like children or property. Everything could be settled easily.

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Tang Yichuan took a taxi to a bar according to the address Ning Wan had given him. It was an underground bar. He walked down the spiral stairs, pushed open the door, and saw Ning Wan sitting at the bar on the right.

He tightened his trench coat, burying his face into the high collar as if afraid of the cold. He walked over to Ning Wan, sat down beside him, snapped his fingers at the bartender, and pointed to the whiskey bottles behind him, "I'll have a Long Island Iced Tea."

The glass in front of Ning Wan was already empty, indicating he had been waiting for a while. Tang Yichuan propped himself up on the bar and said helplessly, "Mr. Ning, why did you suddenly want to meet up for a drink?"

"Do you remember saving a drowning boy in R City?" Ning Wan raised his eyes, the red light from the bar illuminating his long, thin eyelids, making them look red. "That was me."

Tang Yichuan was stunned for a moment, recalling that something like this did happen when he was eighteen, but it had been so many years, he had long forgotten what the boy looked like. He never thought they would meet again in this way. He scrutinized Ning Wan, then laughed, "I didn't expect it, it's been so many years..."

"You went abroad to study in the United States at eighteen, right?" Ning Wan's mind flashed with the information brought by the detective agency, from Tang Yichuan's family background to his educational experience, and even his love life. "No wonder I couldn't find you for so long, you went to the United States."

Tang Yichuan's voice sank, "You investigated me?"

Ning Wan pursed his lips and finally replied, "Yes. But I mean no harm, I just wanted to confirm if you were the one from back then... Please don't be angry."

Tang Yichuan looked at Ning Wan puzzledly, "Why are you so fixated on that incident?"

To Tang Yichuan, it was a small matter— It was simply while he was bored on a walk during his summer vacation that he noticed a drowning individual along the Wuming River. He

instantly jumped into the water and rescued that person. Speaking of which, this was a simple act of kindness performed with no thought or hope of return. In fact, if it weren't for the child's early differentiation characteristics, he wouldn't even remember the incident.

"I've been looking and thinking about you for a long time."

Tang Yichuan's pupils dilated, and he instinctively gripped the glass in front of him. He tried to see through the ambiguous light of the bar to discern Ning Wan's expression and understand his thoughts. But when he met Ning Wan's determined eyes, the alarm bells in his heart rang instantly..

This wasn't good.

"Ning Wan," Tang Yichuan called his full name instinctively, "You have a family."

He was reminding him not to say anything inappropriate.

Ning Wan snapped out of it, the word 'family' striking him like lightning, suddenly bringing him back to reality. He looked at Tang Yichuan in confusion, with a hint of apology. Finally, he staggered to his feet, his words mingling with the smell of alcohol, "Wait for me."

He left these two words and walked away, leaving Tang Yichuan alone in the bar, clutching his head in frustration.

Did Ning Wan mean what he thought he did? It certainly seemed that way!

Tang Yichuan took a big gulp of his Long Island Iced Tea, the strong, cold alcohol numbing his tongue, slowly flowing down his throat, gradually warming his body.

What kind of trouble had he gotten himself into? He just likes to provoke the little ones, maybe one or two of them, it's so frustrating.

Young people were really hard to deal with... He had already suffered losses once because of his desire for youth and beauty. He really didn't want to get into any more trouble...

Tang Yichuan lay down on the bar, his face pressed against the marble surface. The cold touch cooled the heat from the alcohol on his face, but his mind gradually became a muddled mess. His fingers curled slightly, muttering a name, "Walpole... Walpole..."

Meanwhile, Ning Wan was being driven home. The driver helped him out of the car, struggling to support him to the front door, and rang the doorbell.

Shen Shuyun's voice came from the intercom, "Hello, who's there?"

"Mr. Shen, I've brought Mr. Ning home. He's drunk..."

"Oh, wait a moment," the sound of rustling clothes came from the other side. "I'll be right out. Sorry to trouble you."

Then, the door opened from the inside, and Shen Shuyun walked out. On this autumn night, he was only wearing a white knitted cardigan over his pajamas. The cardigan clung to his skin, outlining his slender figure clearly in the thick night. He looked like a thin piece of white paper.

The driver took Ning Wan's arm off his shoulder and handed it to Shen Shuyun's shoulder. Ning Wan, drunk and oblivious to his strength, leaned heavily on Shen Shuyun, almost causing him to stumble. The driver looked at Shen Shuyun's struggling figure with concern, "Sir, do you need me to help you support Mr. Ning?"

Shen Shuyun didn't turn around. His voice was gentle, softer than the moonlight, "No need, it's late. You've already done enough by bringing him back. Go home and spend time with your family."

He wrapped his arm around Ning Wan's waist, supporting him as they headed inside.

Although Ning Wan wasn't overweight, he was still a man over 1.8 meters tall and not light. Shen Shuyun struggled to get him home. Drenched in sweat, he placed Ning Wan on the sofa and leaned against the wall to rest for a while. His clothes were soaked with sweat, sticking to his back uncomfortably. But he still went to the kitchen to make a glass of honey water, intending to help Ning Wan sober up.

He took off his cardigan, revealing the thin silk pajamas underneath. The pajamas had a V-neck, exposing his delicate collarbone and fair chest. Ning Wan looked up at Shen Shuyun, squinting as if trying to figure something out.

"Drink this, it will make you feel better... Ah! Ah Wan!"

The hand Shen Shuyun extended was suddenly grabbed by Ning Wan, who pulled him forcefully into his arms. Shen Shuyun never expected Ning Wan to do this suddenly. He was pulled over unexpectedly which caused the glass of honey water to splash on Shen Shuyun's neck and chest. Ning Wan pressed him onto the sofa, propped his hands on Shen Shuyun's side, slowly lowered his head, licked his neck, and snorted, "Hmm, sweet

Shen Shuyun felt a slight pain in his lower back due to Ning Wan's actions. Uneasily pressing against Ning Wan's chest, he gasped in disarray, "What... what are you trying to do?"

Ning Wan stared obsessively at the small patch of skin exposed on the back of Shen Shuyun's neck. Then he bent down and gently ground his teeth against that gland, his rough tongue licking back and forth...

Shen Shuyun felt an inexplicable sense of fear from Ning Wan's actions. Before he could push Ning Wan away, a sudden sharp pain erupted from the back of his neck—

Ning Wan grabbed Shen Shuyun's shoulders and fiercely bit down on the protruding gland. His canine teeth pierced into Shen Shuyun's gland, and where teeth met flesh, blood was already visible!

In his unconscious state, Ning Wan had once again performed a short-term marking on Shen Shuyun!

The glands at the back of the neck are the most sensitive and vulnerable spot for an omega. Being bitten so forcefully was sheer torment. Even a gentle alpha, when performing a short-term marking on an omega, would never exert too much force on this gland, as it would cause great pain to the omega.

Shen Shuyun's whole body trembled, his voice already laced with sobs, "A-Wan, what exactly are you doing? I... it hurts so much..."

Ning Wan did not respond, he continued to frantically gnaw at the gland on the back of Shen Shuyun's neck. The strong smell of alcohol on Ning Wan made Shen Shuyun feel nauseous, and the pain in his neck made his whole body go limp. Cold sweat covered his forehead, and eventually, he couldn't hold on any longer and fainted.

The greatest pain probably wasn't from the gland, but from a heart bleeding profusely.

Ning Wan's eyes were so cold, so unfamiliar, as if he had never seen him before.

Shen Shuyun thought, this must be a nightmare. How could Ning Wan treat him like this? How could he bear to treat him like this?

Ning Wan had clearly said he wanted to be good to him... wanted to be with him forever.