Chapter 138: It Is the Heartbreak That Intoxicates

A bleak darkness gradually spread across the sky, imprisoning countless stars. They struggled desperately, trying to break through the curtain of night and reveal themselves, yet even the moonlight was slowly swallowed by the darkness. All their efforts were in vain. The dampness of night began to seep into the air, filling it with an atmosphere of profound melancholy.

Xiao Lin raised his head and gazed at the sky. The distant stars were shrouded by the night, their faint scattered light resembling the delicate tears of a woman, carrying endless sorrow.

“The weather forecast says tomorrow will be cloudy, so the stars are dim tonight,” Gao Zheng said softly when he saw Xiao Lin looking up.

“Yes, the stars are dim,” Xiao Lin murmured. Then he lowered his head and climbed into the white BMW. Gao Zheng followed him inside.

“Xiao Lin, there’s something I’ve never been able to figure out. Can you clear it up for me?” Gao Zheng asked, turning toward him from the driver’s seat.

“What is it? Ask away.”

“I’ve never understood why Wang Yuqing chose you back then. Your way of confessing was indeed better than mine, but I’m certain that wasn’t the reason. Tan Linlin once told me that I lost because of timing. But I still don’t understand.” Gao Zheng stared at Xiao Lin with bright, earnest eyes.

He had always wanted to ask this question. Although Uncle Xiang had given him information about Xiao Lin and Wang Yuqing’s past, the two of them had not even crossed paths at that time, so naturally Gao Zheng could find no answer in those records.

“Yes, why did Yuqing choose me?” Hearing Gao Zheng’s question, Xiao Lin asked himself the same thing.

After a long silence, Xiao Lin raised his head and gave Gao Zheng a bitter smile. “To be honest, I don’t know either. Back in middle school, I didn’t even know her. After we got together, I once asked Yuqing why she had chosen me. She merely gave me a light punch, then ran away shyly.”

“Perhaps she fell in love with me at first sight,” Xiao Lin added.

Gao Zheng snorted in disdain. “Love at first sight? Go tell that to a ghost.”

The two fell silent for a while. Then Gao Zheng asked, “What are you planning to do now?”

Xiao Lin’s expression darkened. He was just about to answer when the scar-faced man knocked on the car window, so he swallowed his words.

Gao Zheng rolled down the window. The scar-faced man handed him two bottles of white liquor and a packet of peanuts wrapped in a plastic bag. Gao Zheng took them and waved for the man to move farther away.

When Xiao Lin saw the liquor in Gao Zheng’s hands, he reached over and took one of the bottles. With a few twists, he removed the cap, then raised the bottle toward Gao Zheng.

“Come on. Let’s have a drink first.”

With that, Xiao Lin tipped his head back and took a large swallow. A fiery stream of liquor rushed down his throat. Xiao Lin let out a cry of satisfaction.

Seeing how readily Xiao Lin drank, Gao Zheng refused to be outdone. He too tilted his head back and took a large gulp. But this liquor was unlike anything he usually drank. Its harsh, burning strength made him cough. He hurriedly opened the bag, tossed several peanuts into his mouth, and finally managed to suppress the sensation.

“What kind of liquor is this? Why is it so strong?” Gao Zheng muttered, lifting the bottle to examine it.

Three words were printed on the label: Niulanshan.

“Xiao Lin, this liquor is called Niulanshan. Have you heard of the brand?”

“I have. It has another common name—Erguotou. It’s very strong. What, can’t handle it?” Xiao Lin asked with a teasing smile.

Erguotou.

Gao Zheng’s expression changed at once. He either drank red wine or fine Maotai. He had heard of Erguotou but had never tried it. Its alcohol content was more than most people could withstand.

What was that Scarface thinking, buying liquor like this?

Gao Zheng cursed the scar-faced man silently.

The scar-faced man had come from the special forces and had once served as Gao Zheng’s grandfather’s bodyguard. After leaving the military, he had followed Gao Zheng’s grandfather’s wishes and become Gao Zheng’s personal protector.

In the army, he and his comrades had always drunk Erguotou. Soldiers were straightforward by nature, and special-forces soldiers in particular had little taste for the smoothness of Maotai. The fiery bite of Erguotou was their true favorite. So when Gao Zheng had sent him to buy liquor, naturally he had chosen Erguotou.

“It’s only Erguotou. It’s not as if I’ve never had it,” Gao Zheng said, unwilling to lose face beneath Xiao Lin’s mocking gaze.

“Fine. Let’s have another.”

Xiao Lin tapped his bottle against Gao Zheng’s, then threw back his head and took another large swallow. Gao Zheng refused to concede and immediately followed suit.

In only a few minutes, each of them had drunk half a bottle. A full bottle held a pound, so half a bottle amounted to half a pound. But because Erguotou was so strong, that half pound was equivalent to nearly eight-tenths of a pound of ordinary white liquor.

Xiao Lin was still relatively fine after drinking that much, apart from a slight dizziness. Gao Zheng, however, was in no condition to continue. His tolerance had never been good, and the harsh Erguotou had overwhelmed him. After half a bottle, his face was flushed, his eyes unfocused, and he slumped against the seat. Everything before him had become blurry, yet he still raised his bottle toward Xiao Lin.

“Come on... again...”

Xiao Lin ignored him. He lifted the bottle and took another fierce gulp. The liquor burned so sharply that his eyes turned red.

If Zhang Zhenghao had been there, he would have known that Xiao Lin was crying. Xiao Lin’s eyes had never reddened from drinking.

He rubbed them, then turned to look at Gao Zheng, who was completely drunk. Setting down the bottle, he forcefully straightened Gao Zheng and stared at him with a frightening expression.

“Gao Zheng, do you really love Yuqing?”

“Yuqing... Yuqing... I really love you so much,” Gao Zheng mumbled dizzily upon hearing her name.

“Smack!”

Xiao Lin suddenly slapped him hard across the face. The blow instantly brought Gao Zheng back to his senses.

“Xiao Lin, you bastard! How dare you hit me?” Gao Zheng had been drifting in a stupor and had no idea what was happening. When a sharp pain exploded across his face, he focused his eyes and realized that Xiao Lin had slapped him.

He immediately flew into a rage. Clenching his fist, he tried to strike back, but Xiao Lin caught him by the wrist.

“If you love her, then go after her. Remember—you must take good care of her.”

Xiao Lin gripped Gao Zheng’s shoulders with both hands. His expression was terrifying, the veins on his forehead standing out one by one.

“You must take good care of her,” he repeated forcefully.

“Don’t ever become like me.”

As he spoke those words, Xiao Lin’s hands fell weakly to his sides. His handsome face was utterly haggard. Those few sentences had drained him completely.

Xiao Lin picked up the bottle and drained the rest in a single breath.

“From now on, I’m entrusting Yuqing to you.”

He threw back his head and laughed wildly twice, but his laughter carried a desolate sorrow. Then he opened the car door and strode into Innovation High School.

“What just happened?” Gao Zheng murmured, rubbing the back of his head as he watched the dramatic change in Xiao Lin.

“He said Yuqing was in my care now.”

Gao Zheng shook his muddled head, his face bright with excitement as he recalled Xiao Lin’s words.

Xiao Lin forced himself to bear the pain in his heart as he walked into the school. A cold wind swept over him, and he could no longer hold himself together. With a retch, he began vomiting.

But he had eaten only one meal that day. Before he could eat lunch, Ma Yunrou had come to cause trouble. Afterward, he had taken her to the hospital and had not been in the mood to eat. As a result, all he vomited was liquor.

He kept retching for several minutes, nearly bringing up his stomach acid.

“Heh. You barely ate, and you still expected not to throw up after drinking?” Xiao Lin muttered to himself.

His heart was in unbearable pain. Every word he had spoken to Gao Zheng had pierced his own heart.

He loved Wang Yuqing. That love had sunk deep into his bones. But what difference did it make? He had already wronged her enough. Could he really go and beg for her forgiveness?

No. She deserved a better happiness, not a life spent bearing the consequences of his mistakes.

“Knock, knock.”

“Who is it? The door isn’t locked. Come in,” Yuan Weiye shouted from beneath his blankets.

But no one answered. The knocking continued.

“Damn it, who is it? Don’t you understand plain speech?”

Wang Tao, whose bed was closest to the door, cursed as he got up. The moment he opened it, a dark figure collapsed against him.

Wang Tao took a closer look and cried out, “Xiao Lin!”

“What? Xiao Lin is back?” Yuan Weiye immediately leaped out of bed, while Lin Xudong set down the book in his hands.

The three of them hurriedly carried Xiao Lin to the bed.

“How much did this guy drink?” Yuan Weiye asked, pinching his nose at the heavy smell of liquor on Xiao Lin.

“Quite a lot, definitely. With his tolerance, he couldn’t possibly be this drunk otherwise.” As he spoke, Wang Tao pulled the blanket over Xiao Lin.

“He may not be drunk only because of the liquor,” Lin Xudong said as he looked at Xiao Lin.

“Doctor, what do you mean?” Wang Tao asked, startled.

“Alcohol can numb the mind and make a person unconscious, but it cannot completely erase his will. Look at Xiao Lin. He has no idea what is happening around him. Besides, when have we ever seen him get drunk while drinking with us? Sometimes it isn’t the liquor that makes people drunk. Sometimes it is heartbreak.”

“You mean this is because of Wang Yuqing?” Wang Tao asked instinctively.

Lin Xudong nodded.

“If Xiao Lin cares about Wang Yuqing so much, why did he break up with her? Isn’t he just making himself suffer?” Yuan Weiye clicked his tongue.

“Perhaps Xiao Lin has difficulties he cannot speak of. Who knows? If he refuses to tell us, we cannot press him. Wang Tao, go get some hot water and prepare a warm towel for him.”

“Got it.”

Wang Tao picked up the kettle and went to fetch hot water. Lin Xudong and Yuan Weiye helped Xiao Lin sit up and assisted him in removing his coat.

After working for quite some time, they finally looked at Xiao Lin’s haggard face. The three exchanged glances, then released a simultaneous sigh.

P.S. May I humbly ask for a pink vote?