Chapter 7: It's Not Like I Absolutely Have to Sleep with You

The car cruised slowly toward the hotel. Outside the window, the rain poured harder and harder, showing no sign of letting up. The oppressive heat and humidity of summer always seemed to weigh heavily on the spirit. Song Yin gazed out the window. Occasionally, a wave of despair washed over her. Perhaps the stifling weather only intensified such feelings. She leaned against the glass, quietly watching the world beyond.

Lou Yizhou turned his head and caught this scene, finding it somewhat intriguing. Such profound silence, especially knowing what awaited them next. There was no hint of weariness or exhaustion. Then Lou noticed Song Yin clutching her stomach, her brow furrowing. She glanced at him and asked, "Could we stop by a pharmacy?"

"That’s a rather poor excuse," he remarked.

Song Yin was taken aback, realizing what he implied. She replied, "It’s just a stomachache—it’s not a reason to refuse."

Lou Yizhou looked at her and merely curled the corner of his lips, saying nothing. The silence returned. After a few moments, Lou instructed the driver to stop. Song Yin turned to see a pharmacy just ahead.

"Want me to get it for you?" he asked, his tone casual, almost polite.

She quickly shook her head. "I can go myself. Please wait for me a few minutes, Third Master."

Without even grabbing an umbrella, she opened the car door and dashed into the rain, running the short distance to the pharmacy. Back in college, Song Yin had taken on many part-time jobs, often skipping meals, which had left her with chronic stomach issues. Tonight, she hadn’t eaten dinner before meeting Shen Zhuoan and had even downed a shot of strong liquor, which now made her stomach ache.

Inside the pharmacy, she picked up a box of her usual medicine. Ordering a glass of water, she swallowed a pill. Turning back, she spotted the luxury car still waiting outside in the rain. She thanked them silently, tucked the remaining pills into her bag, and prepared to return to the car—but then her phone rang.

Frowning, she knew it couldn’t be good news. Politely, she answered, "Grandma Liu…"

Aunt Liu was the elderly neighbor downstairs, living alone. They would occasionally exchange greetings in passing. "Xiao Song, are you home? The bathroom is leaking again! What are you all doing? I knocked, but no one answered. If this keeps up, I’m really going to call the police."

"I'm sorry, Grandma Liu. I’m working late. I’ll rush home and take care of it right away."

"You should’ve fixed it long ago. This can’t go on much longer…"

Listening to the tirade, Song Yin kept apologizing. After hanging up, she took a deep breath and called Song Yulian. The phone rang several times before someone answered. Mahjong tiles clacked in the background.

"Playing mahjong again?"

"It’s three against one. I’m almost done and will come back soon. Don’t be mad, Yin Yin."

A wave of helplessness washed over her. "Did you turn off the water in the bathroom?"

"Did I? I don’t remember. Is that old lady downstairs bothering you again? Don’t pay her any mind—she’s got dementia."

"This is our problem. Why are you shirking responsibility?"

Song Yin didn’t want to argue and hung up abruptly. She hurried back to the car, opened the door—but didn’t get in. Lou Yizhou glanced her way, calm and as if expecting this.

"I know you probably don’t believe me, but something urgent came up. I have to go back... maybe next time..."

Lou Yizhou exuded a quiet but oppressive calm. Slowly, he said, "First time meeting and you already have a client waiting? Yin Yin, you’ve got quite the reputation."

His expression was indifferent, emotionless, yet Song Yin sensed his displeasure. She knew better than to offend someone like him. Even if their paths never crossed again, it wasn’t wise to make an enemy.

She pursed her lips and smiled faintly. "What a shame to spoil your mood today, Third Master. How about adding me as a friend? May I reach out to you?"

She pulled out her phone and displayed her contact card QR code. Lou Yizhou lowered his eyes to glance at it, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. Looking back at her, he said leisurely, "Miss Song, you seem to overestimate your charm. It’s not like I have to sleep with you."

With that, he turned away, no longer looking at her. The message to dismiss her was unmistakable.

Song Yin, holding her phone, looked like a fool. Silently, she withdrew it and forced a weak smile to mask her embarrassment. "Safe travels, Third Master. I didn’t know my worth."

She stepped aside and closed the door. The car drove off.

She couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Lou Yizhou wasn’t wrong. Who was he that he’d be desperate to sleep with her? She’d clearly overestimated herself.

Returning home, she found the place nearly flooded. Song Yulian had left the bathtub water running. The bathroom’s waterproofing had been poorly done during renovation. Over time, any excess water would easily seep downstairs. Complaints from Grandma Liu had come more than once. Thankfully, she only urged them to fix it and hadn’t called the authorities.

Song Yin had thought about repairing it, but it was a major project. During the work, the bathroom would be unusable for days. Moreover, the apartment was rented, and she lacked the resolve to renovate it. So the problem persisted.

Usually, she was very careful with water usage and had repeatedly warned Song Yulian. Yet accidents still happened.

When Song Yulian returned, Song Yin was mopping the floor. She tried to grab the mop, but Song Yin dodged her. Instantly, Song Yulian raised her hands in a solemn vow, "It really wasn’t me playing mahjong—they were short a player. I had no choice. I promise there won’t be a next time."

"How did you get lung cancer? Smoking yourself and inhaling so much secondhand smoke. If you don’t want to get better, could you at least stop dragging me down?" Song Yin was exhausted—hours of work, plus the evening’s troubles had drained her completely.

She tossed the mop aside and retreated directly to her bedroom.