Chapter 136: All Martial Arts Lost

"Why?" As soon as Gu Yan stepped through the door of Suite 521, Shen Hong's voice greeted her.
"Huh? Why is President Shen here?" Wei Hao remained completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere, speaking with innocent curiosity.
Shen Hong ignored Wei Hao entirely, keeping his gaze locked on Gu Yan, whose face was a mask of indifference. "There's no need." She didn't look at Shen Hong as she spoke. Once, she might have harbored lingering fantasies of mending a broken relationship, but after living through that night, her heart had turned to absolute stone. Even when a complete stranger suffers a sudden flare-up of stomach illness before you, it is impossible to remain entirely unmoved—let alone when the person is your lawful wife. That could only point to one inescapable conclusion: he did not love her.
"You two know each other?" It was only when Shen Hong slammed the door behind him in fury and left that Wei Hao finally pieced things together.
"We're not close."
The heavy, mixed air was thick with the stench of cheap tobacco and alcohol, and the music, turned up to its maximum volume, threatened to deafen anyone in the room. Men and women twisted their waists and hips wildly on the dance floor; women dressed in chillingly seductive attire laughed shrilly as they mingled among the crowd, using flirtatious banter to provoke men lacking in self-control. Other women nestled coquettishly in the arms of their companions, murmuring sweet nothings, while the men drank heavily and caroused with them. This was the epitome of the city's nightlife: a bustling bar.
Under the dim, amber lights, a bartender swayed rhythmically, gracefully crafting a vibrant, multi-colored cocktail. A man in a tailored suit sat at the edge of the bar, pouring glass after glass of liquor straight down his throat.
"Well, well! To think our esteemed Young Master Shen would ever experience loneliness to the point of needing me to fetch a few girls for company," Luo Xiaomeng said as she pushed open the door and took in the scene. It wasn't that she enjoyed kicking someone when they were down or taking advantage of their vulnerability; she was simply too furious to hold her tongue.
Shen Hong spared Luo Xiaomeng a single glance, then continued drinking.
"Out with it. What do you want with me?"
"Tell me about her." Perhaps due to the sheer volume of alcohol he had consumed, his voice sounded raspy and worn.
"Ha!" Luo Xiaomeng let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Should I feel happy for little Yan that her ex-husband is drowning his sorrows in a bar over her?"
"Tell me about her." He ignored the sarcasm in Luo Xiaomeng's tone, mindlessly repeating the single phrase. He could not comprehend why, when she was the one who had demanded the divorce, the entire world seemed to treat him as the villain.
"You're asking the wrong person." Perhaps startled by the desperate edge in Shen Hong's voice, Luo Xiaomeng dropped her teasing demeanor. "To be honest, I failed Xiaomeng too; I hardly deserve to call myself her friend. Three years ago, during the darkest moment of her life, the people by her side weren't us, her so-called friends. He knows the truth, but I doubt he'll ever tell you."
Hearing this, Shen Hong lowered his glass. "Who is it?"
"Zheng Yingqi. Back then, Cai Meiyuan was far away in South Korea, Xu Xian was lying unconscious with severe injuries, and Yilin and I were actually harboring resentment toward Xiaomeng in the beginning. I don't know what she went through during those days, but in the end, she simply vanished without a word."
Watching Shen Hong's thoughtful expression, Luo Xiaomeng continued, "You clearly had feelings for Xiaomeng. Even as a bridesmaid, I could deeply feel the happiness between the two of you at the wedding. Why did your attitude change so drastically after the marriage? I know Xiaomeng; she loved you. And I know even better the immense pressure she bore just to marry you. With so many eyes watching, I believe Xiaomeng wanted more than anyone to endure it, to prove to all those waiting for a joke just how happy the two of you were. If you truly believe she divorced you for money, then I pity her. Think about it—Zheng Yingqi surpasses you in every imaginable way; why would Xiaomeng choose to marry you instead? While it's still not too late, mending a broken mirror isn't completely hopeless. Think it over carefully. I, for one, don't want to see you live with regret."
After Luo Xiaomeng left, Shen Hong remained seated at the bar, continuing to drink. *'Why did your attitude change after the marriage?'* He wanted to know the answer to that as well. Was her past innocence truly that paramount to him? Shen Hong asked himself in the silence of his heart, yet still he could find no logical reason.