Chapter 143: Farewell

"Why?" As soon as Gu Yan stepped through the door of Suite 521, Shen Hong's voice greeted her.

"Oh? What is President Shen doing here?" Wei Hao remained entirely oblivious to the tense atmosphere, speaking with innocent cluelessness. Shen Hong ignored Wei Hao's question, keeping his gaze locked on Gu Yan's expressionless face.

"There was no need," she said, without looking at him. Previously, she might have harbored lingering fantasies of mending a broken relationship, but after surviving that fateful night, all her hopes had died entirely. Even when faced with a complete stranger suffering a sudden recurrence of gastritis, one could hardly remain indifferent, let alone toward a legal wife. That could only point to one inescapable conclusion: he did not love her.

"You two know each other?" It was only after Shen Hong slammed the door behind him and left in a rage that Wei Hao finally pieced things together.

"Not well."

The heavy, hazy air was thick with the reek of cigarettes and alcohol. The music was blasted to maximum volume, nearly deafening, while men and women writhed wildly on the dance floor, twisting their waists and hips. Coldly glamorous women laughed and mingled among groups of men, using flirtatious banter to tease those unable to keep their desires in check. A woman nestled seductively in a man's arms, whispering sweet nothings, while the man drank and dallied with her by turns. This was the vibrant peak of the city's nightlife—a bar.

Under the dim, sultry lights, a bartender swayed gently, with utmost elegance crafting a colorful cocktail. A man dressed in a tailored suit sat at the bar, pouring drink after drink down his throat.

"Well, well! Our esteemed Young Master Shen actually experiencing moments of loneliness? Do you need little old me to fetch a few girls for you?" This was the scene that greeted Luo Xiaomeng as she walked in. It wasn't that she meant to kick him while he was down or take advantage of his vulnerability; she was simply too furious to hold back.

Shen Hong glanced at Luo Xiaomeng and went back to his drinking.

"All right, out with it. What do you want with me?"

"Tell me about her." Perhaps due to the alcohol he had consumed, his voice sounded somewhat hoarse.

"Ha!" Luo Xiaomeng couldn't help a bitter scoff. "Should I feel happy for Xiao Yan that her ex-husband is drowning his sorrows in a bar over her?"

"Tell me about her." He ignored Luo Xiaomeng's sarcastic tone, mindlessly repeating the same phrase. He could not understand why, when she was the one who had initiated the divorce, the entire world seemed to regard him as the guilty party.

"You've asked the wrong person." Perhaps startled by the desolation in Shen Hong's voice, Luo Xiaomeng stopped mocking him. "Come to think of it, I failed Xiao Yan too, and I hardly have the right to call myself her friend. Three years ago, during the darkest period of her grief, the ones by her side were not us so-called friends. He would know, but I doubt he'll ever tell you."

Hearing this, Shen Hong set down his glass. "Who is it?"

"Zheng Yingqi. Back then, Cai Meiyuan was away in South Korea, Xu Xian was gravely injured and in a coma, and both Yilin and I were actually blaming Xiao Yan at the very beginning. I have no idea what she went through during those days, but in the end, she simply vanished without a word."

Watching Shen Hong's contemplative expression, Luo Xiaomeng continued, "You clearly had feelings for Xiao Yan. Even as a bridesmaid, I could deeply feel the happiness between the two of you when you married. Why did your attitude change so drastically after the wedding? I know Xiao Yan; she loved you, and I know even better the immense pressure she bore to marry you. With so many eyes watching, I believe Xiao Yan wanted to hold on more than anyone, just to show those waiting for a joke how happy the two of you were. If you think she divorced you for money, then I find you pathetic on her behalf. Think about it—Zheng Yingqi is superior to you in every way; why would Xiao Yan choose to marry you instead? While it's still not too late, it's not entirely impossible to mend what's broken. Think it over carefully. I certainly don't want you to end up with regrets."

After Luo Xiaomeng left, Shen Hong remained seated at the bar, continuing to drink.

*Why did my attitude change after the wedding?* He wanted to know the answer to that as well. Was her virginity truly that important to him? Shen Hong asked himself in the silence of his heart, yet still he could find no logical reason.