His heart began to pound. Cold sweat dripped down his back. But in the several dozen seconds of silence that followed, He Yu’s mood went from shocked to calm, then from calm to crazed. The mistake had already been made, so did that mean he had to rush Xie Qingcheng to the hospital? He could never.
Besides, there was no point in taking Xie Qingcheng to the hospital. The aphrodisiac only provoked desire. It wasn’t poison.
He Yu stared fixedly and silently at Xie Qingcheng, dressed impeccably in his neat attire, his appearance stern and self-restrained and his face exceedingly dignified. This unintended accident sparked an idea in He Yu’s crazed mind that roared into a flame.
Perhaps…fate had willed this?
This was retribution. This was Xie Qingcheng’s retribution! He was reaping what he sowed. Even fate couldn’t stand his hypocrisy any longer, so it brought him this coincidence.
Xie Qingcheng was only human, and all humans had desires. When they were consumed by a desire that they couldn’t satisfy, they would fall into a wretched state, begging on their knees for gratification.
He Yu stared at Xie Qingcheng in silence. His curiosity was ignited. How magnificent a sight would that be, if Xie Qingcheng were to burn in the flames of this liquor and kneel before him, unable to even talk properly as he drowned in desire and completely lost control of himself?
Xie Qingcheng set down his empty glass. “Is this enough?”
He Yu didn’t answer. That idea of seeing Xie Qingcheng succumb to desire was still circling his head, tempting him. But because giving him the first cup of Plum Fragrance 59 had been unintentional, He Yu was still a bit hesitant to proceed.
Xie Qingcheng said, “If this isn’t enough, I’ll keep drinking with you. I can drink until you’re satisfied and willing to leave. As long as you don’t lose yourself tonight, as long as you don’t make a mess of yourself here.”
Startled, He Yu looked up. “Why?”
Xie Qingcheng told him with deliberate emphasis, “Because this was my mistake. And since it was my mistake, you shouldn’t be the one paying the price.”
In his muddled state, He Yu’s heart stuttered violently, just like it had all those years ago when Xie Qingcheng had told him for the first time that the mentally ill ought to be given equal treatment. But then rage overtook him. He was irate with himself. Why, after it had already come to this, would he still be moved by a few paltry words from this person?
This vehement rage only encouraged He Yu’s cruelty. His hesitation vanished, and he finally decided to carry out the malicious plot brewing deep within his mind.
He slowly leaned back and splayed back against the sofa. He sighed softly. “Xie-ge… Look, you’re trying to placate me again.”
This sudden change in address seemed to give Xie Qingcheng some hope. He gazed at He Yu, who had propped a hand against his cheek and was still sighing.
“But, for some reason, I’m still willing to let you placate me,” He Yu said.
“He Yu…”
“Xie-ge, tell me, is everything that you’re saying to me this time the honest truth?”
Xie Qingcheng looked into his eyes. For some reason, he felt a faint discomfort in his heart. He said, “It is.”
He Yu watched him quietly for a long time before his face broke into the expression he used to wear, like that of a fledgling dragon. “You’re not lying to me?”
“I’m not lying to you.”
“Then let’s make a pinky promise.”
He Yu slowly leaned forward and offered his finger. He had made a very childish request, as if he had also drunk too much. But the moment Xie Qingcheng extended his own finger, He Yu suddenly opened his hand, reached forward…and coldly caressed Xie Qingcheng’s handsome face.
He looked at Xie Qingcheng in amusement, the fledgling dragon’s innocence transforming into the sinister gloom of an evil dragon right in front of Xie Qingcheng’s eyes.
“How naive of you, Xie Qingcheng. Were you really going to make a pinky promise with me? It’s such a pity that this time—I was the one who was lying to you. How could I possibly trust you again so easily? You hurt me so deeply.”
The hint of light in Xie Qingcheng’s eyes dimmed once again. In the prolonged silence, the youth watched the fire fading from the man’s eyes.
“How about this,” He Yu said after some thought.
He sat back up, calmly picked up that bottle of Plum Fragrance 59, and signaled for a pretty, clever woman to bring over an empty glass. He personally filled it more than half-full and placed it on Xie Qingcheng’s side of the table.
The lead hostess’s face paled in fright. She’d assumed that since He Yu knew about this strong liquor, he wouldn’t give this man any more. That one glass would be difficult enough to handle—but here He Yu was, pouring Xie Qingcheng yet another nearly full glass.
“The sight of you like this moves me a little,” He Yu said mildly. “I can give you another chance. But you have to show me your sincerity.”
The first glass had been a mistake. But he was going to coax Xie Qingcheng into downing this second glass of his own volition.
“I don’t have many requests. Just drink a few more rounds with me, and when I’m satisfied, I’ll leave with you. I won’t force you, but if you’ve truly begun to care about me, you’ll be willing to grant me this much.” He Yu looked up. “What do you think?”
Xie Qingcheng looked at him in silence. Then, a moment later, he raised the glass that He Yu had poured for him once again.
“As long as you’ll go, I’ll drink.”
He Yu watched as Xie Qingcheng tilted his head back, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. Amidst his own tipsiness burned a densely roiling cloud of resentment.
Drink it. Drink it all.
Once you’ve drunk enough of this liquor, your retribution will come.
Retribution, He Yu thought once more.
He would be able to see all of Xie Qingcheng’s ugly desire, see him lose control in front of these women, painfully ensnared yet unable to satisfy his need.
That was what they called karma, what they called a complete loss of face.