Pity

"Why?"

As soon as Gu Yan stepped through the threshold of Room 521, Shen Hong's voice reached her.

"Huh? Why is President Shen here?" Wei Hao remained completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere, speaking with innocent cluelessness. Shen Hong ignored Wei Hao entirely, keeping his gaze locked on Gu Yan's indifferent face.

"There was no need." Gu Yan spoke without looking at him. Once upon a time, she might have still harbored illusions of mending a broken relationship, but after that night, her heart had turned completely to ash. Even when faced with a total stranger whose stomach ulcer is acting up, one could hardly remain indifferent, let alone toward a legal wife. That could only point to one conclusion: he did not love her.

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

"Not well."

The heavy, tangled air was thick with the stench of alcohol and cigarette smoke. The music blared at maximum volume, nearly deafening. Men and women writhed wildly on the dance floor, hips and waists moving in a frantic frenzy. Coldly glamorous women laughed and mingled among groups of men, using flirtatious banter to tease those unable to keep their desires in check. Other women nestled seductively in the arms of men, whispering sweet nothingness, while the men drank heavily and carried on with them. This was the city's most vibrant nightlife: the bar.

Under the dim, shifting lights, the bartender swayed gracefully, skillfully mixing a vibrant, multicolored cocktail. A man in a tailored suit sat at the counter, swallowing drink after drink in a relentless downward spiral.

"Well, well! Look who it is—our esteemed Young Master Shen, feeling lonely for once? Would you like this little sister to find a few girls for you?"

This was the scene that greeted Luo Xiaomeng as she pushed open the door. It wasn't that she wanted to kick a man when he was down or take advantage of his vulnerability, but her anger simply got the better of her.

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

"Alright, spit it out. What do you want with me?"

"Tell me about her." Perhaps due to the alcohol, his voice was slightly hoarse.

"Ha!" Luo Xiaomeng let out a mocking laugh. "Should I feel happy for Xiao Yan? Her ex-husband is actually drinking himself into a stupor at a bar because of her."

"Tell me about her." He ignored her biting tone, repeating the phrase like a mantra. He couldn't understand it. She was the one who had initiated the divorce, so why did the entire world act as if it were entirely his fault?

"You're asking the wrong person." Perhaps startled by the grim edge in Shen Hong's voice, Luo Xiaomeng dropped the teasing. "To be honest, I let Xiao Yan down too; I hardly have the right to call myself her sister. Three years ago, during the darkest period of her life, the one by her side wasn't any of us, her 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 far away in South Korea, Xu Xian was lying in a hospital bed gravely wounded, and truth be told, Yilin and I were secretly blaming Xiao Yan at first. I don't know what happened to her during those days, but in the end, she simply vanished without a word."

Watching the pensive look on Shen Hong's face, 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. Why did your attitude change so drastically after the marriage? I know Xiao Yan; she loved you. And I know even better the immense pressure she endured just to marry you. With so many pairs of eyes watching, I think Xiao Yan wanted nothing more than to hold on, to prove to all those waiting for a joke just how happy the two of you were. If you thought she divorced you for money, then I find you truly pathetic on her behalf. Just think about it—Zheng Yingqi is superior to you in every single way. Why on earth would Xiao Yan choose to marry you instead? It's not too late yet. A broken mirror can sometimes be mended. Think it over carefully; I'd rather not see you live with regret."

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

*Why did my attitude change after marriage?*

He wanted to know the answer just as badly. Was her chastity really that important to him? Shen Hong asked himself in the silence of his soul, yet still he could find no logical reason.