Inside the VIP room on the third floor of the Phantom Bar, Qin Si Ye sat on the sofa, his gaze dark and fixed on the red wine in his hand. He swirled it twice, raised the glass, and downed it in one gulp.
"Si Ye, can you eat something first? Drinking alone like this is bad for your stomach," Gu Lin said, pushing the pastries on the table towards him. He felt a pang of distress seeing Qin Si Ye in this state. He had been called out for drinks at the last minute tonight, only to find out upon arrival that Qin Si Ye had argued with Shen Xi and hadn't even eaten dinner.
"I'm not hungry," Qin Si Ye replied. His heart was filled with pain, and he felt no hunger whatsoever. He only felt that wine was the best thing, capable of making him feel slightly better.
Just then, Fu Ji Heng pushed the door open and walked in. Upon seeing Qin Si Ye's state, he couldn't help but ask with concern, "What's wrong? What happened?"
"There's probably only one person in this world capable of making him this heartbroken, to the point of drowning his sorrows in wine," Gu Lin remarked, glancing at Fu Ji Heng.
"Yin Xi?" Fu Ji Heng walked over, sat beside Gu Lin, and looked directly at Qin Si Ye, who was holding his head in his hands.
Hearing this, Gu Lin looked at him again in surprise. "You know?" He remembered Qin Si Ye explicitly telling him a while ago not to tell any third person about Yin Xi. If he hadn't said anything, how did Fu Ji Heng know? Could it be that Qin Si Ye himself had told him?
Seeing Gu Lin's astonished expression, Fu Ji Heng recounted the incident from Sunday when they were at Dragon City Amusement Park and encountered Qin Si Ye.
"What? Si Ye actually went out to play with Shen Xi and the children? How come I didn't know about this?" Gu Lin was even more surprised, turning to look at Qin Si Ye. "You must have had a good time that day, right?"
Qin Si Ye remained with his head bowed, silent, but his thoughts drifted far away with Fu Ji Heng's words.
Fu Ji Heng smiled and answered for Qin Si Ye, "Of course it was good. The three children were around him affectionately calling him 'Daddy,' and Shen Xi even happily took a photo with him. I saw it with my own eyes."
"Really? That's great, isn't it? It shows Shen Xi's attitude towards you has changed," Gu Lin said with a smile.
After hearing his words, Qin Si Ye let out a helpless chuckle. "You only know half the story. I collaborated with the three children, shamelessly tagging along. In the park, she was only forcing a smile for the children's sake and acting intimately. The day after we returned, she personally and sternly told me to forget about that day, to treat it as if it were all a dream."
At this moment, Qin Si Ye was filled with disappointment and resentment. His mind was occupied by Shen Xi's heartless side, completely disregarding his perception of her subtle changes.
"No way? Shen Xi speaks so gently and kindly, with such a pleasant demeanor. I can hardly imagine her saying such hurtful words." Fu Ji Heng couldn't reconcile Qin Si Ye's words with the heartwarming scene he had witnessed that day.
Gu Lin also frowned. "Yes. Shen Xi is also pleasant and amiable with her colleagues at the hospital. She doesn't seem like what you're describing at all."
Qin Si Ye picked up the red wine that had just been poured and took another large gulp. "Perhaps she's good to everyone else, but only like this to me. Maybe I owed her in my past life, and she's here in this life specifically to torment me and collect her debt."
"Si Ye, don't be too sad," Gu Lin said, sitting up straighter and looking at him gently. "I analyzed it for you last time. Shen Xi's situation is special. She carries the heavy burden of revenge. This cannot be rushed; you have to take it slowly."
"Revenge for what?" Fu Ji Heng asked from the side, confused. He had been very busy since returning from Dragon City and hadn't had a chance to ask Gu Lin about their situation.
"It's about the destruction of the Yin family back then. Shen Xi has always believed it was man-made, and she's back now to investigate this matter," Gu Lin briefly explained to him.
"Oh," Fu Ji Heng replied thoughtfully, recalling the sudden events that had befallen the Yin family years ago.
At this moment, Qin Si Ye suddenly looked up at Gu Lin. "I want to slowly win her over, to move her heart gradually. But she completely ignores my existence and is getting cozy with other men. How can you expect me to tolerate this?"
"What other men? Who is it?" Gu Lin's eyes widened, his eyebrows raised. If it were any male doctor at her hospital, he would immediately have him transferred. He couldn't let anyone stand in the way of his friend pursuing his girlfriend.
Fu Ji Heng also leaned in, his face full of curiosity, eager to know the answer. However, after waiting for a long time, Qin Si Ye did not reveal the name. Instead, he looked up at them with sorrowful eyes.
"Tell me, what's wrong with me? What makes me unworthy of her? Why does she always keep me at arm's length?"