Chapter 153 Experience

As for the young male waiter sitting beside her, Cheng Hui found him entirely redundant and an eyesore.

Catching sight of He Chuan standing a few paces away, Cheng Hui froze for a moment, wondering if she had drunk too much and started hallucinating. This hallucination filled her with physical revulsion; even when she was drinking, he wouldn't let her be, haunting her like an unshakeable specter.

Cheng Hui closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

When she opened her eyes and looked again, the hallucination that repulsed her was still there. That meant it was no hallucination—it was very likely real.

She was not drunk.

The male waiter beside her said, "Miss, that man has been looking at you this whole time. Is he a friend of yours?"

The corners of Cheng Hui’s lips curved upward. "I don't know him."

"He doesn't know you, yet he keeps staring?"

Cheng Hui poured herself another glass and said, "Probably a suitor of mine?"

The waiter was afraid the man might genuinely be her friend or acquaintance; offending the wrong person could spell disaster for him. Yet, since she hadn't told him to leave, he couldn't just walk away.

Ignoring He Chuan, Cheng Hui instructed the waiter to pour more alcohol, as she still wanted to drink.

To the waiter, her behavior seemed like a deliberate provocation against that man. Moreover, the man looked rather formidable, dressed in high-end apparel that clearly marked him as wealthy. Being nothing more than a humble wage earner, the waiter grew increasingly apprehensive at the thought of offending someone of high status and influence, terrified he might lose his job. His hands shook so much that he struggled to pour the drinks.

Then a thought crossed his mind: *Could this be a jealous partner catching a cheating spouse?*

Men catching women cheating happened all the time these days.

It was hardly rare.

He Chuan watched her for a while, standing motionless like a statue.

Of course, this particular statue looked expensive and dangerous. Since Cheng Hui said nothing, the waiter dared not utter a word either.

Yet He Chuan was simply too much of an eyesore; standing there, he drew numerous sidelong glances.

Cheng Hui was growing annoyed, but she managed to endure it without showing it too openly. Swirling her glass, she suddenly addressed He Chuan: "Don't you think you're being an eyesore standing there? Or do you have something to say to me? If you do, spit it out. Standing there and disturbing me is terribly rude."

He Chuan stood tall, looking down at her from above with an utterly expressionless gaze, yet he remained silent.

"Mr. He," Cheng Hui said, "what do you mean by staring at me continuously?"

She deliberately raised the tone at the end of her sentence, resting her chin in her hand and gazing at him with captivating, seductive eyes.

She had grown up; her facial features had shed their original childishness, becoming increasingly striking and vivid. Although she wore no makeup, those eyes alone were enough to entice a man.

In fact, upon closer inspection, a faint red mark was still visible on her cheek—left behind by Mrs. Cheng earlier that day.

*Mr. He?*

Those three words were deliberate enough to convey profound detachment.

Still expressionless, He Chuan countered with a question: "What do you think I mean?"

Cheng Hui smiled. "What do I think? I think you're interested in me. Otherwise, why would you follow me all the way here? What, do you want to have a drink with me?" She lightly brushed her earring, a gesture laden with provocation.

Hearing the exchange, anyone could tell they knew each other, and that their relationship was far from ordinary.

Her colleague suddenly raised her head, urging Cheng Hui to keep drinking.

Cheng Hui shared a drink with her. Catching sight of them, the colleague turned to Cheng Hui and suddenly asked, "Cheng Hui, why does that handsome guy keep staring at you? Do you know him?"

"No," Cheng Hui replied.

"If he doesn't know you, why is he staring? It's weird."

Cheng Hui dismissed her: "You're drunk. You're seeing things."

"I'm not drunk, Cheng Hui. Keep drinking with me."

"Drink, go ahead and drink. You're sleepy anyway, time for bed."

After a few more murmurs, the colleague slumped back down onto the table.

Her alcohol tolerance was truly abysmal; just how much had she even consumed?

Sighing with a hint of amusement, Cheng Hui settled her colleague and looked back up. He Chuan was still there.

She smiled again. "Mr. He, just how long do you plan on watching me? Aren't your eyes sore?"

Her smile was dazzling and brilliant. Despite her bare face and the complete absence of any suggestive intent, He Chuan found her gaze growing increasingly intoxicating and alluring.

Years ago, he had already wanted to commit "crimes" against her.

It was just that over the past few years, he had quieted down. Besides, at his age, his desires had indeed waned, becoming as faint as they could possibly be.

It was only upon seeing Cheng Hui's expression just then that those lingering thoughts suddenly flared back to life.

The impulses vanished almost as quickly as they arose, leaving behind a single, straightforward intent.

"Let's go somewhere quieter to talk," He Chuan said.

"Oh? And what is there to talk about?"

"It's too noisy here." He Chuan casually beckoned a passing waiter and said, "Please open a quieter private room."

He placed heavy emphasis on the word "quiet," his brows furrowed deeply as if he were thoroughly annoyed by the noise.

Cheng Hui had no intention of going to any quiet private room with him. Pulling a pack of women's cigarettes from her bag, she slid one out, borrowed a light from the male waiter beside her, and watched the pale blue smoke quickly dissipate into the air.

Seeing her smoke, He Chuan's brow visibly furrowed in clear displeasure.

Cheng Hui noticed, but she couldn't care less about what he thought.

The male waiter had ultimately been driven away by He Chuan. He had left looking aggrieved, casting a glance back at Cheng Hui, but she ignored him—she could barely protect herself, let alone worry about anyone else.

It was clear He Chuan had no intention of letting her off easily.

Despite her reluctance, Cheng Hui was dragged into a private room by him. As for her colleague, He Chuan hired a waitress to look after her, rewarding the woman handsomely.

Once the door of the private room clicked shut, he snatched the cigarette from Cheng Hui's hand, took a drag from the very filter her lips had touched, and demanded, "When did you learn to smoke?"

Cheng Hui's gaze lingered on his lips for a few seconds before she abruptly looked away.

"What business is that of yours?"

He Chuan gave a cold, dry laugh. "No business of mine?"

He stepped closer, closing the distance step by step. Cheng Hui tried to dodge, but there was nowhere to go; her wrist was locked in his grip. Displeasure was written all over her face—she was unaccustomed to the two of them being this close.

"No matter what, you're Cheng Jiu's sister. I looked after you for so long; I can't just wash my hands of you."

Cheng Hui found it laughable. "I really don't need your looking after. Whatever happens to me is none of Mr. He's concern."

"Whether it is or isn't depends entirely on my mood. If I truly want to interfere in your affairs, nobody can stop me."

Left speechless, Cheng Hui choked on a retort. The pain radiating from her chin was agonizingly clear. "What, isn't Mr. He afraid people will misunderstand if you say things like that?"

"Misunderstand what?"

"What else? I think some things go without saying, Mr. He knows well enough in his heart."

He Chuan's gaze was sharp and biting as he stared fixedly at her. Their eyes locked, neither willing to look away first.

In truth, Cheng Hui was reaching her breaking point. Deep down, she still harbored unresolved feelings for He Chuan—a fact that was utterly pathetic, truth be told. She did indeed yearn for him, but the process was far too agonizing, and she had tried every possible way to forget him completely without success.

He Chuan possessed this uncanny ability to reduce her emotions to absolute ruins.

And her life had been thrown into total disarray because of him.

She had lost all drive to move forward; living now felt like nothing more than a lingering, wretched survival.

A normal life was entirely out of the question.

A vast majority of her misfortunes were He Chuan's fault.

Tightening his grip on her chin, He Chuan forced her to raise her head and look directly at him. "Don't you want this?" he asked, his words laden with double meaning.

"Pardon me, but I'm not interested in a married man," Cheng Hui said, enduring the discomfort of the posture. "I have no intention of ruining your current happy life. Even if you have other ideas, I have none for you."

"You really have no feelings for me left?" He Chuan pressed.

"None," she repeated stubbornly.

He Chuan chuckled lowly. "Huihui, your skill at saying the opposite of what you feel is getting stronger by the day."

***

She felt a palpable mockery in his words.

"I am not being insincere. I am telling the truth."

"Let's assume it's the truth, then." He Chuan slowly lowered his head, pressing close to her ear. His lips brushed lightly against her earlobe as he articulated every single syllable: "Then why is your body shaking? Are you that terrified?"

"Anyone else would be just as terrified in my shoes. A man and a woman alone in a room together—Mr. He, if someone were to see us, it would inevitably lead to wild imaginations. If that word reached the wrong ears and caused unnecessary misunderstandings, I'm afraid I couldn't bear the responsibility."

"I don't mind," He Chuan said.

"I do." Cheng Hui's tone grew progressively colder. "My life has finally found some peace; I don't want to be misunderstood."

"I haven't done anything yet. What is there to misunderstand? Or are you feeling guilty because I hit the nail on the head?"

Cheng Hui closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh, sensing the atmosphere between them growing increasingly ambiguous and indefinable.

Especially given the things He Chuan was saying.

She didn't believe for a second that he wanted to rekindle their old romance. She only thought he was toying with her, humiliating her on a whim because the mood had suddenly struck him.

He Chuan had a fiancée; she hadn't forgotten that. Her fear of being misunderstood was also a fear of his fiancée finding out, knowing full well that when the axe fell, she would be the one to suffer, not him.

In situations like this, people would always blame the woman for seducing the man, absolving the man of any wrongdoing.

She understood this principle all too well.

Besides, to her, He Chuan was merely an obsession she couldn't yet let go of. She had no desire to patch things up with him either. They could never go back to how they used to be—he had a fiancée, while she was weighed down by physical ailments and lacked the strength to entangle herself with him again.

Ever since she returned, anyone with eyes could see she had been going out of her way to avoid him.

Mrs. Cheng's slap from earlier that day was still vivid in her mind; she couldn't forget it anytime soon.

Cheng Hui reminded him, "Mr. He, you already have a fiancée. Shouldn't you mind your boundaries when meeting with other women?"

He drew closer still; Cheng Hui could feel his breath, feel his body heat pressing against hers.

Especially given her light summer attire—amidst her earlier struggling, her collar had slipped aside, exposing a deep, alluring hollow of her collarbone.

She had truly grown up.

"Boundaries?" He Chuan murmured. "Huihui, it's not your place to teach me about boundaries."

Giving up the charade, Cheng Hui snapped, "Let me go, or I'll call the police and report you for sexual harassment."

"Go ahead, be my guest," He Chuan replied.

He wasn't the least bit afraid of her calling the police, calmly pulling out his phone and offering it to her.

Fortunately, he did release her, stepping back a few paces to put some distance between them.

Instead of taking his phone, Cheng Hui stood there with her chest heaving violently. "You think I wouldn't dare?"

"You dare."

"... "

He Chuan produced another cigarette, lit it, and took a slow, leisurely drag. "Let's see whose reputation takes a bigger hit then. With my current status and standing, if you call the police, people will simply assume you seduced me on your own initiative. If you aren't afraid of Mrs. Cheng finding out, by all means, go ahead."

In an instant, Cheng Hui grasped the implications of his words. He was entirely capable of twisting black into white and white into black.

To put it bluntly, he had never taken her seriously.

He hadn't in the past, he didn't now, and he never would in the future.

When he dragged her into the mud years ago, he had relied on all sorts of methods; today was no different. He possessed both the capability and the patience.

For a good dozen seconds, Cheng Hui stood frozen, utterly speechless, much of it due to him.

His intentions were blatantly malicious.

"He Chuan," Cheng Hui breathed, "are you toying with me again?"

"If that's how you want to think of it, it fits." He blew a puff of smoke directly into her face. "Didn't you come looking for me back then? Weren't you trying to get back together? It's not too late now."

It felt as though reality had dealt her a sharp slap across the face. Suddenly, He Chuan felt utterly alien to her. How could he joke about something like this? Her feelings weren't so cheap and disposable. She *had* indeed sought him out back then, but so much time had passed, and he was engaged—yet he dared say such things to her?

Wasn't this trampling her feelings ruthlessly underfoot?

Cheng Hui forced a grin, though moisture welled up in her eyes, stark and clear. "Not too late?" she asked. "What, do you want me to be your mistress?"

"There's no need to phrase it so harshly. It wouldn't quite be a mistress—more like mutual benefit. Honestly, Huihui, you still fascinate me quite a bit."

Lifting her hand, Cheng Hui meant to strike him, but he caught her wrist mid-air, leaving her hand suspended stiffly in the void. He Chuan's gaze grew cold and deep. "Weren't you crying and weeping in front of me just to get back together? Submitting your resume to my company—wasn't that to find me? Attracting my attention time and again, wasn't it to return to my side? I'm giving you the chance."

Hearing what sounded like a sick joke, Cheng Hui threw her head back in harsh laughter. Yanking her hand free, she stared hard at him for a long moment, suddenly finding him terrifying to her very core. Her hands couldn't stop trembling.

"Keep dreaming, Brother He Chuan. I'm not a naive little girl in her teens anymore. Why on earth would I want to get back together with you? I'd have to be out of my mind. Besides, you're not getting any younger yourself, and you can't even satisfy me anymore. What possible benefit would I see in reconciling with you?"

The corners of He Chuan's mouth curved into a mocking, ambiguous smile. "You haven't tried it recently, so how do you know I can't satisfy you?"

He Chuan was no paragon of virtue. If he hadn't touched a woman in recent years, it was purely out of a lack of interest—whereas Cheng Hui was someone who could spark countless wild imaginations in him.

Undeterred, Cheng Hui retorted, "Forget it. I'm not interested in other people's men—not in the slightest. Don't go flattering yourself. Honestly, you're not even as good as the male hostess outside just now."

He Chuan raised an eyebrow, entirely unangered. "Plenty of experience? Tried and tested?"

"And if I have?"

At that moment, He Chuan's phone rang. He let it ring for a while without answering, nor did he hang up. Glancing at the screen, he simply switched it off.

Cheng Hui said nothing, and He Chuan made no move to answer. The two of them remained in a subtle, tense standoff.

Whoever was calling him seemed relentless, dialing his number several times over.

With a meaningful smile, Cheng Hui remarked, "Someone's checking up on you, Brother He Chuan."

That title—*Brother He Chuan*—sounded grating to the ears. He Chuan certainly didn't derive any pleasure from hearing her use it.

The person calling him was Wen Liang. At this late hour, his lack of answer suggested something suspicious was afoot, which only made Wen Liang persist all the more.

The moment the call connected, Wen Liang's voice was choked with tears. "He Chuan, where are you? Why didn't you answer my calls just now?"

Irritated, He Chuan loosened his collar, his gaze fixed on Cheng Hui. Ignoring him, Cheng Hui turned on her heel and walked away; she had no desire to get entangled with him any further, knowing full well that if his fiancée found out, she would be the one to suffer.

A man like He Chuan was simply too dangerous for her to provoke anymore.

All day long, Wen Liang had been consumed by unease, particularly after He Chuan abruptly walked out of the café earlier. He hadn't explained anything, but she couldn't shake the intuition that his sudden departure was tied to Cheng Hui.

She couldn't control her runaway imagination, especially when connecting Cheng Hui to their past. Peace of mind eluded her.

She had tried calling him numerous times, and this was the only call that went through.

He Chuan didn't stop Cheng Hui from leaving, but his tone when speaking to Wen Liang grew increasingly cold and detached.

"Why aren't you asleep yet at this hour?"

"I couldn't sleep. He Chuan, are you busy?"

"Yeah, I'm out."

"Can you come over and keep me company? I'm a bit scared."

Her voice was soft and frail; men naturally found it hard to resist a woman acting vulnerable before them.

Understanding her implication, He Chuan replied, "I know."

***

Stepping out of the private room, Cheng Hui found her female colleague completely out cold. She found a waiter to help support the colleague outside, hailed a taxi, and brought the woman back to her own apartment.

As for He Chuan, she simply lacked the energy to deal with him anymore.

The colleague slept over at her place and was woken up by her the following morning. Rubbing her aching head in absolute bewilderment, she asked, "Where am I?"

"At my place. You were dead to the world from drinking last night, and I had no other choice but to haul you back here."

Nursing a headache, the colleague paused for a moment. "No wonder... how did I end up at your place? Thanks, Cheng Hui. If it weren't for you, I'd have been in serious trouble."

"Alright, enough of that. Get up and get moving, or you'll be late for work."

Cheng Hui didn't pry into what had driven the colleague to drink herself into such a state the night before. Adults all had their own troubles and insurmountable hurdles; it was fine to show weakness once in a while. Even so, it was dangerous for a young woman to drink alone.

After nagging her with a few reminders not to drink like that again—and telling her to buy alcohol to drink at home if she must—Cheng Hui watched the dazed colleague seemingly take the advice to heart. Then, recalling some painful memory, the colleague turned her face away to wipe at a tear.

Pretending not to notice, Cheng Hui patted her shoulder.

***

Having failed to get a proper night's sleep, Cheng Hui felt dizzy and lightheaded. The moment she arrived at the office and sat down at her desk, sleep threatened to overwhelm her, leaving her with no choice but to brew a cup of strong coffee to stay awake.

By lunchtime, she took a brief nap with her head down on the desk, finally managing to claw back half her vitality.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, her phone rang. A local, unfamiliar number flashed on the screen. Not thinking much of it, she answered, but heard only silence on the other end. After a few instances of "Hello?", a voice finally spoke: "Hello, Miss Cheng."

The voice sounded familiar, though Cheng Hui couldn't place it immediately.

"Who is this?"

"Don't you remember me? It's Wen Liang."

"... "

For a moment, Cheng Hui drew a blank. While she had a vague impression of the name, after racking her brain for a few seconds, she finally remembered—this was He Chuan's fiancée.

So it was her.

"Hello, Miss Wen," Cheng Hui said.

"Hello. Sorry to disturb you. Are you at work?"

Keeping her tone detached, Cheng Hui answered, "Yes, working."

"Is this a convenient time to talk? I'd like to have a brief chat with you." Wen Liang's tone sounded polite enough, devoid of any aggressive edge.

Yet Cheng Hui sensed she was coming with an agenda.

"Sorry, it's not very convenient. Besides, I don't think we have anything to talk about." Cheng Hui disliked her. Moreover, her head was pounding fiercely, and a mountain of work awaited her; she had no desire to waste time on insignificant people.

Given that Wen Liang was He Chuan's fiancée, Cheng Hui was currently inclined to push everyone associated with him away and avoid further contact.

Startled by such a blunt rejection, Wen Liang said, "I think it's necessary for us to talk, Miss Cheng. I know who you are, and since my fiancé was with you last night, I feel it's necessary for us to meet and clear the air."

Wen Liang could no longer restrain herself.

If it were any ordinary woman, it would be one thing. But Cheng Hui was different—she was He Chuan's ex, someone he had history with, and furthermore, she was the sister of He Chuan's friend.

Setting down her pen, Cheng Hui remained silent. "... "

"Miss Cheng, please don't overthink it. I don't mean anything by it; I just want to have a heart-to-heart conversation."

"... "

Remaining mute, Cheng Hui stared blankly at her computer screen for a moment, realizing she couldn't process a single word of the text before her.

She had met He Chuan last night, and by the next day, his fiancée already knew.

That was alarmingly fast.

Was his fiancée keeping tabs on him? Or had He Chuan told her himself?

"There's nothing to talk about," Cheng Hui said. "I have work to do, so I'll get back to it."

She hung up the phone. She didn't view it as running away; she simply refused to waste her time.

Moreover, after what He Chuan had said the previous night, she genuinely felt a sense of dread. She had zero interest in getting tangled up in whatever messy game he was playing; in fact, she found it repulsive.

Refusing to give up, Wen Liang had actually come straight to the office building where Cheng Hui worked to wait for her. As Cheng Hui stepped out after finishing work, Wen Liang offered a faint smile and waved at her.

At that point, ignoring her was no longer an option.

"Autumn is here," Wen Liang said. "Let me treat you to hot pot, and we can talk while we eat. Don't worry, I bear no ill will. I know about your past with my fiancé, but that's all in the past now. I came here today because there's something else I want to discuss with you."

*The weasel greeting the chicken.*

She definitely harbored no good intentions.

The thought arose unbidden in Cheng Hui's mind.

Hostility between women could stem from any number of things; Cheng Hui was no longer a child, having experienced plenty of life abroad.

"Miss Wen, let's keep it short," Cheng Hui said. "I have an appointment."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were busy, but I was out of options, which is why I sought you out."

"... "

Wen Liang beat around the bush without ever getting to the point, leaving Cheng Hui to guess her motives in the dark.

"It's too crowded here," Wen Liang said. "Let's find somewhere quiet to sit and talk."

"..."

Leading the way to a quiet corner, Wen Liang finally spoke in a measured tone: "I know you were with my fiancé last night. I saw you at the café. When He Chuan saw you, he looked a bit unnatural—I could tell."

"... "

"Miss Cheng, I heard you studied in London and returned home right after graduation. May I ask why you suddenly decided to come back?"

"Personal reasons," Cheng Hui replied.

"Then I'd like to know—did you return because of He Chuan?"

"No. I came back because my family is in Yongcheng; it has nothing to do with He Chuan."

"If that's the reason, then I can rest easy. I'm sorry, you might find it laughable, but as a woman, I'm sure you can understand me."

Her words carried a logical weight; they were understandable.

"I understand," Cheng Hui said, offering nothing more.

Seemingly playing the part of an insecure woman, Wen Liang sighed, "I'm sorry for making a fool of myself."

Feeling a tinge of awkwardness, Cheng Hui said, "It's fine, no need to apologize."

Pausing, Wen Liang continued, "I know you and He Chuan used to date, but that's all ancient history. I assume you've moved on. Since your brother and He Chuan are friends, it's inevitable that they cross paths. You don't need to avoid him out of an abundance of caution just because you're afraid I'll overthink things. We're all friends—in fact, I know your brother too. At our engagement banquet, I even asked him why you didn't show up."

"On second thought, I figured you were just trying to avoid suspicion and keep me from getting the wrong idea, which is why you stayed away."

That certainly had been a factor, though Cheng Hui kept silent, pressing her lips together.

"The past is in the past, and I'm not that petty. We're all friends here, and I know your sister-in-law as well. If we go out of our way to avoid each other, it might strain our relations. You don't need to worry about how I feel; my relationship with He Chuan is very stable. Besides, you're so pretty—if possible, I'd actually love to be friends with you. We could grab dinner or go shopping together when we're free. To be honest, I don't have many friends around me these days."

Dinner dates were entirely unnecessary.

Cheng Hui had no desire to share meals with her. Still, she could understand Wen Liang's rationale—it was likely a preemptive strike to ensure she and He Chuan didn't rekindle their old flame.

That was the only logical interpretation.

Yet she had no such intentions. She had zero interest in other people's men.

Especially men who were on the verge of getting married.

With a smile, Cheng Hui said, "Sure."

***

Over at the Cheng residence.

The house was brightly lit. Mrs. Cheng rested in her room until Mr. Cheng returned home, after which she came downstairs.

Washing his hands, Mr. Cheng asked, "How are you feeling today? Is your health any better?"

Mrs. Cheng sat down on the sofa. "We need to sort out Cheng Hui's marriage as soon as possible."

"What marriage?"

"She needs to settle down early. I introduced her to the son of a friend—the same young man you mentioned earlier. His background is solid, he's very capable, and he has a strong sense of responsibility. I know his mother, too, and he's a great match for Cheng Hui."

Recalling the matter, Mr. Cheng said, "Cheng Hui didn't seem to get along with that young man."

"They can cultivate feelings. We need to arrange things now."

"Aren't you afraid Cheng Hui won't be happy about it?"

"Unhappy? What does she have to be unhappy about? I haven't even lost my temper yet; she has no right to throw tantrums." Thinking of Cheng Hui talking back to her at the café reignited Mrs. Cheng's anger. "To prevent any complications, she either goes abroad to study for her master's degree or gets engaged immediately. I will never allow her to get tangled up with He Chuan again."

"Why bring up He Chuan out of nowhere? Didn't he already get engaged? They're getting married at the end of the year."

"They aren't married yet, are they? Besides, he's full of schemes. What if something goes wrong? What would happen to Cheng Hui then? She's inexperienced and young; it's far too easy for her to be deceived."