Reluctantly Willing

When An Xiaoyan woke up with a headache, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. There was a blanket over him. Thinking back to what happened yesterday, bits and pieces flooded back into his mind.

He might have said many things to Chen Chen that he shouldn't have said. As for what it was, he couldn't remember. His face stung. An Xiaoyan touched it. There seemed to be something in the corners of his eyes. He suddenly remembered how he'd cried before Chen Chen yesterday.

He sighed softly. Rolling over, he got off the sofa and took out his phone. It was September 18th, 11 a.m.

There weren't many people at the clubhouse in the morning. No one noticed when An Xiaoyan returned to his room. Thinking that he had to drink again at night, he took out a box of medicine from the drawer. After swallowing a few pills, he carried clean clothes into the bathroom.

Taking off the clothes sullied by alcohol, An Xiaoyan stared at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were sunken from the change in schedule and his skin was waxy and lifeless. Looking down, the dark purple mark at his collarbone was still there. He touched it lightly. It didn't hurt anymore, but he could still remember how he'd been beaten up that night.

He forced a smile, but it looked so ugly. An Xiaoyan aimed the showerhead at him, wanting to wash off the dirt. He'd never felt so dirty before.

————

After Liu Cheng was taught a lesson by Liu Lian, he'd stayed inside his home. Nothing happened on those days and Gu Jun didn't come for him, so he gradually regained his freedom.

"Director, Peace Maternity Hospital and some other staff say there's a party today. They want to invite you."

Liu Cheng looked up from his document. He'd just gotten past his dad's "dangerous period." It probably wouldn't be appropriate to go out like this. He weighed the pros and cons. There wasn't anything bad about going to connect with people in the hospital. He should ask his dad.

"Dad, should I go to another hospital's dinner?"

Liu Lian didn't even care about what his son was talking about. He was already happy that his son would ask him for his opinion and no longer act impulsively.

"Sure. I won't interfere in your hospital matters. This is a good chance. Go see more of the world. It'll help you with managing the hospital."

After getting the message, Liu Cheng's assistant went to prepare. Liu Cheng knew he had to drink during this dinner, so he took some hangover pills. This way, he wouldn't get drunk and reveal anything.

"Director, it's at the Night Charm Luxurious Clubhouse."

"Okay."

Liu Cheng wasn't that serious of a guy privately and his assistant wasn't scared of him. He started chatting with the director while driving.

"This time, the Peace Maternity Hospital really went all-out this time. They're actually going to Night Charm for the dinner. Your average man can't afford a place like that."

"No, no. In the business field, the host has to take care of his reputation so people don't criticize him later. If I'm going to host a dinner in the future, I'll have to go somewhere at the same level as the Night Charm."

The assistant nodded. He'd learned something.

The car came to a stop before the Night Charm. Liu Cheng told the assistant to pick him up at night and then went in.

Everyone in the room was an elite member of their hospitals. Many had started off as mere doctors and worked up to the director position. Very few became directors because of their families like Liu Cheng. Seeing him so young, they all felt a bit jealous.

When Liu Cheng entered, he sensed that something was off with the atmosphere. Some of the older doctors looked upset. He quickly understood the situation.

"Seniors, you are all brilliant figures of the medical field. I am still ignorant of many things and hope you all will guide me in the future."

Some of the angry doctors relaxed a bit at the modest attitude. This youngster seemed quite polite.

"Since everyone's here, let's sit down," said the one with the most seniority from the Peace Maternity Hospital. Everyone sat down and started eating.

"Director Liu, you're already so accomplished at your young age. You'll have a bright future." The director of a small hospital raised his glass to Liu Cheng.

Since the man was older and Liu Cheng didn't know how to reject him, so he downed his glass to show his sincerity.

The others saw from afar that Liu Cheng was straightforward and all raised their glasses. More than half of the group surged over instantly. They weren't just interested in the advanced equipment in Hua Kang Hospital. They were more interested in the Liu family's power. It was harder than before for a family to rise up. It was practically impossible to receive help from another family.

"Director Liu, please accept my toast as well."

"Me too! Director Liu, please don't forget about me."

Glass after glass went down his throat. After seven or eight glasses, Liu Cheng couldn't take it anymore. He obviously couldn't go against this army alone. He made an excuse and slipped to the hospital to throw up.

On the way back, Liu Cheng thought he'd taken the same path, but after a few turns, he realized he was wrong. The place got more lavish as he went. The music and noise streamed clearly from the cracks in the door.

Just as he was about to return, he heard from somewhere, "Drink, drink. Don't stop."

Liu Cheng thought that it was just a group having fun, so he paid no heed. Just as he continued walking, a shout caught his attention. If he listened closely, he could also hear things like "drink it all" and "the money's all yours." This piqued his curiosity. Was there some event?

He was unwilling, but his feet walked towards the source of the voice. He came to a room. The noise had come from here.

The music inside was deafening, so no one noticed him enter. Liu Cheng saw someone with his back to him. The man was downing alcohol while the crowd stuffed money into his clothes.

Liu Cheng despised meaningless games like these. So what if you can drink? What's so cool about that? Drinking also harmed the body. People who used alcohol to earn money were fools. A proper job at least wouldn't destroy their bodies.

The man at the center of the stage was still gulping down alcohol. Seeing him like this, Liu Cheng couldn't help but be curious as to whom he was. He moved to the side of the crowd. He only saw half a face before he was pushed aside. There were so many people jostling around. It was difficult to get a look.

Liu Cheng moved to the fringe of the crowd, getting away from the people. When he saw half of the man's face, he was shocked. He seemed to know that person!

But no, he must be mistaken. How could that person be in this place? It must be someone who looked similar. Despite his thoughts, Liu Cheng's legs still led him to keep walking. He wanted to see the man's face clearly.