Dew Turns White from This Night

Chapter 18

Whistling lazily, Lin Ziyan pushed open the door to "Sofia."

"Sofia" was a quiet bar. The lighting was just right, not too disorienting to lose one's sense of direction. As soon as he walked in, the soft music enveloped his ears.

"I heard you often pass by my alley; I heard you're gone; I heard you fell in love with me..."

Lin Ziyan suddenly thought of Susan. He and she were like an unsolvable equation; for every step he took forward, she took one back. She said she married the sky, thus giving herself an excuse to travel the world.

A reason to fly.

Fang Ying worked as an interpreter, often traveling abroad with leaders, flying on the same flights as Susan, where they would meet in the sky, sharing the same blue sky and wisps of clouds, unlike him, stuck in this city's gloom, only looking up.

Fang Ying was married, and Susan was not willing to get involved, but she expressed her pursuit in this way. When he came, she served him hot tea; when he left, she bid him farewell with a smile. Beyond that, she wouldn't even take the warmth of an embrace.

At thousands of feet in the air, I love you from above the clouds, adding a beautiful touch of thin oxygen.

With a self-deprecating smile, Lin Ziyan walked towards the bar. He thought that tonight, Youyan's appearance had jolted him, reminding him of the emotions lurking in his heart for years.

Upon closer inspection, he was startled to see three men at the bar.

All dressed with exquisite taste, radiating elegance, they were chatting and sipping drinks, no wonder all the women's eyes in the room were focused on them.

The foreign devil and the surgeon were one thing, but the man in the middle, with his slightly squinted eyes, both charming and handsome, was none other than his boss, Gu Ye Bai.

He quickly approached Gu Ye Bai, pointing with a trembling hand, "Why are you here?"

Gu Ye Bai's expression remained unchanged, not even lifting his eyes from his drink, embodying the epitome of cool.

The man next to him slid a drink over, laughing, "Ziyan's here too."

"Hey, A Sao," Lin Ziyan casually greeted, then started drinking.

Don Juan didn't get annoyed, tapping his fingers on the table. The foreign man at his side couldn't hold back his laughter, "Ziyan, why do you always call Don Juan 'A Sao'? That's such an ugly name for a man."

"Damn foreigner, get out of here! Don Juan understands, read some books, get some education, don't just focus on marrying wives. Being friends with you is an insult to our intelligence," Lin Ziyan said with a smirk, acting superior.

Frankie snorted, scooping up an ice cube and throwing it, missing his target, it flew towards Don Juan and Gu Ye Bai. Don Juan smiled, dodging lightly, while Gu Ye Bai's eyes turned cold, catching and then throwing the ice cube back into Lin Ziyan's glass. The drink splashed, wetting Lin Ziyan's face and hair.

Lin Ziyan collapsed in defeat.

The other two burst into laughter. Don Juan said, "That was quite a roundabout way, but the result was successful."

Lin Ziyan was furious, lunging at Frankie, but Gu Ye Bai's indifferent voice stopped him, "Ziyan, why aren't you sleeping? What are you messing around with here?"

Lin Ziyan retorted, "Boss, shouldn't you be the one going home to wash up and sleep? You have an early flight tomorrow."

Gu Ye Bai's brows slightly furrowed, "I thought we agreed you'd be the one going tomorrow?"

Lin Ziyan banged his head on the bar counter, agitated, "Didn't I drink for Youyan? You can't be so heartless. Frankie, Don Juan, judge for yourselves, how can he do this? A gentleman's promise, and here I was, stuffing Youyan into his car—"

His rant was interrupted by Gu Ye Bai's calm, dismissive voice.

"I've contacted the deputy mayor of S City. You won't have any issues tomorrow." The man raised his sharp eyes, "Xiao Dong, this round is on me! Make sure everyone enjoys themselves."

The young bartender laughed, "Alright!"

Gu Ye Bai nodded to Don Juan and the others, then left with a swift movement.

Lin Ziyan slumped onto the bar, petrified and ignored, feeling utterly wronged.

Don Juan and Frankie exchanged a smile. Don Juan said, "Ziyan, it seems something quite interesting happened tonight. Let's analyze it, see what you did to offend our President Gu."

Lin Ziyan raised his eyebrows and began to rant, finishing with a bang on the table, shouting, "Gu Ye Bai, that little devil!"

Frankie frowned, "So, you meant well, but your boss—"

Don Juan gave a cold laugh, "So, Lu Youyan has returned."

"Lu Youyan, why does that name sound so familiar?" Frankie pondered.

Lin Ziyan, irritated, said, "She's my boss's ex from four years ago. Four years ago, you were still selling bootlegs in Israel, why would you find it familiar?"

Frankie got angry, grabbing Lin Ziyan's shirt, "When did I ever sell bootlegs?"

Don Juan shrugged, deciding to ignore this pointless conversation, following Gu Ye Bai's example by leaving.

But Lin Ziyan held him back, "A Sao, finish what you were saying."

Don Juan said indifferently, "Ziyan, your 'good intentions' are what messed things up."

Lin Ziyan was enraged, and Frankie laughed, patting his shoulder.

"You think Ye Bai didn't want to send her himself, or even let you do it? Since she left cleanly back then, would she honestly reveal her address now? Ye Bai doesn't care, but you, being close to him, if she's just randomly passed to an unknown junior, would she let her guard down?

"It's not certain this would reveal her whereabouts, but Ye Bai was betting on an opportunity and her being off-guard. And you've completely ruined it. No wonder Old Xu from the society texted me earlier saying Ye Bai wanted to look into someone, I was curious who it could be, now it makes sense."

Lin Ziyan was shocked, "You're saying, about Youyan—"

Don Juan gave a lazy smile, "Who can see clearly into Ye Bai's heart? Maybe even he's in turmoil right now. The drink he ordered from Xiao Dong was over 75-proof vodka. For a man, what Youyan did—" He shook his head, ending with a touch of melancholy.

"He's gone mad, might as well have a shot of Spirytus, and be done with it in a few gulps," Lin Ziyan sneered.

Frankie suddenly asked, "Is this Youyan the first woman for Gu?"

Don Juan shook his head, "No. His first woman had a complicated background. But I can guarantee, Lu Youyan is the first woman he fell in love with."

Frankie sighed, "For a man, there might only be one woman who drives him mad in his lifetime."

"And that's only if he's lucky enough to meet her," Don Juan added.

Lin Ziyan wanted to laugh but found his throat bitter, losing the urge to laugh. He checked his watch; it was just past 2 AM.

Of course, he didn't know that less than 10 hours remained before Gu Ye Bai would meet Youyan again.

PS: Spirytus, a vodka from Poland, distilled 70 times, reaching 96% alcohol content; even a small sip can be harmful. Perhaps this is the liquor of love.