"Come come come! EVERYBODY! Let's toast a cup for this meeting!"

Qi Yuan first offers a toast and everyone follow suit. The group of men have been having the time of their life in a high-class private room in Yuan Ding Lou, accompanied with expensive dishes and great wine.

These merchants from the neighbouring cities are very impressed by Qi Yuan's hosting hospitality and grew more liking towards him. Everyone seems to be planning to maintain a good relationship with Qi Yuan, attempting to gain more favors.

However, these merchants are unaware of Qi Yuan's real identity and assume he is just one of the high-ranked officials that is kind enough to look at them, the lowly status of a merchant. The more they drink, they begin to engage in discussing matters from business, politics to woman. Slowly, they start to let loose themselves, soon revealing their true self.

"Come on! Let's drink one more cup!"

Before they continue their drunk state of drinking that cup of wine, the doors open with a loud bang and an uninvited guest brought their attention away from the cup.

"Qi Yuan ... What are you doing here?"

Ai Le look at the messy room filled with a bunch of men intoxicated with alcohol in their system, then she turn her head to focus on him, only him. She look into his eyes knowing that he is faking his drunk state.

"Why did you not appear?" She asked.

"W..Why should I?" Qi Yuan slurred over his words.

"You knew that today it's my birthday! How can you ignore my invitation?"

"Oh ... Today is your birthday? Ah .... Then, congrats to you."

Ignoring Ai Le who is standing beside him, Qi Yuan continue to entertain the newly made friends and the quiet room soon filled with laughter. Ai Le stare at him, holding back her tears to not show a sign of weakness.

"Qi Yuan, let's go now. If we leave now, we can still make it!" Ai Le switched her mode to a smiley face.

Shrugging off the hands held onto his arm, he look at her irritatedly.

"Ai Le, I do not want to go and you cannot force me to. I am tired of your antics."

"C-come on! Don't be a temperamental child! Look .... I promise this time round it is a very special event that I created for you! You will not be disappointed and I believe you will like it!"

Ai Le begged Qi Yuan with a puppy eyes, filled with excitement and anticipation that tempts Qi Yuan to follow her. This is the usual tactics that she use to make Qi Yuan give in and most of the time, it works.

However, something seems different and Qi Yuan harshly pull her hands off him, putting a distance between them. Unlike the usual him, this time round Ai Le felt that heartless cold reaction from him which freeze her mind.

"Ai Le, are you that desperate for a man? Okay fine, come come! Anyone wants to accompany this beautiful lady to celebrate her birthday?"

Qi Yuan turn to look at the bunch of man sitting around the table. The drunk men raise their hands high up into the air to let Qi Yuan pick them as though it is a game, chanting 'I' continously, hoping to be the lucky one.

Most of them are fascinated by the beauty of Ai Le, though she is not the most beautiful woman on earth but she is definitely a cute beauty that grabs hold of the male attention.

"Me me me ! Pick me!" Merchant Meng excited promote himself.

The moment Ai Le enters the room, his attention has never been deviated from her. He sincerely wants to spend the time with this beauty to make her smile with happiness, replacing that sorrow face she is making.

Glancing over the candidates, Qi Yuan finally make a decision.

"It shall be you then! Merchant Meng! It's your time to shine and capture the heart of the beauty!"

Qi Yuan slurs with a lazy attitude while Ai Le felt humiliated by his actions. Never in her entire life she has been treated by Qi Yuan in such a hurtful way. Refusing to acknowledge the reality, Ai Le chant in her head with resolute belief that this is just his way to make her give up, he is not going to actually push her into another man's arm.

Closing her eyes to calm herself down but Qi Yuan did not give her time, instead he grab her skinny arm and push her close to Merchant Meng. With a sudden motion like this, Ai Le trip over her feet, and crash into the chest of this unknown stranger.

Merchant Meng, although he is drunk, he used all his strength to hold onto this beauty to ensure her safety. With that natural womanly scent and a beautiful outfit that suits Ai Le, his eyes is filled with only her, infatuated with the desire of wanting to know her.

"Since everyone is having fun, I shall take my leave as I feel a bit giddy. Then, have a good night!"

Qi Yuan bid his farewell hastily like he is trying to escape from something, ignoring the sight of the stone-like Ai Le who remained in the arms of Merchant Meng by the side of his eyes. Once he disappear from the vision of the merchants, his face transits from a drunktard to an awaken dangerous gaze of an angry wolf.

Unable to react, Ai Le seems to lose her sanity and now she is like an empty doll leaning onto the chest of a stranger like a docile porcelain doll. In her mind, she replayed the scene of Qi Yuan pushing her to another man, again and again.

Then, she slowly drift off to the anticipated vision of tonight with Qi Yuan appearing at the agreed meetup point, looking at her with annoyance for her invitation. She will smile and run towards him, grabbing his hands to stand closer to the lake. With her signal, the servants and maid will release the folded lotus paper with a lighted candle onto the water.

Bringing the sight of a lake filled with candles of light, brighten the darkness surrounding them, she will then coax him to release the paper lotus with a lighted candle with her, making a wish that will be granted by the Water Deity.

Probably he will laugh at her childishness of believing god, and she will accompany him with her silly laughter. Afterwards, she will lead him to the well-decorated boat and row to the well-known water pavilion restaurant for dinner as a celebration of her birthday.

However, everything has become an illusion of a fantasy world that she created, with that devouring greed and overbearing love she harbor.

The harshful and heartless words used against her despite lowering down her stand to make him happy.

The love that she holds come crashing down which mentally block her off from reality, and finally, her mind has officially shut down. Locking herself into a cage, filled with darkness and emptiness.

She once believed that she can accept everything that Qi Yuan does to her.

If he was to tell her that he doesn't love her, it's okay because she can love him.

If he was to tell her that he wants a mistress, it's okay she will live harmoniously with her.

If he was to tell her to kill somebody, it's okay she will do it for him.

If he was to tell her that he wants to use her, it's okay she will be his pawn for his goals.

Only now, she realised her line of boundaries: She cannot accept if he were to push her to another man.

He can use her, hurt her, disgrace her, but never abandon her.

Never in her life, Ai Le has been treated this way by Qi Yuan. Yes, he often display his annoyance and temper, often saying mean things to hurt her feelings, but he never once did anything so extreme.

Ai Le, who is having a mental shut-down, can't react to anybody else.

Merchant Meng forcefully wakes himself up from the alcohol as he notice the abnormal behavior of Ai Le. Carefully, he pull her to sit down on the chair, attempting to gather her attention. Zhu Zhu, who finally appear at the door after trying to catch up with her master, saw her master sitting on a chair with a bunch of men surrounding her.

In anger, she ran into the room and push away Merchant Meng who is squatting down, close to her master. Grabbing hold of Ai Le by her wrist, she pull her master out of the room and did not forget to give a devil stare at this bunch of men, especially Merchant Meng.

"We will not let go of this matter easily." Zhu Zhu shouted at the drunktards in the room.

Zhu Zhu finally pull her master out of the restaurant, and waited for the arranged carriage to bring them home. With a silent mood, only now she realised something is wrong with her master.

"Ai Le Jun Zhu?"

There is no response from Ai Le as she stares into the empty space in the air, with no soul in her eyes, reflecting the despair she is facing and the shut-down she created. Zhu Zhu's eyes filled with fear as her master is not behaving like the usual.

Something must have happened!

"Ai Le Jun Zhu! Jun Zhu! What happen? Please answer me! Did something bad happened?"

Ai Le remain still like an obedient doll, not reacting to the rough shaking movement on her shoulders and the loud piercing questioning at her ears by her maid. Giving her master a heartfelt hug, she realised that Ai Le's body is as cold as ice.

Just in time, the carriage arrived and Zhu Zhu assisted Ai Le inside, hurriedly order the horse-carriage man to return back to the manor.

Meanwhile, 2 hidden figures reappeared under the light, emerge out of the hidden dark alley right beside Yuan Ding Lou. The man with bright red-eyes, filled with a menacing look on his face and an intimidating aura which tensed the atmosphere, almost suffocating Qing Feng who is standing close to him.

"Why did she appear there?"

"I think she got her servant to find out your whereabouts Master."

Despite answering his questions, Qing Feng knew that this suffocating aura is not going to be released any sooner. He can't help but to wonder why did his master react so strongly to this.

After a short moment of silence, Qi Yuan finally open his golden mouth.

"Which arm did he touch her?"

"Eh? Sorry what?"

"I order you to cripple any parts of his body that touch the single fine hair of hers."

Qing Feng remain quiet as he is unsure whether to answer yes or no. Being present during the whole incident, as a man who study about man-and-woman love through books and novels to gain insights of a romantic relationship, the only conclusion he derived was:

His master chose the wrong action.

It is his master who chose to destroy that anticipation of a woman who is in love with him, wanting to create a surprise to celebrate the moments of her important life event with him.

It is also his master, who single-handedly pushed her to another man's arm, then leave the room heartlessly without even looking back at her.

Though he is a beginner in love, he knew that no lady can withstand such a humiliation and hurtful action from the man she loved. If it was to be Yu-ji, he would never let-

"Am I deaf or are you mute?" Qi Yuan angrily asked, abruptly interrupt Qing Feng's thoughts.

"Y-yes master."

_____________________________________

Ai Le - 忘羨真可愛

Ugh... my heart for Ai Le ... why did I have to put her through this???

Oh well.. BONUS CHAPTER!

So that all my readers can heal over Ai Le's painful love together with me through the weekend.It also allows me to have a better understanding of how people think about this story.

Nevertheless, I appreciate who voted and support my story by adding them into your favorite 'reading list'

MUACKS♥

萌萌噠♥

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