Chapter 5
Yu Le was trapped in a deep dream, where an invisible giant beast tightly entangled him, forcing him to experience a whole night of uncontrollable rising and sinking with immense pain.
Just as he struggled to the surface for air, he was pulled back under the water by the waves.
The beast was insatiable, devouring every inch of his flesh and blood. He was terrified beyond measure, desperately trying to escape and call for help, but his throat was blocked by the torrents of water rushing from all directions…
Light struggled through the gap in the curtains, dispersing the darkness, and Yu Le gradually awoke from the nightmare, slowly opening his eyes.
What met his gaze was a completely unfamiliar face.
The short, cropped hair exposed the man’s features to their fullest extent. His chiseled, angular face had prominent brow bones, a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, and a faint scar on the right side of his forehead.
Even with his eyes closed, the face’s high aesthetic value was undeniable.
Yu Le’s mind went blank.
He stared blankly at the face, his sleepiness peeling away like a cicada shedding its shell. As fragmented memories flowed into his mind, a chill ran from his spine up to the back of his head.
Last night, did he do it with someone?
With a stranger he had never met before?
He had a one-night stand?
Beneath the covers lay two bodies entwined without a stitch of clothing, their warmth perfectly matched. The other person’s iron-like arms were still wrapped around his waist.
Yu Le had the clearest, yet still vague, memory of these hands.
They were the most detestable accomplices, having held his wrists, shoulders, hips, and even the back of his knees, helping their owner pin him down on the bed.
Yet, they were also the most hardworking, enduring laborers. After a long ordeal, when he was half-asleep and crying out in pain, they massaged his back for half the night.
“……”
Yu Le’s scalp tingled, refusing to face reality. He struggled to turn away from the man’s embrace, moved to the edge of the bed, and picked up the crumpled clothes on the floor to put them on.
His whole body felt as though it had been crushed repeatedly, causing him to misjudge his physical strength. As soon as he got up, he clumsily fell to the floor.
The room was carpeted with a thick layer, but Yu Le still grimaced and winced, unable to stand up for a while.
Fortunately, the person in bed was sleeping soundly, with no signs of waking up.
Yu Le sighed with relief. He had no desire to have a post-one-night-stand conversation, and it was best if they went their separate ways and never met again.
Once he regained enough strength, he managed to stand by supporting himself on the edge of the bed, not forgetting to leave his expensive watch on the nightstand. He then hurriedly returned to his own room, clutching his nearly broken back.
Not wanting to be seen as a small duck, his first step was to take the initiative.
Returning to his room, he locked the door and took a moment to calm down. He then pulled out a clean set of clothes and went into the bathroom. He removed the now unwearable shirt and looked at his disheveled appearance in the full-length mirror that covered almost an entire wall.
On his pale skin, bruises and marks were scattered all over, especially on his neck and waist, leaving a horrific sight that was almost unbearable to look at.
Yu Le felt like crying as he recalled the intensity of last night’s experience, still haunted by it.
Was that person a reincarnated wolf?
What kind of earthly suffering was this? He was already developing a psychological scar from the incident.
Losing his virginity in such a confusing manner was quite frustrating, but knowing he was at fault, he could only comfort himself repeatedly, “I’m an adult now, it’s not a big deal.”
Taking a deep breath and reflecting on that face, he reassured himself that it was not a loss.
Unsure when the person would wake up or if they would come looking for him, Yu Le quickly finished packing, grabbed his room card and luggage, and checked out as fast as he could.
After stowing his luggage in the trunk, he only felt truly relieved when he was seated in the back of a taxi.
“Young man, where to?” the driver asked.
“South City—” Yu Le swallowed the word. He hesitated and changed his destination, “Never mind, please take me to the nearest hospital.”
When Lu Yao woke up, he found himself alone in the room.
The curtains were half-drawn, and the floor was littered with his clothes—his expensive shirt and tailored suit were so wrinkled they were unrecognizable.
The warmth had already left the quilt beside him. Lu Yao sat up in bed, frowning as he looked around, unable to find any trace of the other person.
His gaze landed on a silver men’s watch lying quietly on the nightstand.
He averted his eyes, pressed his fingers against his temples, and got out of bed. He picked up his phone from the floor and dialed his assistant’s number, heading toward the bathroom.
“Mr. Lu, is there something you need?” the assistant asked.
“Hmm, I need you to pull up the guest information for all rooms on the 20th floor from last night and send it to my phone.”
“Okay,” the assistant noted, then asked, “Mr. Lu, is there anything else?”
“Contact the hotel security and have them delete the surveillance footage from the 20th floor last night.”
After ending the call, Lu Yao felt a slight sting on his face and turned to look in the mirror.
A long scratch marked his right cheek, stretching from his cheekbone diagonally down to his lower cheek. Even after more than ten hours, the mark was still vivid, as if freshly made.
Yu Le underwent a full-body examination at the hospital. Everything else seemed fine, but the two tests he was most concerned about would only have results in two weeks.
The blood draw and ECG required him to roll up his sleeve, exposing the bruises all over his body, which made the nurses cast worried glances at him, as if they were concerned about what kind of abuse he might have suffered.
Fearing they might ask if he needed legal assistance, Yu Le quickly took his report and left the hospital.
He took a taxi again, this time heading to the Southern City Bus Station.
Daiwa Town, located in the remote Daiwa Mountains, was nearly five hours by car from Xuancheng. Since Yu Le wasn’t driving, the bus was his only option.
The bus was definitely slower than driving himself, likely taking close to six hours.
There was no trunk on the bus, so luggage had to be stored in a space at the side of the vehicle. Yu Le’s back and legs ached as he struggled to lift his luggage into the compartment.
Fortunately, a young man who looked to be around his age helped him out by supporting the weight and putting the luggage in place.
Yu Le patted his hands.
“Thanks.”
“It’s nothing, just a small favor.”
The young man waved off the thanks and, as he turned to board the bus, Yu Le noticed the Xuanda University emblem on his backpack.
It wasn’t June yet, so it seems Xuanda’s vacation started quite early.
Yu Le had never taken a long-distance bus before. Although he was initially curious, the moment he stepped into the bus, any sense of novelty vanished.
The mix of odors—food, seats, luggage, and years of accumulated smells—hit his nose. There was even a lingering, stale cigarette smell from a loud talker.
Yu Le felt like he was suffocating.
He held his breath, quickly found an empty window seat in the back row, and opened the window to breathe in the fresh air outside.
Since there weren’t many buses into the mountains, the bus would only depart once all the seats were filled. Yu Le leaned wearily against the window, feeling exhausted.
His phone buzzed with a message from Yan Jia, asking if he had gotten up and if he needed a ride to the station.
Yu Le glanced at the time and realized it was only 12:30. He had thought it was at least one or two o’clock.
Yu Le: 【No need, I’m already on the bus.】
Yan Jia: 【So soon? You didn’t even give me a heads-up! /angry】
Yu Le: 【It’s not a weekend, just focus on your work, big boss.】
Yan Jia: 【/angry face】
Yan Jia: 【How did you sleep last night?】
“……”
Good friends always bring up the most awkward topics.
Yu Le hesitated with his phone for a moment but ultimately decided not to tell Yan Jia about last night.
There were two reasons: he didn’t want Yan Jia to feel guilty, and he found the situation too embarrassing.
It was better to keep it to himself than to explain how he had accidentally ended up in the wrong room and had a one-night stand, almost being killed in bed. It would be more straightforward to just keep it buried.
After all, he wouldn’t be seeing that person again. It was better to let it remain a secret.
The last person to board was a large woman carrying a big backpack.
The large woman sat down in the empty seat next to Yu Le, making exaggerated movements with every action. Her backpack bumped into him several times, and he couldn’t tell what was inside, but it made his elbows tingle.
With all the seats taken, the bus finally started moving.
Before they had even left the station, the woman patted Yu Le on the shoulder, “Young man, close the window. I’m getting cold; I can’t stand the draft.”
Her accent was very strong, and Yu Le didn’t understand, “What?”
To his surprise, the woman’s expression changed instantly when she heard his voice. She frowned and said angrily, “Why does your voice sound so hoarse? Have you caught a cold? Oh, you’d better find a coat or something to cover up. I haven’t been feeling well for a few days!”
Without waiting for Yu Le to respond, she reached over him and slammed the window shut.
Yu Le: “……”
With the only source of fresh air gone, the stale air began to seep in from all directions. Yu Le’s nose started to swell, and he felt a wave of nausea.
It had been ages since he last got car sick.
Although the mask didn’t block out the smells, it was better than nothing. Yu Le put it on, afraid he might throw up. He avoided looking at his phone and just rested his eyes against the back of the seat.
The bus was noisy with constant chatter and children’s screams. Yu Le couldn’t understand what was being discussed, and he felt both exhausted and sleepy. After maintaining one position for too long, even his fingers grew lazy. In such a dreadful environment, he actually fell into a drowsy sleep.
The mountain roads were rough, and the bus became increasingly bumpy as it ventured deeper.
The constant noise inside the bus, with adults talking and children screaming, was overwhelming. Yu Le furrowed his brow, struggling to find rest amidst the commotion, but his heavy eyelids wouldn’t allow him to stay awake.
He hadn’t anticipated the journey into the mountains would be so grueling.
The half-asleep state seemed to last forever, and Yu Le didn’t realize they had reached Daiwa Town until the driver had to call out twice to alert the passengers.
Otherwise, his destination might have had to be changed to the next town.
The bus stopped at each town along the way for a few minutes, allowing passengers to get off, use the restroom, or buy food and drinks.
Yu Le went to retrieve his suitcase and noticed with some surprise that his suitcase, which should have been inside, had been moved to the outermost spot at the edge.
It was probably taken out by someone who had exited earlier and then returned incorrectly. Yu Le didn’t think much of it.
The driver honked to hurry the remaining passengers onto the bus.
Yu Le shook his groggy head, dragged his suitcase out with some effort, closed it, and turned towards the town, determined to find a place to stay quickly as it was getting late.
