Hu Li had just regained consciousness for a moment, but then he started to feel unbearably hot again, and his awareness became increasingly unclear. Cai Cai spoke to him several times, but he didn't respond. He had already torn off several buttons of his clean white shirt, revealing his strong chest muscles. Seeing this made Cai Cai's heart race and her face flush.
Seeing the right moment, Cai Cai supported Hu Li, and with the help of a waiter who had been waiting for her, they assisted Hu Li into a hidden bedroom within a suite on the fourth floor. This secretive room was specially prepared for guests under special circumstances, just like this one with Cai Cai.
After getting Hu Li onto the bed, Cai Cai handed the waiter a thick stack of money, asking him to leave. She then sat at the bedside, gently wiping the sweat off Hu Li's forehead as if he were a cherished treasure.
"Hu Li, don't blame me. You forced me to do this," Cai Cai whispered resolutely, then took a bath towel and went to the bathroom. The sound of running water echoed continuously from the bathroom. Suddenly, Hu Li, who had been mostly unconscious, opened his eyes. His pupils were tinged with a sensual redness, but there was still a hint of clarity shining through.
Fighting the weakness in his body, he took out his phone and said, "Bring people in, but be silent."
"Yes, Master."
Moments later, the bodyguard who had gone to buy flowers and the one who had gone to retrieve the coat quietly entered the room. They were followed by the waiter who had helped Cai Cai bring Hu Li here. The waiter now looked disheveled, with a bruised and swollen face, subdued and compliant.
The two bodyguards saw Hu Li drenched in sweat and weakened, and while deeply concerned, they remained calm. The bodyguard who had retrieved the coat took a small bottle of yellow liquid from a box he was holding and handed it to Hu Li. "Master, this is the antidote."
After drinking the antidote, Hu Li closed his eyes for a few seconds and then clearly felt the heat within him gradually dissipating, and his limbs slowly regained their previous agility. Hu Li glanced at the bathroom with a complex expression. He understood that the two bodyguards, who were frequently glancing at the bathroom, had already placed Cai Cai on a blacklist. With just a nod from him, they would use every torturous method they had learned in their training.
"You wait outside."
The two bodyguards hesitated for a moment, then silently left. Hu Li got off the bed and moved his entire body. Standing in front of the large mirror facing the bed, he tidied his disheveled clothes. Leaning against the soft bedhead, he waited for Cai Cai.
In the bathroom, Cai Cai was busy using fragrant shower gel, scrubbing her entire body. Her mind was already filled with fantasies and expectations.
Hu Li didn't like being touched by people, especially women. Although she was his friend and confidant, her physical contact with Hu Li had never exceeded five times.
Hu Li's body temperature was unusually cold, which she knew. During their limited contact, she had been frostbitten a few times. That was because she had been too excited and impulsively hugged Hu Li, causing it.
Turning off the hot water, Cai Cai examined herself from head to toe in the mirror. Due to the steam, her originally fair and smooth skin had a tempting pink hue, and a faint, alluring fragrance wafted from her.
Taking a deep breath, Cai Cai confidently walked out, draped in a bath towel.
When she looked towards Hu Li on the bed, she was stunned and disbelievingly said, "How are you awake?" Instinctively, her small lotus-like feet moved backward. This was her natural reaction upon seeing Hu Li.
Hu Li didn't rush to question Cai Cai. Instead, he wore a perfect, charming smile, simply watching her panic.
The longer the silence, the more Cai Cai's body trembled, and her eyes filled with fear. She didn't even notice her towel slipping off.
"You have a nice figure, just the right curves," Hu Li commented, looking Cai Cai up and down as if she were an object.
Shamed and angry, Cai Cai snapped out of it, quickly picking up the towel to wrap herself tightly. Fear and humiliation made her tears flow like a river. "Stop looking... don't look at me like I'm a prostitute."
Stolen story; please report.
Hu Li, settling into a more comfortable position, sarcastically smiled, "Should I treat you like a saint then?" His eyes seemed to say, "Are you even worthy?"
Cai Cai's last glimmer of hope shattered. She had hoped that Hu Li, considering their years of friendship, would spare her. But now, his every word dripped with sarcasm, and his gaze was contemptuous, making her feel like nothing more than a shameless whore. "You forced me to do this. I did it because I love you... Please don't look at me with those eyes, I can't bear it..."
"Don't justify your actions with love. It only makes me look down on you even more. I can let this slide, but I hope there won't be a next time."
Throughout, Cai Cai, who sat on the floor, stared blankly at the bed Hu Li had just occupied. When Hu Li slammed the door and left, she screamed in anguish, wanting to release all the fear and humiliation she had endured tonight, being rejected by the one she loved, becoming a laughingstock. She hated, she was angry, she was embarrassed, she was frightened.
Receiving a call from her younger brother, Cai Cai's last bit of strength crumbled. She cried in agony, struggling to catch her breath. Her brother, alarmed, tried to comfort her and inquire about what had happened, driving towards the entertainment city. Cai Cai was too preoccupied with her tears to provide any details, leaving her brother to speculate.
He wasn't surprised; this scenario had been within his realm of speculation. With Hu Li as the adversary, success and failure were equally probable, making the outcome unpredictable.
Watching his sister struggle in matters of the heart, he hoped that this incident would either give her a chance or serve as a wake-up call, urging her to be clear-headed and choose her own happiness.
He felt a mix of relief and anxiety. He believed his resilient sister could overcome this pain, but he wasn't sure if Hu Li would retaliate after his anger subsided. If he did, it would be a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
In the family, conflicts among the younger generation were left untouched by the elders as long as they didn't harm the family's interests.
Leaving the entertainment city, Hu Li felt the chilling wind extinguish the remnants of desire within him.
Despite drinking the antidote earlier, seeing Cai Cai's naked body still stirred primitive desires within him. It showed how potent the aphrodisiac was. If not for his unique constitution, he wouldn't have retained any clarity amidst the confusion.
Reflecting on his actions at the entertainment city, Hu Li realized that Cai Cai had spiked his drink. She had replaced his alcoholic beverage with water upon remembering Hua Yan's advice to drink less. Yet, she still managed to drug him in the end. He felt like he didn't know Cai Cai anymore. However, he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought that children born into prestigious families like theirs couldn't possibly be without a dark side.
His father once told him, "People like them have no permanent friends or enemies, only the pursuit of maximum benefit. Once the darkness within them fades, it's as disastrous as a plant deprived of sunlight." Cai Cai's actions truly reinforced this truth.
Putting aside the unpleasant events, Hu Li called Hua Yan to let her know he was safe. Hearing her exhausted voice, yet insisting on waiting for his call, lifted Hu Li's spirits like a fish returning to water.
After Hu Er arrived, Hu Li didn't say anything. Hu Er learned the details from the two bodyguards and was so enraged that he nearly rushed upstairs to confront Cai Cai.
As Hu Li's car passed by a large square on this chilly night, many people gathered there, mostly men, enjoying themselves or walking their dogs. From their excited expressions, Hu Li and his companions could see the primal desires of men.
Assuming it was some vulgar street performance, Hu Er was surprised. "What's wrong?" Hu Li frowned.
Hu Er glanced at Hu Li cautiously and said, "Master, I saw a naked woman in the crowd..."
"That woman seems to be Hu Si."
"Who... Hu Si, are you sure?" Hu Li sat up and looked at Hu Er for confirmation.
Hu Er nodded decisively.
Frowning, Hu Li said, "Stop the car. Bring her into the car, and Hu Er, call Hu Da."
When Hu Si stood in front of Hu Li, she looked completely disheveled. Her eyes were vacant, her laughter empty, and she was held by a bodyguard, wearing only Hu Er's shirt. Her body bore numerous bruises and bite marks, and she wasn't wearing any shoes, with some parts already scratched by sharp objects.
In that moment, Hu Li felt his worries were somewhat unnecessary. Hu Si, sitting beside him, was only concerned with giggling foolishly and trying to fidget, showing no interest in Hu Li whatsoever.
Unable to bear it, Hu Li turned his head to look out of the car window. By chance, he noticed a young man among the crowd staring at them with a mixture of heartache, concern, and restraint. After a few more glances, Hu Li realized that this young man was different from the others; he seemed to know Hu Si.
Turning back to look at Hu Si with a puzzled expression, but her eyes remained dull and lifeless, which couldn't possibly be an act. There were many aspects of Hu Si's situation that Hu Li couldn't fully grasp; they had flaws, yet some things didn't need confirmation to be real.
Shortly after they left, the young man Hu Li had noticed received a phone call amidst the crowd.
"You say Hu Si has been found? Oh, that's good. Now I can rest assured. Asking where I am? I'm in a building in the neighborhood because someone said they saw a woman resembling Hu Si here. Well, Reid, you should also go back and rest early."
An old man who overheard the young man's phone call stared at him in confusion. The young man claimed to be in a building while clearly standing in the square. The old man felt tempted to educate him about lying but was stopped by his friend pulling his arm. The young man glanced at the old man, then squeezed out of the crowd, hailed a taxi, and left.
Everything went according to plan, yet why did his heart ache so much? He felt pain for his own love, for Hu Si's love, and for Hu Si's plight.