The music thumped loudly through the space filled with flashing, colorful lights.
Young, attractive men and women were dressed in incredibly sexy and alluring outfits.
They lost themselves in the pounding beat of the music.
This was one of the city's major nightclubs, and naturally, places like this were always chaotic and complicated.
Yet, you couldn't paint everyone with the same brush. Some came to celebrate, while others came to drown their sorrows in alcohol.
Gu Shenru sighed, unsure whether she was happy or sad, as she stared at the swirling liquor in her glass.
Right now, she didn't have the energy to even think about letting loose to the pounding beat.
Her mind was consumed by the exhausting burdens of her life.
She felt that life was incredibly unfair to her; she couldn't even make her own decision regarding the most important milestone of her life.
– "Mom, Dad... do you not love me anymore?"
– "Care for a drink?"
A deep, warm masculine voice sounded over the thumping, noisy music.
Shenru looked up and let out a soft chuckle at the man standing before her.
She blinked, clinked her glass against his, and took a large gulp.
To her, the alcohol tasted just like plain water now. No matter how much she drank, she couldn't feel its burning sting, only a lingering, pleasant numbness.
– "Dr. Cao, what are you doing here? Shouldn't doctors be at the hospital?"
– "Are doctors not allowed to come here?"
Shenru shook her head, feigning ignorance, and went to take another sip from her glass.
Cao Yiwen reached out to stop her, letting out a sigh.
She looked like an absolute mess right now, and it irritated him to see her this way.
– "What's wrong with you? Are you planning to drink until you ruin your liver and kidneys?"
– "It's not that bad... I only drink once in a long, long while... hehe..."
– "Seriously, what's going on with you?"
– "What's going on with me? Nothing at all."
"Actually, why don't you go ask that damn best friend of yours? I'm about to go crazy because of him!"
– "Best friend? You mean Lu Haotian?"
She nodded, stood up unsteadily, waved a clumsy goodbye to Cao Yiwen, and stumbled away.
Yiwen didn't even have time to process what was happening, left sputtering as he watched her walk away.
– "Hey, where are you going? At least wait for me to pay the bill!"
The moment she stepped out of the bar, Shenru was yanked backward by a strong arm.
A man dressed in a sleek black suit stared down at her, his eyes as cold as ice.
Without bothering with any pleasantries, he spoke in a deep, stern, and level voice.
– "Who gave you permission to come to places like this?"
– "What does it have to do with you? Whatever I do is my own business."
– "Nothing to do with me? Then let me remind you, we are getting married next week!"
Even the alcohol in her system wasn't enough to make Shenru forget her frustration.
She looked up at him with sheer annoyance. Showing no fear, she challenged him with a mock-innocent retort.
– "So what? Next week is next week's problem. Right now, I'm still single. What I do is entirely my business."
"Got it?"
Lu Haotian smirked. Without another word, he scooped her up in his arms, ignoring her startled shrieks. But just as he turned toward his car, another male voice rang out.
Cao Yiwen stepped out of the bar and grabbed his arm, blocking his path.
– "Are you planning to do something indecent?"
– "Is that any of your business? She's going to be my wife anyway."
– "She won't officially be your wife until next week. If you pull something like this now, you might end up in prison for rape!"
Haotian let out a sharp breath, completely ignoring his best friend's nonsense.
But when he looked down at the woman in his arms, he saw that Shenru had already fallen fast asleep.
Her soft, steady breathing brought a faint smile to his lips.
– "This is my business. Even if I do end up in prison, I, Young Master Lu, know how to get myself out."
– "I'm just worried I'll lose a godforsaken best friend."
Haotian shot Yiwen a sharp glare before carrying her off to his car.
Settling her into the passenger seat, he sped off toward his private villa.
Laying the petite girl down on the bed, Hao Tian couldn't help but shake his head.
Stepping out onto the balcony, he called the Gu family to let them know she was with him.
He didn't want both families worrying over such minor matters.
Since they were officially getting married next week, Mr. and Mrs. Gu were more than pleased to hear she was with him.
Stepping back inside, he chuckled softly as he watched the girl tossing and turning.
Her limbs flailed about, crumpling the sheets into a messy heap.
Leaning down to gently pinch her nose, he murmured a warning.
"If you keep messing up my bed, I'm going to throw you onto the floor."
But Shen Ru was in no state to care about his words.
She let out a soft hiccup and flailed her arms again. Hao Tian shook his head with a sigh and headed downstairs.
He had to admit defeat; there was no way he could actually throw her onto the floor.
"Auntie Jiajia, please go upstairs and change her clothes."
"And please bring her some hangover remedy while you're at it."
"Yes, of course."
"Just find one of my oversized shirts for her to wear for now."
"Someone will bring her clean clothes tomorrow morning."
Auntie Jiajia nodded and went upstairs to change her.
Hao Tian sat on the sofa, legs crossed, scrolling through his phone for a while.
Only after Auntie Jiajia came back down did he head back upstairs.
Seeing her sleeping so peacefully brought a sense of relief to his heart.
However, the sight of her long, slender legs peeking out from beneath his white shirt was a severe test of his self-control.
"I'll let you remain untouched until the end of this week."
Suppressing his desires, he walked over to the sofa and lay down.
He was only afraid that if he slept in the bed, she would give him a thorough thrashing tomorrow morning.
He would endure it for just one more week, and then he would claim his full dues.