A BITTER LIFE

PART 7

While Gu Wei was pouring wine into a glass, he checked the time and was a bit surprised that it was already 1:30 AM. Only then did he notice Lay's message. Since they were in different time zones, he called Lay to say everything was fine.

"You're not sleeping yet?" Lay asked worriedly.

"I just woke up" Gu Wei replied.

Lay sighed on the other end of the line. "Nightmare?"

Gu Wei chuckled. "Nothing new," he said, and Lay immediately understood.

After their conversation, Gu Wei went to the balcony holding a glass of wine and a cigarette between his lips. "I'm tired" he whispered. He went back inside, put on a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, then grabbed his cigarette, money, and car keys.

Even though it had been 16 years, he still clearly remembered the way to the house that once meant a lot to him.

Elsewhere, Yibo opened his phone and received a message from his brother who was abroad. "Bro, call me when your phone is on. I can't reach you." After reading the message, Yibo immediately called his brother.

"Hello bro, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Ge."

"That's good to hear. By the way, Mom called me and told me everything that happened at the party" Haikuan said on the other end of the line. But Yibo wasn't focused on him as he was looking outside the house. "Whose car is that?" Yibo asked himself, and when the driver got out, his eyes widened upon recognizing the person outside. His heart suddenly raced. "Ge, let's talk again later" Yibo said, not waiting for Haikuan's response.

Yibo ran outside, but when he got there, he couldn't move from where he stood. Gu Wei was surprised but knew how to put a mask on his face to hide his surprise.

When they looked at each other, they both felt something indescribable, but they ignored it.

"What are you doing here? Do you know whose house this is?" Yibo asked.

Gu Wei stood up straight. "I was going to the bar but got lost" Gu Wei explained, causing Yibo to frown. "At this hour, you're going to a bar? Does my cousin know about this?" He asked with doubt, but he immediately remembered that they had just returned here.

"He knows everything I do" Gu Wei replied tersely and was about to get back into his car. Yibo looked at his watch before speaking. "It's dangerous for you to go to the bar at this time."

Gu Wei smirked, but Yibo didn't see it because his back was turned. "I can handle myself," Gu Wei said stubbornly.

"What if we just drink here inside?" Yibo suggested out of nowhere, making Gu Wei's smile widen, though he didn't agree right away.

"Your wife will be angry," Gu Wei said softly enough for Yibo to hear.

"She's not here and she doesn't know this house." This time, Gu Wei looked at Yibo as if asking why, which Yibo understood.

"This house is important to me and I want to be the only one who knows," Yibo explained.

Gu Wei raised his eyebrows. "You want to be the only one who knows, yet you want me to come in? What kind of reason is that?"

Instead of answering Gu Wei's question, Yibo asked, "Are you going in or not?"

"Going in," Gu Wei said and got out of the car. Yibo walked while Gu Wei followed him.

"Nothing has changed in this house" Gu Wei thought.

When they got inside, Yibo took him to where he was sitting earlier. Gu Wei placed his phone, cigarette, lighter, and keys on the table in front of him. Yibo noticed the cigarette, and although he had seen Gu Wei smoking outside his parents' mansion, he asked anyway to ease the tension between them.

"You smoke?" Gu Wei looked at the cigarette on the table. "Yes" he answered. After Gu Wei's response, Yibo didn't know what to say next, so he just said he would prepare something for them to drink.

"Take your time, just tell me if you need anything," Gu Wei said. Since Yibo considered him a guest, he told him to just wait there, which Gu Wei agreed to.

While Yibo was in the kitchen, his phone rang, having been left on the chair. At first, Gu Wei ignored it, but when he saw the name, he grinned. At the same time, Yibo returned.

Gu Wei opened his wireless AirPods, connected them to Yibo's phone, answered the call, and flipped the phone so Yibo wouldn't notice.

He stood up and pretended to stumble. When Yibo saw him, he immediately ran over. "What happened?"

"It hurts" Gu Wei said, pointing to his right foot. Yibo put down the drink he had brought, knelt down to help Gu Wei sit on the chair, and examined Gu Wei's foot.

Thank you for reading it 😊