Yu Han arrived at the doorstep, a thermal bag slung over his shoulder.
"Order for Ms. Wei," he announced, offering a small, polite smile as he handed the insulated bag to the cheerful woman who answered.
"Ah, thank you so much, dear!" Ms. Wei's face was alight with joy. She quickly paid him, then pressed a few extra bills into his hand. "And take these too, a little extra tip!"
Yu Han blinked, confused. He looked at the extra money, then back at her beaming face. "Extra tip? But... why?"
Ms. Wei practically hugged herself, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, I'm just so elated! My Li Hao, he's getting married!"
The words hit Yu Han like a physical blow. The cheerful sound of 'Li Hao' and the pure joy radiating from Ms. Wei made something twist violently in his gut. His smile faltered, replaced by a sudden, cold anger that made his hands clench.
His voice dropped, a sneer twisting his lips. "Li Hao," he spat.
"That fucking bastard." He thrust the money back at her, his composure completely gone.
"I don't need your extra tip. Keep it. And honestly, Ms. Wei, you'd be better off if you stopped admiring that excuse for a man."
Ms. Wei gasped, utterly stunned by the sudden, venomous outburst from the usually polite delivery boy. Her joyful expression crumbled into confusion and shock.
Without another word, Yu Han turned sharply and stormed away from her door, leaving her bewildered on her porch.
"Fuck, Li Hao!" The name echoed in his mind, fueling a blinding rage. He cursed silently, then out loud, under his breath.
"I should leave China. Or better yet, just leave this damned Earth." Every step he took was heavy with fury.
His furious steps faltered in front of a neon-lit bar. He glanced at the glowing sign:
"Shine Bar & Lounge."
"One drink? Just one?" he debated with himself. The biting winter wind chilled him to the bone.
"Ah, it's fine. Just one, to warm myself up. It's really freezing out here."
Yu Han pushed open the heavy door, a gust of warm, smoky air washing over him.
He found an empty stool at the bar counter and slumped onto it.
"One beer, ge," he mumbled to the bartender. The bartender, a friendly-looking man with a neatly trimmed beard, smiled.
"Coming right up, sir." He began to pour a golden liquid into a tall glass.
"Ah, ge," Yu Han exclaimed, eyes widening slightly at the size of the glass. "That's a pretty big one."
The bartender chuckled as he set it down. "Beer is beer. We don't mess around with small sizes here."
Yu Han hesitated, eyeing the frothy top.
It's just one glass," he told himself.
"I can handle it. Hmm... yes." With a sudden resolve, he lifted the glass and, to the bartender's surprise, drained it in one long gulp.
"Ah! That was awesome!" he yelled, a triumphant burp escaping him. A thin layer of white foam clung to his upper lip. "One more, ge!"
The bartender simply shook his head with a grin and poured another. "Here's your drink."
Again, Yu Han emptied the large glass in one go. "One more glass!" he chuckled, his voice already a little slurred.
And again, he repeated the feat. He did this for a total of five times.
By the fifth glass, the alcohol had well and truly taken hold. He felt the kick, a warm fuzziness spreading through his limbs. The bright lights of the bar began to blur, and the faces around him seemed to swim.
"Ah, Li Hao! Li Hao!" he slurred, pointing an accusatory finger at no one in particular.
"F-fuck you!" He dissolved into a fit of crazy, bubbling laughter, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.
His gaze landed on a man sitting next to him with his girlfriend. In a sudden lurch, Yu Han grabbed the stranger's collar.
"Li Hao! How could you do this to me?" he demanded, shaking the man. "Come on, apologize! You shameless bastard!"
The man's eyes flared with rage. "You asshole! Let go of my collar!"
He raised a fist, ready to punch Yu Han, but his girlfriend quickly intervened. "Babe, wait! Look at him, he's totally drunk. Let's just move to another seat."
The man, still fuming, roughly yanked Yu Han's hand away, almost sending him tumbling off his stool.
Yu Han merely laughed, a wild, mirthless sound. "Yeah, Li Hao! Go with her! Live your life peacefully! Have children with her!" he yelled after the retreating couple.
Still cackling, Yu Han fumbled in his pocket for his phone. He squinted at the screen, trying to search his contacts for "Li Hao."
His brow furrowed in confusion. "Ah, damn it!" he mumbled, almost dropping the device. "I don't have his number! How could I have his number? Why would I have his number?"
With surprising (and drunken) persistence, he then opened Baidu, and typed in "Li Hao's company."
After a few shaky attempts, he found a contact number for "Li Defense Research and Development Private Limited." "Yeah, found it!" Yu Han hiccuped triumphantly.
Without a second thought, he stabbed a finger at the call button. No answer. He called again. Still nothing. He repeated this, a relentless, drunken assault on the phone line, more than fifty times. Finally, maddeningly, someone answered.
"Hello, Li Defense Research and Development Private Limited," a woman's voice cut through the static, edged with irritation from the incessant, anonymous calls. "How can I help you?" It was Feng.
"Y-You're Yuna?" Yu Han slurred, mistaking the name. "Huh?! You already moved in with him? Ah, L-Li Hao! Where is he? That fucking asshole, motherfucker, cheater, bastard! Where is he?!"
Feng paused, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "Sir," she said, her tone a little sharper, "what's your name?"
This was certainly... interesting. In all her years, she'd never heard anyone curse Mr. Li Hao with such passion and creativity.
Yu Han snorted. "Tell him... tell him I'm the one he said he liked," he pronounced slowly, a hiccup interrupting his words.
"I'm Yu Han!" He then burst into another fit of drunken laughter.
Feng's eyebrows shot up. "Yu Han?" She repeated the name in her mind, a thoughtful hum escaping her lips. Mhh... Yu Han.
Curious, Feng stood from her desk and walked towards Li Hao's office. She pushed open the door without knocking, a rare breach of protocol.
"Mr. Li," she announced, "someone wants to talk to you."
Li Hao, deep in concentration, slowly drifted his eyes from his computer screen to her.
"Who is it?" he asked, his voice flat, clearly annoyed by the interruption. He didn't seem to care much.
"Umm..." Feng hesitated for a moment, enjoying the slight drama.
"It's a Yu Han! And I think he's extremely drunk. He's been cursing you non-stop for the past five minutes. Do... do you want to talk to him?"
Li Hao shot up from his chair, a sudden jolt of panic coursing through him. He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, his eyes wide.
"Shit! Yu Han..." he muttered, almost to himself. "How could I have forgotten to give him an explanation?"
He practically snatched the phone from Feng's hand, his heart pounding. But it was too late. Before he could even bring it to his ear, the call was disconnected.
"You can go now." Li Hao said, his voice curt, already dialing. "I'll manage this."
He immediately tried calling the number back, again and again, but there was no response.
After what felt like an eternity, and many frantic attempts, a different voice answered the company line.
"Hello? Yu Han?" Li Hao said, a rush of relief and excitement in his voice.
"Um... sir," a calm, slightly exasperated voice replied.
"The owner of this phone, Yu Han, has actually passed out. He's had quite a lot to drink. Could you please come and take him home?"
"What?!" Li Hao's excitement vanished, replaced by alarm. "Where is he?"
"This is the Shine Bar and Lounge," the voice stated. "Please come quickly."
"Please, give him some water," Li Hao pleaded, already grabbing his coat. "I'm on my way."