"Y-Yuna?" Li Hao's voice was a coarse whisper, barely coherent. He blinked, trying to clear the lingering fog from his mind. "What is she doing here... at my home?"
His hazy gaze flickered to the bedside clock. 7:44 AM.
At the mention of Yuna's name, a sharp pang shot through Yu Han's chest.
"Fuck! I'd completely forgotten that Li Hao is dating Yuna." Yu Han's mind raced.
They lay on the rumpled sheets, completely naked, their lower halves modestly (or ironically) covered by a single, tangled blanket. Yu Han registered the gravity of the situation instantly.
"Go back to your girlfriend, she's calling you!" Yu Han muttered, rolling his eyes, though a flicker of something akin to jealousy tightened his jaw.
"Girlfriend? Huh? What girlfriend? I have no girlfriend." Li Hao immediately refused.
"Yes, yes, I know," Yu Han said, rolling his eyes again. "Just go to her before she comes to your room and is traumatized seeing... us... like this."
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm not interested in seeing her at this time," Li Hao stated casually, leaning his head back against the headboard, a picture of indolent defiance.
"Are you insane, huh?" Yu Han practically shrieked, his voice laced with indignation. "You want her to come in here and see me naked? I know you don't give a damn about your reputation, but for me, my reputation is everything!"
Li Hao sighed dramatically.
"Okay, okay, I'm going." With a languid stretch, he unhurriedly swung his legs off the bed. He paused at the edge, turning back to Yu Han. "You can wear my clothes. They're in the cupboard."
"Where are my clothes?" Yu Han demanded.
"Maybe... in my car."
"In your car?" Yu Han sputtered, completely incredulous. "What are you even saying? How would my clothes end up in your car?"
"You threw them at me because you were feeling so hot last night," Li Hao said, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.
"You fucking bastard!" Yu Han yelled, grabbing a pillow and launching it at Li Hao's retreating back.
"Don't forget to wear something," Li Hao called over his shoulder, stepping out of the room. "I'll wait for you."
As the door clicked shut behind Li Hao, Yu Han scrambled to find his phone. He immediately thought about Yang Zi.
"Yang Zi will kill me if he finds out I was with Li Hao all night."
"Ugh! Where is my phone..."
Yuna glided through the opulent entrance hall of Li Hao's mansion, her eyes, sharp and assessing, sweeping over every detail.
Tasteful antique furniture sat strategically, each piece whispering tales of old money.
Her gaze finally settled on a massive, gilded portrait hanging proudly on the far wall of the living room. It was a classical oil painting,
depicting an stern-faced old man with an aristocratic bearing and piercing, dark eyes that seemed to follow her movements, a silent guardian of the family's legacy.
He wore traditional silk robes, his hands resting on a carved wooden table, symbolizing authority and unwavering resolve.
"Ms. Yuna," a voice broke the silence, deep and respectful.
Yuna turned, startled, to see Gang Zi standing in the archway, a puzzled expression on his face. He held a small stack of clothes in one arm and, awkwardly, a phone in the other.
"What are you doing here at this hour?" Gang Zi asked, his gaze momentarily flicking to the clothes.
Yuna's lips curled into a faint, haughty smile.
"Ah, can't I come to my fiancé's house?" Her voice was laced with an undeniable edge of challenge.
Gang Zi offered an awkward, tight-lipped laugh.
"Ms. Yuna, you are always welcome, of course." He shifted his weight, clearly uncomfortable.
Her gaze, however, had already drifted, landing with pinpoint accuracy on the items in his hand. Her eyebrows arched delicately.
"Whose clothes are these?" she asked, her voice losing its sweetness, now sharp with suspicion.
Gang Zi's mind raced.
"Ugh… what should I tell her? Should I really say these clothes belong to the man whom her fiancé was passionately kissing last night?"
He felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple. The thought alone was enough to make him internally groan.
Before Gang Zi could even formulate a diplomatic lie, Yuna, with an air of effortless entitlement, strode towards him.
Her hand shot out, snatching the phone from his grasp before he could react. She turned it over, examining it with disdain.
"Hey, look at these scratches," she scoffed, her nose wrinkling slightly. "Why don't you buy a new phone? This is so gross, and this brand, eww..."
"Ah... that's not my phone," Gang Zi managed to stammer, feeling a fresh wave of panic.
Yuna ignored him, her slender fingers attempting to open the device. It was locked, but the wallpaper immediately caught her eye:
a handsome, young man, his smile bright and genuine, holding a fluffy orange cat. "Who's he?" she wondered, a flicker of irritation sparking within her. The man on the screen had a familiar, yet elusive, charm.
Suddenly, a hand, strong and firm, snatched the phone violently from her grip.
Yuna's head lifted sharply, her eyes widening as they met the furious gaze of the figure standing directly in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" Li Hao demanded, his voice thick with unmasked irritation.
"Li Hao… where were you?" Yuna's demeanor transformed instantly. A wide, dazzling smile blossomed on her small face, and her eyes sparkled with a sudden, artificial light.
With a practiced move, she subtly pulled the collar of her silk blouse downwards, offering a glimpse of her cleavage to Li Hao.
But Li Hao was utterly impervious to her charms. His face remained a mask of annoyance.
"I'm asking you... what are you doing here?" he repeated, his tone unwavering.
"Ah, Li Hao, I'm here to take you to your father's house," she purred, batting her eyelashes. "He asked me to bring you over there for lunch."
"For lunch?" Li Hao scoffed, glancing at his wrist, though he wore no watch.
"Then why did you come this early? It's time for breakfast."
Yuna began playing with a strand of her perfectly styled hair, twirling it around her finger as she looked down, adopting a sweet, demure voice.
"Li Hao... I was just missing you... I couldn't even sleep last night... so I thought it would be better if I visited you for breakfast."
"Mr. Li," Gang Zi interjected, seizing the opportunity, "we have something important to talk about."
Li Hao turned his cold gaze back to Yuna. "You see, I'm busy. I can't join you for lunch, dinner, breakfast, etc." He spat out the last word with particular disdain.
Hearing this, the sparkle in Yuna's eyes seemed to dim, her big eyes shrinking almost imperceptibly. Yet, a fierce determination hardened her expression. She forced a smile.
"Ah, don't worry, you talk to him. I'll wait for you."
Li Hao sighed, a heavy, audible sound.
"Her determination is top-notch,"
a flicker of grudging respect, or perhaps just resignation, crossing his face.
Without another word to Yuna, he turned and walked out with Gang Zi, leaving her standing alone in the grand living room.
In Li Hao's spacious bedroom, Yu Han finally managed to gather enough energy to push himself upright, a throbbing pain blooming behind his eyes.
"Ughhh... My head is aching. I'll never drink in my life again." He groaned, rubbing his temples.
Shivering from the morning chill, he draped the soft, silk robe he'd found on the floor around his lean, athletic frame.
"It's so cold," he mumbled, goosebumps covering his body.
"Is it okay to borrow Li Hao's clothes?" he wondered for a brief second. "Forgot it... I'll die from this cold."
He immediately walked towards Li Hao's enormous custom-built cupboard, which stretched across an entire wall, and pulled open its heavy, polished doors.
"What the hell is this!" Yu Han's mouth fell wide open. Inside, rows upon rows of designer suits, tailored shirts, and an array of high-end casual wear hung neatly.
"Is this a cupboard or a shopping mall?" His hands ran over the exquisite fabrics, touching a suit jacket that felt like liquid silk.
"Fuck, this suit is premium edition." He immediately recoiled, remembering his own recent struggle to bargain for a twenty-yuan T-shirt at the market.
"I can't wear anything from this cupboard."
He diligently searched, pushing aside cashmere sweaters and bespoke trousers, hunting for something, anything, that looked simple and unassuming.
Finally, tucked away between a slim-fit blazer and a designer hoodie, he found it: a white woollen sweatshirt, incredibly soft, almost like feathers against his skin, and wonderfully warm.
"This is perfect," he declared, pulling it free.
He then took a long, warm shower in Li Hao's vast, luxurious bathroom, letting the hot water soothe his aching head and tired muscles.
Stepping out, he wrapped a plush towel around his waist. His body, though relatively slender, was toned from years of walking and physical work, with lean shoulders, a narrow waist, and defined legs.
Water droplets clung to his eyelashes, and his damp hair, a rich, dark brown, fell across his forehead, somehow making his already handsome face even more striking.
His eyes, usually bright with youthful energy, held a slightly dazed, captivating depth as he peered at his reflection. His nose was straight, lips full, and his jawline, though not sharply angular, possessed a gentle strength.
Dressed in the soft, white sweatshirt and a pair of Li Hao's surprisingly comfortable, though slightly too long, dark athletic pants, Yu Han finally stepped out of the bedroom.
His eyes immediately began to scan the surroundings, taking in the grand scale of the house. He was amused, almost childlike, by the sheer size and lavishness of it all.
He descended the wide, sweeping staircase, his footsteps quiet on the polished wood, which led him directly into the expansive living room.
And there, on a plush velvet couch, his eyes fell upon a stunning woman, a goddess-like figure, elegantly poised, her gaze fixed intently on her phone.
"S-She is Yuna..." he murmured to himself, a pang of recognition and a touch of something akin to awe settling in his chest.
"Ah, she is really beautiful. That's why Li Hao is dating her, ah."
He thought, a complicated mix of admiration and a faint, inexplicable ache swirling within him.