CHAPTER 20: DON’T BUY THIS CHAPTER YET!

"Hey, how much longer are you planning to stay here? I need to close the shop."

I hiccupped, burped, then waved him off. "Let me stay a bit longer, Ahjussi. My head’s spinning."

(Ahjussi = uncle)

The shop owner glanced at me, stopped mid-stride, and sat across from me. His nose instantly scrunched up.

"Geez, how much did you drink? You reek so bad it’s making me sick."

"Hehe... I don’t remember."

At first, I only meant to buy one bottle. But once the memories from earlier today crept back in, my chest tightened, and a flood of sorrow broke loose.

I couldn’t control my emotions anymore. The bitterness spread from my chest to every corner of my body. Before I knew it, my hands were moving on their own, pouring liquor down my throat. I drained bottle after bottle, desperate to ease the pain.

As if sensing my troubled thoughts, the shop owner asked tactfully and curiously, "What happened?"

"Ha..." I exhaled a long breath.

"Long story short, my love confession was rejected."

Not even a second later, I heard a muffled laugh.

"Pfft!"

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

Was I talking about something funny?

The uncle doesn’t seem to care about my expression and just keeps laughing. "Ah, here I thought it was something serious. So you’re just getting rejected by a girl? Why are you acting like the world’s ending?"

"Haa... Ahjussi, what do you know?" I muttered irritably and chugged another cup.

"Hey, kid, I’m twice your age. I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice. A breakup is nothing. Once you get busy with your life, the memory of your breakup will naturally be pushed on the corner of your mind and be forgotten."

"Nothing, huh... so what can be considered to be something?"

"Alot. Like, waking up one day with no job, no money, and you have to fill in your stomach, and maybe your family too, and don’t forget about the bills too."

"Or getting fired just when your children is born and the hospital bill came out."

"Or have your whole pension money stored in bank for interest, but then you found out that money wasn’t insured and now the bank went bankrupt out of nowhere so now you become penniless."

I cut him quickly. "So it was all about money?"

"Of course. In this day and age, what could be more important than money? Aren’t you younger than me? Shouldn’t you love money than I do? I always heard my daughter talking that capitalism is power!"

I didn’t refute him because his words did carry some truth.

Even so, isn’t this Ahjussi really inconsiderate? I was talking about breakup, why he had to bring up some nonsense that each connected to money? Is he really that money grubber? Is he a goblin in human skin?

I grumbled internally and changed the topic.

"Were the examples you stated based on your experience, Ahjussi?"

"No, it was my friend’s. Do you think I’m the type to be so irresponsible that I’d end up jobless and broke? Or getting fired when my daughter was born? Or blindly trust the bank and put all money there?"

I glanced at him and muttered under my breath, Yes.

We talked for a few more minutes after that. Well, mostly I talked, while the uncle just listened to my rambling.

They say it’s easier to pour your heart out to a stranger than to your own family or friends.

Tonight, I realized that was true.

I spilled my problems without caring how embarrassing it might sound. Because honestly, I probably wouldn’t see this uncle again once I sobered up.

Unlike with family or friends, where you have to face them again and deal with the consequences, talking to a stranger costs you nothing. No judging look, no sugarcoating words, no embarrasement, nothing!

"Haish, I thought we were meant to be because we never broke up even when our relationship turned into a long distance with me going to the military service. Turns out, it was all just a lie. She never thought me seriously and just played me the entire time. When I heard this from my friend, I thought he was the one who’s lying, but this noon, when I return to my university, I saw her clinging to another man’s arm."

"Even then, I still have positive thought about her, thinking it was just a close friend of her. Like, you know, the girly man every girl close with. But once I confronted them, she didn’t look embarrased or care I caught them and even went tighten her grip on the man’s arm. Then in front of many people, she dumped me."

"So that’s what happen." The uncle look disinterested then pointed at the bruises in my cheek. "Then what’s next? Did you get into fight with the guy your ex cling? Did you won?"

At his question, the tip of my ears turned red as I mumbled in a low voice as soft as mosquito. "No..."

"No?"

"No... I was brutally beaten-"

"Pfft!"

Another muffled snort sounded.

"Damn it, Ahjussi! I sincerely talk to you in hope for some comfort, yet, what I received so far was your ridicule laugh." I grumbled in annoyance.

"Because it’s funny. Haha, what’s the use of your eyes if you can’t gauge your opponent strength? What he looks like anyway?"

"Err, he looks taller than me by atleast dozens of centimeters. He also had robust physique. He likely went into gym."

"See, yet you dares to still going against him despite looking like a skinny monkey? If that’s not a stupid, I don’t know what to say." the shop owner spread his arms.

"Kkuh!" I desperately wanted to rebuke against his words, but ultimately, I was tongue-tied.

Yeah, what made me think I could take down a tough-looking guy like him?

"Ha... I’m so embarrased to even show my face tomorrow to the school. I don’t even dare to open my phone in fear my photos getting beaten was already spread through school forums." I sighed loudly, covering my face with palm.

As time went on, I continued my rambling shamelessly, "Actually, I left another detail. My ex said that her main reason dumped me was because I was impotent. Because I never touched her or going further at our physical relationship. Does it make sense? I was actually trying hold back my lust everytime we do it because I felt like the time isn’t the right yet. Yet, she didn’t feel treasured, and instead, I was getting dumped."

The shop owner stroke his chin, then said seriously, "Now that you said it, I think you’re also at a fault here."

"Me? Is it wrong for me hold back my lust? I know that I’m

"H-hi?"

As he turned around, Ren Haoyu was taken aback to see the woman from the previous night standing in front of him. She exuded a graceful aura that could make even the most composed men’s hearts skip a beat. However, for Ren Haoyu, the feeling was more of fear than awe.

’Does she finally recognize me?’ Ren Haoyu’s mind raced with fearful thoughts. He contemplated whether to kneel right there and then and beg for mercy. But before he could even make a move, the woman spoke up.

"Hello. I believe we’ve met yesterday night," she said straightforwardly, breaking the tense silence between them.

"I-i guess so." Ren Haoyu replied stammeringly. Even if he wanted to deny it, his intuition told him that lying would only bring him more trouble.

"Let’s meet at Lenying Lake today at 7 p.m. I believe you must be available at that time, right?" Although her request sounded as if she was asking his opinion, Ren Haoyu felt otherwise. He had an impression she was an Empress Dowager. And her request was actually an irrefutable decree.

"Y-yeah, but why at Lenying Lake?"

Xianying University was known for its serene environment, with lush trees and clear blue lakes dotting the campus grounds. Yet, among the three lakes that graced the grounds, Lenying Lake stood out as an eerie and unsettling place. Tucked away in a far corner of the campus, the lake was surrounded by a dense thicket of gnarled trees that obscured the sunlight and made it difficult to see beyond their twisted branches.

Lenying Lake’s still waters shimmered with an unnerving green hue, and students often reported feeling as if they were being watched when they lingered near its banks. The few who dared to swim in its murky depths spoke of an icy chill that seemed to seep into their bones, making it difficult to move or escape the lake’s grasp.

But it wasn’t just the lake’s otherworldly appearance that kept students away. Lenying Lake had a dark history that was whispered about in hushed tones around campus.

One story that sent chills down the spine was that of a student who attempted to drown himself in the lake after being whispered to by an unknown entity. It was said that the voices were so terrifying that the boy had lost his sanity and chose to take his own life. His friends found him before he could succumb to the icy depths of the lake, but the horror of that night stayed with them forever.