Inside a local bar...

    The smoke twisted in its artistic way, forming curls in the gloom, illuminated only by the age-speckled bar lights. Along the wall was every hue of amber liquid in their inverted bottles.

    Somewhere, in the table that was located at the corner, there sat two men, one was drinking, gulping everything up from a bottle while the other man was quietly watching his friend. A couple of empty bottles were seen at the table.

    Huang Li looked at the bottle he was holding. The content of it was not even half. It was his first bottle and he hasn''t sipped much into it since he was amazed how Lu Mello managed to stay up despite drinking that much alcohol.

    Well, it seemed like he was one of those people who had a high tolerance when it came to alcohol.

    Lu Mello on the other hand was quiet the whole time while consuming his drinks. He never said a word ever since he took his first sip earlier. No one knew what kind of thoughts were going in his mind.

    Huang Li didn''t bother talking to him even if he knew that he should have at least say something to him but he wondered if it would help him since the advice he had set for him was something advantageous for Shi Enxi.

    What should he do? He really felt sorry for him.

    "Does she even love me at all?" Lu Mello suddenly asked out of nowhere, catching the other man''s attention.

    Huang Li knew that he should carefully think of an answer to give him but before he could even open his mouth, a woman approached them, shamelessly taking a seat beside Lu Mello.

    "Wow! Did you drink all of these?" The woman asked, looking at Lu Mello in amazement.

    The woman was really pretty and she was wearing a dress that bragged her voluptuous figure. Brown hair framed a heart-shaped face with expressive eyes bright with humor. A dazed expression dominated her features. Her voice was low and echoed together with the music playing in the room. Her cheekbones sat high on her face and a smile that sent people running and screaming curved her lips.

    Yes, she was attractive. She could have easily got any man she wanted but not Huang Li and Lu Mello. No one could compare to the beauties of the women they loved.

    Lu Mello stared blankly at her, his eyes followed her every movement. From the moment she closed into him to the moment she shamelessly and playfully placed a hand on his c.h.e.s.t. "Have I seen you seen you somewhere sir?"

    "Did you now?" Lu Mello replied.

    Huang Li slightly shook his head, not liking how things are going at that moment. He didn''t know whether or not Lu Mello was drunk. Since he was entertaining the woman beside him, he could not allow them to interact any further.

    He grabbed Lu Mello''s arm, pulling him away from the woman even if it''s just a bit. "Excuse me, he''s with me."

    The woman blinked a few times in confusion when she saw how protective Huang Li was towards his friend. "Oh my, I''m sorry... I didn''t know that you two were together."

    Huang Li: "..."

    What made the situation worse was when Lu Mello rested his head on Huang Li''s shoulder, closing his eyes without saying a word.

    "Please don''t get me wrong. I didn''t think that he was your boyfriend."

    The bar was filled with different kinds of people so it was not that surprising to see different kinds of couples every now and then.

    Huang Li wanted to say something in his defense but he was too shocked to even say a word. "W-we''re not... not..." He stuttered. Before he could even finish what he was saying, the girl interrupted him. "It''s okay, you don''t have to be shy about it."

    Huang Li: "..."

    "Your boyfriend looked so drunk now tho."

    Huang Li cleared his throat to regain his composure as he was able to calmly say, "He is not my boyfriend."

    The girl giggled, obviously not believing him. "Okay."

    Since he didn''t want to prolong his stay at the place by arguing, he stood up and supported Lu Mello by putting his arm around his shoulders and carrying most of his friend''s weight to his side.

    The girl stood up, "I can help you." She offered with a smile.

    "No thanks. I can manage." Huang Li retorted. "Besides, my place is just close by."

    "I insist." The woman grabbed Lu Mello''s other arm and placed it around her shoulders as well. "Let''s go?"

    Since the girl looked persistent, Huang Li sighed in defeat. They ended up going out of the place with the help of the girl.

    ...

    After placing Lu Mello inside the taxi, Huang Li turned to the girl who helped him. "Thank you. How should I repay you?"

    "Oh, there''s no need to repay me. I did it out of the kindness of my heart." She even placed a hand on her c.h.e.s.t, acting like she was such an angel for helping him which kinda made it looked comical.

    Huang Li couldn''t help but chuckle, "Right." If she didn''t dress like a bitch, he would have believed her and would not think that she had an ulterior motive for helping them instead.

    "My name is Kobayashi Hana. Always happy to help." She grinned at him.

    Kobayashi Hana?

    "You''re Japanese?" He didn''t notice at all especially when she was speaking Chinese fluently.

    She grinned at him, "Surprise, surprise, and more surprises to come if you come to know me." She winked playfully at him.

    "Right..." He sweats dropped. "Anyway, thank you again. We''ll take our leave now."

    Hana nodded and waved at him. She watched him enter the taxi and before the car went off, she quickly said, "Take care on your way, Mr. Huang Li!"

    Huang Li''s eyes went wide as he turned his head to the girl standing outside, waving and smiling at her.

    He was not able to say anything since the taxi was already on its way to his place.

    That girl... How did she know his name when he clearly remembered that he never introduced himself to her?