The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 131 Drunk as a Fool

Grandpa was Wang Jie's nominal relative. He originally thought that fate had arranged for him to be in this place, to have the warmth of family, and that he was no longer the lonely Shang Yibo, but Wang Jie with a home and friends. He began to have dreams, to look forward to the future, and to face the emotions deep in his heart.

It gave him something to strive for, something to work towards. Just when he had adapted to the place, was about to settle down, and decided to put down roots and get everything on track, the sudden death of his loved ones threw him back to square one. All those beautiful visions vanished in an instant, leaving Wang Jie with a heart full of mixed emotions.

He wandered aimlessly, eventually arriving at the octagonal pavilion. It was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the bright lights of the street, as if a forgotten corner of the world had vanished. Surrounded by trees, the pavilion appeared even more secluded and profound. Wang Jie stepped inside, slowly leaning against a pillar and sitting down, his body slightly curled up, his hands tightly clasped around his head, burying his face…

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Shang Yibo and Jian Zheng spent an afternoon together at a bar. The two were reunited after a long separation, and their emotions were fluctuating, sometimes laughing and sometimes tearful. They reminisced about the past and filled in the details they had forgotten.

As Shang Yibo recounted the details of his grandfather's passing in fits and starts, Jian Zheng couldn't help but interrupt him, asking with concern, "Do you remember when you went to Beijing to apply for a visa that year? Did you see Professor Zhou and Professor Yang?"

Instead of answering, Shang Yibo asked, "Is that important?"

Jian Zheng's expression was somewhat heavy. He said in a low voice, "Zhou Yanruo is quite pitiful. You have no idea what she has been through."

Shang Yibo disagreed, thinking that Zhou Yanruo had a privileged family background since childhood, and even if she had some difficulties studying abroad, she was far from being "pitiful." Jian Zheng always had a habit of exaggerating.

Shang Yibo pondered for a moment and said, "Let's take it slow. I also have many questions, and we'll figure them out eventually. But you, why did you come back from Singapore? Didn't you go to Hong Kong back then? Why did you go to Singapore later?"

Jian Zheng sighed softly and said, "It's a long story."

Shang Yibo said with a smile, "Then let's make it clear in two words, or three words if two words aren't enough."

Jian Zheng rolled his eyes at him and said, "Wang Jie back then was an act. Your true nature is what you, Shang Yibo, are like now."

After a long conversation, the past gradually became clearer, and the questions were roughly outlined.

By this time, the two were already quite drunk, and were so limp and weak that they were practically falling over.

Shang Yibo's youthful body made him able to stand up, even after drinking so much, and he waved to the bartender standing behind the bar.

The two bartenders, who were intently watching the situation, had already seen it all. Their celebrity boss and his friend were drinking heavily in broad daylight, laughing and crying uncontrollably. At first, after finishing their drinks, they would repeatedly ask the bartenders for more. Later, they simply had the bartenders bring two cases of beer and place them at their feet so they could help themselves. Empty beer cans were piled up on the table and floor. The female bartender came over to clean up once, but was intimidated by Shang Yibo's sharp gaze and never dared to disturb them again.

The waiter had no choice but to report up the chain of command: to the bar manager, who then reported to the food and beverage manager, who in turn reported to the general manager. Although the general manager didn't know Shang Yibo personally, he'd often heard from people within the group that this superstar boss, while never involved in the group's operations, was constantly embroiled in scandals due to his immense popularity and young age, causing Chairman Chu considerable headaches. Chairman Chu had to clean up his messes, but Shang Yibo was ungrateful and frequently threw tantrums at the chairman, leaving him helpless. Most people in the group adopted a "better safe than sorry" attitude, avoiding any conflict with this superstar boss.

The general manager considered the hotel to be a mere junior company compared to the group, and thought it best not to overestimate his abilities. Therefore, he issued a concise instruction: "Provide attentive service, but do not disturb."

The instructions were passed down level by level, reaching the lowest level, the execution level, which is the two waiters standing behind the bar. "What kind of bullshit instructions are these? They want us to provide attentive service, but they also don't want us to disturb them. Isn't that a contradiction? A bunch of incompetent managers."

Bartender grumbled, but when he saw Shang Yibo waving at him, he didn't dare to be negligent and nervously ran over, "Mr. Shang, what do you need?"

Shang Yibo pointed at Jian Zheng, who was lying on the table, and said with a thick tongue, "His name is Jian Zheng. He should be staying here. He should be a guest here. Go and check his room number."

The waitress stood at a distance, strictly adhering to the "do not disturb" instruction. Hearing Shang Yibo instruct her to check the room number, she picked up the phone on the bar and dialed the hotel information desk: "Hello, could you please tell me which room Jian Zheng is staying in? Yes, he's Mr. Shang's friend. Oh, the executive floor, 21st floor, room 2101. Thank you!"

After hanging up the phone, she walked over and whispered to the Bartender, "Mr. Jian Zheng's room number is 2101."

Shang Yibo had already helped Jian Zheng up, and the two of them were leaning against the wall, looking rather unsteady. He said to Bartender, "Help me help him back to his room."

Bartender came over and helped Jian Zheng up, while Shang Yibo supported Jian Zheng on the other side, their steps faltering as they walked.

Seeing the three people staggering out of the bar, supporting each other, the waitress quickly called the lobby manager to report it. The experienced lobby manager, upon hearing the waitress's report, immediately called the floor attendant, requesting that the door to room 2101 be opened, and arranged for a male waiter to wait at the door to assist.

Fortunately, an extra male waiter was arranged to help. As soon as the three of them got off the elevator on the 21st floor, Jian Zheng pretended to vomit.

Two waiters worked together to carry Jian Zheng to the bathroom in room 2101, where he vomited violently.

After Jian Zheng finished vomiting, the two waiters helped her to bed and settled her in before returning to the living room. There, they saw Shang Yibo leaning against the sofa watching TV as if nothing had happened. Apart from his slightly flushed face, he didn't look like he had drunk too much.

Bartender nodded and asked, "Mr. Shang, what else do you need us to do?"

Shang Yibo waved his hand, indicating that it was not necessary.

Bartender added, "We'll head out now. Please call the front desk if you need anything." With that, the two left the room.

Hearing the door close, Shang Yibo staggered into the bathroom. Just as he was about to wash his face to clear his head, he suddenly smelled an unpleasant odor. Realizing it was the smell of Jian Zheng's vomit, he felt nauseous. Combined with the effects of alcohol, his stomach churned violently. He quickly grabbed the toilet and vomited violently as well.

Fortunately, he managed to hold on until now, and no one saw his disheveled state. Jian Zheng, who was sleeping like a log in the bedroom, was not even human until he woke up.

He rinsed his mouth, washed his face, and felt much refreshed before returning to the sofa. He figured he'd rest for a bit and then leave; after all, the "dead pig" sleeping in the bedroom was a very good drinker—he'd just fall asleep after vomiting and wouldn't cause any more trouble.

Who would have thought that he would fall asleep the moment his head touched the sofa?