Chapter 22: The Stand-In

Chapter 22 The Substitute

A silver AMG GT Black Series sports car pulled up outside the nightclub. Its streamlined body, glossy finish, and rear spoiler all screamed money.

When a man stepped out, passersby immediately turned their heads. Unquestionably, his superior physique and looks made him the center of attention, and he was used to it by now.

The second he walked into the lobby bar, several people approached to hit on him, but he stayed cold and aloof, almost annoyed.

Song Wenhao spotted him from across the room and called out, "Old Gu! Over here! Hey, all of you, move aside—do you know who he is? Don't block his way!" Waving off the flirts, he jogged over and slung an arm around Gu Hansheng's shoulder. "Haven't seen you in ages—nobody here even recognizes you anymore! Ignore them. I got you some hot girls to drink with. You're gonna love 'em!"

The last time Gu Hansheng had been here was at least half a year ago. Ever since he took over Tuotu, he'd basically stopped hanging out with Song Wenhao, only keeping up with certain rich-kid connections through this kind of social scene.

A few people were already in the private room—some of Song Wenhao's friends who knew Gu Hansheng. They all greeted him.

Song Wenhao pushed Gu Hansheng into a seat and said to the hostesses, "This is President Gu. Treat him right and you'll be taken care of." Then he turned to Gu Hansheng. "Old Gu, tonight we drink till we drop. Forget that 'Little White Flower' crap—what matters is we have fun!"

As the guy who'd investigated Zhao Yu for Gu Hansheng, Song Wenhao knew most of what had happened with Zhao Yu and how much Gu Hansheng had put into that fake. He'd always said you shouldn't hand your heart over so easily—and it turned out he was right. Even Gu Hansheng, a player who'd been around, had fallen for it.

A girl with short hair sat next to Gu Hansheng. She was in a sexy strapless top and a tight skirt, but her smile was bright and she had this innocent vibe. Song Wenhao knew exactly what Gu Hansheng liked—he'd picked a girl who was the same type as Little White Flower.

She poured him a glass, handed it over, then hooked her arm through his and said, "President Gu, want me to sing for you? I'm really good at love songs."

Gu Hansheng took the glass, knocked it back, his face giving nothing away. "Sure, sing."

The girl lit up, picked a sappy love song, and sang in this soft, sweet voice while shooting Gu Hansheng flirty looks.

Gu Hansheng watched her face. That smile weirdly overlapped with Zhao Yu's. Neither of them was actually sunny or cheerful, but they were both pros at faking it. Zhao Yu was even better. His act wasn't perfect, but he'd still fooled him over and over. Infuriating.

After she finished the chorus, the girl leaned into Gu Hansheng again, smiling as she went in for a kiss.

Gu Hansheng's eyes went cold. "Get out," he said flatly.

"President Gu, didn't I sing well?"

"I won't say it twice."

The girl looked at Song Wenhao, confused. He waved her off, and she scrambled out of the room.

Song Wenhao said, "Old Gu, what's wrong? That's not like you with girls."

Gu Hansheng poured himself a drink. "Not in the mood today. I'll have a few drinks and leave."

"No way—you finally came out for once. We said we're drinking till we pass out! Hey! Get a male host in here!"

...

Out front, Zhao Yu got out of the car and looked up at the nightclub's flashy gold sign. He'd never seen Gu Hansheng hang out at places like this. He'd been to clubs himself, but he didn't like the wild partying and the booze-soaked vibe.

Zhao Lianfeng was a drunk. He'd beat Zhao Yu almost every time he was drunk, which is why Zhao Yu hated the smell of alcohol.

Zhou Lan rolled down the car window and said, "Wait for me a sec. I'll park and come right back."

Zhao Yu said, "Assistant Zhou, I haven't eaten dinner. Can you grab me something to eat? I'll wait here."

"Alright, I'll be quick."

Once Zhou Lan drove off, Zhao Yu turned and headed straight into the nightclub.

The first floor was a loud, rowdy bar with music thumping. The dance floor was packed, and with the lights flashing, Zhao Yu could barely see a thing. But he knew Gu Hansheng wouldn't be in the middle of that mess, so he checked the booths along the edge.

Nothing on the first floor, so he went up to the private rooms on the second. The hallway reeked of alcohol, enough to make your head spin. He scanned room after room until he finally spotted Gu Hansheng in the last one.

He recognized Gu Hansheng's silhouette with one glance through the window in the door. A young guy in a white tee was straddling his lap—pale, skinny—holding a glass of wine. He took a sip, then leaned down to kiss Gu Hansheng.

Gu Hansheng grabbed the back of the boy's hair, taking control of the kiss.

At some point, Gu Hansheng seemed to notice him. His eyes swept toward the door. Zhao Yu instinctively ducked back, hand on the door handle but unable to push it open.

Watching Gu Hansheng kiss someone else—a weird, uncomfortable feeling rose in his chest.

He hadn't figured out how to approach Gu Hansheng or what to say, but he definitely hadn't expected to walk in on this.

A drunk guy with an earring staggered over, about to push the door open, when he noticed Zhao Yu standing there. He squinted, then grinned. "New here, huh? Not bad looking. Come on in—big bro will show you a good time."

With that, he pushed the door open and dragged Zhao Yu inside.

Zhao Yu's face changed slightly. The second he stepped in, he felt several pairs of eyes on him.

"What are you standing there for? Come sit!" The earring guy belched and patted the seat next to him. "Come open a bottle for your big bro!"

Zhao Yu was stuck, head down, not daring to look at Gu Hansheng. Song Wenhao noticed him too. He stared, then exploded: "Holy shit! Little—White—Flower!"

Song Wenhao closed the distance in one stride, leaned in for a closer look, and yelled, "It really is you! You've got some nerve, showing up here to ruin President Gu's night?! You should be grateful we didn't kill you—and now you're asking for more? What the hell is wrong with you?"

The earring man said, "Ooh, there's a story here? Who's this? Aren't you going to introduce him?"

"Introduce my ass! He's a goddamn con artist!" Song Wenhao turned back to Zhao Yu and cursed, "Get the hell out!"

Zhao Yu didn't know Song Wenhao, but he knew that anyone who could speak so freely in front of Gu Hansheng must be his friend—someone he couldn't afford to offend. He kept his face taut and still didn't look up. "I'm here to apologize to President Gu."

Song Wenhao was about to chase him off when the earring man suddenly said, "Hey, Brother Wenhao, let him in. How can you apologize to President Gu empty-handed? Little White Flower, right? There are still a few bottles on the table. How about you show some sincerity first?"

He picked up the half-full bottle of Macallan from the table and held it out to Zhao Yu. "Finish this bottle, and I'll put in a good word for you with President Gu."

He smiled brightly at Zhao Yu, malice hidden beneath his hypocritical facade. Zhao Yu knew the man had no good intentions, but he genuinely needed an opening to get close to Gu Hansheng, so he took the bottle.

Macallan at forty percent alcohol, with at least five hundred milliliters left in the half-empty bottle. Song Wenhao shot the earring man a complicated look. He'd heard that "Little White Flower" didn't drink—whether it was an act or genuine, he didn't know. Song Wenhao played hard, but he never pushed people to the brink. The last thing he wanted was a death on his hands.

Song Wenhao glanced back at Gu Hansheng, who was staring at Zhao Yu with an unreadable expression, seemingly making no move to intervene. Song Wenhao shut his mouth and stepped aside.

Zhao Yu gripped the bottle and walked up to Gu Hansheng. He met his eyes for only a second before looking away. "President Gu, I'm sorry. I'm here to make amends."

With that, he raised the bottle and poured it down his throat. The fiery, pungent taste flooded his mouth, burning his throat.

The boy beside Gu Hansheng fanned the flames: "That's a twelve-year Macallan. What a waste to let him chug it like that. Bro, just ignore him, okay? I'll sing for you in a bit."

"Which song do you sing that isn't off-key?" Gu Hansheng turned his head and smiled at the boy, as if Zhao Yu didn't exist in front of him.

"I don't go off-key on any song." The boy wrapped his arms around Gu Hansheng's, acting coy. "Besides, I can practice. Whatever you like, I'll learn it."

The boy stole a glance at Zhao Yu, making sure every word of his provocation landed clearly in his ears.

Only a little was left in the bottle. The alcohol had rushed to Zhao Yu's face, flushing his skin red. Wine spilled from the corners of his mouth into his collar, soaking his clothes, his lips glistening with moisture. Several people stared at the stretched line of his neck as he tilted his head back, as if trying to strip him bare with their eyes.

The earring man seized the opportunity to sidle up to him, slipping a hand into his waistband and groping him. "Still so much left? What are you doing, saving it for the fish?"

Gu Hansheng swept an indifferent glance over, his cold gaze settling on Zhao Yu's reaction.

Even with someone's hands all over him, Zhao Yu didn't resist. Instead, he "obediently" raised the bottle and downed the rest in one gulp.

Gu Hansheng's expression grew even colder.

The alcohol was going to his head, dulling his senses, and Zhao Yu suddenly found the courage to face Gu Hansheng. Fueled by the booze, he said, "Mr. Gu, what happened before was my fault. I lied to you, and I'm so damn sorry. Please give me a chance—don't pull the funding. I'll do whatever you ask of me."

The boy beside Gu Hansheng watched his expression and cut in, "Apologizing means you should be forgiven? How ridiculous. That bottle was wasted on you! Bro, can we order another one?"

Gu Hansheng replied, "If you want it, I'll get you one."

The boy grinned smugly at Zhao Yu.

The earring guy wrapped an arm around Zhao Yu's waist: "If Mr. Gu won't forgive you, there's nothing you can do. Why keep humiliating yourself? You might as well come with me."

Zhao Yu's stomach burned fiercely, and the booze amplified everything he felt. All his anger at that kid and the earring guy came flooding up.

He burped and grabbed the hand that was groping him: "Didn't you say you'd plead for me?"

"Sleep with me once, and I'll plead for you..."

Before the earring guy could finish, Zhao Yu slammed a punch into his face!

Blood sprayed from his nose right away. The guy fell back onto the sofa, clutching his face and dazed for several seconds before roaring with fury: "Damn it! I was too nice to you!"

He scrambled up from the sofa, holding his nose, but froze when Zhao Yu raised the bottle. He cursed, "Fuck! You dare hit me?! Do you know who I am?!"

Another guy snuck up behind Zhao Yu, raising an ashtray to smash over his head. Zhao Yu saw it coming—he had more fight experience than everyone here combined. But before he could dodge, a hand suddenly intercepted the ashtray.

Gu Hansheng tossed the ashtray onto the table and said calmly, "If you want to fight, take it somewhere else. I'm out of here."

With that, he headed out with the boy.

Zhao Yu blocked his path, refusing to move, staring up at him stubbornly.

"Hey! What are you doing? Good dogs don't block the path!"

The boy shoved Zhao Yu, but Zhao Yu grabbed his wrist and flung him aside. The boy yelped in pain, hoping Gu Hansheng would stand up for him, but Gu Hansheng didn't even look his way.

Zhao Yu was completely drunk now, his face red enough to drip blood, eyes bloodshot, staring straight at Gu Hansheng: "Aren't you in love with Chen Xitong? He might never wake up—just a vegetable for life. He can't talk to you, can't sleep with you. Anyway, I look just like Chen Xitong, and I can do more than he ever could. Whatever your kinks, whatever you ask, I'll accept it all."

He gave a light laugh and stepped closer to Gu Hansheng: "If you want, I can keep mimicking him—learn his way of speaking, his smile—and I'll make sure you're satisfied. You were pretty into it when you kissed me, weren't you? Guess you were happy with my acting, right? Does it even matter what's real and what's fake anymore?"

He suddenly broke into a bright, sunny smile and continued in Chen Xitong's tone: "Besides, you've long since lost track of what's real, haven't you? Bro."

His smile, his words, and the way he said "Bro" all stabbed at Gu Hansheng like a provocation, whipping up a storm in his eyes, as if he wished he could drag Zhao Yu into a vortex and grind him to pieces.