Chapter 5: He Zhiyuan (Part 2) (First Update Seeking Recommendations)

  Thanks for the rewards from Resplendence and GYZ/gyz!

  ===========

  The hospital convenience store sells a lot of things, and canned tea is also available. Ahn Jun-he bought three cans of green tea and stopped for a while, thinking that the two people should have finished talking about their private matters. Just as he was about to leave, he saw Hwang Ji-hyun wearing a mask rushing through the lobby, not looking back, and exiting from the front door.

  It's clear that the two people who are alone together will have an unhappy ending.

  Back in the garden, Soo-jin still stood in place, staring blankly ahead at the wide lawn.

  Beyond that, in the distant sky, white clouds are rolling, and the outline of mountains is faintly visible behind rivers and high-rise buildings. Unlike the green mountains of spring and summer, the winding lines in the field of vision have patches of blurry red, which is the crimson left by the maple forest in this season.

  Looking away from the distant view, Ahn Jun-hee walked up behind him and handed him a can of tea. "I just saw her leave... Can't you talk things over properly?"

  So Ji-sub, who had woken up, let out a bitter laugh: "Different views on life, no matter how you discuss it, there will always be conflicts and contradictions."

  An Junhe was unclear about the matter between them and didn't want to bother asking, so he just advised: "Both of you should give in a bit more, if not it won't be easy to get angry, I just saw her like that, I reckon she's furious."

  "Ah..." Soo Ji-hyun let out a sigh, looked up at the clear blue sky above and suddenly said: "Jun-heh, can you do me a favor?"

  "Huh?"

  "She'll probably go drinking again, it's an old habit... You catch up with her and help me send her back home, there's no assistant following her today, she's alone, what if she gets drunk..."

  "Alright!" An Junhe replied, "Do you want me to push you back to your room first?"

  "No need, I'll stay a bit longer. If I want to go back, I'll call the nurse. You go first, or you'll be late."

  "Alright! Be careful, don't stay outside for too long."

  The uneasy one reminded him again, and An Junhe quickly left. The hospital is very large, the inpatient building is located in the innermost part, and there are many tall and short buildings between it and the outpatient building on the outermost side, most of which are other critical care departments and medical equipment departments, as well as a large parking lot.

  It's obviously not a distance that can be covered in just a few minutes, An Junhe chased all the way to the front door and happened to see Hae Soo-yoon hailing a taxi. He rushed over, pushed open the car door she had just opened, and apologized to the stunned taxi driver: "Sorry, she's not getting on."

  "What are you doing?" Heo Jiwon turned around and glared at him, frowning and shouting in a low voice: "Are you also trying to control me? Get out of my way!"

  An Junhe ignored her and apologized to the driver a few times, watching as he muttered to himself and drove away in his taxi. Only then did he turn back to glare at Heo Joon-yeol, who was still fuming, and say with a chuckle: "Ji Hwan asked me to see you home."

  A radiant smile appeared before her eyes, but in Hae-in's eyes, that smile was extremely detestable, just like the scoundrel who had just quarreled with her. Just thinking about it made her temper, which was already simmering, unbearable to erupt. But this was outside the hospital, where people were coming and going, and their brief argument had already attracted attention from others. Afraid of revealing her identity, she could only glare, releasing her anger and silent protest through her eyes.

  An Junhe knew she would care about her public image, so he completely ignored the anger that seemed to be burning in her eyes, pulled her back to prevent her from running away, and then made a phone call.

  Today, Che Yuancheng, who was also the driver, came with him. The vehicle was a low-key black Kia that didn't draw attention to itself. After making a phone call, the unassuming Kia slowly emerged from behind the building and drove up to the two men, stopping gently beside them.

  An Junhe opened the car door and made a welcoming gesture.

  "Hmph!" Heo Ji-won snorted, but still got in and waited for Ahn Jun-hyuk to get in and close the door before she coldly said, "You friends are all just as despicable as him!"

  An Junhe shrugged and asked nonchalantly, "Where is your home, senior?"

  Her provocative behavior, which didn't get any response from him, made Ha Ji-won even more suffocated. She couldn't help but take off her mask and shout: "I don't want you to send it, nor do I need his hypocrisy! You're all bastards, damn it!!"

  As she scolded, she suddenly kicked him with a foot. Although her figure looked slender, but the strength was not small, An Junhe, who had been kicked, felt that his bones were all sore.

  Quietly watching her, letting her vent for a while, An Junhe rubbed his calf with a helpless smile: "Feel better now?"

  "Ah..." Hae Jiwon was taken aback, her gaze lingering on his hand rubbing his calf, and then she fell silent. After a moment of silence, she propped up her forehead with one hand, as if suddenly exhausted. It wasn't until much later that she spoke in a low voice: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken it out on you..."

  "It's okay." He shook his head, "I'll take you back!"

  "I don't want to go back now!" Hee Ji-won shouted impatiently, then realized she was taking her anger out on someone else again, and her voice turned low: "Find a bar or buy some liquor, anything is fine, I just want to drink right now!"

  “……”

  He gazed at her silently for a moment before An Junhe nodded: "Alright... Yuan Cheng, go to Little Monkey!"

  He figured it out, this is also a strong and stubborn person, if he doesn't agree to her request, even if he reluctantly sends her home, she will still come out and drink heavily, in that case, what's the difference whether he sends her or not?

  Well, let her be then, at least I can still watch from the side.

  Yuancheng agreed and started the car, turning around and heading towards Jiangnan District.

  The bar called "Little Monkey" is located in Gangnam, which was once owned by Ahn Jun-hyuk but is now managed by Moon Seung and others from Busan. It's very small, and you can tell that it doesn't make much money just from the fact that it opens during the day. In reality, it's just a gathering place for Moon Seung and his people, and the real moneymakers are the other nightclubs that Ahn Jun-hyuk handed over to them.

  He has always been cautious, even when he is alone, and tries to avoid trouble as much as possible. This time, he is with the big star Hwang Ji-yoon to drink, and wherever they go, there is no safe place for him.

  They arrived at their destination in silence, and by then it was almost noon.

  The location of "Little Monkey" is not too prosperous, and the sign is not very eye-catching. It's a three-story small building, with the top two floors being a small game studio, and the first floor and basement were renovated by the previous owner of the bar. Above the wide but dim main entrance, a simple "Little-monkey" sign hangs, reflecting its desolation and decline in the faded paint color.

  Just getting off the car, Ha Ji-won looked up at the sign and then turned her head to look at Ahn Joon-young in disbelief: "You brought me all the way here just for this broken bar?"

  "Hehe, the wine here is good and safe, and no one will disturb us!" He said, then led the way inside.

  "Hah, what's the point of talking about safety when going to a bar? Not very old, but his personality is like an antique!" She shook her head and snorted twice, but still followed him, although she had previously scolded An Jun-he and Soo Ji-hyun for being rascals. It was precisely because An Jun-he was his friend that she felt at ease; otherwise, with her personality, there was no way she would go out drinking with someone she had only met twice. It was also then that she discovered An Jun-he's personality was quite cautious, and he noticed it before she even said anything.

  It wasn't until she entered the bar in the basement that she understood what Ahn Jun-hee meant by "safe".

  The passageway leading to the basement was spacious, but dark and damp, with a rotating lamp casting a flickering beam of light around the corner ahead. As they turned there, a thick door was just a few steps away. Ahn Jun-hee, walking in front of her, pushed open the door, and suddenly a muffled drumbeat poured into her ears like a heartbeat in a silent room. A husky singing voice also wafted over at the same time, making her heart seem to beat a few times faster.

  Behind the door, in the dimly lit bar, there were only a few scattered sofas and small tables, with a dance floor in the middle. A few people were slowly swaying their heads and bodies to the rhythm. The stage at the back and the bar on the left side were empty, except for some people sitting on the sofas, who looked over when they heard the sound of the door opening.

  It wasn't until she got closer that Ha Ji-won realized they were all young people wearing leather jackets or hip-hop clothing, and the flashing lights of the strobe revealed their fierce eyes and tattoos on their arms and necks.

  "...gang..."

  The phrase suddenly jumped out from the bottom of her heart, and her limbs stiffened for a moment. She wasn't a little girl, of course she knew that some bars in society weren't clean places, and she had seen them before, but she had never been to a place like this - no matter how you looked at it, this seemed like a small stronghold of the underworld.

  It seemed that An Junhe had noticed her tension, and he turned back to smile: "Don't be afraid, we're all on the same side." As they walked past a sofa, a young man with a fierce appearance who was lying on the sofa saw An Junhe and quickly got up.

  "Brother!"

  Then Ha Ji-won saw Ahn Jun-ho and he hugged her for a moment, whispered a few words, the young man nodded and walked towards the bar, while Ahn Jun-ho took her through the dance floor and a corridor, into a private room upstairs.

  Not long after, the young man from before also came in, brought over a bottle of Scotch whisky, and then retreated back out.

  An Junhe opened the bottle cap, took two cups, poured the amber liquid while saying: "I suppose you want to drink strong liquor now. Actually there's even better wine with a higher degree, but since it's just us, no need to waste it. 40 degrees should be enough, right? ... Want some ice?"

  "No need!" She shook her head, knowing that his so-called "no need to waste" was just an excuse, not taking a higher degree, probably afraid she would misunderstand, after all, this place didn't seem like a good one.

  Thinking of his intention, she felt a bit relieved, took the cup and gulped it down. The soft and fragrant liquid slid from her throat to her stomach, followed by a fiery sensation that burst out, warming her belly. She let out a long sigh, and suddenly felt a wave of relaxation wash over her.

  ;