Yu skillfully opened a bottle of red wine, pouring a small half glass for Li Chonglou and the same for herself.
Without hesitation, they clinked glasses with a ding and finished the wine.
"Do you know? My birth was meant to save the family," Yu said with a self-deprecating smile after finishing her drink. "Sounds like a cheesy TV drama, doesn't it?"
"And Zhang Jie is that existence I can't refuse."
"I don't know why he's afraid of you, but the fact that you can make him give me up and return to the capital shows your great capability."
"Right?"
Her impression of Li Chonglou had shifted from a down-on-his-luck guy getting into trouble with Zhang Jie, to a mysterious big shot, and finally to a hidden master, a journey full of twists and turns.
For someone like him, she didn't want to hold back.
Because her own subtle intentions might be seen through by Li Chonglou.
It would only backfire.
"Why are you telling me this? What do you want to achieve?" Li Chonglou asked, setting down his wine glass without drinking, his expression unreadable.
A man and a woman, sitting here pouring out their troubles.
Did this woman consider him a psychological counselor? Or an emotional dumping ground, wanting to unload her negativity onto him?
He had encountered such situations frequently in his past life.
Having endured great hardship, he had attained a profound enlightenment, his thoughts far surpassing those of ordinary people.
Consequently, individuals with emotional imbalances were often drawn to him, seeking to complete themselves by absorbing his spiritual value.
Don't be fooled by those who appear glamorous and possess an extraordinary aura; it doesn't necessarily mean they are mentally healthy.
On the contrary, many who seem ordinary and unremarkable are the ones with sound souls.
Initially, he was quite interested and wanted to help them out of their predicaments.
But gradually, Li Chonglou realized it wasn't that simple.
No one's fate could be controlled by him; those who hadn't personally experienced hardship could never escape their self-imposed traps.
And what people called depression was simply not letting go of oneself.
Apart from offering temporary comfort and planting a seed, he rarely managed to truly help people out of such difficulties.
Unless that person both trusted him and encountered a major setback, achieving self-salvation.
But the probability of that was minuscule.
Some even turned against him in the end, and he no longer wished to counsel anyone.
He also didn't want to get close to those who treated him as an emotional garbage bin.
It was clear that Yu Ke was one of them.
This instantly made him lose interest.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this either, I just wanted to thank you for chasing away Zhang Jie. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to face myself," Yu said with a hint of sadness, seemingly sensing Li Chonglou's subtle rejection beneath his calm exterior.
"You misunderstand. Zhang Jie was afraid of dying himself; it had nothing to do with me," Li Chonglou replied indifferently.
The ultimate tactic against psychic vampires was to evade questions and refuse engagement.
"You don't need to be afraid, really. I won't tell Zhang Jie anything about you," Yu reassured him, thinking Li Chonglou was worried about Zhang Jie's retaliation. "This glass of wine also made me suddenly realize something."
"Zhang Jie is just an ordinary person. Why should I be afraid of him, why should I cater to him?"
"And all for the sake of so-called family interests."
"What 'Eight Great Families'? They're rotten to the core. Still clinging to their last shred of dignity and face, how ridiculous."
She spoke as if confiding in Li Chonglou, yet also as if talking to herself.
As she spoke, she poured another glass and drank it down.
This was not the proper way to drink red wine, and Li Chonglou believed that someone of Yu Ke's caliber wouldn't be unaware of how potent and intoxicating red wine could be when consumed this way.
However, it seemed the bitterness in her heart had no outlet, and she was deliberately seeking oblivion.
If it were in her own room, it would be fine, but this was his room.
What was the meaning of getting drunk here?
Li Chonglou couldn't help but advise her, "A person's destiny is determined by birth, but luck is fought for by oneself. Families have their own trajectories of development; no single individual can change it alone, especially a declining noble family like yours, the Yu family."
"If you associated with Zhang Jie for this reason, it was indeed a mistake. It's wise that you're letting go now."
Li Chonglou, though he hadn't met Zhang Jie in his past life, had heard Zhang Yichuan mention this unfilial son.
He had rampaged and acted recklessly outside, using the Zhang family's name without any restraint.
This not only led to the Zhang family being severely investigated by the government and their decline, but he himself was also sentenced to immediate execution.
His character was thus evident.
Any woman who became involved with such a man was bound to have no happiness.
If it were a woman who was unaware, without a sense of self, it would be understandable.
But Yu Ke was clearly not like that.
"You're right. Perhaps this is why I inexplicably feel a connection with you, because you can subdue him." Yu's beautiful eyes brightened as she saw Li Chonglou finally soften. "When he got out of the car to cause trouble for you, I didn't dare to stop him, because I didn't dare to offend him."
"You won't blame me, will you?"
It was obvious she wasn't blaming herself for this, merely probing Li Chonglou's attitude on the surface.
This woman was far less simple than she appeared.
Or rather, no woman was simple; it was just that many men underestimated them due to their own arrogance.
"What business is my choice of yours? Self-preservation is not wrong," Li Chonglou replied, then began to dismiss her. "You've already had two drinks, you should book a room and rest."
At this moment, it seemed the aftereffects of the red wine were beginning to take hold.
A flush of crimson rose on Yu Ke's pretty face.
She smiled lightly and said, "Do you dislike me that much? Or do you think I'm vulgar?"
"Not at all. You have a noble aura; it's clear you're not from an ordinary background, so it's not vulgar. It's just that if you get too drunk here with me, aren't you worried about something happening?" Li Chonglou employed a psychological tactic.
"Pfft." Yu Ke couldn't help but chuckle. "What could happen?"
"Are you perhaps trying to take advantage of me?"
"Well, it's not entirely out of the question..."
Changing the subject, Yu Ke put down her wine glass and stood up.
Her perfectly straight, slender, fair legs were fully exposed to Li Chonglou.
She was certainly not drunk. Even drinking a full glass of red wine was merely a slight buzz for her, given her well-developed tolerance from a young age.
However, she wanted to use this opportunity to subdue the man who could scare away Zhang Jie.
But Li Chonglou had been consistently wary of her, making it difficult for her to make her move.
Since that was the case, she decided to be more direct.
In this era, very few were chaste maidens; women who traded their bodies for advancement were as common as could be.
And she merely sought to exchange it for inner peace.
Was that too much to ask?
Li Chonglou watched her elegantly approach him, her eyes filled with alluring charm, and his劍眉 (jiànméi - sword-like eyebrows) couldn't help but furrow slightly.
This woman's behavior was utterly unexpected. They had only met once, and he hadn't anticipated anything so out of the ordinary. To think she was so uninhibited.
One-night stands were far too common in this era.
But Li Chonglou had never tried it. He was more traditional, believing that sex without love was self-abuse.
He didn't need to rely on lust to fill the void in his heart.
However, he overlooked one thing: Yu Ke was not him. Lust was just one way she could think of to fill her emptiness.
And conquering this mysterious man would bring her considerable satisfaction.
Without waiting for Li Chonglou to rise, Yu Ke lowered her body and sat down in front of him.
It wasn't like she tripped over something, but rather a deliberate act.
Biting her red lips lightly, her gaze was hazy, and one hand had already climbed onto Li Chonglou's thigh.
In that instant, electricity seemed to spark between them.