Chapter 16: Li Peijun’s Troubles

“Mom, Li Peijun invited me out. I’m heading out now.” Chen Fan had just finished dinner when he received Li Peijun’s message. They were to meet at a quiet bar on Fuxing Road. He’d intended to decline, but since Li Peijun was treating, and for the sake of their fifteen years of revolutionary camaraderie, he decided to go.

Chen Fan didn’t dare tell his family the truth—that he was going to a bar. He could only say he was going out, since his father didn’t smoke or drink and disapproved of his son picking up those habits.

“What’s with this guy? So mysterious, won’t even say what it’s about, just told me to come.” Chen Fan wasn’t used to going out at night. Aside from spending time at the Werewolf Club, he was usually holed up at home.

He arrived at the appointed lamppost and stood there, scanning the area. Plenty of people passed by, but he saw no familiar faces.

“One, two, three… it’s right, fourth lamppost from the intersection, with a fire hydrant beside it—matches perfectly. Don’t tell me he’s late again.” Impatient, Chen Fan called Li Peijun.

“Where are you? I don’t see the bar either.”

“Face the road. Cross at eleven o’clock, and you’ll see it. The sign isn’t obvious—it’s called ‘Deep Love, Shallow Fate’. I’m already inside.” Li Peijun’s voice sounded off, with faint sobs in the background.

Chen Fan hung up and searched for the bar. “Could he have shown off his wealth and gotten targeted by thugs? Maybe he wants the resourceful me to help him out. Yes, that must be it.”

The sign was indeed inconspicuous, especially since it didn’t light up. Against the blazing neon of the surroundings, it was easy to overlook.

The bar wasn’t large, about the size of a typical bakery. The entrance was distinctive, reminiscent of a Western saloon, with two wooden planks at waist height that swung open. A rug lay at the door, its edges ringed with indecipherable characters and a biblical image at the center. Door chimes hung on either side of the wall, likely just for decoration.

There were no blinding lights, booming disco, or scantily clad dancers. It was Chen Fan’s first time in such a place—he’d only ever heard people say that bars were where sparks most easily flew.

Inside, the décor was vintage woodwork, with both a traditional upright bar and café-like booths. Wooden carvings filled the space, blocking his view.

“Where is this guy? Can’t see him anywhere.” Chen Fan circled the place and ended up back at the entrance.

Most patrons arrived in pairs; lone figures were rare. Chen Fan searched again and finally spotted Li Peijun in a corner.

He sat in a pool of soft shadow, his solitary silhouette seemingly swallowed by darkness—a feeling of loneliness and melancholy radiated from him.

“Am I doing a character analysis now?” Chen Fan steadied himself, surprised at his own literary turn of mind.

“Li Peijun, I’m here.” Chen Fan greeted softly and took the seat beside him.

Li Peijun didn’t look up. He drank alone, his profile haggard. Several empty tall glasses stood before him, and his current drink was already half gone.

After a long while, Li Peijun finally turned, his face flushed but numb. “Did you know? I’ve been dumped. I’ve been dumped.”

“Wait a second, that’s not in the script… No, when did this guy ever date anyone?” His voice was so loud that several people turned to look. Chen Fan quickly tried to calm him down.

“When did you ever date anyone? I never heard about it. Back in school, your longest ‘relationship’ didn’t last more than a week,” Chen Fan asked, puzzled.

“It was an online romance. Met in a game. She’s from Yuanyu City too—what are the odds?” Li Peijun’s face was full of sorrow as he downed another bitter gulp. “Want something to drink? It’s on me tonight. Just sit and listen to my woes.”

Chen Fan glanced at the menu—even the soda water was twice as expensive as at the club, not to mention the special cocktails.

Tonight, Chen Fan had the golden touch—he could make plain water taste like fresh oysters. Watching Li Peijun’s gloom, he sighed, “I’ll have this—Blue Lover.”

Li Peijun waved him off without asking the price. “Order at the bar, put it on my tab.”

Soon, Chen Fan returned with a cocktail, adopting the demeanor of a radio confidant. “Online romances aren’t reliable. You should find someone at your university.”

Li Peijun whimpered, “Girls these days are just too cunning. They call you ‘hubby’ in-game, their voices sweeter than any actress, their photos more beautiful than ever. I fell right into the trap.”

“Oh, so the famed Li Peijun, with all his experience, still manages to capsize in the swimming pool? That’s a first.” Chen Fan took a sip from his drink.

“It was a carefully plotted scheme, a total scam. Nothing was real—everything was fake.” The more Li Peijun spoke, the more agitated he became, tears running into his glass before he gulped it all down.

“How much money did you lose? Want me to help get it back? Where does she live—one thousand? Five thousand? Ten thousand?” Chen Fan guessed as Li Peijun stayed silent.

“It wasn’t money—it was my feelings. Two months of emotions, all cheated away,” Li Peijun banged the table in indignation.

Chen Fan patted his shoulder. “Progress! You lasted two months this time, longer than any of your school flings. She must be quite beautiful.”

“Sweet-talking, cute, long black hair, fair legs, a curvy figure, dressed to kill—she was my dream goddess.” Seeing Chen Fan’s skeptical look, Li Peijun pulled out her photos.

Chen Fan had to admit, she was stunning—girls like that weren’t seen on the street, let alone dating Li Peijun.

No wonder she turned him down. Chen Fan almost wanted to laugh; if she really ended up with Li Peijun, it’d be like a toad wanting to eat a swan.

“Girls like that are probably out of our league. Better to be realistic.” As a comrade in arms, Chen Fan stifled his laughter and tried to comfort him.

Li Peijun cursed, “Girl? Damn it, he’s a guy! A burly brute with a thicker neck than mine! He had me fooled good. When we finally met, I was stunned, wondering if I’d walked onto the wrong set. Picture it—two hot-blooded young men having a candlelit dinner. I must’ve lost my mind.”

“Pfft, seriously? So the photos and the voice were fake?” Chen Fan choked on his drink, collapsing onto the bar, laughing.

“The photos were cross-dressing, the voice was a changer. Now I’m scared I’ve actually fallen for ‘her’—but this blow’s too much. I don’t even know how to explain to my parents.”

“Haha, young people are interesting.” Chen Fan swirled his cocktail, unable to drink for laughing.

Li Peijun asked, “What do you think I should do?”

“Forgive him, of course,” Chen Fan replied.

Li Peijun, tipsy, raised his glass. “I must be drunk—your cocktail looks green, the color of forgiveness. No, no, I’ll wait till tomorrow when I’m sober. Enough of this, cheers!”

It wasn’t an illusion—Chen Fan’s drink had indeed turned green and now tasted like green apple vinegar.

“What the hell? Is this some kind of scam?”

Dissatisfied, Chen Fan went to the bar to complain, but the staff had no idea either and simply replaced it with a Blue Lover for free.

“Weird, it’s not changing now.” Chen Fan held the glass to his eyes, shaking it hard. Bubbles swirled, but the color stayed the same.

“What are you doing over there? Cheers!” Li Peijun was truly drunk now. Chen Fan humored him for a bit until he passed out.

“Strange. Why did that happen?” Chen Fan stared at the two cocktails, one of which had become green apple vinegar, completely baffled.