Hydroxybutyric acid

The Shuno Hotel is jointly owned by five major shareholders: Bai Hua from the CIA, Song Ciying from Veilde, the Lan brothers (Lan Yi and Lan Zhong), and Yu Sheng. Rather than saying they invested in the company, it would be more accurate to say that they extended a helping hand to Yu Sheng when he desperately needed to sever ties with Yu Zhengcheng and was struggling at his most difficult time.

They only hold shares and do not participate in management. Therefore, Yu Sheng must personally handle all matters, large and small, of Shuye, especially the key projects for overseas expansion at present.

At this moment, ten thousand meters above the ground, Yu Sheng was flying to Australia. He took the hot coffee offered by the flight attendant, smelled it, and set it aside. "Do you have chilled white wine?"

"Yes, Mr. Yu."

Besides inspecting overseas projects, he had an even more important matter to attend to during this trip: the bone marrow registry of the Australian platform "Strength to Give" had matched Lu Chenyang's grandmother with a suitable bone marrow donor. However, the platform reported that the donor was currently unable to provide a donation.

Therefore, Yu Sheng decided to meet with the Australian representative in person. He did not tell Lu Chenyang about this beforehand, fearing that his hopes would be dashed and that he would be disappointed.

Taking a big gulp of chilled white wine, its crisp, sweet taste glides down my throat, dispelling some of the gloom in my heart.

They were too tired and needed to sleep. They had both exhausted themselves the night before, barely managing to close their eyes at dawn.

Yu Sheng put on her noise-canceling headphones and opened the only audio file in her phone's recording app. A deep, soothing, and uniquely magnetic a cappella voice flowed out—it was Lu Chenyang's voice, like a warm stream: "The dark sky hangs low, bright stars follow, insects fly, insects fly, who are you thinking of..."

This was recorded by Lu Chenyang after he begged and pleaded with him before bed last night. The business trip will last at least a week, and both of them will be busy. He was afraid he would have trouble sleeping alone.

The song drew in his thoughts, and Yu Sheng closed his eyes. His senses seemed to be instantly pulled back to last night: Lu Chenyang's breath, Lu Chenyang's touch, Lu Chenyang's heat, and finally, Lu Chenyang pressing down on him, panting and calling out "brother".

It was so hot under the blanket, his breath was so hot, and he felt so hot all over, as if he were on fire. He closed his eyes and hid under the blanket, quietly loosening one buckle on his belt and then tightening it again, praying that it wouldn't be too obvious.

Everything about Lu Chenyang was burning in his mind, preventing him from sleeping peacefully or fully waking up. Yu Sheng covered his head with a blanket to shut out the outside world. If a flight attendant were to pass by and see his face, she would surely ask him with concern if he had a fever.

"Phew—!" Having been feeling stifled for too long, Yu Sheng abruptly threw off the blanket, the movement drawing stares from those around him. He ignored them, grabbed the remaining half-glass of white wine, and downed it in one gulp, finally calming the churning heat within him.

Lu Chenyang! A fairy! Deadly poison!

This was Yu Sheng's only understanding at that moment.

As the fever subsided, a secret joy quietly blossomed. The heartache that had plagued him for years... seemed to be truly healing. If it were Lu Chenyang, he wouldn't resist; perhaps there would still be a slight instinctive tension, but certainly not fear. Upon returning home, he would definitely tell Bai Hua that after ten long years of treatment, they had finally glimpsed the light at the end of the tunnel.

He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

At that moment, Lu Chenyang was in his van, heading to the next roadshow location.

He opened WeChat, found Qin Nan's chat window, and typed: 'Nan, I remember your girlfriend is a jewelry designer? Design a pair of rings for me, and I'll send you the sizes and requirements later.'

He was never an indecisive person; once he made up his mind, he wouldn't hesitate. If his feelings for Yu Sheng before were one of responsibility and care, then at this moment, he clearly realized that there was an added layer of passion—love.

He likes Yu Sheng.

Now that he has recognized his true feelings, there is no need to run away. He needs a relationship, a clear relationship, and an identity that is recognized, allowing him to stand openly and honestly by Yu Sheng's side.

*

The roadshow ended in late October, and Beijing was entering late autumn with a chilly wind blowing.

Lu Chenyang stubbed out the last bit of his cigarette and closed the car window. Just then, his phone rang.

A smile played on his lips, and his voice was light and cheerful: "Ah Sheng, you've arrived in Beijing?"

"Okay." Yu Sheng's familiar voice came through, filled with excitement. "I'm going straight home. You should also come home early when you're done. I have something very important to tell you."

He deliberately lengthened and emphasized the words "very important," his tone light, as if he were hiding a huge surprise.

Yu Sheng couldn't wait to tell Lu Chenyang the surprise. Through his efforts, the Australian side had responded that the donor was indeed unable to provide bone marrow at the moment, as she was a new mother and needed at least six months to a year to recover. A year was a wait they could afford.

"Okay." Lu Chenyang chuckled, his fingertips tracing the small blue velvet box in his hand. "I'll do it as soon as possible. If you're sleepy, go to sleep first, don't wait for me."

"Um."

The smile vanished instantly after the call ended, replaced by a grim expression. He carefully put the jewelry box back into his pocket, then took a pure black lighter from the passenger side glove compartment, clutched it tightly in his hand, and got out of the car.

He pulled his coat tighter around himself, but he was still a little cold.

This is the most bustling entertainment district in Beijing, a place of extravagance and debauchery. This wasn't Lu Chenyang's first time here; he usually chose this place for business engagements and industry gatherings. But this time was different; he was here to negotiate.

Looking up at the huge, dazzling neon sign, it seemed like a crouching beast, waiting for a chance to devour him.

Lu Chenyang wasn't afraid, but he was worried that if he didn't handle the situation well, he would cause trouble for Yu Sheng and Xinghua. Ever since he decided to switch jobs, Lan Zhong had sent Xinghua's legal counsel to contact Tianheng to terminate the contract, but Chen Yi of Tianheng wouldn't budge and insisted on meeting with him alone.

Unfortunately, the contract was in the other party's hands, so no matter how unwilling Lu Chenyang was, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to the appointment.

After putting on his mask and showing his membership card, Lu Chenyang followed the greeter through the noise and stopped at the door of the innermost private room.

Two muscular bodyguards, as strong as iron towers, reached out to stop him, their voices flat: "Mr. Lu, please cooperate with the body search."

Lu Chenyang cooperated throughout, remaining expressionless. The bodyguards did not make things difficult for him and respectfully opened the heavy door to the private room.

The private room was completely dark; the lights were off and there was no music playing. Only a few flickering embers allowed Lu Chenyang to tell that someone was sitting on the sofa, smoking.

"Snap." Lu Chenyang slammed the overhead light switch on without any courtesy.

Blue light poured down, illuminating the figure on the sofa.

She wore a white suit, and her long, straight hair, reaching her waist, covered half her body. She leaned back languidly, slowly exhaling smoke rings, looking like a sexy woman addicted to tobacco. However, her arm, casually resting on the armrest, had unusually long and defined lines, with prominent bone structure—a rather incongruous sight.

As Lu Chenyang's gaze fell upon him, the man also turned his head. A face was revealed through the falling strands of hair, delicate and alluring, but his eyes were like daggers as they darted about. He scrutinized Lu Chenyang from head to toe, like a wild beast sizing up its prey, determining which piece of flesh was the most tender and from which to spit out the most blood.

The man's lips curved into an extremely slow smile, and the last wisp of smoke dissipated from his lips.

"You're here?"

His voice was deep and hoarse, clearly that of a man.

“President Chen,” Lu Chenyang replied in a deep voice.

*

Yu Sheng came out of the bathroom, drying her wet curly hair. She lay on her back on the familiar bed, rolled around a few times, and finally buried her face in the pillow, greedily absorbing the scent that belonged to Lu Chenyang and to this home.

Mmm! It's the taste of peace of mind! After being away on a business trip for almost half a month, this is the comfort he misses most besides Lu Chenyang himself.

Enveloped by familiar scents, nestled in soft bedding, the fatigue accumulated from days of travel melted into a deep sleep.

When Yu Sheng woke up again, it was past midnight.

He sat bolt upright in bed. The huge house was empty; the person hadn't returned. His phone screen was silent, without a single message.

It felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out, and panic spread. Lu Chenyang had also had work commitments that kept him busy until late at night before, but he had never gone missing without reporting it before.

I forgot to close the window before going to bed, and the night wind, carrying a chill, crept in, rustling the white gauze curtains like ghostly whispers.

Yu Sheng stared at his blurry reflection in the French windows. Without Lu Chenyang patiently drying his hair, his curly hair lay disheveled beside his pale face. His face was completely bloodless; if he weren't still breathing, Yu Sheng would have almost thought he was dead.

Perhaps a few minutes, perhaps longer, passed before he regained consciousness. He lunged towards the bedside, grabbed his phone, and dialed Lu Chenyang's number with trembling fingers.

No answer! Call again.

Still no answer! Keep calling.

The mechanical female voice, like a dull knife, cut into his nerves again and again. Repeated dozens of times? Or hundreds?

With a soft "ding," the call was finally connected.

"Lu Chenyang! Where are you?!" Yu Sheng roared, thinking he was shouting, but the voice that came out was small, broken, and trembling.

"Hello, is this Mr. Yu? I'm Qin Nan. Chenyang is currently... at Yaoguang Hospital..."

The word "hospital" exploded in Yu Sheng's mind like a thunderbolt!

The world fell silent instantly, a deathly emptiness swallowing all senses. He couldn't remember how he found the car keys, how he floored the accelerator, drove out of the parking garage, and all the way to the hospital.

The screeching of brakes, the loud scraping of metal against the steps... it all felt like it was happening in another time and space.

"Mr. Yu? Mr. Yu! Yu Sheng!"

Yu Sheng suddenly woke up to find himself standing frozen in front of the hospital's VIP entrance, his arm gripped tightly by a strong hand. His vision was blurry, and he couldn't see clearly who it was, only that the person's demeanor seemed somewhat familiar.

"Mr. Yu, can you hear me? Mr. Yu?" the man called anxiously a few more times.

Yu Sheng nodded blankly, her throat dry: "Yes."

The man visibly relaxed and half-helped, half-supported him to a nearby bench. "Mr. Yu, I'm Qin Nan. Chenyang is out of danger, but still unconscious. You're in very bad shape; should we call a doctor?"

Qin Nan stared intently at the person in front of her, who seemed to have lost his soul. His disheveled curly hair clung to his forehead, which was covered in cold sweat, and his face was deathly pale with a terrifying bluish-gray tinge. What was most unsettling was his pair of pupils that were gradually losing focus.

Just now, he came downstairs and witnessed a terrifying scene: a bright red Porsche went out of control and rushed towards the end of the road. There were clearly steps ahead, but the car showed no sign of slowing down! The low chassis slammed into the concrete steps with a loud bang!

Then he saw a tall figure in pajamas and slippers stagger out of the driver's seat. He initially thought the person was dizzy from the impact and unsteady on their feet, looking around blankly for a while before finally finding the direction of the door.

However, Qin Nan is now certain that this person's condition is not due to the impact, but rather a mental breakdown.

“…No need.” Yu Sheng buried his head deep in his arms, curling up like a frightened cub. The moment he heard Qin Nan say “out of danger,” the suffocating feeling that was tightening around his throat eased slightly, and the deadly dizziness slowly subsided.

He gasped for breath, greedily swallowing air, trying to piece together his shattered sanity as quickly as possible. "Could... I have a cigarette?" Yu Sheng grabbed Qin Nan's sleeve, struggling to lift his head, his voice hoarse like sandpaper.

He craved a fiery sip of white wine, but strong nicotine was a more readily available option. The acrid smoke rushed into his lungs, triggering a heart-wrenching cough, and tears streamed down his face.

Qin Nan looked at him with concern, "Mr. Yu, are you really alright?"

Yu Sheng looked up again, her eyes bloodshot, a look that made Qin Nan, a police officer, feel a momentary unease. Perhaps the smoke was too strong, for Yu Sheng's voice was terribly hoarse: "Who did this?"

"The specific situation is still unclear. You'll have to wait until Chenyang wakes up and ask him yourself." Qin Nan also sat down and lit a cigarette. Even he was still shaken by the turmoil of the night.

“Tell me everything you know,” Yu Sheng said.

Qin Nan glanced at him, knowing that she couldn't reason with this person in his current state, so she could only tell the truth: "Around 11 p.m. tonight, I received a call from Chen Yang. He sounded very urgent and told me not to ask any questions. He only sent me a location and the private room number, demanding that I arrive within half an hour and emphasizing that I couldn't tell anyone. When I got there, the door to the private room was locked from the inside. I had to call the manager to get the key to open it."

Qin Nan took a deep drag of his cigarette and continued, “There were four people in the private room. Two bodyguards were… crippled by Chen Yang. And there was… an androgynous guy who was knocked unconscious. Chen Yang…” He paused, his voice lowering, “I found him in the bathtub at the very back of the private room. He was completely submerged in cold water. When I arrived, he was still somewhat conscious, repeatedly telling me to keep the news under wraps and that I had to bring him to Yaoguang Hospital; no other hospital would do. Later, the club manager and I brought Chen Yang and the other injured people here together. The test results showed… Chen Yang had GHB in his system, scientifically known as gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, a… potent central nervous system depressant. It's also called a date rape drug. An overdose can be fatal.”

As Qin Nan spoke, she glanced at Yu Sheng and found that the man was expressionless; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was dead.

Just when Qin Nan thought he would no longer react, the half-dead man beside her suddenly sprang to life! He darted to the fire cabinet not far away, kicked the glass cabinet door hard, and without even looking at the flying glass shards, grabbed a fire axe that was half a person's height, turned around and rushed upstairs!

"Damn!" Even Qin Nan, from a family of police officers and a veteran of many storms, was taken aback by this sudden and insane turn of events. But he reacted quickly, throwing away his cigarette butt and lunging forward to grab the raging beast from behind, while desperately trying to wrest the large axe from behind with his other hand. "Yu Sheng! Let go! Calm down, you fucking idiot!"

"Chen Yi! I'm going to kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"