Chapter 119 - Why Are You So Foolish (Part II)

The first thing I felt upon waking up this morning was a splitting headache, a searing pain in my brain that left me feeling miserable. As my muddled thoughts slowly cleared, a faint, delicate fragrance drifted into my nose. Subconsciously, I took a greedy sniff, which immediately brought back memories of that damn banquet last night.

Chairman Hua and Minister Zhu Guangde were truly two devious old men. To think they had ganged up with so many officials from their respective families to toast me—a mere seventeen-year-old high school student—I was speechless. I was a high schooler, and the legal drinking age forbade me from consuming alcohol, yet the President of the country himself had taken the lead in violating the law regarding minors...

In my sober state, I could clearly recall the sight and smell of that fifty-degree Moutai, which made my stomach churn again, nearly forcing me to retch. Terrified, I quickly stopped thinking about yesterday and instinctively reached out to pull the quilt over myself. That was a mistake; the movement reminded me of something I had no memory of: How did I even get into this bed?

In my dazed state, I vaguely recalled Chu Qitong. Yes, it must have been her who pulled me into bed. How embarrassing—to have the "Little Witch" see me in such a drunken state. If I see her later, I must pretend I don't remember a thing. Yes, I absolutely cannot let her laugh at me.

As I thought this, a faint smile tugged at my lips. That girl must have had a miserable time dealing with a drunkard like me yesterday. I’m such a heavy person; she must have been exhausted trying to move me, right?

Just as I lay there with my eyes closed, lost in thought, that familiar fragrance drifted into my nose again. This time, I paid closer attention and realized it was the "Girl’s Heart" perfume, produced by Elizabeth Arden in France, which only Chu Qitong wore. This scent was so distinct that anyone who had smelled it even once could identify it. I couldn't help but offer a wry smile. Why was her scent lingering on me...?

Wait... scent? As this thought crossed my mind, a chain reaction occurred in my brain, leading me to a truly terrifying conclusion... Could it be?

Summoning my courage, I slowly opened my eyes. Through the haze, what I saw wasn't empty space or a white sheet, but a beautiful face!

Damn it! I was completely stunned. How, how could she be sleeping in my bed? How was this possible? Cold sweat poured down my forehead. At that moment, the headache, the misery, and the confusion were all cast to the winds. I was filled with only one sensation: the feeling that the world was collapsing around me.

Carefully, I snuck a glance at Chu Qitong, who was fast asleep, her pretty face framed by disheveled hair. My face turned ashen. I tried desperately to remember what had happened after we returned, but I couldn't recall a thing. Could it be that she couldn't move me because I was too drunk, and she just pushed me onto her bed? I felt a glimmer of hope. After all, I’m a man and quite heavy; a petite woman couldn't have carried or dragged me. I felt a momentary sense of relief—if I had just slept in her bed, it wasn't the end of the world. But then...

Driven by the need to prove something, my hands uncontrollably pulled back the quilt...

"Boom!" My mind went completely blank. I was frozen in shock. I saw my own naked lower body, and more importantly, I saw Chu Qitong’s soft, smooth buttocks! And amidst my confusion, the tiny red stains on the sheet plunged me into total despair.

My God, what had I done? Had I raped her? Did I rape her while I was drunk? I clutched my messy hair, my heart tearing apart. If I had done this to her, what face would I have to see Su Xin? If I truly had raped Chu Qitong, I was a beast, lower than any animal!

"Mm..." Just as I was silently berating myself, Chu Qitong let out a soft moan in her sleep, a faint smile touching her lips. "Mm... you bad guy..." she whispered, then turned over and fell back asleep.

Cold sweat dripped down my forehead. That final shred of hope was extinguished by her whisper. My mind was in complete chaos. I had no idea what to do or how to face this beautiful girl with whom I had just shared an intimate night. Her first time... it was her first time! Staring fixedly at those red stains on the sheet, I felt like I was going insane. Damn it, my virginity was gone, and I’d taken hers along with it, yet I couldn't remember a single thing. I didn't even know what it felt like. I was such a failure as a human being.

"Ring, ring, ring..." As I lay there, filled with contradiction and regret, my phone in my pant pocket suddenly erupted with a loud alarm. "Damn it, that's the wake-up alarm..." I slapped my forehead in despair. Just as I scrambled to reach for my pants on the floor, I realized Chu Qitong was wide awake, staring at me!

"Er, that... I... I'll just turn off the alarm..." I was so awkward I didn't know what to say. I grabbed my pants, pulled out the phone, and frantically pried the battery out. The damn noise stopped, but it had also woken up the beautiful girl I had defiled.

"Xiao Qiang... you... last night... I..." Chu Qitong was just as embarrassed as I was, equally unable to find the words to express what had happened. Her face was flushed deep red, even more so than a patient with a high fever. Being a girl, she found it even harder to speak.

"Qitong, I... last night..." I hated myself. I hated that I had drunk so much, hated that I had let her take care of me, and hated that I had even attended that banquet! Alcohol could strip away one's inhibitions—I knew that. Now, what was I supposed to do? How could I face Su Xin? How could I face Chu Qitong? How could I face her parents? Feeling more and more stifled, I slapped my own cheek with a heavy "thwack."

"Xiao Qiang? What are you doing?" Seeing me slap myself, Chu Qitong tried to sit up, but as she moved, she realized she was naked. As soon as her white neck emerged from the quilt, she shrank back in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Qitong. I'm a beast, a monster!" I bowed my head and slapped myself again. "I'm a dead man, I should just die!" I hit myself again and again until blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. Chu Qitong’s eyes filled with tears, and she trembled, "Stop, Xiao Qiang... please don't hit yourself... I don't blame you..."

"This isn't about blame! This ruined your whole life! I hate myself!" I slammed my fist into the wall. I channeled my Ziyang True Qi into the blow, and the wall actually trembled slightly.

Chu Qitong’s face turned pale. She had never seen me so devastated. She shook her head frantically and said, "No, it was my choice... I did it willingly... You don't have to take responsibility, and I don't expect you to... Sob... it's my fault, I was too stupid... I knew you were thinking of Su Xin, but I couldn't help it... I couldn't help but want to be your woman... Xiao Qiang, I don't blame you, I really don't..."

"What did you say?" I stared at her in shock, speechless. "You... you mean you weren't raped?"

Chu Qitong shook her head slightly, her eyes filled with boundless love. "Xiao Qiang, I love you. I like you, so I’m willing to give you everything! I don't know how it happened last night either. But don't be like this; it's not your fault. You were already drunk..."

I finally understood. I had been drunk, but she had been a sober, conscious participant. It meant I hadn't raped her; she had been willing. She had been willing to give her most precious first time to me... *Sigh!* I shook my head, sighing, "Qitong, why? Why be so foolish? Is it worth it for me?"

"It is worth it for you," Chu Qitong said firmly, looking as if she were ready to face anything. "I don't have Su Xin's luck; I can't have your love. But Xiao Qiang, I really love you, I really like you... You must be worried that Su Xin will be hurt if she finds out, right? Don't worry, I won't tell her. Only the two of us will know." Her face dimmed as she finished speaking. Indeed, the pain of loving a man you couldn't have was something I couldn't truly comprehend.

We sat in silence on the bed for a long time. Neither of us spoke. Perhaps we were both maintaining a silent understanding, not wanting to break the tension and cause each other more embarrassment and pain. Finally, unable to sit still any longer, I silently dressed and turned to look at Chu Qitong, sighing, "Let's talk about this when we get back to C City. Get up and get dressed; the instructor might call us back soon. Get ready."

"Okay..." She nodded gently, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes with her fair hands. Inadvertently, I noticed the pale purple hickeys on her neck and arms. I knew, of course, that those were my handiwork from last night.

Damn it, what kind of sin have I committed...