"Evan, where did you go? Why is your face bruised?"
Back in the private room, Felicia and the others had just finished a few rounds of games. They stared at him in surprise.
Evan's expression stiffened. He cleared his throat. "I wasn't paying attention coming out of the restroom. Missed a step and fell down the stairs."
They nodded casually. One of them said, "Oh dear, please be careful next time."
He gave a distracted nod, but inside, his anger simmered.
He had never encountered a woman as ungrateful as that one. He'd only meant well, and she had someone throw him down the stairs.
Yet as he brooded, he didn't notice the flicker in Felicia's eyes.
She had followed him out earlier.
She had seen everything.
Watched him get dragged and tossed down the stairs—too scared to say a word.
And in that moment…
The "campus heartthrob" suddenly lost all appeal.
What a coward.
He didn't even dare say a word after being humiliated.
Pathetic.
***
Meanwhile, Riley retrieved the two bottles of wine and headed back with Lucas.
But he kept giving her strange looks.
She frowned. "What?"
He hesitated before finally asking, "That pretty boy earlier… he said you have a boyfriend. What's that about?"
Riley paused.
He knows that too?
No.
I don't think Evan had recognized me.
More likely, he was imagining things… or Felicia had fed him something.
She thought for a moment, then said calmly, "I don't have a boyfriend."
Lucas immediately relaxed, patting his chest. "Good. That's a relief."
Riley looked at him sincerely. "But I have a husband."
Silence.
Lucas froze.
His smile cracked as he stared at her in horror. "Wait—what did you just say? Husband? You're… married?!"
She nodded. "Just got married recently."
His face went through a series of dramatic transformations.
Then—
"WAAAH—!"
He burst into tears.
"Riley, what the heck? How can you act like it's nothing? Who told you to get married so young? What am I supposed to do now?!"
He snatched the bottle from her hand, popped it open, and started chugging straight from it—crying as he drank.
Riley stared at him, speechless.
What does my marriage have to do with you…?
Not wanting to make a scene, she casually shut the door.
She had ordered strong liquor.
Now half a bottle was already gone.
Lucas's face flushed red, his eyes glassy as he looked at her.
"My phone…"
She picked it up and handed it over.
"Hic… order some late-night food… drinking on an empty stomach is bad…"
Riley was speechless.
She was just about to call someone to take care of him—
When suddenly—
He grabbed her leg.
"Rye… don't go… stay and have a drink with me… to mourn my… hic… youth that died before it even began…"
He'd meant to say love.
But one look at her cool expression made him swallow the word and replace it with youth, clinging desperately to whatever dignity he had left.
Riley almost kicked him on instinct.
I'm wearing a skirt, you idiot.
With a swift motion, she grabbed him by the collar and tossed him back onto the sofa.
He's Adrian's cousin. I'll tolerate it.
She set down her medical bag, pulled out a calculus textbook from the bottom, switched on the lights and started reading.
Inside the private room—
One person drank and cried.
The other calmly studied.
Neither disturbed the other.
An oddly harmonious… and completely bizarre scene.