Chapter 26: From Today On, No More Staying Up Late! A Nightclub? Let's Go!

After that, the two of them continued playing games without losing a single match.

"Could it really be because of that 10-point attack bonus?" Zhou Le wondered to himself.

Just then, he heard noises coming from outside. Checking the time, he saw it was already 6:30 AM.

"We've been playing all night," Zhou Le said with a sigh, feeling the exhaustion in his body.

"Yeah, so what?"

"Nothing, but I still have to head out at 9:30."

"Go ahead then. I’m not the least bit sleepy, I’m wide awake! I think you were right—staying up all night is actually quite fun."

Zhou Le sighed again, feeling utterly drained. "You’ve been battling all night and you’re still full of energy, but I’m on the verge of collapse."

"Don't talk nonsense. If you need to sleep, get some rest and we'll see each other later. Don't be late."

He logged out of the game. Zhou Le lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The thrill of winning all night was now replaced by a deep, weary exhaustion.

"Never again. I’m never pulling an all-nighter again," Zhou Le resolved.

He forced himself to get up, get dressed, and walk out of the bedroom. With a forced smile, he told Bai Huimin that he was used to waking up early and sometimes went for a run to exercise.

"You like running? That’s perfect. I was planning to take Siyang out for a run, but why don't you take him instead? That way I can prepare breakfast for you all."

Zhou Le: "???"

He was stunned, but having already committed to the lie, he had no choice but to agree. As he stepped outside, he sighed, realizing that one lie inevitably requires more lies to sustain it.

He dragged Yu Siyang to the apartment complex's playground and started running. After one lap of about two hundred meters, Zhou Le felt like he was about to drop dead.

"Whoever stays up late again is a dog!"

Fortunately, Yu Siyang got tired too and made an excuse to go play on the fitness equipment, giving Zhou Le a chance to rest. That morning, he returned to Yu Qian’s place for porridge and mentioned he had to go out later.

"Godfather, Mom, I’m going to go back to my place today. I haven't cleaned up the apartment you took me to yesterday, so I’ll go sort that out and come back tomorrow."

"That's fine. I’ll come over later to help you; it’s too much trouble to clean by yourself." Bai Huimin had learned about Zhou Le’s background from her husband and felt a pang of sympathy for him.

"It’s alright, why should I bother you with such small chores? I can handle it myself. But Mom, the buns you made are truly delicious," Zhou Le said sincerely.

Afterward, Zhou Le left. Bai Huimin stood at the window holding her youngest son, watching Zhou Le’s retreating figure. From that angle, she could clearly see him wiping away tears as he walked, and even turning back to look one last time after walking a dozen meters. His eyes were red. Seeing this, Bai Huimin felt a lump form in her own throat.

Just then, Yu Siyang came out of the bathroom. "Mom, I want to play on my phone! I want to play Honor of Kings!"

Bai Huimin paused, took a deep breath, and looked at her eldest son with a blank expression. "You want to play on the phone, do you? Come with me into the room, and I'll let you play."

Moments later, the sound of Yu Siyang’s crying could be heard from inside.

...

Zhou Le took the subway to the address Nazha had sent him. It was a small Western-style villa. Confused about what this place was, he walked inside and realized it seemed to be a fashion studio. Even before he could introduce himself, a beautiful receptionist with a great figure approached him with a smile.

"Mr. Zhou, right? Please, follow me."

Zhou Le was completely bewildered. It wasn't until he saw Nazha inside that he realized she had ordered two suits for him.

"I said I’d get you a gift. Getting you a car or a house isn't realistic, but clothes are fine. I got your measurements from Director Yang. Go ahead and try them on to see if they fit."

Zhou Le was shocked. "When did this happen? Did you mention this before?"

Nazha felt a surge of annoyance. "I did! That time Dongyu came over, I misunderstood you and thought you were talking to everyone about that stuff. You said you wanted a house, a car, clothes, and even a wife and kids, so I could only get you clothes."

Zhou Le tapped his forehead. "Wait, no, that’s not right at all. You were the one who insisted on giving me a wife and kids; I never agreed to that."

Guli Nazha sneered, "Oh, so you remember now?"

Feeling a chill down his spine, Zhou Le quickly said, "I'll go change."

The most expensive clothes Zhou Le had ever bought were a Seven Wolves suit he’d haggled down to 749 yuan, which even came with a shirt, belt, and tie—and he’d cheekily demanded a bowtie to go with it. Now, he truly understood the saying that "clothes make the man." Even though Zhou Le was handsome, he used to look like a good-looking waiter or an insurance salesman in a suit. But in these high-end tailored outfits, his presence changed instantly.

When he walked out of the fitting room, Nazha and the designer’s eyes lit up.

"This one is good." Nazha walked around him, inspecting the fit. "Looks great. Try the other one."

Zhou Le nodded. When he put on the second suit, he felt even more handsome. If he weren't an actor, he would look exactly like a powerful CEO walking down the street.

"Thank you, Auntie," Zhou Le whispered.

"No need to thank me. As long as you stick with me, I won't let you down."

"Auntie, can I take you out to dinner later?"

"Better not. You should go home and rest, or I’m afraid you’ll actually drop dead. Besides, I already have plans to eat with Dongyu at noon."

"Then let me treat you both."

"Do you think it's your place to treat us? This is our girls' outing; why are you trying to join in?"

"Alright then."

Zhou Le returned home, made his bed, and fell straight to sleep. He was just too tired. He slept until after 5:00 PM. Waking up groggy to see his messy place, he sighed and started cleaning. After two hours of work, he was just about to head out for a bite to eat when his phone rang. It was Da Peng.

"Hey Le'er, where are you?"

"At home."

"At home? You have a home?"

"Hey—Brother Da Peng, even if you are my brother, do you believe I’ll hit you?"

"Haha, my mistake. I meant, didn't you check out of your hotel?"

"Oh, my godfather arranged a place for me."

"Brother Qian, that’s great. Send me your location. Let's go have some fun tonight, my treat."

"Where are we going?"

"A nightclub."

Zhou Le felt a jolt of excitement. He had never been to a nightclub in his life. The fanciest places he’d ever been to were commercial KTVs, where his only job was to pick songs and pour drinks—after all, keeping the boss happy was what mattered most.

"Alright, hold on, I’ll send you the location right now."

...

At 8:00 PM, Zhou Le arrived at the spot with Da Peng, Qiao Shan, Zhao Yingjun, and the others. To his surprise, he saw Chen Sicheng there too.

"Director Chen happens to be in town for the Beijing College Student Film Festival. We were friends already, so I invited him along."

Zhou Le hurried over to shake his hand. "Director Chen, it’s an honor to meet you."

"You're too kind. I’ve heard all about you. Whenever I talk to Da Peng on the phone, you’re all he talks about."

"Not at all, it’s all thanks to Brother Da Peng’s guidance."

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while. But no sooner had everyone finished greeting each other than the room began to fill with people. Within minutes, it was packed with young women, each more beautiful and shapely than the last. Zhou Le was stunned.

"It’s normal. Look at who's in this room," Da Peng said.

Zhou Le understood. It was indeed normal. He and Qiao Shan were just the tag-alongs, but Da Peng was a director, and Director Chen had just released *Detective Chinatown 1*, which had grossed 800 million. As more girls entered, the room became cramped, so Da Peng decided they needed a bigger private room.

Soon, they moved to a larger space. Ten minutes later, that room was full, too.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

"Just enjoy yourself."

Zhou Le wasn't one to be shy. He soon grabbed the microphone to sing, with plenty of girls dancing around him, while those who couldn't get a spot sat back, swaying their arms to the music.

That night, Zhou Le got drunk again. But in his last moment of clarity, he remembered Da Peng asking if he wanted to take one or two girls back to the hotel. Zhou Le draped an arm over Da Peng's shoulder and waved his other hand.

"No, no need...... I’ve had too much to drink tonight, I’m afraid I’m willing but unable, don't laugh at me."