Standing Next To You-Chapter 571: In Sync

Inside the private room, the three of them sat far apart. The man was at the center, pouring drinks into each of their glasses.

"Why are you two sitting so far away? Aren’t you friends?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Shouldn’t you show me the necklace first?" Bei Sangyun replied, sidestepping the question.

She didn’t want to make Fei Chuan uncomfortable with meaningless small talk. She still didn’t understand why he was here—or why he was doing this—but she couldn’t ask him, not yet.

Fei Chuan turned to her. Necklace? What could she possibly need a necklace for?

"Drink first," the man said, handing the glass to Bei Sangyun. "Then I’ll show you."

Bei Sangyun was just about to accept it when a hand suddenly snatched it away.

Fei Chuan downed the drink in one swift motion, as if it were water. Bei Sangyun was stunned. Before she could stop him, he had already slammed the empty glass on the table with a loud thud.

He turned to the man. "I can play her knight, right? Since I took the first drink. Now show it to her."

The man chuckled. "Alright, alright. But you’ll have to drink yours as well." He poured another glass for Fei Chuan.

As the drink splashed into the glass, Fei Chuan frowned.

His stomach suddenly felt hot, and his head began to spin. He shook his head, trying to clear his vision.

The drink... was stronger than he expected.

"I’ll drink this one," Bei Sangyun said, reaching for the glass.

But Fei Chuan snatched it away again. "I’ll be your knight. Please... let me do it." He didn’t wait for her answer—he drank it down.

Bei Sangyun stared at him, confused and worried.

The man laughed at Fei Chuan’s act of bravery. "I don’t know if that’s courage or stupidity. That drink’s strong—I bet you’re already feeling hot and heavy."

"I drank it... now... show it to her," Fei Chuan said slowly, forcing the words out. His vision blurred. His cheeks flushed. His lips red. The man was right. He was feeling hot. Heavy. Dizzy.

Bei Sangyun looked at him, worry etched across her face. But she pursed her lips and turned back to the man. She couldn’t let Fei Chuan’s sacrifice be in vain.

"Where is it?"

The man shrugged. "It’s not on me."

Bei Sangyun’s eyes turned cold. "What do you mean?"

The man smiled slyly. "That necklace... is no longer with me."

Bei Sangyun took a deep breath. She was really losing her patience now."You were just wearing it earlier. How can it not be on you?"

"I did wear it earlier," the man said casually. "But then I gave it to someone else."

"Are you kidding me?" Bei Sangyun gritted her teeth.

"I’m not," he said with a shrug.

Bei Sangyun exhaled slowly, trying to stay composed."And you’re not going to tell me who you gave it to?"

"I will. But you have to drink another glass. And this time, you have to do it yourself—because it seems like your knight can’t hold his liquor."

As he said this, Fei Chuan’s body swayed.

Bei Sangyun quickly caught him. The moment she touched him, she felt the heat radiating from his body—not a normal warmth, but the intense heat of a high fever.

"Fei Chuan? Fei Chuan," she called, shaking his shoulder gently.

Fei Chuan looked at her, his eyes glazed."...Don’t...drink... there’s... something..."

Even with his ragged breaths, Bei Sangyun understood what he meant. Her eyes darkened as she turned to the man.

The man looked at Fei Chuan with admiration."Wow. He still managed to speak? That one was much stronger than what I usually use. And he drank two glasses of it."

Fei Chuan felt weak and drenched in sweat, but he could still move. He had encountered this kind of drug before, and built some tolerance. Still, as Bei Sangyun held him, he leaned into her, his grip tightening slightly on her arm."...Run..."

Bei Sangyun shook her head. "It’s okay. I’ll be fine."She gently held his hand, her voice soft but firm. "You’ll be fine too."

The man chuckled. "You don’t have to run. We’re just having fun. And I thought you wanted to see the necklace? Come on, drink up."

Bei Sangyun stared at him, her eyes cold and unreadable. Still holding Fei Chuan, she said, "You’re brave to do this at Hotel Sun. Aren’t you afraid of the consequences you’ll face afterward?"

"What should I be afraid of? My friend has connections with the owner. If you two were on the higher floors, maybe I’d be worried. But here? Of course I dare. I’m the king here."

Bei Sangyun: "..."This man was probably too spoiled to watch the news or be aware of his surroundings. It was understandable if he didn’t recognize her—after all, she kept her distance from the limelight.

But Fei Chuan... his face was practically in every article in Country C.

"Alright. But show me a picture of the necklace first. I have to know it’s the one I’m looking for. Then I’ll drink—and you’ll tell me who you gave it to."

Bei Sangyun decided to play along for now. As long as she secured the necklace, she could deal with everything else afterward.

The man seemed satisfied with her proposal and nodded. "Sure."

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through it before selecting an image.

"Here. Isn’t this the one you’re looking for?"

In the photo, the man wore a Hawaiian shirt. Hanging from his neck was a necklace—the chain, the blue gem—it looked exactly like the one in her memories.

Fei Chuan, still leaning weakly against her, caught sight of the photo.

His eyebrow twitched .Isn’t that... his necklace?

Fei Chuan’s gaze turned sharp as he looked toward the man.

Bei Sangyun stared at the photo for a long moment. Then she reached for the glass—but just before her fingers touched it, Fei Chuan, who had seemed weak moments ago, suddenly moved. He reached out and stopped her hand.

"You don’t need to drink," he said, forcing the words out, trying to sound stronger than he felt.

Bei Sangyun held his hand and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you for worrying. But trust me—I’ll be fine."

Fei Chuan froze, staring at her smile. It had been a long time since he’d seen her smile like that.

It was as if everything between them—their sour relationship, the bitter memories, the painful last meeting—had vanished. As if they were simply good friends again.

Fei Chuan’s heartbeat quickened. He nodded, hypnotized by her gentle smile.

She had asked him to trust her. So he would.And if the worst came to pass, he’d make sure she escaped.He still had enough strength left to protect her.

"...Alright."He believed in Bei Sangyun. And as their hands parted, he realized she had left something in his palm.

Bei Sangyun raised the glass and drank it. The man watched her with a satisfied grin, as if enjoying every part of the twisted game he orchestrated.

Bei Sangyun set the glass down."So? Who did you give it to?"

"Wei Lang. My friend."

Wei Lang?The name sparked something in Bei Sangyun’s memory.

"In fact, he’ll be here soon. He’s coming to join us."

Right on cue, the door opened, and another young man stepped inside."You’re done playing?"

The first man gestured at Fei Chuan and Bei Sangyun."Almost. They both drank it. Any moment now, the fun begins. By the way, are you into guys too?"

Wei Lang wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"I’m straight."

"Then you get the girl, and I’ll take the guy. He’s got stunning looks, actually. I might explore a little."

Wei Lang shot him a look of absolute disgust, then turned to Bei Sangyun—who was calmly staring back at him with crystal-clear eyes.

He raised an eyebrow."Pretty. I like her. But... why isn’t she down yet?"

The first man also turned toward Bei Sangyun, frowning. She was still composed, her eyes sharp and unclouded—nothing like Fei Chuan earlier.

Wei Lang looked back at his companion."Did you really make her drink it?"

"Of course. I saw her drink it with my own eyes!" He sounded confused now.

Bei Sangyun gave a slow, dark smile."I finally remembered the name Wei Lang. Looks like even if the situation changed, certain events still manage to repeat themselves."Then she turned to the man. "But you... You pissed me off more. How dare you covet him?"

Fei Chuan, whose vision was beginning to clear and whose body was slowly cooling down, froze at her words.

Bei Sangyun’s voice sharpened."I’m glad your friend arrived. Now I don’t need to waste time looking for him."

Wei Lang looked at his friend, who seemed just as confused as he was."What’s going on? Did the drink not work?"

"No. It worked—on him."The man pointed at Fei Chuan.

But just then, Fei Chuan suddenly straightened his back. With surprising strength, he grabbed the wine glass, smashed it against the side of the table, and in a swift motion, lunged toward the man. The jagged edge of the broken glass was pressed hard against the man’s throat.

At the same time, Bei Sangyun moved quickly to the door and locked it with a decisive click.

Wei Lang could only watch, stunned. Everything had happened so fast—and without a single word exchanged, the two had acted in perfect sync.

The man raised his hands in a panic."Don’t—don’t do it, please! We were just having a little fun, right?"

Fei Chuan said nothing. He pressed the broken glass closer, just enough to break the skin. Blood trickled down the man’s neck, and he screamed in pain.

"Give it to me," Bei Sangyun said coldly, now standing in front of Wei Lang. She extended her palm."The necklace. Or your friend dies because of you today."

Fei Chuan pressed the glass in deeper, causing the man to yelp again in agony.