Chapter Two - Disgrace
"God, this is boring" Gan Ning mumbled to himself.
He was standing alone by the drink table and watched as everyone laughed, talked and danced around him. He hated formal occasions; they made him feel so out of place. He'd talked to Lu Meng and Lu Xun and had been congratulated by many people on the success of the mission but now he was left alone and he wished he could sneak out and go somewhere else. He tugged at the sleeve of his new gold armour given by Sun Jian as a reward for being the most outstanding officer in today's mission, it itched uncomfortably against his skin. Of course he was overjoyed at being one of the best officers, it was what he'd devoted all his life to becoming, but now he felt a bit empty. He'd got here and now what?
He took a cup of wine from the table in front of him and finished it off quickly. Despite passing he still couldn't believe that his hard work and intensive training had paid off. A smile broke over his face as his brain registered that fact. He remembered going in the Wu forces and telling his mother and the look of pride across her face as she quickly told nearly everyone in the area to tell him or her the news. Gan Ning, her emotional son who everyone had doubted, was a great officer. His smile soon turned into a grin and he immediately felt better.
"What are you grinning at, Ning Boy?"
Gan Ning groaned, his happiness short-lived, and turned to the direction of the voice he knew only too well.
"Lord Sun Ce, what are you doin' here?
"Am I not allowed here since I'm defeated today? I'm truly hurt!"
Sun Ce put on a mock expression of hurt but Gan Ning couldn't help but notice the faint glimmer of disappointment lying in Sun Ce's eyes.
"Okay, let me rephrase. How come you're here when you said you would rather hang yourself then come?"
Sun Ce shrugged "I was bored, thought I might get a drink and see who's here."
His eyes scanned the hall, everyone was so damn happy. He felt so alone but he knew that if he hadn't have got out of his room he'd have gone insane.
"Well.... Here you go." Gan Ning replied hesitantly, handing Sun Ce a drink from the table.
"Thanks Ning Boy." said Sun Ce with a wink.
Gan Ning's eyes narrowed. "Quit calling me that! The least you could do is thank me like a normal person."
"Fine, fine" said Sun Ce, waving his left hand in an apologetic manner. "Thanks..."
Gan Ning's eyes went from their look of annoyance to normal.
"...Ning Boy" Sun Ce finished his sentence belatedly, causing the smaller guy to narrow his eyes again and curl his lips back into a snarl which caused Sun Ce to smile inwardly. He loved seeing that look, it was cuter than anything else.
"Ugh! You're so fucking annoying!" Gan Ning snarled as he picked up his drink and walked off.
Sun Ce sighed. Why did he always do it? It was the only way he could contain his feelings for Gan Ning, he figured. Plus he'd do anything to get his attention somehow. He looked around the large room and took another sip of his drink. His eyes finally settled on Zhou Yu who was talking with a woman in a beautiful pink silk robe.
"Diao Chan?" He raised his eyebrow "What the hell is she doing here?"
He put down his glass and waved to her when she looked his way. She made a motion, excusing herself from Zhou Yu's company, then walked over to Sun Ce.
"Hey Sun Ce, I haven't seen you since..." Her sentence died and a slight look of sadness passed over her eyes.
"...Last winter?" Sun Ce ventured, pouring them both a drink.
"Yeah. It sure is nice to see you again."
She smiled as she was handed a cup. Sun Ce looked at the sweet girl in front of him. He could feel some of the electricity that they used to have, a slight flicker of energy. He remembered seeing her last winter, although he couldn't remember why he did. After all, he'd liked Gan Ning then. Then he noticed the look on her face as she rambled on to him. It was the same look she used to give him after they used to...did that mean she still liked him?
"Oh, right" Sun Ce nodded as he half-listened to Diao Chan's talk about her life.
"Yeah, apparently..."
Her voice then changed into a blur of words as Sun Ce ran things through his brain, occasionally saying small sentences like "yes, I agree" and nodding or shaking his head at appropriate times. Did she still like him? He hoped not. They'd broken up when he told her that he had to focus on his training and that it wouldn't leave time for their relationship. He cringed, realising that he hadn't progressed in that aspect since then and that he'd lied to her. As close as he felt to her he couldn't shake the feeling that he had never loved her. He sighed.
'I think too much' he said to himself silently.
"Um.... Would you like to see me dance?" She said quietly, suddenly finding her shoes amazingly interesting.
"It's alright, I will have to go soon."
"Oh..." She looked disappointed. "Well, I've got to talk to your father, I'll be sure to meet up with you again so we can chat."
She smiled weakly before walking off. Sun Ce stood there for a few minutes, just observing the other people at the party. He watched as Zhou Yu went outside, shortly followed by Sun Shang Xiang.
"Hmm, they're probably fucking" He remarked to no one in particular, smirking slightly.
It was obvious to everyone that his sister was dying to be with Zhou Yu.
His eyes then drifted over to the Qiao sisters. He still couldn't believe that they can fight so well in battle. He didn't know why but he just couldn't stand Xiao Qiao. He finds Da Qiao attractive though, but to him she is just not his type.
Next to come into his field of vision were Zhou Tai and Taishi Chi. Zhou Tai looked quite drunk, and his face was fixed into a lopsided smile whilst being held up by Taishi Chi. It was so unlike Zhou Tai, to appear...happy. Sun Ce's face dropped slightly at this image before him. They seemed so content.
The rest of the evening he spent sitting on a chair next to the drink table, refilling his cup until he lost count and things became blurry.
'Oh fuck, I'm drunk' he thought as he tried to stand, his legs feeling weak under him.
He stumbled forwards then steadied himself against the wall.
'How much have I drunk?' he asked himself as he stared at the numerous empty bottles littering the table.
He closed his eyes for a few minutes before deciding he had better go back to his room. He started towards the exit only to see Gan Ning standing against the wall, and he was not alone.
"Who the hell is that?" He slurred, starring at the short black-haired girl talking to Gan Ning. It finally registered.
"Pei Lin" He said slowly and bitterly, making the name sound like poison in his mouth.
He watched for a few more moments then watched with a look of pain, hate and sadness combined. Pei Lin leant towards Gan Ning and kissed him slowly before releasing him.
'What?! He broke up with Pei Lin months ago! Why did she kiss him?!' He screamed internally.
He felt a wave of jealousy and hate wash over him. He'd loved Gan Ning for as long as he could remember and here was that...that hussy, kissing him, even though Gan Ning had broken up with her. The thought of them being an item had made him sick before and when they had split up he had been overjoyed. But now here she was, kissing the object of his affection right in front of his eyes. He slowly began to stagger towards them, his anger taking over him.
"HEY!" He shouted, "What are you doing?!?!"
Pei Lin turned to look at the drunken Sun Ce, a look of anger in his eyes that made her want to leave the room as quickly as possibly. Everyone within earshot of the shouting turned around, all eyes on Sun Ce, who was waving his arms frantically as he spoke, his words slurred.
"Sun Ce? What the fuck are you doing?" asked a worried Gan Ning. He had seen Sun Ce angry but never like this.
Sun Ce turned, facing Pei Lin and moving a step closer so he was within arm's reach of her.
"Why the fuck are you kissing him?! You broke up soooooooo ago. Wha...what's up with that?"
Pei Lin couldn't answer, her knees feeling weak.
"Hey! Don't talk to her like that you asshole!" Said Gan Ning angrily as he stood between Pei Lin and Sun Ce.
Sun Ce smirked, turning away slowly. Pei Lin exhaled slowly, relieved. Her relief was short-lived when Sun Ce turned to a table, throwing a tray of wine cups at the ground. Every set of eyes was on Sun Ce now; the mouths of the spectators open in shock.
"JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP! You don't know the HALF of it!"
'What the hell did he mean by that?' Gan Ning wondered.
Gan Ning glared at Sun Ce.
"Get the fuck out of here!" Gan Ning shouted, pushing the taller man back as he started to advance.
"Right! Both of you OUT RIGHT NOW!" Said Sun Jian, entering their field of vision, followed closely by four hall guards.
"But I...he..." Gan Ning protested as his arms were held on each side by a burly guard and he was dragged out of the room.
'Of all the crazy things Sun Ce has done this is the worst, the jerk' he thought bitterly.
Sun Ce looked bored, simply holding his arms out on either side of him, letting the guards hold onto him with their vice like grip. He didn't want to be here anymore, he just wanted to get away.
"God, this is boring" Gan Ning mumbled to himself.
He was standing alone by the drink table and watched as everyone laughed, talked and danced around him. He hated formal occasions; they made him feel so out of place. He'd talked to Lu Meng and Lu Xun and had been congratulated by many people on the success of the mission but now he was left alone and he wished he could sneak out and go somewhere else. He tugged at the sleeve of his new gold armour given by Sun Jian as a reward for being the most outstanding officer in today's mission, it itched uncomfortably against his skin. Of course he was overjoyed at being one of the best officers, it was what he'd devoted all his life to becoming, but now he felt a bit empty. He'd got here and now what?
He took a cup of wine from the table in front of him and finished it off quickly. Despite passing he still couldn't believe that his hard work and intensive training had paid off. A smile broke over his face as his brain registered that fact. He remembered going in the Wu forces and telling his mother and the look of pride across her face as she quickly told nearly everyone in the area to tell him or her the news. Gan Ning, her emotional son who everyone had doubted, was a great officer. His smile soon turned into a grin and he immediately felt better.
"What are you grinning at, Ning Boy?"
Gan Ning groaned, his happiness short-lived, and turned to the direction of the voice he knew only too well.
"Lord Sun Ce, what are you doin' here?
"Am I not allowed here since I'm defeated today? I'm truly hurt!"
Sun Ce put on a mock expression of hurt but Gan Ning couldn't help but notice the faint glimmer of disappointment lying in Sun Ce's eyes.
"Okay, let me rephrase. How come you're here when you said you would rather hang yourself then come?"
Sun Ce shrugged "I was bored, thought I might get a drink and see who's here."
His eyes scanned the hall, everyone was so damn happy. He felt so alone but he knew that if he hadn't have got out of his room he'd have gone insane.
"Well.... Here you go." Gan Ning replied hesitantly, handing Sun Ce a drink from the table.
"Thanks Ning Boy." said Sun Ce with a wink.
Gan Ning's eyes narrowed. "Quit calling me that! The least you could do is thank me like a normal person."
"Fine, fine" said Sun Ce, waving his left hand in an apologetic manner. "Thanks..."
Gan Ning's eyes went from their look of annoyance to normal.
"...Ning Boy" Sun Ce finished his sentence belatedly, causing the smaller guy to narrow his eyes again and curl his lips back into a snarl which caused Sun Ce to smile inwardly. He loved seeing that look, it was cuter than anything else.
"Ugh! You're so fucking annoying!" Gan Ning snarled as he picked up his drink and walked off.
Sun Ce sighed. Why did he always do it? It was the only way he could contain his feelings for Gan Ning, he figured. Plus he'd do anything to get his attention somehow. He looked around the large room and took another sip of his drink. His eyes finally settled on Zhou Yu who was talking with a woman in a beautiful pink silk robe.
"Diao Chan?" He raised his eyebrow "What the hell is she doing here?"
He put down his glass and waved to her when she looked his way. She made a motion, excusing herself from Zhou Yu's company, then walked over to Sun Ce.
"Hey Sun Ce, I haven't seen you since..." Her sentence died and a slight look of sadness passed over her eyes.
"...Last winter?" Sun Ce ventured, pouring them both a drink.
"Yeah. It sure is nice to see you again."
She smiled as she was handed a cup. Sun Ce looked at the sweet girl in front of him. He could feel some of the electricity that they used to have, a slight flicker of energy. He remembered seeing her last winter, although he couldn't remember why he did. After all, he'd liked Gan Ning then. Then he noticed the look on her face as she rambled on to him. It was the same look she used to give him after they used to...did that mean she still liked him?
"Oh, right" Sun Ce nodded as he half-listened to Diao Chan's talk about her life.
"Yeah, apparently..."
Her voice then changed into a blur of words as Sun Ce ran things through his brain, occasionally saying small sentences like "yes, I agree" and nodding or shaking his head at appropriate times. Did she still like him? He hoped not. They'd broken up when he told her that he had to focus on his training and that it wouldn't leave time for their relationship. He cringed, realising that he hadn't progressed in that aspect since then and that he'd lied to her. As close as he felt to her he couldn't shake the feeling that he had never loved her. He sighed.
'I think too much' he said to himself silently.
"Um.... Would you like to see me dance?" She said quietly, suddenly finding her shoes amazingly interesting.
"It's alright, I will have to go soon."
"Oh..." She looked disappointed. "Well, I've got to talk to your father, I'll be sure to meet up with you again so we can chat."
She smiled weakly before walking off. Sun Ce stood there for a few minutes, just observing the other people at the party. He watched as Zhou Yu went outside, shortly followed by Sun Shang Xiang.
"Hmm, they're probably fucking" He remarked to no one in particular, smirking slightly.
It was obvious to everyone that his sister was dying to be with Zhou Yu.
His eyes then drifted over to the Qiao sisters. He still couldn't believe that they can fight so well in battle. He didn't know why but he just couldn't stand Xiao Qiao. He finds Da Qiao attractive though, but to him she is just not his type.
Next to come into his field of vision were Zhou Tai and Taishi Chi. Zhou Tai looked quite drunk, and his face was fixed into a lopsided smile whilst being held up by Taishi Chi. It was so unlike Zhou Tai, to appear...happy. Sun Ce's face dropped slightly at this image before him. They seemed so content.
The rest of the evening he spent sitting on a chair next to the drink table, refilling his cup until he lost count and things became blurry.
'Oh fuck, I'm drunk' he thought as he tried to stand, his legs feeling weak under him.
He stumbled forwards then steadied himself against the wall.
'How much have I drunk?' he asked himself as he stared at the numerous empty bottles littering the table.
He closed his eyes for a few minutes before deciding he had better go back to his room. He started towards the exit only to see Gan Ning standing against the wall, and he was not alone.
"Who the hell is that?" He slurred, starring at the short black-haired girl talking to Gan Ning. It finally registered.
"Pei Lin" He said slowly and bitterly, making the name sound like poison in his mouth.
He watched for a few more moments then watched with a look of pain, hate and sadness combined. Pei Lin leant towards Gan Ning and kissed him slowly before releasing him.
'What?! He broke up with Pei Lin months ago! Why did she kiss him?!' He screamed internally.
He felt a wave of jealousy and hate wash over him. He'd loved Gan Ning for as long as he could remember and here was that...that hussy, kissing him, even though Gan Ning had broken up with her. The thought of them being an item had made him sick before and when they had split up he had been overjoyed. But now here she was, kissing the object of his affection right in front of his eyes. He slowly began to stagger towards them, his anger taking over him.
"HEY!" He shouted, "What are you doing?!?!"
Pei Lin turned to look at the drunken Sun Ce, a look of anger in his eyes that made her want to leave the room as quickly as possibly. Everyone within earshot of the shouting turned around, all eyes on Sun Ce, who was waving his arms frantically as he spoke, his words slurred.
"Sun Ce? What the fuck are you doing?" asked a worried Gan Ning. He had seen Sun Ce angry but never like this.
Sun Ce turned, facing Pei Lin and moving a step closer so he was within arm's reach of her.
"Why the fuck are you kissing him?! You broke up soooooooo ago. Wha...what's up with that?"
Pei Lin couldn't answer, her knees feeling weak.
"Hey! Don't talk to her like that you asshole!" Said Gan Ning angrily as he stood between Pei Lin and Sun Ce.
Sun Ce smirked, turning away slowly. Pei Lin exhaled slowly, relieved. Her relief was short-lived when Sun Ce turned to a table, throwing a tray of wine cups at the ground. Every set of eyes was on Sun Ce now; the mouths of the spectators open in shock.
"JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP! You don't know the HALF of it!"
'What the hell did he mean by that?' Gan Ning wondered.
Gan Ning glared at Sun Ce.
"Get the fuck out of here!" Gan Ning shouted, pushing the taller man back as he started to advance.
"Right! Both of you OUT RIGHT NOW!" Said Sun Jian, entering their field of vision, followed closely by four hall guards.
"But I...he..." Gan Ning protested as his arms were held on each side by a burly guard and he was dragged out of the room.
'Of all the crazy things Sun Ce has done this is the worst, the jerk' he thought bitterly.
Sun Ce looked bored, simply holding his arms out on either side of him, letting the guards hold onto him with their vice like grip. He didn't want to be here anymore, he just wanted to get away.