Chapter 62

 

Unlike most bosses, Liang Jiancheng was accustomed to using a ballpoint pen rather than a fountain pen. Even when signing or approving documents, he always used a ballpoint—an old habit carried over from his student days.

Even though he had several Montblanc fountain pens given to him by clients in his drawer.

Liang Jiancheng had never used them.

At this moment, the slim ballpoint pen that had been in his hand was casually tossed onto the desk. It rolled more than a dozen times, slid off the edge, and finally came to rest beside the leg of the desk.

Mark walked into the office, bent down to pick up the pen, carefully placed it back in the pen holder on the table, and then got to the point: “I’ve already arranged the driver. Based on the traffic condition on Fuxing Road, I suggest leaving no later than half an hour from now—that way you will have plenty of buffer time.”

For tonight’s dinner, Liang Jiancheng wasn’t bringing an assistant. Drinking was unavoidable at this kind of gathering, which was why Mark had been tasked with arranging a driver.

Xinghai was still a startup. As a foreign trade company, there was no need to employ a full-time driver. However, Zhongjin Tower had professional drivers on call, available as needed and paid per trip. Temporary arrangements for client pickups were routine.

“Oh, right—Director Wang’s secretary called. She said she had dinner with your mother yesterday and wants to find a time for you two to get together. Mr. Qian from Hehui Company is hosting. The venue is set at his Xianshui Garden. He’s asking whether you’re free this Saturday evening,” Mark then mentioned the second matter.

In business… Socializing and networking were unavoidable.

When Liang Jiancheng founded Xinghai, he wasn’t afraid of intense workloads or complicated production issues. Nor was he intimidated by performance pressure or cash-flow challenges. But Chinese banquet-style socializing—especially the drinking culture—truly wore on him.

Not only did he have his own obligations, but sometimes his mother’s social engagements included him as well. Xinghai relied, to a certain extent, on Shuangyang’s resources. His mother understood his character well and usually spared him from unnecessary occasions. But when she did call him in, it meant the event was important—and impossible to decline.

It wasn’t that Liang Jiancheng feared drinking, nor that he lacked social finesse. He simply didn’t like this kind of table culture.

Unlike He Yuan downstairs—practically a “drinking expert”—who thrived in such settings, freely expressing ambition and bravado over glasses of alcohol.

Within the same industry, Liang Jiancheng and He Yuan had shared dinner tables twice before. With his background in the foreign trade bureau, He Yuan was especially adept when officials were present—smooth, adaptable, effortlessly sociable.

So-called interpersonal relationships worked that way. Everyone had their own playbook.

Strictly speaking, for a dinner like tonight’s, He Yuan didn’t need to bring anyone along. Liang Jiancheng hadn’t brought Mark either. His principle was simple: even when employees had to work overtime, it should be overtime that mattered.

Liang Jiancheng took out his phone to check his messages, flipping through the messages from two days ago. The organizer had already sent over the list of guests for tonight’s dinner.

He knew most of the people on the list; those he didn’t know, he’d at least met before.

All men.

Liang Jiancheng recalled a leader at a previous banquet, laughing as he said, “A drinking table without beautiful women is like food without seasoning—bland and tasteless!”

Disgusting.

He put his phone down and said to Mark, “Got it. You can get off work now. Have a good weekend.”

It was Friday. As long as things wrapped up smoothly, Liang Jiancheng always wished his assistant a pleasant weekend. He had done the same with Maggie before. His everyday social style blended Chinese restraint with Western ease.

Mark was genuinely touched: “Have a nice weekend too, Mr. Liang.”

…

Inside Liang Jiancheng’s office wardrobe were several outfits reserved for impromptu social events, along with ties in various colors. He walked over, selected a dark blue striped tie, looped it around his collar, and tied a neat knot in one smooth motion.

His slender fingers paused briefly in the air; a text message had come in. The message he had sent to Ming Xi earlier now had a reply.

“Yes, I’ll be attending. A gathering full of grown men—very boring,” he had written.

Ming Xi replied: “Mr. He is taking me. Are those people important?”

Liang Jiancheng adjusted his collar with his left hand and replied with his right: “Generally speaking, yes. Showing your face at this kind of event does make things easier down the line.”

In business dealings—especially when interacting with the system—sometimes it wasn’t about gaining special privileges, but simply about ensuring that work could proceed normally.

He knew very well that Ming Xi intended to go far in this industry. Even though he desperately wanted, at that moment, to go downstairs, take her hand, and pull her out of Haiou—or at least explain in detail how uncomfortable tonight’s dinner might be—he had no choice but to tell her the truth about how society worked.

If tonight’s dinner was truly meaningless and pointless, why would he be attending himself?

Liang Jiancheng had witnessed his mother navigating social gatherings full of men. Even with favorable circumstances, having firmly established herself at Shuangyang Electronic and wielding key power in a large enterprise, his mother still had to expend enormous effort at necessary dinners just to maintain balance on all sides.

Playing the game, being adept at navigating social situations—it sounded impressive.

But it was also incredibly exhausting and mentally draining.

Liang Jiancheng respected and understood every woman who chose to climb upward and endure such experiences. However, he was becoming increasingly “double-standard”; he desperately did not want Ming Xi to go through these things.

—

Since starting work, Ming Xi had never experienced a formal social engagement. Back when Ming Decheng’s run-down factory was still around, he had taken her to a few dinner parties. She had been very young then, and most of the people dining with Ming Decheng were men of the same dubious stripe. Occasionally a few minor officials would be present, and Ming Decheng would have her pour drinks for them.

She had been only in her teens—still underage. No matter how uninhibited some of those men were, they still regarded her as nothing more than a little girl. Sometimes Ming Decheng even made her perform at the table. She had decent pitch, so every time he had her sing Teresa Teng’s “Sweet Honey” to liven up the atmosphere.

She was young and obedient then. Every time she performed well, Ming Decheng would give her a hundred-yuan bill, which she would save. And because she’d been exposed to drinking early, her alcohol tolerance ended up better than that of most girls.

It was precisely those early experiences at banquets that made her realize how important it was for a girl to study hard. That was why she later asked Ming Decheng to let her attend TV university.

Protecting herself while carving out her own survival had always been the central theme of Ming Xi’s life. It had been that way with Ming Decheng, and now, in Haigang’s corporate world, it was no different.

Men and women alike each played their own cards. If you wanted to get ahead, you had to fight for it. Once she understood that, even knowing that tonight’s dinner might involve forced smiles and drinking, Ming Xi still chose to go and see for herself.

She wasn’t qualified to be a greenhouse rose. As a rabbit that had learned to survive on the run, being indiscriminate—eating both meat and greens—was her way of staying alive.

Ming Xi tidied up her makeup a little in the company restroom. She let her tied-up hair fall over her shoulders and applied the new lipstick that Sister CC had given her. At the time, light makeup wasn’t in fashion—bold red lips paired with exaggerated false lashes were everywhere.

Ming Xi had delicate features and good skin. A light layer of powder covered the slight sallowness from a full day’s work. Once she applied lipstick and let her curls fall loose, the contrast between her jet-black hair and pale skin lent her a striking allure.

Compared to going makeup-free at work, attending a drinking dinner meant piling it on a bit more. If your face wasn’t thick enough, let the foundation make up for it. Thinking this, even after finishing her makeup, Ming Xi dabbed on a little more powder in the mirror.

Just then, a voice with a faint smile came from behind her. He Yuan stood there and said, “Lamia, your skin is already excellent. Just a little makeup makes you radiant. Too much, and it actually dulls your liveliness…”

It added a touch of intellectual maturity, but less of her gentle charm.

Ming Xi sneered inwardly.

She might not fully understand what a sly old fox like He Yuan was thinking, but she knew one thing clearly now: when someone commented excessively on another person’s appearance, it was either because they were bored—or because they were trying to exert control. Based on her understanding of He Yuan, he shouldn’t be that bored.

“Mr. He, you may not know, but this is the kind of makeup that’s popular right now.” Ming Xi put the lipstick back in her bag, straightened her posture, and took two steps forward. As she passed He Yuan, she turned her head and said, “If Mr. He thinks I don’t look good like this, I can wash it off.”

He Yuan shook his head: “I was just giving you a suggestion, I didn’t mean anything bad.”

“Then I’ll take it as a compliment. Thank you, Mr. He.” Ming Xi curved her lips faintly, then added after a moment’s thought, “I still need to go to Longmao to drop off a key for my roommate. The restaurant isn’t far from there, so I won’t take your car. Is it alright if I go on my own?”

He Yuan felt a bit regretful and let out a slight sigh: “Then don’t be late, it’s best to arrive early.”

Ming Xi nodded: “Don’t worry, Mr. He, I’m very punctual.”

Still uneasy, He Yuan added, “Message me when you arrive. I’ll come out to meet you. It’s a private club—they won’t let unfamiliar faces in.”

“Alright, then I’ll borrow Mr. He’s face to become a familiar one.” Ming Xi joked lightly.

He Yuan said nothing more. In small matters, he always gave his employees the courtesy and privilege they deserved—that was how you won people over. Especially with someone as sharp as Ming Xi, sincerity mattered even more.

Ming Xi held her breath as she stepped into the elevator. She received a message from Liang Jiancheng on her phone: “Are you heading out?”

Ming Xi replied, phone in hand, “Cai Ni lost her keys, I’m going to drop them off.”

“Okay.” Liang Jiancheng put his phone away, walked out of the office, and casually picked up his coat.

Coincidentally, he ran into He Yuan in the elevator.

“Mr. Liang, heading out?” He Yuan asked.

Liang Jiancheng deliberately asked, “…Is Mr. He going alone too?”

He Yuan looked faintly awkward: “Ming Xi will join us shortly. I think highly of her and feel she deserves more opportunities—she’s worth cultivating.”

Liang Jiancheng didn’t mince words. He let out a soft, humorless laugh, pulled his hand from his pocket, pressed the button for the first floor again, and said, “I’m afraid I don’t quite agree with Mr. He’s method of cultivating talent.”

He Yuan hadn’t expected such bluntness. With Boss Huang’s withdrawal from the company still unfolding, he had been deliberately keeping a low profile to stabilize morale as quickly as possible.

He knew that Liang Jiancheng, with his overseas-educated style and being the only son of the renowned businesswoman Gu Shuangyang, was sometimes inevitably a bit impetuous in his dealings with people and matters. He also understood—who wasn’t confident when they were young?

“Mr. Liang, don’t judge others by your own standards,” He Yuan replied.

Liang Jiancheng tugged at a faintly mocking smile and looked straight at him. “Mr. He truly is magnanimous. I do have much to learn from you—especially when it comes to cultivating employees. That said, given your elegance and composure, I’m sure you wouldn’t have female employees helping you drink at the table, would you?”

Before the banquet even began, Liang Jiancheng had already lifted the sedan chair.

He Yuan was speechless for a moment. The elevator stopped on the first floor, and Liang Jiancheng, with his coat draped over his arm, walked straight out.

The air outside was a bit cold. The driver had already pulled the car around.

Liang Jiancheng called Ming Xi, who was walking briskly towards Longmao.

“Liang Jiancheng, although we’re attending the same dinner party, we’re not going to there together…”

Ming Xi’s joking voice came through the phone.

Her tone made him feel faintly ridiculous for worrying so much.
“I was just afraid you wouldn’t find the place.”

“I’ve already arranged it with Mr. He. He’ll come out to pick me up when I arrive,” Ming Xi’s calm voice came again.

At this moment, Liang Jiancheng truly felt like a petty man judging others by his own standards.

“Oh…”

“See you later, Mr. Liang. If there’s a chance tonight, I’ll toast you a few more times,” Ming Xi’s incredibly light and relaxed voice reached Liang Jiancheng’s ears once more.

Liang Jiancheng: “…”

Then, Ming Xi hung up the phone.

The streets were bustling with people, the height of rush hour. Car horns blared everywhere, while the afterglow of the setting sun gradually filtered down from the buildings ahead. Walking out of the Zhongjin Tower, Ming Xi put on a cashmere beret.

She tilted her head slightly, gazing at the magnificent sky and sunset. Then, a sudden gust of wind blew her hat off.

The sunset was so beautiful, and the wind was so strong.

If a woman attending a men’s drinking party might be treated like a “dish,” then she should maintain a more relaxed and confident demeanor. The more cautious and timid she appeared, the more easily her weaknesses would be exposed.

Therefore, she wore heavy makeup today; only by being carefree could she handle things effortlessly, right? Just like those banquets Ming Decheng used to take her to, where the most flamboyant, unrestrained men were often the ones who feared nothing at all.

If they could be fearless, why couldn’t she?

As long as she feared nothing, she could naturally handle anything with ease.

The venue for tonight’s dinner was a private club converted from an old Western-style mansion. After handing the keys to Cai Ni, Ming Xi casually told her that she had to go back to work overtime.

Right on time, Ming Xi arrived at this place called Sinan Winery. Just as Mr. He had said, this was a private club—without a prior reservation, entry was impossible.

“You must be Ming Xi from Haiou?” A steady voice sounded from behind.

Ming Xi turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a square face and a commanding presence standing there, accompanied by Liang Jiancheng.

The most awkward situation was when a leader recognized her, but she couldn’t recall his name. Ordinarily, her memory was good—this shouldn’t have happened.

“This is Director Du,” Liang Jiancheng introduced at just the right moment.

“Hello, Director Du.” Ming Xi immediately recalled that this official had visited the factory last month for an inspection. It was Factory Director Li who received him, and she had merely there to accompany them. She hadn’t expected that he would remember her after that brief encounter.

Ming Xi smiled pleasantly yet respectfully as reintroduced herself: “I’m Ming Xi from Haiou Foreign Trade, currently in charge of Haiou’s small appliance export business. Last time at Factory Director Li’s, Director Du praised our products for their creativity, and I’ve always remembered that.”

At this, Director Du broke into a broad smile. “If Mr. Liang hadn’t mentioned it earlier, I wouldn’t have dared to recognize you. Today’s Xiao Ming is completely different from the girl I saw at the factory.”

Ming Xi feigned surprise and said playfully, “Oh? Is the difference really that big? I was quite pleased—I thought you genuinely remembered me. Could it be that you’ve mistaken me for someone else? There are so many Xiao Mings in Haigang. Are you sure the one you saw last time was really me?”

Director Du laughed heartily. “Of course! My memory’s excellent. I remember now—you weren’t wearing makeup that day. And now that you are… you’re so beautiful. You young ladies should wear makeup more often—it adds a bright splash of color to our city.”

Ming Xi hadn’t fully mastered the art of responding to her superiors, but she always kept one principle in mind: whatever the leader said was right.

She lowered her head shyly, then lifted it again with composure, her eyes clear with a hint of deliberate grievance. “Oh, if only my boyfriend had a mindset as broad as yours, Director Du! He’s terribly petty—he never lets me wear makeup…”

She even tilted her head slightly, looking faintly aggrieved.

Director Du laughed even more comfortably. “Xiao Ming has a boyfriend now?”

“Xiao Ming” nodded earnestly and fabricated someone with great seriousness. “Yes, Director Du. We’ve been together for quite a long time.”

Why fabricate a boyfriend? This was a trick Sister CC had taught her. For a female sales rep to remain unscathed in this kind of situation, the best strategy was to have a powerful man “backing her up.” If there wasn’t one, then make one up.

Her gaze accidentally met Liang Jiancheng’s, and Ming Xi blinked guiltily.

Liang Jiancheng blinked as well, then tugged at the corner of his lips and nodded thoughtfully.

She caught the faint trace of amusement in his eyes. Even standing there like a winter-bound sycamore tree in the courtyard of the club—clear, upright, and composed—there was still that barely perceptible hint of roguish charm.

That trace of mischief was precisely what made him uniquely attractive.

Beauty, when placed before one’s eyes, always stirred the heart.

Liang Jiancheng had originally worried that Ming Xi might struggle with tonight’s social engagement, but now, facing the most senior leader present, she was already navigating with ease—she’d even pulled out the “boyfriend” card. His worries finally eased, and he let out a soft chuckle.

“Where is Xiao Ming’s boyfriend from?” Director Du asked kindly.

“He’s also a local Haigang,” Ming Xi replied respectfully.

Liang Jiancheng, standing to the side, suddenly curled his lips.

“What are you laughing at, Mr. Liang? Do you feel like you made your move too late?” Director Du joked with Liang Jiancheng.

For the first time, Liang Jiancheng was a little tongue-tied and could only offer a reserved, polite smile. Whether he answered yes or no, it would put Ming Xi in an awkward position.

“How old is Xiao Ming’s boyfriend?” Leaders of a certain age always loved asking young people about their love lives.

Ming Xi blinked slightly, giving a vague answer: “About the same age as me.”

“So childhood sweethearts. That’s good, that’s good.”

The leader misused the idiom, and Ming Xi nodded along with “that’s good, that’s good.”

Liang Jiancheng, who had been smiling just moments earlier, tugged at his lips helplessly upon hearing “about the same age.”

The highest-ranking leader had arrived, and Ming Xi entering alongside him, it was luck upon luck.

Everyone took their seats.

It was a large round table that could accommodate fifteen people, set in a spacious private room. Besides the dining table, the room was equipped with high-end musical instruments—a saxophone, a guzheng, a guitar, even a full drum kit.

After a few rounds of drinks, at one leader’s request, He Yuan went on stage and played a saxophone piece.

The performance was met with thunderous applause.

As a long-time employee, Sister CC knew He Yuan quite well, saying that Boss He was multi-talented—after all, good looks alone wouldn’t be enough to leave behind romantic legends.

At this moment, He Yuan confidently walked off the stage and returned to his seat, his face beaming.

As an employee, Ming Xi naturally had to flatter him. She clapped and smiled. “Mr, He is truly talented.”

“Lamia, this is your first time here. You need to make a good impression on the leaders; you can’t just sit there,” He Yuan reminded her.

“Then I’ll make a round of toasts first?” Ming Xi said obediently.

He Yuan nodded. “Show them your sincerity.”

After saying this, He Yuan’s gaze drifted to Liang Jiancheng sitting opposite him, thinking to himself that the so-called “rising star” was just a polite way of addressing newcomers. Everyone was toasting Liang Jiancheng simply to honor his mother.

Working in the same building, He Yuan had lost several orders to Liang Jiancheng. To say he had no resentment would be a lie. The more Liang Jiancheng mocked him earlier in the elevator for bringing a female employee to a drinking engagement, the more determined he was to make Ming Xi toast everyone one by one.

Even without Boss He’s instruction, since she was already here, Ming Xi needed to act sensibly.

With a pleasant smile on her face, she stood up—one hand holding a small liquor cup meant for strong spirits, the other gripping a larger goblet filled to the brim. Amid the clinking of glasses and exchanged toasts, she began from the lower seats.

She was the newcomer tonight, an out-of-town working girl. At her first such gathering, how could she simply sit and eat, ignorant of etiquette? Asking her to show sincerity wasn’t deliberate humiliation—it was a demand for attitude.

It was just toasting, not something difficult. If she insisted on playing the role of a reserved, shy woman now, she would only become decorative garnish on the table.

“Hello, Mr. Tian… I’m Ming Xi. It’s our first meeting today. I’m not very familiar with patent filings yet, so I hope I’ll have the chance to learn more from you in the future.”

“Hello, Director Zhao, I’m Ming Xi from Haiou Foreign Trade. It’s an honor to meet you…”

“…”

At a table of fifteen people, excluding herself, she had already downed thirteen consecutive glasses. That left only Director Du and Liang Jiancheng, seated beside him, whom she had yet to toast. The circuit was nearly complete. Ming Xi’s cheeks were flushed, her steps slightly unsteady, yet the smile on her face only grew more radiant and dazzling.

Finally, she reached Liang Jiancheng’s side. Because he was one of her own, she poured less wine.

“Mr. Liang, I am…” Ming Xi couldn’t help but blink, chuckling softly. She was practically reciting her self-introduction by reflex now. This—this was what going through the motions really meant. Today, she had learned it thoroughly.

“I’m Ming Xi from Haiou Foreign Trade. We both work in Zhongjin Tower. I’ve long admired Mr. Liang.” Her eyes shimmered with moisture, as though all the brilliance of the massive thirty-six-bulb crystal chandelier overhead had gathered within them.

The light was dazzling. Liang Jiancheng remained quiet, his eyes seeming to stir with a breeze, a complex emotion slowly emerging from his calm and composed gaze. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol. Ming Xi looked at him with a reverent yet cautious gaze.

It wasn’t directed at him.

It was directed at her distant future.

In that fleeting exchange of glances no one else could perceive, the winter wind outside brushed gently against the windowpanes. Something in the heart trembled—like a thin snowflake silently melting in a blaze.

“Miss Ming, you’re too kind. In the future, it will be I who admired Miss Ming’s name.” Restrained and polite, Liang Jiancheng drank his wine.

Finally, it was the last one.

Fourteen glasses. Even if they were small cups, it amounted to nearly 200 ml of liquor.

With her face flushed, Ming Xi finally stood before the senior leader, Director Du. He looked at the girl, who was about the same age as his own daughter. Earlier, he had only thought her pretty and eloquent.

But now—she had completed an entire round of toasts without missing a single person. She had accurately memorized all the names mentioned briefly earlier, even mentioning their positions and companies, speaking appropriately to each person, respectful when respect was due.

If he still judged her merely by her youth and beauty, then all the salt he had eaten over decades had been wasted.

“Ming Xi,” Director Du said warmly, “if you run into any difficulties in the future, come directly to the organization. Haigang Foreign Trade Association is already being established. Going forward, foreign trade workers and business owners alike will need government endorsement. We want to grow the industry—externally, seize opportunities; internally, when there are problems, come back to your home base. I am your home base.”

“Thank you so much, Director Du. With those words from you, I really should drink one more—one glass for you, and one for my home base.” Ming Xi smiled, revealing her perfectly white teeth. She was already lightly drunk, her eyes bright as if tides were surging within them.

“Which Xi is your name, Ming Xi?” Director Du asked. “The ‘Xi’ from ‘morning light’?”

“Director Du, mine is the ‘Xi’ from ‘tide’.”

“This ‘Xi’ is good too. Tides rise and fall. The waves of the Yangtze push the old aside—each generation replaces the last. Ming Xi, I have high hopes for you.”

“Thank you, Director Du, please don’t praise me anymore. If you keep praising me, I’ll have to toast you again,” Ming Xi said.

“Hahaha…”

Just then, someone suggested, “It’s rare to have such a beautiful flower at our dinner today. Miss Ming is Mr. He’s employee, a well-known artistic person. Working under him, Miss Ming must have learned quite a bit—why not give us a little performance as well?”

Ming Xi smiled and lowered her head.

Quite a few people thumped the table in approval.

If she didn’t perform, she’d be showing a serious lack of courtesy.

Making a living was really not easy.

“I grew up in a poor family and never had the chance to learn an instrument,” Ming Xi said briskly. “But I sing fairly well. I’ll sing a song to liven things up for the leaders and all the bosses.” Ming Xi said quickly.

What should she sing?

She chose a song that had been popular for years—“Run Without Care.”

She had been drinking and was indeed slightly tipsy, but her mind was clear and her sense of self intact.

She also knew that showing herself in this setting could only bring benefits, not harm.

Holding the microphone, she looked around the table, one face after another, until her gaze finally landed on Liang Jiancheng. She had a very good nose; when toasting earlier, she could easily smell whether a man had been drinking or not.

Strangely enough, Liang Jiancheng had also been drinking today, but she couldn’t smell a trace of alcohol on him.

Clean and pure, sitting there, he was dashing and charming, a truly ethereal presence.

Heaven and earth stretch on, travelers pass in haste. The tide rises, the tide falls… I already stand at the crossroads of the mortal world—How could I stop and wait…

Ming Xi sang the entire song with steady breath and full emotion. She was confident she deserved applause. When she finished, she saw Boss He’s satisfied gaze, Liang Jiancheng lowering his eyes slightly, and Director Du’s openly delighted expression.

The toasts were done, her talent displayed—she couldn’t steal the spotlight any further. After her song, Director Du personally called on someone else to perform.

Everyone at the table was sharp and seasoned. Ming Xi felt like a junior version of them.

Soon, people began to toast each other freely. Some moved around, others stepped out to make phone calls. Ming Xi took the opportunity to head to the restroom.

She pushed open the private room door and walked down the steps. The oncoming wind jolted her awake. The restroom was in the back courtyard, requiring a walk along a gravel path. From the private room came faint lyrics of “Night-Blooming Jasmine.”

The south wind blows cool, the nightingale’s song is mournful… Night-blooming jasmine, I sing for you, night-blooming jasmine, tonight I will break free.

“Ugh—”

Ming Xi stumbled into the bathroom, covering her mouth tightly with both hands, and finally vomited into the sink. Her stomach churned, nausea surged from her head to her stomach, and her body convulsing uncontrollably. She gripped the edge of the sink tightly.

Her fingertips turned white, her knuckles stood out.

Once she threw up, she felt better…

She rinsed out the sink and did her best to tidy herself up. When she tried to lift her head, she saw a familiar figure in the mirror.

Liang Jiancheng…

When did he come out?

Ming Xi’s face was flushed as if drunk, and her vision was a little blurry. Normally, she could drink more than this, but earlier it had been red wine, followed by rounds of strong liquor—mixing the two had made her miserable. She was thoroughly embarrassed. She wanted to greet Liang Jiancheng, but the bitter stench in the air made her voice hoarse.

She forced herself to stand upright. Her footing wobbled, and she nearly pitched forward. Liang Jiancheng reacted instantly, stepping forward to catch her. Not only did he support her—he gathered her fully into his arms.

Ming Xi was pressed completely against his chest, the heavy scent of alcohol from her body rushed toward him.

Her ears were ringing, the surrounding air seemed to freeze, and suddenly a voice floated above her head—Liang Jiancheng’s voice.

“What should I do, Ming Xi? I felt so rotten right now… I don’t want to let you grow anymore.”

…Eh?

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