Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Xia Wanzhi felt a surge of reckless energy. She boldly grabbed her glass and began gulping down the alcohol. Before long, the table was covered with empty glasses.

The cocktails had a fruity flavor and didn’t feel strong while drinking, but any form of alcohol eventually packs a punch.

Xia Wanzhi dragged Yun Li into a series of toasts. Once the alcohol went to their heads, the two of them began babbling, pouring out everything on their minds.

Xia Wanzhi was likely drunk, as she started rambling incoherently about things Yun Li couldn’t understand.

One moment she was cursing Zhou Yu, the next she was cursing Xie Qiyan, and then she moved on to her own parents and grandfather.

Yun Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. When Xia Wanzhi finally quieted down a bit, Yun Li began to share her own troubles: “I don’t like Liang Jing. He and I aren’t even the same kind of people, but my mom likes him.”

“To force me to be with him, my mom actually threatened me with suicide.”

Yun Li gave a bitter smile. “She’s my only relative. I have no choice but to compromise…”

And so, she had become a bird trapped in a cage-possessing a pair of wings, yet restricted from her freedom.

Xia Wanzhi actually hadn’t drunk that much, and she could still process what people were saying, but her brain had turned into a foggy mess. She thought of someone and spoke without thinking: “That… Jiang Baichuan… that CEO of the Jiang family, what is he… to you?”

Yun Li’s thoughts were pulled back to the present. She wiped the corners of her eyes and steadied the swaying Xia Wanzhi, laughing helplessly. “What Jiang Baichuan? I don’t know any Jiang Baichuan. Sit still!”

Xia Wanzhi immediately sat up straight and answered with mock seriousness, “The Jiang Baichuan who was with Xie Qiyan.”

Yun Li had a vague recollection. “That tall guy?”

Xia Wanzhi slapped her palm on the table. “Yes! That’s him! He definitely has feelings for you. Go… dump Liang Jing and choose him!”

Yun Li chuckled. Seeing that Xia Wanzhi was so drunk she was speaking nonsense, she took Xia Wanzhi’s hand and gently massaged the palm she had just slapped red. “Alright, sit still. Call your assistant to come pick you up and take you home.”

Xia Wanzhi pouted. “Not calling her. She’s definitely sleeping with those two rats of hers. I don’t want her here!”

Yun Li was helpless. “Then will you take a taxi with me?”

Xia Wanzhi didn’t make a sound. After waiting for a moment, Yun Li reached out, took Xia Wanzhi’s phone, used facial recognition to unlock it, and patted her cheek. “Talk to me.”

Xia Wanzhi held up a finger and wagged it back and forth. “No taxi, not going home. I don’t have a home.”

“Then come home with me,” Yun Li said, trying to drape Xia Wanzhi’s arm over her shoulder.

Xia Wanzhi pulled her hand back in protest. “Your mom definitely won’t welcome me.”

Yun Li: “…”

Yun Li’s mother wouldn’t allow her to stay out overnight, yet she didn’t feel right leaving a drunk Xia Wanzhi at a hotel alone. So, she scrolled through Xia Wanzhi’s WeChat and locked onto a specific contact.

“How about I call Xie Tan to come take you home?” Yun Li vaguely remembered Xia Wanzhi mentioning this name.

The surname was Xie, so she had to be related to Xie Qiyan somehow.

Although she had only met Xie Qiyan once, Yun Li actually had a better impression of him than she did of Zhou Yu.

Hearing Xie Tan’s name, Xia Wanzhi hesitated for a few seconds before leaning heavily on Yun Li’s shoulder and nodding. “I want Xie Tan.”

Yun Li smiled, pressed the video call button, and pointed the camera at Xia Wanzhi.

“Sister Wanzi!”

A loud young girl’s voice came through the other end. Xia Wanzhi jolted upright and squinted at the screen.

“Xie Tan? Did you crawl inside the phone?” Xia Wanzhi tilted her head.

Yun Li massaged her temples. “…”

She really was wasted.

Xie Tan stared blankly at Xia Wanzhi. “Sister Wanzi, where are you?”

“Sister Xie Tan, your Sister Wanzi is drunk. Do you know an adult who is close to her who can come to the Renjian Shise bar to pick her up?” Yun Li leaned in and greeted the girl, her tone gentle and kind.

“Yes, yes, yes! My big brother is very, very close with Xiao Wanzi!” Xie Tan dropped those words and ran out of her room barefoot. Yun Li waited for a moment, but before Xie Tan could find her brother, Xia Wanzhi snatched the phone away and forced the call to end.

Yun Li: “…”

After taking her phone back, Xia Wanzhi stopped making a scene. Instead, she sat in her seat, hugging Yun Li’s arm and staring off in the direction where Zhou Yu was.
The man on the other side was still immersed in his hedonistic revelry, completely unaware of Xia Wanzhi’s presence.

A moment later, Xie Tan called via WeChat. Xia Wanzhi answered instinctively, “Hello, Xia Wanzhi isn’t here.”

Xie Tan could tell she was drunk and shouted through the phone, “Sister Wanzi, my brother isn’t home, but I called him. He’s on his way to pick you up right now!”

Xia Wanzhi stared dazed at the phone screen, where Xie Tan was wearing rabbit pajamas. After a long pause, she blew her a kiss. “Love you, baby.”

Xie Tan giggled incessantly. “Xiao Wanzi, you’re so funny when you’re drunk.”

Yun Li’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. “She really is.”

But a while later, as she looked at the two men standing before their booth like two towering pillars, Yun Li couldn’t help but swallow hard. “Which one of you… is taking her home?”

Impressive. She had summoned two “brothers.”

“He is,” Jiang Baichuan said, taking a step back.

He and Xie Qiyan had just come from a business dinner. He had come along with the intention of watching a good show, but he hadn’t expected to run into Yun Li here.

It was a dark and windy night, and this bar was filled with all sorts of characters. It wasn’t safe for two girls to be drinking like this.

Jiang Baichuan frowned. After scanning the room, his eyes landed on a familiar silhouette at a curved booth not far away. He immediately nudged Xie Qiyan with his elbow and cleared his throat. “Your Little Sister Xia is probably traumatized from catching her fiancé cheating. You should comfort her properly when you get back.”

Xie Qiyan also withdrew his gaze from that direction, his expression unreadable.

Xia Wanzhi was clutching Yun Li’s arm so tightly that Yun Li couldn’t stand up. She could only look up at the two men. “Don’t just stand there staring. Give me a hand.”

“Xia Wanzhi,” Xie Qiyan said, his voice low. He called her name but made no move to help.

It wasn’t until Xia Wanzhi heard his voice and sluggishly lifted her head that he slowly uttered two words: “Get up.”

“Who is he?” Xia Wanzhi kept her eyes open and turned to ask Yun Li.

Yun Li tried to pry her hand off. “He’s your brother.”

“Nonsense!” Xia Wanzhi scoffed. “He’s clearly the King of Hell!”

Yun Li: “…”

Jiang Baichuan let out a short laugh.

“What are you laughing at? Come and help,” Yun Li urged. She felt like the man in front with the dark expression was difficult to talk to, so she could only plead with Jiang Baichuan behind him.

Jiang Baichuan considered it for a moment. “Xie Qiyan, coax her a little.”

A flicker of emotion finally crossed Xie Qiyan’s stoic face.

“Am I crazy?” Xie Qiyan’s thin lips moved, but despite his words, he took a step forward.

He leaned over slightly, picked up a cocktail from the table, and held it out toward Xia Wanzhi as if offering a toast. “Can you still drink? Stand up and clink glasses with me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Wanzhi pulled her hand away from Yun Li, grabbed a glass, and stood up unsteadily to toast with Xie Qiyan.

Yun Li stood up and dodged to the side. Just as she was admiring Xie Qiyan’s ability to handle Xia Wanzhi so easily, Xia Wanzhi began to topple over again.

“Wanzi…” Her wrist was suddenly caught by Jiang Baichuan. She froze, momentarily stunned.

Meanwhile, the falling Xia Wanzhi was caught by Xie Qiyan, who held her by the back of her collar with one hand. She remained suspended there, looking like she might collapse at any second.

“What about them?” Yun Li didn’t finish her sentence, but her eyes conveyed her curiosity about their relationship.

Jiang Baichuan looked into her eyes and smiled. “They’re also people I’ve known since we were kids. He’ll get her back to her place safely, don’t worry.”

Yun Li nodded. “That’s good then.”

“Xie Qiyan!” Xia Wanzhi pointed an index finger at Xie Qiyan’s chest. “I know it’s you!”

Xie Qiyan frowned and flicked her forehead with his finger. “Stop acting crazy. We’re going back.”

“Back where?” Xia Wanzhi’s voice dropped. She was about to say she had no home and couldn’t go back, but Xie Qiyan cut her off coldly.

“Back to heaven.”

Xia Wanzhi was a bit dazed. “To be a fairy?”

Xie Qiyan let out a huff. “Yeah.”

Yun Li and Jiang Baichuan shared a silent look: “…”