Chapter 29

Shu Shiran opened her eyes, and her first reaction was to look down at the floor for her phone.

Then, a hand appeared in her line of sight, holding the very phone she was looking for.

She took the phone, tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and looked up.

"Ji Xi? Why are you here?"

Ji Xi replied, "To take you home."

He added, "Or did you want Della to take you back instead?"

Shu Shiran thought for a moment and said, "Della has had quite a bit to drink, too. I'll go with you."

Ji Xi: "Alright."

Shu Shiran then looked for Wu Tianqi.

Wu Tianqi: "...I'm right here."

If it weren't for the fact that every one of Shu Shiran's reactions was half a beat slow, and that she hadn't noticed him even though he was right beside her, he wouldn't have even realized she was drunk.

Shu Shiran: "Go check on Della. If she's had too much, you should take her home."

Dai Jiao: "I'm right here. I'm fine. I'll just call a designated driver in a bit."

Shu Shiran said "Mm" and asked Wu Tianqi: "What about Yuanyuan? She lives in the same direction as Little Yu, so they can share a cab. It's safer for two girls to travel together."

Little Yu was the firm's receptionist, and she and Yuanyuan had already left by cab.

Shu Shiran began asking about the others.

Her tone was soft, slow, and fragmented.

Wu Tianqi hadn't expected her to become so talkative when drunk; she just kept going.

He wanted to tell her that he would handle the rest of the people and that she could go home and rest, but Shu Shiran gave him a dissatisfied look, cutting him off.

"..." Wu Tianqi shut his mouth.

Fine, please continue.

Ji Xi, on the other hand, was very patient and didn't rush her.

Once she had carefully arranged for everyone else, he said, "Shall we go?"

Shu Shiran paused for two seconds, then nodded.

Ji Xi: "Can you stand up?"

"I can."

Shu Shiran leaned on the sofa to stand, swayed a little, and then steadied herself.

Dai Jiao said to Ji Xi, "Then she's in your hands."

She turned to Shu Shiran: "Sharon, call me if you need anything."

Shu Shiran nodded, "Okay."

Ji Xi picked up her coat and draped it over his arm.

As they walked out of the private room, Shu Shiran started to head in the wrong direction, but Ji Xi caught her by the wrist.

"This way."

"Oh."

And so, Shu Shiran was led all the way to the car.

Ji Xi adjusted the air conditioning for her and asked, "Are you cold?"

"No," Shu Shiran said, buckling her seatbelt herself.

The car pulled away from the club.

As they left the brightly lit area, the interior of the car grew dim.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Shu Shiran looked thoughtful. "Did I leave anyone out just now?"

Ji Xi chuckled and asked, "How many people were there today in total?"

Shu Shiran: "Sixteen."

Ji Xi: "Then no, you didn't."

Shu Shiran said "Mm," feeling reassured.

After the car turned according to the navigation, Ji Xi asked, "Why did you drink so much today?"

He waited a few seconds, but when no one answered, he glanced over at her.

Shu Shiran had closed her eyes at some point, her head tilted toward the car window, fast asleep.

She looked peaceful, completely off guard.

**

They arrived at Chuansong No. 1.

Ji Xi parked the car and turned to look at Shu Shiran.

She was still sleeping, her eyelashes casting shadows beneath her eyes.

Her phone suddenly rang.

Shu Shiran frowned unconsciously.

Ji Xi glanced at the caller ID, then took the phone and got out of the car.

Occasionally, other cars pulled into the underground garage, their headlights reflecting in the rearview mirrors.

Ji Xi made the call while walking to the passenger side, his gaze resting on Shu Shiran in the car.

Ten minutes later, the call ended, but Shu Shiran still hadn't woken up.

Her head was resting against the window, and he couldn't bear to wake her.

Ji Xi turned and leaned against the passenger door.

People walked by, seeing a cold, reserved man leaning against a Cullinan, looking down at his phone. In the car behind him sat a sleeping woman.

With only the car window between her head and his back, it looked as if she were sleeping against him.

After standing outside for a while, Ji Xi put his phone away and turned to tap on the window.

Shu Shiran in the car was startled awake, her eyes half-open as she slowly sat up straight.

Ji Xi opened the door.

"Shu Shiran, we're here."

"Go back up and sleep."

Shu Shiran was groggy. "Are we at my place?"

"Yes."

Shu Shiran unbuckled her seatbelt and slowly climbed out of the car, leaning on the door.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, the whole world began to spin.

Then, her body seemed to bump into something, and she was enveloped in a warmth.

Ji Xi had caught her.

A few messy footsteps echoed in the empty garage.

By the time Shu Shiran regained her balance, the echoes of their footsteps still seemed to linger.

Her cool, soft hair brushed against Ji Xi's neck and jaw.

Ji Xi looked down at her, his eyes darkening. "Can you still walk?"

Shu Shiran looked up, their breath mingling. In her hazy eyes, the garage lights glimmered beautifully.

Her reaction was still half a beat slow. "I don't think so."

Staring at her face for a few seconds, Ji Xi looked away and smiled. "Well, at least you aren't trying to be brave."

From the elevator to the apartment, Shu Shiran was constantly surrounded by his clean, pleasant scent.

At her door, she opened it and then turned back to block Ji Xi.

Her obstruction made him pause.

He let her go and gave a faint, wry smile. "Fine, I won't go in. Take care of yourself."

Shu Shiran brought out a pair of slippers, and as she let go, they dropped onto the floor of the entryway.

She had brought out a pair of men's slippers, still with the tags on them.

"Your slippers."

Ji Xi looked at them, his eyes flickering. "Are these specifically for me?"

Shu Shiran nodded and walked inside, changing into her own slippers.

"You keep slippers for me at your place, so naturally, I should keep a pair for you at mine."

She sounded like she was reciting a tongue twister.

She added, "Courtesy demands reciprocity."

Ji Xi followed her, the smile on his lips fading slightly. "You've always been one to understand the value of reciprocity."

Shu Shiran had lived at Chuansong No. 1 since returning from the UK. She had decorated it to be cozy yet full of personality.

When she reached the sofa, she suddenly stopped and turned to ask Ji Xi, "Do you want some water?"

She swayed as she went to pour the water, and Ji Xi pulled her back, nearly causing her to bump into his arm.

Ji Xi: "I'll do it. Where is it?"

Shu Shiran pointed.

When Ji Xi returned with two glasses of water, Shu Shiran was curled up on the sofa, clutching a pillow and muttering to herself—she was twice as talkative as usual.

Because her voice was low, it was hard to hear exactly what she was saying.

But she wasn't being loud or difficult.

Ji Xi set down the glasses and sat in the single-seat sofa next to her, watching her with amusement. "I didn't realize you turned into a chatterbox when you were drunk."

Shu Shiran stopped abruptly, frowning as she glared at him. "Who are you calling a chatterbox?"

Her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, her eyes unfocused and misty, and her voice was even gentler than usual, making her challenge sound completely devoid of authority—just a hollow shell.

Ji Xi teased her slowly: "I was calling the princess a chatterbox."

"..."

Shu Shiran abruptly looked away, turning to the other side.

She nearly buried her face into the sofa back.

This was the fastest reaction she'd had all night.

A sober Shu Shiran would never perform such a "the thief shouting stop thief" act, which practically broadcasted her shyness to the world.

Ji Xi chuckled, leaning toward her. He raised a hand as if to stroke her hair, but stopped before touching her, opting instead to gently tuck a stray strand behind her ear.

The soft hair slid against his fingertips, settling into place.

Ji Xi withdrew his hand, his gaze falling on the red earlobe peeking through her hair, his voice softening. "Are you mad?"

Shu Shiran ignored him.

Ji Xi called out again: "Shu Shiran?"

"Shu Shiran."

Each time, his voice was softer than the last.

After several calls, Shu Shiran finally acknowledged him.

"You never say anything serious."

She kept her face buried while she accused him, her voice muffled.

Ji Xi smiled and asked, "You've had so much to drink, are you thirsty?"

After two or three seconds, Shu Shiran said, "I am."

She lifted her head, her face even redder than it had been when she first arrived.

Ji Xi picked up a glass of water and handed it to her.

She didn't forget to glare at him again as she took it.

It had zero intimidation.

When she finished, Ji Xi took the glass back to return it to the table.

The glass made a soft sound as it hit the coffee table.

"What did you guys do at the annual party?" he asked, making small talk.

A drunk Shu Shiran was easily distracted.

She thought about it and replied, "In the morning, we did the year-end summary."

Ji Xi said "Mm." "And after that?"

"In the afternoon, everyone played cards, video games, and handed out red envelopes."

Shu Shiran started from when they played cards, explaining in great detail, though her speaking speed was slower than usual and she stumbled occasionally.

By the end, her voice grew increasingly fuzzy.

Until she mentioned the lucky draw, when her voice suddenly cleared up.

She originally hadn't thought much of the "Sunshine Prize," but she hadn't expected there to be only two, and she had ended up drawing one.

She was very dissatisfied with her own luck.

Ji Xi: "Should I give you another prize, then? Hold out your hand."

Shu Shiran looked at him, puzzled. "Hm? Where would you get a prize? Did you enter a lucky draw today, too?"

As she asked, she honestly held out her hand.

Ji Xi smiled: "The other one."

**

The next day, when Shu Shiran woke up, her head was pounding and her limbs felt heavy.

She turned over and pulled the duvet up, wanting to sleep a little longer, when she inadvertently felt something on her hand.

She opened her eyes and brought her left hand up to her face.

There was a ring on her ring finger.

The style was simple and suitable for daily wear, yet the details were exquisite, inlaid with a few small diamonds.

Shu Shiran was confused.

She definitely hadn't been wearing a ring yesterday, and she didn't own this one.

How had a ring appeared on her hand?

She tried to recall last night.

She had been too drunk, and she didn't remember much after the banquet, only fragments.

Ji Xi was there.

It seemed like he had brought her home.

Then, Shu Shiran recalled a very brief scene.

It was Ji Xi taking her hand—which had been palm up—and turning it over.

That was all.

After circling through her memories, Shu Shiran felt quite sober.

She reached for her phone, only to realize it wasn't on the nightstand.

She checked under the pillow and the blankets, but it wasn't there either.

Finally, Shu Shiran found her phone on the sofa in the living room.

She opened WeChat, found Ji Xi, and sent him a message.

-Shu Shiran: Did you put this ring on me?