Chapter 112: Yuqing, You’ve Had Too Much to Drink

The two of them arrived at the night market. Xia Yu could tell that Lin Yuqing was troubled. The girl had already drunk several cans of beer, and her cheeks quickly flushed a deep red.

“Yu, do you think I’m a good girl?” she asked, looking straight into Xia Yu’s eyes.

Xia Yu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Of course, you’re a good girl.”

“Really? But... I feel so shameless,” she said anxiously. “I’ve already decided to break up with Li Hao, but when I see him, I don’t have the courage to say it.”

“Because I feel like I’ve been using him. Betraying him when I’m done... I’m such a shameless person...” After saying this, she took another swig of her drink.

Xia Yu frowned and stopped her. “If you’re drinking because of this, you really don’t have to.”

“Yuqing, you don’t need to feel guilty about Li Hao. I told you before, he’s manipulative and hasn’t really helped you.”

“If you’ve decided to break up with him, just tell him directly. If you really can’t say it, I’ll do it for you.”

Lin Yuqing felt a warmth in her heart and smiled bitterly. “No, Yu, I’m not a child.”

“Breaking up is something I should say to him face to face. It’s the least respect I can show, since he did help me at some point.”

...

Xia Yu was speechless. It seemed she still believed everything was because of Li Hao’s help.

“Be brave and do it. It’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, I’ll find a chance to tell him clearly in the next few days.”

She exhaled and looked more determined.

That night, she drank quite a bit, and by the time she left, the scent of alcohol clung to her.

Xia Yu took her home and parked downstairs, opening the car door for her. “Want me to walk you upstairs?”

“No way, I’m not drunk!”

She got out of the car, glaring at Xia Yu with a flushed face.

“Xia Yu, you damn liar. You’re breaking my first love...”

“Huh?” Xia Yu was confused. “How am I ruining your first love?”

“Don’t play innocent.”

Whether it was the alcohol talking or not, she stepped forward and slapped him hard, her eyes red as she said, “If it wasn’t for you, my first love wouldn’t be a joke.”

“And didn’t you say you liked me? Why did you turn around and fall for someone else so fast?”

“You big jerk, boohoo... you lied to me...” Her voice broke as tears began to fall.

Xia Yu panicked slightly. “Yuqing, are you okay?”

“Boohoo...”

“Yu, do you still like me?”

“If I break up with Li Hao, will you be with me?”

She suddenly hugged Xia Yu tightly, her teary eyes filled with excitement.

It seemed she had held these words inside for a long time, and only with the courage from the alcohol did she dare to confess.

Xia Yu trembled, feeling the softness in his arms.

A strange feeling welled up inside him, stirring his emotions.

But soon, he calmed himself.

If he were still single, he would have told her without hesitation that no matter what had happened, he would always protect her.

Because when he was at his lowest point, she was the only one who cared enough to give him warmth.

She was the first girl he ever liked.

But now, he was no longer single; he had a responsibility to Zhao Sijie.

He was a man who valued responsibility above all else.

So he gently pushed Lin Yuqing away and said, “Yuqing, you’ve had too much to drink.”

“Go upstairs and get some rest. You’ll feel better after some sleep.”

Lin Yuqing had indeed drunk a lot, but her mind was still clear; she knew what she was doing. She was just using alcohol to bolster her courage and finally say what she had long been afraid to voice.

Xia Yu’s response hurt her deeply, yet it gradually brought her calm.

Wiping her tears, she said, “Yeah, I’m drunk. I’ll go up now. You should go back…”

After speaking, she turned and hurried into the building, somewhat flustered.

Xia Yu stood there for a full two minutes before lighting a cigarette and slowly getting into his car to drive away.

The next day.

At the hilltop villa.

Chen Shufen’s family woke up and were enjoying a lavish breakfast in the living room.

“Living in a villa is really comfortable. It’d be great if we could stay here forever,” Cao Jun said, crossing his legs.

“Then stay longer. When Sijie gives us the betrothal money, we’ll think about leaving,” Chen Shufen replied.

The group had clearly made the villa their home, leaving it in a mess. The alcohol Xia Yu had stored in the fridge was nearly all gone.

“Shufen, didn’t Sijie say she had no money? Will we really get the money?” someone asked.

“If we can’t get it, then we just stay here,” Chen Shufen snorted coldly. “If she can’t come up with it, she can borrow it. Look at Xia Yu living in such a big villa—borrowing a hundred thousand yuan is nothing.”

“Auntie, uncle, I think a hundred thousand is too little. It should be two hundred thousand,” Liu Jing said disdainfully. “Look at Sijie’s classmates—they’re pretty wealthy; borrowing that much won’t be a problem.”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind living in the villa forever.”

“What if Xia Yu comes back?” Cao Xun asked.

“That’s simple—kick him out,” Chen Shufen said harshly. “After all, he’s Sijie’s boyfriend, but if it weren’t for us helping Sijie back then, how could she be where she is today?”

“We’re here to collect a debt; there’s no need to be humble.”

“Mom’s right. If he dares to ask us to leave, then he better pay Sijie first, or I’ll beat him up!” Cao Jun said fiercely.

The joint banquet hosted by Jin Hai and Ying Hao proceeded as scheduled.

The venue was the famous Marriott Hotel, set for 7 pm.

By evening, luxury cars crowded outside the hotel.

When Xia Yu and Zhao Sijie arrived, their classmates Wang Dong and Wu Tian were already waiting.

“Sijie, over here,” Lili waved excitedly, but her eyes remained fixed on Xia Yu, secretly thrilled.

She had tried twice to ask Xia Yu out alone under the pretext of apologizing, but was rejected both times.

She realized Xia Yu was not only a man with a powerful background but also a devoted boyfriend, which made her both envious and jealous of Zhao Sijie.

Why did Sijie have such a great job? And such a wonderful boyfriend?

So she kept thinking of ways to steal Xia Yu away. To catch his attention, she had specially dressed up tonight, renting an eight-thousand-dollar gown, looking as sexy and dazzling as a socialite.

Wang Dong and Wu Tian exchanged a smile. As the two approached, Wu Tian put his hands in his pockets and said smugly:

“Xia Yu, look at how generous Dong is. Even though we had a little unpleasantness at the restaurant before…”

“But Dong still invited you to join this high-level banquet. Without Dong, you wouldn’t even get past the hotel entrance.”

“Look at the cars parked around here. You can tell what level this banquet is at, right?”