Chapter 2 Refreshing and Energizing

Inside the room, Bai Wanqing's worried expression froze instantly, replaced by a hint of embarrassment.

"Miss Ling! How could you say that!"

She quickly composed herself, her eyes welling up with tears, her voice tinged with the hurt of being misunderstood: "I... I was just so worried about Mingyuan, he looked so uncomfortable... Mingyuan is like a brother to me, how could I possibly have such filthy thoughts! What you're saying not only insults me, but also insults Mingyuan!"

"Okay, okay, I won't say anything more."

Ling Wei gestured for him to leave. "I'm sorry, I was being rude. Even though you were shouting so loudly that people were practically standing up and you were practically glued to him, you were just worrying about him in a completely pointless way."

"Please continue."

Bai Wanqing was speechless, caught in a dilemma.

Qu Mingyuan never reprimanded Bai Wanqing. He simply moved his body further into the sofa with difficulty to avoid Bai Wanqing's contact.

This action clearly showed his attitude, yet it also saved Bai Wanqing face, a testament to his good upbringing.

After completing this action, he seemed to have exhausted his strength, and his breathing became heavier. However, he slightly raised his eyes, his gaze passing over Bai Wanqing and landing on Ling Wei.

There was no scrutiny or embarrassment in his eyes that Ling Wei had expected from a superior; only a hazy peace due to the effects of the drug, and pure surprise.

Ling Wei met his gaze and paused. Despite being in such a disheveled situation, this man's eyes remained calm and composed, without the slightest hint of panic. That composed aura was a natural result of long-term commitment.

Seeing that Qu Mingyuan did not express his opinion but simply avoided her, Bai Wanqing felt a little relieved and stepped back a little as well, still looking pitiful.

Ling Wei ignored her and began to examine the enclosed space.

The room was fully equipped, like a small apartment.

She walked straight to the door, reached out and twisted the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.

Before she could speak, Bai Wanqing's voice rang out at the right moment, like an automatic navigation system: "The door is locked."

Ling Wei didn't turn around, but instead walked towards the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

Bai Wanqing's voice followed closely: "This is the sixth floor."

Ling Wei turned and headed towards the bathroom.

Bai Wanqing: "There are no windows there."

It's like playing some crappy puzzle game where you trigger NPC voice prompts when you reach a specific location.

Ling Wei, unable to bear it any longer, suddenly stopped and turned to look at Bai Wanqing, her eyes filled with undisguised annoyance: "Please, I have eyes, I can see for myself."

Bai Wanqing was taken aback by her words, then lowered her eyelashes, her tone even more aggrieved: "I'm sorry, Miss Ling, I just... wanted to tell you everything I knew as soon as possible, after all, I've tried all these methods, and I don't want to see you repeat my mistakes... I didn't expect you to think I was being nosy."

Ling Wei ignored Bai Wanqing's sarcastic remarks and turned to walk into the bathroom, her eyes quickly scanning every corner.

Her eyes lit up when her gaze fell on an item next to the washing machine.

Bai Wanqing, who was outside, could only hear the sound of rushing water coming from inside, and felt inexplicably uneasy.

When she discovered that she and Qu Mingyuan were locked up together, besides worry, she also felt a secret joy deep down.

She knew that her family was of ordinary means, worlds apart from the well-established Qu family. The handsome and outstanding man before her, with a bright future in his career, was someone she could never reach.

Although she did not want to be ambushed, if this could bind her to Qu Mingyuan... she never expected that there was another Ling Wei in the room.

She bit her lip, her nails digging into her palms; it seemed she had to change her strategy.

She instinctively took out her phone, but there was no signal, and the battery was draining rapidly.

Her eyes flickered. It's alright, he should be here soon.

After a while, the sound of water stopped.

Ling Wei came out carrying a plastic bucket full of water. It was the laundry basket in the bathroom used to store clothes waiting to be washed, but she had temporarily requisitioned it as a water bucket.

The next second, amidst Bai Wanqing's exclamation, she directly pressed Qu Mingyuan's nape and shoved his face into the cold water.

"Are you crazy!" Bai Wanqing lunged at her and grabbed her. "Mingyuan is already like this, and you still—"

"Shut up if you don't want anything to happen to him." Ling Wei shook off her hand and looked at Qu Mingyuan, who was rising from the water.

Cold water dripped down his shiny black hair, the droplets tracing his well-defined jawline, and the mistiness in his eyes dissipated, revealing his clear and dignified appearance.

“Cold stimulation can slow down the heart rate and cause blood vessels to constrict,” she said succinctly. “It’s better than just toughing it out.”

Qu Mingyuan was breathing heavily, his wet shirt revealing the outline of his chest, and water droplets kept rolling down his jawline.

He raised his eyes and met Ling Wei's gaze. There was no surprise or anger in his eyes. He nodded slightly to her.

Ling Wei didn't stop moving. She squatted down nimbly and ripped off Qu Mingyuan's leather shoes and socks.

"You..." Bai Wanqing wanted to speak again.

"Shut up." Ling Wei didn't even raise her head, interrupting her spellcasting animation, and directly pressed Qu Mingyuan's feet into the icy water.

Qu Mingyuan shuddered violently, letting out a suppressed groan.

“There are many nerves in the soles of your feet, so stimulating them with cold water will be more effective and help you cool down faster and wake up a bit more,” Ling Wei explained succinctly, her gaze sweeping over his still clenched fists and tense jawline. “You have to be able to hold on until someone comes.”

Bai Wanqing seized the opportunity and immediately questioned in a weak voice with a sob in her lips: "Miss Ling, since you said that the soles of your feet are more effective... then why didn't you just use your feet in the first place, instead of pushing Mingyuan's head into the water? Do you know how dangerous that was? What if he choked?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Wei finally looked at her directly, her eyes filled with a hint of pity as if she were looking at a fool.

"Do you think he'd obediently let you take off your shoes and soak your feet in that state just now?"

"If we don't first use cold water to awaken some of his senses and restore some self-control, are we supposed to expect you and me, with our thin arms and legs, to forcibly break a grown man controlled by drugs?"

Her gaze swept over Qu Mingyuan's still flushed but now clear face, and she added, "The head and face have a high concentration of nerves, so stimulation there works the fastest; it's for 'emergency activation.' The soles of the feet are for aiding heat dissipation and consolidating the effect. The order is crucial, understand?"

Bai Wanqing was speechless after Ling Wei's words, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She grabbed Qu Mingyuan's arm, her voice trembling with grievance: "Mingyuan, I'm sorry, I was just too worried about you... Seeing you so uncomfortable, I was so anxious—"

The final note abruptly turned into a short, sharp scream.

There was no other reason than Ling Wei's hand had already gripped the back of her neck, and she decisively pushed her face into the bucket as well. Next to her, Qu Mingyuan's legs were still soaking in the water.

I used Mingyuan's foot bath water to wash her face.

The system exclaimed in her mind, "Wow!"

I love Weiwei, who's ruthless and doesn't talk much.

Seeing Bai Wanqing raise her head in a disheveled state, coughing and choking, Ling Wei then spoke with feigned concern: "Are you feeling better? I noticed you were leaning against him without realizing it, and I was worried you were uncomfortable, so I'm trying to help you wake up."