Chapter Seventeen: Drowning Sorrows in Alcohol Only Adds New Trouble
The morning sunlight shone precisely on Luo Yan's eyelids through the gap in the curtains that weren't fully drawn.
I'm so thirsty, I need to get up and drink some water.
She frowned and groaned, then habitually rolled over to hug the body pillow next to her. Her hangover head buzzed as if trampled by a herd of elephants. She opened her eyes and struggled to focus. The first thing she saw was a gray air-conditioning blanket, and then under the blanket... a clearly masculine arm with smooth muscle lines.
Luo Yan instantly snapped awake, sitting up as if electrocuted, pulling the blankets along with her, and turned around in horror.
Jiang Sui was fast asleep with her eyes closed and her breathing steady. Just now, one of her arms was casually draped over his chest, and her leg was pressing down on his waist without any politeness.
"Why is it so noisy..."
Jiang Sui was awakened by the noise, which was comparable to an air raid siren, and opened her eyes with a frown.
Their eyes met, and the air froze.
Luo Yan frantically checked her clothes. Thankfully, it was the same loungewear she wore yesterday. She stammered, her finger trembling as she pointed at Jiang Sui, "What are you doing in my bed?! We...we didn't...something happened last night, did it?!"
Jiang Sui sat up, rubbed his temples, and his eyes regained their clarity. He glanced at her and said, "Do you think we could have done anything that needs to be censored, given the amount of alcohol we consumed last night?" Seeing her still looking terrified, he continued, "Don't you understand? A man can't..."
"Stop!"
Luo Yan raised her hand to decisively stop him from continuing; if he kept going, she really would have to censor the images. She composed herself, "Then...then why are you sleeping here?!"
“Actually, last night I just wanted to sit and rest for a bit before leaving… um, I don’t know how I fell asleep. Maybe I drank some alcohol and I was exhausted from dragging you here. But I’m absolutely certain I didn’t do anything to you. As for you…” Jiang Sui calmly got up, and even more calmly straightened his wrinkled shirt, looking at the suspicious drool stain on it. “This is the second time you’ve dirtied my clothes. Remember to pay the dry cleaning fee.”
Luo Yan's face instantly turned bright red, half from embarrassment and half from anger. She knew she was a terrible sleeper, and last night she even dreamt that she was still hugging a pillow.
"I'm asleep, and my behavior is out of control! You know what I mean?!"
If we can't come up with a new reason right now, let's just use the old one for now; it's better than nothing.
Just as Jiang Sui was about to speak, the doorbell rang like a death knell.
The two of them froze instantly, as if a pause button had been pressed.
"Who is it so early?!" Luo Yan panicked and subconsciously looked at Jiang Sui.
Jiang Sui remained calm, glancing at his watch: "8:30, not early. They're probably checking the water meter?"
"Check my ass! The water meter is on the first floor!" Luo Yan jumped off the bed in a panic, peeked through the peephole, and was terrified. "It's Granny Rong!"
"Granny Rong? Is she here to prick you with needles?"
"Oh my, it's Zeng Rong!"
Outside the door, Zeng Rong, carrying an insulated bag, smiled and rang the doorbell again.
"Yanyan, are you up?"
"It's over, it's over!"
Luo Yan paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, "If she sees you here, Luo Muyang will parachute into the Civil Affairs Bureau and weld us to the ground!"
Jiang Sui raised an eyebrow: "Now you're scared? Where were you when you were spreading rumors?"
"Stop talking nonsense, you better hide!" Luo Yan hurriedly dragged Jiang Sui to the bathroom, opened the door and pushed him inside.
"Why should I hide? Comrade Luo Yan, I'm your partner, not your lover..."
"A man and a woman alone in a room all night, if Granny Rong catches you, you're a real 'adulterer'!" Luo Yan practically shoved the unwilling Jiang Sui into the bathroom with all her might, slammed the door shut, and warned, "If you dare make a sound, you're dead!"
She took a deep breath, scratched her messy hair, and tried to look impatient as if she had just been woken up, before running to open the door.
Zeng Rong, carrying a bag of steaming hot buns and soy milk, smiled brightly: "Yanyan, good morning! I know you like to sleep in on weekends, so your thoughtful sister brought you a loving breakfast and checked on you... Hmm, you look terrible? Didn't you sleep well last night?"
"Slept very well, slept like a log!" Luo Yan stepped aside to block the doorway, chuckling awkwardly as she reached for the bag. "Thanks, just give it to me, you can go back now."
"You're kicking me out as soon as I arrive?"
Zeng Rong nimbly squeezed in from the side, "I'm free today, so I thought I'd chat with you... Hey, what's this on your table... Were there guests last night?"
Luo Yan quickly rolled up the tablecloth, trying to appear calm: "Ah...right, Liu Su came to play for a while last night and just left this morning."
Zeng Rong's gaze fell on the black suit in the corner of the sofa, then caught sight of a tie draped over the armrest. She paused, then suddenly gave a knowing smile. "Oh, Liu Su, nice tie. Do you get such high salaries at the Culture and Tourism Bureau?"
Luo Yan wanted to slap herself twice, but the incident happened so suddenly that there was no time for her to clean up the mess.
"It belongs to her...her boyfriend, yes! Her boyfriend brought her here and accidentally left it behind."
Luo Yan rushed forward and blocked the bedroom door, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat: "I... my room is a mess, I can't show it to anyone! Uh, um... the air conditioner is a bit faulty, the landlord said he'll send someone to fix it tomorrow."
Zeng Rong looked at her flushed face and sparkling eyes, her smile growing even deeper: "Alright, eat breakfast while it's hot, I'll be going now." As she walked to the door, she turned back and added meaningfully, "Yanyan, take care of yourself, and learn to be moderate."
Luo Yan: "..."
As soon as the door closed, her legs went weak and she leaned against it, letting out a long sigh of relief.
The bathroom door opened, and Jiang Sui strolled out leisurely, with a smile that Luo Yan found incredibly irritating: "Comrade Luo Yan, your skill at making up lies has reached a whole new level."
Luo Yan was immediately enraged and embarrassed: "What else can I say?! Tell her, yes, your CEO Jiang slept here last night, and even slept in the same bed as me?!"
"Just tell the truth, we didn't do anything, right?"
"You obviously don't understand Granny Rong. She can immediately concoct an eighty-episode soap opera just from hearing the first half of a story. I could talk myself hoarse, but she still wouldn't believe we're alright!"
Jiang Sui straightened his clothes, picked up his suit jacket and tie: "I'm leaving. Next time, you'll have to pay for sleeping with me."
Enraged, Luo Yan grabbed a sofa cushion and threw it at the person: "Get out!"
Jiang Sui easily caught the cushion, patted it slowly, put it down, opened the door, and left.
After sending the message, she started the car with a satisfied heart. She truly deserved to be called a top-notch secretary, having gone to great lengths for her boss's family happiness.
The boss is thrilled; her bonus this month has doubled! It's a sure thing!
Monday morning, the rest area outside the Feiyang Technology conference room.
Wu Yuzhou, dressed in a suit and tie, waited patiently. He had come today to secure the contract as legal counsel for Feiyang Technology. After several previous meetings, Luo Muyang's attitude had been quite polite, so his chances were high.
The conference room door opened, and Luo Muyang walked out surrounded by a group of people. Wu Yuzhou immediately stood up to greet him, flashing a professional smile: "Uncle Luo, hello..."
"Attorney Wu, please address me by my job title in the workplace."
Luo Muyang stopped, a smile on his face, but his eyes were a little cold.
Wu Yuzhou quickly changed his tune: "Hello, Mr. Luo, regarding the matter of our Zhengwang Law Firm serving as your company's legal counsel..."
"Oh, is that so?"
Luo Muyang turned to the people behind him and asked, "Why didn't anyone tell me? That... something..."
The head of the legal department immediately stepped forward to explain: "Mr. Luo, it's Zhengwang Law Firm. They've arranged for Attorney Wu to come for a meeting today. I reported this to you last night."
Luo Muyang seemed to suddenly realize something, slapped his forehead, "Oh dear, look at my memory, you can't deny getting old when you're old... Lawyer Wu, I've thought about it, our Feiyang Temple is small and our business volume is not large, I'm afraid we can't afford to invite such a big Buddha as Zhengwang."
Wu Yuzhou's smile froze: "President Luo, you're too modest. Your company is a leading enterprise in the industry, and its strength is evident to all..."
“No matter how strong you are, you can’t compare to Attorney Wu’s sharp eye.” Luo Muyang slowly interrupted him. “Choosing a business partner is the same as choosing a wife. You have to choose the most suitable one, right? Attorney Wu just got married, right? He married a… well, a very ‘interesting’ wife. I am ashamed of my own judgment.”
Wu Yuzhou's smile was about to fade. He could hear the sarcasm in Luo Muyang's words, but he didn't dare to react. He could only bite the bullet and say, "President Luo, you flatter me... I brought the proposal with me today for you to review."
"Let's give it to the legal department. Just let them take a look. I'm getting a bit presbyopic now and can't read that many words." Luo Muyang waved his hand, seemingly uninterested. "I've been busy lately with that smart tourism project at the Culture and Tourism Bureau. Oh, Yan Yan is really working hard. She's always running around with Xiao Jiang... oh, you know, Vice President Jiang, right? They're exposed to the wind and sun all day long. It breaks my heart to see her like that."
Wu Yuzhou felt uneasy hearing this, but forced a reply: "Xiao Yan... Miss Luo is very hardworking."
"Excuse me, I have something else to attend to." Luo Muyang began to dismiss them. "Excuse me, Attorney Wu, please make yourself at home." With that, he led his group away.
Wu Yuzhou stood there awkwardly, his face turning pale and then red.
Luo Muyang was clearly targeting him. It seemed that if he wanted to secure this contract, he would have to start with Luo Yan.
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