Chapter 15: Entering the House

“I took the contract.” After signing, Rong Yan left the room directly.

After she left, Fan Xia collapsed into the chair, covering her mouth and coughing. The spicy taste of the liquor rushed to her head, causing physiological tears to flow out.

Rong Xiu hurriedly poured her a cup of tea and fed it to her: “White liquor is so strong, how could you gulp it down so eagerly.”

The white liquor glass is not like a red wine glass, it looks small and exquisite, and does not hold much alcohol. Fan Xia held a glass in each hand, and before he could react, she had already downed two glasses of wine, followed by one glass after another.

Fan Xia leaned back in her chair, her fair face flushed with drunkenness, her eyes misty: “As a qualified employee, it is my duty to shield my boss from drinks.”

Perhaps it was because she drank ten glasses of white liquor in one breath, her tone also carried a drunken softness, unlike usual, although gentle but very distant, especially when she had a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, as if hooking him like soft smoke.

Rong Xiu swallowed, his cold eyes burning like a raging fire under his rimless glasses. In your heart, am I just your boss?

Before Rong Xiu could ask this question, Fan Xia’s face changed slightly, the smiling corners of her mouth suddenly pursed into a straight line, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Rong Xiu took in her every subtle movement and leaned in closer to ask, “What’s wrong?”

Fan Xia’s hand resting on the armrest clutched her stomach, her drunken eyebrows and eyes filled with helpless pain: “I think my stomach problem is acting up.”

Rong Xiu’s expression suddenly tightened, his fingertips gripping her wrist: “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“No need.” Fan Xia held his hand in return, shaking her head slightly: “It’s not a very serious stomach problem, I have stomach medicine at home, I’ll be fine after taking some medicine and resting for a while.”

Rong Xiu frowned: “No, I won’t feel at ease with you like this.”

Fan Xia gripped his hand with a little more force, skin touching skin, her rising body temperature from the alcohol burning like fire against his fingertips, turning his cold, fair fingertips an unnatural bright red.

“I am clear about my own condition, it doesn’t hurt much, don’t worry.”

It really didn’t hurt much, just a dull ache. Fan Xia was not someone who didn’t cherish her own body, if it really hurt badly, she would go to the hospital herself without Rong Xiu having to say much.

“It’s just that I’ve been drinking, I’m afraid I can’t drive, can you take me home?” Fan Xia’s head leaned weakly against the back of the chair, her smooth, ink-like long hair scattered, her breath emitting an intoxicating wine fragrance that softened all his insistence. “Okay, but I have to watch you take your medicine with my own eyes and make sure your stomach doesn’t hurt before I leave.” Rong Xiu said, obviously misunderstanding, thinking that Fan Xia was enduring the pain.

“Okay.” Fan Xia smiled, her eyes curved, with stars flowing in the fine ripples of her eyes.

She knew it was useless to explain, so she simply agreed. When she got home and took the medicine, everything would be fine.

Entering Rong Xiu’s car, Fan Xia fastened her own seat belt. Even after drinking ten glasses of white liquor, her consciousness was still fairly clear.

As expected of a top-notch luxury car, as soon as the door closed, the noisy sounds of the city were blocked out, and there was an unknown fragrance in the car. She leaned against the window, quietly watching the neon lights flashing by outside.

It was seven o’clock in the evening, the most congested time for traffic in the city center.

Rong Xiu looked at the queue of cars stretching as far as the eye could see, unable to hide his anxiety under his rimless glasses. He looked at the quiet Fan Xia beside him: “Is your stomach hurting badly? I should just take you straight to the hospital.”

“Really, it’s fine.” Fan Xia shook her head, her voice as light as gossamer: “My stomach problem was caused by hunger when I was in an orphanage as a child. Later, with gradual care, it’s no longer a big problem. It’s just that I drank too much strong liquor all at once just now, which caused the stomach problem to recur. It doesn’t actually hurt that much, don’t worry.”

As she spoke, her silky hair fell to the side of her slender neck, black hair like ink and neck like snow intertwined, the dazzling neon lights from outside shining in, yet unable to light up her eyes.

Rong Xiu took a deep breath, not knowing how to comfort her.

The fact that Fan Xia was an orphan was known to many people back in college. Sometimes Rong Xiu would think that if it weren’t for her parents’ car accident, Fan Xia definitely wouldn’t have suffered so much. Those sufferings shouldn’t have existed in the first place.

And after so many years, the driver who caused the accident still hadn’t been found and was still at large.

He didn’t dare tell Fan Xia that actually, after learning about her family’s tragedy during college, he had secretly asked someone to inquire at the police station, wanting to help her find the driver responsible.

The accident happened more than ten years ago, when surveillance cameras were not yet widespread, so no vehicle information was captured. The time of the accident was late at night, so there were no eyewitnesses either.

Because the road was in a suburban factory area with several construction sites nearby, trucks coming and going, the tire prints and debris left by the vehicle that caused the accident were destroyed. After more than ten years, it was almost impossible to find the driver responsible.

Rong Xiu’s well-proportioned, powerful fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly: “I’m sorry.”

“Hm?” Fan Xia turned her head to look at him. “For shielding me from the drinks, causing your stomach problem to recur.”

Fan Xia chuckled softly, the faint, sweet smell of alcohol wafting through the car: “You don’t need to say sorry to me, this is what I should do as an employee. Even in other companies, as an executive assistant, one would also shield their boss from drinks like this.”

An assistant’s work is very varied and involves a lot, being able to drink and help the boss avoid drinks has become an unspoken rule in the industry.

But he didn’t want to be just her boss.

Rong Xiu lowered his eyes slightly, not saying anything more. The cold, desolate light shone on him, making his already sculptural, deep features appear even more coldly chiseled.

Unconsciously, the car had already arrived at the bottom of Fan Xia’s building.

The effects of the white liquor had kicked in, and Fan Xia was already a bit unsteady on her feet, her steps swaying as she leaned against the wall, looking at the spinning Rong Xiu in front of her: “I’m home now, you should go back, Lan Sheng will take care of me.”

“Forgot what I said before? I’ll only leave after watching you take your medicine and making sure your stomach doesn’t hurt anymore.” Rong Xiu supported her arm with one hand and reached out from behind to hold her shoulders with the other.

Fan Xia’s mind was already hazy from the alcohol, and she didn’t quite catch what Rong Xiu said, only feeling his clear, cold cedar scent coming over her, as if she had rolled in a snow-covered cedar forest in the depths of winter, making the feverish Fan Xia instinctively want to get closer, so she let him do as he pleased.

The elevator quickly arrived on the first floor. Two people walked out of the elevator and saw the drunken Fan Xia and the Rong Xiu supporting her, stunned for a moment, then their eyes revealed an unstoppable amazement.

Even with her drunkenness, Fan Xia was still hard to hide her gentle, calm temperament, while Rong Xiu who was supporting her, wearing a bespoke suit that one could tell at a glance was expensive, had exquisite features and a high nose bridge, his rimless glasses and narrow, cold eyes giving off an ascetic, unapproachable aura. The stark contrast enveloping the two of them didn’t feel inappropriate at all, but instead had a strong, unreal sense of complementarity.

Rong Xiu gave the passersby a casual glance and supported Fan Xia into the elevator, looking at the floor buttons with a troubled expression.

“Fan Xia, wake up.”

At this point, Fan Xia was already so drunk that she was out of it, her head resting on Rong Xiu’s shoulder, her scattered long hair brushing against Rong Xiu’s long-sleeved neck, her faint fragrance and scorching liquor breath all spraying on Rong Xiu’s body, silently provoking fatal lust, yet the person in question was completely unaware.

Rong Xiu tightly clenched his hands, restraining himself as his Adam’s apple rolled, his fingertips hooking Fan Xia’s chin, his calm eyes harboring ill intentions: “Fan Xia, I can’t find where your home is, is it okay to go to my place?”

Fan Xia’s eyes were dazed for a moment, revealing a childlike innocence: “No, I want to go home.”

The disappointment flashed away from his narrow, cold eyes. Rong Xiu released her chin and asked, “Which floor is your home on then?”

“Eleventh floor.” Fan Xia held up both hands, gesturing two 1’s.

Rong Xiu’s eyes were gentle. The person who usually did everything perfectly and meticulously, when drunk, didn’t make a fuss, but was actually as cute as a child…

Rong Xiu pressed the button for the eleventh floor. No neighbors entered along the way, so they arrived quickly.

Under Fan Xia’s drunken guidance, Rong Xiu knocked on the door.

“Coming, did Xia Xia forget to bring her keys today?” Wen Lan Sheng jogged over to open the door, the smile on his face disappearing the instant he saw Rong Xiu.

“Senior, why are you here?” Wen Lan Sheng put on a smile that didn’t seem like a smile.

When he saw Fan Xia leaning on Rong Xiu, reeking of alcohol, Wen Lan Sheng’s face turned even uglier. He reached out to pull Fan Xia into his arms: “Xia Xia, how did you get so drunk, let me help you home.”

Fan Xia was completely out of it, dazedly being pulled by Wen Lan Sheng, but her eyes were still on Rong Xiu. She liked his clean, crisp scent, not the strong iris fragrance on Wen Lan Sheng.

Seeing that Fan Xia’s eyes were still glued to Rong Xiu even when drunk, Wen Lan Sheng’s jealousy flared up.

Looking at Wen Lan Sheng’s detestable face, Rong Xiu felt a secret sense of satisfaction and pleasure in his heart. However, now was not the time to be jealous and fight for affection. Fan Xia’s stomach pain was the most important thing.

“Fan Xia and I had a dinner appointment tonight. She drank and her stomach problem acted up. Hurry and get her stomach medicine for her to take.” Rong Xiu helped Wen Lan Sheng support Fan Xia to the sofa.

“Stomach medicine?” Wen Lan Sheng was originally jealous, but thinking that Fan Xia’s stomach problem that hadn’t acted up in many years suddenly recurring must be hurting badly, he no longer haggled with Rong Xiu and hurried into the room to get the medicine.

In the living room sofa, Wen Ming Yue and Xie Cen were originally watching TV. Seeing the sudden intrusion of a stranger supporting their drunk daughter-in-law, just walking in so brazenly.

Especially Xie Cen, as a man he keenly sensed that something was off. Her husband was still at home, yet he supported someone else’s wife and entered the house, this was blatant provocation, truly outrageous to the extreme!

“Who are you? How come you’re with my daughter-in-law? How did she get drunk? What is your relationship with her!”

Rong Xiu half-squatted in front of the sofa, stroking Fan Xia’s hair. He gave the other party a casual glance and said, “I’m her boss.”
“Boss? What boss! Can a boss be so close with a woman? Do you know the rule of no intimacy between men and women–”

Before the agitated Xie Cen could finish, Wen Ming Yue pressed his hand and asked Rong Xiu probingly, “You are Mr. Rong Xiu, right?”

Rong Xiu glanced at Wen Ming Yue and gave a light “Mm.”

Xie Cen gripped Wen Ming Yue’s hand, sucking in a breath.

Wen Ming Yue’s eyes were even more accusatory. She then said to Rong Xiu, “Mr. Rong, don’t mind him, my husband just has that fiery temper, he doesn’t mean any harm actually.”

“Mm.” Rong Xiu’s voice was cold, his gaze entirely on the drunk Fan Xia.

Wen Ming Yue gave Xie Cen a look. Xie Cen immediately changed his attitude, brought out a stool, and politely said, “Mr. Rong, your legs must be numb from squatting, come sit.”

“No need.” Rong Xiu’s voice was cold. He looked towards the bedroom, frowning tightly, “Why is he so slow, where’s the stomach medicine?”

Wen Lan Sheng ran out of the bedroom anxiously, “The stomach medicine is all used up.”

Rong Xiu was furious inside, his gaze cold and stern, “As Fan Xia’s fiancé, you clearly know she has a stomach problem, yet you don’t even know to prepare a basic thing like stomach medicine?”

Wen Lan Sheng was asked both ashamed and angry by Rong Xiu’s accusation. He brought his wife who was drunk out of her mind home, questioned him so harshly in front of his parents, yet he couldn’t refute unreasonably. It was indeed his fault, because Fan Xia’s stomach problem hadn’t acted up in years, so he forgot to stock medicine.

“Hurry and go buy it!” Rong Xiu scolded coldly.

Wen Lan Sheng was extremely ashamed and angry, his face flushed red as he ran towards the door.

“No, I’ll go buy it, I’ll go buy it. Lan Sheng, you stay and take care of Fan Xia.” Xie Cen immediately stood up and gave Wen Lan Sheng a look.

Wen Lan Sheng suddenly came to his senses. If he left now, wouldn’t that give Rong Xiu an opportunity? This was his home, what right did Rong Xiu have to order him around!