Delivering wine… what a great opportunity.
Inside the private box, Ding Wei’s heart-wrenching singing had already begun. Zhu Xing tugged on Qu Qingyu’s sleeve and leaned in close to his ear.
“I have something to do, I’ll be right back.”
The warm breath brushed against Qu Qingyu’s ear, making him feel a slight itch. He wanted to say something more, but Zhu Xing stood up and left.
In the adjacent private box, Lin Yu set down the wine and cast a stealthy glance at the man before him: Ming He, the young master of the Ming family.
He originally hadn’t wanted to take a part-time job here, but because his competition prize money hadn’t been disbursed yet, his funds were tight. He had no choice but to settle for a place that paid well but was deeply chaotic. The Ming family had just relocated to A City from D City, and their elders were still trying to forge connections with A City’s top three elite families, leaving them naturally with no spare time to monitor whether their youngest son spent every day mingling in entertainment venues.
Lin Yu had run into Ming He on his very first day. The spoiled young master, assuming he could still act with complete lawlessness in A City, listened as Lin Yu carefully selected pleasing words to flatter him. Ming He had formed a mild impression of him and routinely requested Lin Yu to deliver drinks whenever he came by, which served as a way to earn him some extra tips. Ming He had initially attempted some light physical harassment, but when Lin Yu subtly revealed his connection with Ying Chi, Ming He reined himself in significantly.
Glancing through the doorway from the outside, Zhu Xing saw that the private box was thick with cigarette smoke. Several servers stood about, while Lin Yu was crouching down to open a bottle of wine.
Zhu Xing fished out his smartphone and stealthily began recording. “Who’s there? What are you standing around for?” A rough male voice from the corner of the sofa interrupted Zhu Xing’s actions, causing him to hurriedly put his phone away.
Feigning the demeanor of a lost customer, Zhu Xing spoke up, “Excuse me, isn’t this the private room for K888?”
Through the haze of smoke, Ming He caught sight of the remarkably pretty youth standing at the doorway who seemed lost, wearing an expression of faint surprise. He stubbed out his cigarette and signaled for the surrounding servers to step outside.
“That’s right, this is K888,” Ming He stated. As Lin Yu walked past Zhu Xing, he shot him a complicated look but remained silent.
Zhu Xing had no idea why this kid with multi-colored hair and a rather young age was just blurting out nonsense.
“I must have remembered wrong. My friends aren’t in here,” Zhu Xing muttered, turning on his heel to hurry away.
Stepping out the door, Ming He found that the person had already vanished. He picked up his wine glass and asked, “Where is K888?” A red-haired man nearby, wearing a face ravaged by hedonism, shoved away the trembling youth in his lap.
“I don’t know, go ask that wine-delivery kid,” the red-haired man grumbled impatiently, pinching the youth’s cheek as he chugged another glass of wine. Choking until his eye rims turned red, the youth obediently huddled back against the red-haired man’s thigh with a flattering smile.
When Zhu Xing returned to their private box, Ding Wei’s song was already drawing to a close.
“Where did you run off to get into trouble?” Qu Qingyu sat with his legs crossed casually, holding a glass of wine in his hand.
“What do you mean by trouble? I just went to the restroom.” Even though he had indeed gone to cause some trouble.
“If your renal function is failing, don’t shy away from seeking medical help,” Qu Qingyu remarked, shifting his body aside just in time to dodge a swat from Zhu Xing.
Zhu Xing picked up a bottle of wine from the table, noting that its alcohol content varied. Zou Ran pointed at the bottle, Moscato d’Asti.
“Qu Qingyu ordered that for you.”
Zhu Xing was left somewhat speechless. That kind of wine was usually ordered for girls who couldn’t hold their liquor; his own alcohol tolerance wasn’t that bad. He grabbed the bottle Qu Qingyu had been drinking from earlier and poured himself a glass, only to be choked into a continuous coughing fit on his very first sip.
“What kind of wine is this? Why is it so terrible?” Qu Qingyu grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth and poured him a glass of water, holding it to his lips.
“You just had to push your luck.” Qu Qingyu moved the wine out of reach and took back the empty water glass.
Having lost all appetite for alcohol, Zhu Xing sat beside Qu Qingyu and watched Ding Wei howl miserably while turning over in his mind how he should execute the mission. Would posting it in the school group chat suffice, or would the class chat be enough?
Picking up the glass Zhu Xing had just drunk from, Qu Qingyu calmly and lightly pressed his lips over the exact spot where Zhu Xing had left his mark.
As Zhu Xing’s thoughts raced, his head began to spin.
[System, what is going on! Did I get drugged?] Zhu Xing didn’t feel like he was drunk; after all, his original alcohol tolerance was quite decent.
[Host, data indicates that your body is experiencing acute alcohol intolerance. You might have mild alcohol poisoning.]
[You 250! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?]
Before long, not only did his dizziness worsen, but his heart rate spiked dramatically as well. Qu Qingyu quickly noticed that something was off with Zhu Xing.
“Are you drunk?” He caught Zhu Xing’s body as it slipped down from the sofa, gently gathering him into his arms.
“I’m not drunk, I think I have alcohol poisoning,” Zhu Xing said, feeling a mix of tears and laughter.
His body was gradually heating up, and fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead. Panicked, Qu Qingyu scooped Zhu Xing up into his arms, his heart sinking heavily as he looked at the youth’s suffering expression.
“What’s wrong with him?” Ding Wei and the others asked anxiously when they saw how flustered Qu Qingyu looked.
“I’m taking Zhu Xing to the hospital.” With that, he carried the youth toward the exit. Zou Ran opened the door, only to find several unfamiliar people standing outside, along with a frail, pale-faced server.
Paying no attention to who was standing at the door, Qu Qingyu strode straight out.
Resting his chin on Qu Qingyu’s shoulder wrapped in Qu Qingyu’s jacket, Zhu Xing felt dizzy and nauseous all the way to the hospital. The cool, crisp scent radiating from Qu Qingyu made him feel somewhat better, causing him to constantly nuzzle against Qu Qingyu’s collar and inhale deeply. The gesture stirred Qu Qingyu’s breathing heavily, but with nothing he could do about it, he could only grip the back of the youth’s neck.
“Stop moving around and sit properly.”
“I feel awful.” Seeing Zhu Xing’s distressed face, Qu Qingyu found himself completely helpless against him and ultimately let him do as he pleased.
Upon arriving at the hospital, they ran blood tests. Fortunately, he hadn’t consumed much alcohol, but his body’s reaction had been exceptionally severe. After receiving an intravenous electrolyte drip to accelerate alcohol metabolism and drinking plenty of water, Zhu Xing cleared up considerably.