Two hours later, the alumni networking session came to a successful close.
Some classmates, still feeling the buzz, organized a drinking gathering. Lin Qing originally intended to decline but was dragged along by Zhou Yue and Su Yi.
Halfway through the event, Su Yi received a call from a client and had to leave on short notice, leaving Lin Qing alone at the table.
After more than a decade since graduation, most classmates had become accomplished figures in their fields. Lin Qing was now a prominent name in the legal world, and many people came over to flatter and befriend her.
Forced to drink a few more rounds, Lin Qing finally couldn’t take it anymore. She found an excuse and left early.
That night, the breeze was gentle. The city’s roads wove together under bright streetlights, the sound of traffic never ceasing.
After saying goodbye to her classmates, Lin Qing stepped out of the hotel.
She hadn’t walked far when suddenly—
A hand landed on her shoulder.
She frowned and turned around.
Her gaze froze.
Her steps halted.
The man stood still, staring at her, his eyes filled with emotions she couldn’t decipher.
“Can I help you?” Lin Qing’s tone was calm.
She clearly didn’t want to get entangled with him.
Zhao Ningzhou said, “Lin Qing, you’ve had too much to drink. It’s not safe to drive at night—let me take you home.”
At that, Lin Qing let out a laugh. “Well, well, Young Master Zhao… what kind of act is this? Suddenly remembering your ex-girlfriend you haven’t seen in centuries? I suggest you go back to your fiancée before she gets mad and blames me again.”
The alcohol was clearly affecting her—her tone was sharp and sarcastic.
Zhao Ningzhou looked displeased. “Do you have to talk to me like that?”
“How else should I talk to you?” Lin Qing was irritated. “Let’s be clear—we broke up a long time ago. We’re nothing to each other now.”
“Xiao Qing, I… Jiang Wanyin and I—” Zhao Ningzhou started hesitantly, then stopped mid-sentence.
Lin Qing’s brows knit together. “What’s wrong? Had a fight with Jiang Wanyin? Things not going so well?”
Zhao Ningzhou paused, silent.
Silence was as good as an admission. Lin Qing saw the answer written all over his face.
Damn it.
She hated this kind of “let’s get back together” drama.
What did he take her for—a backup plan?
Lin Qing jabbed her finger at him and said with biting clarity, “Let me tell you something—I don’t recycle exes. You want someone to talk to? Pick anyone you like. Just not me.”
With that, she turned to leave.
Her steps were unsteady. When Zhao Ningzhou reached out to help her, she shoved his hand away.
“No need for your help.”
She walked on without looking back.
Zhao Ningzhou didn’t dare follow. He could only stand there, watching her walk away.
That brief meeting with Zhao Ningzhou left Lin Qing in a sour mood.
She’d thought that, after all these years, she’d let go of the past.
But the moment they saw each other and exchanged words, her anger came rushing back.
She cursed under her breath,
“Men in this world are all trash.”
Back in the parking lot, she pulled out her phone and ordered a designated driver.
The alcohol was making her dizzy. Her head was spinning.
Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit her like a tidal wave.
“Ugh—”
She couldn’t hold it back. She threw up.
As luck would have it…
She had just vomited right beside Fu Sinian’s Porsche.
Crouching down on the ground, drained and weak, she glanced at the license plate—
That shiny 88888 plate now had a splash of vomit on it.
She let out a helpless laugh.
That’s just great—now she and Fu Sinian were probably at odds again.
Lin Qing let out a sigh and was just about to get up from the ground when a pair of polished leather shoes appeared in front of her.
Before she could even look up, someone grabbed her arm firmly and pulled her to her feet.
She was wearing heels close to ten centimeters tall, and with her head spinning, she stumbled slightly—
In the next second, her lips brushed lightly against the man’s neck.
Warm breath lingered at her ear.
A gentle breeze brushed across her face.
The scenery around her blurred in and out of focus.
For a moment, the air stood still.
Neither of them spoke.
She caught a whiff of a cool cedar scent and felt dazed.
“You’re drunk again.”
The voice was so familiar she’d recognize it even in ashes.
Realizing it was Fu Sinian, Lin Qing quickly pushed him away and steadied herself.
Fu Sinian looked down at his license plate, noticing a bit of vomit splattered on it.
“This car is brand new. Cost me over 4 million.” He raised an eyebrow at her.
Hearing that, Lin Qing let out a sarcastic laugh.
“What, trying to look down on me? It’s just four million. Even if I wrecked your car tonight, I could still pay for it.”
Fu Sinian’s mouth twitched.
Why did she always twist his words? It was… exhausting.
Lin Qing opened her wallet and found a few bills.
She counted—one, two, three.
Three hundred yuan.
Enough for a car wash.
“Here you go. Car wash fee.”
She shoved the cash into his hand.
At the same time, she hiccupped from the alcohol, the whole gesture looking like she was teasing some delinquent boy at a bar.
Fu Sinian glanced at her but didn’t take the money.
“What? Not enough?” Lin Qing squinted at him.
“Fine. I’ll transfer you a few hundred more. Happy?”
She started reaching into her bag for her phone.
Before she could pull it out, he grabbed her wrist.
She paused, hiccupped again, and looked up at him.
Fu Sinian’s voice was full of helplessness.
“Why do you always try to settle everything with money?”
Angry? Throw money.
Just like last time—she handed over that two-million-yuan check without blinking.
He knew Lin Qing wasn’t short on money.
But that didn’t mean he agreed with the way she used it so casually to distance herself from people.
Lin Qing shook his hand off.
“Why do you care? I do what I want.”
The alcohol was clearly getting to her—she could barely stay standing.
“Fine, don’t want it, then forget it. You’re not short on money anyway,” she said, waving him off.
Not long after, the driver she had called arrived.
A middle-aged man around fifty.
Lin Qing handed him her car keys and climbed into the passenger seat.
Her white Mercedes slowly pulled away from the school.
Fu Sinian hesitated for a few seconds, then quickly got into his own car and followed.
Late at night, drunk and being driven home by a stranger?
Too risky—he couldn’t just let her go like that.
__________
One hour later, the white Mercedes stopped in the underground garage of Crescent Bay.
A black Porsche followed closely behind.
Fu Sinian gripped the steering wheel tightly, eyes fixed on the car ahead.
Just as expected, after the valet driver parked, he got out and helped the intoxicated Lin Qing from the passenger seat, heading toward the elevator.
Click—the sound of a car door opening.
Fu Sinian got out and quickly walked over.
The driver saw Fu Sinian and froze for a moment before asking in confusion, “What’s your relationship with this lady?”
Fu Sinian hesitated, glanced at the drunken Lin Qing, and answered quietly,
“I’m her boyfriend.”
Lin Qing denied it immediately,
“He’s not.”
“Yes, I am,” Fu Sinian said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from the valet.
The driver’s expression changed slightly, but he quickly handed over the keys with a smile,
“Did you two have a fight earlier?”
Fu Sinian responded with a nonchalant,
“Mm.”
He wrapped his arm around Lin Qing’s waist, letting her lean entirely on him.
Seeing Fu Sinian’s cold expression, the driver quickly excused himself and left.
Ding—the elevator doors opened.
Fu Sinian helped Lin Qing inside.
“What floor?” he asked, not bothering to hide the irritation in his tone.
Lin Qing, using all her strength, pushed him away and pressed the button for the third floor.
A few seconds later, the elevator stopped.
The doors opened.
Lin Qing stumbled toward her front door.
When she reached it, she paused and looked down at her hands, muttering groggily,
“Eh? Where’s my key? Where did it go?”
They quickly realized—her purse with the keys was still in the car.
Seeing she was in no shape to walk back, Fu Sinian said,
“Wait here. I’ll go get your keys.”
Lin Qing wanted to say don’t bother, but her brain wasn’t cooperating—the words never made it out.
Ten minutes later, Fu Sinian returned to the third floor with her GUCCI bag in hand.
The moment he stepped out of the elevator, he froze at the scene before him.
The woman was squatting on the ground, legs curled in, hugging her head—
Clearly crying.
Fu Sinian frowned.
This woman really couldn’t hold her liquor.
Each time she drank, it got worse.
He walked over, grabbed her arm with one hand, and pulled her up.
Leaning against his shoulder, Lin Qing thought about all the unpleasant things from the past.
She pushed at his chest and complained,
“Why do you always meddle so much?”
Here we go—drunken tantrum time.
Fu Sinian tightened his arm around her waist, ignoring her grumbling. Calmly, he asked,
“Which one’s the key to your door?”
No response.
He had no choice but to try each key one by one.
Two minutes later, the door finally opened.
Just then, Lin Qing felt a wave of nausea rush through her.
She pushed Fu Sinian aside and dashed toward the bathroom.
He followed.
“Ugh—”
She knelt in front of the toilet and threw up violently.
Fu Sinian stood quietly beside her until she finished. Then he helped her up, let her lean on him, filled a cup with water, and brought it to her lips.
“Open your mouth.”
His tone was soft, almost coaxing—like speaking to a child.
Lin Qing took the cup and rinsed her mouth.
Standing at the sink, she looked at herself in the mirror—
Flushed cheeks, messy hair, unfocused eyes.
Next to her stood a man in a perfectly tailored suit, neat and composed.
The contrast was sharp—she didn’t like it at all.
It reminded her of their school days:
No matter how hard she worked, he was always that immovable mountain she could never surpass.
After rinsing, Fu Sinian guided her back to the bedroom.
He took off her heels and outer coat, covered her with a blanket, turned off the main light, and left the small bedside lamp on.
He was about to leave—
When suddenly, a hand reached out.
Her wrist caught his.
Fu Sinian turned to look at her, surprise flickering in his eyes.
Was she… asking him to stay?
The warm bedside lamp cast a soft, hazy glow across the room, painting Fu Sinian’s face in gentle shadows.
In that dim light, Lin Qing stared at him—and suddenly thought:
He really was good-looking.
Especially his eyes—dark, deep, and bright, like stars shimmering in the night.
One glance, and you’d fall right in.
The bedroom air grew quiet and intimate.
Something subtle and tender was brewing between them.
Fu Sinian glanced at her hand gripping his wrist, then smiled faintly and asked in a low voice:
“Don’t want me to go?”