Lin Mei had an epiphany. No wonder Shen Si had been so agreeable when signing the contract; he had assumed she would agree to his "deal." He probably encountered such situations frequently. "Mr. Shen, you want a win-win cooperation. You are my client. In work, whatever your needs, I will fulfill them for you."
It was a principle of her position not to fall out with clients. Even if she were being flirted with, she had to smile and handle it.
However, Shen Si wasn't buying it. Likely accustomed to his own arrogance, he surveyed Lin Mei's chest and said flippantly, "Don't pretend with me. It's no fun when a woman pretends too much."
It seemed he intended to be blunt. He probably felt she was defenseless and bound by the contract, unable to resist him. The reality was indeed that. Lin Mei couldn't argue, so she switched tactics. "With my qualifications, how could I be worthy of Mr. Shen? Mr. Shen thinks too highly of me. I'd rather toast you with a drink."
She picked up the wine bottle and began to pour for Shen Si. He didn't refuse, but his flirtatious gaze never left her chest. As she poured, she bent over. Although nothing was revealed, such a look made her deeply uncomfortable.
After pouring the wine, Lin Mei sat back down. She picked up her glass and said to Shen Si, "I toast you."
Shen Si lazily picked up his glass. "Stop calling me 'Mr.' so much. I'm only twenty-four this year. Are you trying to shorten my lifespan?"
Lin Mei quickly changed her address. She had known Shen Si was twenty-four, but seeing his "forcible abduction" demeanor, he didn't seem like a twenty-four-year-old at all.
After the toast, Lin Mei drank more than half of her small glass, but Shen Si hadn't touched his at all. This was extremely impolite at a banquet. When one party toasted and the other didn't drink, it implied they didn't take the other person seriously. Lin Mei didn't particularly care; all she wanted was for Shen Si to stop making things difficult for her.
Shen Si swirled his wine glass. After a moment, he asked Lin Mei again, "You don't want to accompany me tonight, do you?"
Lin Mei: "Mr. Shen, that is not part of my job responsibilities."
Shen Si: "Fine. Then drink these three bottles of wine, and I'll let you go."
There were three bottles of baijiu on the table, each weighing about a pound. For an ordinary person, drinking over three pounds of water would be unbearable for their stomach, let alone alcohol. Even with Lin Mei's excellent tolerance for alcohol, it was impossible to drink all of it. Shen Si's proposal of such an impossible task was merely to force her to compromise. She couldn't understand the twisted pleasures of these wealthy young masters. "Alright, I'll drink. I hope Mr. Shen keeps his word."
Shen Si chuckled, his interest in her growing even stronger. It was the first time he had met a woman who would rather drink over three pounds of baijiu than spend a night with him. So proud, and yet talking about business?
"Alright, if you finish it within half an hour, I promise to let you go." Shen Si watched her leisurely. Could she handle it within half an hour?
Lin Mei began to drink, racing against time. She had never drunk at such a rapid pace. After three cups on an empty stomach, her head was already spinning. After drinking for a while, she could no longer count how many cups she had consumed, and her consciousness grew increasingly hazy.
She desperately wanted to leave, to have someone take her away. But when she focused, all she saw was Shen Si's face. Despair welled up in her heart. She picked up the wine glass and downed another cup...
Shen Si watched with increasing excitement. He hadn't expected this woman to have such courage. In just ten minutes, she had already drunk six or seven cups. She looked so delicate and boneless, yet her spirit was so fiery. His interest intensified even more than before.
Bang. As Shen Si was engrossed, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open. Annoyed, he looked up, thinking it was some inconsiderate server. Just as he was about to curse, he saw Xing Zheng.
Shen Si's annoyance vanished instantly. He stood up and greeted Xing Zheng with a smile, "Brother Zheng, you're looking for me? I..."
Before Shen Si could finish speaking, Xing Zheng had already walked past him, heading towards Lin Mei, who was drinking at the table opposite.
Seeing him approach, Shen Si watched as Xing Zheng snatched the wine glass from the woman's hand and tossed it aside. The glass shattered upon impact. He then pulled the woman up, cupped her chin, and asked, "Who told you to drink? Hmm?"
Lin Mei was already disoriented. Hearing this familiar voice, she felt she must be hallucinating. Yet, the feeling of being wronged surged through her. She actually began to sob softly, complaining to him, "He..."
She pointed a finger towards Shen Si. Despite being drunk, she could still accurately accuse him. Shen Si couldn't help but wonder if this woman was faking her drunkenness.
And also, what was her relationship with Xing Zheng?
Shen Si wasn't very familiar with Xing Zheng. He was closer to Xing Zheng's cousin, Fu Chuan. Fu Chuan was similar to Shen Si, both being playboys who often gathered to have fun. Shen Si already knew Xing Zheng's background. Now that Xing Zheng had taken over Rong Shi, everyone in Nanjiang City showed him deference.
Shen Si was merely a playboy, not brainless. He knew who he could afford to offend and who he couldn't. "Brother Zheng, you and she..."
"You made her drink?" Xing Zheng questioned Shen Si.
Shen Si quickly explained, "I didn't know she was your person, Brother Zheng. If I had known, I would never have troubled her. I apologize!"
A true man knows when to bend. Offending Xing Zheng for a woman was too high a price to pay.
Xing Zheng took Lin Mei to the private room's restroom and made her vomit by pressing on her throat. Her stomach was already uncomfortable after drinking on an empty stomach, and with this external force, Lin Mei immediately threw up, her retching cries almost heartbreaking.
Hearing this sound, Shen Si became even more anxious. He had made Xing Zheng's woman so miserable; would Xing Zheng take half his life?
He was already contemplating whether to call Fu Chuan for help...
"Shen Si?" He suddenly heard someone call his name.
Shen Si looked up and saw Ming Zhou. Running into Ming Zhou at this moment felt like encountering a savior. He eagerly invited Ming Zhou in. As soon as Ming Zhou entered, he heard the sound of a woman vomiting from the restroom. A hint of discomfort appeared on Ming Zhou's gentle face. "Who is in there?"
Shen Si's relationship with Ming Zhou was much closer than with Xing Zheng. He quickly explained the recent events to Ming Zhou, clarifying the entire situation. Then Shen Si added, "If I had known she was Brother Zheng's person, I wouldn't have dared to have such thoughts even if you gave me ten times the courage."
"She is not," Ming Zhou denied Shen Si's statement.
Shen Si became bewildered. Why did Ming Zhou's words feel so aggressive? He wasn't usually like this.
Lin Mei finally finished vomiting. Although it didn't sober her up, she was no longer as disoriented. Her consciousness had cleared considerably. Seeing the man in front of her, she finally realized that everything that had just happened was not a hallucination.
Xing Zheng had saved her again.
When she encountered difficulties, he always seemed to appear at the first opportunity, rescuing her from dire straits.
However, his status did not allow her to harbor any fantasies.
"Thank you," Lin Mei said, expressing her gratitude, and then prepared to leave.
Before she could take a step, the man behind her grabbed her wrist, pulled her back, and held her firmly in his embrace.