Drunk

Once she decided to confess to Shang Sui, Shi Qi checked the gift's status every day.

The logistics showed that the Couple's Chain had been shipped from abroad this morning, with an estimated delivery of seven business days. Shi Qi was calculating roughly which day that would be when a new message popped up in her notification bar.

Ss: [I'm heading out. Want me to pick you up?]

It was Shen Qianyu's birthday today, and they had agreed to meet at Huijian Restaurant at six.

17: [Okay.]

As she said that, Shi Qi sent him her home address.

Jiang Yoning saw her coming downstairs and casually asked, 'Where are you going? Want me to give you a ride?'

Shi Qi shook her head. 'Shang Sui is coming to pick me up.'

Jiang Yoning caught the keyword and jumped up from the sofa. 'I want to go too! Let me meet your boyfriend!'

'No, you'll definitely ask all sorts of questions.'

'What's wrong with asking? I'm just concerned about you. This day was bound to come—better to see me than to meet Xiao'an's dad—'

Shi Qi stared at her for a moment, then suddenly said, 'Sister, your hair is a bit messy.'

Jiang Yoning, wearing a T-shirt and shorts with flip-flops, said dismissively, 'I'm meeting your boyfriend, not my girlfriend.'

'But I want you to dress up to meet my boyfriend.' Shi Qi was rarely so sweet-tongued, calling her 'sister' repeatedly. 'After all, sister is so beautiful.'

'Oh, honestly! Why do you overthink so much!'

Jiang Yoning pretended to be displeased, but the corners of her mouth lifted. 'Fine, wait for me to go upstairs and freshen up.'

Once Jiang Yoning got on the elevator.

Shi Qi walked out without looking back.

Jiang Yoning was about to go all out, from her hair to her shoes, to show off for this kid, when she saw Shi Qi's back from the window of her room. She was incredulous for a moment, then pushed open the window and shouted angrily:

'Shi Qi—! What's the big deal about meeting? It's not like he'll lose a piece of meat!'

Shi Qi simply started running.

When she reached the agreed pick-up spot, without waiting for Shang Sui to greet her, Shi Qi pulled open the car door and immediately said, 'Go, go!'

'Step on it,' Shang Sui said to the driver, then turned to ask her, 'What happened?'

'My sister might follow us. She wants to meet you.'

She had thought Shang Sui wouldn't want to meet her family, but unexpectedly, after hearing this, his eyelashes lowered and his voice carried a hint of disappointment. 'Am I that embarrassing?'

Perhaps because she was now very clear about her feelings, being in the same confined space with Shang Sui, Shi Qi's heartbeat unconsciously quickened.

She shook her head and said, 'I was afraid you'd find her annoying.'

'No, I wouldn't. We can meet next time.' Shang Sui smiled at her, then reached out, his fingertips brushing the hair by Shi Qi's ear. 'Your hair got messy from running.'

His gaze swept over Shi Qi's fair, delicate earlobe, and he suddenly asked, 'Do you want to get earrings?'

'I'm afraid of pain.'

Shang Sui's fingers moved downward, gently kneading her earlobe. 'Your earlobe is thin; it probably won't hurt much.'

Shi Qi only felt a tingling, numbing itch where he had touched. She forced herself to stare at the chain stud on Shang Sui's ear cartilage and tried to respond naturally: 'Did it hurt when you got yours?'

'The ear was fine, but I want to get one somewhere else.'

'Hm?'

'Here.' As he said this, Shang Sui slightly parted his lips, revealing a small tip of his bright red tongue.

Shi Qi's eyes widened as she stared at him blankly.

Memories of their kiss involuntarily flashed through her mind. She still remembered how Shang Sui had clung to her, as if wanting to devour her, sucking on her tongue bit by bit.

As if the stimulation wasn't enough, Shang Sui directly asked, 'I want to get one on my tongue. What do you think, Xiao Qi?'

He added, seemingly casually, 'I heard the other person can feel it distinctly when kissing.'

'...Oh, okay.'

Shi Qi looked calm on the surface, but the roots of her ears were about to burn.

When they arrived at Huijian Restaurant, fine snow was falling outside.

Jiang Yan had reserved a private room facing the Courtyard. As they walked along the corridor, Shi Qi heard some sounds of argument from the end.

She didn't think much of it and was about to push the door open—

'Wait a moment before going in.' Shang Sui pulled her back.

Shi Qi understood and stood still. The situation inside grew more intense, and she couldn't help asking, 'Are they going to fight?'

'No,' Shang Sui said without any empathy. 'Fighting wouldn't be bad either—it'd be lively.'

'...'

After a while, the private room fell quiet again. Shang Sui pushed the door open and entered.

Shen Qianyu's face was flushed, and his usually neat clothes were slightly disheveled. Jiang Yan was straightening his tie, which had been tugged, while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. The distance between them seemed like the Pacific Ocean.

Whether intentionally or not, Shang Sui brought up the sore point: 'Why sit so far apart? Are you two that estranged?'

Shen Qianyu shot him a glance.

After entering, Shang Sui took off his coat, revealing only a silver-blue gradient sweater with holes.

Shen Qianyu said flatly, 'It's minus three degrees today. Even a peacock doesn't display its feathers like this.'

Jiang Yan chimed in, 'Why don't you come work for me? You wouldn't even need training—you're a natural for this line of work.'

'Can't do that,' Shang Sui said lazily. 'I've already sold myself to Xiao Qi. I can only serve her alone.'

'?' Shi Qi was inexplicably caught in the crossfire and stood there dumbfounded.

Seeing everyone looking at her, Shi Qi felt a bit embarrassed.

She instinctively tugged at Shang Sui and patted the back of his hand, signaling him to shut up.

Unexpectedly, a smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of Shang Sui's lips. He showed no sign of remorse and was instead pleased by her small gesture.

Unable to stand Shang Sui's smug look, Jiang Yan jumped in first and asked, 'Shi Qi, what do you want to eat?'

'Anything is fine.' After saying that, Shi Qi handed the gift Shang Sui had prepared to the other person. 'Shen Qianyu, happy birthday.'

'Thank you.'

Shi Qi was a bit younger than them, and compared to Shang Sui, she seemed like some kind of pure, flawless little flower.

Thinking of his friend's desperate state a couple of days ago, Shen Qianyu wanted to subtly warn Shi Qi—if Shang Sui's confession succeeded, it would be fine, but if it failed...

He couldn't even imagine how crazy this guy would become.

But then he thought again—his own affairs were still a tangled mess, so it wasn't his place to meddle in theirs.

After everyone sat down, they chatted idly.

It was obvious that out of respect for Shen Qianyu's birthday, Jiang Yan was trying hard to adjust his attitude, but every time Shen Qianyu spoke, Jiang Yan couldn't help snapping back. Even Shi Qi could sense the awkward atmosphere.

When the dishes were served, several colorful drinks were brought as well. Shi Qi casually picked one up. Jiang Yan was distracted and didn't think to warn her.

It wasn't until the cup was almost empty that Jiang Yan noticed something was wrong. 'You've been drinking this?'

Shi Qi, a bit dazed, said, 'Huh?'

She had thought the drink looked pretty—pink on top, orange-yellow on the bottom—and guessed it was something like a fruit soda. It did taste sweet and was quite good.

'There's alcohol in this.'

And not a low amount.

It was what he had ordered to drink himself, afraid of facing Shen Qianyu, thinking a tipsy state would be less awkward.

Shang Sui, who had been talking to Shen Qianyu, turned around at that. 'Are you feeling unwell?'

He had heard Lin Yan mention in passing that Shi Qi had gotten drunk once after high school graduation, causing quite a few embarrassing incidents. After waking up, Shi Qi felt so mortified that she almost never touched alcohol.

Jiang Yan saw her cheeks gradually turning red and, thinking that he had specifically invited Shi Qi but failed to take care of her, felt very guilty. 'Sorry, I didn't notice.'

'It's fine, I can drink a little.'

Seeing Jiang Yan still worried, Shi Qi comforted him, 'At worst, I'll just embarrass myself.'

'...?'

Jiang Yan said anxiously, 'Oh no, oh no, she seems already drunk.'

The next moment, Shi Qi suddenly said, 'I have a question.'

Shang Sui cooperated fully. 'Go ahead.'

'Jiang Yan and Shen Qianyu,' alcohol had numbed Shi Qi's sense of propriety, leaving only full-blown curiosity, 'were you two secretly kissing in there just now?'

'Pfft... cough cough cough—!'

Jiang Yan was directly choked, and his face turned visibly bright red.

Seeing how pitiful Jiang Yan looked, Shang Sui added at the right moment, 'Our kid is just joking around, everyone, don't mind her.'

But as soon as Jiang Yan caught his breath, his voice suddenly rose. 'How did you know?!'

Shang Sui: '...'

Sometimes he felt that Jiang Yan had contributed significantly to being driven to this point.

Shi Qi looked at them with a mix of bewilderment and novelty. Shen Qianyu had a sudden inspiration and felt she was simply an angel. 'Shi Qi is so smart.'

Shi Qi nodded and asked again, 'So are you two together?'

'No!' Jiang Yan argued, 'He forced me—'

He had been about to say that his tie was almost torn off, but then thought it was too embarrassing for an Alpha to be forcibly kissed, so he swallowed the rest of the sentence.

In Shen Qianyu's secret hope, Shi Qi continued her steady performance. 'Are you shy? Actually, Alpha and Alpha isn't that rare. There are some at our School too.'

Jiang Yan gave up. 'That's true. Hasn't Shang Sui been confessed to as well?'

'What?' Shi Qi was startled.

Shang Sui, who had been enjoying the spectacle, was also startled at this.

Without thinking, Jiang Yan said, 'It was a celebrity. Came to buy a painting from him, and in the end asked if he wanted to—'

Shen Qianyu coughed.

Only then did Jiang Yan realize that Shang Sui had been staring at him with a half-smile.

Every time he was looked at like that, nothing good ever followed.

Goosebumps rose on Jiang Yan's back, and he tried to gloss over it. 'Anyway, that's, well, that's it!'

'What celebrity?' Shi Qi wasn't fooled, and her voice carried a hint of chill. 'What did they want to do with him?'

Before Shang Sui could signal her, Shi Qi sharply turned her head. 'You're not allowed to interfere.'

She then looked at Jiang Yan. 'Speak.'

Under her gaze, Jiang Yan instinctively sat up straight, thinking to himself that Shi Qi looked so innocent, yet she commanded with such authority. He could only weakly say, 'Just wanted to develop something, with or without a title...'

'It's all in the distant past. I guarantee he has no second thoughts!'

Shi Qi didn't speak. After a moment, she asked thoughtfully, 'Were you high school classmates? When you were in school, were there many people who liked him?'

Jiang Yan told the truth. 'A lot.'

Shen Qianyu: 'Not many.'

Jiang Yan quickly corrected himself. '...Oh, right, not many, not many!'

Shen Qianyu sighed inwardly, thinking Jiang Yan was really an idiot.

Shi Qi didn't respond, seeming a bit unhappy.

She sat there sullenly with downcast eyes, slightly pursing her lips, as if wronged.

Shang Sui replaced her alcoholic drink with lemon water and asked in a coaxing tone, 'Is Xiao Qi unhappy?'

Shi Qi suddenly looked up and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, 'You said it yourself—you've already sold yourself to me.'

After saying that, Shi Qi lifted her chin, thinking she looked very intimidating. 'I'll lock you up later. No going out to flirt.'

Shang Sui held back and managed not to undermine her at that moment. He reached out to tickle her chin.

But Shi Qi pressed on. 'You hear me?'

Shang Sui couldn't hold it in and let out a laugh. 'So bossy.'

'Don't you smirk at me. You'll be crying soon enough.' Shi Qi said impatiently. 'Where's the contract? Write me one.'

But Shang Sui didn't agree. 'How about we switch?'

He gazed at Shi Qi with tender affection and said coaxingly, 'Xiao Qi sells herself to me instead. I'll treat you well.'

'No.'

Shi Qi was annoyed by his frivolous demeanor, and hearing that Shang Sui wanted to get the upper hand made her even more unwilling. 'I want to be the boss.'

As she was saying that, Shi Qi's phone suddenly rang.

Lin Yan's voice came from the other end. 'Baobei, our concert is over! We're heading back, but there are too many people here. Little Peach Sister said the car can't move—we'll be stuck in traffic for a while.'

In the background, Chu Tao and Qin Shuhe's voices could be faintly heard. 'Is Xiao Qi with Sui Ge?'

'They're dating, of course they're together.'

Lin Yan: 'Oh, and we brought someone back with us—'

Shi Qi's dizzy brain couldn't process such noisy information all at once. Qin Shuhe and the others were asking what she wanted to eat one moment and discussing something else the next, like a hundred parrots chirping in her ears.

Shang Sui took the phone and answered for Shi Qi. 'She's a bit drunk.'

'Huh? I haven't seen her drunk in years,' Lin Yan said with great interest. 'You have to bring her over. I want to play with the drunk cat!'

After hanging up, Shi Qi stood up. 'I need to use the restroom.'

Shang Sui, afraid she might have trouble alone, followed her.

Before Shi Qi entered the stall, Shang Sui confirmed, 'Can you manage on your own?'

'Yes.'

Shi Qi didn't have any accidents. After finishing in the stall, she came out and made sure to wash her hands properly.

The sink was built separately outside. As Shi Qi washed, she looked up at the mirror.

Shang Sui stood not far away, waiting for her.

Just as Shen Qianyu had said, this guy dressed flamboyantly even in snowy weather. His wide-open collar revealed a glimpse of his collarbone, and the light, plain butterfly tattoo seemed ready to take flight with each breath.

Shi Qi averted her gaze and thought to herself.

Why hasn't the confession gift arrived yet? She could hardly wait.

When she reached Shang Sui, Shi Qi paused.

She suddenly thought of something and hinted, 'Jiang Yan and Shen Qianyu hugged and kissed without even being in a relationship.'

Shang Sui just thought she was drunk and talking nonsense, so he patiently humored her with a sound of acknowledgment.

Seeing that Shang Sui was unmoved, Shi Qi pouted.

After a moment, she couldn't help asking, 'If you get it, where would you put the tongue stud?'

After Shi Qi repeatedly brought up this kind of topic, Shang Sui finally realized something.

He parted his lips and pointed a long finger at the surface of his tongue.

'Here.'

Shi Qi met his eyes for a moment.

Those fox-like eyes were like a vortex that drew people in, silently encouraging her to follow her desires.

As if possessed, Shi Qi reached out and pressed her fingertip against the Alpha's bright red tongue.

Soft, so warm.

Shi Qi had just washed her hands, and her slender fingers carried cold, moist droplets, with a faint lingering scent of jasmine from the soap.

Shang Sui's eyes flickered, and he looked at her with an unreadable expression.

Only then did Shi Qi realize that her action was somewhat offensive.

Just as she was about to pull her hand back, the Alpha lowered his head, like a tamed beast, and gently bit her finger.

Shang Sui grazed her pale pink fingertip with his teeth, his voice muffled. 'Or... do you want to go deeper?'

His bite wasn't hard, but it made Shi Qi pull her hand back as if shocked. 'Whatever you want.'

But Shang Sui leaned in and asked with a smile, 'Xiao Qi, are you going to toss me aside after having your fun?'

Shi Qi didn't answer, but instead thought absently.

Can't kiss directly, but an indirect kiss should be fine.

Alcohol had clouded Shi Qi's mind, and she didn't have time to consider whether this was appropriate.

Seeing her stick out her tongue, the smile on Shang Sui's face suddenly froze. 'You...'

The familiar voice made Shi Qi lift her eyes.

She looked at Shang Sui dazedly, her angelic, pure, and beautiful face flushed, and licked her own moist fingertip while staring at him.