Chapter 53: Drunk

Chapter 53: Drunk

Liu Mian turned at the sound of Yang Yichen's voice, a hint of confusion furrowing his brows slightly: "You want Yi Zhou to like you?"

"?" Yang Yichen was startled, shaking his head repeatedly, "No, no, I was just making an analogy. Even rabbits don't nibble grass by their own burrow—why would I go after a friend?"

"Why not?"

"If it didn't work out, we couldn't even stay friends. Besides, friends are friends, and lovers are lovers—the vibe is different. It'd be so awkward. I don't dip my pen in the company ink."

Yang Yichen shivered.

Liu Mian looked at Yang Yichen thoughtfully, his voice carrying a light smile: "Qin Yan and Yi Zhou are still friends too."

"That's because Brother Yan doesn't give a damn, and Zhi Yu doesn't like him either. Otherwise, it'd be a total shitshow."

Yang Yichen said with certainty.

Liu Mian just smiled and let it go. He didn't know whether Zhi Yu liked Qin Yan, but he knew Zhi Yu treated Qin Yan differently.

Soon, the Yang family's car arrived.

Yang Yichen asked Liu Mian, "How are you getting back? Want a ride?"

Liu Mian shook his head: "Nah, I'll just grab a cab. It's easy."

"A cab's such a pain. Let me drive you."

"But I—"

"Come on, why you gotta be so formal with me? It's not like it's the first time. Come on, hop in." Yang Yichen reached out and pulled Liu Mian by the wrist.

Liu Mian flinched as he was dragged along by the wrist. He wanted to say he'd already called a car and it was about to show up.

But Yang Yichen was way too pushy.

"Alright, thank you."

Liu Mian pulled out his phone and canceled the ride. He'd already missed the free cancellation window and got charged a fee.

...

In the other car.

Su Zhiyu, for once, actually spoke up in the car, as if he'd gone back and forth but finally decided to just say it.

"Why'd you cover for me?"

"Hm?" Qin Yan didn't catch on at first, blurting out, "What lie?"

Su Zhiyu said, "Just now, you said I privately invested in you. You know I don't have money, and I couldn't possibly invest."

Qin Yan's face lit up with understanding, and he grinned. So that's what this was about.

He said matter-of-factly, "How was that covering for you? I'm starting a company—aren't you gonna invest in me?"

Su Zhiyu shook his head without missing a beat: "No. I don't have money."

"Then I'll invest on your behalf."

"?"

"I docked your pay before and skimmed your cut of the profits." Qin Yan said, completely unbothered, "Now this young master's turned over a new leaf. That money's what I owe you, but I don't wanna pay it back, so just consider it your investment in me."

Su Zhiyu was dumbfounded, his face going blank.

Qin Yan cleared his throat and arched a brow: "What, you don't wanna?"

"..." Su Zhiyu was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No."

"Then it's settled. You're my first investor. I was telling the truth—how's that lying?"

Qin Yan said it with total confidence, and Su Zhiyu's lips parted, but in the end, he didn't argue.

He knew damn well Qin Yan had skimmed money that should've been his, and even what he did give was handed out on a whim, like charity.

But he wasn't clueless about his own worth—how much could a rookie in the industry really make?

Even if Qin Yan skimmed some, it wouldn't be much.

Besides, last time Qin Yan handed him a card with five million on it, and then there was his mom...

His mom's medical bills had always been steep. He knew the meds and tests by heart, but when he called the hospital last time, the costs had dropped a lot.

The hospital said it was because they happened to have subsidies for that, but he quietly asked around—there was no such program.

The only variable.

Was Qin Yan.

After going to the hospital with Qin Yan, his mom's medical bills dropped by half. He wasn't sure if Qin Yan had done it, but it was probably connected to him.

So, Qin Yan didn't owe him a damn thing.

Su Zhiyu, still dazed, lifted his eyes to sneak a glance at the guy beside him. Qin Yan was leaning back in his seat, eyes closed, resting.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but a faint flush spread across his face, even his pale earlobes were pink, and his breath carried the heady scent of hard liquor.

He caught a faint whiff of rum.

Qin Yan's pheromones...

Were just as intoxicating.

Su Zhiyu watched him quietly.

Usually, it was him resting with his eyes closed while Qin Yan chattered away—he rarely got these quiet, well-behaved moments.

It was even a little endearing.

The corners of Su Zhiyu's lips couldn't help but curve upward. Before he knew it, he'd watched him the entire ride, and Qin Yan never opened his eyes once.

The driver glanced through the rearview mirror.

"Young master, Mr. Su, we've arrived."

Only then did Su Zhiyu realize there was another person in the car. He awkwardly averted his gaze, his ears burning, and his voice dropped a notch: "Mm, thank you."

With that, he reached out with two fingers to tug at Qin Yan's sleeve, calling him softly:

"Qin Yan, we're here."

Qin Yan frowned groggily, grabbed the hand that was tugging at his clothes, and pulled him into his arms: "I'm dizzy, let me sleep a bit more."

"..."

Su Zhiyu was caught off guard and pulled into his embrace, not even having time to gasp before he was enveloped by the strong scent of alcohol.

The two of them were locked in a tight embrace.

The driver, who had witnessed everything, stared, eyes wide as saucers.

Wait, how were the young master's moves so smooth and slick?

When they usually had the back seat partition up, were they... were they up to something scandalous back there?

Su Zhiyu heard the driver suck in a sharp breath, and his face burned even hotter. He quickly squirmed out of Qin Yan's embrace.

"Qin Yan, hey Qin Yan, wake up."

He shook Qin Yan's arm, and Qin Yan finally slowly opened his eyes, mumbling, "What's wrong?"

Su Zhiyu reminded him softly, "We're here. Can we get out of the car first?"

We're here?

Qin Yan's muddled brain was slow to catch on, and only after Su Zhiyu and the driver helped him out of the car did he vaguely remember that he had drunk too much.

This booze was way too strong.

The kick was so strong!

Once they entered the villa, the butler took over from the driver and helped Su Zhiyu get Qin Yan up to the room on the second floor.

Qin Yan crashed onto the bed and passed out.

The butler clapped his hands together and stepped back, looking at Su Zhiyu: "Mr. Su, the young master is drunk and probably can't shower. Could you give him a wipe-down?"

Su Zhiyu's eyes went wide in shock: "Me?"

"That's right," the butler spread his hands. "Or what, should I do it? If the young master found out I dared to strip him down, he'd kill me tomorrow."

"..."

The blush on Su Zhiyu's face hadn't even faded, and now it flared up again, even spreading a pink flush down his pale neck.

He took a step back: "I—I'm not the right person for this."

"You are. The young master's changed your clothes before, so it's only fair you help clean him up now."

"?"

"I'll leave this to you, Mr. Su. You must make sure to change the young master into clean pajamas—he always sleeps in pajamas."

Without waiting for Su Zhiyu's response, the butler slipped away like greased lightning.

Great.

Not his problem anymore.

Time to hit the club!

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Su Zhiyu standing there, silently bewildered.