Chapter 73: Drunk [Extra]
Ye Lin had a headache, watching his usually composed friend sitting there, inexplicably turning his empty wine glass upside down on the table and trying to balance chopsticks vertically with a straight face.
Tonight’s business dinner was very important, a big project, and he was the liaison between Huai Dan and the other company’s boss.
Everything had gone smoothly. Their goals aligned, so they quickly reached an agreement. The only variable was the other company’s boss, a straightforward northerner.
So he loved to drink and, naturally, was also a fan of drinking culture.
The boss was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, who loved to talk about his grand visions for the future. Every time he got excited, he would toast Huai Dan, then praise Huai Dan’s company, then toast again, then praise Huai Dan’s youth and talent, then toast again…
And they were drinking baijiu.
In short, it was one cup after another. By the end, the boss was completely drunk and had to be helped out by his assistant. Then only the two of them were left in the private room.
Huai Dan didn’t usually drink much, usually just taking a sip or two. This was the first time he had been forced to drink so much.
Ye Lin wasn’t sure at first if Huai Dan was actually drunk.
Because the other boss was completely wasted, but Huai Dan was still calm and collected, even politely nodding at him, seemingly more sober, his alcohol tolerance astonishing.
It wasn’t until this moment, with these unusual actions, that Ye Lin realized he was also quite drunk.
After a moment of silence, Ye Lin tentatively held up three fingers in front of Huai Dan and asked cautiously, “How many is this?”
Huai Dan: “…”
He looked at Ye Lin with a straight face, as if too lazy to answer his nonsense.
Ye Lin withdrew his hand awkwardly and asked directly, “Are you drunk or not? If you’re not, let’s go home. What are you still doing here, admiring the scenery?”
“I’m not drunk,” Huai Dan replied casually. “I’m very sober.”
“That’s good.” Ye Lin was relieved and stood up. “Then let’s go… Sigh, I also drank a bit. Let’s find two designated drivers. That boss can really drink, but I didn’t expect you to be able to hold your liquor either…”
As he rambled, Ye Lin reached the door and realized Huai Dan hadn’t followed.
Ye Lin: “…”
He turned around speechlessly, went back to the private room, and stood beside Huai Dan.
Huai Dan was still sitting there—now holding a fork instead of chopsticks.
“Are you going or not?” Ye Lin asked, feeling a sense of despair.
He had overestimated Huai Dan. He wasn’t sober at all, clearly quite drunk.
“Yes,” Huai Dan readily agreed.
But he only agreed verbally, not moving at all.
“Then let’s go,” Ye Lin said, exasperated. “Do you need me to help you?”
“No, thank you,” Huai Dan said politely. “I’m waiting for someone.”
Ye Lin: “…”
“Waiting for who… Luo Jing?”
Huai Dan didn’t reply, just nodded.
Ye Lin was speechless and sat back down, waiting with Huai Dan for his boyfriend to pick him up.
No, he should be considered his husband now.
After they got their marriage license, Luo Jing had posted an update on his WeChat Moments.
Ye Lin had woken up late that day and almost swallowed his toothpaste when he saw the post while brushing his teeth.
He froze, repeatedly opening and closing the post, looking at it more than ten times, still wondering if he was dreaming.
But the photo on the marriage certificate was undoubtedly of his friend and Luo Jing, and Huai Dan had even liked the post.
The most shocking thing was, he had even commented with a heart emoji.
A red one, a bit glaring, and a bit out of character.
…Weren’t they just together for a few days? What episode did he miss?
After a while, a new comment appeared.
[Luo Feng: ?]
Seeing this question mark, Ye Lin was relieved, instantly feeling like he had found a kindred spirit.
Then he also commented with a question mark.
Huai Dan replied with a slightly lowered gaze.
Ye Lin: “…”
Luo Feng had already started cursing in the comments.
[Luo Feng: No way, I just woke up, and you two are already married?!]
[Luo Feng: You two??? Do Mom and Dad know???]
[Luo Feng: Luo Jing, you’ve really grown wings, huh? Such an important matter, and you didn’t even tell us before running off with him? When did you get the household registration book? Did you steal it?]
[Luo Feng: Get your ass back here, now.]
[Luo Jing replying to Luo Feng: Mom and Dad know.]
[Luo Feng replying to Luo Jing: ???]
[Luo Feng replying to Luo Jing: How did they find out before I did?!]
[Huai Dan replying to Luo Feng: Sorry, I thought your parents would tell you.]
[Luo Feng: …]
Luo Feng: [No way, I just found out too (pitiful)]
[Luo Jing replying to Luo Feng: Are you hungry? Mom and Dad aren’t home. Do you want me to order takeout?]
[Luo Jing replying to Luo Feng: Do you want milk tea? Which shop? I’ll go queue for you.]
[Luo Jing replying to Luo Feng: I’ll buy you that European bread you mentioned before, it’s on the way.]
Luo Feng: “…”
Luo Feng wished she wasn’t separated from Luo Jing by a screen.
Otherwise, she would definitely drag him out and beat him up.
After a moment, she replied angrily: [Yes, bring it all, don’t miss a single thing.]
[Luo Jing replying to Luo Feng: (Okay)]
Ye Lin, after witnessing the whole thing, looked at the message his friend had just sent him.
H: [Wedding after the New Year, remember to come.]
Ye Lin: “…”
Their wedding was grand.
The two families were well-matched socially. Luo Jing’s family owned a popular entertainment company and invited many media outlets. Plus, Luo Jing himself had some online popularity, so the wedding trended online that day.
Everyone was congratulating the seemingly well-matched couple. Of course, some people thought it was probably a business marriage, without any real feelings.
But what others thought didn’t matter, as long as they knew the truth.
That was all for later.
Ye Lin played with the hotel napkin, thinking idly, then after waiting for half an hour without seeing anyone, finally felt that something was wrong.
“…Are you sure you told him to come pick you up?” he turned to Huai Dan and asked.
Huai Dan, who had been sitting there motionless, paused, then replied ambiguously, “He knows.”
“Are you sure?”
“I didn’t go home, he’ll come find me.”
Ye Lin: “…”
Speechless for a moment, he opened his phone with a straight face and called Luo Jing.
The call was answered after two rings.
“Hello, Brother Lin,” Luo Jing’s voice came from the phone, and there seemed to be the sound of bells in the background.
“What are you doing?” Ye Lin asked.
Luo Jing looked at the toy in his hand, then at Plastic Bag, which was jumping around, and replied, somewhat puzzled, “Playing with Plastic Bag, what’s wrong?”
“…Oh, playing with the dog,” Ye Lin said calmly, but also with a hint of resentment. “Come and get your brother.”
Luo Jing: “…?”
Following the location, Luo Jing arrived at the hotel. As soon as he entered the private room, he saw his husband sitting there stiffly.
Ye Lin, seeing him, was like a drowning man seeing a life raft, pointing at Huai Dan: “Quick, quick, he’s completely drunk.”
Huai Dan looked at Ye Lin: “I’m not drunk.”
Then he looked at Luo Jing: “Baby.”
Luo Jing: “…???”
Ye Lin: “…”
Luo Jing was instantly embarrassed by the term of address, his expression unnatural, but he still walked over and pulled Huai Dan up, his ears red: “…Let’s go, let’s go home.”
Huai Dan stood up obediently, looked down at Luo Jing for a few seconds, then leaned in—
Luo Jing quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
Maintaining this posture, he turned to thank Ye Lin: “…Sorry to trouble you, Brother Lin, then we’ll go now… Do you need me to call a designated driver for you?”
“No, no,” Ye Lin waved his hand, rubbing his forehead. “Be careful on your way back. I’m fine.”
“Okay, you too,” Luo Jing replied and left with Huai Dan.
Standing downstairs with Huai Dan, Luo Jing looked at the car, hesitating whether to drive himself, then decided to call a designated driver.
Huai Dan remained calm throughout, calmly getting into the car, calmly sitting next to Luo Jing, his back straight, his expression composed, very much like a model student from high school.
The only thing not so model student-like was his hand.
Holding Luo Jing’s hand tightly, as if afraid he would run away.
The car slowly started. The designated driver diligently drove, and Luo Jing and Huai Dan sat in the back.
The streetlights outside flashed past, illuminating Huai Dan’s face intermittently. He looked down at their intertwined hands.
After a pause, Luo Jing looked at their hands, then at him, and asked uncertainly, “Brother, how drunk are you?”
Huai Dan actually seemed quite normal.
But it was precisely because he was too normal that he had a bad premonition.
“I’m very sober,” Huai Dan replied simply, then raised Luo Jing’s hand and kissed the back of it. “You came a bit late.”
Luo Jing: “…”
“You didn’t tell me either,” he said helplessly.
“I thought you knew,” Huai Dan replied, his voice tinged with an inexplicable grievance. “I didn’t go home, weren’t you worried, baby?”
“…” Luo Jing, exasperated, asked, “Where did you learn that nickname?”
Huai Dan, however, didn’t answer, but asked, “You don’t like it?”
Luo Jing closed his eyes.
He didn’t reply.
But Huai Dan clearly still had more to say.
“I’ve wanted to call you that for a long time, but I never had the chance. I think it suits you.”
After a pause, he added, “And only I can call you that.”
Luo Jing: “…”
Huai Dan was indeed very drunk.
The designated driver focused on driving, temporarily closing his ears, pretending he hadn’t heard anything.
Luo Jing, his ears red, covered Huai Dan’s mouth again: “Don’t say another word from now on.”
Huai Dan obediently quieted down, perhaps because he had been physically deprived of his ability to speak, then looked down at the hand covering his mouth.
After a pause, he pressed it closer and kissed Luo Jing’s palm.
Luo Jing: “…”
Could someone tell him why Huai Dan was like this when he was drunk?
This was… too clingy.
The car stopped in the garage. The designated driver took the money and left on his scooter. After a moment, Luo Jing turned to Huai Dan and said helplessly, “Let’s go, we’re home.”
Huai Dan obediently followed.
Although drunk, he could still take care of himself.
Luo Jing felt a slight sense of relief.
The elevator doors closed, and as they opened their apartment door, Plastic Bag rushed over excitedly, wagging its tail.
Then it ran around them twice, sniffed Huai Dan, and silently walked away.
The smell of alcohol on Huai Dan was quite strong.
“How much did you drink?” Luo Jing muttered softly, changing his shoes and making sure Huai Dan also changed his before taking him to his room.
“Don’t shower, just wipe your body with a towel… Can you do it yourself?” Seeing no unusual behavior from Huai Dan, and that he seemed capable of taking care of himself, Luo Jing asked uncertainly, standing at the bathroom door.
“If not, just wait here for me,” he added after thinking for a moment.
Huai Dan nodded.
Luo Jing was still a bit worried. After getting Huai Dan’s clothes and putting them inside, he said, “Call me if you need anything… Don’t shower, you can’t shower, understand?”
Huai Dan nodded again.
He seemed unusually obedient at this moment. After a pause, Luo Jing suddenly felt an urge.
So he boldly reached out and ruffled Huai Dan’s hair, then, before he could react, quickly ran away.
The bathroom door closed, and Huai Dan slowly reacted, then also reached out and touched the spot where Luo Jing had touched him.
Only the sound of a towel being rinsed and wrung out came from the bathroom, seemingly everything was fine, so Luo Jing slightly relaxed and placed the freshly made honey water on the bedside table, planning to give it to Huai Dan after he came out.
Although drunk, Huai Dan was still relatively easy to handle.
After a while, he came out, fully dressed.
Luo Jing had him sit down, then handed him the honey water: “Are you feeling unwell?”
Huai Dan shook his head: “No.”
“Do you feel like throwing up?”
“No.”
“Are you sure you’re not feeling unwell?”
“I’m sure.”
He answered every question calmly, indeed not seeming very drunk.
So Luo Jing felt a bit more relieved, then pointed at the honey water: “Then finish this, I’m going to take a shower… Don’t wander around.”
Huai Dan nodded.
Luo Jing took his change of clothes and went into the bathroom, planning to be quick.
Halfway through his shower, he heard a noise at the bathroom door.
Luo Jing: “???”
The next moment, Huai Dan opened the bathroom door, walked in, and closed it behind him—Luo Jing hadn’t locked the door, worried about accidents.
“Click.”
Now it was locked.
Luo Jing: “…”
He didn’t know how to react.
Huai Dan, however, didn’t give him time to react, walked straight to the shower, opened the glass door, and stepped inside.
Luo Jing panicked: “I’m… still wet, don’t touch me.”
Huai Dan ignored him, wrapped his arms around Luo Jing’s waist, and kissed him.
Luo Jing: “…”
The bathroom was filled with steam, and Huai Dan’s short-sleeved pajamas were completely soaked. Everything happened so suddenly, and Luo Jing’s mind went blank for a moment. Reacting, he quickly reached out and turned off the shower.
The sound of water instantly disappeared, leaving only the sound of Huai Dan’s kisses.
His kisses were intense, as if he had been holding back for a long time, echoing in the small space, making Luo Jing’s ears burn.
Luo Jing passively endured it for a while, then pushed him away slightly, annoyed: “Why did you come in? I’m still showering.”
“I’m also showering,” Huai Dan said, looking at him innocently.
“…You can’t, and you’ve already wiped yourself down.”
The current situation wasn’t good. Luo Jing was naked, with unrinsed foam still on his head and neck.
After a pause, Luo Jing pushed him slightly, wanting to push him out: “I’ll just rinse quickly and be right out…”
This shower was over.
Huai Dan, however, didn’t budge.
Luo Jing: “…”
After a moment, he looked at Huai Dan with a straight face: “Are you leaving or not?”
“Not leaving,” Huai Dan said firmly.
Then, after thinking for a moment, he pushed Luo Jing against the wall and kissed him again.
His hands were also wandering.
Luo Jing really wanted to call the police.
In this situation, he easily became aroused. Huai Dan noticed, glanced at it, then continued kissing him.
Luo Jing felt like he was going crazy.
After kissing him for a while longer, Huai Dan pulled away slightly, then looked down at himself, his expression uncharacteristically flustered.
“Baby,” he called out.
Luo Jing: “…”
“Mm?” he replied, a bit helplessly.
He was almost used to this nickname now.
“I seem to be a bit…” Huai Dan’s voice was calm, he looked down at himself, then at Luo Jing, his words trailing off.
Luo Jing: “…”
It was a normal reaction, it happened when one was drunk.
“It’s okay, I forgive you, now get out and go to sleep,” Luo Jing said, exasperated, giving him an ultimatum.
Huai Dan, however, didn’t seem to want to comply.
“No,” he said. “I can’t.”
“…Then what do you want?”
“I’ll help you,” Huai Dan looked at him and said seriously.
Luo Jing initially thought this “help” meant the same as their first time in the maid’s room.
Then he realized that things weren’t quite the same.
He now felt very strange.
He even felt like he was burning up.
This was too much.
He covered his eyes with one arm, but then realized that this only made his other senses more acute.
So he lowered his arm.
Seeing the scene in front of him, he felt it would have been better to keep his eyes covered.
This was truly too much…
Luo Jing’s mind was hazy with embarrassment, and he tried to push him away several times, but Huai Dan held him firmly by the waist, preventing him from moving.
…Why was a drunk person so strong?
He couldn’t understand.
This was way beyond Luo Jing’s psychological capacity. When it was over, Luo Jing really wanted to find a hole to bury himself in.
…Huai Dan was truly too drunk.
Other people acted crazy when they were drunk, but he… he was like this.
And the other party acted as if nothing had happened, even meticulously cleaning Luo Jing up before carrying him out.
Lying in bed, Luo Jing still hadn’t recovered, his mind filled with what had just happened, his ears burning, probably as red as blood.
In the darkness, Huai Dan moved closer to him, and the next moment, Luo Jing felt a burning touch against his back.
Huai Dan pulled him into his arms and then fell asleep without any burden.
Luo Jing: “…”
The next morning, when Luo Jing opened his eyes, he found that Huai Dan was already awake. Thanks to his unusual brother last night, Luo Jing’s heart clenched instinctively upon seeing him.
“Awake?” Huai Dan looked at him, his expression and tone calm.
He seemed to have no memory of last night.
So Luo Jing slightly relaxed.
He would never let Huai Dan drink so much again, it was simply too much for him to handle.
Just as he was thinking this, Huai Dan suddenly spoke, his voice slightly hoarse.
“Baby,” he said.
Luo Jing: “…”
His mind short-circuited for a moment, then, after reacting, Luo Jing was instantly embarrassed and angry.
So he remembered everything.
…Then was he even drunk last night?
Not wanting to overthink it, and unable to figure it out, Luo Jing angrily punched Huai Dan and gave him an ultimatum.
“If you ever get this drunk again, don’t come home,” he said angrily.
