Volume 1, Chapter 39: Having a Drink with My Sister

I hadn't spent much time with Ms. Mei, and in my mind, she was always the picture of an elegant, sophisticated urban professional. But when the door opened, she was wearing a deeply feminine black nightgown, her long, curly hair cascading down—she looked incredibly enchanting.

Her skin was fair, her figure was flawless, and she was a rare, captivating beauty. Lin Feifei and Zhou Shutong were also very pretty, perhaps even her equals in raw beauty, but Ms. Mei possessed a depth of character born from the passage of time that they lacked. I had a feeling she was a woman with a story.

Being alone with such a stunning woman, especially one who was my superior, left me feeling somewhat uneasy. I suppressed the rising tide of emotions within me and asked with a smile, "Ms. Mei, did you need to see me about something?"

The corners of her lips curled up. "Nothing in particular. I figured you hadn't eaten yet, so I ordered some takeout. Let's have some together."

Only then did I notice the takeout spread out on the table. Ms. Mei tossed a can of beer to me and asked with a grin, "Can you hold your liquor?"

"I can handle a pound and a half of hard liquor, and beer is just like water to me."

Ms. Mei beamed. "Then keep me company."

We sat on the floor, sipping slowly. After a few drinks, an alluring flush crept up her cheeks. She opened another can of beer. "Yu Bin, you won't hold it against me for dumping the warehouse trouble on you, will you? After all, it really has nothing to do with you."

I gave a dry laugh. "I wouldn't call it holding it against you. Like I said before, my priority is solving the problem; I'm not looking to use this to attack anyone."

She raised her beer can toward me, and we clinked them together with a crisp sound. I thought she would continue talking about work, but she changed the subject abruptly. "By the way, what do you think of Shutong?"

I was taken aback. I took a sip of beer and said, "Oh, we work well together. She has great crowd control and is very experienced as a streamer."

Ms. Mei looked at me with a meaningful gaze. "Don't play dumb. I'm not talking about work."

I gave a bitter laugh. Although I knew what she was implying, Zhou Shutong and I were just good friends. How could someone with her qualifications ever be interested in a "three-no" guy like me (no car, no money, no property)?

I tilted my head back and took a long drink. "She and I are just good friends. It’s not the relationship you’re thinking of."

"I’ve been around the block, you know. You think I can't tell how she feels about you?"

I let out a dry, awkward laugh and stayed silent, quietly sipping my drink.

Ms. Mei watched me and smiled. "I think you just don't want to admit it. Even though I'm the boss, Shutong has been working for me since the company started. I've watched her hard work for these past two years, and I truly look at her like a little sister."

I fell silent. Zhou Shutong was definitely a catch, and I had long suspected that her feelings for me were different from how she treated others. I had always assumed it was out of pity, but Ms. Mei's words today stirred something in me.

I downed a few more drinks in silence, my mind a jumble of emotions. She didn't say anything else, and we continued to eat and drink. Soon, the bag of beer was empty.

Ms. Mei’s tolerance for alcohol was better than I’d imagined. Despite how much she’d consumed, her face was only slightly flushed, and her eyes had grown hazy.

"If I’d known you were such a drinker, I would have bought more."

I offered an awkward smile, my heart hammering against my ribs. Being in the same room with such a beautiful woman, especially after drinking, made it hard not to let my imagination run wild—though I kept those thoughts strictly to myself.

I chuckled. "Should we call it a night?"

Ms. Mei shot me a sidelong glance, her eyes languid. "It's only nine o'clock. What's the rush? I haven't had a drink in a long time."

She paused, exhaling a faint, boozy fragrance, and said with a playful smile, "You aren't afraid I might… eat you, are you?"

I grinned. "I’d be delighted if you did!"

"..."

She looked me over carefully and pursed her red lips. "Now I finally understand why Shutong likes you."

I gave a stunned laugh, not knowing how to respond.

She shook her phone, revealing two charming dimples. "I ordered more beer. It’ll be here soon. Keep me company a little longer."

The beer arrived shortly. As she opened a can, she murmured to herself, "When there is wine, one must sing; how short is life? To dissolve my worries, only Yanjing will do."

Well then! Seeing how high her spirits were, I stopped trying to decline. I decided to throw caution to the wind and see it through. I was increasingly certain that she was a woman with a story. Zhou Shutong had told me that her private life was a total mystery; it seemed that in her world, there was nothing but work.

I’ve forgotten who told me this, but women who drink usually have a story to tell. Many things they only wish to bury deep in their hearts, and perhaps only alcohol allows their emotions to find an outlet.

I drank a few gulps of beer and asked, "Ms. Mei, why didn't we go to the warehouse today?"

She smiled, her face looking even more captivating. "I contacted them today. The warehouse manager said that as soon as their President Chen heard I was here, he wanted to rush over, but he arrived too late today, so he has to come tomorrow."

She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and pouted. "Tomorrow will definitely involve more drinking. I've had a few rounds with their boss before; he's a total lush. If you can't keep up tomorrow, don't try to be a hero!"

I nodded. With both bosses present, what role could I possibly play? But I hadn't expected things to be as simple as they seemed.

While I was distracted, Ms. Mei suddenly asked, "By the way, do you know how to play cards? I think I have a deck in my room."

I agreed with a smile. Being stuck in a hotel on a business trip was quite boring. This place was surrounded by nothing but factories—a desolate place with no scenery to speak of—so we had to find our own entertainment.

Ms. Mei brought the cards over, but her brows suddenly furrowed. "What the hell? This deck is wrong; it's missing quite a few cards!"

I counted them, and sure enough, eight cards were missing. We couldn't play like this. Ms. Mei pouted, her full lips looking even more tempting after being stained by the alcohol.

An idea struck me. "I have a solution. Wait a second."

I got up, went back to my room, and picked up those little cards stuck in the door frame, selecting eight of them to bring back.

When she saw what I was holding, the corners of her mouth twitched upward.

"You're quite the creative one. Just be careful not to make any mistakes!"

I gave a sheepish grin, taking it as a compliment. I picked up a pen, filled in the missing cards on the flyers, and we started playing.

The game was simple: flip the cards and compare values; the loser drinks. My luck was incredible; I won far more than I lost. Soon, her face, which had been a light cherry red, had flushed all the way to her earlobes, and those alluring almond eyes grew increasingly unfocused.

Afraid that if we kept drinking, this night would turn into something else entirely, I used the bathroom as an excuse to call it a day.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, my head began to buzz...