Chapter 10

Yan Feng was in a difficult position, unable to back out. Resolutely, he downed the entire glass of liquor. As soon as he finished, another glass was handed to him. One glass followed another.

Yan Feng had been feeling under the weather today, with a headache that only eased somewhat by the evening. Now, after several drinks, the pounding headache returned with a vengeance.

By the eighth glass, Yan Feng could no longer hold on. He swayed and was about to collapse. Yan Feng’s tolerance for alcohol was poor, and Jiang Ciyou knew this better than anyone. On the other hand, Jiang Ciyou herself had a decent capacity for alcohol.

“There are two more glasses. I’ll take them,” she said. After Yan Feng set down his glass, she walked up to the table. Without hesitation, she picked up a glass and drank it in one go. Then she took the last glass.

The crowd watched in astonishment. While it was not uncommon for women to drink, doing so in such a graceful and pleasing manner was rare. Her slender fingers held the highball glass as if it were an elegant work of art. With her slightly tilted head revealing her snow-white neck, she resembled a proud swan.

Her drinking was deliberate and composed, with a hint of natural languor. It was as if she was not dealing with a challenging situation but rather enjoying a private moment of indulgence.

When Jiang Ciyou set down the glass, the surrounding people couldn’t help but applaud. As she put the glass down, her expression remained unchanged, but a flush had appeared on her cheeks, making her look even more vibrant and passionate, like a Damascus rose under the sun.

“The wine is finished, Master Bo. I hope you are appeased now,” she said with an underlying message.

Bo Jinxiu’s expression remained unchanged, even colder than before. After a long pause, he curled his lips slightly. “Mrs. Yan and Young Master Yan are truly a devoted couple.”

With that, he turned and sat down, seeming entirely disinterested. Others quickly came forward to offer their toasts, and the brief incident was considered over.

Jiang Ciyou helped Yan Feng back to their seat. Yan Feng was feeling extremely unwell, his stomach churning as if he was about to vomit. He weakly said, “I need to go to the restroom.”

Jiang Ciyou sat in her seat, lost in thought, but her gaze unconsciously drifted to the main table. While she was distracted, she suddenly felt a chill on her chest. A full glass of red wine had been spilled on her.

Jiang Xiaoxiao then pretended to apologize. “Sorry, I was on my way to offer a toast, and I accidentally tripped on the carpet while passing by.”

Jiang Ciyou looked up, anger flashing in her eyes. It was obvious that Jiang Xiaoxiao had done it on purpose. She had seen Jiang Ciyou making a scene at the main table and receiving compliments and praise for her genuine nature. Jiang Xiaoxiao wanted to embarrass her and make her look awkward.

Jiang Xiaoxiao turned to the side and said, “Mom, what should we do? I got my sister’s clothes dirty.”

Yao Shulan glanced at Jiang Ciyou with indifference. “Your sister has taken so much from you since childhood. It’s just a piece of clothing; she won’t mind.”

After saying that, Yao Shulan took Jiang Xiaoxiao by the arm and led her away. As they left, Jiang Xiaoxiao looked back and gave Jiang Ciyou a triumphant smirk.

Jiang Ciyou felt a pang of sadness as she looked at Yao Shulan’s retreating figure. The betrayal by her parents was far more painful than the hurt caused by Yan Feng and Xia Ling.

The night of the paternity test results, Yao Shulan had slapped her twice, shouting, “You’re the child of that wretched woman! I’ve treated the daughter of my enemy as my own for so many years. Go die! Why don’t you just die!”

Even after three years, thinking about it still made her chest ache.

Many people around her were watching and gossiping.

“It’s too much, simply unacceptable. That little vixen did it on purpose.”

“Yeah, Sister Jiang, is she really your sister? How can she be so venomous?”

“And Mrs. Jiang, how can you be so biased? Even though she’s not your biological child, you’ve raised her for twenty years. Don’t you have any feelings for her?”

Jiang Ciyou’s background had just been spread among the high society wives and young ladies in the capital. The young socialites were very sympathetic towards her. Several young ladies who had recently added Jiang Ciyou on WeChat happened to be nearby and witnessed the scene. They quickly gathered around her.

“It’s okay, I’ll go to the restroom to clean up,” Jiang Ciyou said.

“With so much wine, you can’t possibly clean it up properly. Xinyi, go get a clean outfit for Sister Jiang to change into,” someone suggested.

“Sister Jiang, come upstairs with me, I’ll find you a new outfit,” another voice added.

Jiang Ciyou looked up and saw that the speaker was the red-haired girl who had stood beside the old lady during the gift-giving earlier. She was pretty, dressed in a casual orange tank top and dark blue jeans, giving off a relaxed Western vibe.

Jiang Ciyou had a good impression of this Miss Bo and didn’t refuse. Her upper body was already soaked, and the red wine stain was especially conspicuous on her white qipao, so she accepted the offer.

“Thank you, Miss Bo.”

Jiang Ciyou followed Bo Xinyi to the side elevator and then through a long corridor. The corridor provided a clear view of the banquet hall on the first floor. When Jiang Ciyou looked towards the main table, she noticed that Bo Jinxiu was no longer there.

Soon, Bo Xinyi opened a door. “Sister Jiang, wait here for a moment while I get you some clothes.”

Jiang Ciyou nodded and walked in. Shortly after, Bo Xinyi returned with a yellow tank top and a pair of dark blue wide-leg jeans.

“I just got back from England today, so this is all I have. There are no formal dresses,” Bo Xinyi apologized.

“This will do, thank you, Miss Bo.”

Bo Xinyi smiled. “I’ll leave now. Change into the clothes, and come downstairs when you’re done. Don’t worry, this room is seldom used, and the door is a fingerprint lock, so outsiders can’t get in.”

After Bo Xinyi left and closed the door, Jiang Ciyou drew the curtains and walked to the sofa to start undressing from her qipao.

Just as she had removed part of her dress, there was a noise at the door. It swung open without warning. Jiang Ciyou quickly grabbed the qipao she had just taken off to cover herself and turned instinctively.

Her startled eyes met the cold, dark eyes of a man. Seeing the woman changing clothes before him, his eyes flickered with surprise before becoming even more inscrutable.

He stepped into the room, facing Jiang Ciyou, and quickly closed the door behind him.

When Jiang Ciyou recognized the man’s face, she felt a sense of relief.

“Master Bo?”

Bo Jinxiu’s gaze was fixed on Jiang Ciyou’s face, his voice emotionless and cold. “What are you doing here?”

Jiang Ciyou explained, “My clothes got stained with red wine by accident. Miss Bo kindly brought me a new set of clothes.”

“Didn’t you know this is my room?”