Chapter 6: Taking You Home

The yacht heading towards the small islands around Tsujima was filled with pulsating music and flashing lights. Expensive champagne and red wine were being poured over heads like stimulants, and the crowd was bustling.

On the terrace, Lu Yingchi lounged on the sofa with his legs crossed, his eyes hazy from intoxication. Among the many people, he recognized only a few, but having been to such occasions numerous times, whether he knew anyone or not didn’t affect his drinking.

“Lu Shao, why the long face when we’re out having fun? What’s the matter?” someone handed him a drink from the side.

Lu Yingchi, his mind foggy from alcohol, casually asked, “Hu Zhuo, how do you deal with disobedient servants at your place?”

“Servants?” Hu Zhuo scoffed, “If they don’t please me, I beat them up and kick them out.”

Beat them up?

In the past, Lu Yingchi thought that if he ever wanted to hit Qiao Wu, she would willingly offer her face to his palm and even ask if his hand hurt.

But now…

He wasn’t so sure anymore. It was possible she might strike first.

“Come on, Lu Shao, are you upset because of a servant?” Hu Zhuo exaggeratedly exclaimed, “With so many servants at your place, why care about one or two? They’re just like dogs.”

Lu Yingchi snorted, “I don’t hit women.”

“Alright, if you won’t, I will.” Hu Zhuo rolled up his sleeves, grinning maliciously, “If you’re really angry, leave it to me. I’ll make sure she’s completely submissive, turning her into an obedient dog.”

“None of your business,” Lu Yingchi retorted, “Even if she’s disobedient, she’s still mine…”

For so many years, Qiao Wu had always been by his side, obedient to his every command. Even if he didn’t want her anymore, it was his affair, and he wouldn’t let anyone interfere.

“Alright, alright, forget about good dogs or bad dogs,” Hu Zhuo hooked his arm around Lu Yingchi’s shoulder, gesturing for him to look up, his tone suggestive, “Tonight, away from the city, why not pick someone and have some wild fun on a deserted island?”

The stench of alcohol made Lu Yingchi frown as he slapped away the intrusive hand. He glanced around, and though many beautiful faces passed before his eyes, none left an impression.

Suddenly, for no reason, he remembered the face he saw when he stepped out of the elevator that day, which had calmed him amidst the chaos.

It was Qiao Wu who had told him personally not to care about others’ opinions, that he could pursue his freedom without restraint, and she would always stand by his side. That’s why he had done everything the Old Man had forbidden.

Now, did she have the right to control him?

“You always just drink when you’re out. There’s so much more fun and exciting stuff you haven’t tried,” Hu Zhuo handed him another drink, coaxing, “They’re all clean, and you won’t regret trying. Don’t all the young masters and misses in our circle have a few people around? Everyone understands. You’re not scared, are you?”

Stimulated by the alcohol, Lu Yingchi stood up with his drink, “Shut your mouth.”

Without looking, he walked up to a girl nearby and offered her the drink, “Have a drink?”

The girl was startled and quickly replied, “Sorry, I don’t drink.”

She had thought it was just a regular team-building event with classmates, but upon arriving, she realized it was this kind of scene, which she wasn’t used to at all.

This was Lu Yingchi’s first attempt at flirting, and he had no idea what to do after being rejected. He didn’t have the habit of forcing others to drink, so he found it quite dull. He turned his wrist, drank the alcohol himself, and walked away.

Behind him, Hu Zhuo, who had been watching the scene, gritted his teeth, feeling that this girl was utterly clueless. He staggered over and said, “Do you know who that guy was just now?”

“I know, Lu Yingchi.”

The yacht belonged to him, so how could she not know?

Hu Zhuo coldly scolded, “You knew, yet you still refused? Don’t you know he’s in a bad mood?”

“But I really can’t drink.”

“Who’s born knowing how to drink? You’ll learn as you go,” Hu Zhuo said, shoving a glass of wine to her lips. “Drink.”

The girl tightly pursed her lips and shook her head. “I…”

“This is Lu Yingchi’s yacht, his territory. He hates disobedient dogs the most,” Hu Zhuo said, noticing that the girl was even more beautiful than he had imagined. He lowered his voice, “I happen to be very good at training. How do you think I should train you?”

Meanwhile, Lu Yingchi had found a quiet spot to drink alone. Not long after, someone rushed over in a panic, “Lu Shao, Hu Zhuo is drunk and bullying Liao Liao. Can you please go check on it?”

Who was Liao Liao?

Lu Yingchi irritably kicked the table. “What a moron.”

He followed the person to the terrace, where Hu Zhuo was forcefully holding a girl and trying to pour alcohol into her mouth.

Liao Liao caught sight of Lu Yingchi approaching out of the corner of her eye and immediately trembled in fear. In a moment of desperation, she pushed Hu Zhuo away with all her might and climbed over the railing. “Don’t come any closer! If you take another step, I’ll jump!”

Hu Zhuo stepped forward. “Go ahead and jump…”

Before he could finish, someone yanked him back by the collar from behind. Lu Yingchi’s face was dark with anger. “Are you out of your mind, you dog?!”

“It’s the ocean. Does she dare to jump?” Hu Zhuo nearly fell to the ground but steadied himself on the table, feeling emboldened. “There’s no land in sight. What are the chances she’ll survive if she jumps? Lu Shao, I’m just standing up for you. Why are you so worked up?”

“I don’t…”

Before Lu Yingchi could finish, the roar of an engine echoed across the water. Everyone turned in unison.

A speedboat approached from the distance, gradually slowing down as it got closer. It was clearly heading their way.

Hu Zhuo squinted. “Who’s that?”

The Lu Family’s possessions were always marked with the Lu Family Crest. Lu Yingchi recognized it as Lu Jinzhi’s boat.

But Lu Jinzhi was abroad and wouldn’t interfere with him. So who was this?

Suddenly, a beam of light shone down, illuminating the person driving the speedboat.

When Lu Yingchi saw who it was, he sobered up instantly, his eyes widening. He shoved Hu Zhuo aside and walked to the edge, staring intently at the woman on the speedboat.

Because of the speed, she was half-soaked from the spray, her entire demeanor cold and detached, even more intimidating than when she wielded a saber.

Qiao Wu tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping past Lu Yingchi. When she saw the girl being forced onto the top of the yacht, her eyes darkened.

Five minutes later, Qiao Wu successfully boarded the yacht.

After the earlier commotion, many people had quietly retreated to the first-floor living room, not daring to show their faces. So when someone boarded, they all saw it clearly.

A tall, slender woman, barefoot, carrying a suit jacket and a pair of high heels in one hand. She lacked the naivety of a college student and the superficiality of the social elite. The moment she appeared under the lights, she looked like a siren emerging from the depths of the sea.

Qiao Wu climbed the stairs to the top terrace, where Lu Yingchi still stood, dumbfounded and unresponsive.

 Hu Zhuo had never met Qiao Wu before, but upon seeing her demeanor and the fact that she was piloting a Lu’s speedboat, he assumed she was someone from the Lu Family. Therefore, he remained silent for the time being.

Qiao Wu bypassed the two of them, threw her shoes on the ground, and walked over to the girl who was still clinging tightly to the railing. She extended her hand: “It’s okay now, come down.”

Liao Liao indeed didn’t dare to jump until the very last moment. Seeing Qiao Wu, she seemed to have found a pillar of support, her body instantly going limp. Trembling, she grasped Qiao Wu’s hand and slowly stepped onto the terrace floor.

In the next moment, a jacket carrying a faint scent of books was draped over her alcohol-soaked thin shirt.

Liao Liao couldn’t help but look up.

The woman half-holding her didn’t seem much older than herself, slightly taller, with a side profile so perfect it was almost unbelievable, her gaze clear and dazzling.

“Are you okay?” Her voice was gentler than the sea breeze.

Liao Liao whispered, “I’m fine.”

Qiao Wu looked her over from head to toe, ensuring there were no other injuries, then let go: “Sit down first.”

She then asked, “Do we need to call the police?”

The mention of the police immediately struck a nerve with the other two. Lu Yingchi finally snapped out of it: “Why are you here!”

Qiao Wu took a tissue from the table, removed her glasses, and gently wiped them. She lifted her eyes and calmly retorted, “If I didn’t come now, should I wait until you call me to clean up your mess?”

Without her glasses, Qiao Wu’s gaze was even more overwhelming. Lu Yingchi felt as if he had been scalded all over. If it were the Qiao Wu of the past looking at him, he might have confidently said, “So what?”

But facing the current Qiao Wu, he inexplicably felt a sense of being seen through, making him instinctively deny: “It wasn’t me!”

“Then who was it?”

Hu Zhuo, who hadn’t received a single glance from the beginning, hurriedly smiled apologetically: “No, no, don’t call the police. We were just classmates fooling around! Lu Shao, you haven’t introduced us yet, who is this?”

“She is…” Lu Yingchi stumbled.

Qiao Wu didn’t wait for him to finish and interrupted: “I have something to say to you.”

Hu Zhuo’s eyes darted around quickly. Ordinary people couldn’t touch the Lu Family’s boat, and Lu Yingchi wouldn’t have this attitude. So even though he didn’t know her identity, he acted like a complete lackey, immediately heading downstairs: “You talk, I’ll leave now, and I won’t let anyone come up!”

“And that one, you…”

Qiao Wu: “She stays.”

“Okay, okay.”

Only when there was no other sound did Lu Yingchi plop down on the sofa, turning his head away: “It was that idiot from earlier, it’s not my fault.”

Qiao Wu didn’t speak. Instead, she put on her glasses, took the largest wine glass, filled it to the brim, and walked over to Lu Yingchi. She looked down at him: “Having fun?”

Lu Yingchi couldn’t stand her gaze and instinctively looked away, but his eyes fell on her wrist with distinct bones, and further down to her bare ankles.

No shoes?

His eyelids twitched, and he quickly averted his gaze, impatiently asking, “What do you want?”

“Look up,” Qiao Wu said.

Lu Yingchi was puzzled, but as soon as he tilted his head up slightly, the person in front of him suddenly leaned down.

He hurriedly leaned back, but his neck was pressed by a cold elbow.

Amid Liao Liao’s gasp, Qiao Wu knelt one knee on the sofa, her elbow tightly pressing against Lu Yingchi’s collarbone, forcing his head up. With her other hand, she forcefully poured the full glass of wine into his mouth.

Lu Yingchi had no idea this would happen and never expected Qiao Wu to lay a hand on him. He was so stunned that he choked on the wine for a while before struggling to his feet, exclaiming in disbelief, “Qiao Wu!!”

Most of the wine had spilled onto his expensive clothes, reeking of alcohol.

Qiao Wu knew she was no match for him, so she took advantage of his unpreparedness and quickly released her grip, standing up straight as soon as he reacted.

She threw the glass into the drenched Lu Yingchi’s arms and asked, “Was it fun?”

Lu Yingchi had wine up his nose and coughed for a long time before recovering. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Qiao Wu.

He couldn’t take it anymore!

Shattering the wine glass on his body, Lu Yingchi stood up and grabbed Qiao Wu’s wrist, gritting his teeth, “Do you know how long I’ve been putting up with you?”

He wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine and turned to look for an opened bottle of wine.

But suddenly, he heard Qiao Wu ask, “Does it hurt?”

“Nonsense, I’ll show you right now whether it hurts or not!”

Qiao Wu seemed oblivious to the pain. The moment Lu Yingchi picked up the wine bottle, she calmly raised her other hand and pointed to the girl beside them, “Have you forgotten? You just did the same thing to her. You know it hurts, but does she? I haven’t even pushed you into the sea yet.”

Liao Liao’s eyes widened.

Lu Yingchi’s movements froze, the wine bottle in his hand, unable to pour it down.

He breathed heavily, furious, “How many times do I have to say it wasn’t me!”

“I know.”

“Then why did you pour it on me?”

“Because no one dares to pour it on you, but Lu Yingchi,” Qiao Wu slightly tilted her head to look at him, “I hope you can experience it once. If you do something like this again, I won’t come over next time. I’ll call the police instead.”

“Do I care if you come?!”

“Who do you think will come?”

Lu Yingchi didn’t speak.

Because he was horrified to realize that, apart from Qiao Wu, he couldn’t find anyone else he trusted enough to call and have them come to his side anytime, anywhere.

But now, it seemed Qiao Wu didn’t want to come to his side either.

He tightened his grip, unwilling and confused.

In the end, he could only hoarsely emphasize, “It wasn’t me.”

Qiao Wu hummed in acknowledgment, “So do you understand now? Because you’re their backer, the people around you are doing things that hurt others without restraint. It’s not okay just because you didn’t do it.”

Lu Yingchi remained silent.

“Sorry for getting you wet,” Qiao Wu calmly looked at the wine bottle in his hand, “You can pour the wine on me now. I won’t resist.”

Hearing this, Lu Yingchi uncontrollably moved the wine bottle forward.

This was Qiao Wu, his Housekeeper, someone his family had paid for.

If she did something wrong, he had every reason to punish her, and she couldn’t complain, just like Hu Zhuo said, to discipline her.

But when the mouth of the wine bottle touched Qiao Wu’s lips, his hand suddenly trembled.

Her slender neck arched gracefully, her clothes still damp from the seawater, her eyes clear and moist.

Lu Yingchi cursed and abruptly let go of her hand, shouting downstairs, “Hu Zhuo, get up here!”

Hearing the call, Hu Zhuo hurried upstairs. Before he could express his surprise at why Lu Shao was in such a mess, he was suddenly shoved onto the sofa with great force, “Lu Shao, you…”

The rest of his words were cut off by the wine bottle.

Lu Yingchi couldn’t vent his anger on Qiao Wu, so he took it all out on the bottle of wine. Without hesitation, he poured all the wine into Hu Zhuo’s mouth and over his body, cursing, “You like forcing people to drink, huh? Let’s see how you like it. It’s all your fault. Stay the hell away from me in the future!”

“Sister…” Liao Liao watched with a trembling heart, “Is this really okay?”

“Mm.” Qiao Wu was still calmly eating fruit, “I’ll clean up after him this time.”

Hearing this, Lu Yingchi’s eyes suddenly lit up. The frustration that had been weighing on him for days after downing two bottles of wine instantly lifted. When he turned and saw the red-bottomed high heels on the floor, he paused, then kicked them over to Qiao Wu.

Qiao Wu smiled, slightly lowering her head as she put the shoes back on.

Lu Yingchi looked away, “Satisfied now?”

“Mm.” Qiao Wu wiped her hands clean, “Let’s go, I’ll take you home.”

Just as she stood up, Liao Liao suddenly rose, looking a bit flustered, “Sister, what’s your name? Can I have your number? I’m Liao Liao. I’ll wash the clothes and return them to you later.”

The clothes didn’t look cheap.

Hearing this, Qiao Wu finally gave her a proper glance, chuckling lightly, “It’s just a piece of clothing, no need to go through all that trouble. You’ve had a scare, go home early.”

Qiao Wu only cared about the people she cared about and believed in making things happen through effort. The so-called female lead had nothing to do with her, so she didn’t scrutinize her too much, nor did she have any intention of befriending her. In her eyes, this was just an innocent, naive student.

She hadn’t come here to salvage Lu Yingchi’s image in the female lead’s mind—she had come purely for Lu Yingchi.

She was her own protagonist.