Chapter 19: A Reunion with an Old Friend

Jin Yue and Qian Shasha chose a more secluded corner to sit. Knowing that Qian Shasha wanted to drown her sorrows in alcohol, Jin Yue didn’t stop her even though she ordered several drinks.

Although this was a quiet bar, since it was just the two of them, Jin Yue didn’t dare drink too much.

However, Qian Shasha insisted on pulling Jin Yue into drinking with her, complaining that drinking alone was boring and that she’d go find a table with other people if Jin Yue didn’t join in.

Jin Yue couldn’t let her go sit with others, so she reluctantly called the driver to come wait for them at the bar before she could safely join in the drinking.

Although she wasn’t great with alcohol, Jin Yue had a remarkable tolerance. After all, she had taken over a new body, but surely the alcohol tolerance wouldn’t change, right?

After a few drinks, Jin Yue started feeling the effects. Her face was flushed and warm, indicating she was a little drunk.

It really was bad luck. Even her constitution had changed—no wonder she felt like a typical villainous supporting character. She had become quite used to it by now.

As for Qian Shasha, she was far worse off. Jin Yue had tried to hold back, but Qian Shasha had gone into a drinking frenzy as soon as she arrived. Now she was completely wasted, mumbling to herself.

Jin Yue leaned in and heard Qian Shasha repeating things like, “Why did they do this to me?” and “Was everything before a lie?” over and over again.

Jin Yue felt a pang of sympathy and tried to comfort her, saying, “It’s alright, Shasha. We’ve had too much to drink. Let’s go home.”

But as soon as Qian Shasha heard the word “home,” she started breaking down again. “Go home? I’m not going back! I’m still drinking!”

The bar had been quiet, but with Qian Shasha shouting, everyone turned to look at them.

Jin Yue, who was a bit embarrassed, smiled apologetically at the crowd and said, “Sorry, my friend’s drunk. I’ll take her out now.”

She tried to help Qian Shasha get up, but Qian Shasha was struggling violently. Jin Yue lost her balance, and both of them fell straight to the floor.

In that moment, Jin Yue felt a sense of hopelessness. She couldn’t help but think, *Well, at least this is a classic “hero saves the beauty” scene, right? Maybe someone will step in and catch us.*

With that thought and some fear, Jin Yue closed her eyes tightly and covered her head and Qian Shasha’s with her hands, bracing for the pain that was about to come…

*Thud!*

They fell to the ground with no one coming to help—no “hero” appeared!

Jin Yue groaned, holding her sore bottom, and got ready to get up. She couldn’t help but grumble in her mind, *Why did no one come to help? Is it really this unlucky to be a villainous supporting character?*

Just then, a large, well-defined hand reached out toward her.

Jin Yue looked up to see a handsome man standing before them. He had a gentle smile on his face, and his whole demeanor exuded the charm of a refined gentleman.

But… why did he only come now?

Jin Yue couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed, though she knew her frustration was unreasonable, as no one was obligated to help.

Perhaps Jin Yue didn’t hide her feelings well, because the man spoke up, “Sorry, I was too far away earlier and couldn’t reach you in time. Are you alright? Let’s get you up.”

Hearing his explanation, Jin Yue suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She awkwardly thanked him and took his hand to get up.

Once she was standing, she was ready to help the still-unconscious Qian Shasha, who had collapsed on the floor in a drunken stupor.

Qian Shasha was completely out of it, her body unresponsive. Jin Yue, who was also feeling the effects of the alcohol, had trouble managing on her own.

At that moment, the man stepped in and helped her. Together, they managed to get Qian Shasha to a sofa.

“Thank you,” Jin Yue said gratefully.

Jin Yue thanked him again, planning to wait for her driver to arrive and then have him come in to help her and Qian Shasha leave. She didn’t want to trouble the man further, especially since he was a stranger.

Cui Li looked at her, his familiar yet unfamiliar smile making him pause for a moment. He thought back to the woman who had once been so arrogant and vocal in front of him. Was it really possible for a person’s demeanor to change so drastically in just a few years? He smiled and said, “It’s been a while. Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me now?”

Huh? What did that mean? Did they know each other? Jin Yue looked up at Cui Li, her eyes full of confusion.

“You don’t remember? We were in the same class in high school, Class One in the first year at Zhi Li High,” Cui Li reminded her.

Zhi Li High? No wonder it didn’t click right away. After all, the plot in the novel didn’t even start until after she was in her senior year of college.

Jin Yue searched through her memories. A man with such a refined aura surely wasn’t a random person in her past.

After a moment, it seemed like something clicked. Jin Yue’s face, already a little flushed from the alcohol, turned an even deeper shade of red. She felt like a cooked shrimp, wishing she could sink into the ground. *It’s him!*

It was the very same Cui Li she had once foolishly and desperately pursued when she was younger. She had even written him several love letters, but when he didn’t reply, she had boldly approached him and boasted that she would make him fall for her.

That was definitely black history coming back to haunt her. Jin Yue awkwardly laughed and said, “Oh, so you’re Cui Li. I thought you went abroad for school. What brings you back all of a sudden?”

Not wanting to revisit those embarrassing memories, Jin Yue quickly tried to change the subject, hoping that would erase the awkwardness.

Cui Li looked at her with a somewhat amused expression, clearly aware that she had remembered those days.

It was strange. The once arrogant and willful young lady now appeared quite bashful and seemed embarrassed about her past behavior. He was curious about what had happened over the years to cause such a drastic change in her.

Still, he remained polite and responded to her change of subject: “I finished my credits early and graduated. I’m back this time for some business matters.”

He had majored in computer science in college. Although his family had wanted him to take over their business in education, he wasn’t interested in that. Instead, he and some classmates had started a gaming company while still in school.

He had returned for two reasons: to officially graduate and to move his company operations to China.

“Oh, I see,” Jin Yue responded.

Just then, the ringtone of her phone cut through the awkwardness. Jin Yue quickly took out her phone.

Seeing that it was her driver calling, she knew he had probably arrived outside, so she answered the call and told him where to meet her. After giving him directions, she quickly hung up.

“You’re heading home? If you don’t mind, I can help you out and drive you. No need to have your driver come in.”

Jin Yue was inwardly frustrated. *I didn’t want him to help, that’s why I called my driver in.* But she smiled politely and rejected his offer.

At that moment, Qian Shasha seemed to be in trouble. Having drunk too much, she started feeling nauseous and was about to throw up.

Jin Yue hurried over to stop her, and Cui Li followed suit to assist.

Just as Qian Shasha opened her eyes and saw Cui Li, she immediately brightened up. With a joyful shout, she lunged at him, saying, “Wow! A handsome guy! I’m sure Heaven sent me this handsome guy because I’m so sad!”

Jin Yue couldn’t stop her in time, and Qian Shasha had already thrown herself into Cui Li’s arms. Cui Li seemed like he wanted to push her away, but Qian Shasha was surprisingly strong. He froze for a moment, unsure of how to handle the situation.

Jin Yue rushed forward to pull Qian Shasha off, but as she did so, she lost her balance and was about to fall.

Seeing this, Cui Li quickly reached out, but his pull was a little too strong, and Jin Yue ended up crashing into his arms.