Chapter 53: The Drunk Person

Even Chen Qianqing hadn’t expected that he would be so easily taken down by a single bottle of beer.

By the time he realized his head was spinning and he could no longer control what he was saying, it was already too late.

Wang Wulin hadn’t expected anyone’s alcohol tolerance to be this low either. Less than one bottle of beer, and Chen Qianqing was already drunk—and even managed to say something utterly cryptic to him.

What did he mean by, “You’re no match for me”? Wang Wulin began to seriously wonder if they had indeed met somewhere before.

Chen Qianqing poured himself another drink. Once someone gets drunk, their self-control tends to weaken. Earlier, he had been sipping his drink cautiously, but now he was downing it in large gulps.

After draining an entire glass, Chen Qianqing slammed the glass onto the table with a flourish and turned to Wang Wulin, declaring boldly, “Drink!”

Wang Wulin slowly emptied his own glass as well.

Chen Qianqing moved on to his second glass. Seeing this, Wang Wulin said, “You’re drunk.”

Chen Qianqing waved dismissively, slurring slightly, “Not—hic—drunk.”

Wang Wulin was speechless. He hadn’t expected to meet someone so uninhibited with strangers tonight.

It wasn’t entirely Chen Qianqing’s fault. In his previous life, he had learned about Wang Wulin’s orientation and was completely certain he wasn’t a rival. So, in this life, when he saw Wang Wulin, all he could think about was the original Chen Qianqing.

But alcohol only amplified his melancholy. In no time, an entire bottle of beer was gone.

Just then, Wang Wulin’s sister, Wang Wuxiao, walked over. She noticed Chen Qianqing opening yet another bottle with an opener, filling glasses for both Wang Wulin and himself, and downing the entire thing in one go.

Wang Wuxiao stared in shock. “Brother?”

Wang Wulin, who was naturally reserved and unaccustomed to persuading others, simply gestured for the server to take away the remaining bottles on the table and settle the bill. When he saw Wang Wuxiao approaching, he frowned and said, “This is your doing.”

Wang Wuxiao grinned sheepishly. “Come on, bro, I was just joking. Besides, look at how well you two hit it off…”

“He’s drunk. What now?” Wang Wulin asked.

Wang Wuxiao finally took a good look at Chen Qianqing, who was now clinging to his glass, unwilling to let go.

Even under the dim bar lights, anyone could tell how drunk Chen Qianqing was. She teased, “Brother, are you sure you don’t like men? Your persuasion skills are off the charts.”

Wang Wulin: “…” Could he explain that he and Chen Qianqing hadn’t even talked that much?

Wang Wuxiao added, “But he seems like a pretty high-quality catch. Are you really not considering it?”

With a blank expression, Wang Wulin shot her a glare. Wang Wuxiao immediately backed down, shrugging. “Fine, just toss him into a hotel somewhere. I’m done meddling.”

Chen Qianqing finished the last sip of his drink and began searching the table for more alcohol. When he couldn’t find any, he pouted unhappily and muttered, “Where’s the booze?”

The reason Wang Wuxiao had approached Chen Qianqing earlier was that she liked his type. Even after being told he preferred men, she still felt a little reluctant to give up. She turned to her brother and asked, “Are you sure he really likes men?”

Wang Wulin replied with a firm “Yes.”

Wang Wuxiao sighed. “These days, all the good men like other men. No wonder I can’t find a boyfriend.”

Knowing how unreliable his sister could be, Wang Wulin said, “You head back first. I’ll take him to a hotel.”

Wang Wuxiao wanted to protest, but under Wang Wulin’s sharp gaze, she eventually caved. After lingering reluctantly for a while, she begrudgingly agreed to her brother’s suggestion and left with her friends, albeit unwillingly.

Before leaving, she didn’t forget to remind him, “Be safe, and don’t forget to use protection.”

Wang Wulin could only sigh helplessly at his sister’s antics and chose to ignore her. Supporting Chen Qianqing, he helped him out of the bar.

Chen Qianqing, groggy and unsteady, was clearly intoxicated. When someone is drunk, deeply repressed emotions often surface. For Chen Qianqing, that emotion was an overwhelming desire to rid himself of everything—including himself.

Just as they stepped out of the bar, Chen Qianqing suddenly cursed. “You… you’re such a dumbass!”

Wang Wulin frowned and asked, “Who are you talking about?”

Chen Qianqing glanced sideways at him. “Lu Zhengfei!”

The name rang a bell for Wang Wulin. The third son of the Lu family—did Chen Qianqing have some connection to the Lu family? As he pondered this, he caught a flash of light from a nearby corner. It only took him a second to realize—it was the flash of a camera.

Normally, Wang Wulin would have chased the photographer down immediately, but with a drunken Chen Qianqing leaning against him, he had no choice but to stay put. Meanwhile, Chen Qianqing continued to hurl insults at Lu Zhengfei without restraint.

Helpless, Wang Wulin called his sister, Wang Wuxiao.

Wang Wuxiao had just left the bar and was about to grab a late-night snack when she got the call. Hearing the situation, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Wow, you’re really worried about being mistaken for gay, huh?”

Wang Wulin ignored her teasing and asked, “Do you know someone named Chen Qianqing?” Having spent most of his time in the military, he wasn’t privy to certain details and hoped his sister might know.

Wang Wuxiao thought for a moment. “The name sounds familiar, but I can’t recall where I’ve heard it.”

Wang Wulin pressed further. “What about Lu Zhengfei?”

At that, Wang Wuxiao exclaimed, “Oh, damn!” After a moment of realization, she continued excitedly, “I remember now! Isn’t Chen Qianqing that lover of Lu Zhengfei? How did we manage to bump into him?”

Wang Wulin’s tone turned serious. “Explain clearly.”

Wang Wuxiao said, “You know Lu Zhengfei, right? Not long ago, he hooked up with a college student—apparently, it’s this Chen Qianqing. I haven’t met him before, so who would’ve thought I’d run into him like this?”

Wang Wulin glanced at the drunken Chen Qianqing beside him, who was nearly unconscious, and said, “Wang Wuxiao, are you itching for trouble?”

Wang Wuxiao let out an awkward laugh. Sure, this situation was partly her fault, but it wasn’t entirely on her. How could she have known that randomly going out would lead to bumping into a “familiar face”?

She said, “Come on, bro… Don’t blame me. The priority now is to figure out who dared to take photos of you.” There were several people who had come out with her that night. While they were all relatively close, you could never truly predict people’s motives.

Wang Wulin asked, “Who are you hanging out with tonight?”

Wang Wuxiao stepped away from her group and listed the names of the people she was with.

“Call Xiaoyu and ask her where she is,” Wang Wulin instructed.

Wang Wuxiao agreed and dialed the person he mentioned.

With that handled, Wang Wulin pocketed his phone, glanced at the now-expressionless Chen Qianqing—who had started the night furiously venting—and, after some hesitation, picked a nearby hotel to settle him in.

Chen Qianqing, no longer cursing, was nestled quietly in his arms like a meek rabbit. His face was flushed red from the alcohol, and his lips—already naturally plump—looked even more vivid as he occasionally licked them out of thirst. Half-holding him, Wang Wulin noted how thin Chen Qianqing was, his sharp jawline clearly visible. Between his poor drinking capacity and terrible behavior while drunk, Chen Qianqing seemed like he’d been sent specifically to cause him trouble.

As soon as they entered the hotel room, Wang Wulin placed Chen Qianqing on the bed.

Chen Qianqing grabbed his sleeve and, with a serious expression, said, “I really don’t like you!”

Wang Wulin: “…” That’s fine. I don’t like you either.

Chen Qianqing continued, “What’s so good about you anyway? Why would Qianqing like you? I’m way more handsome than you…” Drunk words were always honest, and today, Chen Qianqing was letting it all out.

Hearing this, Wang Wulin couldn’t help but find it amusing. What did he mean by “Why would Qianqing like you”? Wasn’t he Chen Qianqing himself?

Chen Qianqing pressed on, “Fine, I admit you’re taller than me, but only by a little bit.” He raised his hand and exaggeratedly pinched a one-centimeter gap between his thumb and forefinger.

“That’s not enough,” Wang Wulin replied.

“It’s plenty!” Chen Qianqing retorted angrily.

Wang Wulin: “…” ‘I really shouldn’t argue with someone who’s drunk.‘

Just then, his phone rang. Wang Wulin glanced at Chen Qianqing before stepping into the hallway to take the call.

Wang Wuxiao’s voice came through excitedly. “Bro, how did you know it was that bitch who took your photo? I called her to ask where she was, and she said she’s having late-night snacks with Xiaocheng. But when I called Xiaocheng, he said she was lying—she went back to the bar to grab her bag!”

“I guessed,” Wang Wulin replied calmly.

Wang Wuxiao asked, “So what do we do now?” She had initially thought Chen Qianqing was just some random guy, so she hadn’t taken the situation seriously. But her friend Xiaoyu clearly recognized Chen Qianqing’s identity, which was why she found an excuse to return to the bar and secretly take photos—only to be caught by Wang Wulin.

Wang Wulin replied, “You started this mess, and you’re asking me what to do?”

Wang Wuxiao scoffed, “If I’d known he was gay, would I have gone to flirt with him?”

Wang Wulin countered, “Then why did you drag me over there?”

Wang Wuxiao retorted, “Bro, how can you be so heartless? When you were chatting with him earlier, you didn’t mind me meddling. If I hadn’t pulled you over, would you have had such a pleasant conversation with him?”

Wang Wulin: “…” He truly couldn’t understand how his sister could say such embarrassing things so shamelessly.

Wang Wuxiao pressed on, “You can’t just walk away from this! Sure, he might have been Lu Zhengfei’s little fling, but now he’s single—wait, no, freely sponsored!”

“Wang Wuxiao,” Wang Wulin called her name coldly.

Wang Wuxiao immediately shut up, her tone turning pitiful. “Okay, okay, I was wrong. If Mom asks, I’ll just say Chen Qianqing is my friend… and that you were just helping him out.”

Wang Wulin instructed, “Find out more about Lu Zhengfei and Chen Qianqing’s situation.”

Wang Wuxiao froze. “Bro—you’re not actually interested in him, are you?” Knowing her brother’s orientation, she had been acting without restraint. But if she accidentally “bent” him, their parents would kill her.

“Take a guess,” Wang Wulin said before hanging up the phone.

On the other end of the line, Wang Wuxiao stood there, looking as though the sky had just fallen.