Chapter 36: The Fire and Restraint
And Liu Shang, who was also feeling the effects of the alcohol, did not hesitate. Acting purely on instinct, he took the cigarette case and lit one for himself.
Liu Shang was a real smoker, which was normal for someone who had been engaged in scientific research and practically lived in a laboratory for a long time.
Therefore, his series of actions and the way he exhaled the smoke seemed extremely strange and shocking to the others.
Even Lu Kai's eyes widened unconsciously.
When Lu Kai had smoked earlier, there was still a hint of a young man's arrogance in it, but here, Liu Shang smoked with a natural ease that seemed ingrained in his very bones.
"Liu Shang, why didn't I know you smoked?" Jiang Ruolin, who was holding his hand tightly, asked in surprise.
Liu Shang smiled at her. "I quit the moment I met you. By quitting, I might live a few years longer, and that means I can stay with you for a few more years."
It was another sentence delivered in an extremely calm voice, but it was full of affection and directly hit the heart.
In that atmosphere, at that moment, Jiang Ruolin's eyes grew moist. She pursed her lips, aggrieved, as she held Liu Shang's hand.
"Why are you so stupid?"
The other girls at the table were also moved by Liu Shang's words. Some covered their mouths, some applauded, and some booed playfully, saying, "So annoying! So touching! I'm so envious!"
Seeing this scene, Lu Kai shook his head with a wry smile. Then, he suddenly picked up his wine glass and drank the fourth glass in one gulp.
Afterward, he passed out cold, causing a panic among the people around him.
Seeing him go down, Liu Shang didn't hesitate. Without waiting for Jiang Ruolin to stop him, he also drank the fourth glass of wine in one go.
"Liu Shang, are you crazy?"
"How can you drink like this!"
After seeing the tragic state of Tan Feng, Lu Kai, and the others, Jiang Ruolin was genuinely anxious, afraid that something would happen to Liu Shang.
But fortunately, after drinking the fourth glass, Liu Shang was still on his feet. Although he was obviously drunk and his footing was unsteady, there were no other major problems.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Ruolin was slightly relieved and thoughtfully fed him a few sips of fruit juice.
"Liu Shang, are you okay?"
"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
Liu Shang shook his head and didn't speak. He just looked at her and smiled like a big boy, which tugged at Jiang Ruolin's heart.
After all, he had drunk more than half a liter of strong liquor. Liu Shang still couldn't quite control himself, and with Jiang Ruolin supporting him, he went to the bathroom.
Just as they were walking through the corridor, a girl who was also one of the party organizers found Jiang Ruolin in a panic.
"Ruolin, do you have a bank card or any money with you?"
"Zhou Liang and Tan Feng are both drunk, and the original plan was for them to pay temporarily before everyone paid them back."
"I'm afraid the bill for tonight is quite large. None of us brought that much money!"
Hearing her words, Jiang Ruolin also frowned. She hadn't brought her wallet with her this time.
Seeing Jiang Ruolin's expression, the girl sighed. "It seems we'll have to call someone for help..."
Just when the two of them were frowning, Liu Shang smiled and took a bank card from his pocket, handing it directly to the girl.
"Use this card. The password is Jiang Ruolin's birthday, ******."
Although it felt a little inappropriate, in the current chaos, there was no time to think about other things.
By the time Liu Shang entered the bathroom and was vomiting violently, the girl had already checked out and returned, handing the bank card back to Jiang Ruolin.
"Phew, that was lucky. Otherwise, if we couldn't pay the bill, it would have been a huge embarrassment."
"Also, Ruolin, your boyfriend is quite rich!"
"I'll go first. It seems Tan Feng and Lu Kai were sent to the hospital. I'm going to go check on them."
"They drank way too much tonight."
Just after she left in a hurry, Jiang Ruolin's best friend, Jiang Tong—the pretty girl who had praised Liu Shang's style—came out from washing her hands.
"Ruolin, is your man okay?"
Jiang Ruolin frowned and shook her head. "He's been vomiting for a long time."
At this time, Jiang Tong stood beside Jiang Ruolin. "You know, that guy looks pretty handsome when he's drinking and smoking."
"Although he's a bit of a smart mouth, he's really humorous, and girls like that."
"We've known each other for so many years, and I've always admired your taste, in people and in things. This time is no exception."
"You don't know, but that scene when he sang to you just now... I was really envious."
"On an occasion like today, everyone in our circle knows what's going on."
"Liu Shang drank as hard as he did, and took down Tan Feng, Zhou Liang, and Lu Kai, all because of you."
"If, and I mean if, if one day you have to give him up because of your family or for some other reason, then I might consider taking over."
"My family background is nothing compared to yours. My parents don't have particularly high demands for my boyfriend, nor would they be picky about his family's financial situation. As long as he can truly love me, and I like him too."
How could the smart and considerate Jiang Ruolin not understand the subtext of what Jiang Tong had said?
But since Jiang Tong's words seemed to be joking, though not entirely, Jiang Ruolin just pushed her away with a smile. "Nice try. I'm not giving him up to anyone!"
...
When Liu Shang came out of the bathroom, the crowd had almost dispersed.
To sum up, it was a scene of complete and utter chaos.
When the two of them walked out of the hotel, a gust of wind blew past, and the cool air seemed to fan the flames of his drunkenness, causing it to surge. Liu Shang obviously staggered.
"Liu Shang, are you okay?"
Facing Jiang Ruolin's question, Liu Shang shook his head. He then pulled his arm from her supporting grasp, draped it directly over her neck, and leaned his whole body against hers very intimately.
At this moment, Jiang Ruolin glanced at him angrily and then shifted Liu Shang's hand that had "unintentionally" come to rest on her chest.
However, she still acquiesced to his intimate posture.
When the two returned to a sparsely populated and dimly lit path on campus, Jiang Ruolin could clearly feel a certain restlessness in his touch, causing her own heartbeat to quicken.
"It's scary for you to drink like this. Why don't I take you to the hospital to get checked out?"
Liu Shang smiled and shook his head. "What hospital? I'll just go back to the dorm and sleep it off tonight."
Jiang Ruolin couldn't help frowning. "You were just vomiting at the school gate. I'm afraid you'll have a rough night in this state, and there's no one to take care of you in the dorm."
"Then... let's book a hotel for the night, and I'll take care of you, okay?"
Jiang Ruolin didn't know how much courage she had mustered to say such a sentence. By the end, her words trembled a little.
But to her surprise, Liu Shang shook his head without the slightest hesitation. "Hehe, if you don't go home tonight and instead spend the night in a hotel with your drunken boyfriend, I'm afraid before tomorrow morning even arrives, the entire campus would explode with gossip."
"Vicious rumors are a destructive force."
"And on a larger scale, this matter would probably spread quickly to the school's teachers and your parents. At that time, no matter what the truth is, I might lose you, even temporarily. I will not allow such a thing to happen."
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