Lu Zhiyue had been in meetings all afternoon, his mind filled with the various data reported by subordinate departments. Just as he sat down in his office, his phone started buzzing incessantly.
Rubbing his sore temples, he asked his assistant, “Do I have any plans tonight?”
His female assistant, Jiang Ying, glanced at the calendar and replied, “You have a dinner engagement.”
“Cancel it.”
“Alright. Are you heading home now?” she asked.
Lu Zhiyue opened his eyes, giving a soft “Mm.” After a brief pause, he added, “Help me with one more thing…”
Thinking it was a work-related request, Jiang Ying blinked, ready with her notepad.
“Order some flowers for me.”
Jiang Ying froze momentarily. It wasn’t that she wasn’t professional enough—Lu Zhiyue’s request was just too unusual.
After working together for three years, she had come to view her boss as an ice-cold iron tree atop a glacier. He never expressed warmth, even toward his spouse. Why would he suddenly want flowers?
Recovering quickly from her daze, she asked, “Sure. Are these for a senior or a business partner?”
“My spouse,” Lu Zhiyue replied.
“…And what kind of flowers does your husband like?” she asked, half-expecting him not to know.
Surprisingly, after only a few seconds of thought, he said, “Green lisianthus.”
Jiang Ying paused again before replying, “Understood. Where should they be delivered?”
“Home,” he said.
Given that Mr. Chi hadn’t been angry with him this afternoon despite the earlier drama, their relationship seemed to have softened. Sending flowers might make Chi Suiyan even more agreeable, making future interactions smoother.
Thinking of how flustered Chi Suiyan had been earlier—like a cornered cat showing its claws—Lu Zhiyue couldn’t help but smile faintly.
“That’s it for today. Let everyone leave early and rest well,” he said.
Jiang Ying instinctively glanced at the clock. It was only 4:15 PM, more than an hour before the end of the workday. She didn’t know what had come over her boss but was more than happy to seize the rare opportunity.
Fearing he might change his mind, she quickly left, high heels clicking. “Understood. I’ll notify everyone right away.”
As Lu Zhiyue was preparing to leave, his phone suddenly rang. It was his longtime friend, Xu Lingtao.
The moment the call connected, Xu Lingtao’s booming voice assaulted his ears.
“Hey, can you hear me? Lu Zhiyue? Hello? Wait, let me step outside to talk.”
A minute later, the background noise faded. Xu Lingtao asked, “You still there?”
“Yes,” Lu Zhiyue replied.
“Good. What have you been so busy with? I sent you dozens of messages this afternoon, and you didn’t reply to a single one.”
“I was in a meeting.”
“Meeting my ass! Do you know your husband is on the verge of collapse?”
Lu Zhiyue froze mid-step. “What did you say?”
“Your husband, Chi Suiyan,” Xu Lingtao repeated. “He’s at Jinse, drinking with Cheng Song. I just checked—they’re downing nothing but hard liquor. Weren’t those two practically strangers? How did this turn into a showdown?”
Before Xu Lingtao could finish, Lu Zhiyue was already striding out the door. “Send me the address.”
The private room was crowded, the air thick and suffocating, leaving thoughts stagnant.
Chi Suiyan had downed ten glasses. His stomach burned, his head pounded, and he slumped against the sofa, squinting at Cheng Song across from him.
Cheng Song, already visibly drunk, clutched a trash can, vomiting once before insisting on continuing. His rowdy friends gathered around him, cheering him on.
“Come on, Cheng! Just four more to go.”
“Show him who’s boss!”
Gritting his teeth, Cheng Song reached for his seventh glass, trying to suppress his nausea while silently cursing Chi Suiyan.
Initially, he had suggested the drinking contest just to show off in front of his friends. There was no reason to take it this far. But Chi Suiyan had upped the stakes: ten glasses of high-proof liquor each, no exceptions.
Having already agreed in front of everyone, backing out wasn’t an option. Six glasses in, Cheng Song found himself hugging the trash can, vomiting without shame.
How could Chi Suiyan, recently out of a coma, drink like this? It didn’t make sense.
In the chaos that followed, Lu Zhiyue arrived. The sight of Chi Suiyan, unsteady and pale, sent a flicker of frustration and concern through him.
Ignoring the noise, Lu Zhiyue walked over, pulled Chi Suiyan up, and carried him out despite the latter’s protests.
“Put me down, Lu Zhiyue! I’ll wreck your house when we get back if you don’t!” Chi Suiyan snapped, his face flushed with anger and alcohol.
Lu Zhiyue ignored him, depositing him into the car with practiced ease. Moments later, a weak punch landed on his cheek.
“I didn’t say you could carry me!” Chi Suiyan hissed, his eyes watery with frustration.
“You didn’t say I couldn’t,” Lu Zhiyue replied calmly.
Chi Suiyan’s head spun as the car started moving. Unable to keep arguing, he slumped against the window, too dizzy to continue.
At the hospital, the doctor reprimanded Lu Zhiyue sternly. “With a body this weak, how could you let him drink so much hard liquor? As his family, you need to stop indulging him. This behavior will harm him.”
Lu Zhiyue listened silently, nodding without protest. “Understood. Thank you, doctor.”
Later, in the quiet hospital room, Lu Zhiyue sat by the bed, watching Chi Suiyan’s furrowed brows and tense lips even as he slept. For a man who was so sharp and fierce while awake, he looked remarkably peaceful asleep.
“……If you carry me again, I’ll kill you.”
“……”
Lu Zhiyue was stunned for a moment before a small smile tugged at his lips. He gently stroked Chi Suinian’s face with his finger. “Okay, when you’re better, I’ll let you hit me.”
It seemed like Chi Suinian responded in his sleep, muttering, “Sooner or later… I’ll beat you to death…”
“Okay.”
“……I still want… to divorce you…” The young man’s voice trailed off, growing weaker.
“That’s not going to happen.”
TL- Hey readers!! ANNOUNCEMENT!!
I’m having my exams and assignments and there is my brother’s wedding, so I’m quite busy cuz Indian wedding can be troublesome with all the rituals.
I’ll try to post whenever I’m free and will post schedule chapters after 15 Dec.
