Chapter 8: Which Part Offended You?

Before things could completely spiral out of control...

Yu Qiao's phone—which he had flung across the room—suddenly rang.

[Because we're a family, a loving, harmonious family...]

She had set her ringtones by category. One for colleagues, one for family, and Sheng Yuan, her direct boss, had a ringtone all to himself.

The hand still pressed against his abs gave a hard shove—

Perhaps caught off guard, Sheng Yuan was pushed aside with surprising ease.

"Sorry! I—I need to get that..." Face burning red, Yu Qiao scrambled on all fours toward her phone.

It was her brother.

His opening line: "Why'd it take you so long to pick up?"

"Because Sheng—"

Yu Qiao stopped short, suddenly at a loss for how to address him.

She settled on: "President Sheng had too much to drink. I was just looking after him—yes, looking after him..."

Guilt prickled at her for no good reason!

If her brother knew that "looking after him" meant nearly looking after him right into bed, he'd probably beat the man to death!!

Beating *her* was out of the question...

Her brother was the world's biggest sister-worshipper. His little sister was never wrong—and if she was, see the previous rule.

Still, they were childhood friends, and her brother did care about Sheng Yuan.

The moment he heard "drunk," his tone shifted: "How does he even get drunk? Are his secretaries dead?"

Yu Qiao: "Uh... well... On this trip, President Sheng only brought me. Just one secretary."

"Drunk is drunk, it's normal, expected. Next time let him drink himself stupid—you just watch..." Her brother's double standards were on full display. Then he pressed: "Little sis, he didn't make you take his drinks for him, did he?"

Yu Qiao: "No, no. He went to the dinner himself. I wasn't even there."

"At least he has a conscience..."

Before her brother could go on, Yu Qiao cut in: "Right, Brother—what did you call about?"

Her brother was a lawyer, busy as ever.

He doted on her more than anyone, but he'd never be idle enough to call at this hour just to chat.

"Oh! Xingci's back. He asked when you're free—wants to grab a meal together."

"What? Mu Xingci's back?"

Yu Qiao brightened. "Yes! Once I'm home from this trip, let's throw him a welcome dinner!"

If her brother's childhood friend was Sheng Yuan, then her best friend was Mu Xingci.

Same year, same month, same day—born in the same hospital room, no less.

They'd even lived in the same neighborhood...

According to both sets of parents, it was fate sent from heaven.

The two had shared a school and a class from kindergarten all the way through high school, until their grades split them apart. Mu Xingci was the genius heartthrob of the elite class; Yu Qiao was the "dumb" beauty of the regular class.

Not that she was actually dumb.

Her grades were fine, and she'd gotten into a decent university. It was just that in certain areas, her obliviousness was off the charts!!

Case in point: to this day, she still believed no boy had chased her in school because she was "dumb."

In truth, every boy who'd ever set his sights on her—even the ones who hadn't worked up the nerve yet, who'd barely had the thought—had been thoroughly "entertained" by her brother.

So from childhood, there had only ever been two males in her life.

One was Sheng Yuan, older than her. The other was Mu Xingci, younger (he was born an hour or two after her, so let's call him the younger one, ha).

But one had ended up her boss, and the other her bro.

Now that her bro was back, a welcome dinner was non-negotiable.

Her brother: "That's what I was thinking too. But... from the sound of it, you and Sheng Yuan won't be back for a while?"

Yu Qiao told the truth: "Not sure! I'll have to ask once President Sheng sobers up."

Come to think of it, today's lunch had actually been important. If it had gone smoothly, they should've been able to head home tomorrow.

But things clearly weren't going well!

With Sheng Yuan's current standing, there were precious few people who dared to pour drinks down his throat—and yet even he'd been drunk under the table, and worse, dosed with some kind of aphrodisiac. Their opponent was clearly no joke!!

At the thought, she instinctively glanced back at the man on the bed.

He lay perfectly straight, still as a corpse, except—

Oh...

Through his pants, exaggerated...

"Horrified," she whipped her head away, her small face flushing hot, heat rolling off her in waves!!!

Fanning herself furiously with one hand, she spoke into the phone, her mind anywhere but on the conversation: "Brother, President Sheng... isn't doing too well. I'd better go—I need to make him some honey water to sober him up..."

"Look at him, living the dream. I haven't even had a sip of your honey water yet!"

Yu Qiao whined: "Brother..."

"Alright, alright, alright—I'm hanging up!"

Finally, the call ended!

Yu Qiao let out a soft breath. But when she returned to the bedside, she snatched up the blanket and covered everything below his waist—the parts that needed censoring...