174: Chapter 174 Fake drunkenness is also real drunkenness

Chu Xinyi heard the sound of her brother-in-law coming upstairs and ran out of her room with a series of pattering footsteps.

"Ugh~ What a strong smell of alcohol. Why did you drink so much again?"

"A friend was feeling down today, so I drank a bit more with her."

"Hmph, what kind of friend? I bet it's another woman!"

"Since you drank so much, don't take a shower. I'll go get a towel to wipe you down."

Zhao Xiaoshuai was quite happy to have his Sister-in-law serving him. He stripped down to his underwear and lay down on the bed.

"Hey, I haven't even started wiping you down yet. How come you're already lying down!"

Sister-in-law pretended to be angry as she ran over, gave him a tug but failed to pull him up, so she could only wipe his body as he was.

"I really don't understand what's so good about that awful alcohol. The few bottles you brought back before, my dad treats them like treasures and hides them away."

"Once, when Dad wasn't home, I secretly took a sip. It tasted terrible, and I even got spanked by my dad for it. Totally not worth it."

Listening with a smile as his Sister-in-law chattered on.

Zhao Xiaoshuai only had a strong smell of alcohol on him; in fact, he had mostly sobered up on the way back. But that didn't stop him from using the pretense of being drunk to act a little wild.

Because he had deliberately lain down right in the middle of the big bed, Sister-in-law would have to climb onto the bed herself to wipe him down.

She was only wearing her bedtime tank top and shorts, leaving large patches of fair skin exposed to the air, looking rather dazzling under the warm light in the bedroom.

At that moment, one of his arms was very close to her. Pretending to move unconsciously, he naturally brushed his hand over her thigh as she knelt on the bed.

The silky-smooth sensation from his fingertips made his heart itch.

"That tickles! Stop moving around."

Sister-in-law picked up his restless hand and placed it back by his side, seemingly thinking he was just moving unconsciously due to being drunk and not noticing his little maneuver.

"Alright, I've wiped the front. Turn over so I can wipe your back. Oof, you're so heavy! Can't you move a little yourself?"

Sister-in-law pushed him a couple of times, but seeing he wasn't making any effort, she pinched the flesh on his waist. Only then did Zhao Xiaoshuai seem to suddenly understand her intention and cooperated by turning over.

Except the direction he turned seemed a bit off.

He rolled directly toward Sister-in-law, ending up with half his body pressing down on her legs.

Unfortunately, due to their positions, only his chest ended up on her legs, with his head and face still far away, so he couldn't get close enough to use his mouth.

"Hey, why are you rolling around so haphazardly? You really drank too much; you're acting silly."

Whether Zhao Xiaoshuai was silly or not was unclear, but Sister-in-law's thighs were truly very soft.

This position didn't hinder the wiping either. After pushing him once without success, Sister-in-law decided to ignore it and focus on wiping her brother-in-law down first.

She wiped very carefully and gently.

"Alright, all done. Brother-in-law? You're not asleep, are you?"

Chu Xinyi could only hear her brother-in-law's long, steady breaths. She pushed him a few more times but still couldn't move him, yet she couldn't just let him keep pressing down on her like this.

If nothing else, her legs would go numb soon, so she tried her best to push him away.

After playing around for a bit, Zhao Xiaoshuai decided not to make things too difficult for her. He loosened his grip slightly, allowing her to "just happen" to push him over.

"I'm exhausted!"

She huffed a few times, but Sister-in-law still carefully tucked the blanket around her brother-in-law before turning off the light, closing the door, and leaving the bedroom.

After returning to her room, washing up, and finishing her diary before bed, Chu Xinyi suddenly heard faint, drifting footsteps coming from the hallway.

Thump, thump-thump.

"That's strange. If brother-in-law went downstairs, the sound shouldn't be coming from that direction."

Chu Xinyi swallowed hard. The story about the door-knocking ghost that her brother-in-law had told to scare her the first time she stayed over suddenly flooded her mind.

She hurried cautiously to the door and, with a click, locked it.

But before she could even sigh in relief, the footsteps paused for a moment and then actually started heading toward her room!

In her fear, she quickly ran back to bed and covered her head with the blanket.

"Don't come over, don't come over! I'm not tasty!"

Click, click—the sound of the doorknob turning.

Chu Xinyi's heart leaped into her throat.

Fortunately, the "door-knocking ghost" didn't take any further action. It didn't open her door and instead walked away.

But from the sound of the footsteps, it seemed to be heading toward the second floor!

Chu Xinyi was immediately caught in a dilemma, hiding under the blanket, unsure of what to do.

Torn between her fear of ghosts and "saving brother-in-law," after a long, painful, and agonizing mental struggle, she tremblingly lifted the blanket, first peeking left and right to confirm the room was safe.

Then, hesitantly, she put on her shoes, and finally, with great determination, tried to make as little noise as possible as she turned the knob and opened her door.

She had to go save brother-in-law!

But she moved so slowly, taking three steps forward and two steps back. Who knows if by the time she reached the second floor, brother-in-law would have already been completely devoured by the ghost.

While Zhao Xiaoshuai wasn't drunk, Hao Jinghan was genuinely a bit tipsy.

She wasn't as blackout drunk as she pretended to be, but she was still dizzy.

Although her thoughts were clear and she knew what she was doing, she had also become more emotional than usual.

In other words, she was feeling a bit impulsive.

Zhao Xiaoshuai matched her aesthetic preferences in every way.

He was handsome, had a very strong physique, could take a hit, and had a high talent for martial arts—he was practically the lover she had dreamed of in her youth.

Moreover, he was kind enough, or rather, responsible. Even though his sudden wealth came from an inheritance, not everyone would be willing to donate a large portion of it to charity.

On top of that, she had gotten along very well with him today. His gentle comfort and his companionship during her weakest moments had all made her feel intoxicated.

In the end, he not only outdrank her but also passed her final test of character, firmly earning the label of "the one."

Hao Jinghan initially only had a favorable impression of him, but as the alcohol took effect, she grew more and more infatuated.

[Favorability +1]

[Favorability +1]

...

Gradually, her whole body began to heat up. Finally, she leaped up from the bed, following the deep-seated impulse within her, opened the door, and walked out.

She wanted to find him, right now, immediately. She wanted to see him, very, very badly.

When she reached the first-floor hall, she heard some noise and thought Zhao Xiaoshuai might be staying there. She tried turning the doorknob, but when it didn't open, she gave up.

A grown man, especially such a strong one, wouldn't logically lock his door while sleeping in his own home.

If that were really the case, then tonight would simply mean theirfate (fate) had run its course.

Hao Jinghan went up to the second floor and, sure enough, the door opened with a turn of the knob.

She saw the man who made her hormones go wild, lying there quietly.

Her heartbeat grew faster and faster. A voice in her mind kept reminding her to be rational: "You've only just met him twice!"

But she no longer cared. She took another step forward.

Actually, she hadn't known Zhao Xiaoshuai for just a day or two.

Initially, she saw news about him in the newspaper. While admiring him, she couldn't help but develop a strong interest in this young, handsome entrepreneur.

Later, after her younger brother noticed her inquiries about him, he told her many stories.

His bizarre and domineering methods of catching telecom fraudsters struck her as both fascinating and satisfying.

Her brother spoke highly of him, often mentioning him at home. Eventually, even their usually stern father became interested and even talked about inviting him over for a family dinner.

Countless important figures had eagerly sought to invite her father for a meal, but he had never agreed before.

Snapping back to reality, she had already reached the bedside.

Zhao Xiaoshuai's breathing was steady and slow, as if he were still sound asleep.

"No matter how many times I look, I still think he's really handsome."

Hao Jinghan lifted the blanket and slipped in beside him.