38: Something

This kid... really has something.

Zhong Lin also burst out laughing, her eyes full of admiration as she looked at Lin Chao.

"Meng Ya, this younger brother of yours is really good at doing business."

"It seems those two glasses of wine weren't drunk in vain."

She picked up her wine glass, swirled it gently, but her gaze fell on Chen Yuzhu, who looked embarrassed.

"Yuzhu, look at Bingqing. Two glasses of wine, and she ordered two sets."

Zhong Lin spoke slowly, each word hitting Chen Yuzhu's heart like a small hammer.

"Since you've only had one glass, it seems... you only plan to order one set?"

Her words seemed like teasing, but in reality, she was backing Chen Yuzhu into a corner.

Zhong Lin knew exactly what was going on.

Tonight, she had praised Lin Chao to the heavens, saying how good his massage skills were.

As a result, Zheng Bingqing and Chen Yuzhu, who were meeting him for the first time, didn't take him seriously at all and tried to intimidate him right from the start.

Where would Zhong Lin's face be if this continued?

No matter what, she had to help Lin Chao clinch these deals.

Chen Yuzhu's face was already so dark it looked like ink could drip from it.

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her wine glass.

She dryly raised her glass and took a small sip; the expensive liquor tasted more bitter than Coptis in her mouth.

"Then... I'll order one set!"

She practically squeezed these words out from between her teeth.

"In our house, only the master bedroom needs one."

In her heart, she cursed Zhong Lin eight hundred times.

Isn't a Massage Bed costing over a hundred thousand yuan just a total IQ tax?

Usually, when she bought a bag worth tens of thousands, her stingy husband would nag her for ages, wishing she'd print out all her spending records for the accounts.

If he found out she spent 128,000 on a "useless thing"... Chen Yuzhu didn't even dare to imagine the consequences.

Because her husband was so strict, she didn't come to this Rich Womens Club every time.

Basically, it was only on nights like tonight, when Zhong Lin or Xie Mengya treated, that she would shamelessly tag along for the free food and drinks.

On the other side, Zheng Bingqing also curled her lip slightly.

Holding her wine glass, she caught a glimpse of the pained expression on Chen Yuzhu's face out of the corner of her eye.

She naturally understood the subtext of Zhong Lin's words.

This was a warning to others, and it was also a way to flatter Zheng Bingqing.

However, Zhong Lin was so blatantly siding with an outsider.

She was even disregarding the feelings of her old friends.

This made Zheng Bingqing feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Just then, Lin Chao's gaze shifted over at just the right moment.

As if he hadn't seen the flash of displeasure on Zheng Bingqing's face, he still wore that innocent and bright smile.

He picked up a fresh glass from the table and poured himself another full glass of liquor.

The amber liquid sloshed in the crystal glass, shimmering with a hazy light.

"Mrs. Zheng is generous, ordering two sets."

"Mrs. Chen is straightforward, ordering one set."

He raised his glass, his gaze sweeping across both their faces.

"Since you two sisters are looking out for my business, I, Lin Chao, will drink first as a sign of respect!"

Before his voice could fade, he tilted his head back.

He downed the full glass of strong liquor in one go.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he finished every last drop.

His gesture instantly softened the sour expressions on Chen Yuzhu and Zheng Bingqing's faces.

This kid knew how things worked.

But as soon as the wine hit his stomach, Lin Chao felt something was wrong.

A burning sensation surged from his esophagus down into his stomach.

It felt as if he had swallowed a lump of burning coal.

He forced himself to endure the churning in his stomach, keeping a polite smile on his face.

He stood up and gave a slight bow.

"Sisters, please excuse me for a moment while I go to the restroom."

His movements were calm and his manners impeccable; there wasn't the slightest hint that anything was wrong.

The moment he left, Zhong Lin set down her glass.

She gave Chen Yuzhu and Zheng Bingqing a reproachful look.

"Look at you two!"

"Look at what you've done to my dear younger brother!"

"He came here to spend time with us, and you forced him to drink so much!"

Chen Yuzhu and Zheng Bingqing looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Sister Lin, you can't blame us. He chose to drink it himself."

Zheng Bingqing swirled her glass and added, "Exactly. He's young; he can handle his liquor!"

The small disturbance was brushed aside with a few jokes.

They pulled Zhong Lin back into the fun and began playing dice with great enthusiasm.

Xie Mengya, however, did not join in.

She watched the direction Lin Chao had gone, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

She was a bit worried.

After saying a quick word to Zhong Lin, she also stood up and followed him.

The ensuite bathroom in the private booth was luxurious and clean.

As soon as Lin Chao entered, he closed the door behind him.

He rushed to the sink, turned on the faucet, and splashed handfuls of cold water onto his face.

The icy touch cleared his muddled head a little.

He looked up, seeing his flushed face in the mirror, though his eyes remained clear.

He had never really drunk like this before.

He was called a Gold Medal Salesperson, but he relied on his hard work and smooth talking, building his performance sale by sale.

He couldn't afford this kind of extravagant lifestyle, nor did he know how to navigate it.

Not to mention downing four consecutive glasses of neat liquor.

His head was already starting to buzz.

He raised his hand, his fingertips still dripping with water, preparing to massage his temples to sober up.

But before his fingers could touch his skin—

*Click.*

A soft sound echoed.

The bathroom door he had locked was actually opened from the outside with a key.

Lin Chao's movements froze instantly.

He spun around.

He saw Xie Mengya's figure appearing at the door.

She had dropped the nonchalant expression she wore in the booth; beneath her exquisite makeup, her beautiful eyes were filled with undisguised worry.

"Brother, are you okay?"

Her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of an undetectable tremor.

Lin Chao immediately stood up straight, forcing a relaxed smile onto his face.

"I'm fine, Sister Mengya."

"I just drank a bit too fast. I'll be fine after a little break in here."

Xie Mengya didn't say anything; she simply stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

The sound of her high heels clicking against the marble floor seemed to step right on Lin Chao's heartbeat.

She stopped two paces away from him.

After a moment of silence, she spoke softly.

"Just now... I didn't help you. You're not angry, are you?"

Lin Chao was stunned for a moment.

Then, he let out a wry laugh.

"How could I be?"

His smile held a touch of sincere helplessness.

"This is my line of work; it's my job."

"Sister Mengya gave me this opportunity to meet these big clients. I couldn't be happier!"

He was speaking from the heart.

At that moment, Xie Mengya's feelings became complicated.

She looked at the young man before her, who was clearly dizzy but still forcing a smile for her.

He was clearly younger than her, yet he always put on a mature front, acting as if he could handle anything.