99: This is my favorite younger brother.

"It's me."

Lin Chao's voice was deep and magnetic.

"Have you been drinking?"

A soft chuckle came from the other end of the line, carrying a hint of tipsy charm.

"I have."

"Why?"

"Is my little brother... coming to pick me up?"

That "little brother" was spoken with many twists and turns, full of the unspoken banter between adults.

Lin Chao's fingers, gripping the steering wheel, tapped lightly.

"Okay."

"I'm coming over now."

Xie Mengya clearly paused on the other end.

Her body, which had been lazily leaning against the chair in the private room, instantly sat upright, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Are you... serious?"

"You're really coming?"

There wasn't the slightest hint of joking in Lin Chao's tone.

"Yes."

"You've been drinking, so you can't drive."

This reason sounded impeccable and full of consideration.

A thought flashed through Xie Mengya's mind: Does he not know that designated drivers exist?

But the uncontrollable smile at the corner of her mouth betrayed her current mood.

She raised her hand to take a sip of the red wine in her glass, the smile in her voice growing even stronger.

"Then come on over."

"Coincidentally, I've had a bit too much to drink here, and my head is feeling dizzy."

She paused, lowering her voice even further, with a hook-like allure.

"Come and help your sister drink a bit?"

A faint curve finally appeared at the corner of Lin Chao's mouth.

"Half an hour."

"I'll be there soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Chao didn't even wait for Xie Mengya's response before sharply turning the steering wheel.

The black sedan carved a sharp arc through the night, turning around and speeding off in the direction completely opposite to home.

After hanging up, the smile on Xie Mengya's lips could no longer be hidden.

That phrase, "Half an hour, I'll be there soon," was crisp and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.

This feeling of clearly being on someone's mind made the wine glass in her hand seem a few degrees sweeter.

She raised her glass again, her smile many times more radiant than before, as she resumed drinking and chatting with the clients at the table.

The bit of annoyance in her heart had long been blown away by this phone call... Half an hour later, the black sedan slid into the Cantonese restaurant's parking lot on time.

Lin Chao didn't get out of the car immediately.

He parked the car in an inconspicuous corner and tapped on his phone screen to send Xie Mengya a message.

[I'm here, in the parking lot.]

Inside the "Peony Hall," after three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere was at its peak.

Xie Mengya's phone vibrated lightly on the table.

She glanced at it, and a barely perceptible curve of triumph rose at the corner of her lips.

She put down her wine glass and smiled apologetically at everyone at the table. "Excuse me, I need to take a call."

Saying this, she didn't reply to the message but instead dialed Lin Chao's number directly.

The other end picked up almost instantly.

"What are you doing outside? Waiting for mushrooms to grow?"

Xie Mengya's voice carried a hint of lazy reproach.

A soft laugh from Lin Chao came through the receiver. "Waiting for Sister's orders."

Xie Mengya was amused by his half-serious compliment, her eyes shimmering. "Come in, Peony Hall."

"Okay."

Lin Chao hung up the phone and pushed open the car door to get out.

He straightened his collar and walked calmly into the brightly lit Cantonese restaurant.

Led by a waiter, he arrived at the door of the "Peony Hall."

As soon as the door was pushed open a crack, a wave of heat mixed with the scent of alcohol and food rushed toward him.

The clamor and laughter instantly enveloped him.

Inside the private room, lights were colorful, and smoke filled the air.

Three men and two women were surrounding Xie Mengya, chatting and laughing, each with a bit of a drunken flush on their faces.

Xie Mengya was holding a wine glass, smiling beautifully. When her gaze swept to the door and saw Lin Chao, her beautiful eyes instantly lit up.

It was a light mixed with joy and a desire for control, as if a prey had finally stepped into a trap.

She put down her glass and smiled at everyone. "Everyone, stop for a moment. I want to introduce someone to you."

Everyone's eyes turned in unison toward Lin Chao at the door.

Scrutiny, curiosity, and a bit of playful amusement.

"This is a little brother I like very much, Lin Chao."

Xie Mengya waved at Lin Chao, her tone intimate with the familiarity of family.

"Come here, let them see you too, and have a few drinks with you."

With a perfectly polite smile on his face, Lin Chao walked in.

"Hello, brothers and sisters."

His voice was clear, and his attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, instantly winning over some goodwill.

The observant waiter handed him an empty glass.

Lin Chao took it and, without any hesitation, picked up the Moutai on the table and poured himself a full glass.

The clear liquid sloshed in the glass, emitting a pungent aroma.

He raised the glass and said with a touch of apology and sincerity, "I'm late, I'm really sorry."

"My tolerance isn't great, but since I'm here, I can't spoil the mood for Sister Mengya and everyone else."

"I'll start by penalizing myself with a drink. To everyone!"

Before the words had even faded, he tilted his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He downed the full glass of liquor in one go.

The whole process was smooth and decisive.

*Bang!*

The glass was slammed onto the table, not a drop left.

After a brief silence, a burst of enthusiastic cheering erupted in the room.

"Good!"

"This little brother is straightforward!"

A middle-aged man laughed and clapped.

Xie Mengya laughed so hard she trembled, pulling Lin Chao into the empty seat beside her.

Her hand naturally rested on Lin Chao's shoulder as she leaned into his ear, her alcohol-tinged breath brushing against his earlobe.

"What do you want to eat? I'll have them bring out a few more dishes."

"I just ate," Lin Chao replied softly, quietly pulling away a bit.

"Then have some tea." Xie Mengya immediately said to the waiter, "Bring him a pot of the best Pu'er to help him sober up."

She turned her head and gave Lin Chao a mock-reproachful glare. "Why drink so aggressively?"

"Have you forgotten how you acted when you drank too much at the club last time?"

This sentence was both a concern and a subtle boast, declaring her unusual relationship with Lin Chao to the people at the table.

Hearing this, Lin Chao just smiled. "I was just afraid of embarrassing Sister Mengya."

He spoke flawlessly, giving Xie Mengya face while appearing sensible.

His gaze swept imperceptibly over everyone at the table.

He didn't know a single one of them.

Their attire was quite sophisticated, and although they looked at him with scrutiny, there was no hostility.

Lin Chao felt reassured.

It seemed Xie Mengya really called him over as a friend to bolster her presence.

It indeed had nothing to do with Zheng Guangzhi's circle.

With the weight lifted from his heart, Lin Chao relaxed completely.

He picked up the cup of Pu'er tea and took a small sip.

The tea's aroma was mellow, perfectly cutting through the pungency of the Moutai.

He had thought that Xie Mengya's dinner party would be about projects, investments, and business deals worth tens or hundreds of millions.

But after listening for a while, his ears were filled with nothing but romantic affairs and secret scandals within the circle.

"Have you heard? Chairman Wang of Tiansheng Group lost eight figures in Macau last week."

"That new little secretary of his was actually an undercover agent sent by a rival company!"

"And that daughter of the Li family, with her fitness coach... tsk tsk, they're really playing around."

One explosive piece of news after another circled above the dinner table.