"Ah, it's your birthday today? Why didn't you say so earlier? I would have bought you a birthday gift."
Chen Feng replied with a look of embarrassment.
"I'm not a child, I don't need birthday gifts. A meal and some good wine is more than enough."
Cheng Lu replied with a smile.
"Alright then, since it's your birthday today, let's drink to our hearts' content."
As Chen Feng spoke, he uncorked both bottles of red wine.
And so, the two of them happily chatted about their journey together, the little moments they shared, while drinking red wine.
Before they knew it, the two bottles of red wine were finished.
"Let's have another bottle."
Cheng Lu said, her face flushed and tipsy.
"Don't you think that's enough? One bottle of red wine each is already plenty."
Chen Feng advised in a low voice.
"Today is a happy occasion, we must have one more... drink..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Cheng Lu fell asleep on the table.
Chen Feng felt a bit dizzy.
Cheng Lu's alcohol tolerance was far worse than he had imagined.
Without further thought, Chen Feng picked up Cheng Lu and headed to a hotel room.
Upon reaching the hotel room, Chen Feng placed Cheng Lu on the bed. Just as he was about to get up and leave, Cheng Lu suddenly hooked her arm around his neck.
"Chen Feng, tell me honestly, have you ever drunk as freely with Zhu Hangyi?"
Cheng Lu's sudden question caught Chen Feng off guard.
*Damn it,*
*What's going on?*
Didn't Cheng Lu get drunk? How could she suddenly speak so clearly and ask such an awkward question?
"Miss Cheng, you're not drunk?"
Chen Feng asked tentatively.
"Although I'm not very involved in the political arena, my family is quite wealthy in Jiangcheng. I usually drink, so my alcohol tolerance is not worse than yours."
Miss Cheng said with a smile, her arms still around Chen Feng's neck.
"Then why were you pretending to be drunk?"
Chen Feng asked curiously.
"If I hadn't pretended to be asleep, would you dare to carry me into a hotel room?"
Cheng Lu said, her face flushed.
It was hard to tell if the flush was from the wine or from budding affection.
"Miss Cheng, this joke is a bit too much."
Chen Feng replied tentatively.
Honestly, he had no idea what Cheng Lu was up to.
"You're unmarried, I'm unmarried. Do you think this is a joke?"
Cheng Lu continued to hold onto Chen Feng's neck tightly.
Chen Feng's body pressed down on Cheng Lu, and the two of them made intimate contact.
If it were any other woman beneath him at this moment, Chen Feng would have no hesitation in unleashing his primal desires.
However, Cheng Lu was not just any woman.
He had heard from Qin Yan that Cheng Lu had an extraordinary status in Jiangcheng. If he were to sleep with Cheng Lu, it would be a serious mistake.
Cheng Lu herself might not be a huge problem; a woman could be coaxed with sweet words.
But Cheng Lu's family would surely spare no effort to seek retribution.
He was just a graduate from a second-tier university from a rural background. In the eyes of the Cheng family, he was definitely not good enough for Cheng Lu.
Therefore, no matter how strong his hormones surged, he had to restrain himself.
In the political arena, there were far too many examples of careers being ruined because of women. He had to hold back!
"Miss Cheng, you are so beautiful, and you are the young lady of Jiangcheng. I am merely a driver, a village head. I truly do not deserve you."
Chen Feng explained earnestly.
"If I say you do, then you do."
Cheng Lu looked at Chen Feng with deep affection.
"Miss Cheng, thank you for thinking so highly of me. However, have you considered one thing? You may think highly of me, but what about your family? Do families in big cities look favorably upon someone from a rural background?"
Chen Feng retorted directly.
"The emperor is far away, so let's not think about it for now. Happiness is in the present!"
Cheng Lu didn't quite know how to answer Chen Feng's rhetorical question.
"It's true that we don't need to think about it right now. But if we act impulsively, it will only make your family dislike me even more, and then there will be no possibility of anything between us."
Chen Feng earnestly persuaded Cheng Lu.
Regardless of whether Cheng Lu's actions were impulsive due to the wine or a long-held desire, he had to dissuade her.
The idea of a poor boy sleeping with a rich girl and then becoming successful was mere fantasy in novels; it was absolutely impossible in reality.
Wealthy families and influential families, when marrying off their daughters, absolutely sought a match in terms of social standing!
"Chen Feng, you're such a killjoy! I deliberately drank a bottle of red wine today to numb myself and not think about these things, but you insist on bringing them up. Can't you just act impulsively, without any regard for the consequences..."
Cheng Lu said with a hint of grievance.
"Miss Cheng, I could act without regard. But because I genuinely love you, I cannot act without regard."
To extinguish Cheng Lu's impulse, Chen Feng no longer cared whether his words were sweet talk or not.
He was in a crucial stage of his development in the political arena and absolutely could not make a mistake because of a woman.
"What do you mean?"
"I genuinely like you, and I don't want to see you suffer. If we have a happy time today, but what if your family finds out someday? They will definitely not let you be with me anymore. In that case, it would be better to maintain the status quo and let me develop slowly. When I achieve great success one day, your family won't be able to stop us anymore. Miss Cheng, you must remain calm. Our situation is not like other young couples; other couples can be spontaneous, but we cannot!"
"Chen Feng, is everything you're saying true? You're not just trying to comfort me, are you?"
Cheng Lu's heart was filled with warmth.
"Miss Cheng, think about it. If I didn't consider you and just impulsively slept with you, without caring what your family thought or did, and only cared about my physical pleasure, would I be like this? I can't. You are not just physical pleasure to me; you are also a spiritual love. I must consider the long term. Rest assured, as long as I work hard in the political arena, one day I will go to Jiangcheng to hold office, then to the provincial capital, and then to the capital. By then, your family will be too late to agree, how could they possibly stop us? Therefore, you must not let a moment's impatience ruin a great plan."
Chen Feng replied earnestly.
"Chen Feng, you're so eloquent. I'm surprised Zhu Hangyi was willing to break up with you."
Cheng Lu said with a laugh, then signaled Chen Feng that he could get off her.
"She didn't have your foresight."
"What do you mean?"
"Zhu Hangyi thought I would be poor forever, so she eagerly went to a rich second-generation. But you are different. You saw my potential, and despite your family's opposition, you still like being with me. That's the difference!"
Chen Feng seized the opportunity to praise Cheng Lu.
"That's true! To be honest, when you were driving for Qin Yan, I already knew you were no ordinary man. Otherwise, with so many people in Jiangcheng, why would I specifically want to work with you?"
Cheng Lu looked at Chen Feng with excitement.
"To be fair, my small achievements are inseparable from you and Mayor Qin. You two are my benefactors for life! Alright, let's stop praising each other for today. Get some sleep early, you still need to help me with financing in Jiangcheng tomorrow."
Chen Feng said seriously.
"Chen Feng, twenty million yuan in financing is not a small sum; it will require a great deal of effort. I have a habit: if I don't sleep well at night, I won't have the energy to work during the day..."
Cheng Lu said meaningfully.
"Miss Cheng, what will make you sleep well then?"
Looking at Cheng Lu's fiery gaze, Chen Feng asked deliberately.