"You're still eating?" Yu He teased.
Ye Qichen laughed.
Despite her slender frame, Yu He had a good appetite. Unlike many girls who ate like birds to maintain their figures, Yu He usually cleaned her plate and had a particular fondness for sweets.
"You can take this back. I wanted to ask you how you got out?" he said.
He had spent the entire afternoon trying to find someone to bail Yu He out, but as soon as they heard it involved Qin Meimei and Zhao Xincheng, no one dared to help, citing they couldn't afford to offend them or shake their status.
It wasn't until he received a call from Cheng Lizhu saying Yu He was back.
He was quite curious how Qin Meimei and the others would let Yu He go so easily. After asking around, he learned that Shao Chen and Duan Aiguo had gone to the station.
Yu He knew Shao Chen?
"It wasn't you? Then who was it..." Yu He was a bit surprised.
A perfect face that defied all reason suddenly flashed in her mind. Was it Qin Beiting?
---
Tian Yu.
Qin Beiting, dressed in a form-fitting black shirt and slim trousers that accentuated his long legs, sat on the sofa, his finely-boned fingers holding a wine glass, gently swirling the red liquid within.
Shao Chen sat opposite him, a cigar clamped in his left hand, his right hand holding a wine glass, the XO and ice within clinking rhythmically as he swirled it.
"Brother Ting, I admit I was wrong before. Three cups as a penalty," Shao Chen said.
After resolutely downing three cups, he continued:
"It's not just that 'no woman can't be wooed if enough money is spent,' another condition needs to be added."
Qin Beiting raised an eyebrow, signaling him to go on.
"Power."
This was Shao Chen's biggest realization after seeing Yu He at the police station that day.
He had seen all sorts of women, but Yu He was unlike any he had encountered before – beautiful, well-figured, aloof, and possessing an attitude that made her not easily conquerable.
Qin Beiting: "..."
"But aren't you being a bit too low-key lately? Letting that trash Qin Meimei dare to bully Sister-in-law." Shao Chen flicked ash from his cigar.
Qin Beiting took a sip of red wine. "The harsh winter is coming. The Gu family can be bankrupted."
"But ultimately, your pursuit of her is too slow. People outside don't even know she's your woman. Should I help you?" Shao Chen raised an eyebrow.
If Yu He wasn't already the woman Qin Beiting had his eye on, he would have been genuinely interested in pursuing her for fun.
The colder a woman was, the more it ignited his desire to conquer.
"No need. You can get out!" Qin Beiting said without any politeness.
"Tsk, kicking me out after using me. Only you dare treat me like this!" Shao Chen grumbled.
But he still tilted his head back, finished the wine in his glass, and stood up.
*Click.*
At that moment, the electronic lock on the door suddenly clicked open, and then the door was pushed open.
As Yu He entered, she was met with a strong smell of smoke and alcohol. Her beautiful brows furrowed slightly, and her peach blossom eyes looked towards the sofa.
She saw a haze of smoke, several half-empty bottles of foreign liquor on the coffee table, and Qin Beiting sitting on the sofa, a wine glass still in his hand.
Her cool gaze met Qin Beiting's steadily, her expressionless.
She had come back specifically to thank Qin Beiting in person, only to find him drinking behind her back!
His wound hadn't fully healed, and he was supposed to avoid alcohol and spicy food.
She had only been gone for a day, and he was already breaking his diet. Had he done anything else behind her back?
Qin Beiting hadn't expected Yu He to return so suddenly and was caught red-handed.
Didn't Yu He go back to the Ye family?
The next second, he raised his wine glass to Shao Chen, his thin lips moving. "This cup is for thanking you, Mr. Shao, for your great help. I will repay this favor a hundredfold in the future. I'll finish this, you can do as you please."
With that, he tilted his head back and downed the red wine in one gulp.
Then, as if on cue, he coughed a few times, as if he had choked.
Shao Chen, caught off guard: "???"
Didn't you just tell me to get out?
How did it turn into me bothering you in the blink of an eye?
Damn, did I suddenly become the scapegoat?
For the sake of brotherhood and his happiness, being a scapegoat was fine.
But Brother Ting, being controlled this tightly, is that really okay?
"Mr. Shao, thank you today. This is a life-saving pill I made myself, as a token of my gratitude." Yu He took a small brocade box from her bag and handed it to him.
The small black brocade box made her fingers look fair and slender, like soft jade.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile graced her cool countenance, her rosy lips curving slightly. Shao Chen felt as though he wasn't being handed a life-saving pill, but a death-warrant.
But a gift from a beautiful sister-in-law, even if it were poison, he would happily accept.
He took it and casually stuffed it into his pocket. "You're welcome. Buy me a drink next time. I'm leaving."
Shao Chen didn't realize that this pill would indeed save his life, but that was a story for another day.
"Baby, I really didn't mean to drink."
As soon as the door closed, a hint of innocence colored Qin Beiting's handsome face.
He continued, "I was worried about you, but it wasn't convenient for me to pick you up, so I had to ask Shao Chen for help. He likes to drink, so I could only go along with his habits. But I really didn't drink much."
Yu He glanced again at the half-empty bottles on the coffee table. "..."
Didn't drink much?
Seeing her unmoved and even turning to leave, Qin Beiting suddenly stood up and swept his hand across the table.
A sharp sound of breaking glass, "Bang," pierced the air.
Yu He immediately turned back at the noise, and seeing him fall onto the coffee table, she rushed forward to help him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm not okay!"
Yu He checked his body and found no injuries. "..."
"Baby, I know I was wrong. Please don't be angry, okay?" Qin Beiting took advantage of the situation and played the innocent card.
"I'm not angry."
Qin Beiting scrutinized her exquisite face. "But you're not talking to me, and you're trying to leave."
"..."
"I was going to get you some hangover medicine," Yu He explained.
She was able to get out so smoothly and even turn the tables on Qin Meimei, thanks to Qin Beiting. The people he had called had been a great help.
She just couldn't bear to see him harming his body, and it made her a little angry, and a little concerned.
Qin Beiting's lips curved. "No need. My alcohol tolerance is quite good."
He had once undergone special training for an undercover mission, able to remain clear-headed after drinking three catties of baijiu.
Yu He: "..."
Although Qin Beiting said it wasn't necessary, she still went to get some hangover medicine. He was still taking anti-inflammatory drugs and needed to be careful.
Qin Beiting obediently cooperated. After what seemed like a long pause, he finally asked, "Even Shao Chen got a gift, but I didn't?"
Yu He: "..."
She knew he was deliberately playing the victim, but she still couldn't bring herself to expose him or refuse him.
She suddenly remembered the deal she had made with the Star Palace Master. The best gift she could give Qin Beiting was to cure his illness as soon as possible.
Therefore, she needed to quickly obtain the hundred-year-old ginseng to make medicine. As for the photos the Star Palace Master wanted...