Moreover, during this process, Xie Xiaojiang gradually began to admire and appreciate Wei Yuhuan.
After all, no matter what this man’s romantic history was like, he really was well-traveled, cultured, refined, and capable of deceiving a young man with only a high school education.
Xie Xiaojiang had never taken a stroll by the Thames River, stayed up late in a century-old library writing a paper, attended an opera at the Broadway, or attended a finance exchange party with a group of well-dressed and polite successful people in a towering commercial building.
One could say that Wei Yuhuan showed him a world he had never seen before and could not have imagined. In this world, Wei Yuhuan protected him, did not allow anyone to discriminate against him, and let him dress up and pretend to be like them.
Unlike two years ago when he first came to S City, Xie Xiaojiang was rustic, inferior, and timid. After being deceived by a fellow villager, he became angry and desperate, and had to tread carefully and cautiously to make a living.
At the time, his inner world was also greatly shaken due to the gap between his hometown and the big city. However, despite his humble circumstances, he still harbored a small hope of climbing up through his own efforts. He wanted to support his younger sister’s education, have a decent job, and even thought of taking some night classes to supplement his knowledge in a few years when he had some spare money and time… he couldn’t think any further.
There is a saying that the size of one’s heart determines the size of the world.
If the previous Xie Xiaojiang could only look up to the clouds from the bottom of the well and imagine the boundaries of the sky, then the current him seemed to have been taken up to the sky by Wei Yuhuan and stood on the clouds, looking down on all living beings.
What he could see and think was as different as heaven and earth.
The only remaining guard and fear towards Wei Yuhuan also disappeared after Xie Xiaojiang secretly called his sister once.
Xie Xiaoxi told Xie Xiaojiang on the phone that someone had indeed approached her recently, but the school’s teachers all knew about it. It was said that someone had learned about their family situation and wanted to support her education, but the matter was still unresolved. It was said that the other party wanted to investigate further.
After hearing this, Xie Xiaojiang was filled with mixed emotions. Although this may have been Wei Yuhuan’s way of approaching Xie Xiaoxi, it was not as threatening as Wei Yuhuan had mentioned before.
Afterwards, Xie Xiaojiang did not mention this matter to Wei Yuhuan. He was not foolish enough to repeatedly expose his weaknesses. It would be best if Wei Yuhuan did not remember.
After the bruise in his stomach had completely healed, Wei Yuhuan took him to the hospital for a detailed physical examination, saying that it was necessary preparation for “drinking alcohol,” and Xie Xiaojiang cooperated throughout the whole process.
When the physical examination report came out, Wei Yuhuan took Xie Xiaojiang to try some wine. He even found a doctor friend and brought an emergency anti-drunk injection in case of any accidents.
Xie Xiaojiang said, “Why make such a big deal out of it? If I feel like it’s too much, I’ll know myself.”
After a month of getting to know each other, Xie Xiaojiang was less restrained around Wei Yuhuan. Previously, he would address him as “boss” or “General Manager Wei,” but at Wei Yuhuan’s request, he now called him “Yu Ge.”
Wei Yuhuan said, “It’s not just a few ounces you’ll be drinking, but several pounds. Can’t you be more careful? Moreover, some people may not have much of a physiological reaction to alcohol, but the actual amount of alcohol they consume may already exceed what their bodies can handle. That can be fatal.”
Xie Xiaojiang scratched his head and said with a smile, “Okay, you’re the boss.”
Looking at his careless demeanor, Wei Yuhuan was both angry and amused. How could he act like he had no worries in the world?
“Oh, by the way, I have two other friends coming over besides the doctor,” Wei Yuhuan said.
Xie Xiaojiang asked casually, “Who are they?” In the past month, Wei Yuhuan had taken him to see various bosses and managers, so he was used to it by now.
Wei Yuhuan replied, “You’ve met them before.”
“Met them before?” Xie Xiaojiang tilted his head and quickly remembered, “Are they the two guys we saw at ‘Hao Hua’ last time?”
“You have a good memory,” Wei Yuhuan lightly patted his head, a very intimate gesture that felt more like a gentle touch than a pat, as if he were treating a child. During this time, Wei Yuhuan had often made these small gestures towards Xie Xiaojiang, perhaps because he was small and had a youthful appearance, which made him feel a natural sense of taking care of a child.
Xie Xiaojiang chuckled and asked, “Don’t you feel embarrassed to bring me to meet them after I kicked you there last time?”
Wei Yuhuan was confused. “Why would I feel embarrassed?”
Xie Xiaojiang stuck out his tongue and said, “I kicked you there before, didn’t I?”
Wei Yuhuan gritted his teeth and said his name through clenched teeth, “Xie… Xiao… Jiang…”
Xie Xiaojiang tried to run, but Wei Yuhuan grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him back, whispering in his ear with a sinister smile, “You’re brave, aren’t you? Have I been too polite to you?”
Xie Xiaojiang protected his neck from being choked by his clothes and begged for mercy, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Although he was apologizing, there was a hint of laughter in his tone, and he didn’t take Wei Yuhuan’s threat seriously.
Wei Yuhuan did release him and playfully gave him a pat on the head, saying “You little troublemaker.”
Xie Xiaojiang exclaimed “ouch!” and then quickly retreated into the private room.
Just then, Qi Muying and Shao Yongyang arrived. They had heard about Wei Yuhuan “catching” Xie Xiaojiang earlier, but hadn’t had a chance to see them until now. They came specifically to watch the show, hearing that Wei Yuhuan was going to “test” Xie Xiaojiang with some drinks.
Xie Xiaojiang greeted the two of them politely, and Shao Yongyang was surprised, “Hey, isn’t this the guy from ‘Huanbao’?” Even Qi Muying was impressed. He and Wei Yuhuan had different tastes in men.
It must be said that Wei Yuhuan had a keen eye for choosing partners. When Qi Muying saw the screenshots of Wei Yuhuan’s chosen partner, he didn’t think much of it. After all, a person’s charm doesn’t just come from their appearance. But seeing Xie Xiaojiang in person, he felt that he had undergone a significant transformation.
This seafood restaurant was famous for its seafood, so Shao Yongyang took Wei Yuhuan to the lobby to pick out some fresh seafood. He took the opportunity to ask, “Hey, did you two hook up yet?”
Wei Yuhuan replied, “Not yet.”
Shao Yongyang was skeptical, “Not yet? It’s been a month, come on!”
Wei Yuhuan looked at the king crabs bound by rope and thought of Xie Xiaojiang. “What’s the rush? If he’s mine, even if he grows eight legs, he can’t run away.” He then pointed at the one with the most active eyes and said to the server, “That one, half steamed with scallions and half fried with flour.”
Shao Yongyang said, “But you’re also amazing. How did you convince him to let you pour him so much alcohol? Your revenge tactics are also brilliant.”
Wei Yuhuan wiped his wet hands with a towel and said, “It’s not revenge, I really wanted to test his alcohol tolerance.”
Shao Yongyang was surprised, “Ah?”
Wei Yuhuan didn’t answer him and instead picked out some fresh abalone and scallops. The two of them then returned to the private room.
Inside, the doctor Wei Yuhuan had invited was already there. Xie Xiaojiang was chatting with them, looking lively and energetic.
Wei Yuhuan called the server over and ordered four bottles of 52-degree Wuliangye. To avoid confusion, the rest of the group ordered a different brand of 45-degree white wine.
The drinks and dishes arrived, and everyone took a round of shots. The others used small glasses, but Xie Xiaojiang used a large one.
Everyone was there for Xie Xiaojiang’s drinking capacity, and he didn’t hold back either. While others took a small cup, he took a big one. In just half an hour, they had already finished a bottle of Wuliangye that held almost a kilogram.
It was only one bottle, and they still had a long way to go to reach their goal, but Xie Xiaojiang’s ears were already red.
Wei Yuhuan couldn’t quite remember what Xie Xiaojiang’s reaction was after he drank last time. In the dimly lit “Hanyao” private room, he only remembered Xie Xiaojiang’s sly and lively eyes.
After the second bottle, Xie Xiaojiang’s neck was also a little red.
Two kilograms of 52-degree Wuliangye was already considered an excellent drinking capacity among ordinary people. Although Xie Xiaojiang’s neck and ears were turning red, everyone seemed not to notice and cheered for him. Only Wei Yuhuan began to feel inexplicably nervous.
Xie Xiaojiang said that when he was twelve years old, he accompanied his grandfather to drink a ten-kilogram jar of Daqu. What if this memory was wrong? What if the alcohol content of that ten-kilogram jar was not that high? What if he was already drunk but didn’t even know what being drunk was? Wei Yuhuan knew that kids this age always liked to show off.
When they opened the third bottle of wine, Xie Xiaojiang filled his own cup, ready to drink, but was stopped by Wei Yuhuan. “Slow down, eat something first.” He scooped a bowl of oyster soup for Xie Xiaojiang.
Xie Xiaojiang took a glance at it and said, “No, I won’t be able to drink after eating.” After that, he picked up his cup and slowly drank it. Everyone was watching his reaction, but they saw him put down his cup, pat his stomach, and belch after a while, “I’m full.”
Wei Yuhuan: “…”
After finishing the third bottle of wine, Xie Xiaojiang went to the bathroom. Wei Yuhuan was anxious and couldn’t even eat anything.
When Xie Xiaojiang came back, he hurriedly asked, “How are you feeling? Are you dizzy? Do you want to vomit?”
Xie Xiaojiang shook his head slowly and said, “I’m fine, not dizzy, and don’t want to vomit.”
Wei Yuhuan: “…”
Shao Yongyang opened the fourth bottle of wine and spun it to Xie Xiaojiang, smiling and asking, “Can you still handle it?” He was the most fearful one in the room.
Xie Xiaojiang smiled and took the wine, saying, “Of course.”
Shao Yongyang gave him a thumbs up and said, “Xiao Xie, you are amazing!”
Xie Xiaojiang drank the fourth bottle of alcohol very slowly, sipping and savoring each drop. It was unclear whether his slow pace was due to a small stomach capacity or if he was beginning to gauge his limits.
Once he finished, Shao Yongyang leaned in and held up two fingers, asking Xie Xiaojiang, “What number is this?”
“Two,” Xie Xiaojiang responded, albeit with a noticeable delay in his reaction time.
“Amazing,” Shao Yongyang exclaimed.
Qi Muying also exclaimed, “He’s already on his fourth bottle, he must be close to his limit, right?”
The group stopped teasing Xie Xiaojiang, particularly Wei Yuhuan, the doctor among them, who carefully observed Xie Xiaojian’s every reaction.
Xie Xiaojiang slammed his hand on the table, declaring with a fierce attitude, “I can still drink!”
The others were speechless.
Wei Yuhuan turned to the waiter and said, “Bring another bottle.”
The doctor frowned and said, “Mr. Wei, I’m afraid he’ll be drunk if he drinks any more.” For a normal person, this amount would lead to alcohol poisoning 99% of the time.
Wei Yuhuan had initially been overly concerned, but he had now become calm. If Wang Daqi’s alcohol limit was five jin, and Xie Xiaojiang was still capable of drinking more, it would be a shame to stop him prematurely due to personal feelings. It was better to assess his limits now, rather than take a risk later on.
Wei Yuhuan looked at Xie Xiaojiang’s slightly damp eyes due to alcohol and said, “Let him try.”
Leave a Reply