Chapter 21

Worry breeds chaos.

Su Pu forgot to check the time upon waking. Rushing out of the room, he ran into Uncle Wang and realized it was already nearly nine o’clock.

Li Jichuan had long since gone to work.

Su Pu stood in the hallway, disappointed, trying to recall how he’d made it home the night before.

But his mind was blank.

At what point had he completely lost his memory?

“Uh… Su Ge… what are you doing here?”

A familiar voice made him glance up—he saw Ouyang, waking up in Li Jichuan’s apartment!

Ouyang looked rough around the edges, still trying to hide the traces of his hangover.

He shrugged and mumbled, “My whole body aches… did I get into a fight last night?”

Uncle Wang snorted.

“After all that drinking, getting carried home… of course your body hurts…”

Ouyang rubbed the back of his neck. “This is the first time I’ve ever been this drunk. Is this Mr. Li’s place?”

Uncle Wang chuckled teasingly and confirmed it.

“Wow, he usually seems so serious. Who would’ve thought he’d have such a kind heart?”

He said it belatedly, impressed.

“I thought he’d see us two drunkards as a nuisance and toss us out on the street.”

Uncle Wang puffed up his chest proudly. “Mr. Li isn’t that cold-hearted!”

“Exactly! But… it’s still Mr. Li’s house. The bed is soft and comfy, way better than my dorm bed… By the way, Su Ge, how did you sleep last night? You got drunk faster than I did. With that little alcohol, you were already hammered—if only you knew how hilarious you were last night…”

Su Pu stiffened and glared at Ouyang, signaling him to continue.

Ouyang grinned and began rambling to Uncle Wang and Su Pu.

“So last night, I went to the bathroom and came back to drink some more, and then I saw Su Ge hugging Mr. Li’s neck, pawing at him nonstop.”

“Haha, really?” Uncle Wang laughed, casting a teasing glance at Su Pu.

“Yeah! I was shocked, almost sobered up, and tried to pull him away. But don’t be fooled—Su Ge may be thin, but he’s strong. The harder I tried to pull him away, the tighter he clung. In the end… he ended up sitting on Mr. Li’s lap.”

Su Pu: !!!

He hurriedly shushed Ouyang, not wanting him to say more.

Ouyang was happy to tease him. After all, once they left this door, they’d probably never see Li Jichuan’s household staff again, so no shame in reliving it.

On the contrary, seeing Su Ge red-faced and embarrassed was a rare treat.

Not wanting to miss the chance, Ouyang exaggeratedly reenacted the scene from the night before.

“I was like, wow, this is so bold. Even the closest friends shouldn’t just sit on someone’s lap… But Mr. Li, being the man who does great things, controlled his emotions perfectly and maintained such elegance.”

“Su Ge hugged him, laid his head on Mr. Li’s chest, and fell asleep. Mr. Li didn’t put him down—just held him like that. Look at his integrity… his magnanimity!”

Ouyang gave a sincere thumbs-up.

At this point, Su Pu’s curiosity was piqued.

Although it wasn’t his first time sitting on Li Jichuan’s lap, before he completely blacked out last night, he vaguely remembered sitting there twice.

But Li Jichuan really let him cling, let him sleep on his chest?

Wasn’t their marriage just a facade for his grandfather? Weren’t there supposed to be no private obligations?

Then why so indulgent?

Su Pu glanced at Ouyang and gestured “continue.”

Ouyang shrugged. “I don’t remember the rest…”

“You wouldn’t let go of Mr. Li. I just wanted to finish the remaining beer and get you home… then I got too drunk and forgot…”

A couple seconds later, Ouyang suddenly exclaimed, “Oh! I just remembered—I think I actually got into a fight last night!”

Su Pu’s eyes widened.

Really? There was a fight? Did he join in too?

And Li Jichuan—was he involved in the fight with them, or did he come because they got hurt?

“Seems like it was outside the bar. I remember it was windy last night. I was taking on two people at once, and behind me… there was someone standing, really skinny, really pale…”

Skinny and pale—that sounded a lot like Su Pu…

Ouyang and Uncle Wang both looked at Su Pu. He rubbed his head, trying but failing to recall even a single moment.

More curious was: when Ouyang was protecting him, where was Li Jichuan?

Could he really have been injured?

Ouyang asked Uncle Wang, “How exactly did we get back last night? Did Mr. Li get hurt?”

Uncle Wang squinted, recalling.

“No injuries,” he said, glancing at Su Pu and clearing his throat. “Su Ge came back sitting in a wheelchair with Mr. Li… you, Ouyang, were carried by the driver.”

Su Pu breathed a sigh of relief—Li Jichuan hadn’t been hurt.

Then Ouyang realized something and shouted dramatically:

“Oh my God! So, Su Ge, you were holding onto Mr. Li’s neck the whole night and never let go?!”

“Then how did you sleep later? Did someone help pull you off Mr. Li?”

Uncle Wang replied seriously, “Yes, two staff members helped Su Ge change into pajamas.”

“Then the staff carried Su Ge to the guest room?” Ouyang followed up.

“Guest room?” Uncle Wang looked puzzled.

“Su Ge slept in the master bedroom last night.”

“The master bedroom?!”

Ouyang repeated it like a broken record, then looked at Su Pu with suspicion.

“Su Ge… you and Mr. Li are a little… unusual. This house has so many rooms. Even best friends wouldn’t share the master bedroom, right?”

Su Pu’s face turned red—he could no longer hide it.

He just hoped it hadn’t caused Li Jichuan any trouble.

Taking a deep breath, he went back to his room, grabbed his phone, and confessed the truth about their relationship.

“What!!!!!!”

As expected, Ouyang’s reaction was wildly exaggerated. Uncle Wang couldn’t handle the chaos and laughed, going off to prepare breakfast for them.

“You… you… we… you kept this from us too well!” Ouyang flailed his arms in excitement.

Su Pu sighed, asking him to keep it a secret.

“That’s fine. Besides, if anyone hears about it, they probably wouldn’t believe it anyway…”

“The wife of the head of the Li Group making coffee right under their headquarters…”

“Feels kind of magical, actually.”

Ouyang leaned against the wall, eyes slightly glazed.

[I never thought about changing jobs, nor do I want to stay home. I love making coffee—it makes me happy!] Su Pu shared.

[And maybe soon, if Mr. Li meets someone he likes, he’ll cancel the marriage… When that happens, I want to leave gracefully, with dignity and confidence.]

Ouyang’s eyes watered a little as he listened.

“Su Ge, I support you. You shouldn’t give up your career just because you married a big shot! I also think you’re amazing and clear-headed. I want to work hard too, make a future for myself!”

Su Pu patted his shoulder, cheering him on.

[Since I’ve already had a drink with you, can you help me with that favor I mentioned before?]

“Of course! Su Ge, that drinking session was worth it. I feel so energized right now, I could run ten kilometers!”

“What do you want me to help with?”

Su Pu smiled innocently.

[I want you to help me with a survey at your school. The data has to be as accurate as possible, so we need to find a way to get classmates to fill it out patiently.]

Ouyang paused, confused. “That… sounds kind of abstract. Do you have a concrete plan?”

Su Pu nodded.

He actually did.

…

Li Jichuan finished his meeting and steered his wheelchair toward the office. Passing by the secretary’s room, Echo greeted him with a smile.

“Mr. Li, your coffee is ready.”

“Oh…”

Li Jichuan frowned.

Doesn’t he usually just buy a cup of coffee from downstairs every day? Why the special reminder?

Pushing the door open, he saw that his office had gained not just a cup of coffee, but also a person.

The person who made the coffee.

Li Jichuan felt a flicker of happiness, but then several fragments from last night rushed back.

His cheeks instantly burned red.

They say drinking is harmful, but he hadn’t expected that last night’s alcohol would not only get Su Pu drunk…

But also make Li Jichuan today feel flustered.