"Alright, alright, we believe you now!" Shen Yihan's voice rang out.
He nearly crushed the prayer beads around his right wrist with his left hand as he watched the scene unfold.
He regretted ever encouraging his sister to pay more attention to Mr. Xie!
Xie Guanyan caught the faint chill in Shen Yihan's tone and sobered up slightly.
Quickly, he set Lin Mo back down.
Her legs wobbled, and for a moment, she struggled to steady herself.
Sitting on his arm earlier, their eyes locked, she had felt an electric jolt surge through her body, a tingling sensation shooting straight to the base of her spine.
The heat of his muscular arm still lingered against her skin—firm as steel when tensed.
With that kind of strength, he must have incredible stamina…
By the time she realized where her thoughts had wandered, it was too late.
Lin Mo’s peach-blossom eyes widened, her face burning crimson. She hastily scurried back to her seat, muttering under her breath like a mantra, "Makka Pakka, Akka Wakka, Mika Makka, Mmm…"
Watching her flee while babbling nonsense, Shen Yihan frowned slightly.
Was she secretly cursing him just now?
The game resumed, and everyone returned to their seats.
Now it was Zhao Ziling’s turn.
Leaning back, her long curls draped casually over her chest, she pondered before declaring, "I’ve liked two people at the same time before."
Behind his mask, Huo Tingshen’s face darkened instantly, his fists clenching.
Two people?
Who else besides him?
Who was the other man? He’d make sure that bastard regretted ever crossing paths with her.
This round forced everyone to stand and drink.
No male escort would ever admit to being unfaithful in front of clients.
The cute one, especially smooth-tongued, sighed dramatically, "I have no choice but to drink this round—my heart belongs to only one sister~"
Zhao Ziling giggled, delighted. "Good answer! Reward!"
She pulled out a wad of cash from her bag and stuffed it into his hand.
The escort beamed, overjoyed. "Ahhh! Sister, I love you, I adore you~"
Huo Tingshen was already mentally drafting assassination plans for this man.
Lin Mo, on her second beer, took a big gulp before leaning in eagerly. "When was this? Who were they?"
Since everyone in the private room was trustworthy—and the escorts knew better than to spill secrets—Zhao Ziling stood up and proudly shared her scandal.
"In college! I had a crush on a senior and a junior at the same time!"
Huo Tingshen: "…"
So neither of them was him.
Lin Mo pressed further, "And then? Who did you end up with?"
Zhao Ziling flipped her hair, a sultry smirk playing on her lips. "Dated the senior first, then the junior."
Lin Mo gave her a thumbs-up. "Smart move!"
Huo Tingshen had never known Zhao Ziling had two college flings.
Their arranged marriage had been sealed right after her graduation.
The Huo family’s original choice for the alliance hadn’t even been the Zhaos.
She was the one who’d pursued him first.
And now, she was the one walking away.
Xie Guanyan sipped his drink, watching the young woman chatter animatedly with her friend.
The thought crossed his mind—once Shanshan (Lin Mo) entered university, she’d undoubtedly attract countless admirers.
No, not just in university. She’d always have people vying for her attention.
What if one day, she brought a boy to him and introduced him with a smile?
"This is my boyfriend."
He wasn’t sure what he’d do then.
Adjusting his silver-framed glasses with a single finger, Xie Guanyan took another slow sip of liquor.
The burn in his throat barely masked the surge of darkness in his chest.
The game moved to the cute escort beside Zhao Ziling.
His eyes darted mischievously before he announced, "I don’t have hemorrhoids!"
Instant social suicide.
Those who did had to stand and drink.
After a long internal debate, Shen Yihan reluctantly rose.
Lin Mo gasped. "The ‘Buddha of Beijing’ has hemorrhoids? Since when? How bad is it?"
Shen Yihan took a sip, sitting back down with palpable embarrassment. "Just a minor issue."
Jiang Tang was equally shocked.
The two had been practically inseparable for years, yet she’d never known.
When her turn came, Jiang Tang, ever the ice queen, contemplated for a second before stating coolly, "I love working."
The ultimate bomb.
Respectful—if slightly horrified—gazes landed on her.
This round wiped out nearly everyone.
The actual bosses—Xie Guanyan, Shen Yihan, Huo Tingshen—all stood and drank.
Next was the escort Zhao Ziling had picked, the one who could do a hundred push-ups.
He grinned. "I can still do fifty push-ups even with someone sitting on my back."
Zhao Ziling smirked. "I don’t believe you."
The push-up expert stood. "Then let me prove it. Who wants to sit?"
Just as Zhao Ziling started to rise, the escort in the light-gray shirt stood abruptly.
"I’ll do it."
Zhao Ziling: "…"
Push-up expert: "…"
Bro, we’re in the same industry!
Why the betrayal?
Two men in this position was… unusual.
Zhao Ziling arched a brow, arms crossed. "You’re a bit old for this, but damn, you know how to have fun."
Huo Tingshen nearly choked on his rage.
Fun?
He was only doing this to keep her off another man’s back!
The push-up expert sighed, bracing himself on the floor. "Alright, let’s go."
Huo Tingshen dropped onto him with full force.
The man crumpled into the floor, unable to move.
Clear failure.
Huo Tingshen stormed off to the bathroom immediately after, retching violently.
The push-up expert sheepishly returned to his seat, opting to drink and change his statement. "I have less than 500 bucks to my name right now."
Zhao Ziling, ever the generous patron, tutted. "That’s tragic." She handed him a stack of bills. "Go have fun."
Lin Mo’s eyes sparkled. After finishing her drink, she called out, "Sister Zhao, I’m broke too!"
But her voice was too soft, lost in the noise.
Xie Guanyan, however, heard. He turned to her, amused. "How broke are we talking?"
Lin Mo grinned drunkenly. "If someone mugged me, it’d just be target practice for them."
Xie Guanyan chuckled. "How much do you want?"
Lin Mo blinked up at him, tipsy. "Are you offering?"
His voice was impossibly gentle. "Mm. If you ask."
Something in his tone made her feel like he’d give her anything.
Behind his glasses, his eyes shimmered with an almost liquid warmth.
Definitely drunk.
Even billionaires turned foolish after too many drinks.
She couldn’t possibly take his money.
But…
Her peach-blossom eyes twinkled as she leaned in, utterly sincere. "Xie Guanyan, you’re special. The most special guy I’ve ever met. There’s this… lonely aura around you. No one else notices, but I see it. You act happy, but inside, you’re lonely. Broken, even. Oh—and let me touch those abs!"
