Chapter 43: The Night of Intoxication

I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Yulian, hasn’t that matter already been settled?”
Jin Yulian shook her head bitterly. “When I went to withdraw the case, I was still in the role of Qian Duobao’s girlfriend. For most private property damage, as long as the owner doesn’t pursue it, the police won’t file a case. But if I’m no longer his girlfriend, and Qian Duobao goes to report it again, the police would have to reopen the investigation. Besides, Qian Duobao has plenty of witnesses—the renovation workers would definitely be willing to testify for him.”
Her words sent a shock through me. So, Qian Duobao was finally revealing his true, sinister nature. I couldn’t help but worry. “Yulian, what are you planning to do?” I thought, if she refuses to marry him, Qian Duobao might join forces with Xu Qingyun and the others to report to the police and reopen the old case—it would be a huge mess.
Jin Yulian said, “All I can do now is stall, but I can’t drag it out for long. In another month, his ultimatum will be up, and it’ll also be time to repay the seventy million principal plus interest.”
Perhaps it was the wine, but her cheeks were tinged with a rosy blush, making her look especially enchanting. I couldn’t help but ask, “Yulian, since Qian Duobao wants you to be his girlfriend, what’s the status between you two?” Yulian’s face reddened slightly. “The most intimate we’ve ever been is holding hands.”
Seeing my skeptical expression, Jin Yulian sighed. “Xiaofeng, I’m not a woman who doesn’t respect herself. Even if I didn’t have feelings for you, I wouldn’t let anyone take advantage of me so easily.”
Unable to restrain my curiosity, I asked, “Why?”
She replied, “What one can’t have is always the most precious. If I let him get what he wants so easily, he won’t cherish me. In his eyes, my worth would plummet.”
I said, “According to Luo Dingguo, all the foreign trade companies in Mingzhou have already been spoken to. Should we try our luck in Hudu?”
Jin Yulian retorted, “Are we supposed to just sit and wait for doom? Since the companies in Mingzhou don’t dare to take us on, let’s go to Hudu. It only takes a day to go there and back anyway.”
Suddenly, a question struck me. “Yulian, in this internet age, if your company posts its inventory online, the foreign trade companies in Hudu should be able to see it too. Why haven’t they placed any orders?”
She smiled. “Online orders are usually handled by the business staff of these foreign trade companies. The deals they find are typically just tens of thousands of dollars, maybe a few hundred thousand at most. If we try to sell off our goods bit by bit like that, the costs would be too high, and there isn’t enough time. Besides, after selling piecemeal, the leftover products would need to be resorted and repackaged—it’s too much trouble.”
I nodded in understanding. “So you need to find a major client who can take a big order at once.”
Jin Yulian replied, “It doesn’t have to be all at once, but we can’t split it up into hundreds of small sales either! After all, we’re just a garment factory, not a trading company.”
We continued drinking and chatting, and before we knew it, we’d finished off a bottle of red wine. Noticing that Yulian was already quite tipsy, I said, “Yulian, too much wine is bad for you. Let’s eat something.”
Her cheeks glowed like peach blossoms, and her breath was fragrant. She picked up her glass stubbornly. “Xiaofeng, chances to get truly drunk in life are rare. Being sober is too exhausting. Tonight, let’s drink until we’re both thoroughly drunk.”
I wasn’t keen on opening the white liquor, but Yulian went over, uncorked the bottle of Shuijingfang, and poured out two full glasses. “Xiaofeng, tonight you have to drink with me.”
This bottle had come from a fast food shop—I wasn’t sure if it was genuine, but the aroma that rose from the glass was intoxicating.
Though I was already feeling the effects, the scent of the liquor was tempting. Yet I forced myself to stay clear-headed. Jin Yulian was deliberately getting drunk tonight; clearly, she was weighed down with emotion and wanted to drown her sorrows. She could drink, but I couldn’t—I needed to protect her.
Seeing my hesitation, she leaned in close, smiling. “Xiaofeng, drink! Once you’re drunk, tonight I’ll be yours.” With that, she lifted the glass to my lips, urging me to drink.
Her delicate fragrance mingled with the heady scent of alcohol, stirring my imagination.
But then I remembered: if I couldn’t solve her financial troubles, she would have to marry Qian Duobao. I couldn’t let desire ruin her.
Yulian’s cheeks grew redder, her breath soft and sweet. “Xiaofeng, whatever happens in the future, tonight I want to be your woman.”
Summoning my last shred of reason, I protested, “Yulian, if I do this, it will only bring you harm. How will you face the world afterward?” Even as I spoke, I tried to pull away in vain.
She giggled, her voice teasing, “I’m a woman and I’m not afraid—what are you scared of, as a man? I won’t hold you responsible.”
I saw that as she spoke, her eyes glistened with tears. At last, I could no longer restrain myself, and I pulled her tightly into my arms...