After seeing Shen Jingzhe off, Lin Xiao was about to enter the villa when a call came through from Bei Kuang.

"Dragon Lord, I'm at Villa 16. Care to join me for a drink?"

Lin Xiao thought for a moment before replying, "Give me a second!"

"Excellent! I await your esteemed presence!"

Lin Xiao hung up and entered the villa.

Inside, Chu Xiangxue and Shao Mei'er were clearly very drunk. The two were currently pestering Su Qingning, demanding to know the secret of how she made Lin Xiao fall so head-over-heels in love with her.

This is driving me crazy, Su Qingning thought, on the verge of a breakdown.

Fortunately, Lin Xiao had returned. His appearance immediately diverted the two drunk women's attention away from Su Qingning and onto him. Lin Xiao had no intention of letting their drunken nonsense continue. Although his conscience was clear, he was genuinely worried they might blurt out something shocking, which would only upset Su Qingning again.

"Jingzhe," he said, "take Xiang Xue to a room. She's drunk, let her get some rest."

Shen Jingzhe was eager for Lin Xiao to treat her poison again. Ever since he had performed the detoxification a few times, she felt markedly better and more comfortable in her own body. She wanted to live. So, hearing his words, she reached out to help Chu Xiangxue.

But Chu Xiangxue just giggled. "I'm not drunk! I want more!"

Shen Jingzhe glanced at Lin Xiao, silently asking for his decision.

Lin Xiao smiled. "Just get her in there."

Shen Jingzhe nodded. Disregarding any protests, she simply slung Chu Xiangxue over her shoulder and marched toward one of the rooms.

What a move! Lin Xiao was stunned. I had no idea she had such a fiercely capable side to her.

"Honey, let's get Shao Mei'er to a room, too," Lin Xiao said with a chuckle.

Su Qingning nodded. Just as she was about to lend a hand, however, her phone rang. Her brow furrowed the moment she saw the caller ID.

"Who is it, honey?"

"My eldest uncle."

"Alright, you get that. I'll take care of Shao Mei'er."

Su Qingning gave him an apologetic nod.

Shao Mei'er, despite being dizzy from the alcohol, was still obedient to Lin Xiao. The moment he extended his hand, she gave him a seductive look and meekly placed her hand in his. Lin Xiao supported her as they walked toward a bedroom.

Feigning that she couldn't handle her liquor, Shao Mei'er was practically hanging her entire body off of Lin Xiao. Her soft, fiery curves felt like gasoline being poured over him, and the alluring fragrance wafting from her body only fanned the flames. Instantly, a primal heat surged through Lin Xiao, stirring a fierce reaction below his waist. It wasn't that he lacked willpower; it was simply that Shao Mei'er was far too tempting. She was, after all, a famous femme fatale in Jinling City.

Luckily, Lin Xiao had a firm line he would never cross: he would never do anything to betray Su Qingning. Otherwise, he would have lost control and pinned her down long ago.

He finally managed to get her into the room. His plan was simple: get the drunk woman onto the bed, then make a quick exit. But just as he laid her down and was about to stand up, her hands shot out like lightning and wrapped around his neck.

Before Lin Xiao could break free, Shao Mei'er gave a sudden, forceful tug, yanking him down on top of her sensual body.

Damn it. Lin Xiao was already fighting a raging fire within him, and this pushed him even closer to the edge. It was becoming almost impossible to resist.

This vixen clearly knew how to seduce a man. Her watery, enchanting eyes gazed directly into his.

"Daddy," she whispered breathily in his ear, her fragrant words tickling his skin, "I'm not really that drunk, you know."

Lin Xiao nodded. "I can see that. Now, can you let me go?"

Shao Mei'er didn't answer. She simply offered a bewitching smile, then leaned in, her fiery red lips aiming for his. They were only five or six centimeters apart.

Planting his hands firmly on the bed, Lin Xiao pushed himself up with immense force, easily breaking her hold on his neck.

"Mei'er, you're drunk. You should get some rest."

Leaving her with those words, Lin Xiao quickly made his escape.

Shao Mei'er didn't chase after him. She heaved a frustrated sigh. "Daddy, what does she have that I don't? Why won't you give me even a single chance?"

Lin Xiao had just stepped out of the room when Su Qingning ended her call. Her expression had soured.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

Su Qingning's voice was grave. "My uncle called to ask if I was the one who had you ruin Su Qingkun's company."

"And?"

"And then he said that if I can't get Su Qingkun's company running again, he's going to open the ancestral hall and have my mother and me expelled from the Su Family!"

Her eyes were starting to turn red, and it was clear she was deeply upset.

Honestly, Lin Xiao understood how she felt. Although the Su Family had fallen into decline over the years and Su Daonong had never treated her or her mother well, they were still part of the family. Being expelled wouldn't result in any material loss for them, but it would make them the laughingstock of Jinling City. Given Su Qingning's pride, that was a blow she couldn't easily bear.

Lin Xiao stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. Su Qingning hugged him back tightly. He gently rubbed his chin against the top of her head and murmured, "Don't be afraid. Your husband will handle this."

Su Qingning tilted her head up, looking at him with curiosity. "How will you handle it?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Just know that I'll make your uncle take back every one of his foolish words."

Moved, Su Qingning nodded. "You're so good to me, husband." As she spoke, she buried her face deep in his chest.

Since her father's death, the struggles of the past three years had taught Su Qingning to be self-reliant. But after marrying Lin Xiao, and especially after all they had been through together recently, she found herself starting to depend on him. She discovered that having someone to lean on felt wonderful.

Lin Xiao gently stroked her hair. "Silly girl, you're my wife. It's only right that I do anything for you. Don't say thank you to me anymore. I don't like hearing it."

A warmth spread through Su Qingning's heart. She nodded emphatically, murmuring a soft assent.

After they embraced for a while longer, Lin Xiao saw how late it was getting and asked softly, "Are you tired? Do you want to go rest?"

Su Qingning nodded.

Lin Xiao smiled. "Are you going to walk upstairs, or should I carry you?"

"You carry me!" she demanded playfully.

An offer like that? Of course Lin Xiao wasn't going to refuse. He swept Su Qingning up into his arms and carried her upstairs.

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