"I'll drink that for you—"
Though I was terribly drunk, a sliver of clarity remained in my mind. Seeing Linda about to drink the glass of tampered liquor handed to her by David, I staggered to my feet, slurring my words, and reached out to snatch the glass from her hand.
"Ah, Andrew, you're already this drunk. Don't drink anymore!"
Linda quickly tried to take the glass back, but I had already downed it in one gulp. The only thought in my heart was that I couldn't let Linda drink that spiked drink—whatever happened to me didn't matter.
David, thinking his scheme had succeeded, was holding his wine glass with a satisfied smile, waiting for Linda to drink. He didn't expect me to suddenly step in. His face froze, then twisted with fury, his eyes glaring at me with venomous resentment.
Already overwhelmed by alcohol, I passed out in Linda's arms shortly after forcing down that glass of baijiu.
Seeing me collapse from the drink, Linda became a bit anxious. "Director David, leaders, Andrew is really drunk—I have to take him home now."
She politely excused herself and called over a male staff member to help her support me out of the private room at Mingyue Garden.
Inside the room, the other guests exchanged looks, instinctively turning their gaze toward David. His face had darkened, rage simmering in his eyes. He stood rooted in place for a long time before accepting that his "cooked duck" had flown away.
David slammed a fist onto the table, sending plates rattling. He cursed bitterly, "So close to success! That little bastard was clearly drunk—how the hell did he get up and drink Linda's glass?"
Xu Aiguo gave a wry smile. "Maybe he was just playing dumb. Maybe he never really got drunk and saw you tampering with the drink."
"That must be it," David fumed. "That little punk dared ruin my plan. I'll deal with him later."
I had no idea that my actions tonight had thoroughly offended Director David. As Linda helped me out, the cold night wind hit my face, stirring the alcohol in my body and making me throw up by the roadside.
Linda, seeing the state I was in, gently patted my back while both touched and a little annoyed. "You... if you can't handle your drink, don't push yourself. Look at you now."
After vomiting, I felt a little better. Through drunken, half-lidded eyes I said, "That last glass... I saw Director David tamper with it. If you drank it, something bad would've happened…"
Linda paused, stunned, then quickly understood. Her cheeks flushed red and her eyes darkened with anger. "David is usually a bit pervy, but I didn't think he'd stoop so low. Andrew, sit here by the flowerbed—I'll go get the car."
Before long, Linda returned in her white Buick. She helped me into the passenger seat and started driving us home.
Maybe it was the effects of that drugged drink, but my groggy body began heating up, especially in my abdomen. As the car turned a corner, my head tilted and landed on Linda's shoulder. Her scent enveloped me, and I felt completely intoxicated.
Linda gasped softly—"Ah!"—but whether it was because she had to focus on driving or because of my earlier actions, she didn't push me away. Instead, she said in mild annoyance, "Andrew, don't use this as an excuse to take advantage of me, or I won't let you off easy."
They say alcohol makes people bold and impulsive. I was definitely feeling bold. Gazing at the beautiful Linda so close to me, breathing in her sweet fragrance, I blurted out, "Linda... you're so beautiful…"
With my head still on her shoulder, I could feel her body tense up—she was probably nervous. But seeing that I wasn't acting crazy, just quietly resting on her, she relaxed a bit. She rolled her eyes and said, "Childish."
Linda drove slowly, the car inching along. The alcohol kept surging in me, making me even more drunk. In my daze, I murmured, "Linda…"
"Hm?"
She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.
"That Director David has bad intentions toward you. Don't interact with him anymore. If you have to attend any functions, bring me with you. I'll protect you."
Hearing that, Linda's eyes revealed a flash of complex emotion, quickly masked. She rolled her eyes again. "Worry about yourself first. Look at the state you're in—protect me? Yeah right."
About half an hour later, we finally got home.
Though my head was still cloudy, vomiting earlier had helped me regain some awareness. I was just weak and lacking strength.
Linda helped me into the living room. My father-in-law Zhang Daguo and mother-in-law Xu Shuqin, hearing the noise, came out in pajamas. Seeing me drunk, Zhang Daguo exclaimed, "Xiaoyu, how did you get this drunk?"
Zhang Daguo usually treated me decently, so he looked concerned. But Xu Shuqin's expression was completely different—she looked at me with disgust. "Useless trash. Drunk like a dead dog, stinking up the whole house…"
Linda quickly explained, "Mom, Andrew came with me to a banquet and drank a lot to help me. That's why he got so drunk. Don't scold him."
Xu Shuqin snorted. "I wouldn't waste my breath on a loser like him. We let him marry into our Zhang family hoping he'd give us a grandchild to carry on the family line. But turns out he's useless in that department. Just looking at him makes me angry."
Though I was physically weak and dizzy, my mind was still clear. Thank God I was "drunk," or I would've died of humiliation from that comment alone.
Linda looked embarrassed. After all, the whole "he's not functional" excuse was something she made up herself. Blushing, she muttered, "Mom, the doctor said he'll recover in a couple of years. Don't say things like that."
Xu Shuqin waved her off. "Still defending him? Fine. I'm going to bed—I can't stand looking at this loser."
Linda helped me into the room. My father-in-law brought a cup of pear-infused hangover tea and handed it to Linda. "Xiaoyu's drunk badly. You know his health isn't good—you shouldn't let him drink this much. It'll slow down his recovery. I'm still waiting for you two to give us a child, so I won't be embarrassed when we go home for ancestral rites."
Linda blushed. "Got it, Dad. Stop nagging—it's annoying."
After a few more reminders, he left. Linda locked the bedroom door, helped me drink the tea, then began preparing the bed.
Despite drinking for her, my "treatment" hadn't changed. Linda laid a small mat on the floor and pulled out a blanket for me—I was still sleeping on the floor.
After settling me down, Linda went to take a shower. Even in my hazy state, I could hear her humming a little tune. She was probably in a good mood.
Wrapped in my blanket, I was just about to fall asleep when I heard a faint "click"—the door opening. I opened my groggy eyes and was stunned—
It was Linda, freshly showered, wearing a pink nightgown. Her long, shapely legs peeked out from under the hem. Her soft, glowing skin reflected the light like porcelain. She was breathtaking.
Linda didn't notice I was still awake. Wearing cartoon slippers, she walked right past me, carrying the fresh scent of her body wash.
She lay down on the bed, not sleeping immediately because her hair was still wet. She turned on a bedside lamp and began reading a fashion magazine.
The dim light didn't reach the floor where I lay, so I could secretly admire her. I finally realized why Linda was so attractive—not just her looks, but her aura. In that moment—lazily reading with grace—she looked elegant, sensual, and intelligent.
After reading for a bit, she turned off the lamp and went to sleep.
I, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. Though I had thrown up earlier, the drugged liquor still had lingering effects, making me restless.
Despite it being summer, the tile floor was cold. I looked over at Linda sleeping in the big bed and felt annoyed—after everything I did tonight, I still had to sleep on the floor?
My mind turned quickly, and I had an idea: Linda still thinks I'm drunk, right? Why not just act like I'm still drunk and climb into bed with her? After all, I'm her husband, and I drank all that for her. Surely, she wouldn't kick me out of bed…?