Chapter Nine: Two

After the little farce at the entrance of the Encounter Hotel, everyone's perception of Xue Xi shifted once again. Scarface, seasoned in the ways of the world, naturally saw through Xue Xi's seriousness. After all, in that kind of situation, a joke would have sufficed with a casual remark; there was no need to make a call in front of everyone. While he silently mourned for Wang Bingcai, he also felt a deep sense of awe toward this heiress who feigned madness and foolishness.

In awe of Xue Xi, Scarface felt even more grateful that he hadn’t truly clashed with Chen Hongxu. A man who could make such a woman shamelessly throw herself at him—could he possibly be simple?

Following a series of delays, it was already around seven o'clock. Perhaps because summer was approaching, the sky was still bright, with no sign of nightfall. Yet the few night market stalls on the street, shouting to attract customers, were a constant reminder that evening was coming and that it was time for drinking and feasting.

"Let's go with this one," Chen Hongxu said, pointing to a stall with reasonably good decor.

Scarface's group followed behind him, responding in agreement. Scarface turned his head and called, "Shunzi, go inside and ask the owner for a big private room."

Once everything was arranged, the group arrived at the Mongolian yurt, where disposable chopsticks and bowls were laid out, and several plates of appetizers sat on the table.

Everyone entered in single file, and there was some minor contention over seating, but nothing serious. In the end, at Scarface's strong insistence, Chen Hongxu took the main seat, while Xue Xi sat beside him, demure and gentle.

As various dishes were served, Scarface glanced around the yurt, his brows furrowing. "Shunzi, what's going on with you lately? Where's the booze?"

"Boss, they..." Shunzi was interrupted by Scarface's glare, and he quickly rose to hustle outside.

After a short while, Shunzi returned, panting, carrying two bottles of Erguotou. Before he could speak, Scarface looked him up and down in confusion. "Are you alright? No beer at this stall? Did you have to go buy white liquor elsewhere?"

Shunzi wore a miserable expression, about to ask the owner for several cases of beer, when Xue Xi put down her chopsticks and waved her hand. "Don't bother. A drink is a drink."

Far more worldly than Chen Hongxu, Xue Xi understood the purpose of tonight's meal. She stood and indicated to Scarface that she wanted a bottle, shook it, then twisted it open and, with a loud pop, placed it before Chen Hongxu, who was eating enthusiastically. "Bottoms up," she said boldly.

Scarface blinked, thinking to himself that he needed to be respectful. Without another word, he grabbed the other unopened bottle on the table, cracked it open, and began drinking straight from it.

Xue Xi glanced at the dazed Chen Hongxu, then at the red-faced Scarface, and clapped her hands, fanning the flames. "Heroic. Quite the charisma."

She then lightly kicked Chen Hongxu under the table, fixing her gaze on his eyes and sending him a look: stop playing dead; it's your turn.

"With my new constitution, I should be able to hold my liquor, right? Aren't all experts in novels bottomless drinkers?" Chen Hongxu came to his senses, shot Xue Xi a look, grabbed the bottle she had opened for him, and followed suit.

For Scarface, a fifty-six proof bottle of Erguotou wasn’t much trouble in terms of quantity, but pace mattered. Even a bottle of water would require pauses to drink, let alone high-proof liquor that burned the throat.

Scarface was undoubtedly a normal man. After downing half the bottle, he pursed his lips and blocked the mouth of the bottle, silently gasping for air.

Chen Hongxu was anything but normal, so he managed to finish his drink faster than Scarface, despite starting later.

When Xue Xi saw Chen Hongxu finish his drink, she waved her hand generously. "Drink too much, and it’s bad for you. Take it slow."

Scarface, like a drowning man grabbing onto a lifeline, quickly set down his bottle, fearing Chen Hongxu might object. Silently, he praised Xue Xi's compassion, recognizing her enlightened self-preservation.

After Scarface returned from the restroom and had called for several cases of beer, the group resumed their drinking and toasting. No one pressed Chen Hongxu for more drinks; such toasting would have felt like a relay race. Notably, Xue Xi herself had two drinks—one to Scarface, and one to Scarface’s little brothers.

Around ten o’clock, Xue Xi, seeing that the meal and drinks had run their course and that all formalities had been observed, took advantage of a trip to the restroom to settle the bill. Since the meal was mainly to treat Chen Hongxu, she didn’t want Scarface’s group to try any tricks after she and Chen Hongxu left—she felt that would be unfair to the owner.

Supporting the already slurring Chen Hongxu, Xue Xi nodded to Scarface. "Brother Li, let's call it a night. My man hasn’t got much stamina and makes a fool of himself."

Scarface certainly wouldn’t respond to that, nor would he tactlessly offer to escort this oddly matched couple. He smiled, stood up respectfully, and said, "I’m sorry for the inadequate hospitality. You two head back and rest early; we’ll get together again another time."

After Xue Xi and Chen Hongxu left, Shunzi returned from outside the yurt and said to Scarface, "Big brother, Sister Xue settled the bill."

To Scarface’s little brothers, Xue Xi, though young, deserved the title of “sister.” Her demeanor and actions had already earned their admiration.

Scarface narrowed his eyes, recalling the series of events since the afternoon. "Impressive," he muttered to himself.

"Yeah, big brother, I think he’s impressive too. He drank a whole bottle of fake liquor and only got a bit tipsy. Your judgment is sharp," Shunzi said sincerely, glancing at the bottle.

Scarface wouldn’t bother explaining that he meant Xue Xi was impressive. As for Chen Hongxu, Scarface instinctively touched the scar across his nose, shuddered, then turned to Shunzi in disbelief. "What? Fake liquor... I... ugh..."

Meanwhile, Chen Hongxu and Xue Xi, already departed, found themselves with Chen Hongxu bent over, retching beside a young sapling. Xue Xi stood by his side, supporting him and gently tapping his back.

After a while, Xue Xi pulled a tissue from her backpack and, with gentle care, wiped Chen Hongxu’s dirty lips.

Two hours after drinking the white liquor, Chen Hongxu’s military constitution made it manageable, but a whole bottle of industrial alcohol after two hours of evaporation was still too much for someone not yet physically immortal. The drink did no real harm, but he was certainly drunk.

"Mom, don’t leave me," Chen Hongxu suddenly said, clutching Xue Xi’s hand tightly as she wiped his mouth.

Xue Xi gasped in pain, eyes flashing with annoyance. The man beside her, eyes red and hazy, tears mingling with the effects of alcohol, looked pitiable—perhaps even kindred. Though she should have recoiled, Xue Xi endured the piercing pain, letting Chen Hongxu grip her hand.

Fortunately, it was an unconscious action. Otherwise, given Chen Hongxu’s constitution, altered by military training and the Soldier’s Embryo, if he kept squeezing, Xue Xi’s delicate hand might have been crushed.

Chen Hongxu released her hand and suddenly collapsed to the ground, filthy from his own vomit, dragging Xue Xi with him.

Xue Xi looked at the filth on herself, realizing she felt no anger. She quickly rose, tugging hard at Chen Hongxu’s arm to help him up.

Just then, a woman in a red robe approached from afar.

"Let me do it," said the woman in red as she drew near, reaching out to help lift Chen Hongxu’s other arm.

"Persistent ghost," Xue Xi muttered, glancing at the unexpected Soldier Spirit, then, as if remembering something, glared, "Were you following us?"

"I’m not that bored. Hongxu and I share a kind of connection—do you know what that means?" By now, Chen Hongxu was up, with each woman holding one arm. Soldier Spirit seemed to have recently studied drama, intent on teasing Xue Xi.

"No, and I have no interest in discussing it. Right now, my priority is getting him home," Xue Xi replied coldly, staring at Soldier Spirit. "In any case, I’m the one who’ll stay by his side."

Soldier Spirit smiled without answering. She had watched everything unfold. Though the cause of all this was Xue Xi’s mysterious motivations, the series of actions and expressions after their departure proved that this woman was not bad—at least not bad toward Chen Hongxu.

Seeing Soldier Spirit silenced, Xue Xi was about to press her advantage, but glancing at Soldier Spirit's hand, now stained from supporting Chen Hongxu, she turned away with a cold snort, thinking to herself how lucky Chen Hongxu was.

With Soldier Spirit’s looks and figure, she could easily find someone eager to keep her as a prized mistress, yet she was willing to stay with Chen Hongxu. Unless she had a grand ambition, Xue Xi couldn’t fathom Soldier Spirit’s reason for staying. But tough luck for her—Xue Xi wouldn’t let her succeed.

Thus, the three—one unconscious, one plotting, one full of strange thoughts—headed toward the place that had begun to feel like home.

At four in the morning, as the alarm sounded, Chen Hongxu reached out to switch it off. For someone who woke at this hour every day, it was a habit.

He sprang up, slapped his forehead, still a bit groggy, and called out, "Soldier Spirit, did I get drunk last night?"

"I know," Soldier Spirit replied, picking at her teeth with a thin toothpick, her words muffled.

"Where did you learn that attitude? You don’t even eat—what’s the point of picking your teeth? Tell me what happened afterward," Chen Hongxu closed his eyes, preferring not to look; he could communicate with Soldier Spirit mentally anyway.

"Last night you got drunk. Xue Xi wanted to take you home, but she’s small and weak, and didn’t consider whether she could handle it. So I appeared and helped carry you. You really embarrassed yourself—one bottle and you were done? Rolling on the ground, crying for your mom."

"Rolling on the ground?" Chen Hongxu froze, opened his eyes, and sniffed his arm—fragrant? He asked in disbelief, "I was so drunk, yet still managed to shower?"

"Of course we helped you. You were out cold."

"We?"

"Yes, we."

No need to ask—there were only three people in the house, so it must have been Xue Xi and Soldier Spirit who helped him shower.

With his cheeks flushing, Chen Hongxu bristled. "Did you get my permission?"

Soldier Spirit snorted disdainfully, glanced at his nether regions, and vanished. Her voice echoed in Chen Hongxu’s mind: "Really, I saw what needed seeing, touched what needed touching. Why worry about all that? Just focus on your cultivation—we’re not interested."

As a man, Chen Hongxu really wanted to say, well, since you’ve seen, shouldn’t there be some consequence? But he couldn’t bring himself to voice it, nor even think it, for fear Soldier Spirit would know.

Of course, Chen Hongxu wasn’t the only one shaken by last night; many in HJ City were shocked.

Zhengheng Group, the city’s business giant personally recruited by Secretary Hu, announced last night that HJ City’s security environment was too poor and that they would no longer invest in this land. The previously invested Industrial and Trade New City project would be withdrawn according to legal procedures.

When Secretary Hu learned of this, he quickly contacted Xue Baishu, only to find there was no room for negotiation, and in anger smashed a glass.

A billion or so from one group might not matter much for a city’s major projects—if you leave, others will join. But if Zhengheng is the one withdrawing, it means something else entirely. No one is foolish; everyone wants to make money. Zhengheng’s reputation was built on caution. Now, willing to lose hundreds of millions to withdraw, it sends a clear signal to other investors that something is very wrong.

After such an incident, what investor would take the risk? Those who want a piece of the pie lack the ability; those who have the means know Zhengheng’s style and won’t invest rashly. Who would believe that Xue Baishu changed his mind simply because of a word from his daughter?

Such a large project, already underway, suddenly halted due to a broken capital chain—it’s a slap in the face, and these achievement projects don’t come around often.

HJ City’s political scene also quietly began a campaign of rectification and integrity, all because of Xue Baishu’s gritted mention of Wang Bingcai.

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