I'll Accept the Pain

“Don’t be so curious. Here, have a drink!” Su Yang picked up the red wine and prepared to pour.

The female server standing nearby quickly stepped forward. “Sir, allow me.”

“Oh, all right. You do it.” Su Yang handed her the bottle.

After the wine was poured, the two clinked glasses.

Just then, the man in the tailcoat began playing the violin again.

At some point, the yacht had arrived near the Eiffel Tower. When Li Yuanying saw it, she happily stood up and pointed at the tower glowing golden in the distance. “Su Yang, look!”

Su Yang tilted his head toward it and said, “Wow, it’s beautiful.”

“See? I told you drinking on a boat would be romantic. Come on, let’s take a picture together.”

“Sure.” Su Yang stood up, walked over to Li Yuanying, and pulled out his phone.

“Miss, could you take a picture for us?”

“Of course.” The server stepped forward, took the phone, and prepared to photograph Su Yang and Li Yuanying.

However, the two of them were standing rather far apart. The server hesitated. “Could you two stand a little closer?”

“Oh, right. We’re a couple now.” As he spoke, Su Yang put an arm around Li Yuanying’s shoulders and grinned.

Li Yuanying said nothing. She simply leaned her head against Su Yang and held up a V sign.

“Perfect. Hold that pose.” The server turned the phone sideways and quickly pressed the shutter several times.

“That’s all, sir.” She walked over and returned the phone to Su Yang.

“Hmm, these turned out pretty well. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Just call me if you need anything.”

“Keep pouring the wine.”

“All right.”

The two returned to their seats. Li Yuanying picked up her phone and glanced at the pictures. “Send them to me.”

“Sure.”

Su Yang sent the three photos of them together to Li Yuanying on Instagram, and then the two continued drinking.

As time passed, they finished the red wine, whiskey, and two cocktails. Only six bottles of beer remained.

Seeing this, Su Yang waved to the server. “Miss, we’re out of drinks. Bring us two more bottles of this red wine.”

“Certainly, sir.” The server turned and headed into the cabin.

Su Yang opened a bottle of beer and handed it to Li Yuanying. “Are you drunk?”

“No. I don’t even feel dizzy yet. I’m in pretty good shape today.”

“Really?” Su Yang laughed. “But mixing different kinds of alcohol can hit you pretty hard later. If you start feeling dizzy, stop drinking. Otherwise, you’ll definitely throw up.”

“Okay~” Li Yuanying flashed a sweet smile, poured the beer into her glass, and winked at Su Yang before taking a sip.

The server soon brought over two bottles of red wine. She opened the first one, and Su Yang said with a smile, “Open both.”

“Both of them?”

“Don’t worry. If we can’t finish them, I’ll pay for them.”

“Uh… That’s not what I meant, sir.”

“It’s fine. Just open them.”

“All right.”

The server stopped arguing and opened both bottles of red wine. She then picked one up and poured it into a decanter.

Beer was easy to drink—one bottle amounted to a single glass. The six bottles were emptied in no time.

“Miss, bring us twelve more bottles of beer.”

“More?” The server asked, visibly surprised.

“Just bring them.”

“Oh… all right.”

The server turned around and went to get the drinks.

Su Yang and Li Yuanying continued drinking the red wine.

They alternated between the different drinks. Before long, the two bottles of red wine were empty as well.

Of the six bottles of beer, Li Yuanying had drunk one and a half bottles, along with more than half a bottle of red wine.

After so much alcohol, she had begun to feel slightly dizzy. Even so, her tolerance was exceptionally good for a woman.

She also didn’t flush when she drank. Even now, she looked perfectly sober, without the slightest redness in her face.

Thinking that she still wasn’t drunk, Su Yang thought to himself, “This girl can really hold her liquor.”

“How are you doing, Yuanying?”

“I’m fine. I’m not having any problems at all. Keep drinking.” Li Yuanying had completely forgotten Su Yang’s earlier warning. At that point, she didn’t care whether she was dizzy or not. She was having fun, and that was all that mattered.

She was in the perfect mood to keep drinking. Even if someone tried to stop her, she probably wouldn’t agree.

The server stood nearby, staring at the two of them in astonishment.

Su Yang and Li Yuanying were downing glass after glass as if they were drinking water, without even frowning.

She had served many people with impressive alcohol tolerances, but this was the first time she had seen anyone drink like this. Even after everything they had consumed, the two of them still looked exactly the same as before—there was no sign that they were drunk at all.

Su Yang couldn’t be bothered with a glass for the beer anymore. He simply drank straight from the bottle.

Each bottle contained 330 milliliters, and finishing one in a single gulp was incredibly easy for him.

After drinking two bottles of beer in succession, Li Yuanying shook her head and propped her chin on one hand.

Seeing this, Su Yang asked, “Are you drunk?”

“I feel a little dizzy.”

“Then stop drinking. Take a break and eat something.”

“Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve had such a satisfying drinking session. I’m having such a great time today!” Li Yuanying tilted her head toward Su Yang and giggled foolishly.

“Sure enough, you’re a little drunk. Eat something first.”

“I don’t want to eat. Keep drinking!” As she spoke, she reached for another bottle.

Su Yang snatched it away. “Hey, what did I tell you earlier? If you’re feeling dizzy, stop drinking. Otherwise, you’re going to feel awful later.”

“Oh, come on, just let me drink. I want to drink today. If I feel terrible, I’ll deal with it!”

She reached for another beer. Su Yang sighed helplessly. “The main problem is that if you keep drinking, you’re going to throw up later. You’re a celebrity—how embarrassing would it be to vomit all over the boat?”

“Who cares whether I’m a celebrity or not? I don’t care! I want to drink. Stop trying to stop me.” As she spoke, Li Yuanying imitated Su Yang and drank straight from the bottle.

“Damn, you really won’t listen. Fine, fine, drink as much as you want tonight.”

“That’s more like it. If we come out drinking, we might as well drink properly. Otherwise, what’s the point? I’m on vacation!” Li Yuanying stared at Su Yang with a foolish grin.

Su Yang shook his head and finished the beer he had taken from her in one gulp.

Of the twelve bottles of beer, Su Yang drank seven, while Li Yuanying drank five.

After swallowing the final mouthful, Li Yuanying finally reached her limit and collapsed face-first onto the table.

Su Yang helplessly glanced at the time. It was already midnight.

The lights illuminating many of the old buildings along the shore had already gone out, and the romantic atmosphere from earlier was gone.

The couple at the two tables beside them didn’t seem to have drunk much. They had spent the whole time eating and chatting happily.

“I was going to drink enough to get my money’s worth out of the boat tickets. Forget it. We should head back,” Su Yang thought.

He looked toward the server. “Miss, we’re ready to get off the boat.”

“All right, sir. I’ll go let them know.” The server turned and walked toward the cabin.

Su Yang took out a cigarette and lit it. Li Yuanying remained motionless, lying face-down on the table.

A few dozen seconds later, the server returned with a smile. “Sir, the yacht has begun speeding up and is heading back.”

“Okay.”

At that moment, the bearded man at the neighboring table turned toward Su Yang. “Hey, handsome, are you two getting off?”

“Yeah. My girlfriend got drunk.”

“Oh. Then you’d better take her home.”

“Aren’t you getting off?” Su Yang asked.

“We’re going to sit here a little longer.”

“Suit yourselves.”

The two chatted briefly before falling silent again. Fifteen minutes later, the yacht returned to the pier outside the Pirate Ship Bar.

Su Yang stood up, walked over to Li Yuanying, bent down, and patted her on the shoulder. “Yuanying, wake up. We’re getting off the boat.”