Fall Fall Fall

Cheng Jun felt a flicker of happiness in her heart.

But what dominated her emotions was the jealousy that surged when she saw the intimacy between the other two.

Her thoughts were simple: if Shen Yi’s first dream had been about her, wouldn’t she be the one sitting across from him now?

‘You just got lucky by arriving first. I’m not afraid of you.’

This mindset compelled her to raise her wine glass, thanking Fu Nanzhi while subtly harboring a sense of rivalry.

Fu Nanzhi, caught up in the moment, swallowed the meat in her mouth and ignored Shen Yi’s hand trying to stop her under the table. She lifted her glass with a smile.

“No need to thank me.”

“I didn’t even know you were back in the country before. Now that we’ve reconnected, let’s stay in touch.”

“Come on, cheers, sis~”

Clink.

Their glasses met.

Warmed by the alcohol, Fu Nanzhi took off her blazer, revealing a figure so striking even her shirt couldn’t conceal it.

Shen Yi took the jacket from her and hung it on the wooden coat stand in the corner.

When he turned back, his gaze landed on Cheng Jun, who was also dressed in business attire. Tentatively, he asked,

“Do you… want me to hang yours too?”

“Huh? Oh.”

Only then did Cheng Jun realize Shen Yi was speaking to her. She nodded, unbuttoning her blazer without meeting his eyes.

Handing over her pristine white jacket, she avoided his gaze the entire time.

After hanging it up, Shen Yi returned to his seat, and the two women clinked glasses again.

Each pour of red wine only filled about a quarter of the glass—not excessive, but they drank quickly, their spirits rising with every sip.

Shen Yi, sensing trouble, quickly interjected,

“I get that you’re happy, but slow down a bit.”

“You’ve barely touched the food, yet most of the bottle’s already gone.”

Fu Nanzhi giggled, swaying her glass as she tilted her head.

“But you’re here with us, so it’s fine~”

Her voice had taken on a coquettish lilt, the upward inflection at the end telling Shen Yi she was nearing her limit.

She was at that stage—70% sober, 30% tipsy. If he didn’t intervene, they’d finish the bottle and have no idea how to get home later.

Given that they were still in the probationary phase of their relationship, if Fu Nanzhi ended up completely wasted, Shen Yi would have to escort her to her doorstep.

And if Ji Shulan opened the door to that scene, all the goodwill he’d painstakingly built would vanish in an instant.

After a moment’s thought, Shen Yi leaned in and whispered,

“Maybe stop drinking? Otherwise, I’ll have a hard time explaining to Mom later.”

Fu Nanzhi’s eyes sharpened as she remembered the stakes. Nodding, she straightened up.

Shen Yi then glanced at Cheng Jun, who was holding up slightly better, nibbling on a salad with her fork.

Relieved to see them eating and chatting, Shen Yi finally relaxed.

“Zhu Yun, is the admin department busy these days?”

“Not really. Why?”

“If you’re free, drop by the legal office sometime. I’m bored out of my mind alone in there.”

“Sure, I’ll come by for afternoon tea.”

“Perfect! It’s a date.”

After a brief respite, Fu Nanzhi felt invigorated again and poured another round for herself and Cheng Jun.

Shen Yi, having finished his steak and three glasses of water, watched as the two women picked at their food like finicky cats.

He stood up.

“I’m heading to the restroom. Take your time.”

Fu Nanzhi waved him off absentmindedly.

“Go ahead.”

Shen Yi gave Cheng Jun a nod before leaving.

After asking a server for directions, he made his way to the restroom. Once done, instead of returning immediately, he headed straight for the front desk.

Giving them the private room number, he waited for the bill and settled it quietly.

Crumpling the receipt into the trash, he finally turned back.

This dinner was Fu Nanzhi’s treat, so Cheng Jun couldn’t pay. To avoid an awkward scene later, Shen Yi had taken care of it under the guise of a bathroom break.

When he pushed open the door to the private room, the silence felt off.

Neither woman acknowledged him. His eyes darted to the wine decanter—empty, of course.

In the short time he’d been gone, they’d polished off the rest of the bottle.

Rushing to Fu Nanzhi’s side, he found her stabbing at a cherry tomato with her fork, missing repeatedly.

Spotting Shen Yi, she suddenly let go of the utensil and clung to him, sniffling.

“Waaah, hubby, it’s bullying me~”

Shen Yi quickly sat beside her, wiping her eyes before spearing the tomato and holding it to her lips.

“Shh, it’s okay. Hubby’ll take care of it.”

“Open up.”

The tomato successfully delivered, her tears retreated.

Once she’d calmed, he pushed a bowl of creamy soup toward her to sip slowly.

Alcohol amplified emotions, turning minor frustrations into meltdowns. Knowing Fu Nanzhi well, Shen Yi handled her with patience.

With her settled, he turned to Cheng Jun.

‘She’s doing alright—at least she’s eating on her own…’

Cheng Jun’s gaze was unfocused, but she held her knife and fork steadily, cutting her meat without fuss.

But after observing for a while, Shen Yi noticed her repetitive motions. Suspicious, he moved closer—and nearly laughed.

“Well, spoke too soon…”

Up close, he saw she’d been using the back of the knife to saw at the meat. No wonder it wasn’t working.

‘Thought I could count on you to be the responsible one.’

With a sigh, he confiscated the knife before she accidentally hurt herself.

Startled by the sudden emptiness in her hand, Cheng Jun blinked slowly, finally focusing.

“What’re you doing?”

Ignoring her, Shen Yi swiftly sliced the meat into bite-sized pieces, replacing her knife with just a fork.

“There.”

“Go ahead and eat.”

Returning to his seat, he watched as the two women—one chewing mechanically, the other sipping soup—swayed between lucidity and drunkenness.

‘Should’ve sat at the kids’ table if you can’t handle your alcohol.’

‘What’s the point of showing off? One bottle of wine and you’re like this.’

Despite his efforts, they’d drained the entire thing.

“Hubby, order another bottle. I wanna drink more with Zhu Yun,” Fu Nanzhi declared, pushing her empty bowl aside with half-lidded determination.

“Yeah, more drinks,” Cheng Jun mumbled through a mouthful of meat.

Shen Yi rolled his eyes. ‘You two are done.’ But aloud, he humored them.

“Already asked. They’re bringing it soon.”

Hic—

Cheng Jun, whether from hunger or intoxication, had stuffed her face with meat. Now, she let out a small, greasy burp.

One woman propped her chin on her hand; the other slumped halfway onto the table. Both waited, bleary-eyed, for the imaginary next bottle.

Shen Yi watched, amused, counting down in his head.

Watching their eyelids grow heavier by the second, Shen Yi pointed and commanded:

"Down, down, down!"

"Thud~"