Ye Xiao had actually forgotten about the bet he made with Ling Shuya long ago. After all, a life-and-death struggle had transpired in the interim. Now that Ling Shuya was bringing it up proactively, he was genuinely surprised. Given Ling Shuya's personality, she wouldn't typically be the first to speak up!

When Ling Shuya heard Ye Xiao's response, she felt a warm comfort in her heart and quickly said to Ye Xiao, "What if I asked you to jump off a building? Would you be willing to do that, too?"

Ye Xiao replied, "Jump off a building? I could consider it if it's below ten stories!"

Ye Xiao's answer caused Ling Shuya to feel a conflicting swirl of emotions as she sipped her drink, the alcohol sharpening her thoughts!

"Ye Xiao, you couldn't possibly like me, could you? Let me tell you, don't even think about it. You're just my bodyguard!" Ling Shuya blurted out, buoyed by the liquor.

Ye Xiao was slightly startled by Ling Shuya's words and then chuckled, "You're overthinking it. I'm just doing what a bodyguard should be doing."

For some reason, Ling Shuya felt a sourness in her heart upon hearing Ye Xiao's words, and it tasted bitter plain!

The two of them chatted intermittently, drinking. The bar was supposed to be a chaotic place, and with a beauty like Ling Shuya sitting at the counter, there should have been many licentious men coming over to flirt. However, with Ye Xiao sitting by her side, not a single person approached.

Around ten o'clock, Ye Xiao drove back to Sunshine Garden.

Ling Shuya hadn't drunk much, but she was already unsteady on her feet.

Ye Xiao supported Ling Shuya as they walked towards the villa. However, the girl kept clamoring for more drink. Along the way, Ling Shuya would mention that her mother had died when she was young, and that she rarely spent time with her father. She felt very lonely.

"Don't drink any more today. Don't you have school tomorrow?" Ye Xiao said to Ling Shuya, "Let me help you upstairs. Get to bed and go to sleep."

"Who are you to tell me what to do? Ye Xiao, you're just a servant. I'm your boss, and you have to listen to me. I say we drink, so why not? This is my home, and my word is law!" Ling Shuya was in a bad mood, and Ye Xiao knew this because after drinking, her grievances about life surfaced.

But one knows that drinking to drown sorrows only multiplies them, which Ye Xiao understood, but Ling Shuya did not.

Ling Shuya insisted on drinking, and though Ye Xiao wasn't keen on it—his tolerance was fine—drinking like this would inevitably lead to drunkenness.

Ye Xiao looked at Ling Shuya and said, "Shuya, I just want to say, it's just the two of us here tonight. If we drink too much, it won't be good."

"What's so bad about it? Are you some invincible hero? Are you going to drink or not?" Ling Shuya said angrily.

With no choice, Ye Xiao finally nodded, "Alright, alright, we'll just drink a little."

Ling Shuya walked over to where the drinks were stored and grabbed a bottle of what appeared to be red wine. Ye Xiao saw clearly that it was actually brandy, and not just any brandy—it was a high-end variety, probably priced between five and seven thousand on the market!

Brandy is one of the world's eight strongest spirits, and not everyone can enjoy the cutting sensation it delivers as it goes down the throat, nor the ease with which it intoxicates. Ling Shuya had just grabbed a bottle of brandy—was she looking to get thoroughly drunk?

Ling Shuya put the brandy on the table, and Ye Xiao, being considerate, went to fetch two brandy glasses. He hadn't really noticed before, but the place where the glasses were kept had a variety of types, including brandy glasses.

Ye Xiao grabbed two and came back to Ling Shuya's side.

Ling Shuya poured half a glass for both of them and looked at Ye Xiao, "Ye Xiao, is your mother very kind?"

Ye Xiao paused before lifting one of the brandy glasses and taking a small sip. The sharp sensation penetrated quickly from his mouth to his throat and then into his stomach.

"I've never seen what my mother looks like," Ye Xiao sighed.

"Are you an orphan?" Ling Shuya asked.

Ye Xiao gave a wry smile and said, "Maybe!"

Ling Shuya immediately clinked glasses with Ye Xiao, "I never imagined our experiences could be so similar. Even though I have a father who loves me, he's often on business trips and seldom with me. In this big house, I'm often left alone. Many times, late at night, I've cried a lot, and no one knows about it!"

As Ling Shuya spoke, she took a big swig. The harshness furrowed her brows, but she didn't spit it out. Instead, she bravely swallowed the brandy, feeling a cutting sensation in her throat and stomach.

Ye Xiao hadn't expected that the confident, fearless Ling Shuya would have her moments of tears, much like how he smoked in distress when he was alone.

"Don't drink so fiercely; you'll get drunk easily!" Ye Xiao warned.

Ling Shuya gave a bitter smile, gazing into her glass, "I wish I could never be sober for the rest of my life. Then I wouldn't need to think about things I shouldn't. Ye Xiao, if only you were really my brother, at least I'd have a relative who's often by my side!"

Ye Xiao replied, "You can regard me as your brother."

"No... you're not. You're just a bodyguard to me, a servant, a subordinate of my father!" Ling Shuya almost roared, "I want irreplaceable familial love, but who in this world can give me that? Haha, no one, no one at all!"

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