Chapter 82 - 81: Want to Take Him Home

Chapter 82: Chapter 81: Want to Take Him Home

With that thought, Liu Min took out her phone and requested a designated driver for herself.

The two of them then headed back the way they came, walking toward the exit.

They walked rather slowly, likely due to the alcohol.

By the time they got outside, everyone else was already gone.

Just the two of them were left. After they had been standing in front of the car for a few minutes, a designated driver in a blue uniform approached them on a bicycle.

The young driver had just finished a bowl of noodles in a nearby alley when he got the job. Without a second thought, he’d hopped on his bike and pedaled toward the location.

Seeing the man and woman standing ahead, he addressed Xiao Ran without hesitation.

"Hello, sir. Are you the one who requested a driver?"

After all, the woman beside him was a beauty. ’The nicer the car, the prettier the woman,’ he thought. ’It just makes sense.’

Hearing this, Xiao Ran quickly said, "It wasn’t me. It’s for this lady."

To be honest, Xiao Ran wasn’t a big fan of sedans. If he were to buy a car, his first choice would be an SUV. They were great for long trips or family use. And if he had a baby in the future, the family would have more space on outings.

’I have to admit,’ he thought, ’even though I don’t have anything to my name, I’ve really thought things through.’

Liu Min took out her car keys and handed them to the young driver. "Lakefront Home, underground garage," she said, her voice thick and nasal. "Thanks."

Her eyes, too, held a hint of intoxication.

After speaking, she pulled open the rear door and got right in.

Xiao Ran followed her in.

The young driver, who hadn’t gotten into the car yet, couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Ran with envy.

’Well, I’ll be,’ he thought. ’The car actually belongs to the beautiful woman. This model is worth over a million yuan. That’s a luxury car, all right.’

’I have no idea how this guy managed to snag such a rich and beautiful woman.’

The young driver slowly started the car and began the drive to Liu Min’s home.

As soon as she was in the car, Liu Min went limp, looking like she might collapse at any moment. After weakly stating her address, she tilted her head and leaned against Xiao Ran’s shoulder.

She might have looked drunk on the outside, but inwardly, she was perfectly clear-headed.

To her, no test was as effective as physical contact.

’Simple and crude, but highly efficient!’ she thought.

As her head rested on his shoulder, a strong scent of alcohol mixed with the fragrance of iris perfume wafted over him.

’To be honest, it’s not a bad smell.’

’But it’s nothing compared to Yan Xici’s scent. Hers is a natural fragrance.’

’The kind you could never get tired of, the kind that feels like a luxury just to breathe in.’

As a man who had been married before, Xiao Ran was keenly aware of the intimacy of her gesture.

He instinctively shifted, leaning away. "Oh, sorry, am I crowding you?"

Then he grabbed a cushion from the back and placed it on the seat beside him. "It’ll be more comfortable to lean on this."

Honestly, he had no romantic interest in Liu Min whatsoever.

This move, however, left Liu Min feeling a bit frustrated.

’What is he trying to say with that?’

’If you said he was interested, he wouldn’t have pulled away.’

’He obviously doesn’t want to take things any further. But if you said he disliked me, then why the caring gesture?’

Liu Min, who prided herself on being an excellent judge of character, was completely thrown by Xiao Ran’s emotionally intelligent move.

Her original plan having failed, she could only force a smile.

A hint of awkwardness crept into her voice. "My apologies, I just drank too much. My body feels like it’s about to fall apart, so I can’t help but look for something to lean on. Please don’t mind me, Teacher Xiao."

’Since the obvious hint failed, I guess we’ll just have to talk.’

Now that she’d committed to testing him, she wasn’t about to be defeated by a single move.

Xiao Ran offered a polite smile. "Of course not."

Liu Min’s first test had failed, and she couldn’t help but start plotting her next one.

’Anyway, he’s taking me home,’ she schemed. ’Why not just pretend to be passed out and make him take me upstairs?’

’Once we’re inside my apartment, it’ll be my home turf.’

As a screenwriter who spent all her time on film sets, she had picked up a thing or two about acting, after all!

Decision made, Liu Min immediately shut her eyes.

She lay back, putting on a show of being completely weak and intoxicated.

’Time to start faking it!’

However, Liu Min’s performance hadn’t even lasted three seconds before Xiao Ran’s phone started ringing.

He took it out and saw it was a voice message from his mom.

Mom: When are you coming home?

Seeing that Xiao Ran had a message, Liu Min tactfully kept quiet, waiting for him to finish.

Xiao Ran: Soon. What’s up?

Mom (voice message): Did you drink a lot?

It was already half past ten, almost eleven o’clock. Qiu Yuru knew very well that her son wasn’t one for schmoozing, so she messaged him, afraid he might have had too much to drink and end up falling into a ditch or something on his way home.

Xiao Ran: I didn’t drink much. Don’t worry. Why are you still up?

Mom: I was worried you’d drink too much and not be able to get in the door.

That was the truth. Qiu Yuru was genuinely worried he’d get too drunk to open the door and end up sleeping in the hallway.

When a drunk person is on their way home, a million things could happen.

Qiu Yuru knew this all too well.

After all, Xiao Shengrong was a repeat offender!

Just last summer, he had ended up sleeping in their building’s hallway for an entire night.

Xiao Ran played the voice message on speaker, so not only did the young driver hear it, but so did Liu Min.

She silently opened her eyes.

’What’s this all about?’

’Why is it a woman’s voice?’

’And from the sound of it, their relationship isn’t simple. Asking when he’ll be back... they obviously live together!’

The more Liu Min thought about it, the more nervous she became, and the slight buzz she’d had completely vanished.

She was now wide awake.

Xiao Ran: Is Xici asleep?

Mom (voice message): I don’t think so. I went out to get some water just now and saw the hanging chair in her yard swaying. She’s probably still up.

Yan Xici was indeed still awake. It wasn’t that she wasn’t sleepy; she was waiting for Xiao Ran to get home.

Like Qiu Yuru, she couldn’t rest easy until she saw he was back safely.

After sending the message, Xiao Ran slipped his phone back into his pocket. His expression turned a bit serious, tinged with confusion.

This development left Liu Min with no desire to continue her act. She cleared her throat. "Um, who’s messaging you so late?"

"Oh, my mom."

Hearing this, Liu Min’s heart settled back into her chest.

’His mom? Okay, no problem then.’

"Your mother is still up this late?"

"Yeah, she’s waiting for me," Xiao Ran said faintly.

Hearing that his mother was waiting up for him, the anxiety that had just subsided in Liu Min’s heart quietly returned.

’His mother is at home waiting for him. It looks like my plan to have him walk me upstairs is probably going to fail too.’

She smiled apologetically. "See? I told you we should have dropped you off first."

She then immediately told the driver to take Xiao Ran home first. Seeing this, Xiao Ran quickly stopped her. "It’s really no problem, Sis. We’re almost there. I can just get a taxi from your place."

’Going back and forth would be such a hassle.’

Seeing how insistent Xiao Ran was on dropping her off first, Liu Min felt too embarrassed to argue.

’Since getting him up to my apartment failed, I’ll just have to find another way to test him.’