Chapter 174: Third Wheel

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Third Wheel

"How on earth did you do it? That should be completely impossible."

Yin Ruxue set down her wine glass. "We can’t do anything illegal."

"It’s absolutely not worth the risk!"

She shook her head hard, trying to clear the drunken haze, and looked Jiang Fan in the eye with immense gravity.

"Don’t worry. What kind of illegal things could I possibly do?"

"I just found some dirt on them."

A hint of pride crept into Jiang Fan’s voice as he said this.

"What kind of dirt?"

Yin Ruxue was intensely curious.

But Jiang Fan just gave her a mysterious smile.

"Oh, come on, just tell me."

She picked up her wine glass, walked over to sit beside Jiang Fan, and even looped her right arm through his.

Her pouting, rosy lips and slightly hazy eyes were an irresistible invitation to dote on her.

"So you want to know, do you? Well, now I’m definitely not telling."

For some reason, Jiang Fan suddenly decided to be a tease.

"Pretty please, handsome? Won’t you tell me?"

Her coquettish, honeyed plea sent a jolt through Jiang Fan’s entire body.

When he turned back, Yin Ruxue was already pressed up against him.

Their eyes met, both lost in a dizzying haze of desire. Just as they were about to take the next step, a loud noise shattered the moment.

BANG.

"What do you two think you’re doing?!"

The voice shocked them both sober in an instant.

Both of them whipped their heads toward the door.

There stood Su Qingci, fuming as she glared at them.

"It’s a good thing I got here when I did! Any later and you two would have been kissing."

"Jiang Fan, what are your intentions? How could you let Ruxue drink with you? Don’t you know she can’t hold her liquor?"

"I knew you were up to no good!"

In truth, Su Qingci herself didn’t even know why she was so furious.

But seeing them so intimate, an inexplicable rage flared up inside her.

’If I hadn’t shown up just now, what would have been next? Kissing? And after that? Would they have ended up in bed?’

In that moment, she completely forgot everything Yin Ruxue had told her before.

"Susu, what are you doing here?"

Yin Ruxue asked, shaking her head.

"I called you so many times, but you didn’t answer! I was worried sick, so I rushed over."

"I never thought... you... him... the two of you..."

She pointed at them, stumbling over her words, unable to finish her sentence.

"You’re always there, being a third wheel!"

Jiang Fan flopped comfortably onto the table and said with a cold snort.

"What did you just say?!"

"Fengming Group is about to completely take over the market share in the Celestial Dragon District, and you, the chief strategist, are just sitting here drinking?"

"How can you be so shameless? Do you have no sense of decency?"

"Do you have any idea what this means for Xuerong Group? Do you know how much pressure Ruxue is under because of you?"

Su Qingci was so furious she pointed a finger right at Jiang Fan’s nose and cursed.

But Jiang Fan completely ignored her.

"That’s enough, Susu!"

"Why were you looking for me? Rushing over here this late."

Yin Ruxue cut her off.

"My parents want you to come over for dinner. They said they have something to discuss with you."

"But I’ve been trying to reach you for ages. You didn’t answer your phone or reply to my messages."

"So, naturally, I had to rush over."

"Dinner?"

"Give me a minute. My head’s a little fuzzy right now."

"What do your parents want to talk to me about? Why didn’t they mention it to me beforehand?"

Yin Ruxue rubbed her throbbing temples.

"I think... I think there was something. You’ll find out when you get there."

Caught off guard by the question, Su Qingci answered with a hint of guilt, her eyes involuntarily darting to the side.

"If your parents didn’t contact me directly, it must not be anything too important."

"You should head back. It’s already late, and I need to rest. I have things to do tomorrow."

Yin Ruxue could feel her ability to think slipping away, and her body was even starting to feel weak.

Jiang Fan slapped his cheeks a few times and stood up from his chair.

Just then, Yin Ruxue’s body went limp and she started to fall. Jiang Fan, with his quick reflexes, caught her and pulled her into his arms.

Nghh...

The soft, muffled sound from her throat made Jiang Fan’s heart race.

"Hmph! It’s too late now, so I’m not going home. I’ll sleep with you."

Su Qingci strode forward and yanked Yin Ruxue out of Jiang Fan’s arms.

Before Jiang Fan could even curse at her, she launched a preemptive strike. "Let go of her! She’s drunk! Are you trying to take advantage of her?"

"I’m telling you, as long as I, Su Qingci, am here, nothing like that will ever happen!"

"You’re sleeping on the sofa tonight. I’ll sleep with her."

Jiang Fan scratched his head. ’At this point,’ he thought, ’anything I say will just make it sound like I have impure intentions toward Yin Ruxue, won’t it?’

But before he could open his mouth, Su Qingci was already helping Yin Ruxue into the bedroom and laying her on the bed.

"See? When it comes down to it, you can only count on your best friend. Who else is going to save you?"

"I told you he’s no good. I told you to stay away from him, but you wouldn’t listen. Today he dares to get you drunk, what about next time? Won’t he just start getting handsy with you?"

Though she had no strength left, Yin Ruxue, lying on the bed, used her last shred of consciousness to summon all her might, raise her hand, and land a firm slap on Su Qingci’s butt.

"If you’re so bored, go find yourself a boyfriend! Stop bothering me."

With that, she lost consciousness, her mind completely surrendering to the alcohol.

"Unbelievable! What was that for? I just saved you from the lion’s den!"

Su Qingci pounced right onto the bed with her and started playfully squishing and cuddling her.

Once she was tired, she found a change of clothes and went to the bathroom to wash up. She even had to get some water to give Yin Ruxue a quick wipe-down.

When she came out, she found Jiang Fan sleeping, curled up pitifully on the sofa all by himself.

For a moment, Su Qingci began to wonder if she had been too harsh earlier.

And it was only then that she realized something didn’t seem quite right.

’Knowing Ruxue’s personality, if she didn’t want to drink, who could possibly force her?’

’There was only one explanation... she drank willingly.’

Thinking of this, Su Qingci felt a pang of guilt. She pulled a thin blanket from the closet and tossed it over Jiang Fan.

It was very late by the time she finished wiping Yin Ruxue down. As she lay down on the bed herself, the image of Jiang Fan curled up on the sofa kept replaying in her mind.