That Damn Coincidence!

Sure enough, money was king.

Keeping Song Shi'an by his side meant that if anything unexpected happened, he could find out early and steer clear of it.

That evening, at the Astragalus Club.

Song Shi'an went with Lu Mingyu.

The moment they pushed open the door, they heard teasing laughter from inside.

Two handsome men sat in the center. One was Fu Jingyan, a rakish young master in a light floral shirt; the other, dressed in a black shirt, was Huo Yeting.

That was right—only people with surnames like Fu, Huo, Lu, and Li could be domineering CEOs or friends of domineering CEOs.

With an utterly ordinary surname like his, he could only be an assistant.

Hearing the door open, the two looked over. Seeing Lu Mingyu, Fu Jingyan raised a hand in greeting. "Mingyu, long time no see."

Lu Mingyu nodded and walked in, casually asking, "When did you get back?"

"My flight landed early this morning. I caught up on sleep, then called the brothers out for a get-together." Fu Jingyan smiled, his gaze unconsciously falling on Song Shi'an.

He raised a brow. "Oh? You even brought a bodyguard?"

"My assistant, Song Shi'an," Lu Mingyu introduced.

Fu Jingyan chuckled, tapping the cigarette between his fingers. "Coming to a place like this, you should at least bring a woman. What's with bringing a man?"

"It's convenient," Lu Mingyu said.

Fu Jingyan gave him a suggestive grin, but before he could speak, Lu Mingyu stopped him. "Get the filthy thoughts out of your head."

The three of them had grown up together and knew one another extremely well.

The kind of familiar where they could tell whether someone needed to fart or shit just by seeing them stick out their ass.

Fu Jingyan laughed and said nothing more.

The woman beside him tactfully held a drink to Fu Jingyan's lips. "Young Master Fu, should we call a few more girls over?"

Fu Jingyan and Huo Yeting had arrived early, and beauties already surrounded them, making Lu Mingyu's side seem rather empty.

Fu Jingyan took a sip of wine and shook his head with a smile. "Forget it. Mingyu's very chaste. He's allergic to women."

Ignoring Fu Jingyan's teasing, Lu Mingyu glanced at Huo Yeting, who was playing a game with a woman nearby, and quietly asked, "What's wrong with Ye Ting? He actually came out here to fool around with you?"

Huo Yeting had gotten married a year ago and was steady by nature. He rarely appeared at places like this.

Fu Jingyan said, "What else could it be? He had a fight with the one at home and came out to clear his head."

Although Song Shi'an remained silent beside them, he had long since perked up his ears to listen eagerly to their gossip.

He devoured the gossip with relish. [Lu Mingyu's story is the love-at-first-sight, delicate wife runs away while pregnant, she runs and he chases, and she can't escape even with wings trope.]

[Huo Yeting and his current wife are playing the white-moonlight-substitute game: you don't ask, I don't tell, one deaf and one mute, a heartbreaking melodrama that tortures both body and soul. Though he's only a supporting character, I remember Huo Yeting regretting it in the end and getting tortured by his wife instead.]

[Tsk, tsk, tsk! As expected of domineering CEOs. They sure played with all sorts of fancy nonsense.]

The private room was lively, and people in places like this were especially skilled at reading the room.

Compliments flowed nonstop.

Seeing this, Fu Jingyan simply suggested, "Why don't we play a game? It'll be boring if Mingyu just sits there."

Huo Yeting nodded. "Sure. Cards, then."

Fu Jingyan picked up a bottle and poured Lu Mingyu a glass of wine, placing it in front of him. Then he poured another and handed it to Song Shi'an.

Song Shi'an did not want to spoil their fun either and was about to reach out for it when Lu Mingyu stopped him. "He can't hold his liquor."

Fu Jingyan did not insist and took the glass back.

The game grew heated. After several rounds of drinking, Huo Yeting had drunk too much and was helped into the restroom by a young woman beside him.

Lu Mingyu seemed to have had too much as well. He lifted himself slightly from the couch, preparing to go to the restroom outside.

Then he heard Song Shi'an muttering inwardly beside him. [If Lu Mingyu goes to the outside restroom now, he'll run into someone bullying Tang Ruan, who's working here as a server. Another heroic rescue of a beauty!]

His half-raised butt immediately dropped back down.

He could still hold it.

Seeing that he did not move, Song Shi'an asked in confusion, "President Lu, aren't you going to the restroom?"

Lu Mingyu said, "No rush."

Song Shi'an grew anxious. [If you don't go to the restroom, who's going to save the beauty?!]

Lu Mingyu became even more determined to remain seated on the couch.

Seeing that Lu Mingyu was not in a hurry, Song Shi'an started getting anxious for him instead.

The emperor was not worried, but the eunuch was.

So many things had already deviated from the plot. If the male and female leads still did not get tangled up, how was he supposed to get promoted and strike it rich later?

With that thought, Song Shi'an shoved a bottle of wine straight into Lu Mingyu's hand.

Lu Mingyu held the bottle in confusion and looked at Song Shi'an, not understanding what he meant.

Song Shi'an wore a serious expression. "I've been by President Lu's side for five years now. Thank you for taking care of me all this time. I'd like to toast you."

After saying that, he downed the whole bottle in one gulp, then looked expectantly at Lu Mingyu.

[Drink up, drink up. You need to drink more before you'll go to the restroom.]

Lu Mingyu: "..."

He picked up his glass, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip.

Song Shi'an: "?"

Still unwilling to give up, Song Shi'an grabbed another bottle for himself. "President Lu, let me toast you again."

He took several huge gulps, drinking with great gusto.

Fu Jingyan clicked his tongue softly, nudged Lu Mingyu with his elbow, and raised a brow. "Didn't you say your assistant couldn't hold his liquor? He looks pretty good to me."

Lu Mingyu said, "Wait one minute."

Fu Jingyan did not understand.

Lu Mingyu merely took another light sip.

Alcohol rushed to his head. Seeing that Lu Mingyu was still brushing him off, Song Shi'an got angry.

"How can you be like this? I've already had two bottles, and you've only touched it with your lips. If you're a man, finish it!" Song Shi'an shouted.

Fu Jingyan was rather surprised, likely not expecting Song Shi'an, who had looked so obedient just moments ago, to become this irritable.

No sooner had he spoken than Song Shi'an's head began to swim, and the people before his eyes started doubling.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his entire body tipped over and fell.

Fortunately, Lu Mingyu caught him in time, preventing Song Shi'an from hitting the floor.

Fu Jingyan smacked his lips. "His alcohol tolerance... is really that bad?"

That night, they were drinking a specially mixed liquor only slightly stronger than beer.

He had not expected two bottles to knock Song Shi'an out.

"Mm." Lu Mingyu answered and simply stood up. "I'll take him back first. You and Ye Ting have fun."

His tone paused slightly. They had been good brothers since childhood, so he still reminded him, "Keep an eye on Ye Ting."

Fu Jingyan lit another cigarette and smiled. "Sure, got it."

Lu Mingyu nudged Song Shi'an, who was sprawled over the couch, with his foot and called out, "Assistant Song."

Song Shi'an lay face-down on the couch with his eyes closed, unmoving as a dead pig.

Helpless, Lu Mingyu could only bend down and pick him up.

Song Shi'an was not heavy and barely weighed anything in his arms.

Carrying Song Shi'an, Lu Mingyu strode out.

At least today, with Song Shi'an's help, he had avoided Tang Ruan.

After getting drunk, Song Shi'an became restless too, whining and squirming in Lu Mingyu's arms.

Lu Mingyu snapped softly, "Behave, or I'll throw you down."

The person in his arms immediately became much more obedient upon hearing that.

As the two passed through the hallway and prepared to leave, a commotion suddenly came from the direction of the restroom.

"Who are you pretending to be, some chaste martyr? Working at a place like this, aren't you just trying to hook men? I'm giving you an opportunity here. As long as you serve me well, money won't be a problem!"

Then came a woman's choked sobs. "I... I'm only a server, not one of those girls. Y-you let go of me, sob..."

That familiar voice made Lu Mingyu's spine stiffen.

That damn coincidence.

No matter where he went, he ran into Tang Ruan.

Lu Mingyu was afraid that one day, even when he took a shit, Tang Ruan would be in the stall next to his.