Business Entertaining

At eleven o'clock at night, the streets shimmered with neon lights, casting surreal, kaleidoscopic colors across the asphalt.

The door to a private room at an upscale club opened, releasing a stale wave of expensive tobacco and alcohol, perfume, and greasy food. Gu Yue emerged, supported by her secretary, Xiao Chen. Her black business suit was now rumpled against her body, and her high ponytail had long since come loose. A few damp strands of hair clung to her sweat-soaked forehead and cheeks. The usual cool sharpness had vanished from her violet eyes, replaced by a hazy mist. Her steps were unsteady, each one landing uncertainly.

"President Gu, slow down... The car is waiting outside," Xiao Chen said cautiously.

"Mmh... I'm fine... I can walk..." Gu Yue muttered indistinctly, trying to shake off Xiao Chen's hand. She immediately stumbled and nearly fell. Xiao Chen hurriedly steadied her, silently lamenting her fate while feeling relieved that she had insisted on seeing Gu Yue through to the end.

Business entertaining was practically another kind of battlefield—a brutal one where reason meant nothing and only drinking capacity mattered. Glasses were raised and exchanged, people called each other brothers, and even when she was sick enough to vomit, she still had to wear a proper smile and spout insincere pleasantries. She had no idea how much she had drunk. Baijiu, red wine, and beer had all mixed together, turning her stomach upside down while countless tiny hammers seemed to pound away inside her head. Her last memory was using her unquestionable "director's authority" to stop the other party from pressing more drinks on her, then barely completing the ritual of leaving with Xiao Chen's help.

The car moved steadily through the night. Gu Yue leaned against her seat as the passing city lights outside stretched into blurry streaks across her unfocused pupils. One moment she felt cold, the next hot. The burning in her stomach and the dull ache in her head came in waves. She only took a careless sip from the bottle of mineral water Xiao Chen handed her.

"Mr. Tang is calling..." Xiao Chen glanced at the caller ID as the phone vibrated in Gu Yue's bag, then quietly reminded her.

Gu Yue struggled to open her eyes and waved a hand. "Don't answer... Annoying..."

Xiao Chen could only decline the call for her, feeling a little sympathy for this Mr. Tang. Calling at this hour, he had probably been worried all night.

The car finally entered the familiar residential complex and stopped downstairs. Xiao Chen spent tremendous effort getting Gu Yue out of the car, half supporting and half carrying her, then helped her inch up the steps before the apartment building.

"Xiao Chen... Thank you..." Gu Yue leaned against the wall, tilted her head, and gave Xiao Chen a foolish, utterly unguarded smile. There was an innocent drunkenness in that smile, making her seem like a completely different person from the woman she was in the office during the day.

"President Gu, hurry upstairs and get some rest. I'll be leaving now," Xiao Chen said with a sigh of relief.

Gu Yue nodded. Like a child, she got out of the elevator and began wrestling with the familiar door. She pulled out her keychain but could not line the key up with the lock no matter how hard she tried. After struggling for quite a while, she finally remembered there was a more advanced method—a fingerprint-and-password lock.

With a soft beep, the door unlocked.

She practically stumbled into the entryway. One high heel had been kicked onto the doormat, while the other still dangled precariously from her foot. She yanked off her jacket carelessly and tossed it aside. It traced an arc through the air before landing on the floor.

The living room was pitch-black, lit only by the dim yellow glow of the motion-sensor light in the entryway.

Gu Yue was trying to rub off the stubborn high heel still on her foot when she lost her balance and staggered forward several steps. Just then, a pair of warm, strong hands firmly caught her arms.

A familiar scent, carrying the faint clean fragrance of soap, instantly enveloped her.

"...Wulin?" Gu Yue lifted her head and looked hazily at the figure before her. She could not make out Tang Wulin's expression in the shadows, but the feel of his hands and that unique scent made her feel inexplicably at ease.

"Yeah, it's me." Tang Wulin's voice was low, betraying little emotion, but the strength with which he held her was especially steady. He had clearly been waiting the entire time. He had not even turned on the lights, quietly keeping watch in the darkness.

"Why... aren't you asleep yet..." Gu Yue began rambling incoherently, unconsciously pressing herself into his arms like a cat looking for warmth. "I was... I was entertaining clients... I'm so tired... Those people... They're so annoying..."

She began complaining in fits and starts, pouring out all the grievances, exhaustion, and anger she had accumulated over the day without restraint under the influence of alcohol. The other side had gone back on their word, the proposal had been revised eighteen times only for them to use the first version in the end... As she spoke, she gestured with her hands, utterly lacking her usual calm restraint, like a child who had suffered a terrible injustice.

Tang Wulin did not say a word, listening patiently and occasionally replying with a simple "Mm" or "I know." He first helped her remove the stubborn high heel, then bent down to pick up the jacket she had thrown on the floor and hung it up. After that, he half supported and half carried the drunken, limp "human accessory" into the bathroom.

The bathroom lights came on, and the bright illumination made Gu Yue squint uncomfortably. Tang Wulin turned on the hot water and tested the temperature before beginning to undo the buttons of her shirt. At first, Gu Yue was somewhat uncooperative, twisting around while muttering, "I'll do it myself," but her limbs were too weak for her to use any strength at all.

"Don't move. You'll fall." Tang Wulin's voice was gently firm, as though he were coaxing a sulky child. His movements were practiced and gentle. Avoiding her sensitive skin, he removed all her clothes and checked whether she had been bumped or injured anywhere. Fortunately, aside from a few red marks brought out by the alcohol, she was not seriously hurt.

Warm water poured over her head, and Gu Yue let out a comfortable sigh, completely relaxing. She allowed Tang Wulin to guide her as he applied shampoo and rinsed away the foam. Even when she tried to smear the suds onto his face, he caught her wrist in time.

"Be good. You can make trouble after you're clean." A trace of barely noticeable amusement entered Tang Wulin's voice.

The washing process was even longer than expected. Gu Yue was like a puddle of melted cream, able to stand only because Tang Wulin supported her. While brushing her teeth, she held the toothbrush in her mouth and continued her muddled accusations about Xie Xie's crimes yesterday, along with the stupid reports at work today.

After much effort, he finally got her out of the bathroom, wrapped her in a towel, and carried her to the bedside, only to face another battle. Tang Wulin found a set of cotton pajamas she often wore and patiently helped her into the pants, pulled on the top, and fastened the buttons. Gu Yue's cooperation was abysmal throughout. Either she pulled her hands back or shoved her head into the wrong opening. In the end, Tang Wulin had to use a little skill before he could finally get her "sorted out."

When Gu Yue was finally tucked into the dry, warm bed, she let out a satisfied sigh. Her eyes could barely stay open, yet she stubbornly stretched out one hand and grabbed the corner of Tang Wulin's clothes.

"Wulin..." she called indistinctly, her voice heavy with a nasal tone and drunkenness. "You... can't leave... Stay with me..."

"I'm not leaving. I'm right here." Tang Wulin held her hand and gently patted her back as though soothing an infant.

Only then did Gu Yue completely relax. She fell asleep almost instantly, her breathing becoming even and deep, though her brows remained faintly furrowed, as if she could not find peace even in her dreams.

Tang Wulin sat by the bed for a long time, quietly watching her sleeping face. With all her defenses gone, he reached out and gently smoothed her tightly knitted brows. His eyes were full of heartache and helplessness.

He knew she was under a lot of pressure. He knew she was stubbornly strong. But seeing her push herself into such a state still made his heart ache as though it had been tightly gripped.

The next morning, when Tang Wulin woke up, Gu Yue was still asleep. Her hangover headache left her lightly frowning even in slumber. He got up quietly, careful not to wake her.

When he reached the living room, he picked up Gu Yue's phone, found the number for her secretary Xiao Chen, and sent a concise message.

"Xiao Chen, Gu Yue is unwell today and will be taking the day off. Thank you."

After sending the message, he went into the kitchen and began preparing a light breakfast and some hangover soup.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, filling the room with tranquility. Tang Wulin thought that no matter what, he had to make this stubborn wildcat get some proper rest today.

As for how Gu Yue would react after waking up, and whether she would lose her temper with him again over the matter of "taking leave"... that would be another story requiring a battle of wits.

For now, the most important thing was letting this drunken cat get some peaceful sleep.