Should've thought this through

At the sight of the maid's relentless persistence, Jiang Nian's hand trembled slightly as she tucked into the banquet.

Other people make three visits to win someone over, and you make three attempts to drug them?

The main cast stared at the maid in bewilderment. Were lackeys this dedicated these days?

Shen Hui was speechless too.

Judging by the maid's burning gaze, she was determined to make him take this glass of wine.

Even if he dodged this glass, another would be waiting for him. Rather than keep arguing with her, Shen Hui simply took it.

When the maid saw Shen Hui finally accept the hot potato, she nearly wept with joy.

Finally!

She exchanged a glance with Shen Lei in the distance, gave a small nod, and went off to serve someone else without looking back.

Whoever wants to stay in this lousy place can stay.

Seeing the increasingly conflicted look Jiang Nian was giving him, Shen Hui knew she must be wondering how to ask him for the wine.

So once the maid left, he handed the wine straight to Jiang Nian before she could speak. "Here. Weren't you thirsty? You can have this glass too."

That way, you can stop obsessing over it and actually eat a few bites.

Jiang Nian was delighted when he delivered it right into her hands. Shen Hui was practically a mind reader-he actually knew she wanted it.

"Then I won't say no."

She accepted it without hesitation.

Then, as she ate, she tipped both glasses of tampered wine in front of her into the trash when no one was looking.

Phew~ Much better.

Looking at Shen Lei eating in the distance, Jiang Nian flashed an evil smile and called to the system in her mind:

[88, come out. Time to get to work.]

Beside her, Shen Hui and the others paused briefly before continuing to eat as though nothing had happened.

When they listened to Jiang Nian's thoughts, they often felt as if she were talking to someone else in her mind, though they had never heard that other person's voice.

Sometimes, when Jiang Nian addressed the other person by name, it sounded muffled, as though buried beneath a layer of paste, making the actual name impossible to hear. So they had gotten into the habit of guessing what her conversations meant.

Now that they heard Jiang Nian call that person to work, they pricked up their ears, ready to find out what she was planning.

[Cut the Arousal Buff Fu Zhenzhen put on me and paste it into Shen Lei's wine. Let him get a taste of what he planned to put Shen Hui through by drugging him.]

Without another word, 88 tossed the buff over. Only after watching Shen Lei drink the wine did it reply to Jiang Nian:

[Transferred. Shen Lei has already drunk the wine with the buff in it. It should take effect in about half an hour.]

Jiang Nian rubbed her chin.

[Half an hour should be pretty close to his original schedule, right? Looks like he's about to slip Jiang Wenxue a sedative, then bring Shen Hui over once the aphrodisiac kicks in and lock them together.]

[Once the time is right, he'll make a huge fuss and get everyone searching for Jiang Wenxue. Then the guests will discover that Shen Hui drugged his own younger brother's girlfriend and took her to bed at their grandfather's birthday banquet.]

[Except now Shen Lei's the one who's been drugged. Who knows whose reputation will end up in the gutter?]

Only after she finished did Shen Hui learn the precise details of Shen Lei's plot against him.

He glanced at Shen Lei, who was laughing merrily in the distance, and veiled the darkness in his eyes.

You might not be laughing much longer, Shen Lei.

In the distance, Shen Lei had been watching everything closely ever since the maid went over.

Only after receiving her signal of confirmation did his eyes curve with a smile. Then he turned to Jiang Wenxue, who was putting food on his plate beside him.

Now you're the only one left, Wenxue.

While Jiang Wenxue wasn't looking, Shen Lei secretly slipped the sedative into her wineglass, then coaxed her into taking a sip.

After another twenty minutes or so of eating, Jiang Wenxue suddenly felt terribly sleepy. A deep exhaustion spread through her entire body.

She rubbed her eyes and murmured sweetly to Shen Lei:

"Lei, I'm so sleepy."

Seeing that the drug had taken effect, Shen Lei gently stroked Jiang Wenxue's head and said:

"Shall I take you somewhere to rest?"

Jiang Wenxue nodded, and Shen Lei helped her out of the dining room.

Jiang Nian had been watching the two of them closely. When they left the table, she stood up too and told everyone:

"It feels a little stuffy in here. I'm going out for some air."

[88, do you think I'll see something adults-only if I follow them now?]

[If I really do, should I cover my eyes first or call for help?]

[Surely one little peek won't hurt? Hehehehehe...]

The main cast's mouths all twitched. What on earth went through her head all day?

Shen Hui had intended to go out with Jiang Nian to keep her from actually seeing that nasty business, but Fu Zhenzhen beat him to it:

"Jiang Nian, I'd like some fresh air too. Shall we go together?"

Fu Zhenzhen elegantly dabbed the corners of her mouth and stood up with Jiang Nian.

She had been watching Jiang Nian for ages. Just as she began wondering whether the Arousal Buff she had exchanged for through the system was useless, Jiang Nian finally showed a reaction.

Surely Jiang Nian must be feeling it by now?

In that case, let me give you a hand.

The corners of Fu Zhenzhen's mouth gradually lifted.

Seeing how eager Fu Zhenzhen looked, Jiang Nian intended to refuse outright.

As if. If Fu Zhenzhen came out with her, how was she supposed to watch them fooling around?

But Fu Zhenzhen gave her no chance to refuse. She stepped forward, linked arms with Jiang Nian, and pulled her straight out of the dining room.

Only after dragging her into a secluded corner did Fu Zhenzhen fling Jiang Nian's hand away and reveal her true colors, looking at her mockingly:

"What's wrong? Feeling a little uncomfortable?"

Jiang Nian froze for a moment, only then remembering that the Arousal Buff she had tossed onto Shen Lei had originally been put on her by Fu Zhenzhen.

No wonder Fu Zhenzhen had insisted on following her out.

As far as Fu Zhenzhen was concerned, she must have come out for air because the buff had taken effect.

Looking at Fu Zhenzhen's smug face, Jiang Nian was curious to see what she planned to do to her.

So she pretended to have fallen into the trap, clutching the fabric over her chest with a pained expression as she asked Fu Zhenzhen:

"You... what did you do to me?"

Seeing Jiang Nian's frightened expression made Fu Zhenzhen feel even more satisfied.

She stepped forward and pinched Jiang Nian's chin, her voice vicious. "I told you, if you started getting any other ideas, I wouldn't let you off easily."

Jiang Nian scoffed inwardly, but kept looking utterly terrified as she slowly backed away, step by step.

"W-what exactly are you going to do to me?"

"I'm warning you, this is the Shen Family's home. There are so many people here today. You'd better think this through!"

Fu Zhenzhen was naturally unfazed. She had finally managed to exchange for this buff; a crowd was exactly what she wanted.

She looked at Jiang Nian with a wicked smile. "Don't you want to know what I'm going to do? You'll find out soon enough."

Ten minutes later.

"Jiang Nian? What are you doing here?"

Faced with the door Fu Zhenzhen had shut in front of her and Shen Lei's surprised question behind her, Jiang Nian's face went blank.

Fuck. Should've thought this through.