As Jing Luozhou spoke, the young woman referred to as Miss Xiao’s face changed slightly, and the young gentleman sitting next to her also seemed to have a change in expression. "Speaking of that," Jing Luozhou nonchalantly wiped his chin and said with a smile, "I’m kind of like a half-matchmaker. Back then, when Grandpa knew you, Miss Xiao, were crying your heart out, Mr. Jing, feeling soft-hearted, asked me to bring some gifts to comfort you. But I was too busy with my studies at the time, so I sent a senior to deliver the items. Who would’ve thought..." He paused, and as everyone pricked up their ears in curiosity, he continued leisurely, "Who would’ve thought that by accident, Miss Xiao and my senior hit it off. I heard the relationship developed quickly, like a house on fire—passionate love, a natural progression when deep in feelings, right?" Most of the guests in the main hall started to suppress their laughter. If it were just that, it would have been fine, but Jing Luozhou only got more animated as he spoke: "But in less than half a year, Miss Xiao, you got married. Only today did I find out that you married someone else, the deputy general manager of Xinmao Group, right? My apologies!" The young gentleman beside Miss Xiao suddenly slammed his chopsticks down heavily, his expression indescribable, while Miss Xiao’s expression changed as she turned to look at the person next to her, obviously not getting any warm looks. Less than ten minutes later, the young couple found an excuse to leave the table. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✦𝓷𝓮𝓽 The birthday banquet wound down around nine in the evening, with hosts and guests all having enjoyed themselves. Whether the guests were happy or not was unclear, but Mr. Jing, the birthday star, was very delighted tonight. During the banquet, he chatted quite a bit with Shi Su, who responded openly and engaged in a lively conversation with him. Later, when Mr. Jing was drinking, he asked Shi Su if she wanted to join in for a drink. Shi Su typically didn’t drink much on outside occasions, especially not white liquor. She feared something might happen if she got drunk, so she avoided high-proof alcohol completely. But tonight, she couldn’t refuse Mr. Jing’s warm hospitality, so she toasted him with a small glass. Who would have guessed, as she drank, the glass in front of her was continuously refilled by a servant. Even though Jing Jihan tried to block and drink for her, seeing Mr. Jing joyfully like a child, she really didn’t want to spoil his mood. She insisted on drinking several glasses with Mr. Jing herself. After several glasses of fine wine, her consciousness started to drift, and she fearlessly continued drinking with Mr. Jing. Although the glasses weren’t big, cumulatively she drank several ounces of liquor, and the alcohol content was not low at all. In the end, as many guests had already left, Shi Su rested her head on the table, completely unable to continue drinking. "Oh, had too much?" Mr. Jing’s tolerance was built up from his younger days. After drinking for so long and being toasted by other guests, his face was just slightly flushed. Seeing Shi Su lying there motionless, Mr. Jing smiled and waved his hand: "My granddaughter-in-law sure is loyal. Even though she can’t really hold her liquor, she drank with this old man for so long. Look at her, drunk ! Lying down like that must be uncomfortable. Jihan, help her back to the room so she can rest well, and have Hui prepare some sober-up tea to prevent her stomach from feeling uncomfortable." "No worries, I can drink more!" Suddenly, Shi Su sat back up, bolt upright, reaching for a wine glass on the table. Mr. Jing was directly amused, entertained by his granddaughter-in-law’s little drunken antics. Jing Jihan had also had a few drinks tonight, not too many, but certainly not enough to make driving suitable. He stopped Shi Su from continuing her search for a wine glass, speaking in a deep voice, "Shi Su." Shi Su, as if not hearing, turned her gaze to Mr. Jing, suddenly beaming with a smile: "Mr. Jing, you must have been so handsome when you were young! Could you teach me how to hold my drink? I’m afraid of getting taken advantage of and don’t dare to drink outside, also... hic... Jing Jihan he... um..." Seeing Shi Su getting talkative showed that she was indeed quite tipsy. Jing Jihan immediately gathered her into his arms, turning her around, her face bumping into his chest, and helped her up. She was unsteady, slipping downwards in his embrace. Jing Jihan: "Can you stand by yourself?" "I can!" Shi Su raised her head in his arms, cheeks flushed, eyes that were usually clear and bright now twinkling as if filled with stars. She quickly stood up straight in front of him, but then slumped, leaning against him again. Mr. Jing, standing to the side, didn’t rush off, watching Shi Su and Jing Jihan’s intimate interaction, thinking to himself, "Ah, looks like my great-grandchild is on the way." Jing Jihan picked up her coat from the back of her chair to drape over her, but Shi Su defiantly lifted her arms to throw it off. "Put it on. It’s windy outside." "No, I don’t want to!" Maybe she only dared to be this stubborn and brazen in front of her financial backer when drunk. Jing Jihan draped the coat back over her shoulders, and when Shi Su was about to push it off again, he scooped her up, seizing the opportunity as she spread her arms. Shi Su was stunned the moment her feet left the ground. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and looked side to side, trying to find the floor, dumbfoundedly asking, "Am I flying?" Mr. Jing watched as Jing Jihan carried her out of the main hall, humming an opera tune, very pleased with himself. Jing Luozhou, who had disappeared for a long time, slipped back into the main hall like a ghost. "Grandpa, who warned me back in the day to mind my manners while dating and not to get girls drunk, to know where to draw the line between romance and decorum, and not to bully girls?" Mr. Jing glanced at him, "Did I say that? I don’t recall." Jing Luozhou narrowed his eyes, "Then why did you deliberately get Shi Su drunk with my brother, and force them to stay home with her carried to the room? Don’t you think my brother can see through your little tricks?" Mr. Jing spoke righteously, "I didn’t get her drunk. Besides, whether it’s sooner or later, the great-grandchild needs to be held, no harm in speeding things up for a marriage. Otherwise, who knows how long it would take?" "Getting hitched because of a pregnancy, huh? You, from the black-and-white film era, can accept that?" Mr. Jing snorted, "If it makes me happy!" Jing Luozhou scoffed, "When we were kids, you didn’t spare the rod, rule after rule. Now you’re all indulgent with Shi Su. All for a great-grandchild, you’ll stop at nothing. Grandpa, I didn’t realize you were such an old trickster!" Mr. Jing turned his face away, "What rules? I think I have Alzheimer’s and don’t remember." Jing Luozhou: "What’s that supposed to mean?" Mr. Jing glared at him, "I’m senile! What’s it to you?"