"Ling Xi, I'm heading off now," Qi Jianyi said, gently nudging the woman beside her. Ling Xi was completely intoxicated, sprawled on the couch with her empty glass clutched in her hand, gazing dazedly at the ceiling.
Qi Jianyi couldn't help but be amused by Ling Xi's state. The sun had yet to set—it was barely four in the afternoon—and yet everyone, except for her, was already quite drunk. Qi Jianyi, accustomed to holding her drink better than most, had started to sober up as she spoke.
Ling Xi shook her head. "It's still early. Why are you going home so soon?" she asked with a pout.
Qiao Ning chimed in, "Yes, Miss Qi. It's only four o'clock. We still have so much gossip to share!" The others nodded in agreement.
After spending a few hours with Qi Jianyi, they realised she wasn't as intimidating as they had initially thought. She might dislike small talk, but when engaged, she was attentive and enjoyable to converse with.
They had all grown fond of her and wanted to talk more.
"I'll pass. I need to head back and sober up before my dad finds out I was drinking in the middle of the day," Qi Jianyi responded with a smile as she walked towards the door.
"How will you get home?" Ling Xi asked, remembering that Qi Jianyi had driven.
"I'll grab a taxi," Qi Jianyi replied, waving to the others as she made her way out. She planned to take a short nap in her car before calling a taxi to take her home.
Qi Jianyi rummaged through her bag, searching for her car keys. Despite their small size, they seemed to have disappeared completely. Frustrated, she rubbed her forehead and leaned her head against the car door. Perhaps she needed to take a moment to sober up before she could find her keys.
"What are you doing here?" A rough voice echoed in her left ear, causing Qi Jianyi to startle and jump slightly.
She turned sideways, trying to locate the source of the voice. Qi Jianyi saw a man with a familiar yet unfamiliar face standing a short distance away. It struck her that, having just discussed this person, it was uncanny for him to appear now.
The man in black approached her and asked again, "Are you drunk?" He frowned upon noticing the flush on Qi Jianyi's cheeks.
Qi Jianyi shook her head. "Are you Young Master Song?" she inquired carefully, surprised to actually encounter the man they had gossiped about just two hours earlier.
Song Chengfeng studied her face for a moment, wondering why he had approached her in the first place. Her dejected stance by the car seemed to have drawn him in unconsciously.
"You're drunk," he said coldly.
Qi Jianyi nodded in acknowledgment. "And you are Song Chengfeng," she confirmed.
"Where are you heading?" Song Chengfeng asked, his tone still frosty but with a slight softening of his frown.
Qi Jianyi straightened her posture as she faced him. The earlier topic of him supposedly killing others had faded from her half-sober, half-drunken mind. She pursed her lips and replied, "Home."
"Are you planning to drive in this condition?" Song Chengfeng asked sternly, his previously softened expression now returning to a frown.
At the accusation, Qi Jianyi quickly shook her head and waved her hand. "No, of course not. I'm not that foolish."
"Then what?"
"I just need to lie down for a bit and then call a taxi later," Qi Jianyi explained, her expression turning to frustration.
"Then why are you standing here?" Song Chengfeng probed, puzzled by her behaviour.
As if she was wronged, Qi Jianyi sighed. "I can't find my car keys…" she said, looking utterly dejected.
Amused by her dejected expression, Song Chengfeng averted his gaze briefly before asking, "Where do you usually keep your keys?"
Qi Jianyi waved her handbag in his direction. "In here," she replied.
Song Chengfeng glanced at the small handbag, which seemed barely large enough to hold more than a few items. He looked skeptical, wondering how it could be so difficult to find her keys in such a compact bag.
Interpreting his doubtful look, Qi Jianyi extended her hand and offered the bag to him. "Could you have a look for me?" She was surprisingly relaxed around him, perhaps because she knew he was a close friend of her cousin, or simply due to her half-drunken state.
Without hesitation, Song Chengfeng accepted the bag and opened it. He began searching through its contents, sceptical about finding the keys. Within seconds, however, he pulled out the keys from beneath her purse.
He held the keys up with a smirk and a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I found them," he said, his tone carrying a trace of smug satisfaction.
Qi Jianyi's eyes widened in shock. She felt a pang of betrayal from her own handbag—how could she have missed the keys, only for them to be found so quickly by someone else? It seemed profoundly unfair.
She sighed in frustration, took the keys from Song Chengfeng, and thanked him. "Thank you, Young Master Song. I'll be on my way now." She proceeded to unlock her car.
However, before Qi Jianyi could get inside, Song Chengfeng stopped her. She looked up to meet his gaze and asked, "Is something wrong?"
"I think you should head back immediately," Song Chengfeng advised, withdrawing his hand. "It's not safe to stay in your car for too long."
Qi Jianyi waved off his concern. "I just need to lie down for a minute and then I'll go back."
"Sit in the passenger seat," Song Chengfeng said firmly after a moment of thought. "I'll drive you home."
Qi Jianyi scrunched her face, baffled. "Why?"
Song Chengfeng halted his step. He understood her question perfectly, but he himself didn't have a clear answer. Why was he even offering to drive her home? Wasn't he supposed to meet a friend?
"Because you're Zeqing's cousin," he replied. Qi Jianyi laughed at the response. They both knew it was a half-truth, but they tacitly agreed to go along with it.
"Well, he's a soldier after all," Qi Jianyi thought. Despite feeling a bit cautious about the man, she chose to trust him. After all, someone associated with the male lead must have some degree of credibility.
"Fine, but make sure you tell Zeqing that you're taking me home. If anything happens, he'll know," Qi Jianyi said after a moment's thought. It wasn't that she was overly reliant on He Zeqing, but she preferred to be cautious, especially with someone she didn't know well.
Appreciating Qi Jianyi's prudence despite the situation, Song Chengfeng took out his phone and dialled He Zeqing's number.
After a few rings, an irritated voice answered, "What is it?"
"I met your cousin and she's drunk. I'm taking her home, and she asked me to inform you," Song Chengfeng explained succinctly, avoiding any unnecessary details.
He Zeqing's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "She's with you? What's she doing with you?"
"I told you, I just happened to run into her. We're not spending time together," Song Chengfeng replied, clearly irritated.
"Whatever. I'm taking her home," Song Chengfeng said, preparing to end the call.
He Zeqing quickly stopped him. "Where are you?"
"Why do you want to know?" Song Chengfeng shot back.
"I'm coming over," He Zeqing replied as he headed for the elevator.
"Don't bother," Song Chengfeng said curtly, ending the call before He Zeqing could respond.
"Hey, Chengfeng!" He Zeqing called out, but Song Chengfeng had already disconnected. He attempted to call back, but his calls went unanswered.
"What did he say?" Qi Jianyi asked as the call ended. She opened her eyes and glanced at Song Chengfeng, who was starting the car.
Song Chengfeng drove out of the parking lot and replied, "He said it's fine. You live near Zeqing's villa, right?"
Qi Jianyi nodded. "Yes, in the Lanhua community."