Chapter Eleven: Holding a Grudge

After that incident, Wan Chaoyang harbored a deep and abiding hatred for Shu Yiming. However, the two of them had little interaction afterward, and with the deliberate distancing by the Shu family, it had been many years since he’d even seen this so-called cousin. Later, Shu Yiming heard that Wan Chaoyang was doing quite well for himself—he’d married into wealth, managed several companies, and seemed to be enjoying a smooth and prosperous life.

He had always believed the company’s collapse was orchestrated solely by the old man, but now it seemed Wan Chaoyang was also involved. At this thought, Shu Yiming did not betray his emotions, pretending not to notice Li Rou’s subtle moves.

In his previous life, it was at this very banquet that Wan Chaoyang, together with Li Rou, got him drunk and falsely accused him of misconduct. Sure enough, today these people were unusually enthusiastic upon meeting Shu Yiming, each coming over to toast him as if eager to become friends. In his previous life, Shu Yiming had thought this was a good sign, but now it was clear this was all prearranged.

“Ladies and gentlemen, today I’d like to introduce you all to a remarkable figure—a truly talented man!” Shu Yiming took two steps forward, grabbing Wan Chaoyang by the arm. “This is my cousin, Wan Chaoyang. He is a master in the art of management and personnel. At a young age, he’s already wielded great authority, and under his leadership, his company has flourished. He is my role model!”

With that, Shu Yiming raised his glass first. “Cousin, we’ve known each other since we were children. These years, you’ve been busy with your career, I with my studies, and we haven’t seen each other much. From now on, I must learn from you!”

Wan Chaoyang’s face darkened. Earlier, he had deliberately spread the word among these wealthy heirs, betting that Shu Yiming’s drinking capacity was unmatched, which led them all to compete in toasting him, eager to witness this supposed prowess.

Now that the focus had shifted to him, Wan Chaoyang had no choice but to drink a glass. Just as he tried to deflect the attention back to Shu Yiming, Shu Yiming spoke up swiftly, “Everyone, you’ve seen it with your own eyes—my cousin is a man of three perfections: unmatched looks, extraordinary talent, and unbeatable drinking capacity!”

“My cousin is truly handsome and charming, and key among his virtues is his peerless capacity for drink!” Shu Yiming added.

It’s in everyone’s nature to be competitive; no one wants to admit they’re inferior. Those lacking in looks pride themselves on their talent, and if they have neither, they boast about their drinking. Now, with someone praised for all three, it was only natural that the crowd felt dissatisfied and unconvinced.

Wan Chaoyang hadn’t even recovered from the shock when Shu Yiming’s words nearly made him spit blood. He hurriedly protested, “No, don’t listen to his nonsense. I am neither virtuous nor talented, nowhere near as impressive as my cousin here. He is the true master of drink—his reputation precedes him!”

But as soon as he finished, Shu Yiming’s cheeks flushed, his body swayed, and with a silly grin, he pointed at Wan Chaoyang, belched, and said, “Cousin, you’re showing off again! I know you can hold your liquor, but don’t pretend to be drunk. I—I—I won’t drink with you, just, just…”

By the end, his words had become a drunken mumble.

Predictably, the crowd took Wan Chaoyang’s denial as further boasting, and they pressed more drinks on him, toasting him until he was utterly stupefied. Even when he finally succumbed to drunkenness, no one cared, since Shu Yiming had already exposed his feigned inebriation.

Meanwhile, Shu Yiming slipped away to the restroom, sent several messages to arrange matters, and only then stepped back out.

Ouyang Zhuo received the messages, tracked down Li Rou’s reserved room, set it up, and then waited in the room opposite, ready to act.

Li Rou, there on a mission, saw Shu Yiming drink heavily and thought nothing of it, assuming he simply couldn’t hold his liquor. She waited at the restroom door.

“Oh dear, Ming, look at you—why did you drink so much?” Li Rou supported Shu Yiming as they headed upstairs.

Shu Yiming, his eyes half-closed, caught sight of Wan Chaoyang about to collapse, and only then followed Li Rou upstairs.

At the same time, a uniformed waiter appeared beside Wan Chaoyang and quietly said, “Sir, your girlfriend asked me to take you to rest.”

Wan Chaoyang, thoroughly muddled, vomited a mouthful and staggered upstairs, being half-dragged along.

Li Rou brought Shu Yiming into the room and pushed him onto the bed.

“Come on, baby, you have a drink too!” Seeing that Li Rou was still sober, Shu Yiming, not wanting any slip-ups, grabbed a bottle of whiskey, bit off the cap, and pressed it to her lips.

“Oh, no, I don’t want any!” Li Rou protested anxiously, trying to push him away.

Feigning drunken oblivion, Shu Yiming forced her mouth open and poured the liquor down—gulp after gulp.

After she had swallowed several large mouthfuls, Shu Yiming finally set the bottle down, burped, and pulled Li Rou to dance with him.

The whiskey was smooth but strong, and it wasn’t long before Li Rou felt her head spinning and the world swayed before her eyes. She wasn’t fully drunk, but a heavy dizziness set in.

Shu Yiming spun her around a couple of times, then, with a click, turned off the lights.

At that moment, Ouyang Zhuo, who had prepared everything in advance, brought Wan Chaoyang into the room. Shu Yiming slipped out to the room across the hall.

Ouyang Zhuo had gone to great lengths for this scheme—he’d even just cleaned out Wan Chaoyang’s mouth.

When everything was in place, Ouyang Zhuo, sweating from the effort, came to sit beside Shu Yiming.

“All done? Will Wan Chaoyang’s wife show up in time? Did you time it right? We can’t have her arrive too early and ruin everything,” Shu Yiming asked. He was set on making this a grand reckoning—those who’d wronged him before would now pay a thousandfold.

“Don’t worry. I not only notified Miss Ji, I also tipped off the reporters. Of course, I just hope that woman manages to call the police in time,” Ouyang Zhuo said worriedly, remembering how dazed she’d already been when he’d left.

“Let fate decide. Even if we miss by a step, it doesn’t matter. What’s done is done; now it’s up to heaven whether it succeeds or not,” Shu Yiming replied. Then he asked, “One more thing—did you leave any evidence? Don’t let yourself get dragged into this.”

“Hey, what do you take me for? I thought of everything, even broke the lights in the room. Relax!” Ouyang Zhuo laughed, threw himself onto the bed, and prepared to wait for news.

The night was as calm as water. In the other room, the two inside thrashed about for quite a while before finally quieting down.

Li Rou bit her tongue hard, shook her head to clear it, then fumbled for her phone, brought it to her face, and dialed.

She choked out in a hoarse, low voice, “Help… I’ve been assaulted…”