Soon, the birthday banquet commenced. After Ren Hongyuan delivered his speech, the meal began. Ning Zhu sat at the head table, lingering under the watchful eyes of the Ren family father and son throughout. Whatever Ren Shaokun did, he could always spot Ning Zhu leisurely eating. By the latter half of the banquet, he was thoroughly irritated. When seeing guests off in the foyer after the event, his face was green with anger.

Ning Zhu’s car was parked in the underground garage. His driver sent him the vehicle’s location.

Descending to the hotel lobby, Ning Zhu walked toward the exit while checking the location details. As he passed the lounge area, his peripheral vision caught a vaguely familiar silhouette on the sofa. His steps halted abruptly.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ning Zhu put away his phone and approached the figure.

He called out, “Changxiao?”

The person, facing away, straightened at the sound and turned to look at him, the movement carrying an almost imperceptible slowness.

Ning Zhu asked in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

He had expected the person to have left long ago, yet here they were now, inexplicably in the hotel lobby lounge, alone.

Ning Zhu noticed the other person’s slightly furrowed brow, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Glancing around, Ning Zhu asked, “Where’s the guest… who brought you here?”

“…Restroom.”

“Oh.”

Dou Changxiao: “Restroom…”

Ning Zhu interrupted him: “I heard you.”

He studied Dou Changxiao, keenly sensing something off about him. His speech, movements, and reactions seemed slower than usual.

Ning Zhu had experienced plenty of drinking culture during his early years of securing investments, witnessing all manner of drunkenness. Among them were the quiet types—those who, after drinking, didn’t cause trouble but simply became sluggish.

…Could this guy actually be drunk?

Ning Zhu wrinkled his nose. He didn’t detect any particularly strong alcohol scent, making him uncertain again. Dou Changxiao worked in nightlife venues; his tolerance couldn’t be that low.

After a moment’s thought, he tentatively reached out, waving his index finger in front of Dou Changxiao’s eyes. The latter’s eyeballs slowly followed the motion, shifting left and right.

Ning Zhu: “…Hmph.”

His playful mood took over, and the test took a different turn. This time, he waved his finger a bit faster…

But Dou Changxiao’s reaction was far less engaging. He stopped cooperating entirely, his eyelashes drooping as he stared at Ning Zhu’s collarbone, exposed as he bent over.

Ning Zhu suddenly felt like a complete fool.

“Changxiao,” Ning Zhu concluded the kid was drunk, leaning down to stare at him, “What does your pheromone smell like?”

Dou Changxiao answered: “Coconut…”

Ning Zhu quickly raised a hand to cover his lips, chuckling, “Got it, drunkard.”

He sat down beside Dou Changxiao and murmured softly, “Just how much did that client of yours pour down your throat?”

At the banquet, Dou Changxiao had only drunk the iced beverage Ning Zhu had given him. Even if it contained alcohol, Ning Zhu believed Dou Changxiao’s line of work wouldn’t knock him out with just one glass. He must have been plied with something else by the client who brought him here.

As he pondered, the person beside him suddenly stirred.

Dou Changxiao pushed himself up with his arms, stood, and walked past Ning Zhu back toward the exit. Though thoroughly drunk, his physical coordination remained unaffected—his gait still appeared steady.

Still, Ning Zhu felt uneasy and stood up too.

That guy was lanky and long-limbed—if he stumbled, it would probably be pretty bad.

Following behind Dou Changxiao, he asked, “Where are you going?”

“…Restroom.”

“Oh, you’re going to find him.”

Ning Zhu hesitated, wanting to advise Dou Changxiao not to fixate on one person. With his looks, he could easily find a more considerate sugar daddy.

Unfortunately, the other wasn’t thinking straight, so any advice would be wasted.

Ning Zhu thought it over but ultimately couldn’t let a drunk wander alone: “Fine, I’ll walk you there.”

He followed Dou Changxiao for a few minutes before the other led him into a dead end. He instantly realized, speechless, that he’d foolishly let a drunk take the lead.

Finally, he turned around and guided Dou Changxiao to the first-floor restroom. He didn’t go in himself; after dropping him off, he prepared to leave.

But Dou Changxiao didn’t seem intent on finding anyone. He walked straight into the men’s Alpha stall and emerged moments later—before Ning Zhu could even make his exit.

Dou Changxiao walked to the sink, turned on the faucet, washed his hands, and dried them. It was as if all his earlier rambling had been just an excuse to use the restroom.

Ning Zhu: “…”

Ning Zhu couldn’t tell if he genuinely just needed to relieve himself or if he was so drunk he’d forgotten why he was looking for someone.

One foot already out the door, he saw this and pulled back, returning to Dou Changxiao’s side: “…Weren’t you here to find someone? You’re quite the expert—just turn on the water and forget about the person.”

What happened to falling for a sugar daddy so easily? Was that it?

Before them hung a common square bathroom mirror, polished to a gleaming clean. Its surface reflected Ning Zhu’s face, bathed in the warm, hazy glow of surrounding wall lamps.

Ning Zhu didn’t notice how similar this setup was to the art exhibition half a month ago.

Dou Changxiao stared at the reflection in the mirror, silent.

Ning Zhu didn’t know whether to leave or stay. After a moment of hesitation, he edged closer to Dou Changxiao.

“I was going to say…”

He casually tugged at Dou Changxiao’s sleeve.

Then, the man who had been silent since earlier suddenly jerked his hand away forcefully.

“…” A question mark formed in Ning Zhu’s mind as he saw Dou Changxiao turn his head to look at him, his eyelids half-lowered.

He stared at Ning Zhu for several silent seconds, as if confirming something, before opening his lips to say coldly, “Please behave yourself!”

Dou Changxiao’s voice was flat yet unusually forceful. Instantly, nearly every person at the sink turned to look at them.

Ning Zhu froze: …Huh?

Uh…

Huh???

He stammered awkwardly, “…What?”

Dou Changxiao delivered his line with wooden precision: “Or I’ll call the police.”

Ning Zhu was bewildered and flustered: “What did I do?”

Dou Changxiao continued in that cold, yet undeniably convincing monotone, casually dropping a bombshell: “Sexual harassment.”

“…” Ning Zhu fell silent.

Just tugging this kid’s clothes turned into sexual harassment?

Seems drunkenness really does make your IQ plummet.

Ning Zhu was almost laughing at the absurd accusation.

But his laughter quickly died when passersby, startled by Dou Changxiao’s outburst, stopped in their tracks and warily pulled out their phones.

Ning Zhu watched as a student-looking Beta, face full of righteous indignation, began dialing. He hurriedly called out, “Hey… don’t call the police! This kid’s drunk, really!”

The Beta looked skeptical, doubt outweighing belief. Though he stopped dialing, he didn’t put his phone away. Instead, he switched to video mode and shoved the lens right in Ning Zhu’s face.

Ning Zhu guessed his face must look quite “interesting” through the other’s phone lens right now.

Ning Zhu turned his profile slightly toward the camera and addressed it: “That drunkard’s just babbling nonsense.” He tried to distance himself: “I don’t know him. I was just passing by to wash my hands.”

Several passersby, hearing his defense, grew even more suspicious.

“…” Ning Zhu felt a rare sense of helplessness, so exasperated he raised both hands in the air, almost lifting his feet to prove his innocence.

Dou Changxiao watched his movements, a hint of confusion flickering in his eyes, as if something had gone awry.

The scene before him ran counter to the images etched in his memory.

This wasn’t right. Everything should have unfolded according to the predetermined script.

The reason for this unexpected turn of events was the chattering, unprofessional actor standing before him.

Dou Changxiao’s alcohol-addled mind, already teetering on the edge, faltered. His sensitive nerves felt isolated and helpless, sparking an instant urge to manually correct the error.

Ning Zhu glanced around, finding no witnesses or evidence. He could only glare at Dou Changxiao: “Damn it, I barely tugged your sleeve. At worst, I brushed against your coat.”

The other man’s deep, dark pupils studied Ning Zhu for a moment before leaning in without warning. He gathered Ning Zhu’s waist, tightening his grip just enough to pull him completely into his embrace.

—Reenacting a scene from half a month ago.

Caught off guard, Ning Zhu’s nose collided with Dou Changxiao’s chest, sending a sharp pang of pain through him that made him gasp.

His tailbone was gripped tightly, leaving him flustered and helpless, his nose and eyes stinging.

An unfamiliar scent invaded his nostrils, leaving him bewildered, his thoughts tangled in a chaotic knot.

Ning Zhu stiffened from head to toe like a wooden stake. After remaining frozen in Dou Changxiao’s embrace for what felt like an eternity, his ears flushed crimson, and his forehead creased with frustration as he raised his hands higher.

Who the hell is harassing whom here?!