In the Bedroom.
Lan Xi sat on the bed holding her daughter's hand, a teasing smile appearing on her face, untouched by the passage of time.
Ning Xi immediately became wary.
Ever since she was little, whenever her mother showed this expression, it meant trouble for sure.
She had learned this lesson far too many times!
"Mom, don't look at me like that. If you have something to say, just say it."
Lan Xi found her daughter's reaction amusing and slowly spoke, "Xiao Xi, what do you think of Ye Fan?"
"He..."
Ning Xi thought seriously for a moment and hesitantly replied, "He's... pretty good."
"That's good."
Lan Xi pursed her lips and said meaningfully, "Get along well with Ye Fan in the future. But you're a girl, you need to know how to protect yourself. Some things that shouldn't be done—don't even try."
"Mom!"
How could Ning Xi not understand what her mother was implying? Her face immediately turned red.
"I—I'm just friends with Ye Fan! What are you thinking?!"
"Right now, you're friends. But who knows about the future?"
"I..."
Meeting her mother's knowing gaze, Ning Xi instinctively lowered her head, rubbing the hem of her dress nervously.
"Mom has been through this. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Don't deny your true feelings. Otherwise, an outstanding guy like Ye Fan might get snatched away by some other girl, and then you'll regret it with nowhere to turn."
"Mom, please... stop talking."
Ning Xi lowered her head, her voice as soft as a whisper, "I... I haven't made up my mind yet..."
"No rush, take your time."
Lan Xi's face showed a satisfied smile. She knew her daughter was shy, and just saying something like this already meant a lot.
"It's about time. Go call your dad over. Stay with Ye Fan for a bit—I bet your dad has already gotten him drunk."
"...Mm."
Ning Xi left the bedroom, but as soon as she stepped into the dining room, she froze at the scene before her.
Ye Fan and Ning Xiangtian had their arms around each other, both looking completely drunk, their expressions filled with camaraderie.
"Uncle, about your decision to invest in lithography machines... It's an excellent move, as long as—"
"Why are you calling me Uncle? Call me Big Brother."
"Sigh, Big Brother."
"Second Brother!"
"Big Brother!"
"Second Brother!"
"..."
Ning Xi's expression froze. She stared blankly at the two, feeling completely bewildered.
What the heck?
Just how much had they drunk?!
Her gaze shifted toward the dining table. The bottles from before were already empty. Besides that, there were two more empty wine bottles.
And the worst part—they were still drinking.
Ning Xi stomped her foot in frustration and turned away. A few minutes later, she returned—with Lan Xi beside her.
"Second Brother, the lithography machine... That field isn't easy!"
"Big Brother, don't worry! I'll... do some research..."
Lan Xi's face stiffened. She watched the two men gripping each other's hands tightly, her brow twitching rapidly.
She had doubted what her daughter told her earlier, but now that she saw it with her own eyes, she had to believe it.
"Mom, do something about Dad! Look at what he's done to Ye Fan!"
Ning Xi had never seen Ye Fan like this before. The usual calm and composed man had turned into a complete drunkard. Her heart ached for him.
"How am I supposed to do anything when they're already this drunk?"
Hearing her daughter's complaint, Lan Xi could only smile bitterly.
Her daughter cared about Ye Fan, but she was worried about her husband! In her memory, Ning Xiangtian hadn't been drunk in years. Because of his stomach issues, he had always been careful with alcohol.
But this time...
"Take Ye Fan to a room to rest for a bit. Your dad has a stomach problem—he'll definitely throw up later, so I won't be able to leave him. If you can't handle Ye Fan, go get Uncle Zhuang to help you."
Lan Xi rubbed her temples helplessly and walked over to the dining table, dragging her husband away.
"Who are you? Why do you look so much like my wife?"
"I am your wife..."
...
Watching her parents leave, Ning Xi frowned and forced herself to endure the strong smell of alcohol as she crouched beside Ye Fan, taking his hand.
"Ye Fan, can you still walk?"
"Call me Big Brother. Why do I have to keep reminding you?"
"Huh?"
Ning Xi's red lips parted slightly.
The drunkenness on Ye Fan's face suddenly vanished, replaced by a mischievous glint in his eyes. He chuckled and said, "What? Just because I'm drunk, you think you don't have to call me Big Brother anymore?"
"You... you're not drunk?"
Now Ning Xi was completely stunned.
She turned her head stiffly to look at the empty bottles on the table and couldn't help but gulp.
That shouldn't be possible!
With that much alcohol, how could he not be drunk?!
"I'm not drunk, but I do feel a little dizzy."
Ye Fan smiled bitterly.
Honestly, he was puzzled too. For some reason, alcohol didn't seem to affect his brain at all. Even after drinking so much, he only felt slightly lightheaded.
Could it be because of his rebirth?
That seemed to be the only explanation!
His drunken behavior earlier had all been an act. After all, drinking so much and still staying completely sober would have been too abnormal.
But in front of Ning Xi, he didn't need to keep up the act.
"You're really that good at handling alcohol?"
"I'm not sure myself. It just seems like alcohol doesn't affect me."
Ye Fan answered honestly. He reached out and ruffled Ning Xi's hair, smoothly shifting the topic, "Xiao Xi, why didn't you call me Big Brother just now?"
"Big Brother? Uncle would be more fitting!"
It was fine if he didn't mention it, but once he did, Ning Xi got even more annoyed.
He wasn't drunk, yet he called her father his sworn brother?
Did he really want to be her uncle?
Ahhh—!
Noticing that she was angry, Ye Fan quickly explained, "Xiao Xi, I was just trying to make it look convincing. I really didn't mean anything by it."
"Hmph!"
Ning Xi pulled her hand away, stood up, and reached out to mess up Ye Fan's hair until it looked like a bird's nest. Only then did she feel satisfied.
"Come on, I'll take you home."
"Aren't we supposed to have a tutoring session?" Ye Fan asked in confusion.
"We can't study at home. What if Mom sees? How would I explain that?"
Ning Xi frowned and pinched her nose. "My dad has a lot of pride. If he finds out you weren't drunk while he got wasted, he'll definitely feel bad. So the best solution is for both of you to be drunk. Got it?"
"Got it."
Noticing her actions, Ye Fan grabbed her small hand and quickly walked out of the dining room.
Once they were outside, Ning Xi took a deep breath and mumbled, "Ugh, the smell is awful. I don't understand why people like drinking so much..."
"Xiao Xi, I usually don't drink at all. This was an accident."
Ye Fan spread his hands helplessly and took a step to the left, afraid the smell of alcohol would bother Ning Xi.
Seeing his pitiful expression, Ning Xi giggled.
She walked up to him and wrapped her hands around his left arm, scolding, "Why are you staying so far away? I... I don't mind. You drank so much—even if you're not drunk, you must be feeling awful. Come on, let's get Uncle Zhuang to take you home."
"Then you have to come too. Otherwise, I'm staying right here!"
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patreon.com/jodex7
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