Refusing directly was not giving face, and not knowing what's good for herself.

Moreover, this was the first time she has dinner with other CBS employees.

"Alright," Ji Weixi accepted and stood up to take one of the beers, but Tian Miaomiao protested.

She tugged at her sleeve, shaking her head and whispered, "No, Xixi, you can't drink! That's…"

Someone who clearly had sharp ears interrupted them then, "What do you mean, can't drink? There're so many people here. What can we do to her?"

The others chorused. "That's right, we can't do anything to her!"

Ji Weixi knew that Li Shaoling told her not to drink, but having one or two wouldn't hurt. Furthermore, she should give face since there were many around them watching.

It wouldn't be nice of her to refuse.

Ji Weixi clapped Tian Miaomiao's shoulder and accepted Zhang Nan's drink, downing it in one go.

Everyone around them promptly broke into applause, and w.a.n.g Sicheng offered her another beer. "Here, Miss Ji. Cheers."

Ji Weixi waved him off and sat, showing her refusal.

w.a.n.g Sicheng's face fell slightly. "Ji Weixi, you already had one. Two wouldn't differ too much, come, drink up."

"One is my limit," she calmly replied. "I'm allergic to alcohol."

Someone spoke nonchalantly then, "It will be fine! Drink as much as you can—there's a hospital next door, we'll take you there if you really couldn't stand it."

Are people so shameless in urging others to drink nowadays?

Being mildly sensitive to alcohol, and later finding the alcohol content on the higher side after that one drink as well as having downed it in one go, Ji Weixi felt a little dazed and that her face was burning.

That d.a.m.ned Zhang Nan fooled her!

Nonetheless, some amongst the crowd was getting upset. "Miss Ji, we're simply giving you a heartfelt welcome. Can't you spare some face?"

"That's right! Our great a.s.sistant manager w.a.n.g is left hanging for so long. You shouldn't embarra.s.s him!"

How insufferable!

Enraged, Tian Miaomiao yelled loudly at the crowd. "What, you lot can't be satisfied until she's hospitalized? Don't you know how dangerous it is for someone allergic to drink!? I'm telling you, all of you are accomplices if anything happens to Xixi. None of you gets off scot-free! Do you think you would still have a job then? h.e.l.l no—all of you are going to prison!"

Ji Weixi promptly became Tian Miaomiao's fan once more. "Miaomiao, you're so cool!"

The crowd was left silent after she spoke, with w.a.n.g Sicheng awkwardly returning to his seat.

However, after a few seconds of silence in the private box, a woman dressed flamboyantly said darkly, "That's right. Our Miss Ji is very important to our President Li. I advise you all not to cross her."

"True! President Li treasure her so much he did not even give her a status." Another woman wearing bright red lips exclaimed, covering a smile of schadenfreude. "That's what I'm saying, the saddest thing for ladies is not only lacking status, but also being treated like a pet with an expiry date!"

The jealous women promptly killed off the lively mood in the private box.

Although a little dazed, Ji Weixi was still sober enough, but she felt a breeze behind her just as she was about to speak.

She turned to find the doors to the private box being opened by two waiters.

Then, Li Shaoling entered.

His tall, straight frame and his eyes made him appear darker and colder than the night, whereas his thin lips and tightly furrowed face was ridiculously handsome.

Meanwhile, his arrival left everyone stunned and scrambling to their feet.

His silence left an even more oppressive atmosphere in the private box—no one dared to breathe even too loudly.

Ji Weixi tried to stand up as well but stumbled, her feet caving as she dropped back into her seat.

Underneath the lights, her face was bright red, her eyes cloudy and watery and only half-open.

A raging flame built up Li Shaoling's chest even as he looked at her. Every man in the private box got to see that seductive look!

His face darkened further at the thought.

Hence, he walked up to her, lifted her chin and coldly asked, "Didn't I tell you not to drink?"

Ji Weixi blinked a few times at him. Unable to control herself, she flashed him a silly smile. "Didn't you say you weren't coming?"

That tone—at once complaining and charming, left Li Shaoling angrier.

He shouldn't have let her come. When he remembered everyone had seen that silly face, he really wanted to gouge out the eyes of every man who saw it.

"Who made you drink!?" He roared.

Without thinking, Ji Weixi turned and pointed at Zhang Nan. "He… he tricked me…"

Zhang Nan shook his head tearfully. "No, President Li! I didn't! I'm being framed!"

Li Shaoling's eyes were bleeding. "Get lost!"

Breathing a sigh of relief and scrambling away, Zhang Nan suddenly paused at the door, asking slow-wittedly, "President Li… are you telling me to get lost now or…"

"Don't ever show up in front of me ever again."

He was fired!

w.a.n.g Sicheng quickly ran to Li Shaoling and tried to calm the situation. "President Li, please don't be angry. It's just a social dinner, surely you can understand that? Furthermore, getting Miss Ji to have a drink would be fine…"

Fuming, Li Shaoling cut him short, "Who's a miss?"

w.a.n.g Sicheng could not quite react to that. "Huh? Oh… I'm talking about Miss Ji…"

Li Shaoling seethed. "Your whole family are wh.o.r.es[1]!"

Everyone was left speechless.

That being said, President Li was so frightening when he's angry. It was just a way of addressing a person, and yet he rigidly got the wrong idea about that, and then charging w.a.n.g Sicheng with that crime.

w.a.n.g Sicheng was scared to within an inch of his life. "I was wrong, President Li! I won't call her that from now on, so… what should I call her?"

"Beautiful. Beautiful Ji."

Ji Weixi gave him a little punch. "That's so old-fas.h.i.+oned, Li Shaoling."

He sneered. "At least it's better than wh.o.r.e."

"…You have the wrong idea there."

"I. Don't. Care!"

He simply wanted to throw a fit.

Ji Weixi's head hurt even worse then, and she stood up by pulling at his sleeve. "I want to go home."

Li Shaoling took her in his arms, and she leaned on his chest meekly, smelling heavily of alcohol.

She really never listens.

Then, Li Shaoling threw the crowd another cold, frightening look. "Who was it who said that Ji Weixi is a pet?"

Everyone lowered their heads as soon as he spoke, afraid to look up.

One of them, a red-lipped woman who was dressed in rather risqué fas.h.i.+on kept her head the lowest, her eyes swiveling as her body stayed stiff.

Clearly, she was feeling guilty.

"Lu Xiao, look up." Li Shaoling voice was dark but allowed no s.p.a.ce for argument.

The woman looked up and smiled unnaturally. "P-President Li, what is it?"

"Your makeup is almost dropping into the bowl." Li Shaoling grinned vaguely.

"Huh?" Startled, Lu Xiao quickly took out an air cus.h.i.+on from her handbag and redid her makeup with the mirror.

Meanwhile, Li Shaoling had picked up a drinking gla.s.s and smashed it down the center of the Lazy Susan on the table.

Bang—

The gla.s.s shattered, its shards flying around. Everyone quickly dodged out of the way while Lu Xiao, who was busy with her makeup reacted too slowly, and was cut on the arm by the gla.s.s shards.

She shrieked and turned, staring at Li Shaoling in horror.

He said, putting weight behind every word and making it very clear, "I only have one woman and she's my wife. Understand?"

***

[1] In China, another meaning for小姐 (Miss) is a slang for wh.o.r.es