Chapter 29

Under the night sky, Nangfeng City was brightly lit, and the cool breeze carried a sense of bustling excitement.

"Today you did well, it really let off a lot of my frustration. Come, have a drink!"

In a tavern by the street, Yan Lingqing held a wine glass in her small hand. Her usually cold face, in front of the strong liquor, now showed an extremely rare boldness and wildness.

Li Luo was somewhat dazed by her sudden change, and could only weakly pick up his glass and clink it against hers. Then, he was stunned to see Yan Lingqing finish the glass that almost covered half of her face in one gulp.

This drinking style was in stark contrast to Yan Lingqing's intellectual and cold beauty, with her silver-framed glasses.

At least in this floor of the tavern, many eyes were secretly cast at her with surprise, after all, Yan Lingqing's beauty was quite high.

"Lingqing, didn't you say that in the end, you were still helping me, the young lord, make money?" Li Luo said with a smile.

"That's true, but Zhuang Yi, relying on his seniority, has made me suffer several times. I've been annoyed with him for a long time," Yan Lingqing pouted her red lips.

Then she sized up Li Luo and said, "But today, you did indeed make me look at you differently. I originally thought that you, the young lord, were just a mascot."

Li Luo felt a bit awkward, is it really okay to chat so honestly?

Yan Lingqing refilled her glass and said, "But to be honest, even so, you still have a big gap compared to Qing'e."

"That's a given," Li Luo admitted frankly. Jiang Qing'e was so outstanding that even the prestigious Shengxuan Star Academy had lowered its standards to specially recruit her. Such an honor, even the princes of the Daxia Imperial Family might not enjoy.

"But I will work hard," Li Luo stared at his glass and smiled.

Yan Lingqing said with a hint of amusement, "Oh? It sounds like you really have something on your mind for Qing'e?"

"Qing'e's excellence doesn't need much explanation, right? If I said I had no thoughts about her, you'd probably call me hypocritical," Li Luo said seriously.

He and Jiang Qing'e had grown up together for so many years, and their relationship was already somewhat complex. With the added engagement, Li Luo felt they had a deep bond.

This feeling, Li Luo believed, was not just his. Even someone with Jiang Qing'e's character couldn't treat him like an ordinary person, and he could sense this in their usual interactions.

"Fair enough."

Yan Lingqing finished another glass of strong liquor and nodded, then said with a meaningful smile, "But if you really have this intention, the road ahead will be long and arduous. You're still only in Nangfeng City. When you go to Shengxuan Star Academy one day, you'll realize just how formidable your competitors are."

Li Luo raised his glass and drank it in one gulp, then thought for a moment and said, "But... I am Jiang Qing'e's fiancé."

He paused and smiled, "And if they really want to do something to me, Qing'e will protect me. I think they might be the ones to suffer then."

Yan Lingqing's beautiful eyes widened slightly as she stared at Li Luo, "Aren't you hiding behind a woman?"

Li Luo argued, "What's wrong with a fiancée protecting her fiancé?"

Yan Lingqing was speechless, then couldn't help but say, "This... is too bad."

Then she couldn't help but laugh, because with Jiang Qing'e's character, she really might do that, and it would be a double blow to those people, both physically and mentally.

Li Luo laughed and refilled her glass. They kept drinking back and forth. In the end, when Li Luo's head started to feel dizzy, he finally noticed that Yan Lingqing had fallen asleep on the table.

Li Luo let out a sigh of relief, shook Yan Lingqing, and found that she had no response, which left him speechless.

In the end, Li Luo bent down, one hand around Yan Lingqing's slender waist, the other under her knees, and carried her out.

As Li Luo carried Yan Lingqing out of the tavern, some envious glances were cast their way.

But Li Luo didn't have their dirty thoughts. After leaving the tavern, he called over a waiting carriage, and a maid emerged.

This was prepared by Yan Lingqing when she arrived, it seemed she knew she would get drunk once she started drinking.

Li Luo carefully carried Yan Lingqing into the carriage and instructed the maid, "Take Vice President Yan home."

The maid respectfully acknowledged and drove away.

On the street, Li Luo watched the carriage disappear into the bright lights, stretched, and thought back to his conversation with Yan Lingqing, then smiled lightly.

"I still have to work hard..."

Of course, he didn't mind letting Jiang Qing'e protect him, but at least he couldn't let her lose face, right?

As Li Luo turned to leave, in the carriage, the supposedly drunk Yan Lingqing suddenly opened her eyes.

She lay lazily and said to herself with a smile, "Not bad, he didn't take advantage of me at all."

"I'll tell Qing'e that her little fiancé, though not very strong, is still quite acceptable to me."

...

The next day, when Li Luo woke up, he still felt a slight headache, which made him feel quite helpless. It seemed he should refuse to drink with Yan Lingqing in the future.

After a quick wash, Li Luo came to the front hall and saw the charming and beautiful Cai Wei waiting for him to have breakfast.

Li Luo smiled apologetically.

"Did you drink with Yan Lingqing last night?" Cai Wei asked, serving him a bowl of congee with a smile.

Li Luo nodded, "I didn't expect Sister Lingqing to drink... so boldly."

Cai Wei scolded slightly, "Lingqing is really something, you're still a child, and she took you drinking."

Li Luo, hearing this, immediately felt dissatisfied and retorted, "Sister Cai Wei, don't try to take advantage of me. You're just a bit older, acting like my mother."

Cai Wei rolled her eyes and praised, "I know what you did at Xiyang House yesterday. You did well, actually starting to be of help."

"I've been gradually selling off some of Luolan Manor's useless businesses and assets in Tianshu County. I even sold some at a low price to the Tifa and Bei families... Haha, I heard the Song family even talked to those two families about it, but it seems to be of no use. While this won't cause a split, it will make it difficult for them to reach a consensus in dealing with Luolan Manor."

"Selling off these burdens has made our funds more abundant. The fifth-grade spirit water Qiguang you need should be gradually purchased soon."

Li Luo was delighted, "Sister Cai Wei is really capable, unlike Sister Lingqing, who can't hold her liquor and likes to drink recklessly."

Cai Wei blinked her thick, brush-like lashes, "Can't hold her liquor?"

Li Luo nodded, "She got drunk last night, and I had someone take her back."

Cai Wei's red lips curved into a playful smile, "My silly young lord, Yan Lingqing's alcohol tolerance is so high that she could drink ten of you and not even blush."

Li Luo was stunned.

Cai Wei looked him over and said, "You didn't take advantage of her, did you? Otherwise, she'll never say a good word about you to Qing'e."

Li Luo quickly recalled and realized he hadn't done anything out of line, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

But it was clear that he had been tricked by Yan Lingqing.

So he put down his bowl in embarrassment and said, "I'm going to the academy."

He turned and ran, with Cai Wei's pleasant laughter following him, making Li Luo feel both sad and angry. The sisters' schemes were too deep; he was indeed still a child.