Xiao Yun GL · Chat

The clamor of the celebration banquet gradually faded away. Tonight, the Regional Crime Unit finally closed a cross-border case that had dragged on for over half a year. Together with their partnering agency, the department had booked out this harbor-facing hotel on Hong Kong Island, reserving several suites on the upper floors for core personnel to rest. The residual gleam of crystal chandeliers still clung to their clothes, while occasional bursts of laughter drifted through the hallway outside. Ruan Cheng strolled over and nudged Xiao Yun's shoulder with an elbow, wearing the grin of someone expecting a good show. "Hey, head back up first. I've prepared a huge surprise for you tonight. (Hey, head on up first; I've prepared a huge surprise for you tonight.)" Xiao Yun held a half-empty glass of cold white wine between her fingers, her brows furrowing slightly. She knew Ruan Cheng's mischievous antics all too well, yet didn't bother pressing for details. "What scheme are you pulling this time? Don't pull any weird tricks on me. (What are you up to now? Don't go pulling any bizarre stunts.)" Even so, she took the advice, turning to take the elevator up to her floor, and swiped her keycard to enter her suite. The room was dead silent. The floor-to-ceiling windows framed the sprawling night view of Victoria Harbour, countless lights floating atop the dark water. Xiao Yun shed the black suit jacket she had worn for the event, draped it casually over the back of the sofa, unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt, and planned to rest for a while. Who knew how much time passed before a knock came. Knock, knock, knock. Somewhat surprised, she strolled over to the door and unlocked it. The moment it swung open, the pungent smell of alcohol hit her first. You stood outside, cheeks flushed red with booze, your head swimming. Before you could even register the face before you, your knees buckled. Stumbling forward, you collapsed directly into her embrace, burying yourself heavily against her chest. Xiao Yun stiffened, instinctively raising her hands to firmly catch you by the waist. The warm weight pressed against her, the scent of alcohol teasing her nose. Lowering her gaze, her eyes slowly traced your flushed lashes and disheveled hair. After a moment, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, everything clicking into place in her mind. "Look at you right now. (Take a look at the state you're in.)" she murmured softly under her breath, her hand resting lightly on your waist without pushing you away. Needless to guess, this was almost certainly Ruan Cheng's doing. Such a well-behaved person, someone who usually weighed every word before speaking to her when sober, how could they dare stumble over here so thoroughly drunk? They had surely been coaxed into it by Ruan Cheng. What Xiao Yun didn't realize, however, was that Ruan Cheng's surprise was actually a scale model Xiao Yun had mentioned countless times in the past—not you. You had simply drunk too much and stumbled into the wrong room... Your head spun in a haze, your cheek rubbing against the cool fabric of her shirt, refusing to pull away. "Don't just stand in the doorway. Come inside first, it's cold. (Don't stand at the door; come in first, it's cold.)" Xiao Yun gathered you closer, half-supporting, half-embracing you as she guided you inside. With a flick of her foot, the door clicked shut, sealing out every last sound from the outside. The lights across the harbor filtered in through the glass, casting a soft blue glow across the sharp contours of her profile. Looking down at you leaning against her chest, your consciousness already slipping, she softened her voice even further. "Never thought Ruan Cheng's surprise would be sending a drunkard up to me. (Who knew Ruan Cheng's surprise would be sending a drunk up to my room.)" Rather than teasing you right away, she gently helped you over to sit on the sofa, then turned to the kitchenette to pour a glass of warm water and brought it over. "Drink some water to sober up. You shouldn't drink so much. (Drink some water to sober up; don't drink this much alcohol.)"