Chapter 96: Drink or Not to Drink

Tianhu Grand Hotel.

When Yang Si and Li Dong walked in together, Li Qian and Su Man's faces instantly turned ashen.

If it were just a matter of apologizing to Li Dong alone, it might not have had a huge impact on Li Qian in the long run. They could have pretended it never happened and moved on.

But with Yang Si present, the situation was entirely different.

Yang Si was a senior in the industry, with a long career and high status. Compared to her, Li Qian was nothing.

Apologizing to Li Dong in front of Yang Si was akin to throwing their dignity on the ground and letting Li Dong trample over it.

And if they didn't handle it well, it would not only disrespect Li Dong but also Yang Si. 

Would Li Qian dare offend Yang Si?

Without a doubt, she would not!

The entertainment industry is as hierarchical as the government. A newcomer like Li Qian offending Yang Si would guarantee that she could never survive in the industry.

Li Qian took a deep breath and bowed slightly, "Mr. Li, Sister Si."

Li Dong remained silent, while Yang Si gave a slight nod and said indifferently, "Mr. Li asked me to join the fun earlier. I hope I haven't interrupted anything."

Li Qian and Su Man looked bitter, unsure of what to say at this point.

Fang Qingfei, who was acting as the mediator, frowned and said, "Mr. Li, Miss Yang, please have a seat."

Li Dong did not move, and Yang Si remained still beside him, as though she were invisible.

Fang Qingfei, along with the others, changed expressions simultaneously. What did this mean?

Li Qian looked at Fang Qingfei with confusion and anxiety.

Fang Qingfei gritted her teeth and said, "Mr. Li, you mentioned…"

Li Dong interrupted her with a wave of his hand and said with a smirk, "Of course, my words count."

"But there's no need for formalities. Since we said it's an apology drink, then it has to be drunk!"

Li Dong pointed to the four bottles of white liquor on the table and said, "Two bottles per person. Once the liquor is finished, this matter will be settled!"

Li Qian and Su Man's faces turned pale instantly!

Two bottles of white liquor? If they drank that much, it could be fatal.

They weren't incapable of drinking—whether they were artists or managers, they had their share of social drinking. 

But for two women, even half a bottle each was pushing their limits. Two bottles each was a matter of life and death!

Fang Qingfei was stunned by this demand and looked at Li Dong with anger, "Mr. Li, are you trying to kill someone?"

Li Dong glanced at her and frowned slightly, "Fang Qingfei, this isn't your place to speak!"

He then turned back to Li Qian and Su Man, "So, are you drinking or not?"

Li Qian and Su Man stood there with rigid faces, remaining silent.

Seeing this, Li Dong smiled and said no more, turning to Yang Si, "Miss Yang, let's go."

Yang Si nodded. She was just here as a witness. Since there was no excitement left to see, it was time to leave.

Just as they were about to step out, Li Qian shouted, "Wait!"

Li Dong looked back at her. Li Qian bit her lip hard and said slowly, "I—I will drink!"

She couldn't let Li Dong leave; if he did, the grudge would be firmly set.

Not only would the singing competition tomorrow be ruined, but she would also offend Yang Si.

If she still wanted to stay in the industry, she had to drink this alcohol.

"Li Qian!"

Fang Qingfei rushed to stop Li Qian from taking the liquor and glared at Li Dong, "Do you really have to be this ruthless? Li Qian has already admitted her mistake. Forcing a woman like this, isn't it too much?"

Seeing that Li Dong was unmoved, Fang Qingfei, extremely angry, added, "Which man is as petty as you? What exactly did Li Qian do wrong? Even if she breached the contract, it's just a matter of compensation. I'll cover it!"

Li Dong smiled and said slowly, "You're right, it's just a breach of contract. In that case, you don't need to drink; just paying the compensation will do."

Fang Qingfei sighed in relief and was about to speak when she saw Li Qian shake her head.

Li Qian gritted her teeth and said, "Cousin, this is none of your concern. I will drink this myself!"

Fang Qingfei wanted to argue further but stopped with a sigh.

"Gulp, gulp!"

The only sound in the room was the noise of Li Qian drinking, mixed with Fang Qingfei's worried and angry gaze.

The worry was for Li Qian, and the anger was entirely directed at Li Dong.

Li Dong didn't mind. Instead, he looked at Li Qian with a sense of admiration.

She was a tough person, tough on herself and clever enough. 

Perhaps the issues with Jiang University were indeed due to Su Man's mistakes. Now that Su Man was gone, with Li Qian's toughness, she might still make it in the future.

Li Dong wasn't worried about Li Qian seeking revenge. Nowadays, smart people do smart things.

If Li Qian sought revenge, it would show she wasn't smart enough. Foolish people can't get ahead, so Li Dong had nothing to worry about.

After a few minutes, Li Qian finally finished one bottle of white liquor.

Drinking on an empty stomach makes one more prone to intoxication, especially when drinking quickly. Li Qian's eyes were already dazed.

When she reached for the second bottle, she struggled several times without success.

Fang Qingfei's eyes now showed not anger but desperation.

Supporting the nearly collapsing Li Qian, Fang Qingfei said tearfully, "That's enough, stop forcing her! Drinking this much can be fatal. Let me drink it for her!"

"No… no, Cousin… I can still hold on!" 

Li Qian's mind wasn't completely hazy yet. She grabbed the bottle but slipped, causing it to fall to the ground.

Li Dong raised his eyebrows and scrutinized her carefully.

After about a minute or two, when Li Qian's eyes had completely lost their focus, Li Dong finally said, "Originally, I intended for you to finish both bottles. Since you're already drunk, that's enough. But I keep my word. If you had finished both, we'd have gone our separate ways. Since you didn't finish, make sure you don't give me any reason to hold against you in the future. Otherwise, don't blame me for being unforgiving."

After saying this, Li Dong and Yang Si said their goodbyes and left.

Once Li Dong had left, Li Qian, who had just collapsed, opened her eyes. Biting her lip to maintain the last bit of clarity, she looked at the empty corridor with a complex expression.