Chapter 24: A Lifetime of Reputation Ruined in an Instant

Lu Qiqi pushed the door open and entered. Inside the private room, apart from Chu Linchen, there was another business partner present. However, at this moment, Lu Qiqi had eyes only for Chu Linchen.

She walked straight up to him, hooked her arms around his neck, and sat on his lap. Bringing a wine glass to his lips, she drawled, "Darling, have a sip~"

The business partner was stunned. He stood there like a frozen statue, not daring to move or even breathe, completely bewildered by what was unfolding.

"Why are you always so stern? This icy look of yours isn't something I like. Come on, give me a smile." Lu Qiqi tossed the glass aside, cupped Chu Linchen’s face with both hands to mold it into a grin, and then planted a kiss on his lips.

The business partner felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His hair stood on end, and as his senses returned, he didn't wait for Chu Linchen to dismiss him; he scurried out, terrified of having witnessed something he shouldn't have.

Chu Linchen sat there, letting Lu Qiqi pinch and pull at his face, but the suffocating, terrifying pressure radiating from him made his anger clear.

"Lu Qiqi, you're drunk." He gripped her wrists, his brow furrowed and his gaze cold. He was like a bomb on the verge of detonating. He was not only furious at her lack of propriety but even more enraged by his own lack of self-control—that he had actually felt a reaction to this woman!

Yet, Lu Qiqi, with her wrists held tight, remained oblivious to his tension. She pressed her face against him, rubbing against his neck and chest like a kitten. Chu Linchen’s breathing grew ragged, his Adam's apple bobbed, and with a swift movement, he flipped her over and pinned her onto the sofa.

Looking at her slender, fragile neck, Chu Linchen reached out to stroke the skin, which felt as smooth as silk. Between the feel of her skin and those luscious, inviting red lips, he felt as if his entire body had been set ablaze.

Bang!

Chu Linchen stormed out, slamming the door behind him. For the first time, a thought of wanting to flee had crossed his mind.

However, not long after, he returned. He stood in the doorway, his face cast in the shadows of the lights, his expression unreadable. Suddenly, he moved. As he walked, he ripped open his collar, took off his tie, and bound Lu Qiqi to the chair. At first, she was cooperative, giggling as she said, "Darling, you’re into some wild stuff! I love it!"

But once she realized he had merely tied her up, she began to pout, letting out seductive, whimpering pleas.

Chu Linchen stared at her, his chest heaving heavily. After a long moment, he turned on his heel and headed into a side room near the meeting area, turning on the cold water.

Icy, bone-chilling water sprayed out, instantly dousing the heat on his body. He locked the beast-like desire within him back into its cage.

After showering, Chu Linchen noticed Lu Qiqi was still gazing at him with a dazed smile. Realizing she was thoroughly intoxicated, he made a phone call.

Assistant Zhao was just about to rest when he received a call from his boss asking him to bring a private doctor for a hangover treatment. He was quite surprised, wondering who on earth had the audacity to get his boss drunk.

When he arrived, he found his boss perfectly fine—it was someone else who was drunk. Lu Qiqi looked like a boneless fox, her eyes misty and seductive, half-reclining on the chair with a stunning figure. Most shockingly, she was tied up.

*My goodness, so the boss is into this kind of thing? How closeted!* Assistant Zhao screamed internally, feeling as though he had stumbled upon a massive piece of gossip.

Noticing the strange expression on Zhao's face, Chu Linchen frowned. "She's drunk. Help her sober up."

"Oh, oh, Doctor, please, go ahead," Zhao said, quickly pulling himself together and turning to the doctor he had brought along.

The doctor performed a brief check and confirmed there was no major issue; she was simply very drunk. He pulled out his medical kit, preparing to give her some medicine.

"I won't eat it! Chu Linchen, save me, I don't want to eat it!" Lu Qiqi thrashed her head, refusing to cooperate. Every time they tried to feed her the liquid, she spat it out, creating a mess.

Seeing her struggle so violently, the doctor suggested, "Perhaps we should just inject the anti-hangover medication. If we force it down, she'll just vomit it up, and it won't be effective."

"Do it," Chu Linchen agreed.

"Mr. Chu, you'll need to hold her down. If she struggles, it might be difficult to hit the vein," the doctor added.

Hearing that he had to hold her, Chu Linchen glanced at Assistant Zhao. Zhao quickly shrank back—he wasn't about to step in at a time like this. He lowered his head, pretending he hadn't seen his boss's look.

Seeing Zhao’s reaction, Chu Linchen felt a surge of unprovoked irritation. He reached out, wrapped his arms around Lu Qiqi, and pinned her firmly against him.

His arms tightened around her slender frame, pulling her entirely into his embrace. As he leaned down slightly, he caught the inexplicable, faint fragrance on her skin, and the beast he had been suppressing inside him roared with renewed fury.

After the injection and a short observation period, Zhao hurried to lead the doctor away, terrified that staying any longer would disrupt the boss’s private business.

Not long after they left, Lu Qiqi woke up. Seeing herself tied to the chair with Chu Linchen right in front of her, she was stunned.

"Chu... Chu Linchen? Why am I here? What just happened? Who tied me up?"

A sinking feeling washed over her.

"You, you really opened my eyes. You’re bold enough to do anything. What, did you think seducing me would be exciting?" Chu Linchen’s presence was suffocatingly cold, as if he were a block of ice.

"Impossible!" Lu Qiqi reflexively retorted. But a second later, she clamped her mouth shut, her face turning bright red. She wanted to vanish into thin air because Chu Linchen had actually recorded a video!

He had recorded a video of her shouting "darling," "baby," and begging him to "be gentle" and other such brazen things!

*Oh no! My reputation!*

"I'm sorry, I was truly drunk. I didn't mean to offend you..." Lu Qiqi apologized, her face burning, but Chu Linchen just walked out with a cold expression.

After the door closed, Lu Qiqi suddenly realized—wait, she was still tied up!

She called out for a long time, but there was no response. Realizing Chu Linchen had left, she had no choice but to shimmy across the floor, dragging the chair with her legs until she reached the hallway. Sure enough, Bai Yu appeared not long after.

Seeing Lu Qiqi in this state, Bai Yu doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down her face. "Your failure is just too hilarious!"

"You're still laughing! Untie me!" Lu Qiqi felt like crying. "I've been completely ruined by you this time!"

Both of them had been drinking, so Lu Qiqi called a designated driver to take Bai Yu home first. She sat in the back, drifting in and out of sleep due to the alcohol, until she suddenly jolted awake.

Wait—this wasn't the way home!