253. A New Year【47/170】
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Lin Nan rarely saw Chen Yao in a drunken state.
The last time was during high school, when his grandfather passed away. Back then, she kept him company while they both got gloriously tipsy and ended up passed out in Lin Nan’s living room.
And now… it was only the second time she witnessed this side of Chen Yao.
Surprisingly, he wasn’t overly rowdy after drinking. Instead, he leaned against Lin Nan and let her help him balance as he shuffled towards the bedroom, using the wall like a drunkard’s crutch.
Lin Nan, with a nifty kick, managed to close the bedroom door behind them and guided him to the bed. She glanced over at the bamboo mat sitting in the corner, tidied away during the cleaning frenzy, and decided Chen Yao should sleep in comfort on the bed tonight.
However, just as she was about to toss him onto the bed like a sack of potatoes, she noticed his weight suddenly surged on her.
Caught off guard, Lin Nan’s leg gave out, and she was unceremoniously flattened onto the bed. Her world spun as she hit the mattress, feeling a mix of annoyance and pain, while Chen Yao, sprawled over her like a hefty blanket, lay there with half-open, bewildered eyes, his breath heavy with the stench of alcohol.
This guy!
His face was almost touching hers, and his labored breathing washed over her sensitive ears like a warm wave, making her cheeks flare up while her heart raced in a panic. She had to shove him off!
“Get up!” she smacked the back of his head with a little more force than necessary.
But, like a rock, Chen Yao didn’t budge.
No way he was actually that knocked out, right?
Furrowing her brow, Lin Nan suddenly felt a distinct warmth pressing against her thigh. Her cheeks reddened as a stage dive of embarrassment crashed over her, and in a flurry, she struggled to push him off. Chen Yao, completely unyielding in his drunken state, was as heavy as a pig, and after much effort, she finally managed to wriggle from beneath his weight, but not without her arms feeling like jelly and her breath coming in quick pants.
Standing by the bed with a frown, Lin Nan glanced back at Chen Yao’s drowsy, slightly-open eyes, wishing she could sock him a couple of times to relieve her frustration.
“Even drunk, you take advantage,” she grumbled as she moved to the window to shut it tight.
With a groan, Chen Yao flipped over, sprawled out like a starfish and nearly took over the entire bed. Lin Nan didn’t care, though. She casually tossed a blanket over him while cranking the heater up. Then she set about laying out a bamboo mat and blankets for herself.
“Nan Nan…”
While Lin Nan knelt on the floor arranging things, she heard him call out and looked up to find Chen Yao staring at her with a glazed expression.
“What?” she replied, expressionless as she nodded toward the floor.
His drunken gaze wandered over her body, taking in the sight of her kneeling ears and he mumbled, “You’re so pretty.”
“Idiot.” Lin Nan felt his burning scrutiny and, flustered, shot back, “Are you going to sleep or not? If you’re not, get down and crash on the floor!”
“But you’re really pretty… and your figure is…”
Lin Nan stood up and shoved the blanket over his head, threatening, “I’ll poke your eyes out if you keep looking! Or I’ll use your stinky socks to gag you!”
She had felt his gaze resting on her often before, but never like this—so aggressively awkward it made her skin crawl.
If only her Uncle and Aunt weren’t crashing here, she could have retreated to another bedroom. Being stuck in this situation with a tipsy Chen Yao felt downright hazardous.
After covering Chen Yao’s head with a blanket, Lin Nan was about to continue laying out her bedding, but when she turned back, she noticed he had fallen oddly quiet.
Images of a news story flickered in her mind. An overprotective grandmother wrapped her grandchild too tightly in blankets, and the poor child suffocated.
No way that’s happening tonight!
Panicking, she swiftly pulled the blanket from Chen Yao’s head, only to find him there with glassy, half-open eyes, sprawled out and utterly still, showing no signs of distress.
“Nan Nan, I want water.”
Now that he had “emerged,” Chen Yao was no longer flirting but making demands.
As for the wishes of a drunken man, Lin Nan figured that, since he had been a good sport while she was sick, she could indulge him.
“Wait a second; I’ll grab the thermos from the kitchen.”
Nodding, she left the bedroom and walked into the living room, only to find her Uncle had passed out on the couch, with the faint outline of a handprint on his face.
Must have been too loud and got a good scolding from Auntie.
Auntie was tidying up the leftovers from dinner, and as her offering to the gods, there were dishes galore—far too many to finish in one sitting. Lin Nan’s upcoming mission was to eat her way through the next few days.
Cola, having belted up on snacks, dangled over Auntie’s shoulder and, seeing Lin Nan emerge, spoke up with mock authority, “An insignificant shovel- official had the nerve to starve me for a week? What do you think that warrants?”
“Quick, sacrifice your Chen Yao to serve me!”
Lin Nan could only blink at the nonsense, chuckling as she waved goodbye to Auntie and hurried into the kitchen to grab the thermos.
“Is Chen Yao still awake?” Auntie asked, curious.
“He said he wanted water.”
“Don’t spoil him. If he’s annoying, give him a lesson. Don’t treat a drunk man like a human being.”
Lin Nan paused, looking back at Auntie, suddenly realizing it was wisdom from years of managing her husband.
Seeing Uncle’s state and behavior, it was evident he had been repressed by Auntie’s discipline for too long.
Unsure how to respond, she nodded, holding the thermos closer and rushed back to the room.
Pouring warm water into a glass, Lin Nan set the cup down on the bedside table and plopped down beside Chen Yao, only to find he had shut his eyes.
“Still need water?” she gently shook his shoulder. “Sleeping? I’ll leave the cup next to you. Drink when you wake up.”
After waiting a moment for a response that never came, Lin Nan decided it was time to turn off the lights and sleep herself.
But just as she was about to lift her b*tt off the bed, she felt his familiar arms wrap around her waist, gently pulling her back down onto the bed.
Lin Nan’s mind went blank, her body stiffened, and with a shaky voice, she asked, “What… what are you doing?”
Is this what they mean by drunken mischief?
“Sleep… together,” Chen Yao mumbled, his words slurred and nearly indecipherable.
“No way in hell! I’m not sleeping with you!” she huffed, trying to pry his arms off her.
After a fierce struggle, she finally wrestled his arms free and leaped off the bed, but Chen Yao had already shut his eyes again, snoring away like a chainsaw within minutes.
No more drinking for him, ever again!
Lin Nan took a few steps back, leaning against the desk with a long sigh. Using her hands, she slapped her cheeks a few times to wake herself up.
Turning to the window, she gazed out into the night.
With a booming sound, fireworks bloomed in the sky, like a signal, followed by a cacophony of firecrackers that erupted around her.
She stared, slack-jawed at the dazzling display filling the sky while the smell of gunpowder wafted to her nose. The emotions stirred in her earlier by Chen Yao slowly began to settle.
“Another year gone by…”
