Chapter 404: Jealousy and Vinegar!

You Nianchu hadn't finished speaking when her body swayed, spilling most of the rice wine in her cup, which splashed onto her beige dress, yet she was completely unaware.

You Nianchu's cheeks turned red as a ripe apple, and her gaze began to drift.

Zhao Yuyan set down her empty cup, staggered over to Lin Yuan, and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

Zhao Yuyan's warm breath brushed his ear, her voice thick with drunken laziness: "Lin Yuan… I'm drunk too, I can't walk… Let me stay here tonight, okay?"

As she spoke, she tilted her head up, her wine-scented lips moving toward Lin Yuan's cheek, her lashes fluttering against his skin.

You Nianchu saw this, quickly put down the wine jar, and lurched forward……

You Nianchu grabbed Lin Yuan's arm, pressed her face against his sleeve, and slurred: "No way! Lin Laoshi is mine! I want to stay here too… I'd be scared to go home alone!"

She clung tight, her nails almost digging into Lin Yuan's sleeve, her drunken eyes full of stubborn refusal to yield.

Lin Yuan furrowed his brow, reaching out to pry their hands apart……

But Zhao Yuyan's arm around his waist didn't loosen, and You Nianchu's grip only tightened; their mingled breath swirled around him, refusing to dissipate.

He glanced at the wine jar, half-empty on the table, then at the two women before him, their eyes glazed yet still locked in a contest.

Lin Yuan knew dragging it out would only cause more trouble.

He took the moment when Zhao Yuyan lowered her head to rub his neck and You Nianchu was busy glaring at Zhao Yuyan……

Lin Yuan quietly stepped back, his fingertips finding the key on the door handle.

The next second, Lin Yuan swiftly pushed open the apartment door and dashed out in a hurry.

After Lin Yuan left, he didn't hesitate, twisted his wrist hard, and shut the apartment door.

Lin Yuan bolted the apartment door from the outside.

With a "click," as the lock fell into place, he quickly hooked the external security chain, ensuring it couldn't be opened from inside.

Having done that, Lin Yuan immediately turned toward the elevator, not daring to look back.

Meanwhile, the two drunken women, Zhao Yuyan and You Nianchu, were locked inside Lin Yuan's apartment, the door bolted from outside.

"Bang—bang!" came a heavy knocking on the apartment door behind him……

Zhao Yuyan's voice, thick with drunken anger, came through the door: "Lin Yuan! You bastard! Open the door! Who let you lock us in here?!"

You Nianchu also pounded on the door, her palm hitting the panel with a "thud-thud," her voice trembling: "Lin Laoshi! Open the door! I'm scared… Don't abandon us! Can't we just stop making a fuss?"

……

Lin Yuan walked out of the apartment building; the early autumn night breeze, carrying the faint scent of osmanthus, blew on his face, slightly dispelling his earlier irritation.

He glanced up at the lit window of the apartment, and faintly could still hear the knocking from upstairs——

If they want to stay overnight, let them; the apartment has blankets and drinking water, so they won't go hungry or freeze.

Worst case, I won't stay home tonight; I'll let the two women sort themselves out inside, and once they sober up tomorrow, they'll leave on their own.

Lin Yuan pulled out his phone, thinking, "It seems I have nowhere to stay tonight?"

Going to a hotel would be a waste of money.

Lin Yuan thought of the boxing champion student, Yu Feng.

So Lin Yuan gave Yu Feng a call.

He pressed dial; the phone rang three times before being answered, and from the earpiece came Yu Feng's voice, still sleepy but instantly tense: "Hello? Who is this?"

"It's me, Lin Yuan." Lin Yuan's voice came through the earpiece, carrying a measure of calm clarity.

On the other end, there was silence for a moment, then after two seconds came Yu Feng's flustered rustle, his tone respectful yet panicked: "Lin… Lin Laoshi? Why are you calling me at midnight? Is something wrong?"

Lin Yuan leaned against the streetlamp in the residential complex: "Nothing else, I have nowhere to stay tonight; I'd like to crash at your place for the night, if that's okay."

Yu Feng blinked, then realized: "Um, sure, Lin Laoshi, Lin Bro, where are you? I'll bike over to pick you up?"

Lin Yuan replied, "No need, just send me your address and I'll take a taxi."

Soon Yu Feng sent the address to Lin Yuan via WeChat.

Lin Yuan took a taxi to Yu Feng's house; tonight, he could only stay at Yu Feng's place……

……

The next dawn, as Lin Yuan left Yu Feng's house, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

The early autumn morning mist hadn't cleared yet, carrying a slight chill and dampness.

He pedaled his bicycle toward the apartment, all the while wondering whether the two women would cause a ruckus inside until dawn, leaving the place a mess——

After all, their drunken door‑pounding the night before showed no sign of them settling down peacefully.

Reaching the apartment building, Lin Yuan locked his bike, hurried upstairs, and as his hand touched the door handle he felt an inexplicable twinge of nervousness, dreading to open the door and find chaos.

He inserted the key, turned it gently, and with a "click" the door opened.

The instant Lin Yuan pushed the door open, he froze in the doorway, eyes wide, his mind instantly filling with question marks——???

The living room was bright and tidy; the blanket that had been casually draped over the sofa was now neatly folded.

The books on the coffee table were stacked neatly, and even the slippers he'd tossed in the entryway yesterday were placed properly.

What surprised him most was that two people were sitting at the dining table——

Zhao Yuyan wore his gray loungewear, sleeves rolled up to her forearms, revealing her slender wrists;

You Nianchu wore a light‑pink dress, her hair neatly combed, looking lovely and charming.

The two were quietly eating porridge, with a small plate of lightly stir‑fried vegetables in front of them.

Lin Yuan's gaze unconsciously swept over the balcony.

On the clothesline hung the garments he'd tossed into the laundry basket yesterday, now clean and fresh, exuding a faint detergent scent.

He opened his mouth, struggled for words, and finally couldn't help asking: "You two last night—didn't cause any trouble?"

Zhao Yuyan set down her porridge bowl, picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth, and said evenly: "What's there to fuss about? We're adults; we just got drunk last night—do we really have to hold onto it?"

You Nianchu also lifted her head, blinked her watery eyes, and spoke with a hint of grievance yet still obediently:

"Lin Laoshi, yesterday was my fault; I acted that way because I drank too much. I now know I was wrong, and I even forgive you for locking us in the house."

She said, Zhao Yuyan shifted her chair to the side, making an empty spot.

She pointed at the bowl on the table: "Don't stand at the doorway, the porridge is still hot—come in and eat quickly. I specially bought some side dishes downstairs this morning; they go perfectly with the porridge."

You Nianchu also hurriedly picked up a clean bowl, filled it half‑full with porridge, and handed it to the side of the table:

"Lin Laoshi, hurry up and sit, the porridge will get cold."

Lin Yuan stood at the doorway, looking at this "warm" scene before him, yet for some reason he felt a creepy sensation——

This is really off.

Yesterday, the two women were arguing until their faces turned red, forcibly kissing him and insisting on staying over; today, how did they suddenly become so well‑behaved?

Not only did they tidy the house spotlessly, they also made him breakfast, their tone gentle as if they'd been family for a long time.

He walked in slowly, and while changing his shoes, out of the corner of his eye he saw the kitchen sink was spotless.

Even the cups they used last night to drink rice wine were washed and placed on the drying rack, neatly arranged.

"Come over and have breakfast." Zhao Yuyan greeted him, her voice very gentle.

This—after last night, how could both women's personalities have changed?

Lin Yuan came to the table and sat down, looking at the warm porridge in his bowl, then glancing at the two women opposite him——

Zhao Yuyan was lowering her head, sipping porridge in small mouthfuls, her side profile soft, yet I always felt she hid something in her eyes;

You Nianchu, meanwhile, would occasionally sneak a glance at him, her eyes carrying a faint, hardly noticeable smugness.

Although the porridge in his hands was clearly steaming, Lin Yuan felt a chilling sensation in his heart, that strange feeling growing stronger——

It was like…… like Pan Jinlian holding a medicine bowl, softly urging Wu Dalong to take his medicine.

On the surface it was warm, but underneath lay thoughts that made one's skin crawl.

He tightened his grip on the chopsticks, didn't dare touch the porridge in the bowl, and just gave a dry laugh twice: "You…… did you sleep well last night?"

Zhao Yuyan lifted her eyes to him, the corner of her mouth twitching: "Quite good, your bed is quite soft; you just didn't leave a blanket last night, but luckily I found your thick coat to cover you."

You Nianchu also nodded: "I slept squeezed in your bedroom with Sister Yuyan; although it was a bit cramped, it was quite warm."

Lin Yuan listened to their words, his unease grew even stronger——

What exactly are these two women scheming?

Lin Yuan sat on the dining chair, looking at the steaming porridge in his bowl, his fingertips gripping the spoon as he hesitated for a few seconds——

Although his heart felt creepy, seeing the two women calm made him think he might be overthinking.

After all, if they truly had ill intentions, there would be no need to wait until now.

He scooped a spoonful of porridge into his mouth; the warm porridge slid down his throat, the texture fine, yet faintly carried a strange astringent taste, as if something had been mixed in.

"This porridge…… does the taste seem a bit odd?" Lin Yuan put down his spoon, furrowed his brows at Zhao Yuyan, wanting to confirm whether it was just his imagination.

Zhao Yuyan lifted her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips: "Strange? It's just ordinary millet porridge; I specially boiled it this morning. Maybe you didn't sleep well last night, and your sense of taste is off."

You Nianchu also nodded, pushing a plate of side dishes toward him: "Lin Laoshi, eat a bit more of the side dishes to balance it out; the porridge will get cool soon, don't waste it."

Lin Yuan was half‑believing, half‑doubting, and took another two spoonfuls of porridge, but the astringent taste became ever more obvious, and his stomach began to feel a vague heaviness, as if he had swallowed lead.

He stopped eating, just about to set down the bowl……

He saw Zhao Yuyan and You Nianchu suddenly exchange a glance; their gentle smiles vanished instantly, replaced by a weird, icy smile……

That smile made Lin Yuan's heart turn cold.

Before Lin Yuan could react, his head suddenly buzzed, as if struck by a heavy hammer.

His consciousness grew a little blurry; the scene before him began to spin, tables, chairs, walls all swaying, his whole body's strength seemed to be drained in an instant, he couldn't even lift his hand.

"My…… head feels so dizzy……" Lin Yuan braced himself on the table trying to stand, but staggered and fell back into the chair.

In his blurred vision, he watched the two women's faces draw nearer, finally realizing, his voice trembling with disbelief: "You…… you put…… put an aphrodisiac in the porriage??"

Zhao Yuyan gave a light laugh, reached out to stroke Lin Yuan's cheek, her fingertips cold as ice: "Not too stupid, just a bit slow to react."

You Nianchu stood on Lin Yuan's other side, arms crossed, her gorgeous face no longer sweet and obedient, filled with cold fury:

"Lin Yuan, you disgusting thing, last night you locked us two in the room and went out to enjoy yourself, right?"

"You think this can be easily let go?" Zhao Yuyan withdrew her hand, grabbed a black leather bag from behind the sofa, and as she opened the zipper, the contents were revealed——

Black leather whip, binding straps with metal buckles, and a few white candles—all implements of training that exuded a strange aura—"Today, I'll make you know the price of locking us two in the room."

You Nianchu, meanwhile, pulled a black electric baton from her bag and pressed the switch.

"Zizila" sound, the tip of the baton sparked with blue electric current, accompanied by a piercing noise.

She looked at Lin Yuan's pale face, eyes fierce: "My dear Lin Laoshi, I originally didn't want to use this, but who made you so clueless? I can only use electricity to teach you a lasting lesson."

Lin Yuan's consciousness grew ever more hazy, his body went limp like a puddle of mud, he could only lean against the chair back, watching the two women approach step by step——

Zhao Yuyan waved the whip in her hand, the tip scraping the floor with a "shasha" sound;

You Nianchu gripped the electric baton, blue current flickering nonstop at the tip, casting her face half‑light, half‑shadow.

"You…… you guys don't come over……" Lin Yuan wanted to shout, but his voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum.

The aphrodisiac's effect took full hold, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier; he could only watch helplessly as the two women who had once vied for his affection drew nearer, step by step……