Chapter 696: I want to take a shower

Zhou Mengmeng still knelt on the ground, actively offering her "sincerity"……

The following content, not suitable for children……

Not suitable.

Time……trickled by……

Over an hour later……

Zhou Mengmeng gradually stopped her movements.

Her body swayed slightly, and she couldn't help but cough violently.

Her delicate pretty face looked somewhat wan, with a trace of fatigued flush at the corner of her mouth,

At this moment, even her breathing became somewhat rapid.

Lin Yuan looked at her weary appearance and let out a soft sigh.

Lin Yuan raised his hand, snapped his fingers crisply, and glanced at Wang Lingdao beside him.

He said in a flat tone, "Pass me a cigarette."

Wang Lingdao heard this, instantly came to his senses, hurriedly pulled out a cigarette and lighter from his pocket, and respectfully handed them to Lin Yuan……

Wang Lingdao held the cigarette with both hands, not daring to even breathe.

Lin Yuan took the cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.

Smoke slowly drifted from his nostrils, blurring his brows and eyes.

He hardly ever smoked; only after experiencing certain things would he smoke.

All the male comrades should understand.

Tacit understanding.

Lin Yuan leaned against the cold wall, holding the cigarette between his fingertips, and slowly exhaled the smoke.

His gaze……landed on Zhou Mengmeng, who was still coughing on the ground.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yuan took out his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to Zhou Mengmeng.

Zhou Mengmeng gradually stopped coughing, her eyes reddened, with unshed tears clinging to her long lashes, her delicate pretty face full of weariness and grievance.

She lifted her head, looking at Lin Yuan with a wronged expression.

In Zhou Mengmeng's eyes……there was a hint of bewilderment and helplessness.

She didn't know what Lin Yuan intended to do.

Lin Yuan looked at her like that, his tone softened a bit, losing its previous coldness.

Lin Yuan said softly, "Scan the code, add me on WeChat; if anything comes up, contact me anytime."

Zhou Mengmeng instantly understood; the bewilderment in her eyes faded, replaced by deep gratitude.

After tonight's events, she could be considered one of Lin Yuan's people.

Those words of Lin Yuan clearly meant he intended to look after her and give her something to rely on.

Zhou Mengmeng quickly nodded, trembling as she reached out to take Lin Yuan's phone, carefully scanning the code and adding his WeChat……%

Zhou Mengmeng kept her head down the whole time, her pretty face still flushed with lingering color and grievance.

After adding WeChat, Lin Yuan took back his phone and pressed out the cigarette butt against the wall beside him.

Lin Yuan's gaze suddenly turned icy, and he slowly swept over Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao, who still kept their heads lowered……

In Lin Yuan's tone……there was a strong warning, as he spoke each word clearly:

"Zhou Mengmeng is mine from now on; remember, if anyone dares to touch a finger of hers, I will absolutely not let you off."

Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao stiffened all over.

The two leaders hurriedly lifted their heads, their faces full of respect and fear.

Wang Lingdao kept nodding and bowing, his voice humble: "No way! Director Lin, we absolutely dare not touch a finger of Miss Zhou! Rest assured, we will definitely look after Miss Zhou from now on, and will never let her suffer any grievance!"

Ding Lingdao followed suit, saying respectfully, "Director Lin, rest assured, we will definitely look after Miss Zhou more!"

The two of them spoke while continuously bowing, the fear in their eyes barely concealed——

They had already been frightened by Lin Yuan's beatings; now that Lin Yuan clearly stated he would protect Zhou Mengmeng, even if they had the gall, they wouldn't dare to scheme against Zhou Mengmeng……

The two leaders only wished to live peacefully, not giving Lin Yuan any trouble again.

Zhou Mengmeng sat on the ground, listening to Lin Yuan's warning, watching the two leaders' respectful demeanor, the gratitude in her eyes growing ever stronger……%

Zhou Mengmeng's tears……%could not help but fall again.

This time, she was no longer fearful or aggrieved, but filled with moving emotion and reassurance.

Lin Yuan looked at Zhou Mengmeng's fragile appearance, then glanced at Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao beside him, still keeping their heads down and not daring to breathe……%

Lin Yuan said in a calm tone:

"All right, Xiao Zhou, it's getting late; you should also get off work early and go home."

Having said that, Lin Yuan didn't linger, turned and walked toward the fire escape stairwell door.

His steps remained leisurely, and his cool aura once again enveloped him.

Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao heard this, exchanged a glance, and hurriedly followed Lin Yuan step for step……

The two leaders bent their backs, hunched over, their posture humble, deliberately lightening their breathing, not daring to fall behind.

Lin Yuan pushed open the fire escape stairwell door, entered the corridor, and returned along the original route to the private room.

At this moment, the hands of the clock on the wall already pointed to midnight……

The hotel corridor lights remained bright, but were less noisy, only sporadic footsteps remained, making it especially quiet.

Pushing open the private room door, the noise inside had already largely subsided.

Those leaders who had been embracing models were mostly drunk to the point of staggering.,

Some were slumped over the tables in a drunken sleep, some leaned on the sofas with eyes closed to rest……

Only a few scattered people remained, whispering, their tones weary.

Lin Yuan's gaze swept quickly across the private room, soon landing on Ning Xue in the corner of the sofa.

Ning Xue leaned against the sofa, her head slightly bowed, long eyelashes trembling faintly, her cheeks still flushed with a faint blush.

Obviously, Ning Xue was quite drunk; her eyes were hazy, her face full of drowsiness, her sitting posture somewhat unsteady, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.

She must have been waiting for him too long and had drunk quite a bit, already unable to hold on.

Lin Yuan lightened his steps and walked slowly to Ning Xue's side.

The chill in Lin Yuan's eyes eased slightly.

Lin Yuan's tone softened a bit as he said softly, "Don't push yourself; go rest early."

His voice was very soft, for fear of disturbing the drowsy Ning Xue.

Hearing the familiar voice, Ning Xue slowly opened her hazy eyes.

Seeing that it was Lin Yuan, a glimmer of light flashed in Ning Xue's eyes—

But immediately, she was again overcome by heavy drowsiness.

Ning Xue lightly nodded, her voice soft and sweet, thick with nasal congestion: "Okay…"

As she spoke, she struggled to rise, but her whole body went limp; just as she propped herself up, she swayed and nearly fell.

Lin Yuan instinctively reached out, lightly supporting her, steadying her posture.

Lin Yuan's fingertips… touched her warm, delicate skin, and both of them paused slightly.

Ning Xue's pretty face instantly reddened a bit more, a flicker of shyness flashing in her eyes; she quickly used his strength to straighten her body, head lowered, not daring to look at him.

The leaders in the private room, hearing that Lin Yuan was leaving, instantly became half-sober.

The leaders all struggled to rise, their faces piled with obsequious smiles, vying to speak:

"Director Lin, we'll see you off! We'll see you home!"

"Director Lin, it's so late; we won't feel at ease letting you go alone, we'll see you to the hotel entrance!"

Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao were especially eager, quickly stepping forward to stand one on the left and one on the right of Lin Yuan.

The two leaders spoke with respect and enthusiasm: "Director Lin, we'll see you off; take your time!"

The two of them had long since shed their earlier embarrassment, now only showing deliberate flattery.

After all, Lin Yuan held their leverage in his hands; they dared not be negligent in the slightest.

Lin Yuan waved his hand, his tone flat:

"No need, you stay here; I'll go back myself."

Yet even as he said that, the leaders still refused to give up, following him behind, insisting on seeing him off.

The leaders feared offending Lin Yuan, losing their positions, and possibly inviting greater trouble.

The crowd surrounded Lin Yuan and Ning Xue, slowly walking toward the private room's door.

As they passed the banquet table, the factory director, who had been standing in place and still somewhat dazed, finally mustered courage and stepped forward quickly.

The factory director blocked Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao, his face showing a mix of anxiety and urgency, and asked cautiously:

"Gentlemen leaders, excuse me, that… that the Su Group's cooperation with our pharmaceutical factory, the approval contract—what do you think?"

As soon as he said that, the private room fell somewhat silent.

All the leaders' gazes gathered on Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao.

Even Lin Yuan stopped, turned his head to look over, his gaze plain, silent, yet carrying an invisible pressure.

Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao's bodies tensed.

Because at this moment, in the private room, their ranks were the highest.

In the private room, the other leaders all had to obey them.

Wang Lingdao quickly turned his head, his face instantly breaking into an exceedingly enthusiastic smile.

Wang Lingdao, slamming the table toward the factory director, his voice booming, tone certain yet fawning: "Do we even need to ask? Approved! It'll surely pass in a flash!"

Ding Lingdao also quickly chimed in, his face piled with smiles, his tone overly enthusiastic:

"Yes yes! Director, rest assured; before 9 a. m. tomorrow, we'll directly approve the contract for your pharmaceutical factory's cooperation with the Su Group—green light all the way, no delay!"

Saying this, Wang Lingdao also proactively reached out and patted the factory director's shoulder.

Wang Lingdao's tone grew ever more enthusiastic: "Congratulations to your pharmaceutical factory, and congratulations to the Su Group; we warmly welcome the Su Group to invest and cooperate in our Ning City, and we hope for more collaboration, mutual benefit and win‑win!"

Ding Lingdao also kept nodding, the enthusiasm on his face undiminished, yet his eyes hid a barely perceptible fear—

Their eagerness was entirely because of Lin Yuan.

They feared that even a slight slackness would cause Lin Yuan to dig up old scores and expose those videos and testimonies.

The factory director was completely dumbfounded, frozen in place with his mouth wide open.

The director's eyes… were full of disbelief, his face written with confusion.

The director unconsciously rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he'd heard—

Just moments ago, these leaders had been making things difficult everywhere, avoiding talk of cooperation, even scheming against Ning Xue—

But in such a short time, their attitude has undergone a complete turnaround?

They not only outright agreed to approve the contract, but are also so enthusiastic—this contrast is too great, isn't it?

The director… looked at the enthusiastic Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao ahead, then glanced at Lin Yuan beside him with a plain expression, his doubts growing stronger.

The director muttered to himself inwardly:

What on earth is going on?

Could it really be because of Director Lin?

Just who is this Director Lin, that he can make these high‑ranking leaders so fearful and so eager to please?

Lin Yuan watched the factory director's dazed expression, a faint, hardly noticeable smile flickering in his eyes.

Lin Yuan didn't say anything more, supporting the drowsy Ning Xue beside him, he turned and walked toward the private room door.

Seeing this, Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao hurried to follow, walking and constantly giving reminders, their tone respectful yet obsequious, fearing Lin Yuan might have any dissatisfaction.

Ning Xue, supported by Lin Yuan, her hazy consciousness…was slightly awakened by the conversation nearby.

She heard Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao……patting their chests, guaranteeing the contract would pass instantly.

Ning Xue's whole person gave a slight start, a flash of bewilderment crossing her dazed eyes.

Immediately, a hint of disbelief rose in her—

This……was settled?

Earlier, those leaders had made things difficult in every way, pressing step by step, even scheming against her.

Ning Xue still thought, this gathering would fall through.

As a result, unexpectedly……it was achieved so easily?

Ning Xue, for a moment……actually couldn't react.

The corner of her mouth unconsciously twitched up slightly, yet her eyes still held a hint of dazedness, she murmured softly: "This……is done? Not easy……"

At the hotel entrance late at night, the night breeze was slightly cool, dispersing some of the alcohol fumes from the private room.

Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao had already gotten ahead a step, respectfully opening their car doors.

The two leaders bent over, bowing their backs, their tone fawning yet respectful:

"Director Lin, Secretary Ning, please get in the car quickly; we will personally send you two back to the hotel, guaranteeing a safe arrival."

Other leaders also came out one after another, standing at the hotel entrance, their faces piled with obsequious smiles.

The leaders kept waving goodbye: "Director Lin, take care! Wishing you a pleasant rest!"

"Director Lin, we'll approve the contract tomorrow and contact you at any time!"

Everyone dared not slack off in the slightest, until Lin Yuan and Ning Xue got into the car……

They still stood in place seeing them off, until the car disappeared into the night, then they slowly dispersed.

In the car, Wang Lingdao drove personally, while Ding Lingdao sat in the passenger seat.

The two leaders, from time to time……secretly observed Lin Yuan and Ning Xue in the back seat via the rearview mirror.

The two leaders didn't even dare to breathe heavily, maintaining a respectful demeanor throughout.

The two of them even deliberately lowered their voices when speaking, fearing to disturb Lin Yuan in the back seat.

Ning Xue leaned against Lin Yuan's shoulder, her intoxication growing stronger, her head heavy and hazy, her eyes glazed.

Not long after, Ning Xue closed her eyes again, her breathing gradually becoming even.

Lin Yuan gently supported her shoulder, letting her lean more comfortably.

A hint of helplessness flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes.

The cabin was silent, only the faint sound of the car moving…%

Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao dared not speak much the whole way, driving the car carefully toward the hotel where Lin Yuan was staying……

……

Not long after, the car arrived at the hotel entrance.

Wang Lingdao hurriedly stopped the car, quickly got out, respectfully opened the rear car door, and bent over to say:

"Director Lin, Secretary Ning, we've arrived at the hotel."

Ding Lingdao also hurried forward, wanting to reach out to support Ning Xue, but was stopped by Lin Yuan's icy gaze; he could only sheepishly withdraw his hand, stand to the side with his head lowered, daring not to move again.

Ning Xue was slightly refreshed by the night breeze blowing in when the car door opened.

She struggled to get out of the car, but she was already drunk and weak all over, and her previously sprained foot hadn't healed; as soon as she stepped onto her high heels, she staggered, instantly losing balance and nearly falling to the ground.

Lin Yuan, quick-eyed and quick-handed, instinctively reached out and scooped her up around the waist.

Lin Yuan's movements were gentle and steady, for fear of hurting her.

Ning Xue, caught off guard, let out a gasp, and was immediately enveloped by a familiar warm breath……

Ning Xue's drunken brain had no time to react; she instinctively stretched out her arms and tightly wrapped them around Lin Yuan's neck.

Her delicate cheek……pressed against Lin Yuan's chest.

Ning Xue felt his steady heartbeat, the confusion in her eyes gradually fading, replaced by a sense of reliance and shyness.

Her strands of hair……lightly brushed Lin Yuan's neck, carrying a faint scent of alcohol and gardenia, fresh and intoxicating.

Lin Yuan's body tensed slightly, then quickly regained composure.

Lin Yuan tightened his hold on her arms.

Lin Yuan lowered his head, looking at the endearingly drunk Ning Xue in his arms, her face full of bashfulness.

The tenderness in Lin Yuan's eyes deepened, and he spoke softly: "Don't move, I'll carry you up."

Wang Lingdao and Ding Lingdao stood to the side, not daring to breathe heavily.

The two leaders, seeing the intimate scene of Lin Yuan and Ning Xue, all lowered their heads, pretending not to have seen anything……

Deep down, the two leaders secretly felt relieved, glad they were tactful and didn't speak out of turn.

Lin Yuan held Ning Xue, walking calmly into the hotel lobby, ignoring the staff's surprised glances, heading straight for the elevator and pressing the floor for the Presidential Suite.

Inside the elevator, the confined space was filled with their presence.

Ning Xue still tightly clung to Lin Yuan's neck, her head resting on his shoulder.

Her long eyelashes fluttered lightly, occasionally uttering a faint murmur, her appearance endearing and cute.

Lin Yuan lowered his head to look at her, even his usual aloof aura softened.

The elevator doors opened; Lin Yuan held Ning Xue and stepped step by step to the door of the Presidential Suite.

Lin Yuan took out the room key card, swiped it to open the door, and entered cautiously.

He used his foot to gently close the door, shutting out all outside noise.

The suite's interior was luxuriously decorated, with soft lighting and a warm ambiance, forming a stark contrast to the cool night outside.

Lin Yuan didn't linger, holding Ning Xue as he walked straight to the side of the bedroom's large bed.

He gently placed Ning Xue on the soft bed.

Lin Yuan moved delicately, afraid to disturb her.

Ning Xue lay on the bed, her brows slightly furrowed, she unconsciously turned over, murmured indistinctly, and still did not wake up.

Lin Yuan stood at the bedside, quietly watching her sleeping form.

Her pretty face still bore a faint blush, her long lashes casting a light shadow over her eyelids, making her look both exquisite and endearing.

Lin Yuan gently reached out and tidied the messy strands of hair on her forehead.

Immediately, Lin Yuan turned and walked to the wardrobe beside the bed, took out a clean thin blanket, and slowly walked back to the bedside.

He carefully covered her with the blanket.

Lin Yuan moved gently, afraid to wake her.

Just as Lin Yuan turned around, preparing to tidy up the clutter in the living room,

Behind him, a soft, muffled murmur suddenly came, thick with drunkenness and a hint of barely perceptible grievance:

"Director Lin... wait..."

Lin Yuan's steps halted, and he quickly came to his senses...

Only to see Ning Xue slightly open her dazed eyes, her cheeks still flushed, her gaze unfocused.

Ning Xue's hands unconsciously gripped the thin blanket on her body, she lightly furrowed her brows, and repeated herself, her tone carrying a touch of endearing stubbornness:

"I want to take a shower... I smell of alcohol all over, it's dirty..."