“Brother Nan! Brother Nan!”
“Quick, get Brother Nan back to the room! We have to make him throw up; ten depth charges are no joke!”
Amid the anxious voices of Zhang Tingmei and Liu Xue, I was soon dragged into the room and propped over the toilet with their help.
Retch! Retch!
My stomach churned violently, emptying itself in a torrent.
“I can’t hold it either!” Liu Xue, seeing me vomit, suddenly began heaving as well.
“Xiao Xue, are you all right?” Zhang Tingmei called out.
“I—I’m fine. As long as Brother Nan is all right,” Liu Xue managed.
“I’ll give him a hangover pill first.” Zhang Tingmei slipped something into my m0uth and made me drink mineral water.
Once they hauled me onto the bed, I vaguely heard Zhang Tingmei say she would stay the night to look after me and told Liu Xue to wash up and rest early.
When I woke again, my head throbbed fiercely. As I tried to turn, I felt something blocking me.
Compared to my earlier drunken mess, I was now much clearer-headed. I sat up slowly and saw Zhang Tingmei asleep beside me.
She wore only a blue lace-trimmed nightdress, lying with her back to me. Her full, rounded a$$ faced me; under the dim light, her curvaceous figure was breathtakingly $exy. Memories began to return.
I dimly recalled that after Liu Xue left, Zhang Tingmei had undressed me, brushed my teeth, even bathed me. There had been one awkward moment—she had slipped in shock, having seen what she shouldn’t have.
Watching her peaceful sleep, I checked the phone on the nightstand. It was three in the morning. Parched, I gulped down some water.
“Brother Nan!” Zhang Tingmei suddenly stirred, sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked at me.
“Ting—Tingmei.” I smiled awkwardly.
Up close, her $exy form in the nightdress was unmistakable; the fullness of her b00bs swayed gently. She gazed at me with concern. “Brother Nan, are you feeling better? Why did you push yourself like that? Don’t you know what depth charges do?”
Her voice carried a trace of reproach; she clearly feared for me. Over the years I had always protected her and Liu Xue, and tonight I had shielded them from drinking more.
“Brother Nan, what’s wrong? Are you all right?” she asked again, seeing me lost in thought.
I stared at her—this w0man I had personally promoted to be my deputy—and felt a surge of emotion.
“Tingmei, why are you here?” I asked.
“Brother Nan, I was afraid something might happen after you drank so much. Even though you vomited, what if you got alcohol poisoning? So I stayed with you.” Her cheeks flushed as she explained.
“And Liu Xue?”
“She drank too much too. She’s sleeping in the opposite room.” Zhang Tingmei gave a strained smile.
Looking at her now, my nose stung. For some reason, I deeply felt her kindness. What a wonderful girl.
“Brother Nan, why are you crying?” She grasped my hand in surprise.
“I… I’m just touched. Tingmei, thank you,” I choked.
“Brother Nan, what are you saying? All these years you’ve taken care of Xiao Xue and me—who else should we be good to if not you?” she replied quickly.
Hearing that, I pulled her into a tight embrace.
She trembled in my arms, but I felt her heartbeat quicken, her breathing grow rapid.
“Nan—Brother Nan…” she whispered.
Heat flared in my lower abdomen; I desperately wanted her comfort.
I pressed her beneath me and k!ssed her deeply.
“Mmm—no, Brother Nan, we mustn’t. If Sister-in-law ever found out…” She resisted at first, yet her slender wa!st twisted slightly, as if refusing on the surface while yearning for me deep inside.
“Your Sister-in-law went back to the country behind my back and is with some foreign man,” I said bitterly at the mention of my wife.
“What? How could Sister-in-law…” Shocked, Zhang Tingmei ceased resisting.
“Tingmei, your Brother Nan is hurting inside. The pressure has been too much.” I poured out my pain like a confession.
At my words, she hugged me fiercely. Minutes later, we lay bare to each other, gazes locked, breathing heavy, until we finally melted into a passionate embrace.
Like dry wood meeting fierce flame—or long-withheld tenderness—we savored one another.
Perhaps the alcohol still lingered; an hour later I growled low, clutching Zhang Tingmei tightly as I released.
Holding her, I felt profound contentment, as though my soul had found its harbor.
“Brother Nan… is this all right? What if Xiao Xue finds out?” she murmured in my arms, blinking up at me.
“Do you like it?” I gently stroked her cheek.
“I do.” She grinned, then sat up. “But you were so bad just now—I begged you to stop and you kept going. You’re not allowed to do that again!”
She pouted in mock complaint. I smiled sheepishly. “All right. But you mentioned Xiao Xue—you should return soon, or if she realizes you spent the night here, she’ll imagine all sorts of things.”
“Mhm. Then I’ll go. Rest well, Brother Nan.” She began dressing.
Watching her leave, I smiled warmly, then opened my phone. Seeing that Starbucks photo of my wife with the foreigner, I sighed softly.
Exhaustion claimed me again. When I woke, it was already eleven the next morning. Had Zhang Tingmei not called to rouse me, I might have slept longer.
After washing up and packing, I opened the door.
The moment I did, Zhang Tingmei and Liu Xue rushed in from across the hall. Zhang Tingmei’s eyes now held extra tenderness for me; Liu Xue remained oblivious.
“Brother Nan, did you rest well?”
“Yeah, Brother Nan, are you okay now?”
“All better. Let’s grab some food downstairs, then head back to Shanghai.” I grinned and waved a hand grandly.