The dining hall had been prepared long in advance.
A long table filled the center of the room, draped in pristine white cloth. Polished cutlery lay perfectly aligned on either side of crystal-clear plates. Wine glasses caught the light, their surfaces gleaming softly, as if waiting for something important to happen.
Li Meiran took the main seat without hesitation, his movements natural and unhurried, as though the place belonged to him. Sikong Jue casually dropped into the chair beside him, already looking far too relaxed.
Song Yue deliberately slowed her steps, aiming for the furthest seat she could find.
She had almost succeeded.
"This way, Miss Song," the principal said quickly, stepping in front of her and firmly steering her toward the seat beside Li Meiran.
Song Yue scowled, her resistance clearly written on her face.
The principal raised his wine glass, smiling so hard his cheeks trembled. "Duke, thank you for honoring us with your presence. After a toast, we may begin the meal."
Li Meiran leaned back in his chair, one arm resting lazily on the armrest. "I do intend to donate," he said calmly. "As for how much… that depends on Miss Song."
The principal's eyes lit up as if someone had flipped a switch.
Without wasting a second, he placed a wine glass into Song Yue's hand. "Song Yue, quickly toast the Duke."
"I don't drink," she replied flatly, not even glancing at the glass.
Li Meiran's lips curved faintly. "That's unfortunate," he said lightly. "I was thinking one glass might be worth ten million."
The principal nearly choked on air.
He leaned toward Song Yue in a panic, lowering his voice. "Our new library and laboratory are counting on you. Just one glass. One."
Song Yue stared at the red wine, her jaw tightening. The glass felt heavier than it should.
She heard the principal murmur something to a nearby teacher, then caught the next words clearly.
"Bring Lan Xia."
Her heart sank instantly.
The principal's voice dropped even lower. "Lan Xia's family hasn't paid this semester's tuition. Hundreds of thousands. If you secure this donation, I'll waive it. All of it."
So that was the reason.
Lan Xia was led over, her expression confused and uneasy. Song Yue clenched the stem of the glass until her fingers turned white. Lan Xia would never beg. She had refused help even when people had offered it to her directly.
Song Yue slowly lifted the wine.
It was just red wine. She could handle that. Probably.
She tipped her head back and drained the glass in one go. The warmth hit her throat and spread to her cheeks almost instantly.
Li Meiran watched her closely. His lips curved into an unmistakably wicked smile.
He snapped his fingers. A bodyguard stepped forward and poured another glass.
Song Yue shot him a murderous glare. He was enjoying this far too much.
But for Lan Xia's sake, she forced herself to drink again.
And again.
She lost count of how many glasses it had been by the time the room began to sway gently around her.
"Enough!" Lan Xia said urgently, reaching out to grab the glass. "I'll drink it instead!"
Before she could, Sikong Jue smoothly pulled Lan Xia into the seat beside him. "Sit still," he said calmly. "If you want to drink, drink with me."
Lan Xia shoved him away, her eyes fixed anxiously on Song Yue.
Song Yue suddenly grabbed the bottle herself. Her steps were unsteady as she pointed it at Li Meiran, her voice slurring slightly.
"Why am I the only one drinking?" she demanded. "Not fair. You drink too!"
She stumbled forward, the wine sloshing over the rim and splashing across Li Meiran's pale pink shirt.
She blinked at the spreading stain, then frowned. "What a waste…"
Li Meiran stood up abruptly, catching her before she could fall. His jaw tightened, his eyes dark and unreadable.
"You've crossed the line," he said quietly. "You really don't know when to stop, do you?"
Song Yue looked up at him through hazy eyes, completely unrepentant.
"Prepare a suite," Li Meiran said coolly, his voice carrying no room for argument.
"Yes, of course." The principal nearly bowed himself in half, nodding so fast his glasses almost slipped. "There's an empty apartment in the teachers' residence at the back. I'll have it arranged immediately."
The moment the words left his mouth, Lan Xia shot to her feet.
"Principal! You can't let him take Song Yue away! " she cried, panic clear in her voice as she tried to rush after them.
The principal turned and shot her a sharp warning look. "First of all, she went willingly. And secondly, she is an adult. So, Sit down and stop causing trouble."
Lan Xia refused to listen and pushed forward again, cursing the principal under her breath. "This bastard... he is selling a girl for money..."
Before she could take two more steps, Sikong Jue caught her wrist. His grip wasn't rough, but it was firm enough to stop her completely.
"Why chase him?" he said lightly, a thin smile on his lips. "The Duke is busy right now. I'll keep you company. Come, let's have a drink."
"I don't want to drink with you!" Lan Xia snapped, struggling against him. "Song Yue is in danger. I'm going to help her!"
"You want to leave?" Sikong Jue's smile deepened, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "Fine. Finish this first."
He gestured toward the wine glass on the table.
Lan Xia stared at it for a second, then grabbed it and drank it down in one go. The alcohol burned her throat, but she didn't hesitate. "Done. Now let me go."
"Not yet." Sikong Jue calmly picked up the bottle. "Drink this too. If you can beat me at drinking, I'll let you leave."
Lan Xia glared at him. He looked elegant and gentle on the surface, but his eyes were sharp and unreadable.
"Fine," she said through clenched teeth. "Pour."
For the first time, Sikong Jue's smile faded. "You really don't know when to stop."
Meanwhile, Li Meiran half-dragged, half-carried Song Yue into the bathroom of the suite. Her steps were completely unsteady, her body swaying as nausea surged up from her stomach.
She barely managed to turn her head before she vomited.
The sour stench splashed across Li Meiran's chest.
His expression froze, then darkened in disbelief. He released her immediately, pushing her into the bathtub.
"Get someone in here!" he barked.
The principal rushed in at once, his face pale with panic. "Duke Li, what do you need?"
"Find a woman," Li Meiran said coldly. "Clean her up. Now."
"Yes, yes!" The principal didn't dare waste a second and hurried out.
Li Meiran retreated to the other bathroom, scrubbing himself harshly as if he could wash away the disgust. When he finally returned, wearing a clean white bathrobe, Song Yue had already been cleaned and placed on the bed.
She lay curled awkwardly under the covers, breathing softly, completely unaware of the chaos she had caused.
Li Meiran stood at the bedside, looking down at her. His eyes were dark and complicated.
"Now, tell me," he said quietly, "where is my wallet?"
Song Yue stirred.
Without warning, her hand flew up and slapped him across the face.
"Get lost," she muttered, still half-asleep.
The sharp sound echoed in the room.
Li Meiran froze.
He had been bitten, tricked, humiliated, and now—slapped.
His expression darkened completely. "Where is my wallet?" he demanded again, grabbing her shoulder and shaking her slightly.
"Xu Feng…" Song Yue mumbled, her brows knitting together. "Drag him out… chop his head off…"
Li Meiran's jaw clenched tightly.
Then she let out a soft burp, the strong smell of alcohol filling the air once more.
He recoiled instinctively, stepping back in sheer disbelief. For the first time, the Duke looked genuinely at a loss.
"This girl…" he muttered darkly.
His gaze shifted to the phone on the bedside table. After a brief pause, he picked it up and scrolled through the screen.
What he saw made his brows draw together.
A short, humorless laugh escaped him. "So that's how it is."