Chapter 96: Drunken Lodging by the Western River

Seeing the little braid in such high spirits upon meeting the head, a great sense of calm and reassurance settled over him. He noticed a flush on the head’s face, a stark contrast to those past days when his expression had been grave, pale, and utterly haggard. It was clear to him that something significant had happened to this superior sitting before him. Yet, since Zhaoming Chi remained silent, he dared not inquire further.

At this moment, Zhaoming Chi was immersed in the joy of his recent gain, feeling as if the light of success was just within reach. He was pleased to have discovered a shortcut to triumph. With this newfound path to wealth, countless bills would soon flow his way.

Returning home, Dujuan greeted Zhaoming Chi with a sigh. “Wife, why the long face?”

“What’s there to sigh about? How dare you ask? Isn’t it all thanks to you that our family’s savings have been squandered? My cosmetics are nearly gone, the house plans have fallen through—do you expect me to lose my looks too?” Dujuan grumbled from the side.

But buoyed by his good mood, Zhaoming Chi didn’t take her complaints as reproach; rather, he thought she was just being adorably playful today.

~~~~~~

With no matches scheduled, Coach Nian Yiyi came to Aunt Fan’s home. Every time he visited, Aunt Fan always prepared several delicious dishes to accompany their drinking and chatting.

The coach’s spirits were high, and Aunt Fan’s face was flushed from the wine. Riding the wave of intoxication, they spoke of amusing events from life.

Just then, Fan Wei and his childhood friend Zhang Chi entered the room.

Seeing Zhang Chi arrive, Aunt Fan quickly stood and exclaimed, “Well, what wind blew our young master Zhang here? Hurry, hurry! Fan Wei can’t drink, but you’re his good friend—you have to drink a few cups with his coach. I can’t drink anymore!”

“All right, all right, I won’t be shy, Aunt Fan,” Zhang Chi said, sitting down and picking up his chopsticks.

Fan Wei handed Zhang Chi a cup, filling it to the brim.

Seeing the cup nearly overflow, Zhang Chi quickly held out his hand to block Fan Wei. “Whoa, buddy, it’s about to spill—don’t waste the wine.”

“Don’t worry, pal. I may not be skilled at drinking, but I’m pretty good at pouring. Every time the club has a celebration or banquet, I’m the one pouring for everyone. Honestly, I could do it with my eyes closed without spilling a drop. That should tell you my level, right, buddy?”

“I’m not sure about that, but from when I first met you until now, you’ve made huge progress—from not drinking at all to managing a cup. Looks like joining the club has taught you a thing or two. Let’s toast to my buddy’s growth under Coach Nian’s guidance. Cheers!” Zhang Chi’s savvy demeanor belied his status as a mere vocational college student.

After several rounds of drinks, the head coach remained lively, sharing anecdotes from the Super League. Aunt Fan had no particular interest, focusing instead on her nephew’s football career and quietly playing the role of an attentive listener.

Zhang Chi, on the other hand, was keenly interested in the coach’s stories from the start, peppering him with questions about football results. Under the influence of the wine, the coach confided some unsavory football gossip and even mentioned the match between Dahe and the Seals.

Fan Wei was already heavily intoxicated, slumped motionless over the table. Aunt Fan, seeing this, knew her nephew was drunk. A boy who usually didn’t drink had consumed nearly two taels of white liquor, enough to make his head spin.

Fan Wei stood up, swaying and nearly falling.

Aunt Fan was quick to react, catching him. “Look at you—just a little wine and you’re this drunk. You really shouldn’t touch white liquor at all. Come on, I’ll help you upstairs to rest.”

Considering the coach was staying overnight, Aunt Fan helped Fan Wei upstairs. Instead of taking him to his usual bedroom, she placed him on the sofa bed in the study, removed his shoes and socks, tucked him in warmly, and then quietly left the room.

~~~~~

Back at Zhaoming Chi’s home, buoyed by the windfall from his recent scoop, his spirits soared.

He turned to Dujuan, gently caressing her cheek. “Don’t worry, your husband won’t do anything foolish again. I’ll work hard to make money and won’t neglect that pretty little face of yours. The station is about to issue an extra bonus; buying cosmetics won’t be a problem.” After speaking, he kissed Dujuan’s forehead, filling her with sweetness.

“You’d better keep your word. Tomorrow I’m going to buy makeup, and you’ll have to reimburse me as soon as possible,” Dujuan said with a knowing smile.

“Today’s Friday. I’ll settle it by Tuesday,” Zhaoming Chi replied, thinking about Monday’s deal closure.

“Shall we go to the bedroom? Now that Xiyu isn’t around, we can do what we ought to,” he proposed, gazing at Dujuan’s flushed face.

She smiled knowingly and followed him to the room.

~~~~~~

When Aunt Fan came downstairs again, the head coach was already slumped over the table. Zhang Chi looked at Aunt Fan, then at the coach, and said, “Aunt Fan, the coach can’t really hold his liquor—he’s clearly drunk.”

“If you’re supposed to drink with him, you should pace yourself. But you just gulped down a whole cup right off the bat. Could you not get drunk? Look at you, Fan Wei’s buddy, not even helpful. Let’s call it a night. Help me get the coach upstairs to Fan Wei’s room. Fan Wei’s already asleep on the study sofa; he has morning training at the club,” Aunt Fan said.

“Oh, okay. Let’s help the coach upstairs,” Zhang Chi said, supporting the coach with Aunt Fan.

After settling the coach, Aunt Fan busied herself cleaning the dishes downstairs. Once everything was done, exhausted, she retired to her room.

Late at night, Nian Yiyi groggily got up to use the bathroom.

Dazed and unsteady, he found the restroom and then staggered back to bed.

The next morning, the coach’s phone buzzed incessantly. Opening his eyes, he saw Aunt Fan beside him. Peeling back the covers, he realized they were both naked. He vaguely recalled going to the bathroom and then slipping into bed, not knowing when he’d ended up holding Aunt Fan. At first, he thought it was a dream.

Faced with this scene, Nian Yiyi understood what had transpired. Just as he was still in disbelief, Aunt Fan’s eyes suddenly flew open, and her scream pierced the air, nearly alarming all the neighbors. Fan Wei was also startled awake.

Unaware of what had happened the night before, Fan Wei rushed to Aunt Fan’s room without even dressing properly and burst in.

At that moment, he was stunned by the scene before him. He seemed to grasp what had happened overnight.

The coach sat awkwardly on the bed, bare-armed, staring at Aunt Fan. Comically, Aunt Fan met his gaze, equally unsure of what to do.

Fan Wei’s face blushed deeply with embarrassment. Shyly, he closed the door. Being adults, he wasn’t particularly shocked by such events, having often heard gossip about affairs. But seeing it happen to his aunt was surprising, especially knowing the coach was usually so cautious.

Feeling the awkwardness for his aunt and coach, he hastily said, “Sorry, sorry—I didn’t see anything.”

Nian Yiyi was thoroughly embarrassed. Perhaps from years without female company, he had stumbled into a hazy encounter with a woman while half-asleep. But now he knew it wasn’t a dream.

Aunt Fan, influenced by the alcohol, had also been dreaming sensually around midnight.

Waking to see this handsome man beside her, she felt as if parched earth had met sweet rain—shy but quickly regaining composure.

“I’m truly sorry. I drank too much last night. After going to the bathroom, I wandered into your room half-asleep. But I promise to take responsibility for my actions, please rest assured,” Nian Yiyi said, hastily grabbing his underwear.

“We’re adults. Just consider it a misunderstanding and don’t dwell on it. Besides, you’re Fan Wei’s coach, and we’re both single. What happened after drinking was just an accident,” Aunt Fan said, laughing at the coach’s flustered expression. “You look like you’ve been caught red-handed.”

“It’s not just that—we were completely naked, and your nephew Fan Wei saw everything. Isn’t that embarrassing? I don’t know how I’ll face him now. Ah, drunken mistakes, Aunt Fan,” the coach said as he dressed hurriedly.

“Don’t rush. I’ll quickly make some breakfast. Eat before you go,” Aunt Fan said, getting dressed to head downstairs.

“No need. It’s still early. Fan Wei’s probably waiting downstairs. We should head back to the club now. Traffic’s light; it’ll only take half an hour,” the coach said anxiously, rushing downstairs.

On the first floor, Fan Wei was already seated, waiting.

The coach was uneasy. This was his first time experiencing such an incident at a player’s home. Usually, he was like a guardian to these players, but now he felt he had committed an unforgivable mistake. He dared not look Fan Wei in the eye.

To Fan Wei, such adult incidents were common gossip material. But seeing it happen to his aunt left him surprised. He knew the coach was a very prudent man.