Chapter 108: The Emergence of the Conspiracy

"Hey, I know Wang Yuqing too! She was the top student and a beauty at our First High School. One of my friends was absolutely heartbroken when he heard she had transferred out during our senior year," Zhang Zhenghao added.

"Exactly, Zhang Zhenghao is right. Wang Yuqing—wow, she was stunning."

Ma Yunrou felt a surge of jealousy upon hearing their conversation. Beautiful? Could she really be more beautiful than me? She glanced at Xiao Lin beside her and noticed he was smiling, seemingly in agreement. Ma Yunrou couldn't help but feel secretly annoyed.

"Hey, how about we play a game?" Ma Yunrou suddenly suggested.

"A game? What kind of game?" everyone asked.

"The paper-passing-by-mouth game."

"Oh, I know that one! It’s the latest trend. Sure, I’m in," Haozi said, raising his hand first. The other boys followed suit, except for Xiao Lin. The girls were a bit hesitant, but seeing that Ma Yunrou was participating, they nodded in agreement after a moment's pause. Xiao Lin alone was confused; he had been away for a long time, and while this game was popular in Donghai City, different drinking games were the rage in the capital. He had no idea how it worked.

"Ye Hao, how do you play this?" Xiao Lin asked quietly.

"No way, you don't know this? You are so out of the loop!" Ye Hao looked at him as if he were an alien before explaining the rules.

The game involved the first person sticking a strip of paper to their lips and passing it to the person next to them, who had to receive it using only their mouth. It continued down the line. If someone was too slow or refused to take the paper, they had to pay a penalty: a drink. The boys generally enjoyed this game because it allowed for a bit of flirtation—after all, to catch the paper, your lips had to touch.

Xiao Lin frowned after hearing the rules. He didn't want to play. Ma Yunrou was sitting right next to him; he didn't even want to speak to her, let alone engage in this suggestive game. But since everyone else had agreed, refusing would be a mood-killer. He decided he would just drink a penalty shot whenever the paper reached him. He nodded in agreement.

"Let's start with me," Zhang Zhenghao said, sticking a thin strip of paper to his lips.

"Wait a second."

"Waiter, bring two bottles of liquor," Ma Yunrou called out.

"Why the hard liquor?" Zhang Zhenghao asked, puzzled.

"For the penalties, of course. You guys aren't afraid of a little liquor, are you?" Ma Yunrou raised an eyebrow, implying that anyone who refused would be beneath her contempt.

"Who says? It's just liquor. Besides, it won't necessarily be my turn to drink," Zhang Zhenghao retorted immediately, not wanting to be looked down upon by the girls.

"Exactly. Come on, let's go!" The other boys waved their hands, acting bold and heroic.

Xiao Lin watched Ma Yunrou coldly. For some reason, he felt something was off—she seemed to be harboring ulterior motives. She had disappeared for years, only to reappear suddenly. She had just apologized to him, which was completely out of character for her, and even more surprisingly, she used to be a teetotaler, yet now she was pushing for hard liquor. Could time really change a person so thoroughly?

As Xiao Lin pondered this, the game began. The seating arrangement was interesting: the girls sat together, and the boys sat together. Except for Zhang Zhenghao, Xiao Lin, Ma Yunrou, and one other girl, everyone was sitting next to someone of the same gender. The male contingent watched Zhang Zhenghao and Xiao Lin with naked jealousy, cursing them and hoping they would be too slow and have to drink.

Zhang Zhenghao puckered his lips with the paper and gestured to the girl beside him. She was bold; she leaned in, caught the paper with her lips, and quickly turned to pass it to the next girl. The paper made its way around until it reached Ma Yunrou.

Ma Yunrou caught the paper and turned to Xiao Lin, casting him a seductive, expectant glance.

Then, Xiao Lin did something that stunned everyone: he grabbed a bottle of the liquor the waiter had just brought, opened it, poured a full glass, and downed it in one gulp. His intention was clear: he would rather take the penalty.

Everyone was shocked. Weren't Xiao Lin and Ma Yunrou close? Why were they acting like strangers? Even strangers would play the game. Xiao Lin hadn't even said a word; he just drank.

Ma Yunrou’s face turned red, then pale, as she held the paper on her lips. She was mortified. What did he mean by this? Would he rather drink than play with her? *Fine, Xiao Lin, don't blame me,* she thought with deep resentment.

"Ahem, let's start over. Xiao Lin, you start this time," Zhang Zhenghao said to break the tension. He realized Xiao Lin still held a grudge against Ma Yunrou, or he wouldn't have embarrassed her so publicly.

Actually, Zhang Zhenghao was wrong. Xiao Lin wasn't targeting her; he just didn't want any intimate contact with her. Even though Wang Yuqing wasn't there, Xu Qing was. If Xu Qing ever told Wang Yuqing about this, it might cause trouble. He would rather offend Ma Yunrou than risk hurting Wang Yuqing.

Xiao Lin took a strip of paper, stuck it to his lips, and turned to Ye Hao. Ye Hao cursed, "Damn, my first kiss wasn't with my future wife, but with you, Xiao Lin!" He quickly took the paper and passed it to Jin Hai. Just as Jin Hai was about to pass it to the next person, the boy beside him picked up the liquor bottle, poured a full glass, and downed it, echoing Xiao Lin’s move.

"Big Mouth," the boy said, "I'd rather drink liquor than deal with the taste of your mouth."

"Damn you, Hippo! I'm going to kill you!" Jin Hai grabbed him by the throat, shaking him back and forth. Everyone laughed.

The game continued. When it reached Ma Yunrou again, Xiao Lin frowned and poured himself another glass, but Ma Yunrou stopped him.

"Xiao Lin, come on. I'll drink with you." She poured herself a glass, clinked it against his, and downed it.

Xiao Lin looked at her, at a loss for words. He didn't know what to feel toward his former lover. It wasn't hate, but the love was long gone. Finally, he shook his head and silently drank the liquor.

The others watched them in silence.

"How about we switch games?" Zhang Zhenghao suggested, sensing the tension.

"No, let’s keep playing this. Xiao Lin, you start," Ma Yunrou said, acting out of spite.

Xiao Lin didn't respond; he simply took a new strip of paper and signaled to Ye Hao. They went another three rounds, and every time the paper reached Ma Yunrou, Xiao Lin silently drank his penalty. Eventually, the others gave up on the game. Zhang Zhenghao cleverly introduced a new topic, and the group moved on.

Xiao Lin felt dizzy. He had drunk two beers and five glasses of liquor. Everyone knew that mixing drinks was a bad idea. Even with his decent tolerance, he was struggling. He stood up unsteadily and headed to the restroom to splash some cold water on his face.

Seeing him leave, Ma Yunrou followed, but instead of going to the restroom, she found a quiet corner, made a phone call, and returned to the box.

After Xiao Lin returned, they played a few more harmless games. The party, which started at three, ended after six with everyone singing "Friends" together.

Xiao Lin had a few more drinks and his head was spinning. As Ye Hao prepared to take him home, Ma Yunrou stepped in. Looking at Xiao Lin’s flushed face, she told Ye Hao, "I'll help you take him back. His parents aren't home, and you won't be able to take care of him alone."

Ye Hao was stunned. When did she become so kind? Back in junior high, she hadn't cared when Xiao Lin got drunk. Plus, they had just reunited—how did she know his parents weren't home? But despite his confusion, he appreciated her help. They helped Xiao Lin down to the car.

Ye Hao drove, having only had a few beers, which didn't affect him. Ma Yunrou sat in the back. As Ye Hao focused on the road, Ma Yunrou quietly took a white pill from her pocket and slipped it into Xiao Lin’s mouth. She looked at the unconscious Xiao Lin and let out a cold, mocking laugh.