But these things, Meng Shang had no obligation to bear.
It wasn't like she was the only one with troubles; Meng Shang had his own.
Why bring it up?
Suddenly, the soup lost its flavor. She wished it were strong liquor instead. One sip, and the burning sensation from her throat to her stomach would let her sleep it off, forgetting everything.
"I forgot to bring my alcohol down." Jiang Ruoqi suddenly looked up, a hint of regret in her voice. "On such a happy day, we should at least drink a cross-cupped toast!"
Dr. Meng politely declined. "I have work tomorrow."
Then, as if remembering something, he added, "And you're allergic to alcohol, so you should drink less. Follow your doctor's orders."
Jiang Ruoqi swallowed the retort that came to mind and squinted. How many chapters ago was that? Why did Meng Shang still remember?
And wasn't that supposed to be how surgeons used their authority?
After dinner, their wedding night arrived as scheduled. After perfunctorily offering to wash the dishes and being refused, Jiang Ruoqi said she'd go upstairs to tidy up.
Meng Shang breathed a sigh of relief. Where they would spend the night was indeed a matter worth considering.
Sharing a bed seemed like a bit fast.
Even though plenty of people hooked up on the first date these days, even though they were legally married, even though...
Of course, going back to their own places would be weird too.
That morning, they had agreed on not having kids and maintaining marital fidelity. As for... well, they were both adults with needs; a Platonic relationship wasn't practical.
But the choice was Jiang Ruoqi's.
Doing it just for the sake of completion was utterly graceless.
So Meng Shang cleaned up the dishes, fed the cat, scooped the litter box, washed up himself, and still Jiang Ruoqi hadn't come back down.
Her phone and bag were still in his living room, implying she'd return.
After waiting another half hour or so with no sign of her, Meng Shang took her things and went upstairs.
It was just one floor; the elevator would be slower, so he took the stairs.
At the same spot as his apartment, he rang the doorbell.
One door away, the bell rang for a long time.
Meng Shang's brows furrowed tighter. He began to worry something had happened to her, but since her phone was in his hand, he couldn't even send a message to check.
The mechanical bell kept ringing, cutting off after about ten seconds. Meng Shang pressed it again, already thinking about asking a colleague to remotely unlock the door when it finally swung open.
Jiang Ruoqi, cheeks flushed, leaned against the door. The air hit him with a mix of body wash fragrance and alcohol.
Meng Shang breathed a sigh of relief—at least she'd just ignored medical advice, nothing more serious.
"You..."
"Perfect timing! Have a couple of drinks with me before going to bed!" Jiang Ruoqi's eyes lit up when she saw him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside without giving him a chance to refuse.
The living room's main light was off. Only a small ambiance light glowed like a star in the boundless night, barely enough to see the floor, serving only as atmosphere.
A sofa cushion lay on the floor by the floor-to-ceiling window, with scattered bottles and glass tumblers a step away. By the light from outside, Meng Shang saw that the glasses held mostly ice, with less than half a finger's width of amber liquid at the bottom.
Judging by the setup, she'd been drinking for a while.
Meng Shang sighed, voicing the sentiment he'd often had when he first started working. "Why don't patients ever listen to their doctors?"
Jiang Ruoqi held onto Meng Shang, pressing his palm against her cheek. "I just got out of the shower and saw the bottle. I couldn't resist. I swear, I only had a little! I just turn red easily—I'm not drunk..."
"Here, I'll get you a glass. Just a tiny sip! Macallan 18 Sherry Oak, only 43% ABV. I'll add plenty of ice. It goes down easy!"
Meng Shang grabbed Jiang Ruoqi as she turned to leave, tossing her phone and bag onto the sofa. He cupped her burning cheeks with both hands, as if cradling her drooping head.
He'd washed up and was wearing only a thin loungewear set with a jacket thrown over. Standing at the door had chilled his palms, which were now cold.
But the temperature felt just right to Jiang Ruoqi. Ignoring whatever he said, she lifted her hands and rubbed against his palms.
"No more drinking. I have work tomorrow." Under his palms, her cheeks were soft, and the hands holding his were soft too. He hardly dared to move. "You've had too much too. Go to sleep."
"I haven't! I just turn red easily!" Jiang Ruoqi protested indignantly. "Before Ada and Su Yansheng got married, they had a big fight. I drank with her. Her dad's first edition Copper from '22—over sixty thousand RMB a bottle. We downed two bottles straight!"
"You're proud of that?" Meng Shang was speechless.
"Sixty thousand a bottle. Why waste it? I'd never splurge on that myself." Whether she was really drunk or not, the latter half of her sentence was mumbled and unclear. "But the next day, I broke out in hives all over. Itched for ages."
"I told you, you're allergic to alcohol." Meng Shang couldn't even force a smile. "Severe alcohol allergies can cause laryngeal edema, difficulty breathing, and can even be life-threatening."
He stopped being gentle with the soft cheeks under his hands. Gripping her face firmly, he drew her attention. "And who taught you to drink when you're upset, huh?"
Jiang Ruoqi looked up at him, but her eyes were unfocused. Combined with the alcohol on her breath, she was clearly more drunk than she claimed.
"Meng Shang, you're so handsome!"
"Nice try changing the subject." Meng Shang was adept at handling a drunk Jiang Ruoqi; he wasn't falling for fake flattery. "Look at me."
Jiang Ruoqi did look, but couldn't focus for long.
"Meng Shang, I have a stepdad and a stepmom. Two families with complicated dynamics. Marrying me is a loss for you."
"Do you think it's unfair?"