The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

The mighty Yangtze River is all water.

When Ye Shu was a child, he always thought this lyric was nonsense, since the Yangtze River is all water, isn't it?

Later I learned that it was actually "Eastward flowing water," referring to the ceaseless flow of time that never returns. I must have misheard it as all water.

Right now, he's standing in the bathroom, humming a tune, water running downstairs, his mind still on the quiet pool of water in the private room.

Is Xiaoxue alright by herself?

They drank quite a lot of beer; once the floodgates were opened, they couldn't stop.

Although he's the type to rely on his kidneys for energy, he still absorbed the alcohol. Right now, the sound of rushing water is deafening, and his head feels like it's been submerged; he's a little dizzy.

When he washed his hands, he also splashed cold water on his face. Looking at himself in the mirror, he could barely lift his eyelids.

You can't drink anymore.

He shook his head, reminding himself.

I still need to take Xiaoxue home in a little while. What will happen to Xiaoxue if I drink too much?

Thinking of this, he patted his face, grabbed a tissue to wipe his hands and face, and walked out of the bathroom.

When I arrived at my private room, it sounded very lively inside; they were probably bragging about the same boasts they made back in school.

Without thinking much, he pushed the door open and went in.

But Ye Shu froze at the doorway as soon as she stepped inside.

He wondered if he was really drunk and hallucinating.

Or perhaps he actually fainted while relieving himself in the toilet and is now dreaming?

Because he saw that An Suxue was holding a half-empty bottle of beer, with a hearty smile on her face, and was clinking glasses with Wang Yu across from her.

"Come on, let's have one!"

"Okay! My sister-in-law has a huge capacity for alcohol, I'll have one!"

Wang Yu was clearly drunk; he tilted his head back, raised the beer bottle, and spun it around.

Then An Suxue also raised her bottle and gulped down the remaining half-bottle of beer in one go.

After finishing her drink, she slammed the beer bottle on the table, seemingly quite pleased with herself, and pointed at the unopened bottle next to her, shouting:

"Come on, let's do one more!"

Ye Shu rubbed his face with his hands. He understood what was going on, but he didn't understand why.

He knew the person in front of him was no longer Xiaoxue, but... why? She was fine just now.

When Xia Qing saw Ye Shu return, she gestured with her chin towards him:

"Come in quickly, what are you looking at?"

Zhang Xiaoqiang also turned his head, his tongue lolling out. He didn't know how Xia Qing had managed to force-feed him while he was gone. He just heard him complain:

"Ye, Ye Shu, you're not being fair... You're lying to your brother, aren't you? Didn't you say your wife doesn't drink? Huh?"

He pointed to the several empty wine bottles in front of Xia Qing, and then pointed to Xia Qing:

"You call that not knowing how to drink? You're just lying..."

Wang Yu had just finished spinning a spin, let out a burp, and chimed in:

"Yeah, are you really abusing your wife? How come she's like a completely different person since you left? Not only can she drink more, but she's also become quite the chatterbox..."

Han Yang did not join the condemnation, but silently drank the wine in his glass. However, his eyes kept moving back and forth between him and Xia Qing from the moment Ye Shu entered the room, but in the end he did not say anything.

Ye Shu felt a throbbing sensation in his temples, unsure whether it was from drinking too much or something else.

He ignored Zhang Xiaoqiang and Wang Yu's indignation on Xia Qing's behalf, walked back to his seat, and whispered in Xia Qing's ear:

"Sister Xia Qing, what happened?"

"How would I know what happened? I opened my eyes and I was here. I know that guy surnamed Han, and these two are your friends too?"

Ye Shu nodded:

"We're all in the same dorm, and we were thinking of getting together today."

Xia Qing asked again:

"Who was there before?"

"Xiaoxue..."

At this point, the two of them understood what had happened.

Xiaoxue couldn't withstand the pressure and hid away, so Xia Qing took over the burden.

Now that she understood what was going on, and with wine still in front of her, Xia Qing didn't care about anything else. She just gave Ye Shu a knowing wink, but her upturned lips left Ye Shu completely bewildered.

Sure enough, Xia Qing turned her head and looked at the two people still debating the topic of "whether Ye Shu is a domestic abuser." Her expression changed to one of grievance and forbearance. She bit her lower lip and softly said:

"You...don't say that about him, he...he doesn't always hit me..."

This statement immediately caused an uproar among the two people on the other side.

"Holy crap! You're really going to hit me?"

Zhang Xiaoqiang slammed his hand on the table, pointing indignantly at Ye Shu:

"Dude, are you crazy?! I finally found a girlfriend, and you're going to hit her?! Are you even human?!"

Wang Yu also joined in the criticism:

"Exactly! You graduated and instead of learning anything good, you've learned to hit your girlfriend! You're driving me crazy!"

The two of them went back and forth, criticizing Ye Shu for not appreciating his good fortune, then accusing him of being morally corrupt, and finally escalating to saying he had brought shame to all men. Their words were fierce, and the crowd was indignant; it was almost as if they wanted to hang a sign around Ye Shu's neck and parade him through the streets.

Ye Shu was so angry at this barrage of moral judgment that he laughed. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain that it was a joke, and asked, "Can't you tell?"

But looking at the unwavering belief in the eyes of the two people opposite him, who seemed eager to immediately act on behalf of heaven, and then at Xia Qing beside him, who was suppressing a laugh with her head down, he was utterly speechless.

At that moment, Ye Shu felt his phone vibrate in his pants.

He took it out and saw that it was sent by Xia Qing, who was secretly amused.

Promise me one thing, and I'll let you go.

Taking advantage of someone's misfortune! Using someone else to do your dirty work! She's really mastered the art of war!

Perhaps it was the alcohol taking effect; was he really the kind of person who would be so easily manipulated?

He quickly replied with three words:

Don't even think about it.

Xia Qing, upon seeing the reply, was not in a hurry at all. She simply and slowly touched Ye Shu's leg gently with the toes of her little leather shoes under the table.

Then, the expression on her face changed again. Compared to the restrained grievance she had just shown, she now looked more afraid.

She raised her head, and somehow, her eyes seemed to be red. She looked at the two people over there and said:

"You...you guys stop talking...really, stop talking..."

She sniffed, hesitated, and glanced at Ye Shu with great fear before quickly looking away.

"Otherwise, when I get home... I'll have to... um..."

What else do you want? You can use your imagination.

Zhang Xiaoqiang and Wang Yu had never seen anything like this before. The last time they saw something like this was probably on CCTV-12.

Frustrated by Ye Shu's lack of ambition, the two brothers decided they had to scold this stubborn young man awake in order to save his love!

"Ye Shu! Look what you've done to your sister-in-law!"

"You're giving up a good life? Do you want to fly to the moon?"

"You must give your sister-in-law an explanation today!"

"Don't worry, sister-in-law! With us here, he won't dare do anything to you! If he dares to bully you again, just tell us, and we'll teach him a lesson!"

Ye Shu felt a headache coming on. She tried to explain several times, saying "Really not," "Just kidding," and "Can't you see she's secretly laughing over there?" But Xia Qing's acting skills, which were like those of an award-winning actress, and her sense of justice based on what she saw, were completely ineffective.

"I'm truly at their mercy," Ye Shu thought, taking a deep breath and, filled with a sense of tragic grandeur, picking up her phone again.

[I was wrong, Xia Qing. I promise you, okay?]

After sending the message, he gave Xia Qing a pitiful look that betrayed him.

Xia Qing picked up her phone, glanced at it, and a mischievous smile appeared on her lips. She then tapped the screen.

It's too late. I gave you a chance earlier, but you didn't cherish it. Now the price has gone up, so you have to promise me three things.

This even includes price gouging?! It's like being under someone else's roof and getting caught in the crossfire.

Now, let alone three things, even thirty things, he would have to agree to them first, otherwise he would really become a domestic abuser.

Okay, I promise you, please, Sister Xia Qing, please help me clear things up.

Upon seeing this, Xia Qing's fearful and aggrieved expression slowly disappeared. She picked up the wine glass on the table and addressed the two who were still lecturing Ye Shu:

"Alright, alright, with such loyal brothers backing me up, I'm sure he won't dare to do it again!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu and Zhang Xiaoqiang sat down and clinked glasses with Xia Qing. They were filled with a sense of accomplishment for speaking up for her and saving a relationship.

Ye Shu stared at Xia Qing in disbelief, her eyes conveying only one message:

Is this how you cleared things up for me?!