Qian Meng's stomach clenched and she realized that she was famished. She hadn't had a morsel to eat since the morning and forgotten all about sustenance until he brought it up.

The food was placed in front of her. "Why would you want to ask me out for drinks?"

"We're mortal enemies. In modern times, if you don't drink with your enemy, it's not considered polite. Moreover, it's better to keep me close than to isolate yourself."

"Yes, I remember the story. Isolation causes great tragedy. The king built a palace and never lived in one place, executing those who knew of his whereabouts. In the end, he was out on an expedition and passed away. His subordinates had to bring his body back to the capital and surround him with fish so that the smell of the rotting corpse didn't indicate to people that the ruler was dead." She huffed. "Do you think I isolate myself?" she asked, baffled. He knew absolutely nothing about her.

"Apart from that secretary of yours, do you have any friends?" Mo Qingchen revealed without a shred of decency. Qian Meng broke out into laughter.

Shock. She was shocked.

"Neither do you!" she debated. She took a sip of her drink to calm herself down.

"I know my priorities. I have a family that I can go back to. And they happen to like me. You, on the other hand, got stuck engaged to a man because your father wants to sell you off for his own gains." He was not one to mince words.

"How do you know?" She was baffled. He did his frown behind the glass.

"Researching the opposition, of course." He sounded angry. What for, Qian Meng couldn't figure out. "And you are stupid enough to marry that man and hand over your property. Blind in love," he mumbled the last part under his breath.

Qian Meng froze. Her eyes watered for the fraction of a second before she questioned him. "That's an oddly specific thing to say. What are you talking about?" she gritted out.

Mo Qingchen looked at her with barely veiled anger in his eyes. The dark pools of ink seemed to swirl with a storm that she couldn't fathom.

"Your sharp words are only meant for others. When it comes to that toxic family of yours or the fiance, you let them walk all over you." He scoffed. Qian Meng inspected him for a second before finding herself compelled to report to him.

"I am in the process of breaking the engagement. I just need to find the perfect excuse." She looked away, unable to meet the intensity of his eyes.

"Is it so difficult to break an engagement?" he asked. When she looked back at him, he was much calmer.

"Yes. Incredibly. My father considers me a thorn at his side. He wants to get rid of me at any cost. Despite my protests and blatant act of humiliating Bai Ye Qing and his family, Father is adamant about marrying me off."

The casually placed hands on the table balled up into fists and he closed his eye.

"Distasteful." He paused and looked at her curiously. "And when have you let a small roadblock destroy your plans?"

"Never," she professed. "Don't intend on starting now." She chuckled as she saw him visibly relax. "Are you worried about me?" she asked, teasing.

His breathing paused and he thought about his answer. "No. I don't want to lose my competitor to something so trivial. Not that I would consider you my competitor if you fell for those petty tricks."

But Yun Qian Meng couldn't keep her eyes off his drink. She nibbled at the food placed on the table and lusted after the liquid in Mo Qingchen's glasses.

"Do you want a taste?" he asked slyly. Her head jerked up. For a brief second, she wondered if he was talking about himself. It was highly likely. But then he pointedly glanced at the glasses and smirked. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"I could order some if I wanted," she replied haughtily. She leaned over and took one glass from him. She swirled the glass around and took a tentative sip without warning him. He didn't mind. Instead, he watched with rapt attention at the slightest shift in her expression.

She let out a small moan and then nodded, placing the drink in front of her. In exchange, she placed the drink she had liked the least of the three she had tasted in front of Mo Qingchen. He took the glass from where she had abandoned it and took a sip without a word.

"This tastes better," he commented. He looked at the drink without expression.

Qian Meng was hovering between tipsy and drunk when she decided to retire from drinking. She had quite a few drinks and felt the weight lift off her shoulders. Mo Qingchen and her had a pleasant conversation about investment and promising companies each was looking at. Nothing too soul-stirring... nothing too bland. The harmony continued and the two kept their snarky remarks to themselves.

When the time came to leave, Yun Qian Meng struggled to get off the stool.

"Stupid high stool. They are unbearable for short people like me," she whined. Mo Qingchen sniggered watching her struggle but finally came to her rescue. He stood in front of her and was about to ask her when she placed her palms on his shoulder and used his body to balance hers. She hopped off without warning, almost falling when she touched the ground.

His hands clutched at her waist as he steadied her and he clucked his tongue.

He felt so guilty for touching her when he was mildly inebriated, but it was better than handing her to unknown people. God knows humans never have good intentions. He guided her to the car and placed her in the back seat before calling for a designated driver.

Said designated driver was close to their location, making way to the car within ten minutes of the call. Mo Qingchen thanked the man profusely and slid into the back seat to accompany Qian Meng.