novellhall Chapter 349 One Sleepless Night
Chapter 349 One Sleepless Night
Chapter 348 A Sleepless Night
The girl didn't have a high alcohol tolerance to begin with.
The drink was a sweet wine mixed with fruit juice, and it had a strong aftereffect.
At first, he could still hold on to the table and listen to the three of them talking and laughing, but later his head started to nod, his hands holding the beer can went limp, his eyelids felt so heavy they seemed glued together, and his cheeks were flushed.
"Brother Chen Xun — The braised pork is so delicious —"
She mumbled incoherently, her body swaying, almost slipping off the chair. Luckily, Chen Xun reacted quickly and reached out to catch her.
Dakota was both angry and amused to see his sister so drunk. He reached out and ruffled her blonde hair. "Alright, you little drunkard, you can't drink anymore. I'll take you upstairs to sleep."
"I'm not sleepy!"
Ellie retorted stubbornly, but her voice was as soft as cotton as she struggled to reach for the beer can on the table: "I still want to learn Chinese with Brother Chen Xun—and I still want to drink—"
"If you drink any more, you'll have a headache tomorrow."
Dakota reluctantly pulled her up from the chair.
Ellie felt so weak that she felt like she had no bones. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she stumbled and fell to the side.
"I'll do it!"
Chen Xun immediately stood up and reached out to put his arm around Ellie's other arm.
The girl looked thin, but she was actually quite heavy. After getting drunk, she was completely exhausted, and Dakota had a hard time getting her upstairs by himself.
The two men, one on each side, carried Ellie up to the second floor.
The little girl was still thrashing about restlessly, muttering incoherently about the funny things that happened on set.
One minute they were shouting that they wanted to see the Great Wall, and the next they were muttering about Spider-Man's suit, leaving the two of them both amused and exasperated.
We finally managed to move to a guest room on the second floor.
The two of them worked together to throw Ellie onto the soft bed.
As soon as the little girl touched the pillow, she turned over, curled up in a ball hugging the blanket, and hummed softly.
They've finally behaved!
Dakota shook his head helplessly, bent down to take off her shoes, pulled the blanket over her and wrapped her up tightly, then breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to Chen Xun, "This little one, she doesn't look like she's gained much weight, but she's incredibly heavy. A few years ago she was a little girl I could hold in my arms, but now I can barely lift her."
"It's the time when they're growing."
Chen Xun smiled, the effects of the alcohol rising within him with his earlier movements, making him slightly dizzy, and his steps swayed unconsciously.
He hadn't drunk so freely in a long time.
Busy filming and attending award ceremonies, she maintains a very regular schedule.
Knowing that I can't drink alcohol, I usually drink water or juice in public.
Surprisingly, my alcohol tolerance has increased after not drinking for so long.
The newbie who used to get drunk after just two bottles of beer can now down several cans of beer and half a glass of red wine without getting drunk.
But I still couldn't help feeling a bit dizzy and unsteady on my feet.
"Be careful!"
Dakota immediately reached out and supported his arm.
Her palm rested on his warm forearm, her hand inadvertently brushing against the collar of his shirt.
Their bodies stiffened instantly, a jolt of electricity shooting through them from the point of contact, causing them to shudder in unison.
Only a dim wall lamp was on in the guest room, casting a warm glow on the two of them.
The air fell silent instantly, leaving only Ellie's even breathing and the sudden, rapid beating of their hearts.
They hadn't been this close in a long time.
For more than a year, Chen Xun traveled all over the world, shuttling between Berlin, Beijing, and Hollywood.
Dakota also worked on various film sets.
The two occasionally meet at events, but they only raise their glasses from a distance across the crowd, and they rarely even have the chance to speak to each other alone.
Those feelings hidden in our hearts, those unspoken understandings, have never faded away even a little bit because of time and distance.
The alcohol was like a fire, instantly igniting the long-suppressed feelings between the two.
Dakota's hand was still on his arm, and instead of letting go, it slid up his arm and gently wrapped around his neck.
She tiptoed slightly, her nose almost touching his chin, her breath carrying the sweet scent of red wine, which wafted onto his Adam's apple, sending a shiver down Chen Xun's spine.
"It's been a long time, Chen Xun."
Her voice was soft and hoarse, tinged with a hint of grievance and an undeniable affection, her eyes sparkling: "I miss you so much~"
The moment those words were spoken, Chen Xun could no longer restrain himself, reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly into his embrace.
The two were like dry tinder meeting a raging fire, instantly igniting a fire.
Dakota buried her face in the crook of his neck, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, as if she wanted to melt all the longing she had felt over the past year into this embrace.
Chen Xun tightened his grip on her waist, clearly feeling the warmth of her body. The familiar scent of her perfume lingered around his nose, mixed with the smell of alcohol, making him dizzy.
Just a few steps from the corner of the stairwell is the guest room, where Ellie lies unconscious on the bed, and Christine is sitting in the living room downstairs.
But at this moment, neither of them cared.
Dakota tilted his head slightly and kissed his Adam's apple. His soft lips pressed against the warm skin, moist and flushed with the scent of alcohol, and moved upwards, finally stopping at the side of his neck.
She seemed to have lost control, or perhaps it was intentional, as she gently sucked, her teeth grinding lightly, causing Chen Xun to groan softly and unconsciously tighten his grip.
Chen Xun turned his head and kissed her lips.
[Dakota's favorability +1, current favorability: 98]
A line of text appeared before Chen Xun's eyes.
But he no longer has time for research.
The two became increasingly unscrupulous.
It wasn't until Ellie rolled over in the room and mumbled something in her sleep that the two of them snapped back to reality and stopped moving instantly.
Dakota's face flushed red, her lips glistening from the kiss. She gently pushed Chen Xun away, her chest heaving violently, her eyes still brimming with passion, yet now showing a hint of clarity.
She glanced at the guest room door, listened to the sounds downstairs, bit her lip, and said in a hoarse voice, "Let's go downstairs first. Christine is still waiting down there."
Chen Xun loosened his grip on her waist, his fingertips still lingering on the soft touch of her waist. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he nodded, his voice hoarse: "Okay."
Dakota turned and walked downstairs first, her steps still a little unsteady, her cheeks flushed red, even her ears were pink, and she didn't dare to look back at him.
That moment of loss of control seemed to have exhausted all her courage, leaving only post-event panic.
The two walked down the stairs one after the other. Jazz music was still playing softly in the living room. Christine was sitting on the sofa, holding a can of beer, staring blankly at the night view outside the window.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around, her gaze first falling on Dakota's flushed face, then moving down to Chen Xun's neck.
Christine's fingers tightened slightly around the beer can, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She raised the can to the two of them with a half-smile: "Got the little drunkard settled?"
Just as Chen Xun and Dakota sat down at the table, Christine came over with two freshly opened cans of beer.
Christine placed one of the cans heavily in front of Dakota.
"You went to a lot of trouble to get this little drunkard upstairs. Here, let me toast you."
Christine pulled the tab, and foam overflowed. She held up her beer can and tapped it against the one in front of Dakota, her tone unreadable: "It's been a long time since we've seen each other. Let's drink until we drop tonight."
Dakota had already drunk quite a bit, her cheeks still flushed with the afterglow of passion, and her head was a little dizzy. Seeing Christine hand her the drink, she didn't think much of it and accepted it with a smile: "Sure, I'll drink it! Who's afraid of who!"
Plan
A
The two clinked glasses.
Dakota tilted his head back and took a big gulp.
The two chatted about everything from funny stories about filming to old tales from back then.
Christine is very proactive when it comes to drinking.
One cup after another, giving Dakota no chance to catch his breath.
Chen Xun sat beside her, looking at Christine's aggressive demeanor, and felt a little strange.
She was fine just now, so how come she started arguing with Dakota as soon as she came downstairs?
But he didn't stop them. He was already feeling very dizzy, so he was happy to take a break, leaning back in his chair and watching the two of them clink glasses back and forth.
After only a couple of drinks, Chen Xun felt the alcohol kicking in, his temples throbbing. He stood up and said, "You guys drink first, I'm going to the bathroom to wash my face and sober up."
He turned and went into the guest bathroom on the first floor, turned on the cold water tap, and splashed the cold water on his face.
The icy water sent a shiver down his spine, instantly clearing his dizzy mind.
He looked up at the mirror.
Under the light, the bright red hickey on the side of his neck was clearly imprinted on his skin.
Even the shirt collar couldn't hide it; it was very conspicuous.
Chen Xun understood instantly.
No wonder Christine went crazy and kept pouring drinks for Dakota after she came down; she was jealous when she saw the mark.
He shook his head helplessly.
He sighed inwardly: Women, they really can't stand to suffer even the slightest loss!
When he slowly emerged from the bathroom, the sight in the living room made him laugh.
Dakota was completely drunk and passed out at the dining table.
He had his arm under his head, his cheek buried in the crook of his arm, and he was mumbling something in a daze.
She was still holding the empty beer can in her hand.
Christine was leaning back in her chair, slowly sipping her beer, watching the drunken Dakota with a smug look in her eyes, like a victor.
"How much did you force-feed her?"
Chen Xun walked over and looked at Christine with a wry smile.
"Not much, just three cans of beer."
Christine raised an eyebrow, put down the jar in her hand, stood up, patted Dakota on the shoulder, and called out twice.
As a result, the person was so drunk that they didn't move an inch.
She shrugged and looked at Chen Xun, "Well, another one's passed out!"
"We can't let her sleep on the dining table all night. Give us a hand and carry her upstairs to her bedroom."
Chen Xun naturally wouldn't refuse. He nodded and carefully bent down to help Dakota up.
Dakota was so drunk that he was limp and his entire weight was hanging on Chen Xun. He was groaning and couldn't muster any strength.
Christine walked around to the other side of Dakota, seemingly reaching out to support her leg, but actually deliberately slowed her pace, falling behind.
The two finally managed to move to the master bedroom on the second floor.
I walked to the bedside.
As Chen Xun bent down to put the person on the bed, Christine suddenly reached out from behind and gently pushed him from behind.
Chen Xun was already feeling unsteady on his feet from the alcohol, and with a drunk Dakota in his arms, the sudden push caused him to lose his balance and fall onto the soft bed with Dakota in his arms.
Dakota groaned when he was bumped, rolled over, and remained fast asleep.
Just as Chen Xun was about to get up from the bed, he heard the clicking of cameras behind him. When he turned around, he saw Christine holding up her phone, smiling slyly at him.
"What are you doing?"
Chen Xun frowned.
"Of course, we're keeping dirt on the Best Actor."
Christine waved her phone, a mischievous smile on her face: "If you dare mess with me later, I'll post this photo and let the whole world see that the newly crowned Best Actor is sleeping in bed with a beautiful woman after drinking. That'll be enough news for the media to write about for half a month."
She spoke provocatively, but slowly moved closer, her eyes gleaming with cunning, yet also concealing a hint of unconcealed grievance.
Chen Xun was both angry and amused by her fearless attitude.
Good grief, they just got Dakota drunk, and now they're provoking him again. Do they really think he has no temper?
Just as Christine was still waving her phone around, Chen Xun suddenly reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into his arms with a little force.
Christine gasped, lost her balance, and fell into his arms.
Chen Xun leaned back, and the two of them fell onto the soft mattress, landing right next to Dakota.
"You dare to film incriminating material about me? You've got some nerve!"
Chen Xun wrapped one arm around her waist and easily snatched the phone from her hand with the other, tossing it to the foot of the bed. He looked down at Christine, whose eyes were wide open in his arms, and his tone carried a dangerous smile.
Christine was held in his arms, her nose pressed against his chest, and she could clearly smell his familiar scent, mixed with a faint smell of alcohol and the refreshing scent of shower gel, which instantly made her heart race.
She struggled a couple of times but couldn't break free; instead, Chen Xun held her even tighter.
She decided to stop pretending and glared at him, her eyes already reddening: "So what if I took a picture? You let her leave a mark on your neck, what's wrong with me taking a picture?"
Jealousy and resentment were revealed so openly in those words.
Over the course of that year, she watched him rise step by step to become a highly sought-after Hollywood actor.
She was happy for Chen Xun, but she couldn't help feeling sad.
They parted ways, and it seemed there was no longer a place for her in his dazzling brilliance.
Watching him walk into this house today, seeing his interaction with Dakota, seeing the glaring red mark on the side of his neck, the longing and bitterness that had been building up for over a year could no longer be contained.
Chen Xun looked at her reddened eyes and his heart softened.
He pressed his forehead against hers.
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, then tilted her head back and kissed him.
This kiss, carrying over a year's worth of longing and an unyielding love, was like a fuse lit, instantly igniting the passion between the two.
Chen Xun grabbed the back of her head with his hand.
The familiar scent and feel.
Dakota, lying on the bed, groaned at the noise beside her. She turned over groggily, her hand landing on Chen Xun's waist. She mumbled his name, her eyes still closed, and snuggled closer to him.
In the dimly lit bedroom, moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the blinds, falling on the intertwined shadows of the three people.
No one slept that night.