Rationalizing why Topaz was drunk did nothing to change the stark reality: she was completely, utterly intoxicated.
Before Yu Xian could process this fact, Topaz suddenly closed the distance between them. Her hand shot out, grabbing his shoulder for support as she pressed her entire face alarmingly close to his.
"Mmm... the room is spinning..." Her voice trembled, carrying an inexplicable blend of vulnerability and melancholy.
All pretense of corporate decorum had vanished. With their faces mere inches apart, Yu Xian could feel the heat radiating from her flushed cheeks, see the unfocused glaze in her eyes.
"Hehehe... this isn't so bad, actually..." she slurred, her warm, alcohol-laced breath ghosting over his face.
Her flushed face tilted, and she began nuzzling his shoulder like an affectionate, overgrown puppy, inhaling his scent with deep, deliberate breaths.
"Mmm, Mr. Yu Xian... you... you smell really nice, hehehe..."
Her eyes were glazed over, her body boneless and pliant. She was behaving with the uninhibited, careless affection of a child, completely oblivious to the world.
"Miss Topaz, you... you need to sober up," Yu Xian managed, his own cheeks warming despite himself. He quickly suppressed the reaction, forcing his mind back to the situation at hand.
She's only this forward because she's drunk, he reminded himself sternly. If she remembers any of this tomorrow, the sheer embarrassment could ruin any chance of a professional relationship.
And if that happened, the fledgling alliance between the Xianzhou and the Corporation—the very reason for this dinner—could collapse before it even began.
You have to think of the bigger picture, Yu Xian!
With renewed resolve, he gently but firmly tried to create some distance. "Miss Topaz, you're clearly unwell. Let me take you back to your hotel to rest—"
His attempt to push her away was half-hearted, and it backfired spectacularly. Topaz stumbled with the motion, lost her balance entirely, and fell forward—this time, collapsing directly into his arms.
The movement released a stronger wave of her scent—alcohol, yes, but underneath it, the distinct fragrance of her perfume, high-end soap, and something uniquely her. Surprisingly, the combination was not unpleasant; it was oddly... intoxicating.
Yu Xian inhaled reflexively before he could stop himself.
And then the full reality of the situation crashed down upon him: he was now holding a completely inebriated Topaz in his arms.
To be perfectly honest, she was disarmingly captivating.
She appeared to be a woman in her early twenties, unassuming at first glance. But pressed against him, the exceptional quality of her figure was undeniable. The curve of her hips, accentuated by the tailored pencil skirt; the soft swell of her chest; the firm yet yielding shape of her thighs—it was a composition of rare perfection.
And now, all of it was cradled against him. The slightest shift of his weight made him acutely aware of the delicate, warm body nestled in his embrace...
Hiss—No!
He bit the tip of his tongue sharply, using the jolt of pain to anchor himself.
If you keep holding her like this, things will go too far. And what about Qingque...?
"Miss Topaz," he repeated, giving her a gentle shake. "Which hotel are you staying at?"
Topaz was limp in his arms, her body swaying like a noodle. It took her a full several seconds to process the question.
"Ho...tel?" she mumbled, a dazed, silly smile spreading across her face. "Hehe... that kinda thing... I don't 'member~"
"Wine... more wine!" she suddenly declared, her voice gaining a burst of tipsy energy. "One more cup! Hehehe... haha..."
Tch.
Completely gone. She can't recall a thing. This was a problem.
Yu Xian clicked his tongue in frustration, looking down at the woman in his arms who was practically steaming with alcohol-induced heat. A sense of helplessness washed over him.
Did she really come to the Luofu alone? Without a single aide or subordinate? If she had, I could just hand her off...
This is complicated.
Seeing Topaz begin to squirm again, likely to initiate another round of drunken affection, Yu Xian acted quickly. He carefully freed one hand and began to gently stroke her hair then slowly moved it down the length of her back, over the smooth fabric of her dress. The motion was meant to be soothing, like calming a restless animal. He was trying to gentle her into a more placid state, though the unfamiliar feedback from his prosthetic fingers made the gesture slightly clumsy.
Given the circumstances—with Topaz unable to recall her own accommodations—the only logical course of action was to find a hotel nearby and secure a room for her. Immediately!
He certainly couldn't just leave a key corporate envoy, and an honored guest of the Luofu, passed out on a public street.
Decision made, Yu Xian didn't hesitate further. He adjusted his grip, bent his knees, and in one smooth motion, swept Topaz up into a secure princess carry. Then, channeling a whisper of Elation's power into his limbs for speed, he strode purposefully towards the neon glow of the nearest hotel.
...
Meanwhile, in the serene quiet of her office...
Fu Xuan found her focus fraying. A nagging, inexplicable worry about Yu Xian had taken root in her mind, making the scrolls before her seem blurry and unimportant.
That fool... can he really handle a seasoned negotiator from the Corporation? she fretted, finally setting her brush down with a sigh. It's his first time in such a role. He has no experience. And that Topaz... her reputation precedes her. She's sharp. What if she outmaneuvers him? What if he makes a costly mistake?
I need to be sure.
Decisively, she closed her eyes. The Third Eye on her forehead flared to life, its divine sight piercing through space itself. A crystal-clear image shimmered into existence before her mind's eye.
Her breath hitched.
The scene was not one of formal negotiation in a conference room. Instead, it showed Yu Xian in a brightly lit hotel lobby, holding a visibly intoxicated and deeply flushed Topaz in his arms. He was speaking with the woman at the front desk.
What in the...? Weren't they supposed to be discussing terms? What is the meaning of this? Why are they at a hotel?!
A cold, sharp feeling—something she couldn't name—lanced through her. It intensified a moment later as she watched the desk clerk hand Yu Xian a key card, a knowing, almost smug smile playing on the woman's lips.
SNAP.
Something inside Fu Xuan broke.
SMACK!
She shot to her feet, the elegant composure of the Master Diviner forgotten. Her palm connected with the surface of her desk with a sound that echoed in the quiet room.
"THEY... THEY WENT TO GET A ROOM?!!" The words tore from her throat, louder and more shrill than she intended.
She watched, frozen, as the scene in her mind played out: Yu Xian carrying Topaz into an elevator, swiping the keycard, and shouldering the door open. The sequence was horrifyingly efficient.
A strange, forced calm descended upon her.
...Get a grip, Fu Xuan. There must be a reasonable explanation. A misunderstanding. Don't jump to conclusions.
...Just... look from another angle.
With a conscious effort of will, she shifted the Omniscia Eye's perspective, the scene reforming from a different vantage point inside the hotel room.
Topaz was nestled in Yu Xian's arms, her eyes dreamy slits, a look of pure, unadulterated contentment on her face. One of her hands was wandering, tracing idle, unsteady patterns in the air, drifting perilously close to the solid plane of Yu Xian's chest.
Ahem! NOT THIS ANGLE! CHANGE! she commanded internally, her face heating.
The view shifted again instantly. This time, it showed Topaz tilting her head back, her lips slightly pursed, leaning in as if to plant a kiss directly on Yu Xian's face—
"YOU SCOUNDREL! YOU UTTER SCOUNDREL!! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!!"
Fu Xuan was incandescent with rage. A hot, mortified flush crept up her own neck and onto her cheeks as she witnessed the high-definition intimacy between Yu Xian and this woman he had only just met. A turbulent, acidic emotion she couldn't identify churned violently in her chest.
Of course, in her furious distress, the most critical question never occurred to her:
Why does the sight of Yu Xian with someone else make me feel like this?
Logically, his private affairs are none of my concern...
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A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
patreon.com/deadlygoober