Chapter 57

"Melissa, what are you saying?" Amy looked at Melissa with a face full of regret, found it somewhat amusing, and asked her a question. "Nothing much. Have we ordered all the dishes?" Melissa asked the two people at her side. Peter nodded, his voice soft. "Everything's ordered, I've even specifically asked for a pot of rice wine to celebrate our first meet up as kindred spirits." Melissa showed a happy smile, casually patted Peter, and excitedly said. "Exactly! In celebration of our initial gathering as three of a kind, I shall toast to you later." Melissa made a gesture, pointing at Peter, and cheekily said to Amy. "When three people go together, the ‘strategist’ is right here! Consult him if there is anything, in the future." Amy shyly smiled. She had always wished to have a true blue friend just like Melissa. "Oh please, I am no strategist. We should mainly follow Melissa's instructions, right, Amy?" Peter winked at Amy, she immediately understood and nodded in agreement. "I will follow Melissa's commands." Amy echoed. By the time they finished eating, it was already past nine in the evening. Peter’s assistant had already called, informing Peter that the fingerprint-secured door has been installed, and instructed him on how to record fingerprints. Peter allowed his assistant and driver to go home early. Melissa was very happy this evening and had a bit too much to drink. As they left the restaurant, the night breeze made her feel slightly intoxicated. "Amy, you never drink, but you had two cups with me today, I am so thrilled." Melissa, arms looped around Amy’s neck, said intimately. Amy’s face and neck also turned red, this was the most alcohol she had ever consumed. "I'm also happy, Melissa. Today, I made a new friend. We are all birds of a feather, haha." Amy and BMelissa swayed as they walked, causing Peter on the side to get anxious. Both girls are drunk now, what should he do? "Melissa, Amy, the car is over here!" Peter hastily pulled the two girls who were about to cross the road, and helped them into the car. "Peter, send Amy home first, she can't be home too late." Melissa remembered that Amy had strict parents, she must be home by ten at the latest. Otherwise, Amy's mom will call repeatedly to remind her, that's how it was in high school. "Of course, we have to help Amy record her fingerprints before we leave." Peter closed the car door for them, and according to his memory, he drove to Amy's home. By 9:40pm, Peter had arrived at Amy's residence. The three of them went up to the fifth floor together, Peter being the only sober one among them, took responsibility for the fingerprint recording. After the fingerprints were recorded, Peter and Melissa helped the unconscious Amy to her bed. Peter then locked up Amy's security door and escorted Melissa down the stairs. "Peter, how come Amy has no tolerance for alcohol? After just two glasses, she was down, and far from me...Peter, listen, I could easily drink another two jugs of that rice wine, two jugs..." Melissa raised two fingers, starting to talk nonsense. It wasn't easy for Peter to carry Melissa back to the car and fasten her seat belt. "You criticize others, but your alcohol tolerance isn’t much better as you're showing off here." Peter shook his head helplessly. He was worried about Melissa. "Who said I can't hold my liquor, I can still drink... H-hey, where are you going, Peter?" Melissa, seeing Peter slam the door shut and leave, quickly cried out. Peter walked to the driver's seat, opened the door and calmly said. "My goodness, where else could I go? Of course, I have to take you home." Saying this, he turned on the navigation system and entered four words - Clarkson Mansion. Following the navigation, Peter drove for nearly an hour before he saw Clarkson Mansion. He watched as the little red dot on the navigation screen got closer and closer to the destination. "Drive another 500 meters to reach your destination." A voice prompt came from the navigation system, and Peter finally breathed a sigh of relief. He checked the time and it was already past eleven in the night. "Melissa, we’re here, did you fall asleep?" Peter saw that Melissa was lying motionless on the backrest, breathing evenly, and assumed that she fell asleep. "No, I have a headache." Melissa said, unclearly. She rubbed her eyes and felt her stomach burning up. She wanted to eat something cold right away. "Melissa, we are at the Clarkson's now, let me help you get out of the car." Peter gently reminded her. He unbuckled Melissa's seatbelt, opened the passenger-side door from around, and lifted Melissa out of the car. Once Melissa got out of the car, she suddenly felt a bit dizzy and began walking in the opposite direction. Because her body was slightly warm from the alcohol, the cold wind made her shiver. "Wow, why is it so cold today?" "Melissa, you're walking in the wrong direction, the gate is over there." Peter quickly grabbed Melissa's arm and they walked towards the mansion gate. Seeing Melissa shivering, Peter took off his suit jacket and draped it over her. "Thank...Thank you, Peter." Melissa’s two legs stumbled around as if she couldn't walk in a straight line. Seeing the mansion's gate tightly locked, with a guard in each of the two glass rooms on the side, Peter asked, "Melissa, do you have the keys to the gate?" "The gate key?" Melissa paused before patting her chest slowly and saying, "No." Left with no choice, Peter knocked on the glass room next to the front gate. "Hey, buddy... buddy! Could you please take Miss Austin into the mansion for me? Thank you.” This guard who stood vigil outside the mansion's gate was terribly obtuse. It took Peter calling out to him five times before he reacted and realized someone needed help. He really was one to turn a deaf ear to the world outside! "Hello, what's wrong with Miss Austin?” The guard stepped out of the glass room and asked confusedly. "Miss Austin is fine, she just had a few too many drinks. I hope you won’t mind helping her into the mansion." Peter inherently seemed gracious and courteous. Therefore, when this young guard spoke with Peter, he was all smiles and very polite. "Oh, alright. But who are you?” Suddenly, the guard became a bit more sagacious, realizing if people in the mansion asked him about it, he could account for it. "I'm a friend of Miss Austin’s, thank you for your help." Peter handed Melissa to the young guard, then nodding his head, he walked back to his car. While watching the guard help Melissa into the mansion, Peter finally felt relieved and drove off. With Melissa taking three steps forward, pausing, taking two steps, then pausing again, the guard tried his best to keep up with her pace. The most awkward part was, the guard didn’t know where to put his hand. His facial expression was shy, as though any parts of Melissa’s body were forbidden for him to touch.