Chapter 1644

Xiao Qingqing walked alongside Samuel, her curious gaze fixed on him as she asked, "Uncle Jing, why did you let Su Jiaojiao drink that wine? Did you tamper with it, or was it someone else who rigged it and tipped you off?" A faint smile played at the corners of Samuel's lips. "Qingqing, you're quite sharp to guess the wine was spiked. But no one tipped me off—I figured it out myself just by observing." Observing? Xiao Qingqing frowned in confusion. She had been in the room the whole time too—how had she missed it? Noticing her puzzled expression, Samuel chuckled and patiently explained. "There were three bottles of red wine on the table. With so many people around, they only drank from two of them—no one touched the third. And as luck would have it, when Su Jiaojiao offered me a toast, she poured from that very bottle." He shrugged lightly. "The wine was all the same, yet that one bottle was left untouched. Given that Su Jiaojiao sought me out with an agenda, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together." Xiao Qingqing’s eyes widened in astonishment. "Uncle Jing, you’re incredible." "Just experience talking," he replied modestly. Experience... The word lingered in her mind. Considering his status and influence, she realized how many people must be waiting to exploit any weakness of his. The level of caution he had to live with—it must be exhausting. No wonder, after what happened between them that night, he had asked her to pretend to be his girlfriend. His burdens seemed even heavier than her own. Lost in thought, she barely noticed when Samuel reached out, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His voice was warm, teasing. "What’s our Qingqing thinking about so deeply?" Feeling the warmth of his fingertips brush against her cheek, Xiao Qingqing shivered slightly and instinctively pulled back with a nervous laugh. "I was just thinking... the drug in the wine—could it be... that kind again?" "Most likely. Qin's enthusiastic invitation was probably just a setup to help Su Jiaojiao gather compromising evidence against me. That way, I'd have no choice but to concede to the Su family later. No wonder they looked so shocked when they saw me bring you along." Xiao Qingqing chuckled. So her unexpected presence had ruined someone else's carefully laid plans. No wonder Su Jiaojiao had glared at her with such venom. Third Uncle really had a knack for acting, spectating, and wrecking the show all at once. As they reached the entrance of the club and were about to get into the car, hurried footsteps and a voice called out from behind, "Excuse me, ma'am!" Turning, Xiao Qingqing saw the pianist from earlier rushing toward her. The young woman gave a respectful nod. "I just heard from the waitstaff that it was you who spoke up for me—that’s why Ms. Song apologized. Thank you. Really, thank you so much." Xiao Qingqing smiled gently. "It was nothing. I just thought you played beautifully and said as much. No need to dwell on it." With a polite farewell, she turned and stepped into the car. As the vehicle pulled away, Samuel studied the faint curve of her lips and asked, "Do you know that girl?" Xiao Qingqing shook her head. "First time meeting her." "Then why step in to help?" "Because... I’ve been there before. I used to play piano in public too—earned my tuition while practicing. Once, a male guest tried to get handsy. When I refused, he humiliated me in front of everyone. Luckily, I had a decent manager back then. He threw the guy out and even put up a sheer curtain around the piano afterward, so I could keep playing in peace." She gazed out the window, her voice softening. "Someone once showed me kindness when I needed it. So now, I pass it on when I can." Samuel reached out and patted Xiao Qingqing's arm gently. "Well, our Qingqing is truly as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I've really hit the jackpot with you." Xiao Qingqing's cheeks flushed pink. *Since when did Third Uncle become so smooth with his words?* And that comment about "hitting the jackpot"—wasn’t that a bit inappropriate? They weren’t even a real couple! Where did this "jackpot" nonsense come from? Noticing her flustered reaction, Samuel allowed a faint smirk to curl at the corners of his lips. His mind drifted back to the scene at the club earlier. *Tomorrow… something interesting is bound to happen.* The driver, a long-time employee of Samuel, was more than just a chauffeur. When the usual assistant wasn’t around, he doubled as a personal aide. He had some recollection of the incident Miss Xiao had mentioned. Back when it happened, Third Master had also been at that restaurant. The manager who stepped in to defuse the situation? Sent by Samuel. The gauzy curtain that shielded her? Also arranged on his orders. And as for that lecherous scoundrel—he had been thoroughly dealt with that very night before being permanently banished from the capital. But… The driver stole a glance at Samuel through the rearview mirror. *Why hasn’t Third Master said a word about any of this?* *How strange.* Upon returning to the villa, the two made their way upstairs together. Samuel broke the silence. "Should I help you move your things over later, or would you prefer to do it yourself?" Xiao Qingqing recalled her earlier promise—to assist him with his psychological treatment by staying in his room. She didn’t beat around the bush. "I’ll only come over when it’s time to sleep." Samuel pressed his lips together briefly. "Then I’ll leave the door unlocked for you. It’s been a long day—finish your shower and come over early. We should both get some rest." That sounded... kind of weird. But then again, Samuel probably hadn't given it much thought when he casually said it. So she simply replied, "Okay." Back in her room, she checked her email to confirm there were no messages from the university before taking a shower. She deliberately changed into a full set of pajamas—top and pants—tucking the shirt neatly into the waistband. Then, hugging a pillow and a thin blanket, she made her way to Samuel's door. She had intended to knock, but his door was wide open. Seriously... leaving it like an open invitation! Samuel had already finished showering and was sitting by the table near the balcony, a book in hand. When he saw Xiao Qingqing enter, he immediately set the book down and stood up. "Qingqing, you take the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa." Xiao Qingqing quickly protested, "No, no, no! Uncle, I'm small—the sofa is perfect for me. You—" "That's not acceptable," he interrupted. "You're helping me out. I can't let you suffer because of me. Be good and go to bed." With that, he started heading toward the sofa. But Xiao Qingqing was faster. She sidestepped past him and plopped down on the sofa, tilting her head up to meet his gaze with a firm expression. "Uncle, stop arguing with me. Making a sick person sleep on the sofa? I'm not that heartless." Her face was stubborn, yet she still didn’t say the words, *Why don’t we just share the bed?* Samuel wasn’t in a hurry. After all... he had other plans.