Wang Xiao, keen-eyed, observed Fu Yuxin sulking in a corner. Sensing her mood, he swiftly retrieved a delicately wrapped package containing a pair of elegant earrings and extended it towards her.


    "??," Fu Yuxin eximed, perplexed by his unexpected gesture.


    With a gentle smile, Wang Xiao reassured her, "I only need the ne; you can keep the earrings."


    "What!?" Fu Yuxin was taken aback, her astonishment palpable. "No! Keep it back," she insisted, attempting to push the package back into his hands.


    It was evident that she couldn''t fathom epting something of such value.


    "I don''t want something this expensive," she uttered, sincerity in her voice.


    Firm in his decision, Wang Xiao declined, saying, "Nope, consider it a souvenir or something," and maintained his hold on the package despite her persistent attempts, leaving her flustered.


    "Ugh! Why don''t you give it to your sister then?" Fu Yuxin suddenly proposed, trying to find an alternative.


    After a brief pause, Wang Xiao contemted her suggestion before nodding in agreement. "That''s okay. Just treat me to something in return, and we can call it even."


    "Huh?" Fu Yuxin''s eyes widened in disbelief at Wang Xiao''s words. She nced at her handbag, then burst intoughter. "I don''t have 5000 yuan."


    Wang Xiao maintained his calm demeanor. "A regr treat would suffice."


    Fu Yuxin was momentarily lost for words.


    In the end, she reluctantly surrendered, agreeing to treat him to dinnerter that evening.


    As she clutched the delicate earrings, a yful idea crossed her mind. She shed a mischievous grin and teased, "What am I going to do with just earrings? How about you give me the entire set?" She extended the earring toward Wang Xiao, attempting to hand it back.


    To her astonishment, Wang Xiao seized the opportunity, nodding politely and presenting her with therger package, which held both the ne and the earrings.


    "No way!" Fu Yuxin leaped back, startled like a rabbit, putting some distance between them.


    "Are you serious!?" She asked in disbelief, utterly stunned by his unexpected generosity.


    Wang Xiao''s smile broadened as he shook his head yfully, retracting the package that held the ne.


    Fu Yuxin let out a relieved sigh. "Where would you like to go eat?" she asked.


    Wang Xiao pondered for a moment before suggesting a charming dining spot nestled near the Huangpu River, right at the crossroads of Pudong and Puxi.


    [Lost Heaven]


    Upon their arrival at the restaurant, Fu Yuxin''s eyes widened in awe at the ambiance. She had heard the name before but had never experienced it until this moment.


    After securing a cozy private table for the two of them, they began exploring the menu, deliberating over their choices.


    Wang Xiao''s appetite for the food before him was negligiblepared to the real feast in his eyes—Fu Yuxin.


    "Hm?"


    As the waiter approached their table with a bottle of wine, a puzzled expression crossed Fu Yuxin''s face.


    "We didn''t order this, did we?" she inquired, her brow furrowing in confusion.


    Wang Xiao, with a hint of mischief in his eyes, replied, "I ordered that."


    Fu Yuxin waited for the waiter to retreat before broaching the subject cautiously. "...You drink?"


    Wang Xiao, who was still underage, quickly shook his head, eager to clear any misconceptions. Beside the wine, there was also a ss of fresh orange juice. He rified, "This one is for me, that one is for you."


    Relieved, Fu Yuxin pushed the winess aside. "I don''t drink either," she asserted.


    Unbeknownst to her, Wang Xiao discreetly slipped a pill into her ss, watching it dissolve slowly. "That''s alright," he reassured her, "you''re here to try new things today. One ss won''t hurt."


    Fu Yuxin hesitated for a moment. "That''s not the issue... I still have to go home."


    Wang Xiao leaned in with a reassuring smile, saying, "It''s not a problem at all. Just tell your parents you''re staying at a friend''s house tonight, and by tomorrow, there won''t be any traces of drinking left."


    *Gasp*


    Fu Yuxin found herself tempted, her eyes fixed on the ss filled with wine. Wang Xiao had struck the right chord with his words, and she finally made a decision. After all, today was the day she had resolved to try new things!


    As she sent messages to her parents and friends, notifying them of the change in ns, the pills had fully dissolved in her ss. Wang Xiao couldn''t help but smile with satisfaction.


    He marveled at how easily it seemed to be to guide someone when you offered them the illusion of freedom, making them more inclined to follow your lead.


    "Cough! ...cough!" Fu Yuxin coughed, taking her first sip from the ss. "It tastes so weird."


    Wang Xiao casually shrugged, maintaining aposed facade. "You''ll get used to it," he reassured, as if discussing the weather.


    Rolling her eyes, Fu Yuxin shot back, "You say that as if you''ve tried it yourself." She took another sip of the wine, the taste already bing an acquired oddity.


    After a ss, she decided toy off the wine and instead focused on the food, her expression slowly transforming. Unbeknownst to her, Wang Xiao cunningly dissolved a few more pills into the ss of juice she had ordered.


    The meal progressed, and Fu Yuxin felt an unexpected shift within her. Her senses began to blur, a subtle chaos descending upon her mind. She rubbed her eyes in confusion, attempting to shake off the strange sensation.


    Gradually, her demeanor soured. "Wang Xiao," she stammered, struggling to form words. "You''ll... have to drop me off... at my friend''s house."


    Wang Xiao nodded casually, seemingly unaffected, and continued to savor his meal. "Don''t worry. Just send me the address." He disyed an eerie calmness amidst the unfolding situation.


    Fu Yuxin let out a sigh, hoping that a single ss of wine wouldn''t muddle her senses too much. She found sce in the fact that she had Wang Xiao to send her back, easing the worry of being in a more troubling situation.


    ''It was not a good idea,'' she realized, taking a deep breath as she nced at the still-filled bottle of wine, imagining she shouldn''t have consumed it, given its evident strength.


    Little did she know, it wasn''t the wine that was affecting her, but the substances slipped into her drinks, cleverly concealed by Wang Xiao.


    ____________