Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Imminent Hour of Destiny

“Aren’t you going to keep holding it?” Taking back the phone that Krystal handed over, Yuqi Chen waved it in front of her, her voice laced with the temptation of a devil enticing another to fall, continuously coaxing Krystal.

“No, it’s fine, Yuqi unnie, you should hold it for Zhe instead!” Now fully recovered, Krystal recalled what she had just done and instantly blushed, lowering her head in embarrassment, unwilling to listen to Yuqi’s provocations any longer.

“Alright then, since you don’t need it anymore, I, as his nuna, will have to endure the trouble of keeping it for him!” Seeing that Krystal was no longer taking the bait, Yuqi sighed, a hint of boredom in her gesture, shaking her head as she tucked the phone back into her bag.

Just as Yuqi finished teasing Krystal, the contest among the others concluded. The trio of Heechul Kim, Jonghyun Kim, and Ryeowook Kim—known as the Three Kims—had all been defeated, now sprawled across the table.

Their opponents were Shindong, Victoria Song, Sunny Lee, and Minho Choi, all of whom remained remarkably clear-headed. Victoria, in particular, hailing from Qingdao with its rich drinking culture, seemed barely affected—she estimated she was only halfway to her limit.

“Huh? How come only a few of us are left?” Having vanquished the Three Kims, Sunny was quite pleased. Rising to fetch some tea, she turned and realized that most of the group was now slumped over the table.

Aside from the Three Kims, Taeyeon Kim, Jessica Jung, Tiffany Hwang, Amber Liu, and Luna Park had all succumbed as well. Yoona Lim and Sooyoung Choi, engrossed in their food, and Seohyun Seo and Yuqi Chen, with their strong self-control, had drunk little and thus avoided the same fate.

“Wait, someone’s missing—where’s Zhe?” At Sunny’s words, Victoria, who had been about to take over Yoona’s task of looking after Amber and Luna, paused in confusion. She remembered that before the drinking contest, Amber, Luna, and Zhe Chen had been drinking together. Now that Amber and Luna were out cold, Zhe was nowhere to be seen.

“He’s lying on Little Bean’s lap!” Hearing Victoria’s question, Yuqi seized another opportunity, pointing to where Krystal was sitting, her tone tinged with amusement. Shindong and Minho, who had been settling the Three Kims, caught her words and walked over, curiosity piqued.

“Oh ho, Little Bean has grown up!” Seeing Zhe resting his head on Krystal’s lap, with Krystal’s hand gently supporting his head and the other on his shoulder, Shindong, always eager to stir things up, became instantly interested.

“Little Bean has grown up, so I, as her unnie, can finally feel at ease!” Victoria patted her chest, her expression revealing satisfaction, clearly pleased with Krystal’s maturity.

“Indeed, Zhe is a very decent guy!” From Yuqi and Sooyoung’s reactions, Sunny had already guessed their intentions. Now, seeing that Krystal showed no resistance to Zhe—letting him use her lap as a pillow—she seemed quite fond of him, so Sunny decided to give them a little push.

After all, in Sunny’s eyes, Zhe was a promising prospect: talented, well-connected, competent, socially adept, and with a gentle, accommodating personality that perfectly complemented Krystal’s. They suited each other well, though she wondered what Jessica thought about it. Considering this, Sunny resolved to find a chance to sound Jessica out.

“Shindong oppa, unnies!” Teased and joked about by her usually caring elders, Krystal’s first reaction was embarrassment. The blush that had almost faded returned to her cheeks, and her voice grew bashful.

She wanted to stand up and refute them, to scold these siblings for talking nonsense, but since Zhe was still lying on her lap, she could only abandon the thought.

“Yuqi, what will you and Zhe do tonight?” After the teasing, Victoria remembered the practical matter at hand. Zhe was completely out cold, and Yuqi alone could hardly take him back to the hotel. Besides, it wasn’t safe for a young woman to escort a man sleeping like the dead by herself.

“Ahem, ahem, I’ll take Yuqi and the others back to the hotel tonight. I can share a room with Yuqi, and we can have a girls’ chat,” Sooyoung, who had been tending to Tiffany, made a fist and feigned a cough into it, as if reminding the others of her presence.

“That works. Otherwise, we were thinking of letting Zhe stay at our dorm and having Yuqi rest at yours,” Shindong said, stroking his chin and nodding in agreement after a moment’s thought.

“But can Yoona and Seohyun manage to look after Taeyeon and the others?” Victoria glanced at the trio of Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Jessica, now sprawled out on the table, and frowned slightly, unsure the two could manage alone.

“V-mom, I’ll stay at the Girls’ Generation dorm tonight and help take care of my unnies!” Krystal looked at the unconscious Amber and Luna, then at the still sober Sulli and Victoria. She nodded quietly and voiced her plan to Victoria.

“Alright, that works. Sulli and I will take care of Luna and Amber—you go help at the Girls’ Generation dorm,” Victoria agreed, having compared the numbers of drunk and sober on both sides.

“We’ll handle Heechul and his group; you all head out first. We’ll sit a while longer!” Seeing that everyone’s duties were settled, Shindong let out a relieved sigh. As enjoyable as the night had been, dealing with this many intoxicated people was always a hassle.

Out of courtesy, Victoria checked whether Shindong and Minho needed help. When they assured her they were fine and urged the others to go ahead, the group began to prepare for departure.

“Shindong oppa, can you help? Zhe’s a bit too heavy!” Yuqi and Sooyoung tried to lift Zhe from Krystal’s lap but failed, so they called in reinforcements.

With Shindong and Minho’s help, Zhe was finally lifted from his long-held pillow—Krystal’s lap. Yuqi and Sooyoung each took one of his arms over their shoulders and left Mingyue Pavilion first, while Krystal and the others each left with a drunken friend in tow.