Standing Next To You-Chapter 295: Using him?

"Truth," Lin Sunji replied.

Her tactic was to avoid drinking that disgusting sake by consistently choosing ’Truth’.

Zhong Cheng had anticipated this. After a moment of consideration, he decided to ask something he believed Lin Sunji could answer—a question that also piqued his curiosity.

"Why did you change your mind and ask for help from me?"

Zhong Cheng’s question intrigued Bei Sangyun.

She raised an eyebrow, regarding Lin Sunji with disbelief. The prideful Lin Sunji had asked Zhong Cheng, someone she looked down upon, for help?

Did the sun rise from the west?

Lin Sunji was caught off guard by the question. Meeting Bei Sangyun’s disbelieving gaze, she felt embarrassed. Of all the things Zhong Cheng could have asked, he chose this one!

It was supposed to be their secret!

How could she answer this question with Bei Sangyun present? She still had her pride and dignity to uphold!

Glaring at Zhong Cheng, Lin Sunji thought for a long moment. In the end, she chose to preserve the last ounce of her dignity and snatched the cup.

With a death glare directed at Zhong Cheng, she struggled to drink it. Unlike the others who could down it in one gulp, Lin Sunji took a long time to finish the cup.

In anger, she threw the cup back at Zhong Cheng.

Caught off guard, Zhong Cheng stared at the cup in bewilderment. He hadn’t expected such a reaction.

Wasn’t that question easy to answer? Why had Lin Sunji chosen to endure drinking the sake rather than answering a simple question?

Zhong Cheng couldn’t understand what he had done wrong and felt a twinge of pity as the level of sake in the bottle decreased once again.

Lin Sunji ate a snack she wouldn’t normally indulge in, hoping to rid her mouth of the strange taste. Feeling somewhat better, she took her turn to spin the bottle, silently wishing that whoever it landed on would finish the sake and end this infernal game once and for all!

The bottle spun several times before gradually coming to a stop, pointing in Bei Sangyun’s direction.

All eyes turned towards her.

Bei Sangyun was pleasantly surprised. Like the others, she also chose ’Truth’.

Lin Sunji couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment that Bei Sangyun hadn’t opted for ’Dare’. If she had, Lin Sunji had countless tasks in mind for her—like making her swear an oath not to reveal the fourth branch’s secrets to outsiders or drafting a contract on the spot to ensure she wouldn’t touch the fourth branch. It was truly a missed opportunity.

As Lin Sunji pondered, she considered what kind of question would catch Bei Sangyun off guard. It needed to be something she could benefit from or use to her advantage, perhaps even something she could hold against Bei Sangyun.

"So, what’s your question?" Bei Sangyun asked eagerly.

Lin Sunji hadn’t yet decided. She stared at Bei Sangyun for a long moment, contemplating her options.

Should she ask why Bei Sangyun chose to cooperate with their fourth branch? What were her plans? How had she gained so much power over them? What secrets did she hold?

Lin Sunji had many questions, but...

She glanced at Zhong Cheng.

There was no way she could ask that, right? Especially not with these two around. The matter concerning the fourth branch and her real situation in the family was something she wanted to hide. She couldn’t reveal it to outsiders.

A few minutes passed, and Lin Sunji still hadn’t come up with her question.

"What’s taking you so long? It’s not like you’re the one who has to answer," Zhong Cheng impatiently complained.

"Just give me a minute, I’m thinking," Lin Sunji snapped back, frustration evident in her voice. What could she ask that wouldn’t make it seem like she was targeting Bei Sangyun but would still create some discomfort for her?

Bei Sangyun was also growing impatient. "If you don’t have a question, we can just move on. I’ll spin the bottle now. Everyone agrees, right?"

"Wait!" Lin Sunji interrupted her. "I know what to ask now."

Taking a deep breath, Lin Sunji focused. If there was a weakness she had observed in Bei Sangyun, she could think of one thing.

She glanced towards Fei Chuan, then back to Bei Sangyun. She made up her mind and asked, "Tell us the truth. what are you using Fei Chuan for?"

The unexpected question caught everyone off guard.

Zhong Cheng’s mouth fell open in disbelief. He signaled to Lin Sunji to change her question. She could ask about their relationship—like who liked whom first or how far they had gone—but why phrase it as if Boss had ill intentions towards Brother in law?

Fei Chuan narrowed his eyes at Lin Sunji, then hesitantly glanced at Bei Sangyun.

Bei Sangyun tilted her head in thought. "...Using him?"

Lin Sunji straightened her back. "Right. I’ve known you for a long time. You’re not the type to obsess over someone just because you like them. I’m sure you have intentions toward him. Why would someone like you, who’s usually so focused, pay attention to someone like Fei Chuan? What are your intentions?"

"Hey, you’re only allowed to ask one question at a time," Zhong Cheng interjected.

"Zhong Cheng said you guys are not even dating even though you act lovey-dovey towards each other. Since you’re not making it official with Fei Chuan, you must have other plans," Lin Sunji persisted, ignoring Zhong Cheng’s interruption.

"Lin Sunji, I’ve already explained the situation to you. Why are you intentionally making things awkward?" Zhong Cheng was nervous. Why drag him?

"Awkward? So this was an awkward question? Why? Can’t she answer it?" Lin Sunji smirked smugly, feeling she was close to grasping Bei Sangyun’s weakness.

"You—!" Zhong Cheng began to scold her, but Bei Sangyun raised her hand to stop him.

"This question is for me, not for you. So calm down,"

Bei Sangyun then turned to Lin Sunji. "I can answer it. You took your time thinking of the question, so I can take my time in answering."

Lin Sunji just smirked. If Bei Sangyun needed time to think of an answer, it meant she had struck a nerve.

But her smug smile soon froze.

"Hm... Actually, I can answer all those questions, but the rules say I can only answer one question at a time. If you want to know the rest, you’ll have to spin the bottle and make it land on me," Bei Sangyun replied calmly.

She couldn’t help but glance towards Fei Chuan’s side. "As for what I’m using Fei Chuan for, isn’t the answer pretty obvious?"

Bei Sangyun turned to face Fei Chuan, meeting his gaze. He appeared unbothered as if the topic didn’t concern him. However, Bei Sangyun could discern a hint of anxiety and irritation in his deep gaze and clenched fists.

She smiled reassuringly at him. "I’m using him to make myself happy and at peace. Just seeing him brings me joy. Sitting next to him makes me comfortable, sharing meals with him makes me full. Whenever I stand beside him, I know I have a place where I belong."

Bei Sangyun turned her attention to Lin Sunji, whose smirk had frozen on her face. Bei Sangyun’s smile widened, her eyes sparkling. "I’m using him because I desperately need him. Is that answer enough?"