3: Chapter 3 What did you do to me?

Xiao Bei's voice trembled as he gently nudged Qin Ruoxi's shoulder.

Qin Ruoxi opened her eyes groggily, her gaze unfocused, as if she couldn't concentrate.

Her breathing was rapid, and her voice was slightly hoarse: "So hot... I... I feel so uncomfortable..."

Xiao Bei's heart sank. Qin Ruoxi's condition was clearly abnormal; she had obviously been drugged.

He quickly jumped off the bed, grabbed the clothes from the floor, and scrambled to put them on.

"Mayor Qin, wake up! We've been set up!"

Xiao Bei said urgently, his voice tinged with fear.

"You... what did you say?"

Qin Ruoxi managed to prop herself up, but her body was limp, and she couldn't sit steadily.

Her face was growing increasingly flushed, and her breathing was becoming more rapid; clearly, the drug was taking effect.

"I... I can't control it..."

Qin Ruoxi's voice was filled with helplessness and pain, her hands clutching the sheets so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Xiao Bei was frantic. Looking at Qin Ruoxi's suffering, he knew he had to find a way to help her counteract the drug's effects as soon as possible.

He quickly ran to the room's small bar, poured a glass of cold water, and hurried back to the bedside.

"Mayor Qin, please drink some water; it might make you feel a little better."

Xiao Bei held the glass to Qin Ruoxi's lips.

Qin Ruoxi managed to lift her head, her lips trembling slightly as she took a few sips of water. However, her face remained flushed and her breathing stayed rapid; it was clear the water had no effect.

"It's no use... I'm still so hot..."

Qin Ruoxi's voice was choked with emotion, her hand clutching Xiao Bei's sleeve, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Xiao Bei's heart sank. He quickly scanned the room, his gaze landing on the bathroom.

That's it! Cold water might help lower her temperature and counteract the drug's effects!

"Mayor Qin, please bear with it; I'm going to help you cool down immediately!"

After saying this, Xiao Bei immediately rushed into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and cold water began to rush into the bathtub.

"Hmm... it's unbearable..."

Qin Ruoxi's voice drifted from the room, filled with helplessness and pain.

"It'll be ready in a moment, Mayor Qin. Please hold on just a little longer!"

He quickly ran back to the room and saw Qin Ruoxi curled up on the bed, her body trembling slightly, fine beads of sweat already forming on her forehead.

"Mayor Qin, please forgive me!"

Xiao Bei gritted his teeth and reached out to lift Qin Ruoxi into his arms.

Her body was burning hot, almost scorching him to the touch.

Qin Ruoxi seemed to have lost most of her consciousness; she merely grabbed Xiao Bei's collar by instinct, her breathing rapid and erratic.

Xiao Bei walked quickly into the bathroom and carefully lowered Qin Ruoxi into the bathtub.

"Ugh..."

The cold water instantly soaked her body. Qin Ruoxi's frame jolted, and she let out a low groan.

Gradually, the cold water took effect. Qin Ruoxi's breathing began to stabilize, and the flush on her face slowly faded.

Her eyes remained tightly closed, but her brows relaxed slightly, as if she had finally been freed from that painful state.

Seeing this, Xiao Bei let out a sigh of relief.

He carefully helped Qin Ruoxi up, wrapped her in a bath towel, and then gently carried her back to the bed.

His movements were gentle, for fear of waking the beautiful mayor who was still in a deep slumber.

Next, Xiao Bei found a clean towel and carefully wiped the water droplets from Qin Ruoxi's body.

His movements were extremely restrained, as he tried his best to avoid touching her sensitive areas. After drying her off, Xiao Bei covered her with the quilt to ensure she could rest comfortably.

After finishing all this, Xiao Bei sat on the sofa, exhausted, and let out a long sigh.

He looked at Qin Ruoxi sleeping on the bed, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.

He knew that tonight's events were definitely not simple. The conspiracy of Director Yan Jinghui and his forces had already surfaced, and he was likely already a pawn in this scheme.

It was clear that the trap carefully designed by Director Yan Jinghui and his cohorts had ensnared this newly arrived beautiful mayor. If this news were to spread, it would be a devastating blow to Qin Ruoxi's reputation.

Furthermore, he did not yet know if Director Yan Jinghui and his group had even more explosive material in their possession, such as photos or videos; if they did, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, there was one thing Xiao Bei was certain of: on his own, Director Yan Jinghui would never dare to make a move against Mayor Qin. There had to be a bigger tiger pulling the strings behind the scenes!

Who could this big tiger be?

Xiao Bei leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes, trying to clear his thoughts.

However, exhaustion surged over him like a tide, and he drifted into a deep sleep before he knew it...

The next morning, sunlight spilled into the room through the gaps in the curtains, and Qin Ruoxi slowly opened her eyes.

She felt a bit dizzy and her body felt weak.

She subconsciously looked around; the unfamiliar environment made her instantly alert.

"Where is this?"

She muttered to herself, then threw off the quilt. Upon discovering that she was only wearing her undergarments, her expression changed drastically.

"Ah!"

Qin Ruoxi shrieked and sat up abruptly.

Her movement woke Xiao Bei on the sofa.

He opened his eyes wide and saw that Qin Ruoxi had sat up, her face filled with panic and anger.

"Mayor Qin, you're awake..."

Xiao Bei quickly stood up, wanting to explain.

"Who are you? Why are you here?!"

Qin Ruoxi glared at him, her voice filled with a cold, accusatory tone: "What did you do to me?"

Xiao Bei was intimidated by her presence and quickly waved his hands to explain:

"Mayor... Mayor Qin, please don't misunderstand! You were drugged last night, and I was just trying to help you!"

"Help me?"

Qin Ruoxi sneered, her eyes filled with disbelief: "Stop spouting nonsense! How could I have been drugged? And by what right would you help me? What exactly are your intentions?!"

Xiao Bei was anxious. He knew that if he didn't explain himself clearly, he wouldn't be able to clear his name, no matter what he did.

He took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his tone steady:

"Mayor Qin, please calm down and listen to my explanation. My name is Xiao Bei, and I work in the Municipal Office. Last night, Director Yan brought me to toast you. Later, I got drunk, and when I woke up, I found us in this room.

You were in a very bad state, and I was afraid something might happen to you, so I used cold water to help you cool down before letting you rest. I absolutely did not do anything improper to you!"

After listening to Xiao Bei's explanation, Qin Ruoxi frowned slightly.

She tried hard to recall the events of the previous night, but her memory was extremely hazy.

She only remembered drinking a few glasses of wine at the welcome banquet yesterday; after that, she couldn't remember anything at all.

"Is what you're saying true?"