A City, Ye Se Bar.
Chu Yang was drinking with his buddies when he saw Fu Jing push the door open. He immediately raised his hand and waved, "A Jing, over here!"
Fu Jing walked over and sat beside him. Because he had come straight from work, he was still wearing a formal suit. Looking at the others, they were all dressed in flamboyant casual wear. Fu Jing seemed like a person from another world.
Chu Yang poured him a drink and couldn't help but complain, "Why are you so late? Didn't your project end a long time ago? Could it be that you're drunk on the charms of a beautiful woman?"
Fu Jing glanced at him coldly, "Do you think everyone is like you?"
Chu Yang awkwardly touched his head, "Ahem, that's true too."
Fu Jing was famous among these rich young masters for being self-disciplined. Before, some people, not believing it, tried to force several beautiful women upon him, hoping he would favor their companies. However, Fu Jing didn't hold back and directly acquired their companies. That boss is still farming in his hometown to this day.
Since then, his reputation for "not being interested in beauty" and "being self-disciplined" spread throughout the wealthy circles. They said that predecessors plant trees for future generations to enjoy the shade. With this example, no one dared to joke with Fu Jing anymore, for fear that he would take it seriously.
After drinking several glasses of wine, the group gradually became tipsy and completely forgot about Fu Jing. They huddled together, discussing their targets for conquest.
"Recently, I've found a great prospect, and I plan to introduce her to you all once I win her over."
"No way, Young Master Sun? You're known for being picky. The last time you said you were pursuing someone was three years ago. I'm really curious about what kind of beauty has made you fall in love again."
Brother Sun didn't mind the teasing and proudly waved his phone in front of everyone, "What do you think? My taste is good, right? This looks, this figure, are absolutely one of a kind! Once I've got her, I won't need any substitutes."
Chu Yang casually glanced at Young Master Sun's phone, "Huh? Isn't that..."
"What's wrong? Do you know her?"
"It's the beauty I told you about last time, the one at your room door. Fatty Sun does have good taste, but I don't think a beauty like her would fall for him, don't you think so, Fu Jing?" Chu Yang was about to ask for his opinion when he saw Fu Jing narrowing his eyes, staring at Fatty Sun's phone, his posture eerily like a wolf eyeing its prey.
Chu Yang couldn't help but nudge him with his elbow, "What's wrong? Even if Fatty Sun is discussing a beauty in front of you, you don't have to look like you want to kill him, right? After all, appreciating beauty is human nature. There aren't many people like you who are so detached."
Fu Jing withdrew his gaze, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip. "It's nothing, just a bit repulsed. I have other things to do, I'm leaving." With that, he placed his glass heavily on the table and stood up to leave.
Young Master Sun and the others were startled by the commotion and looked at Chu Yang, their eyes filled with questions.
Chu Yang sighed, "I told you all to be careful. A Jing doesn't like hearing that stuff. Now look, you've angered him! Let's all disperse, I'm going back too."
He had organized this gathering to celebrate the successful completion of Fu Jing's project. Now that the host had left, he had no interest in staying any longer.
Young Master Sun slumped onto the sofa, his face full of panic, "Will Young Master Fu retaliate against me for this?"
The others exchanged glances, unsure of the answer, and could only comfort him, "You're on your own!"
Little did they know, Fu Jing, whom they thought had been angered and left, returned home and searched for "Su Mu" on his phone. He not only scrolled through all the photos related to her but even clicked on the fourth episode of the variety show <<Love You>>.
--
After Lin Qi and Ji Simiao withdrew, the production team quickly invited replacement guests.
Seeing the man sitting on the living room sofa, chatting happily with Wēn Zhīxuě, surprised Su Mu's eyes.
She hadn't expected to run into Hè Jì here. She thought she wouldn't encounter him again after deliberately avoiding him at the hotel last time. She had to admit, fate was a strange thing.
"Dīng Yáo, Su Mu, you're down? Let me introduce you, this is Hè Jì. He's the replacement male guest and also my fan." As she said the word 'fan,' Wēn Zhīxuě couldn't help but blush, and she shot Hè Jì a glare. He responded with a doting smile.
"Hello, I'm Hè Jì. Seeing them, Hè Jì immediately stood up and gentlemanly extended his hand to greet them, but quickly retracted it after a slight touch.
"Hello, I'm Dīng Yáo, and this is Su Mu. We didn't know you were coming today, so we slept in. Sorry about that."
Dīng Yáo, being well-traveled, recognized immediately that Hè Jì's background was unusual. She guessed he was on par with Bái Mò, and befriending someone like him would only bring her benefits. Of course, she wouldn't proactively offend him!
"No, it was I who came unannounced. I should be the one apologizing."
So far, Hè Jì's actions were flawless, and his words were polite and made people feel comfortable. Dīng Yáo's impression of him improved.
"May I ask what profession you are in, Hè Jì?"
"I'm in management."
"Then you must be doing very well. Where did you study?"
"I studied abroad and majored in economics."
...
Su Mu served everyone a cup of clear tea. She sat on one side of the sofa, slowly sipping her tea, listening to Dīng Yáo and Hè Jì's conversation.
She remained noncommittal about Hè Jì's answers. She hadn't forgotten what the original host's memories had said: Hè Jì was highly intelligent and emotionally intelligent. She clearly remembered that Hè Jì had a double major in university, with the other being psychology.
He had probably already figured out Dīng Yáo's thoughts completely. His attitude in answering questions seemed serious, but in reality, his answers were three parts true and seven parts false – he was trying to fool them.
"Are you tired of talking? Have some tea to moisten your throat." Su Mu placed Dīng Yáo's tea in her hand.
Perhaps because she had been talking so much, Dīng Yáo was indeed a bit thirsty. She picked up the teacup and took a small sip, falling silent.
The living room fell silent again, with only the sound of a few people drinking tea.
Hè Jì looked at the tea in his hand. Without leaning closer, he could smell the rich aroma of the tea, like the fresh scent of bamboo leaves mixed with the sweetness of a clear spring. He almost couldn't bear to drink it.
"Teacher Hè, do you not like tea?" A clear voice suddenly sounded. Hè Jì snapped back to attention, "No, I just..." The words caught in his throat. No one would believe that he didn't want to drink it!
"Su Mu, he doesn't like tea. Could you get him some plain water?" Wēn Zhīxuě took the teacup from Hè Jì's hand and passed it to Su Mu. Her actions were natural, and she didn't think there was anything wrong with doing so.