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The amount of wine mixed into the cool boiled water was too little, so to be safe, Wen Di asked the waiter to pour her half a glass of red wine. A few sips of red wine, and its faint aroma, masked the cool boiled water.
Aside from the head waiter, no one knew that her other glass held water.
There was lively conversation at the table. Wen Di, apart from toasting others, quietly ate her food and never participated in any topic.
Her phone on the table vibrated. A message from Director Ruan: “Eat, eat, eat! Haven’t you ever seen food before?!”
Wen Di looked up. Director Ruan, sitting diagonally across from her, clearly felt frustrated by her indifferent demeanor at the dinner table.
She replied: “Never seen such delicious food :)”
Director Ruan flicked his cigarette ash, quickly typing: “Didn’t your Teacher Qu brief you before you came?”
She had been briefed. Qu Pei told her to seize the opportunity tonight to get acquainted with a few bigwigs, as networking with such resources would help her career.
Regardless of Qu Pei’s or Director Ruan’s sincerity towards her, she remembered all their kindness. It was just that she didn’t like to curry favor with others. Polite toasting was perfectly fine, but purposeful flattery was something she couldn’t bring herself to do.
Director Ruan: “Why are you just like Shen Tang, impervious to reason, taking good intentions for granted? With your temperaments, you’ll suffer losses later on.”
Shen Tang was her best friend. In Director Ruan’s eyes, both she and Shen Tang were arrogant and unworldly. In some people’s eyes, that was playing hard to get, pretending to be virtuous.
Wen Di: “Thank you, Director Ruan and Teacher Qu. I need to rely on my ability to get people to invest in my scripts because the scripts are good and can yield high returns.”
The meaning couldn’t be clearer: she wouldn’t flatter anyone right now.
Wen Di wasn’t unaware of how important resources and connections were. Director Ruan’s frustration stemmed from her knowing this but still acting indifferent.
Wen Di had talent and inspiration in writing. If she also had high-quality resources, she would be like a fish in water.
Director Ruan was both angry and helpless: “What am I going to do with you, child? I think you’ve written too many scripts and actually believe your dad is the richest man, waiting for a few hundred million to casually drop from your family to invest in your scripts.”
Wen Di smiled and said: “Whether my dad is the richest man depends on me (chuckle)”
Director Ruan didn’t understand what she meant and replied with a question mark.
Wen Di opened her dad’s WeChat chat, changed his contact name, then screenshotted it and sent it to Director Ruan.
Director Ruan opened the screenshot and saw that Wen Di had saved her dad’s contact as: Richest Dad.
He: “...”
The anger in his stomach surged, enough to relight all the extinguished candles on the cake.
The only thing that comforted Director Ruan tonight was that when the banquet ended and they moved to the club, Wen Di didn’t refuse. She gave him some face and agreed to go for two hours.
________________________________________
When the banquet ended, everyone else was a bit tipsy, but Wen Di was completely unaffected. She asked Qu Pei which private room at the club they were going to and prepared to head there.
Qu Pei rubbed her temples, then thought for a moment: “Room 2808.”
Many people had toasted her tonight, and she had drunk four glasses, so she felt a slight headache now.
She asked Wen Di with concern, “Does your stomach feel upset? I have hangover medicine here, want two pills?”
Wen Di waved her hand, “I’m fine.”
Not just fine, but perfectly fine.
Qu Pei praised her: “Good, your alcohol tolerance is improving.”
Just then, the head waiter came to find her. Wen Di had arranged to meet Qu Pei in the club’s private room. She walked towards the head waiter.
The head waiter smiled and said, “There are a lot of people waiting for the elevator right now. I’ll take you down using the private elevator.”
Wen Di expressed her thanks. It seemed this was also arranged by Yan He Yu.
The head waiter, holding the private elevator card given to her by the manager, walked ahead. She didn’t know who Mr. Yan was, or his relationship with Wen Di. She just followed the manager’s instructions, without asking a single extra word.
Wen Di sent a message to Yan He Yu. She was in a good mood and sent a “kiss” emoji, then typed three words into the chatbox: “Miss you.”
Instantly, the entire screen was filled with glittering little stars.
She would send him these three words when she was happy, and she herself also loved watching the star shower.
At the elevator entrance, the head waiter swiped the card and waited for the elevator to come down from the floor above.
The moment the elevator doors opened, Yan He Yu happened to call her.
Wen Di answered, nodded to the head waiter to thank her again, and took a few steps into the elevator.
There were people in the elevator. Wen Di stood close to the door, with her back to the several women behind her.
She said into her phone, “Just got into the elevator, the signal might not be great.”
Yan He Yu asked, “Is the banquet over?”
“Mm.” Wen Di then remembered to ask him, “What’s the license plate number of the car that picked me up? I didn’t remember it clearly. I’ll be in the underground garage soon.”
Yan He Yu told her the commercial car’s license plate number and asked, “Going straight home?”
Wen Di: “No, there’s another event at the club you frequent.”
As she spoke, the elevator reached the underground garage. Wen Di got out and went to look for the commercial car.
Following Wen Di out of the elevator were Tian Qinglu and Ding Yi. Fate was strong; they met twice in one night.
Tian Qinglu and Ding Yi always took the private elevator when dining at this hotel. Tonight, Wen Di shared the same elevator with them, which meant it must have been Yan He Yu’s arrangement.
It wasn’t until they were in the car that Ding Yi finally spoke: “I want to see how you’re going to deceive yourself now!”
Just before they got into the elevator, Tian Qinglu called Yan He Yu. Yan He Yu didn’t answer. Tian Qinglu comforted herself, saying he must be busy and his phone wasn’t with him.
The very next minute, Tian Qinglu was proven wrong. Yan He Yu didn’t have time to answer her call, but he had time to call Wen Di. He wasn’t busy, and his phone was with him.
Tian Qinglu started the engine, looked at the front windshield, and yelled at Ding Yi, “Can you shut up!”
It was difficult to make Ding Yi shut up. She said, “Unless one day we’re no longer friends.”
The possibility of them breaking up was zero. Tian Qinglu couldn’t cut ties with Ding Yi. She knew Ding Yi genuinely cared for her, but Ding Yi couldn’t empathize with her current feelings.
She couldn’t even remember what year she started liking Yan He Yu. Now that an opportunity to marry him was right in front of her, she couldn’t give it up.
Staking her marriage and self-esteem on a gamble, she was like a gambler.
She understood all the logic and knew clearly in her heart that Yan He Yu was not a suitable husband, yet she couldn’t turn back.
Her phone on the center console vibrated. Tian Qinglu grabbed it. Yan He Yu replied to her message, asking: “Something wrong?”
Tian Qinglu finally had a chance to gloat in front of Ding Yi. She thrust Yan He Yu’s reply in front of Ding Yi: “See?”
Ding Yi was speechless and sighed deeply.
A woman in love was truly terrifying. Yan He Yu’s polite reply to her message was interpreted as undying love.
Tian Qinglu had no time to worry about Ding Yi. She typed a reply to Yan He Yu: “When are you free? Let’s grab coffee somewhere, I want to discuss something with you.”
Two minutes later, Yan He Yu replied: “Wen Di gets jealous. Whether she knows or not, I never go out alone with any woman.”
The refusal was direct and cutting.
Tian Qinglu deleted the reply and asked him: “Then where are you now?”
Yan He Yu said: “At the club.”
Tian Qinglu drove out of the hotel’s underground garage, turning towards the club.
Ding Yi had been resting with her eyes closed. When she opened them, she realized they weren’t on the way home. She turned to question Tian Qinglu: “Are you going to find Yan He Yu again?”
“Mm, just to discuss something with him.”
Ding Yi pointed ahead: “Let me out here.”
Tian Qinglu glanced at her, already in a bad mood, and impatiently said, “What exactly do you want?”
“I don’t want to see you go find Yan He Yu.” Ding Yi didn’t want to see Tian Qinglu acting debased. She withheld the word “debased” out of consideration for Tian Qinglu’s dignity.
Tian Qinglu couldn’t bring herself to abandon her best friend halfway, so she changed course at the next intersection and drove Ding Yi home first.
They didn’t say another word to each other the whole way.
At the entrance of Ding Yi’s villa area, they happened to see Ding Yi’s husband’s car returning. Tian Qinglu felt relieved to leave only after dropping off Ding Yi.
It took another hour to reach the club.
Tian Qinglu went straight to Yan He Yu’s private room, which was always off-limits to outsiders.
It was Friday night, and the private room was livelier than usual.
Tian Qinglu greeted the people she knew and went to find Yan He Yu.
A club staff member was standing beside Yan He Yu, who was looking down and writing. He handed the written note to the staff member: “Deliver this to private room 2808.”
The staff member took the note and went to the wine cellar to fetch the wine. Yan He Yu kept a good amount of red wine at the club. He usually drank it sparingly himself and rarely gave it to others, but today was an exception.
Tian Qinglu dragged a chair and sat down next to Yan He Yu.
Yan He Yu turned to look at her and asked, “What couldn’t be discussed over the phone?”
Naturally, it was about marriage. The only thing she and Yan He Yu could discuss was their engagement.
Everyone in their circle knew she liked him. Upon hearing that both families had decided on a marriage alliance, everyone gossiped behind her back, saying she was resorting to schemes to marry Yan He Yu.
She had to make her stance clear.
Tian Qinglu used a feigned retreat to advance: “If you really don’t want to get engaged, I’ll cause a scene with my family. There’s always a way to resolve it.”
Yan He Yu looked at the cards in his hand, speaking indifferently, “No need. My engagement or lack thereof doesn’t require a woman to resolve it. Do you think I’d be pressured by my family?”
A moment later, he said, “Neither you, nor your family, including my own, can force me. Only self-interest can make me slightly compromise.”
He paused, then reminded her again, “It’s you, instead, who needs to think clearly about what I told you before.”
Tian Qinglu’s face was taut; she didn’t respond.
He had told her: if she truly wanted to get engaged, then there would only be self-interest between them, and the affection from growing up together would be gone. Marriage would just be a formality, and neither would interfere with the other.
________________________________________
Wen Di had just arrived at the private room for a short while and was fortunate enough to drink some excellent red wine.
The waiter poured half a glass for everyone, not mentioning that it was specially sent by Yan He Yu for Wen Di, but rather using the excuse that it was a small token of appreciation from the club to Director Ruan, the birthday boy.
Qu Pei tasted it and praised it endlessly, marveling that the money spent tonight was well worth it.
The waiter just smiled without speaking. The price difference between this wine and the one Qu Pei ordered herself was dozens of times, so of course it was worth it.
Wen Di took her wine glass and left the private room, looking for a quiet spot to call Yan He Yu. She had been to the club a few times and knew there was a spot on the third floor with an excellent view. She went up the stairs and made two turns before reaching it.
This was a corner meticulously decorated by the club owner. There was a mirror on the wall, and opposite the mirror were various lush and rare plants. Wen Di stood in front of the mirror, looking behind her through the reflection, as if she were in a primeval forest.
This place had once given her creative inspiration.
Wen Di dialed Yan He Yu’s number. He answered just as the phone was about to stop ringing.
Yan He Yu said softly, “Look at the mirror.”
Wen Di was in front of the mirror, completely confused: “I don’t see you.”
As her words fell, Yan He Yu’s figure appeared in the mirror.
Wen Di was curious: “How did you know I was here?”
Yan He Yu “hmm”ed, also wondering himself how he always found her by instinct.
Wen Di held up her wine glass in the mirror, clinking it with him from a distance, “Thank you for the red wine.” All of Director Ruan’s consumption at the club tonight combined might not be enough to buy this bottle of red wine, so it couldn’t have been a birthday wish from the club to Director Ruan. It must have been Yan He Yu’s private collection.
Yan He Yu looked at her from the mirror: “It’s not for free. I forgot the spare key for the apartment’s fingerprint lock in the office. When you get home, change the password back to the old one.”
“Changing the password is fine.” Wen Di drank the red wine in her glass in one gulp, adding a condition: “I only got half a glass of that good wine just now. It’s not enough.”
Yan He Yu looked at her graceful back: “Come here, I’ll give you my glass.” He had only taken one sip from his glass, which was the same vintage as the red wine sent to Wen Di’s private room.
They exchanged glasses, then each returned to their private rooms.
Yan He Yu returned to his seat, and the card game continued.
Tian Qinglu was not in the private room; she had already gone back.
The few people at the card table had heard Yan He Yu’s conversation with Tian Qinglu clearly. Someone asked Yan He Yu, “Are you going to get engaged to Tian Qinglu or not?”
Yan He Yu didn’t respond, focusing on his cards.
“If, and I mean if, you decide to get engaged to Tian Qinglu, what will you do about Wen Di then?”
After a moment, Yan He Yu said, “Then we’ll break up.”
The card table was silent for two seconds. No one expected Yan He Yu to be so decisive about breaking up with Wen Di.
The second round of cards hadn’t even ended when Yan He Yu received a message from Wen Di: “Husband, can I have another glass of red wine?”
Yan He Yu had no intention of giving it: “Drink less.”
Wen Di: “No, I want to drink.”
Yan He Yu had a club staff member pour half a glass of red wine. He told his friends at the card table, “Give me two minutes.” He put down his cards and got up to leave.
Yan He Yu didn’t let anyone else do it; he personally delivered the wine to Wen Di.
Upon reaching the corridor by the mirror on the third floor, he sent a message to Wen Di: “Come out.”
Wen Di hadn’t expected Yan He Yu to be the one bringing the wine. She took the glass from his hand and was about to leave when his arm blocked her.
He held her in his arms, “This is the last glass. No matter how good it tastes, you can’t drink too much.”
Wen Di nodded, agreeing to him.
She was so compliant entirely because of his inadvertent embrace.
Yan He Yu released Wen Di: “Go back.”
Wen Di wasn’t satisfied yet, looking at him: “Hug me again.”
Yan He Yu’s arms wrapped around her waist once more.
Without lingering too long, Yan He Yu returned to the private room to continue playing cards.
The few people at the card table had just finished a cigarette, waiting for Yan He Yu to return.
A friend extinguished his cigarette, “You’re so different with Wen Di. I wonder how you’ll break up then.”
Yan He Yu: “How am I different?”
“Different in every way. I’ve never seen you send wine to anyone else.”
Yan He Yu picked up the cards on the table, casually drew one, and discarded it.
Speaking of him sending wine to others, Wen Di was indeed the only one.
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