Chapter 51 World 2 [21]

As the chief director of the tribute film, one can imagine how high Director Hua's status in the industry is. No artist who still wants to stay in the industry wants to offend him.

Shao Qing also knew this, so she did not continue to refuse Sister Ke, and soon agreed to attend a private banquet the day after tomorrow night where she could meet Director Hua.

"A private banquet held in a private manor sounds very private, but it also makes me think of some bad things." Jing Ke frowned slightly.

Jing Ke had seen the conversations between Director Hua and his friends. Director Hua was very talented and capable as a director, but his private life was very decadent. He was surrounded by many male and female artists who tried to curry his favor for resources, and he would occasionally do some exciting things for the so-called inspiration.

Shao Qing pursed her lips. "Sister Ke will go with me. There will probably be quite a few artists at the banquet who are going to be in the tribute film. They won't want to be caught off guard at this time."

"Normally, that's the case, but Xu Yin and Mr. Yuan might also be among them," Jing Ke said directly. "I'll go with you. Just say I'm your driver. I can wait for you outside."

"Then I'll ask Sister Ke first to see if I can take you with me." Shao Qing said.

Jing Ke's guess was not unreasonable, and Shao Qing didn't mind to ensure his safety. He quickly communicated with Sister Ke through WeChat and said that he wanted to bring a friend with him.

Sister Ke didn't ask too many questions. After she was sure that Jing Ke would not debut as an artist and that bringing her over would not be giving connections to her opponent, she agreed.

-

After two sunny days, the sky began to darken, and it looked like rain was coming. The wind, which had been gentle, felt a bit chilly on my face.

The private banquet started at 4 pm. In order to appear more sincere, Shao Qing and his group arrived at the manor gate 20 minutes early.

"Sorry, the banquet hall hasn't been decorated yet. Please wait there for a moment." The manor's housekeeper came out to receive Shao Qing and the other two. After explaining the situation, he took them to the reception room.

The reception room was spacious, looking like it could seat dozens of people. Shao Qing and her two companions were the first to arrive, and within three minutes of them sitting down, five people who looked like they were from the same group arrived one after another.

Shao Qing only recognized one of the artists who had won the Best Supporting Actress award. The other two men and two women were strangers to her, and Shao Qing had never seen them in the circle.

Shao Qing didn't know them, but they all seemed to know Shao Qing. After whispering a few words to each other, the female artist who won the Best Supporting Actress award came over on her own initiative.

"Hello, Teacher Shao, I'm Lin Xingqing, and I also graduated from Hai City Media College. The year I enrolled was the year Teacher Shao graduated." Lin Xingqing introduced herself with a smile.

"Hello, I've seen the movie in which you won an award. You acted well." Shao Qing said politely.

"Teacher Shao, are you also here to attend the private banquet of the Hua Director Group?" Lin Xingqing asked knowingly, trying to get closer to Shao Qing.

"Yes, are you here to attend the banquet too?" Shao Qing turned the question to Lin Xingqing.

"Yes, I had the honor to play a small role in Director Hua's movie, so I brought my friends who are interested in acting to the banquet to see the world." Lin Xingqing smiled, her eyes fell on Sister Ke and Jing Ke, and she couldn't help but look at Jing Ke again.

"Are these two your friends, Teacher Shao? I don't think I've seen them in the circle." Lin Xingqing asked.

After seeing Jing Ke's outstanding appearance, Lin Xingqing couldn't help but have a question in her mind.

Does someone like Shao Qing, who has won the Best Actress award, need to use this method to exchange for resources? Isn't she still very popular?

"Hello, I'm Shao Qing's agent." Sister Ke took the initiative to introduce herself. "This is Shao Qing's friend, not currently in the industry."

"So you are Mr. Shao's agent. Then you must be Sister Ke. I have heard a lot about you." Lin Xingqing said, and she became more certain of her previous thoughts.

Bringing an agent to a private party isn't unusual; it's simply a matter of security concerns. But if, on top of that, they also bring along a strikingly good-looking outsider, it's hard to say what they're up to.

Lin Xingqing suppressed her own little thoughts and exchanged a few polite words with Shao Qing as a junior schoolmate. After successfully getting his contact information, she returned to her small team.

Jing Ke didn't say much the whole time, but she noticed that Lin Xingqing's attitude towards her had a subtle change.

"Shao Qing, your junior schoolmate seems to have misunderstood something." Jing Ke lowered her voice and said, "She looked at me with a hint of pity in her eyes just now, as if she felt sorry for me."

"Mercy?" Shao Qing was stunned for a moment, but soon understood what Jing Ke meant, and his eyes became complicated as he looked at Lin Xingqing and the others.

Lin Xingqing was able to make that judgment after just one encounter, which only meant that she came with that purpose. Those four so-called friends were most likely using some gray transactions in exchange for the opportunity to become famous.

The two men and two women who came with Lin Xingqing all looked good. They were not the best in the circle, but they were better looking than many third-tier stars.

The most important thing is that they all have a clean and pure temperament. They look like a blank piece of paper that can be painted with any color you like.

After thinking about certain things, Shao Qing's mood suddenly worsened. His original respect for Director Hua was also gone.

"Shao Qing, if you don't like it, we can just leave early." Sister Ke also heard what Jing Ke said and patted Shao Qing's shoulder gently.

"Those people are also very sensible. They focus on a consensual transaction and don't use any forceful tactics," Sister Ke said comfortingly. "We have limited abilities, so we can only restrain ourselves from getting sucked in."

It was obvious that Sister Ke knew what would happen at this private banquet, which was one of the reasons why she chose to come with Shao Qing and did not stop her from staying with Jing Ke.

Shao Qing exhaled slowly, a look of helplessness in his eyes. "I know, I'm just a little surprised. They're still young and have some time to make mistakes. There's no need to..."

Shao Qing didn't say the rest of the words. The entertainment industry is indeed not a good place, but Shao Qing has never seen anyone go astray at such a young age.

-

After staying in the reception room for more than ten minutes, the butler came over to inform us that the banquet hall had been decorated and we could take our seats now.

There are no clear regulations on seating at private banquets, and there are no seat tickets with names on them.

Therefore, you must be particularly careful when choosing a seat and be aware of your own status in the circle. If you "accidentally" sit in the wrong seat, you may pay a heavy price.

Jing Ke followed Shao Qing half a step behind. After entering the banquet hall, he looked around at a very fast speed.

"I haven't seen Xu Yin, nor Mr. Yuan." Jing Ke said in a low voice, "Director Hua is not here either."

"Well, they may show up a little later, so we just need to keep a distance from them." Shao Qing slowed down his pace, and when Jing Ke walked to his side, he took the initiative to reach out and hold her arm.

"We'll sit together later. Sister Ke wants to say hello to others." Shao Qing said.

Jing Ke nodded and followed Shao Qing to sit in a relatively central and less conspicuous seat.

The banquet started at four o'clock, but Director Hua, the protagonist, did not show up with his friends until nearly five o'clock.

Even so, the guests who had been waiting for nearly an hour had no complaints. When Director Hua appeared, they all wanted to go over and say hello, trying to leave a good impression.

Shao Qing and Jing Ke were naturally not among them. They just poured some juice into the glasses and watched from afar as Director Hua was surrounded by people.

"Jing Ke, is Xu Yin here too? I think I saw him." After observing for a while, Shao Qing noticed the person following Director Hua, with a somewhat gloomy look in his eyes.

"It's him." Jing Ke looked over and saw Sister Ke in the crowd. "Shao Qing, Sister Ke seems to be waving at us. Should we go over?"

"Well, let's go and take a look." Shao Qing let out a breath.

After Jing Ke stood up, Shao Qing still chose to hold her arm, and the two walked side by side towards where Sister Ke was.

Sister Ke is a veteran agent at Zongheng Entertainment and has extensive connections in the circle. After seeing Sister Ke, many people took the initiative to make way for her, allowing Shao Qing to smoothly pass through the crowd and meet Director Hua.

"Xiao Shao, have you considered about me asking you to play the female lead in the unit drama? If it's okay, you can join the crew in a few days." Director Hua said with a smile.

Director Hua's tone sounded very easy-going, and there was a hint of appreciation for the younger generation in his eyes as he looked at Shao Qing.

"Thank you, Director Hua, for your kindness. However, I already have other plans before the New Year, so I'm afraid I'll miss this great opportunity." Shao Qing said with regret, "I'm truly sorry for letting Director Hua down."

"Director Hua, this is really unfortunate. Shao Qing had already signed a contract with Director Li to join the group after filming the variety show. It's a pity that she missed this opportunity." Sister Ke followed up and took the responsibility on herself.

"This is also my negligence. When Director Hua contacted me, I didn't react for a moment. It's my fault. I'll punish myself with a glass of red wine first." Sister Ke said as she took the initiative to pick up a glass of red wine and drank it all in front of Director Hua.

To be fair, Sister Ke is a very competent agent and is very decisive when it comes to helping artists.

It is said that one should not hit a smiling person. Although Director Hua was a little surprised that Shao Qing turned away such a good opportunity, he was not too angry after seeing how much the two of them valued his invitation.

"That's really a pity. The original actress can't perform because of her pregnancy, so I suddenly thought of letting you, Xiao Shao, play the role. Since the schedules don't match, I will pick a few more people to audition later to see who is more suitable." Director Hua said with a smile, like a gentle and elegant cultured person.

If Shao Qing had not seen and heard certain words with her own eyes, she probably would not have imagined that such a seemingly kind senior would be the kind of person who plays so extravagantly in private.

"Teacher Shao, if I remember correctly, Director Li's TV series should still be in the casting stage, and the filming should start after the New Year?" Xu Yin appeared from nowhere and came over to interrupt.

"If we speed up the progress, Mr. Shao can join the crew after finishing Director Hua's filming. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?" Xu Yin said with a smile, sounding as if he was thinking about Shao Qing.

But Shao Qing and Jing Ke knew very well why Xu Yin said that.

Xu Yin just wanted to play a loving couple with Shao Qing on the big screen, and take advantage of this opportunity to get some of Shao Qing's luck.

So after hearing Xu Yin's words, Shao Qing just smiled and analyzed it from another angle.

"I've read the script that Director Hua sent me. The heroine is a great and selfless person who has the world at her heart. If I want to play her well, I need some time to figure out and integrate into the role."

"The time I could squeeze out before the New Year was only two months at most. If I had started the film with the intention of rushing the schedule, I would have felt that it would have been disrespectful to Director Hua and also to the character's prototype."

Shao Qing said seriously, her bright facial features looking even more brilliant, attracting the attention of more than half of the people.

"A good work needs to be polished slowly. I don't want my personal schedule to affect the filming atmosphere of the entire crew." Shao Qing concluded.

"Yes, well said. It would be great if everyone in the crew could have the same awareness as you, Xiao Shao." Director Hua led the applause after hearing this, and there was a bit more appreciation in his eyes when he looked at Shao Qing.

"If we can't work together this time, we can continue next time. When I'm planning to shoot a new movie, I'll definitely let you know early on, Xiao Shao, and ask you to reserve your schedule in advance."

Director Hua took out a custom-made business card from his assistant and handed it to Shao Qing with a smile. "This is my personal contact information. Please save it. When I contact you later, don't treat it as an unfamiliar number and hang up."

"Okay, thank you Director Hua, I will definitely remember your number." Shao Qing agreed, and the emotions in his eyes became more complicated.

Shao Qing could see that Director Hua didn't have any other messy thoughts about her at the moment, he just purely recognized her as an actor.

But the more this happened, the more Shao Qing felt that Director Hua's behavior was inconsistent.

Director Hua can make good works and agrees with the views he just put forward, which means that he knows what is wrong and what is right.

If that's the case, why would Director Hua do something he knew was wrong in private? Why would he get along with someone like Mr. Yuan and accept such a shady deal?

After Director Hua spoke, others who had opinions about the matter chose to swallow their unfinished words.

Xu Yin, as the male lead of the unit drama, was no exception. He quickly agreed with Director Hua's words and began to hypocritically reflect on the mistakes in his previous thoughts.

-

After getting the business card, Shao Qing took Jing Ke back to an inconspicuous position while Director Hua was chatting with others, preparing to slip away after Director Hua left.

But the business card that Director Hua gave out seemed to give others a different understanding.

Shao Qing had just sat down when some familiar faces on the screen came over and started chatting with him. Some people who had done some simple research even recognized Jing Ke from the photo Shao Qing had sent.

"Teacher Shao, if I'm not mistaken, this is Miss Jing who just returned to China, right?" A third-tier male artist came over and tried to get closer to Shao Qing.

"Yes, you want to get to know me?" Jing Ke looked at the third-tier male artist.

"I've been thinking about studying abroad for a while recently. I wonder if Miss Jing has any places to recommend?" The third-tier male artist spoke to Jing Ke, but his eyes were on Shao Qing most of the time.

The third-tier artist quickly added, "Teacher Shao, do you have any advice for me?"

"I seldom go abroad, so let Jing Ke answer this question." Shao Qing smiled and kicked the question out.

"Ms. Jing, can you give me some advice?" The male artist could only shift his gaze to Jing Ke.

"If you're looking to improve your acting skills, I suggest you find a professional teacher. I've had very little exposure to the entertainment industry while abroad, so the best advice I can give you is to avoid traveling alone. If you're planning to stay put for a while, be sure to find an assistant who speaks a foreign language to accompany you."

Jing Ke said this calmly. She knew very well that she was here as Shao Qing's friend, and her words and actions represented Shao Qing's attitude to a certain extent.

So after Jing Ke saw the male artist's intention, she didn't directly mock the other party's cultural level.

"Is it dangerous abroad? Many artists in the circle have obtained green cards abroad." The male artist did not get Jing Ke's meaning.

"Do you think it will be safe in a place where zero-yuan purchases are allowed?" Jing Ke asked back.

The male artist couldn't think of a rebuttal, and his expression became a little embarrassed. "That might only happen in very few regions. Besides, people abroad are more daring in their creations, with many novel themes and ideas. I value the artistic atmosphere."

"If you really think so, why don't you try staying abroad alone for three months?" Jing Ke's tone remained unchanged, with no expression on his face.

"If you really like the environment abroad, you can invest in some local businesses and maybe easily get a green card," Jing Ke said. "But our country doesn't recognize dual citizenship, and the fee for renouncing citizenship seems to be 250."

After hitting a snag, the male artist felt embarrassed to stay there any longer and quickly found an excuse to leave.

Shao Qing shook his head slightly when he saw this. "It's only been a few days, and someone has already forgotten my statement."

"Maybe you lack a real-life example. Next time if someone wants to take advantage of your popularity, I will help you deal with it." Jing Ke said.

Thinking of Jing Ke's superb hacking skills, Shao Qing agreed with a smile, and even looked forward to Jing Ke's performance at that time.

Director Hua didn't stay at the banquet for long. He and his old friend found an excuse to leave before eight o'clock, leaving only the butler to continue entertaining the guests.

Once the main character of the private banquet left, the big-name artists also found excuses to leave. Only the second- and third-tier artists who lacked opportunities and resources remained, trying to pick up some loose ends and cling to the big guys.

After several popular artists left, Shao Qing greeted Sister Ke from afar and left the banquet hall with Jing Ke.

-

It was a gloomy day to begin with. After Jing Ke and Shao Qing emerged from the manor, they discovered that it had begun to rain. Coupled with the rather strong autumn wind, Shao Qing, who was wearing a skirt, subconsciously rubbed her arms.

"It's raining, let's put on my clothes." Jing Ke took off his coat directly, and relying on his height advantage, he lifted it up and supported it on Shao Qing's head.

Shao Qing looked down at her skirt, did not reject her suggestion, and silently leaned towards Jing Ke, grabbing her shirt with her right hand.

The coat Jing Ke wore today was of a relatively loose style, and after being stretched out, it could barely protect the two people who were almost pressed together.

The sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella is crisp and sleep-inducing, while the sound of raindrops falling on the coat is a little dull.

After jogging in the rain for two minutes, Jing Ke and Shao Qing got into the car smoothly and sat in the driver's seat and the co-pilot seat one after the other.

"Sister Ke said she would leave later, so we can just drive away. Her assistant will come to pick her up later." Shao Qing glanced at the message that just popped up on his phone, and at the same time quickly pulled out three or four napkins and handed them to Jing Ke.

"Okay, then let's go back directly." Jing Ke took the napkin and casually wiped the wet parts of his body.

After fastening her seat belts, Jing Ke skillfully started the car and turned on the air conditioner to prevent them from catching a cold.

After feeling the warm wind blowing out, Shao Qing turned his head to glance at Jing Ke.

After noticing that her right sleeve was almost soaked, Shao Qing frowned and immediately sent a message to his assistant, asking her to order two bowls of ginger tea to dispel the cold and put them in the villa.

Just after Jing Ke started the car and drove out of the gate of the manor, a woman with slightly messy clothes suddenly rushed out from the green belt on the right and blocked the car directly.

"Save me, save me!" The woman's hair was messy and her voice was hoarse.

Not only was he barefoot, but his clothes were completely wet and stained with leaves. It seemed that he had been hiding in the green belt for some time.

Jing Ke stepped on the brakes without hesitation. Fortunately, the car was not going very fast and the two people in the car just leaned forward slightly and were not injured.

"I was forced, I didn't do it voluntarily, I regret it, I want to leave, please take me away!" After seeing the car stop, the woman ran to the driver's door, banging on the car window with her hands, her eyes full of begging.

Jing Ke frowned subconsciously and instantly figured out where this woman had run from.

However, Jing Ke did not open the car door immediately. Instead, he turned his head to look at Shao Qing, asking for his opinion with his eyes.

Shao Qing hesitated for a second. She knew very well where this woman had run from, and she also knew how risky it was to put this woman into the car at the gate of the manor.

But Shao Qing also knew what would happen to someone who ran away halfway if he was caught, so after a second of hesitation, he made a decision.

"Unlock the car door and let her get in the back seat," Shao Qing said, quickly adding as if to explain, "It's very dark today, and the surveillance camera at the manor gate probably can't capture anything that far away."

"Okay." Jing Ke lowered the driver's window without any hesitation. "Go to the back seat. Don't make any noise. Hurry up."

The embarrassed woman's eyes lit up when she heard this. She immediately covered her mouth, opened the back door with one hand, and got in while bending over.

After hearing the sound of the back door closing, Jing Ke immediately locked the car door, released the brake and stepped on the accelerator without saying a word, increased the speed to the speed limit, and drove away from the manor as fast as possible.

"Thank you, thank you so much..." After realizing that she had really escaped, the woman kept thanking them.

After noticing through the rearview mirror that the woman's body was trembling slightly, Shao Qing and Jing Ke exchanged glances.

Jing Ke calmly turned up the temperature of the car's air conditioner, while Shao Qing handed the coat that Jing Ke had just put on him to the woman who was shivering slightly in the back seat.

"Where is your home? Do you need us to take you back?" Shao Qing asked.

"Thank you, my home, my home..." The woman wrapped Jing Ke's coat around herself and couldn't tell the specific address for a while.

Seeing this, Shao Qing did not urge her, but waited patiently for the woman to adjust herself.

After about three minutes, the woman finally managed to stop shaking and spoke incoherently.

"I...my home is not here, it's very far away, and I don't have anything on me right now. Can you lend me your phone? I, I want to contact my friends."

"Are your friends reliable?" Jing Ke asked suddenly.

"She, she..." The woman, who had not regained her sanity, was speechless and asked herself.

Are her friends reliable? How will she react after learning about her experience? I don't seem to know the answer to this question.

"I just asked a question, there is no other meaning." Jing Ke added an explanation.

"He should be reliable, right? We have been sharing a house for more than half a year, and we get along pretty well." The woman said dryly.

"Wait a moment." Jing Ke looked around at the road conditions, chose a road with a temporary parking space, and stopped the car temporarily.

"Here, contact your friend." Jing Ke handed over his unlocked phone.

The woman thanked him repeatedly and checked the number again and again before dialing the call.

Perhaps because the number was unfamiliar, the woman was not answered when she called for the first time. It was only after the second ring rang for more than 20 seconds that a "hello" came from the other end.

"Xixi, it's me. Are you home now?" The woman held the phone tightly.

"Yes, what's wrong with you? Didn't you go to a dinner party with your friends? Did something happen?" The girl on the other end of the phone immediately noticed that her friend's tone was not right.

"Yes, I ran into something, and it's okay for you to be at home. Someone will be kind enough to take me back soon. Can you pick me up at the gate of the community?"

The woman asked, and after a pause, she added, "If possible, please help me get a pair of slippers. My shoes are broken."

"Okay, I got it. Let me know when you're almost there and I'll pick you up." The person on the other end of the phone didn't ask any further questions, but directly agreed to the woman's request.

After ending the call with her friend, the woman felt a little better. She tugged at the clothes she was wearing and handed over the phone with both hands. "Thank you, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would have experienced next."

Jing Ke didn't take the phone, but just watched the woman's condition through the rearview mirror, "Enter the community address in the map, turn on the navigation, and I'll take you home."

"Okay, okay, thank you, thank you." The woman hurriedly opened the map on her phone and entered the address several times before she typed out the correct address.

Jing Ke took it and took a look. He found that it would take an hour, so he immediately changed gears and followed the navigation.

-

During the entire one-hour drive, the three people in the car didn't say a single word.

The woman in the back seat was a little nervous at first, worried that she would be asked about her name and past experiences, so she was in a very tense state of mind.

As the soothing music from the car radio sounded in the car, the woman gradually relaxed.

After realizing that neither the person in the driver's seat nor the passenger seat had any intention of getting to the bottom of her, the woman inexplicably felt like crying.

Was it good luck or bad luck that I met two reliable strangers at the most desperate moment?

When the music played to the thirteenth song, the mobile navigation reminded that the destination was only two kilometers away, which made the woman sitting in the back seat nervous.

Jing Ke didn't say much, but just unlocked his phone and handed it over while waiting for the red light so that the woman could notify her friend to pick her up.

Five minutes later, Jing Ke parked the car at the east gate of a residential complex.

After lowering the driver's window, Jing Ke glanced around the entrance of the community and soon saw a person holding an umbrella.

After flashing the car lights as a reminder, Jing Ke closed the car window, thinking of himself as a person who did good deeds without leaving a name.

"Um, can you please leave me your contact information? I will wash the clothes and return them to you." The woman said in a low voice.

"Just call back the number on your friend's phone." Jing Ke paused and quickly added, "We're giving you the clothes. We don't need anything in return. You can choose to forget about it."

The woman nodded blankly, and after opening the car door and seeing her friend holding slippers and a long coat, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.

Jing Ke glanced sideways at the rearview mirror and saw the two of them hugging each other with a little excitement. He then started the car and left without giving them a chance to thank him again.

-

Only after seeing the new navigation system drive several hundred meters did Shao Qing let out a long breath.

"Jing Ke, do you think I did the right thing?" Shao Qing asked with a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

"Isn't it a good thing that I saved a girl and stopped the loss in time?" Jing Ke asked, "Are you worried about getting in trouble with that group of people?"

"I'm not worried about that." Shao Qing pinched his brows. "I can probably guess what she's been through, but I didn't suggest she call the police. I just sent her to a safe place."

"I seem to have acquiesced that the girl couldn't handle those people, and I also acquiesced that those people could ignore certain laws..." Shao Qing said, a hint of confusion in his tone, "At one point, I felt like I was an accomplice."

Jing Ke frowned slightly. "Whether to call the police or not depends on the person involved. She didn't ask us to call the police. She just wanted us to take her to a safe place. You did nothing wrong in that regard."

"As for tacitly accepting some unspoken rules, that's not your fault. The fault lies with the imperfect judicial system and those who colluded with each other and came together because of shady things."

Jing Ke analyzed very rationally, "Any one of them could be wrong, but it definitely won't be you. You've done a great job."

"Did I do well?" Shao Qing repeated, subconsciously taking out the business card that Director Hua had handed to him before, pursed his lips and remained silent.

I don't seem to have much sense of justice. I have known for a long time that those people are engaged in the gray industry.

But all she could do was to avoid being involved, and she couldn't do anything else, let alone save someone.

"Yes, you've done a good job. You didn't let that girl get hurt again." Jing Ke gave an affirmative answer. "My kindness is limited. If you hadn't asked me to let that girl get in the car, I might have just driven away."

After successfully passing a traffic light, Jing Ke added, "Maybe you weren't the first person she turned to for help, but you were the only one who chose to help her."

Jing Ke’s guess was not unreasonable. After all, she and Shao Qing were not the first group of people to come out.

Before them, many artists with higher status in the circle left the table. They were more famous than Shao Qing, and the girl might have asked them for help.

However, those people also knew the inside story better. Not wanting to offend anyone, they chose to ignore the girl's call for help, leaving her alone to hide in the green belt, and drove away without hesitation.

After hearing Jing Ke's words, Shao Qing's sense of guilt eased a little.

Exhaling lightly, Shao Qing let himself lean back in the seat, "Thank you for affirming my behavior."

"You're welcome. I'm just being honest. You didn't do anything wrong." Jing Ke said. Seeing that the road was relatively empty, he increased his speed slightly.

-

After the two of them returned safely to the villa, it was already past eleven o'clock.

Jing Ke's sleeves, which were originally soaked, had become dry again after being exposed to the air conditioner for more than two hours.

When she opened the door and entered the villa, Shao Qing saw two thermos cups on the dining table. These were the ones she had messaged her assistant to prepare when she got in the car.

After unscrewing it and finding that it was still steaming, Shao Qing handed the thermos cup to Jing Ke, "This is ginger tea. Drink some to get rid of the cold, so you don't catch a cold."

"Thank you." Jing Ke thanked him, blew on it briefly after taking it, and then took a big gulp.

The ginger tea, which was slightly higher than body temperature, entered the stomach through the swallowing action, making Jing Ke couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"You gave your coat to that girl. I'll accompany you to buy some new clothes some other day." Shao Qing didn't know what to say, so he could only start to find topics randomly.

"Okay, let's go out when the weather gets better." Jing Ke said and took another sip. "This ginger tea tastes pretty good, not too irritating. You should try it too."

Shao Qing nodded, sipped the ginger tea in the thermos, and couldn't help but be a little absent-minded.