Chapter 49 Daydreaming... well, it's very sexy!

Zhu Liushuang watched as He Ming tilted his head back and slowly finished his glass of red wine. Her gaze lingered on his pale neck, where his prominent Adam's apple bobbed rhythmically. The lamplight added an indescribable allure.

Zhu Liushuang's already flushed cheeks burned even hotter. She lowered her head shyly and couldn't help but swallow. Her red lips touched the rim of the glass, and she hurriedly finished the remaining half-glass of red wine.

"Thank you so much, Teacher He, for getting me out of that situation." When she looked up again, her smile was restrained. After thanking him, she quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Unfortunately, she escaped too quickly and missed the mockery from those around her.

"I never expected Xiao He to be so chivalrous, it's truly rare..." The owner of the voice rested his chin on his hand, his eyes holding an ambiguous expression.

For those who aren't good at socializing, this part is extremely difficult. After toasting everyone, Zhu Liushuang's face was almost frozen from smiling.

She had only drunk one and a half glasses of red wine, but she felt like she was about to get drunk. Her head was spinning, and her heart was beating erratically.

If we're talking about the culprit who made her heart flutter, who else could it be but "Teacher He"?

The image of the man's Adam's apple bobbing up and down kept flashing before her eyes.

Well, it's very sexy! I wonder what it feels like to touch it.

Zhu Liushuang was startled by her own wild thoughts and quickly lowered her head to cover them. She gritted her teeth and pinched the arm hidden under the table hard.

"Hiss—" The pain spread throughout his body, and the scene before his eyes finally changed from He Ming's Adam's apple to Zhuang Xiaoqian's face, which was close at hand.

"Liu Shuang, how much did you drink? Why is your whole face so red?"

"Huh?" Zhu Liushuang reacted a beat late, raising her hand to make a "one" shape with her lips, "Luckily, I only had a little over one drink. Me? My face gets flushed when I drink..."

Zhuang Xiaoqian thoughtfully poured a cup of hot tea and pushed it towards her, saying, "You scared me to death! I saw you sitting there blankly as soon as you came back, and I thought you were drunk!"

Zhu Liushuang absentmindedly held the teacup and grinned foolishly: "I didn't drink much, I'm not drunk, I just lack the enzymes to break down alcohol."

"Oh dear!" Zhuang Xiaoqian suddenly whispered in her ear, "Liu Shuang, why is your arm all red? Did you bump into something? Could it be an alcohol allergy?"

Several colleagues nearby turned to her with questioning and concerned looks upon hearing the news.

Zhu Liushuang couldn't handle it and quickly waved her hand to explain, "It's okay, I'm fine, you guys keep talking."

Getting away from the stares of others, she awkwardly turned to Zhuang Xiaoqian and whispered, "I guess I bumped into the edge of the table when I came back. It looks red, but it's not serious at all. Sister Zhuang, don't worry, I can't even feel any pain."

"Maybe it's because your skin is so fair that it looks a little alarming," Zhuang Xiaoqian said, putting her worries aside. "It's good that you're alright."

Only after Zhuang Xiaoqian turned her head away did Zhu Liushuang dare to look at her arm.

Only after looking closely did I understand why Zhuang Xiaoqian had acted as if she was "making a fuss".

It turns out she was too harsh on herself.

The skin where the fingers had pinched developed purplish-red bruises, which looked rather frightening.

Zhu Liushuang was both amused and exasperated.

————

The laughter and chatter gradually subsided, and those who had enjoyed their meal and drinks leaned back in their chairs, their faces bearing smiles of either satisfaction or exhaustion.

The sky outside grew darker, and the lights inside the house suddenly became languid.

Nighttime is when the revelry truly begins. Many people's eyes still gleam with the excitement of chatting and gossiping. They get up one after another, turn the back of their chairs, and walk out the door together.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Hurry up, the bonfire concert is about to start!"

The crowd's emotions were stirred up, and a series of chaotic footsteps rang out.

Zhu Liushuang was still lazily leaning back in her chair, unwilling to move, but Zhuang Xiaoqian next to her had already gotten up.

"Liu Shuang, let's go, I see the bonfire over there on the lawn is already lit..." Zhuang Xiaoqian, who hadn't touched a drop of alcohol and whose eyes were very clear, urged Zhu Liu Shuang by pulling her hand.

"Um—I want to go back to the guesthouse to sleep, Sister Zhuang—why don't you go by yourself?" Zhu Liushuang said, rubbing her temples. Because she had been drinking, her tone was a little coquettish.

"No way... We agreed that we would show off our singing skills and amaze everyone!" Zhuang Xiaoqian was unhappy.

Zhu Liushuang closed her eyes and denied it: "You said it...it wasn't me..."

"Didn't you promise that little girl you'd go to the bonfire party together?" When necessary, Zhuang Xiaoqian brought in reinforcements. She turned around and grabbed Gu Xuting, who was arguing with Gu Xufeng, and said, "Little sister, come quick, let me help your sister Liu Shuang to play on the lawn."

Gu Xuting decisively let go of her brother's arm and turned to throw herself into Zhu Liushuang's arms.

"Sister Xiaoshuang, are you feeling unwell?" Seeing that Zhu Liushuang's eyes were closed, Gu Xuting squatted down and asked with concern.

"Fine, I can't go back on my word." After a half-minute internal struggle, Zhu Liushuang changed her mind and decided to go back to sleep.

She suddenly opened her eyes and forced herself to reply, "No, I just ate too much and need to catch my breath."

"That's great! Let's go to the big lawn outside. They've put on some music, it sounds so lively!" Gu Xuting excitedly grabbed Zhu Liushuang's left hand.

In front of the farmhouse is a huge lawn stretching for hundreds of meters, with a winding river running along the side of the lawn, and a lush bamboo forest on the opposite bank.

During the day, this is a great place for fishing and sightseeing. At night, it becomes a popular spot for bonfire parties.

The lawn was booked by two companies tonight.

A bonfire was lit, its flames igniting the atmosphere. Warm yellow string lights twined around the various structures, creating a hazy, intimate ambiance.

Zhu Liushuang opened her dazed eyes and looked at the large electronic screen not far away, where the theme song of a movie was playing. The singer's soft voice came through the speakers, like a lover's whisper, tickling her ears.

She instinctively looked for He Ming, but couldn't see him after scanning the area, and felt disappointed. But when she turned around, she was surprised to find He Ming sitting on a stool not far from her.

There were no women around him, only Gu Xufeng and Guo Yang.

Disappointment turned into secret joy, and Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"How about we go dancing with Jingjia and the others?" Zhuang Xiaoqian suggested. "It looks so fun over there..."

Not wanting to spoil Zhuang Xiaoqian's fun, Zhu Liushuang nodded in agreement.

Before long, the three of them joined the "chaotic dance" group and had a great time.

Although the temperature in the mountains was much lower than outside, it was still quite hot after moving around for a while, as it was the height of summer. The crowd slowly dispersed from the campfire, finding small groups to sit down. Some were chatting and laughing, others were discussing business…

Zhu Liushuang deliberately found a seat close to He Ming, holding a glass of sparkling water of unknown flavor, watching Gu Xuting and Zhuang Xiaoqian play with sparklers while pretending to listen to others sing.

A burning sparkler was handed to her, and Zhuang Xiaoqian ran over with a smile: "It's rare to come out and have fun, it's so boring to just sit there, come on..."

Zhu Liushuang shook her head: "It's too hot. You guys have fun, I'll listen to music." Although she said that, her attention was not on the music.

"This guy has sung several songs already, right? My wife told me he's the karaoke king/queen at their company, nicknamed 'God of Song'." Zhuang Xiaoqian glanced at the singer and said disdainfully, "He's not even that good!"

"It's alright, just listen casually." Zhu Liushuang chuckled dryly; she had no idea who the singer was.

"Sister Zhuang, your husband is lying to you, right?" Gu Xuting interjected at the opportune moment after setting off the last sparkler. "What singing god? That guy doesn't even sing as well as my brother! If we're talking about who sings the best in their company, it's definitely..."

He Ming! Zhu Liushuang thought to herself.

"It must be He Ming." Gu Xuting took a sip of sparkling water. "I heard him sing at a karaoke bar last year for my brother's birthday. People who didn't know him would think he was some kind of signed singer. He's handsome and sings well. It's just a pity he doesn't like women..."

"Huh? He's gay?" Zhuang Xiaoqian's eyes widened in surprise. "He doesn't look gay!"

Zhu Liushuang looked at Gu Xuting, who spoke with such certainty, with mixed feelings, and momentarily lost her composure.

She squeezed the paper cup in her hand so hard that it broke in two. The sparkling water on top poured out of the cup and dripped onto the grass.

"Shh—" Gu Xuting lowered her voice and said seriously, "Don't make a fuss. I just overheard some of the older women in their company complaining that He Ming rejected a lot of confessions from the female interns. Even the most beautiful and coolest woman in the company, Sister Yu, he was unmoved..."

Just venting! It can't be true!

She had heard similar rumors in high school. The older girls who had mustered the courage to confess their feelings and were ruthlessly rejected by He Ming spread the same rumors.

It's basically a case of "sour grapes."

Zhu Liushuang decided to trust her intuition.

"Hey—why is no one singing tonight? I'm about to split myself from singing all by myself!" The person who had been singing so many songs finally couldn't take it anymore and grabbed the microphone to loudly invite, "I heard that the beauties and handsome guys at Ruixin sing really well, who wants to take over?"

A burst of laughter erupted from below, followed by whispers among the crowd.

Then, the cheers gradually rose: "Ruixin, give us one! Ruixin, come on... send out your best singers to compete!"

Zhu Liushuang and Zhuang Xiaoqian exchanged a glance, and she said silently, "Let's call out to Li Jingjia together."

Zhuang Xiaoqian nodded.

The next second, many voices rang out at the same time.

"Li Jingjia".

"Zhu Liushuang".

"Liu Shuang—"

...

Besides herself, her colleagues were all calling out "Zhu Liushuang," including Zhuang Xiaoqian, who had just sided with her.

"Sister Zhuang, you—" Zhu Liushuang said angrily, "Didn't we agree on this?"

Zhuang Xiaoqian winked at her: "I'm just telling the truth, you sing better than Jingjia! We can't lose when we're representing the company."

Zhu Liushuang wanted to decline, but with dozens of eyes fixed on her, she couldn't back down. Besides, even the boss, Guo Yang, had spoken; could she really refuse? He'd probably want to quit the company!

Zhu Liushuang, who was most afraid of being in the spotlight, gritted her teeth and had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

"How about a love song duet? Xiao Lü, you and Miss Zhu sing together?" Zhang Suo from Zhonghe loved to stir up trouble and loved pairing people up.

The man called Xiao Lü brought his partner along, so he refused very quickly: "No, no! Director Zhang, my throat is parched. Let's have Xu Feng instead, he's good at singing love songs... I saw Xu Feng and Miss Zhu arrive in the same car during the day."

"Aww—" The gazes of the crowd became ambiguous.

At that time, Gu Xufeng was still half drunk and half awake. He was suddenly handed a microphone and said with a silly grin, "Okay - I'll sing, I'll sing."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the other man involuntarily fell onto He Ming.

Unfortunately, He Ming was disgusted and quickly pushed him away.

A microphone was also shoved into Zhu Liushuang's hand, and the sweat on her palms showed her nervousness.

It's been a long time since I sang in front of so many people. The last time was two years ago at the company orientation party, with a total of about twenty people.

She had only sung half a song before she stopped, but her colleagues still remembered it.

The rhythmic beat of drums sounded, and the words "Golden Wind and Jade Dew" appeared on the large electronic screen.

Someone whistled "Wow!"

Zhu Liushuang glanced at Xiao Lü, the "instigator," in surprise. He had actually chosen such a tender and ambiguous song; he really knew how to stir things up.

But she couldn't afford to daydream right now. With her fingers tapping out a rhythm, she quickly raised the microphone and got into character: "The evening breeze, oh, it stirs the strings of a lover's heart..."

As soon as Fu started speaking, cheers and applause erupted.

Fearing she might run away, Zhu Liushuang composed herself and continued singing her lyrics.

After a couple of lines, it was Gu Xufeng's turn to sing, but all that came through the microphone was his confused muttering: "Hey, what song is this? I don't think I know it..."

"Boo-hoo!" Everyone present burst into laughter.

"Gu Xufeng, are you even capable?!"

"How about I do it..."

Gu Xufeng seemed completely oblivious to his colleagues' teasing, and shoved the microphone into He Ming's hand, whispering, "Old He, hurry up and sing for me. Miss Zhu is still waiting, don't leave her alone..."

Seeing that there was no movement behind her, Zhu Liushuang turned around with the microphone in her hand.

The noise was deafening, and she couldn't hear what Gu Xufeng said to He Ming; she only knew that the microphone had been handed to He Ming.

Does Gu Xufeng want He Ming to sing for him?

She unconsciously gripped the microphone, feeling both anticipation and fear. She feared her hopes would be dashed, leaving her only with embarrassment.

There was no response from the other end, but the whispers around me grew louder.

"I guess He Ming won't be a guest performer..."

"Judging from his expressionless face, it's hard to believe..."

Zhu Liushuang blinked, swallowing the disappointment in her heart. She slowly turned around, preparing to sing the whole song by herself.

Just then, a clear, cold male voice rang out.

"White Dew, it moistens the tender face of a lover..."

Someone at the scene screamed.

Zhu Liushuang's heartstrings trembled, and she barely managed to steady her voice.

She quietly turned around and sat sideways to peek at He Ming's face.

He sang calmly and attentively, his gaze fixed on the large electronic screen. His voice was as clear and pure as ever, yet it possessed a more mature and magnetic quality than in his youth.

"When the golden wind and jade dew meet, our hearts are filled with mutual affection..."

Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but add her own voice, and the two of them, one after the other, coordinated perfectly.

A gentle breeze encountering frost and snow creates a unique and delightful scene.

The atmosphere at the scene was ignited, with cheers and shouts of joy erupting everywhere.

"Sister Xiaoshuang, you sang so well!" During the interlude, Gu Xuting couldn't help but shake Zhu Liushuang's arm and whisper praise. At the end, she didn't forget to complain about Gu Xufeng, "My brother got drunk at just the right time. If he had sung, this song would have been ruined."

Zhu Liushuang smiled shyly, trying her best to suppress the boundless joy that was growing wildly inside her. She followed Gu Xuting's gaze and saw that Gu Xufeng had fallen asleep at some point, slumped over the dessert table.

As for He Ming, he sat with his legs crossed, leisurely and languid, with a black microphone leaning casually against his chest.

"Quietly whispering of longing, the white dew nestles in the evening breeze."

Her gaze involuntarily drifted toward He Ming, and she sang the lyrics she knew by heart to him.

The warm yellow light made He Ming's face appear exceptionally soft.

Through the flickering shadows, she saw him suddenly turn his head and glance in her direction, a very faint smile appearing on his lips.

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Author's Note: The lyrics quoted in this chapter are from the song "Golden Wind and Jade Dew" (by the band Travel New Bees).

Next chapter! More sweetness to come! [Milk tea emoji]