Forced drinking

Jinnan didn't want to chat any longer, but Duan Ruixuan maintained a good sense of propriety, leaving him no chance to politely end the conversation. When they reached the car, Liang Zhengchu, who was chatting with Claire, saw Duan Ruixuan. After a while of small talk, he somehow ended up in their car.

Duan Ruixuan was not embarrassed at all. He sat next to Liang Zhengchu, only one seat away from Jinnan. "Sorry, Liam, I got separated from my assistant. Please help me."

Liang Zhengchu was quite happy: "Of course not. I still need your next 'Love Knot' to make a living. Consider it my advance bribe."

The car belonged to Liang Zhengchu, so Xu Zhiyuan couldn't say anything. He followed the local customs and simply used his body to block Jinnan, who was sitting inside. Taking advantage of the sound of the car starting, he leaned over to Jinnan's ear and whispered, "Are you having a feud?"

"Not really." Jin Nan spoke in a low voice, and halfway through his sentence, he switched to typing on his phone: He had forced Hongfang to drink wine, which was quite excessive.

The man who had forced Li Hongfang to drink was still chatting with Liang Zhengchu. He seemed nonchalant, but his eyes kept glancing at Jinnan's seat.

Jinnan noticed some clues from the rearview mirror, and felt a little secretly unhappy, so he simply opened his mobile phone to check the messages.

It was already night time at Lido. He didn't know what had happened. Many friends sent him greetings today, especially Li Hongfang and Lin Jiaze.

Jinnan clicked on Lin Jiaze's first, and was greeted by a flood of exclamation marks.

"Konami!!! Are you going to debut? Can I resell your autograph? Business is so hard!!!"

Jinnan: “?”

When mentioning Lin Jiaze, I think of Chen Chen. After asking, I found out that this guy ran away after finishing work, saying that he was going to buy a gift for his girlfriend and would meet her at the hotel in the evening.

The cocktail party starts at 7 o'clock, so it's still early.

Lin Jiaze, who was on the other end of the line at around eleven, replied instantly: "This photo of yours has been going viral on Weibo. Hua Lin's promotional team has really hit the jackpot. They're really not afraid of offending you."

Jinnan still didn't understand what happened. He opened Weibo and saw that the photo Liang Zhengchu had posted that morning had been forwarded by someone and now had been forwarded thousands of times.

It just so happened that the interview with Lido Business Daily was released today, and the operation took advantage of the popularity to edit a video called "The Pure Boss is Hot", which unexpectedly became much more popular than the real interview.

Jin Nan laughed and replied to Lin Jiaze: "What's the big deal? Being popular is a good thing."

He himself didn't mind being in the public eye. Brands were only worried about not being able to build their reputation, and for Hua Lin, the fact that a young boss could unexpectedly break out without paying for advertising was a good thing.

Although he was happy, Jinnan was still feeling carsick from looking at his phone too much. Luckily, the hotel where the cocktail party was held wasn't far away, so he went to grab something to eat before getting drunk that night.

As night fell, the weather began to cool. Jinnan put on Xu Zhiyuan's coat and entered. Behind the gilded glass revolving door, the building's walls were covered in intricately carved brick patterns. People darted through it like fish, their clothes elegant and their faces cold, their human feelings like cold water, a mere flick of the fish's tail enough to pass through.

Duan, the famous star, naturally garnered more attention from the Chinese, but only a few. Even before entering the restaurant, Claire and Lu Yiqing were still stealing glances at him, puzzled by how this famous star could be so unassuming as to dine with strangers like them.

Liang Zhengchu is just a stylist, and no matter how influential he is, he cannot force a star to stay or leave. Could this person be Jin Nan's good friend?

After entering the private room, Claire went to order food, Xu Zhiyuan ordered some hot drinks to warm Jinnan's stomach first, and Duan Ruixuan came back after making a phone call, and naturally sat on the other side of Jinnan in the seat that no one dared to sit in.

"The stew here is very good, but there will be snacks at the evening reception. It would be difficult to eat too much." Duan Ruixuan placed his lighter next to Jin Nan's cigarette box and said in a familiar tone, "Mr. Jin has only been in office for half a year and he's already been featured in the Lido Business Daily. That's impressive."

Jinnan said politely, "No, it's just Ding Zhiyuan's vacancy."

Xu Zhiyuan's gaze rested quietly on the celebrity. Duan Ruixuan's manners and manners were impeccable, but the extra attention to detail couldn't be faked; it was something he'd unconsciously do only when he showed special concern for someone.

Jin Nan, as usual, had no reservations about the proper boundaries between men. He naturally accepted the gloves Duan Ruixuan offered him and handed them to Xu Zhiyuan. So naturally, he didn't even notice anything was wrong.

Duan Ruixuan: ...

Xu Zhiyuan reached out to take it and smiled knowingly.

The conversation continued, and Xu Zhiyuan did not interrupt, but he could feel that Duan Ruixuan's hostility was growing stronger.

He probably understood why Li Hongfang was forced to drink.

After a simple meal, it was around six forty. Jin Nan was being held by Liang Zhengchu to fix his hair. Xu Zhiyuan and Duan Ruixuan followed behind him, like two doors blocking the way.

Xu Zhiyuan held Jinnan's coat and said politely to Duan Ruixuan, "I heard that Mr. Duan is interested in moving behind the scenes?"

Duan Ruixuan's sharp gaze fell, and he hid his emotions. He smiled and said, "I've been acting for so long that I'm a little tired of it. Mr. Xu should understand me."

Xu Zhiyuan chuckled and didn't respond. "Mr. Duan, have you chosen a partner? Just a reminder: while Hua Lin has ample funds, the film and television sector isn't a priority right now. Quality is more important than quantity."

Duan Ruixuan also smiled. "Mr. Xu's business insights are always unique. Speaking of which, I'm a little curious. Your current job doesn't seem to fully utilize your talents. Why don't you try to start your own business?"

The two of them knew the hidden meaning in each other's words, and no matter how bluntly they spoke, everything seemed calm on the surface.

Xu Zhiyuan: "I like the career I'm pursuing now, and I think Mr. Duan feels the same way."

Nod, smile, without leaving any trace.

Duan Ruixuan, like him, was a master at hiding his inner thoughts. Xu Zhiyuan couldn't help but feel thankful for Jinnan's dullness; at least, his lack of understanding of romance seemed to be working in his favor for now.

Jinnan was indeed unromantic. With his back to the brilliant light of the crystal chandelier, his smiling eyes were gentle yet cunning, as if harboring some sinister plot, but more so, the joy of having wished for something come true. He listened to the entire conversation, but didn't find anything wrong with it.

"I saw Finn. He refused to sell me the pair of brooches last time. Today I must ask him to make a pair specially for you." Jin Nan came back and held Xu Zhiyuan's hand. Even if it was just an index finger, it made others' hearts skip a beat.

Mr. Xu, who was known for his cunning and sophistication, took him by the hand and walked into the world of fame and fortune, looking for a drop of water that had touched him in the ocean of language, and his smile added another point of elegance to his appearance.

Jinnan was undoubtedly handsome, so handsome that no one could help being moved by him. However, among the admirers in the room, no one except Xu Zhiyuan knew how every inch of his meridians grew.

There is a difference between those who grow flowers and those who appreciate flowers.

Duan Ruixuan was left behind by them, and a worldly toast was immediately offered, blocking his path to Jinnan. He stared at Jinnan's back, just as he had done three or four years ago, when he was still an unknown actor and Jinnan had stopped for him to drink and call a taxi.

Maybe Jinnan himself didn't even remember that he had helped such a person. He was one of the rare kind people in the circle of young masters in Lido, even to strangers who came to drink and smile for money.

Times have changed, and Duan Ruixuan has been humiliated by other young masters many times. He can't forget every difficult step when climbing the ladder to heaven, nor can he forget Jinnan, such a special and warm variable.

Yet, looking at this person's back, Duan Ruixuan felt for the first time in a long time that he hadn't changed much over the years. Jin Nan still showered his blessings with the same carefree grace, then walked away with the same carefree grace.

Is Duan Ruixuan good enough now to be by his side?

He tried to push his way through the crowd, downing glass after glass of red wine, speaking Arabic, English and Mandarin mixed together, and smiling at every word he said, whether sober or drunk.

The time when Jin Nan held a grudge against him and forced him to drink, it was not Duan Ruixuan's intention. He just mentioned Li Hongfang's identity among the artists. Li Hongfang was toasted by dozens of people in turn and was eventually drunk.

In the end, he found himself in the same situation, in a foreign country, surrounded by guests who were not supposed to be familiar with him.

Duan Ruixuan was unwilling to believe in conspiracies and attributed everything to fate.

He looked at Jinnan, who turned back from the distant crowd, smiled at him, and raised his glass from afar. Duan Ruixuan then noticed the ring on his hand and Xu Zhiyuan beside him.

Duan Ruixuan thought about his own malicious intentions. Why did he expose Li Hongfang? Because of a kind reminder.

The man advised him not to worry, saying that Geum-nam was kind and compassionate, but stingy with love. She was not a good match.

Today, Duan Ruixuan's hidden heart began to beat at the moment of reunion, and then completely exploded.

Why wouldn't they be a good match? He'd reached the top, a position of influence within the industry, if not a significant one. His career was flourishing, and he had every reputation. Why couldn't he covet the Young Master Jin, who had once been out of his reach?

They stood beside jewelry designer Finn, chatting and laughing like old friends. The look Jin Nan gave the people around him was not that of a friend or a partner, but more like a lover.

Mr. Xu. Oh, the watchdog raised by Hua Lin's former helmsman, is he a good match for Jin Nan?

Around Duan Ruixuan, the voices grew increasingly distant. He drank from the toasts of wine, unable to afford to offend anyone here. In the corner, Xu Zhiyuan's phone was off, concealing the message he had sent before entering.

Unable to resist Jinnan's constant nagging, Finn finally agreed to custom-make a pair of collar pins for Xu Zhiyuan at a friendly price. Jinnan smiled and kissed the old man on the cheek, then saw Xu Zhiyuan raise his hand to check the time.

The crowd was already in a state of chaos. The waiter carried the drunk Mr. Duan upstairs to rest. Jin Nan only had time to look at him worriedly.

"Half an hour." Xu Zhiyuan said, "I can drink quite well."

"What?" Jin Nan didn't understand.

"Mr. Duan is drunk." Xu Zhiyuan lowered his head slightly, a smile in his eyes. "Do you want to go and see him?"

Xu Zhiyuan's actions were no different from Duan Ruixuan's. The same methods, the same circumstances. The only difference was whether Jin Nan knew about it or not. He was also somewhat curious about how far Jin Nan's compassion would allow him to go.

Sympathy? Was the sympathy Jin Nan gave him also misunderstood?

All selfish thoughts faded, transforming into a considerate, gentle inquiry. A test? Xu Zhiyuan didn't think it was a test.

It's just getting drunk. Some people do it to provoke trouble, while others do it just as a passive defense.

Jinnan looked at his smile and felt a little creepy for some reason.

"Let's go check it out," Xu Zhiyuan said. "If something goes wrong with the public figure's assistant not around, it would be bad."