Chapter 5 Accidental Drunk

Chapter 5 Accidental Drunk

A few days later, Yan Zhen sat on a chair, lowered his head, flipping through a stack of photos, never saying a word.

The man sitting opposite her observed her expression, rubbed his fingers nervously, and cold sweat slowly seeped out of his forehead.

Her fingertips gripped the photo, pressing it hard until a wrinkle formed on the edge. She flipped through the pages quickly, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, she slammed the whole thing onto the table.

With a "pop", the photos scattered on the smooth table like swimming fish.

"I paid all that money, and this is all you show me?"

"Miss Yan, this really isn't our fault." The man pulled out a tissue, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and replied with a bitter face, "There's really nothing worth filming about Mr. Chen. During the time we were investigating him, we found that he usually stayed at home except for work. He occasionally went out with friends, but the people he met were mostly men. There was almost no one of the opposite sex around him, let alone any intimate relationships."

After returning from City Z, Yan Zhen felt something was wrong, as if she had been led by Chen Huaixu. Eager to escape this predicament, she decided to take the initiative and send someone to investigate him, trying to find evidence against him and turn the tables.

For a young entrepreneur on the rise, maintaining a public image is crucial; a chaotic private life would undoubtedly be a stain on him. The effortless, ambiguous tactics he displayed in front of her made her believe he must be experienced.

But now, the private detective gave her an answer that was completely different from what she expected.

It seemed as if all those teasing, impropriety, and dominance... were only shown to her.

Do you think she is easy to bully?

Yan Zhen looked at the person in the photo and clenched her fingers unwillingly.

Walking out of the coffee shop, she saw Uncle Li's car parked on the side of the road. She hurried over and the phone in her bag rang.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling, and she didn't have time to see the screen clearly before she picked up the phone: "Hello?"

Ying Shu's voice came muffled: "Zhenzhen, drink with me tonight."

Yan Zhen never expected that the young couple who were so affectionate during the concert would end up breaking up not long after.

Ying Shu slammed his glass down on the table and said, "He always tells me to wait a little longer, but I can't wait any longer!"

It turned out that paparazzi had photographed their whereabouts in City Z. The paparazzi didn't reveal Ying Shu's identity, but they did release a photo of Qin Chu with a young woman, which immediately caused a stir in public opinion.

As a new singer, Qin Chu has certain strengths, but he has also attracted many female fans because of his good looks and contrasting personality on and off the stage. Now his fan circle is in danger, like a high-rise building that is about to collapse at any time, just waiting for a "boom" to completely kill his career that is on the rise.

For the sake of his career, his agent acted decisively and clarified to the public that it was just Qin Chu's sister, who came to attend his concert specially and used the relationship of family to temporarily calm the fans' restless emotions.

But this also made Ying Shu's dissatisfaction reach its extreme.

A conflict erupted between her and Qin Chu. She accused him of wanting both a career and a relationship, completely disregarding her feelings. Her willingness to have a secret relationship with him was already a concession on her part, but she hadn't expected to endure such humiliation at this point.

Qin Chu pleaded bitterly, but Ying Shu was still determined to break up. He didn't want to, and the two of them were deadlocked. Ying Shu was unhappy, so he ran to find Yan Zhen to drink.

Yan Zhen accompanied her, not knowing what to feel.

"So, don't believe any promises made by men. Things like 'Wait until I'm rich' or 'Wait until I'm successful in my career'... these are all empty promises." Ying Shu clinked Yan Zhen's glass. "If I were looking for someone with a stable career who didn't care about girlfriend fans, then I think someone would have already had one.

"How can a man make a promise so easily when he himself is unsure of the future? The most important thing is that I foolishly believed it.

"I might as well listen to my dad and go on a blind date. At least the person he arranges for me won't make me feel like a thief when I'm dating."

Ying Shu kept drinking, and Yan Zhen, who was never good at comforting her, just drank with her. Yan Zhen's alcohol tolerance was not good to begin with, and after a while, he fell down faster than Ying Shu.

The bartender calmly watched the two people staggering on the bar, clearly having seen this happen many times. He called a waitress over and had her take Yan Zhen's phone out of her pocket. He unlocked it with Yan Zhen's fingerprint, found "Brother" in the recent call log, and dialed.

The call was quickly connected, and the waiter briefly explained the situation. Yan Zhao pondered for a moment and said, "I'm not in Ningchuan right now. How about this, I'll find someone to pick them up."

So half an hour later, Chen Huaixu appeared in the bar.

He had a handsome face, was tall and had long legs. As he walked along, he received countless glances from people eager to strike up a conversation, but he ignored them all and went straight to the bar, where he saw the backs of two people lying motionless.

The waiter asked for his name, and he answered the same as what Yan Zhao said on the phone, so he let them go without worry. Before leaving, he did not forget to tell him: "It seems that these two ladies have been heartbroken."

"Broken heart?" He frowned.

Logically speaking, the sad person should drink the most, but judging from how drunk they were, it was hard to tell who was comforting whom.

No matter how uncomfortable they were, they shouldn't have gotten so drunk in a bar. It was a complete lack of safety awareness. If the bar staff they met today hadn't been kind and reliable, the consequences would have been disastrous.

He walked over and helped Yan Zhen up. Seeing that she was still somewhat conscious, he pinched her cheek and asked in a calm voice, "Why didn't you tell me beforehand when you were so drunk?"

Yan Zhen frowned uncomfortably, pried his fingers apart and bit them. However, she had no strength, and her teeth knocked softly against his knuckles, leaving only shallow marks.

Chen Huaixu let her bite it, and his frown gradually relaxed.

He first sent Ying Shu home, watched her nanny help her back home, then got back into the car, turned it around, and drove towards his home.

Halfway through the journey, he stopped and went to a convenience store. When he came back, he was holding a bag in one hand and hot water in the other. He opened the back door and fed Yan Zhen.

She leaned in his arms, finished drinking, and then fell unconscious, obviously very drunk.

The only thing I'm thankful for is that I haven't vomited in his car yet.

He returned home with Yan Zhen in his arms. As soon as Chen Huaixu turned on the light, she was awakened by the sudden light. She turned over and tried to get out of his arms, muttering that she wanted to take a shower.

Chen Huaixu supported her unsteady steps and said, "Why take a bath when you can't even stand? Take a bath after you get up."

"I won't!" Yan Zhen was very persistent on this matter. "I want to take a shower, otherwise I won't go to bed."

He pretended to be indifferent and said, "Okay, then you can sleep on the floor."

Yan Zhen opened her eyes wide, obviously not believing he would say such a thing, so she bit her lip and said aggrievedly: "You are willing to let me sleep on the floor?"

"Why not?" Chen Huaixu raised his eyebrows slightly, "Unless you tell me why you drank so much tonight."

She frowned and complained incoherently, "It's all Qin Chu's fault!"

"Qin Chu?"

Chen Huaixu always had a good memory, and he quickly recalled the familiar name. He opened his phone and searched, and the gossip headline read: Qin Chu secretly met with a young woman late at night, and the two were suspected of being in a relationship.

Considering what the bartender said about "broken heart", the answer is obvious.

He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and looked at the drunken woman who almost fell into his arms. He touched her cheek to make her look up and asked, "Did you drink like this just for him?"

Yan Zhen replied in a daze: "It's Ying Shu... I'm not... I'm not drunk..."

Even though she couldn't speak clearly, she was still stubborn. Chen Huaixu was a little angry and a little amused, and helped her into the bedroom. Yan Zhen was completely exhausted. As soon as Chen Huaixu let go, she fell to the bed like a piece of soft bone. He had no choice but to half-kneel beside the bed, take off her coat for her, and then pull the quilt over her tightly.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Yan Zhen reached out and grabbed the corner of his clothes, saying in a coquettish tone, "I want some water, pour it for me."

He looked at her slender white wrist and asked her, "Do you want me to serve you?"

Her eyes were blurry and she nodded.

"Do you know who I am?"

Faced with this question, she seemed a little puzzled. She sat up from the bed, moved closer to him, opened her eyes wide and tried hard to identify him, then made a final conclusion: "Chen Huaixu!"

Her tone was cheerful, and she was obviously happy that she had recognized him. She even reached out and tapped the corner of his eye, saying, "The mole here is very beautiful."

He grabbed her fingers and asked, "Don't you hate me anymore now?"

Without hesitation, she said, "Disgusting!"

"Oh, I'm leaving then."

Yan Zhen was a little annoyed and said, "Go quickly, I'll go pour it myself."

She was about to throw off the quilt and get out of bed, but Chen Huaixu quickly stuffed her back in and said, "Wait."

A minute later, he walked into the bedroom with the cup, helped her out of bed, and brought the water to her lips.

Yan Zhen took a sip dazedly and said, "It's sweet."

"Yeah, with honey."

She finished the drink in two or three gulps, staring blankly at the empty cup. She belatedly said, "What should I do? I'm done, and there's nothing left for you."

He took the empty cup and placed it on the bedside. Looking at her cute, dazed look, he pinched her cheek and said, "It was originally for you to drink."

She frowned, slapped his hand away, leaned over and bit his lips, saying viciously, "If you pinch me again, I'll bite you."

An unintentional act caused a storm to surge in Chen Huaixu's heart. He could no longer bear it, so he held the back of her head and kissed her.

"you……"

The words of complaint were completely swallowed up.

Chen Huaixu touched her hand hanging by the bed, squeezed in, and interlocked his fingers with hers. Yan Zhen breathed hard, and for a moment she couldn't tell the difference between the world.

After the long kiss, she was a little breathless. Chen Huaixu hugged her, gently pressed his lips against her cheek, brushed aside her messy hair with his hands, and stroked her back.

She didn't struggle, but just leaned obediently on his shoulder and yawned.

Although it was a good opportunity, he did not intend to take advantage of the situation.

"Go to sleep." He tucked her back into the quilt.

Yan Zhen closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she soon fell asleep.

Her sleeping face was very beautiful, and her cheeks were still red from the kiss just now. He looked at her for a while, dimmed the bedside lamp, stood up and walked out of the bedroom while taking out his mobile phone from his pocket.

Qin Chu...

He couldn't get over the fact that she would drink for another man, so he searched the name again to find out. He lowered his head and clicked on the photo in the gossip, and found that the scene was captured right in front of the entrance of Dengji Night Snack, and the time happened to be the night he and Yan Zhen had met by chance.

In the blurry video covered by a watermark, he saw that the woman hugging Qin Chu was wearing clothes that looked very familiar.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Huaixu opened Yan Zhen's circle of friends and found the photo she posted when they had supper that night.

It turned out to be Ying Shu.

Considering the news that Qin Chu clarified, everything makes sense.

He instantly felt relieved, but then he felt a little amused by his sudden emotion. He was just worrying about nothing, letting jealousy strangle him like a thread.

He leaned against the door, sighed softly, and put away his phone.

In the morning, Yan Zhen woke up from her sleep. Without opening her eyes, she turned over habitually and then felt like she had hit a wall.

It's very hard, but when you touch it closely it's soft and warm. When you put your palm on it, you can feel the regular beating under the fabric.

So strange.

She was not fully awake and thought it was the person-sized teddy bear on her bed, so she raised her legs and pressed it down, burying her face in it.

But before he finished the action, a clear and cold voice came from above his head: "How long do you want to touch me?"

Yan Zhen was startled and completely sober. She asked in disbelief, "Why are you in my bed?"

Chen Huaixu's voice was husky and lazy, a sign of someone not fully awake yet: "Do you want to take a closer look? Whose bed is this?"

The curtains were closed and the room was dark. Yan Zhen groped to turn on the bedside lamp. After half-squinting her eyes to adjust to the light, she realized that this was indeed an unfamiliar room.

"Chen Huaixu...you..." Her voice was trembling, "How come we...I wasn't..."

He also sat up and looked at her panicked look with interest, and said, "So what?"

Yan Zhen grabbed the pillow and threw it over, saying, "How dare you!"

She would never have thought that she would sleep in the same bed with Chen Huaixu.

Did they last night...

But she didn't feel any discomfort, as if it was not consistent with the knowledge she had learned.

She was shocked and confused, then she heard Chen Huaixu slowly speak: "You drank too much at the bar last night. If I hadn't picked you up, where do you think you would be when you woke up today?"

Yan Zhen was speechless: "I... I didn't expect..."

"But thanks to this time, I wouldn't have known you were so difficult to deal with when you were drunk."

"What's the meaning?"

"Nothing," Chen Huaixu said casually, "You just kept holding me."

"How is that possible!" Yan Zhen was embarrassed and angry, but there was no pillow nearby, so she could only pull the quilt over his head. Chen Huaixu easily blocked it and said, "I'm afraid you don't believe me, so I kept some evidence."

He took out the phone from the bedside table, pressed a few buttons, and handed it to her.

It was a video of only a few seconds. In the video, she was holding Chen Huaixu's hand tightly and refused to let go. He tried to pull it away several times but failed. She looked very persistent.

How shameful! How could she do such a thing to Chen Huaixu!

Yan Zhen got anxious and snatched the phone to delete the video. Chen Huaixu slowly raised the phone and said, "What are you afraid of? It's just a normal drunk video."

There was nothing wrong with the video; the key was the content she couldn't accept. She'd always wanted to outdo Chen Huaixu, but after drinking too much, she'd actually done something so shameful. This would definitely be something he could use to manipulate her. How could she hold her head up in front of him?

Yan Zhen clutched the bed sheet tightly and asked, "How much do you want?"

"What use do I have for money? It's not like I don't have any."

"and you……"

"You want me to delete it?" He raised his eyebrows slightly. "Okay, but you have to promise me one thing."

She felt that this person must have bad intentions, but she had to lower her head and asked hesitantly, "What's the matter?"

"There's a party this weekend, and you have to accompany me."

Yan Zhen didn't expect this and was speechless for a long time: "That's it?"

"Why do you sound a little regretful?" Chen Huaixu smiled and put down his phone. "That's it."

Yan Zhen gritted her teeth and agreed, "No problem. But you have to promise me, preferably with a signature, that you will delete this video immediately after participating, and you are not allowed to use this incident to mock me in the future."

"Don't worry, I always keep my word."

Yan Zhen was so angry that she rolled over and got out of bed. She felt that she had been tricked by him and was very unwilling to accept it. She turned around and glared at him, then asked, "What party? Why do you want me to go?"

Chen Huaixu reached out and pressed the curtain button. The heavy curtains slowly opened to both sides. The sunlight instantly poured in, casting a layer of shimmering gold on the floor.

He turned his back to the window, facing the light, and slowly raised the corners of his lips and said, "Of course it's because you are the only suitable candidate."

For several days afterward, Yan Zhen threw herself into her studies. When the final draft of her thesis was due, her advisor raised a few minor issues and asked her to revise it. She didn't dare neglect it, running back and forth between school and home every day, laptop in hand, and turning down numerous dinner invitations.

That night, the clock ticked towards 12:30 in the morning.

Yan Zhen lay at the table, looking tiredly at the computer screen, the coffee beside him had long gone cold.

Writing a paper was too boring, especially late at night when she had no inspiration. She opened her phone, scrolled through the list, and sent a message to Ying Shu first.

A voice message came back quickly, with some noise in the background: "Hello, if you have anything, let's talk tomorrow. Bye."

She had no choice but to find a few more people, but they were either asleep or enjoying the nightlife. In short, no one could chat with her at this time.

Yan Zhen wanted to give up a little bit. She slumped her upper body on the table and slid her fingertips across the WeChat list until she saw Chen Huaixu's name.

As agreed, she had to accompany him to the party tomorrow. Since she couldn't find anyone else anyway, after hesitating for a long time, Yan Zhen tentatively sent him an emoticon.

Surprisingly, the other party replied quickly: Still not asleep?

She didn't expect that Chen Huaixu actually replied. She was at a loss for a moment, her fingers stopped on the keyboard, not knowing how to respond.

Seeing that she didn't move, the other party called her directly five minutes later.

Yan Zhen picked up the phone in a panic, and Chen Huaixu asked her directly, "What's wrong? Do you want to talk to me about something?"

"Nothing, just writing a paper, kind of bored."

"Um."

She tried to ask back, "It's past midnight, why aren't you asleep yet? Mr. Chen has a very rich nightlife."

A light laugh came from the receiver, making her ears numb. "If working overtime is considered nightlife."

"Are you working overtime?" She was a little surprised. "What time is it?"

"I just finished and am about to go home." Chen Huaixu said, "Wait a minute, I have to drive soon, so I need to change my headphones first."

It was very quiet on the other end of the phone, and you could even hear a faint echo. It was empty and cold, like a parking lot.

Chen Huaixu spoke again, indicating that he had put on his headphones. Yan Zhen turned on the speaker, placed his phone on the table, and said, "You're so busy! I'm not going to have to work overtime until midnight like you after I graduate, am I?"

"It depends on the nature of the job and career plan." The sound of the car door closing came, and Chen Huaixu said, "No

But if you choose this line of work, you must be prepared for hard work.”

It was late at night, and Yan Zhen had long since put those insignificant little grudges behind her. She asked curiously, "Do you ever feel stressed out? For example, when you don't want to do this anymore?"

"There are times when I feel very stressed, but I've never thought of giving up. After all, I chose this path myself." Chen Huaixu drove, the hazy night before him. "Are you feeling very stressed right now?"

"It's okay, isn't that what writing a paper is like?" Yan Zhen grabbed the pen and drew circles on the paper boredly.

"If you have any questions, you can go find Yan Zhao, or come to me directly. Don't keep it to yourself." His tone was surprisingly gentle, and the fatigue from working overtime was completely invisible. "Also, if you are not in a hurry to submit, I don't recommend staying up late to write. You will think more clearly when you are well rested."

It was hard to imagine that late at night, Chen Huaixu actually became her life mentor.

Yan Zhen hummed, unable to find a topic to continue the conversation. She remained silent, and Chen Huaixu didn't say anything either, and the two of them fell silent.

She thought the call would end tacitly, so she turned around and tapped away for a while. A few minutes later, she glanced back and saw that her phone was still active. She asked in surprise, "Chen Huaixu?"

A voice soon came from the other end: "I'm here."

"Are you still driving?"

"Um."

"Why don't you hang up the phone?"

"Wait until you hang up."

She pursed her lips, supported her chin with her hand, glanced at the call time, and unknowingly chatted with him for almost twenty minutes.

After chatting with him for a while about all sorts of things, Yan Zhen gradually felt sleepy, her eyelids became heavy, and she fell asleep without any warning.

Chen Huaixu happened to have also arrived home. When he heard that the person on the other end of the line hadn't replied, he asked, "Yan Zhen?"

No response.

After waiting for a few seconds, he called her again in a low voice: "Zhenzhen?"

The only answer he got was the quiet, steady breathing from the other end of the line.

He thought of her peaceful sleeping face.

After the lights in the living room were turned on, the lonely house was filled with even lonelier lights.

He leaned against the door and said softly into the phone with a smile: "Good night, baby."

Because she fell asleep on the table, Yan Zhen's shoulders were stiff when she woke up the next day. She simply stretched her shoulders and began to try on clothes one by one in the cloakroom.

She has always been very concerned about social occasions such as parties. Although she was accompanying Chen Huaixu, her face was her own. She had to always keep her image perfect. This was her self-esteem and pride.

In the evening, when Chen Huaixu came to pick her up, Yan Zhen turned around proudly in front of him, showing off her achievements and said, "How is it? I hope I won't embarrass you today?"

He leaned against the car, a smile on his lips, and said, "Isn't it a bit too grand?"

"Didn't you say this party was important?" Yan Zhen lowered her head and glanced at her skirt. "Then should I change into another one?"

"No need," he opened the passenger door and motioned for her to get in. "It's beautiful. It's my honor."

Yan Zhen followed Chen Huaixu to the party venue.

She heard that today was the birthday of one of Chen Huaixu's business partners. She originally thought it would be in a hotel or a bar, but she didn't expect the location to be a small villa with a garden.

Chen Huaixu parked the car and took her inside. Yan Zhen was still thinking about the video, so she stopped walking for a while and asked him to take out his phone to delete the video before they reached the party.

She looked up at him and said, "You said you would accompany you to the party. Now that I'm here, you can keep your promise."

"The party hasn't started yet. If I promise you now, what if you run away?"

She snorted, "I'm not such a dishonest person."

"Me too, so you can trust me." He bent his elbow slightly, motioning for her to take his arm. "Let's go, Princess."

Yan Zhen felt a little embarrassed and annoyed when such a "middle school" word came out of his mouth, thinking that he was deliberately mocking her. She reluctantly put her arm around him and whispered a threat: "Don't call me that again."

If other people heard this, she would be so ashamed.

Chen Huaixu said nonchalantly, "Don't you like this name very much? You even made me change the note to this."

It was a bet between the two of them about WeChat notes two or three years ago. Chen Huaixu lost to her for the first time ever, so Yan Zhen forced him to change his note to "Her Royal Highness the Princess" and ordered him not to change it for a week.

During that week, she sent him messages frantically, trying to make sure that whenever Chen Huaixu opened WeChat, he would see her dialog box at a glance, reminding him of his failure at all times.

He must have been very unwilling and felt disgusted, bored and annoyed.

That’s what Yan Zhen thought.

The two continued walking forward and soon saw the swimming pool in the yard and the brightly lit buildings.

Chen Huaixu led her in. The moment the door opened, everyone in the room looked over at him.

"Oh, we finally have Mr. Chen here." A man in his thirties came over with a wine glass, his every move exuding the demeanor of a successful man.

"It's Mr. Du's birthday, so of course I have to come and show my support." Chen Huaixu nodded in response, "The gift has already been delivered. I came empty-handed today, so I hope Mr. Du won't blame me."

"Hahahaha—" the man called Mr. Du laughed, "Mr. Chen is really modest. Your willingness to come has already added a lot of glory to my birthday party. Why would you care about gifts?

"Come on, come on, come in." He extended his hand to greet her, and then mentioned Yan Zhen who was standing beside him, "Mr. Chen finally brought a female companion this time, and she's so beautiful. I was just saying that if you were still alone this time, I would definitely introduce you to someone."

So, Chen Huaixu brought her here to avoid romantic opportunities?

The living room of the villa was full of faces that Yan Zhen didn't recognize. Chen Huaixu took her to a brief introduction, but was afraid that she would feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation, so he stayed by her side the whole time.

Soon, someone laughed and joked, "I didn't expect Mr. Chen to be so clingy. Is he afraid that we'll eat this beautiful woman?"

Yan Zhen felt a little embarrassed and pushed him, saying, "Go quickly."

"Can you do it alone?"

"Of course, don't underestimate me."

"Okay, call me if you need anything."

Chen Huaixu walked away, and was soon surrounded by people talking about something. Yan Zhen was alone for a while, and a girl came over and invited her to play poker.

"The food outside isn't ready yet, so we'll have to wait a while. Do you know how to play? Do you want to play with us?"

Yan Zhen glanced at Chen Huaixu who was chatting with others on the side, and thought that it would be boring to be alone, so he might as well find something to do. So he nodded and followed her to the card table.

Yan Zhen's card skills were not superb, but she had played with Yan Zhao many times and had learned some tricks. She thought she could handle an ordinary card game, but she didn't expect that those present were all veterans who had been in the business and social scene. They were all experienced and far beyond her ability to deal with.

So for five or six rounds in a row, Yan Zhen didn't even get close to winning.

She was very unwilling to give up. If she were at home, she would have quit playing and left long ago. But after all, it was a public place and she was a guest. She could not lose her composure. She could only try to keep calm and look forward to the end of the game.

The onlookers couldn't stand it anymore and simply dragged Chen Huaixu over.

The sofa beside him sank a little, and a familiar smell came over him. Yan Zhen subconsciously moved to the side.

Chen Huaixu naturally put his arm around her waist.

The movements were extremely familiar and intimate, and were observed silently by a group of people around.

Yan Zhen began to regret it. The sofa was comfortable and spacious for one person, but it was a bit cramped for two people, forcing them to huddle close together. His body heat permeated the fabric, and his light, shallow breaths fell on her ears, making her feel uncomfortable no matter how she sat.

Chen Huaixu glanced at the battle situation on the table, turned his head and asked her, "Do you still want to play?"

Yan Zhen was a little depressed after losing: "I don't want to play anymore. I keep losing."

The man opposite immediately shouted, "Mr. Chen, if you want to come and play, that would be considered foreign aid. I don't recognize you. At most, I can play one game with you."

Chen Huaixu reached out and pushed out all of Yan Zhen's remaining chips, saying, "One round is enough."

Just give it a go completely.

Everyone present was shocked, obviously not expecting Chen Huaixu to be so ruthless.

"Venture capital is different. Mr. Chen's courage is truly admirable." The person on the left smiled and put out his own chips. "Then I will also risk my life to accompany you."

The atmosphere was so intense that the man across from Yan Zhen had no choice but to follow suit. The table was filled with chips, and what had originally been a game of cards for fun instantly became a battle of fate, with everything on the line.

Yan Zhen was a little nervous, and asked Chen Huaixu in a low voice, half-believing and half-doubting, "Are you sure?"

He answered seriously, "No."

"Then why are you so confident?"

"If I'm not confident, how can I let them gamble with me?"

Yan Zhen felt that this man's psychological warfare was truly terrifying, and couldn't help but continue asking, "But you're not sure yourself. If you lose, you'll really have nothing."

He said calmly, "If I lose, I lose. It's not my bargaining chip anyway."

Yan Zhen: “What?”

She was so angry that she pinched his thigh hard under the table and scolded him in a low voice: "How can you be so shameless?"

It turned out that this was his real purpose. She was the one paying anyway. If he won, he would get the applause, and if he lost, she would bear all the material losses.

Yan Zhen wanted to drive this troublemaker away.

"Want to make a bet?" Chen Huaixu slowly and calmly hooked her fingers under the table, looking very comfortable. "What if I win?"

Yan Zhen pulled her hand back, not wanting him to touch her. She didn't believe he would win, and asked, "What if you lose?"

The fingers around her waist tightened, and he smiled very lightly, saying, "If I lose, you can do whatever you want to me. If I win—" He paused deliberately, "How about you do whatever I want to you?"

She clenched her fingertips, her cheeks heating up unconsciously, and gritted her teeth, "If you lose, you'll lose face. I don't care about this little money, so I won't gamble with you."

Chen Huaixu didn't seem surprised by her refusal, so he spoke slowly and confidently: "Yan Zhen, you are scared."

The shuffling had already begun. His gaze fell on the table, focused and calm, clearly immersed in the game. However, he still spared a moment, chuckling softly as he delivered a fatal blow to her. "But, what are you afraid of, losing to me, or the consequences of losing to me?"

Yan Zhen couldn't hold back her anger, bit her lips, and pinched him hard.

Provoking someone is a tactic that always works for Yan Zhen.

She looked at the card game, feeling both unwilling and hesitant. Unwilling because she had actually backed down in the confrontation with Chen Huaixu, which made her feel extremely ashamed; and hesitant because she actually believed that Chen Huaixu would win and she was destined to accept defeat.

How is that possible?

When did she start to trust Chen Huaixu so much?

Yan Zhen felt that her sudden thought was ridiculous, but then she thought that she might be just like the others, intimidated by Chen Huaixu's firm and confident tone, and thus weakened in momentum.

Maybe he was just pretending to save face?

She gritted her teeth and said, "Let's bet, but let me make it clear first, you can't..."

"There's no such thing as can or cannot," Chen Huaixu interrupted her, "I don't negotiate conditions."

The two people spoke in low voices, and the onlookers thought they were just whispering intimately, so they considerately stepped aside to give them some private space.

"If you want to play, play it thoroughly." He glanced at her sideways. "If you're afraid, don't gamble."

The look he gave her was too aggressive. When Yan Zhen looked at him, she felt as if he wanted to eat her up completely.

Yan Zhen couldn't bear to lose her momentum, so she continued to be stubborn: "Aren't you afraid that you will lose and then be humiliated and tortured by me?"

He said slowly: "I'm not afraid. After all, I'm willing to accept the loss."

He was so frank, but she was timid. Wouldn't she be laughed at if it got out?

And if he really lost, he would be willing to let her do whatever she wanted. This condition was really tempting, which meant that if Yan Zhen wanted Chen Huaixu to work like a slave for her, he would have to agree no matter how aggrieved he was.

There are so many variables in a card game, who can guarantee that they will win?

Yan Zhen turned around and glanced at the other three opponents. His palms were sweating. He steeled himself and said fiercely, "Don't cheat."

She just didn't believe he could really win.

Chen Huaixu smiled gently and said, "Don't worry."

Yan Zhen had never really watched Chen Huaixu play cards seriously before. Occasionally, when Chen Huaixu played with Yan Zhao and the others, she was more concerned about the outcome. She had never watched his every move with such intense concentration as she did today.

He looked at the card game seriously, his expression very calm, so calm that it was impossible to detect any emotion on his face, and it was even more impossible to guess whether the cards in his hand were good or bad.

In the psychological warfare of the game, there is no doubt that he has the upper hand.

Yan Zhen glanced at the battle situation on the field, then leaned over to take a look at the cards in Chen Huaixu's hand. Still a little unsure, she scratched his waist to try to distract him, but he caught her finger and whispered, "Is this considered a violation?"

Yan Zhen retorted: "This isn't part of our agreement."

"Getting smarter."

He curled the corners of his lips, but was not in a hurry. He grabbed the cards with one hand and placed them on the edge of the table, while with the other hand he reciprocated by scratching her waist.

Yan Zhen was startled and immediately grabbed his hand, not allowing him to move at all.

He didn't force it, but simply pulled his hand back, as if to tell her that if she interfered with him, then he would get it back.

Seeing his calm expression, Yan Zhen became even more furious. She could only pin her hopes on the other three people and secretly pray in her heart that they would win.

Chen Huaixu was still chatting with her effortlessly, but the other three people's expressions were becoming increasingly serious. The atmosphere at the card game was solemn.

After fooling around for a while, she finally calmed down and focused her attention again, only to find that the situation on the field was already turning towards Chen Huaixu.

She couldn't believe it. They were evenly matched just now, how could the situation suddenly change?

The game was at a stalemate, and the onlookers were completely silent. A heavy atmosphere descended, and Yan Zhen couldn't help but get nervous, watching the game intently.

Time passed slowly. After Chen Huaixu played his card again, the man who had been biting him seemed unable to cope any longer. He gritted his teeth and said, "I won't follow you anymore."

At this moment, Chen Huaixu's flawless expression finally relaxed a little. He raised his eyebrows slightly, threw away the last card in his hand, and said calmly, "Thank you."

He really won.

The crowd erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, so overwhelming and enthusiastic that even Yan Zhen was a little stunned. She had never expected that he could actually win it all in a single round.

Everyone was praising and admiring her, but Chen Huaixu turned his head away, lowered his eyes, looked at her and smiled, and said, "You won, are you happy?"

It was as if everything he did was just to make her smile.

All the chips were pushed in front of Yan Zhen like a small mountain. Although the money was nothing, she felt a great sense of satisfaction.

After losing so many games, I can finally see the unwilling expressions on other people's faces, which really makes me feel proud.

Her heart beat a little faster, she nodded, the corners of her lips raised slightly, and said, "Happy."

"As long as you're happy." Chen Huaixu was in a good mood. His light words brought her back to reality. He said meaningfully, "I'm happy too if you win."

I'm not happy because I won the cards, but because I won the bet.

Yan Zhen understood the implication in the words and came back to his senses from the joy of winning, his smile frozen on his lips.

After the card game ended and the poolside meal was ready, everyone joked and headed outside. It was a bit chilly outside, and Chen Huaixu was about to get her coat, but Yan Zhen pulled him away, glared at him, and hurried off to get it himself.

It was obvious that she was unwilling to accept the loss, so she was in a bad mood and didn't want to pay attention to him.

Someone noticed this, and although they didn't understand why, they still joked, "Mr. Chen just won so happily, but now it seems like he doesn't appreciate it."

Chen Huaixu was not annoyed, and his eyes followed Yan Zhen's back.

The man saw Yan Zhen take her coat and walked straight outside. He walked to Chen Huaixu's side, handed him a cigarette, and sighed, "She is beautiful, but her personality is too delicate. She doesn't know how to give a man face in this kind of situation. She is not sensible. Doesn't Mr. Chen feel annoyed sometimes?"

Most people in the industry have countless women around them. That man saw that Yan Zhen was young, beautiful, and prone to temper, so he just thought it was Chen Huaixu's whim, so he spoiled her and threw her away when he got tired of her. After all, in their industry, the work pressure is high, so who wouldn't choose the considerate Jieyuhua in the end?

Chen Huaixu declined politely: "She doesn't like me smoking."

Then, he replied calmly, "There's nothing wrong with having a delicate personality. It's very cute, and I like her very much. I hope Mr. Li can be more careful with his words in the future. I'm a petty person and can't stand anyone saying bad things about her."

The man was taken aback by the sudden chill in his tone, realizing that his casual comments about Yan Zhen had upset Chen Huaixu. He hadn't expected Chen Huaixu to be serious, and immediately wanted to apologize, but Chen Huaixu didn't give him a chance. Instead, he followed Yan Zhen's direction and walked out of the house.

The man stood there, a little stunned, and scratched his hair in annoyance.

Everyone had a barbecue by the pool, chatting and laughing. Towards the end, a few people came over pushing a small cart with a three-layer cake on it, singing "Happy Birthday" as they walked.

As everyone watched, the birthday girl closed her eyes and made a wish. Then she blew out the candles and said with a smile, "Since there are so many people, everyone can divide the cake among themselves."

"It's a shame to eat such a good cake." Someone shouted, and then a hand stretched out from the crowd, pinched a little cream with the fingertips, and spread it on the birthday boy's face.

Like a fuse, it instantly ignited a frenzy. A group of adults, yet they were completely childish in this matter. No one wanted to eat the cake, but instead used cream as a weapon, smearing it on the faces of those around them.

Yan Zhen hated this kind of scene the most; she didn't want to get dirty and sticky. So she turned and walked out of the crowd, but she didn't expect the crowd to be so crazy. As she hurried past, someone rubbed her cheek.

She wiped it with her hand, but it seemed that the area was getting wider. She was so anxious that she could only run to find Chen Huaixu. After all, he was the only person she was familiar with here.

Chen Huaixu did not join in this crazy prank, but leaned in a corner alone. He saw Yan Zhen rushing towards him and thought she was going to throw cream at him. His face showed no reaction, but he calmly prepared to dodge.

Unexpectedly, Yan Zhen just rushed over, handed him a tissue, and said, "Quick, help me clean it."

She has always been concerned about her image and could not tolerate having her face stained in such an occasion, especially with something as sticky as cream.

Chen Huaixu took the tissue, lowered his head, and looked at her cheek seriously, saying, "Come closer."

Yan Zhen stood on tiptoe and tried hard to move her cheek closer.

Their eyes met, and she turned away in an attempt to hide her gaze, but her fingers unconsciously pinched the hem of her skirt.

"Hurry up," she urged.

The crowd behind them was making a lot of noise. They were in a corner with their heads very close to each other. When someone accidentally saw them, they thought they were kissing and whistled in an exaggerated manner.

Yan Zhen was shy and quickly touched her cheek and stepped back, "Are you done wiping?"

"I'm done." Chen Huaixu threw the tissue into the trash can. "Okay, it's time for us to say goodbye."

"Are you leaving?" She was a little confused. "But I just heard them say there are activities after the cake."

“We won’t participate in the rest.”

"Oh." Yan Zhen thought he had something else to say. After all, she just followed him here, so it was not appropriate to say anything else.

The cheers not far away were very lively. Chen Huaixu held her hand, and his low voice seemed to be tinged with ambiguity in the night: "Let them have their fun, we go back and have our own things to do."