episode 35
Ten minutes later, Mo Shilin and He Xun arrived at the charity auction venue.
With some time to go before filming officially begins, the two naturally went to the rest area to wait.
The air conditioning inside was very strong, and burgundy red carpets were spread all over the floor. The food and beverage station offered tea, snacks and drinks. Not far away, there was an electronic bidding terminal for remote bidding from outside the venue. Several sets of black leather sofas were already occupied, with people in suits and ties chatting and laughing.
As soon as he stepped into the hall, Mo Shilin changed his indifferent expression and asked He Xun to come closer to him, even gesturing for He Xun to take his arm.
He Xun was deeply impressed.
As capitalists, no matter how many sordid and unsavory things happen in private, they will never show it in front of outsiders. So-called high-society marriages are probably conducted in this way.
As soon as He Xun got close to Mo Shilin, he smelled a faint scent of alcohol. He frowned and grabbed Mo Shilin's sleeve: "You should drink less alcohol in the future."
To everyone's surprise, Mo Shilin glanced at his hand, chuckled, and said in a low, teasing voice, "Is it Aunt Mu who wants me to drink less, or is it what you wanted?"
He Xun knew that he was referring to what He Xun had said at the dinner table when He Xun brought him milk earlier.
They weren't familiar with each other before, so he was just following Aunt Mu's orders. Now that they're closer, it's not wrong for him to show some concern, but he didn't know how to explain it. He pursed his lips and simply remained silent.
Fortunately, soon many people came up to talk to Mo Shilin, so the tense atmosphere did not last long.
Coincidentally, one of the people who came to say hello was one of the people who had eaten at the dinner table when He Xun delivered milk to Mo Shilin that night.
He recognized He Xun almost instantly.
No one will forget this face.
And the way he looked that night, drinking with his head tilted back under the bright white chandelier.
That's fucking awesome!
While lost in his fantasies, he teased Mo Shilin, "Oh, isn't this... that little milkman? Well, you brought him out so quickly?"
This guy runs a live streaming platform, and the platform's style is a bit off-the-beaten-path, which affects how he, as the boss, talks—somewhat unreliable things.
Mo Shilin narrowed his eyes and naturally put his arm around He Xun's shoulder, pulling him into his arms, clearly asserting his ownership: "It would be a pity not to bring such a handsome man out."
The man was startled by the fleeting warning in his eyes and unconsciously chuckled and took two steps back: "As expected of President Mo, you would never do something as wasteful as this."
As she spoke, she glanced at He Xun's neck, and when she caught sight of that dazzling white, her tone couldn't help but become teasing: "This necklace is really nice. Your young master really dotes on you. I've never seen him bring anyone to an event in all these years. You're the first one."
"You—" The man paused subtly, took a few steps closer, and smiled lewdly, "You...you've managed to win him over quite a bit, haven't you?"
He wouldn't dare joke with Mo Shilin, but given his status and position, wouldn't he dare to play around with the little thing next to Mo Shilin?
No matter how beautiful a natural object is, it is still a plaything for the rich.
Actually, he's not wrong to think that way, since this kind of relationship is the norm in the industry.
Unfortunately, the two people in front of us are that one in ten thousand exception.
The feeling of being treated like a plaything was really unpleasant. He Xun's face turned cold, and he was about to speak when a hand suddenly slid down his shoulder. He looked up in surprise and saw Mo Shilin gently stroking his back with his warm palm, and then putting his arm around his shoulder along his arched shoulder blade and patting it twice.
The message was clearly intended to appease.
"......"
He Xun closed his eyes, his rationality returning.
He couldn't afford to lose face in this situation, especially since he was the one who volunteered to come along. It wouldn't hurt to put up with it for the sake of business, and there was no need to get carried away with words here.
Seeing that he had calmed down, Mo Shilin glanced at the man and said casually, "You speak so sourly and don't even have a companion. I'll assume you're just jealous of me."
As he spoke, he raised his leg and kicked the man like he was kicking an insignificant animal, a wicked smile on his face: "Get lost!"
What appears to be a joke is actually an insult and a warning.
Being told to get lost so bluntly by Mo Shilin, who was always so polite to everyone, was a first for the person. Inevitably, everyone's eyes were drawn to them, and they whispered among themselves. The person's face immediately turned as red as a tomato. Shame and anger shot from the shinbone that had been kicked to the top of his head. His lips twitched, but he didn't dare to kick back. He could only swallow the words "get lost" in humiliation. Before leaving, he raised his glass to Mo Shilin with a smile and said that he had to go say hello to other friends and had to excuse himself.
After saying that, he quickly squatted down, patted his trouser leg, and stormed off.
The people completely disappeared.
"You didn't kick me hard enough." He Xun was still angry and turned his head away with a cold face.
"Darling," Mo Shilin chuckled, pulling him to sit on the sofa. "Wouldn't it be a bit too unseemly for me, the president of a major internet company, to kick him like crazy in a situation like this?"
He Xun imagined that scene.
All right...
That would indeed seem like a display of impotent rage; a subtle warning like this is far more intimidating.
The thought of Mo Shilin kicking people so hard with such a handsome face made He Xun feel ridiculous, and he couldn't help but laugh, a beautiful curve forming at the corner of his eye.
Mo Shilin stared at his profile for a while before turning him around so he was facing him, and said with a hint of amusement, "You don't like these kinds of occasions but you insisted on coming along. Do you have masochistic tendencies?"
He Xun avoided eye contact, pursed his lips, and looked a little shy, a rare occurrence for him: "I wanted to stay with you."
Mo Shilin sneered, almost blurting out, "I don't believe you for a second."
After sitting for a while, Mo Shilin slowly said, "This is how it is here."
"Chatting and laughing." A hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes. "Pretending."
He Xun looked up at him and thought of the row of computer competition trophies in his bedroom cabinet. He suddenly wanted to ask him, "How did someone who has loved dealing with computers since childhood end up becoming a 'vulgar' businessman?"
But looking into the other person's cold eyes, she thought better of it.
Why bring up someone's painful past?
Lost in thought, He Xun looked around and finally spotted Huo Liang at the entrance of the venue.
After Huo Liang came in, he greeted the others and then headed towards the restroom.
He Xun's expression hardened. He was about to get up and follow when he noticed that Mo Shilin's hand was still on his shoulder, and he was looking down at his phone with his other hand.
"Young Master Mo."
He Xun called out to him helplessly, "I'm going to the restroom."
As more and more people gathered in the hall, the conversations became increasingly noisy. Mo Shilin didn't hear clearly at first, so he leaned down and asked, "What?"
“I said—” He Xun had no choice but to hold his shoulder and whisper in his ear, “I’m going to the restroom.”
He thought Mo Shilin would let go of him immediately, but unexpectedly the hands on his body tightened even more.
He Xun felt a little uncomfortable being held so tightly, and frowned as he asked, "What's wrong?"
After a long pause, Mo Shilin stared at him with deep eyes, his voice icy: "The auction will begin in ten minutes."
I have to be back by his side in ten minutes.
The man's eyes revealed an indescribable lust and a desire for control.
He Xun was taken aback, then nodded subconsciously as if bewitched: "Yes, I will keep track of the time."
*
Public restroom.
After a series of flushing sounds, Huo Liang pushed open the door of the last cubicle and walked to the sink to wash his hands.
While I was washing, a young man came in.
Huo Liang slowly squeezed out a pump of hand sanitizer and subconsciously looked at the person in the mirror.
His gaze swept upwards, from the other person's expensive suit to their face, and then up to their dark eyes—they met.
The other person stared at him intently.
Huo Liang was startled, but quickly gave a faint smile.
The young man smiled and nodded at him.
Huo Liang quickly washed his hands, took out a tissue from his suit pocket to dry them, and then turned around to greet him: "Are you here for the auction too?"
Today he wore a white haute couture suit with a black bow tie. He looked a hundred times more handsome in person than in photos. His hair was meticulously styled, his eyebrows and eyes were deep-set, his bone structure was prominent, and his overall temperament even gave people a mixed-race feel. It was just a pity that he had dark circles under his eyes and looked haggard. It was obvious that he had been quite tormented by his wife He Lianmeng's infidelity recently.
He Xun quickly glanced at the other person's slightly hunched back in the mirror opposite him. The white fabric in the mirror reflected the light and emitted a dazzling white light.
He narrowed his eyes.
Is Huo Liang's personality really as good as the rumors online suggest...?
"Yes." A look of confusion appeared on his face, and his tone was a little embarrassed. "I was going to the rest area, but I went to the wrong place and only realized that this was the restroom when I came in."
Huo Liang was quite understanding: "This place is indeed very large and has a complicated layout. It's inevitable that people who come here for the first time will not be able to find their way."
"Could you please take me there?" He Xun asked, looking somewhat hesitant.
"No problem, I was just about to go too, come with me."
Thank you.
The two walked a few steps apart, one after the other, when He Xun suddenly stopped, as if he had just recognized him, and asked in surprise, "Excuse me, are you... actor Huo Liang?"
Huo Liang had experienced this kind of flattery many times, but his expression remained unchanged, the smile as if it were etched on his face: "It's me."
"Sorry, actually I thought you looked like me when I first saw you, but I was too shy to ask. It really is you! Oh my god! No wonder you're so handsome. I'm so glad I asked, or I would have missed you." He Xun's tone was a little excited. "I really like your role in Stars Descend, it's very interesting."
Huo Liang, who had been smiling politely, finally showed a hint of surprise in his eyes when he heard the name of the TV series he had acted in in his early years.
Aside from fans, people in the industry usually just say they like him politely when they hear him say they like him, and rarely say which of his works they like, let alone when he was still an unknown student when he starred in this TV series.
It's quite remarkable that this person could actually say it.
It seems she really likes him.
The distance between the two seemed to shrink considerably as they walked out of the restroom, chatting and laughing.
There is a long corridor between the rest area and the venue, and many female celebrities and wealthy businesswomen came up to greet Huo Liang along the way.
"Huo Liang, it's been a long time."
A variety of female stars took turns appearing, their graceful and alluring bodies always seemingly brushing against Huo Liang, as if to say, "You're even more handsome now."
Huo Liang, on the other hand, was extremely gentlemanly and always treated her with politeness. He neither did anything out of line nor said anything inappropriate, appearing to be a good man who was distressed for his wife.
"No, you look even prettier than last time."
"......"
He Xun thoughtfully averted his gaze.
Is Huo Liang really the good man in the public eye?
Was he really as innocent as he appeared in this farce with his wife, He Lianmeng?
Although these women took the initiative to strike up a conversation, why were they only like this towards Huo Liang?
Other male celebrities were also present, but they never spoke to others in such an ambiguous manner.
There's always some special reason.
He Xun decided to test the waters.
When Huo Liang walked over, he deliberately leaned close to Huo Liang's ear and whispered ambiguously, "Brother Huo, if you have any fun, don't forget to share some with your little brother."
Upon hearing the pointed remark, Huo Liang's face visibly stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered and smiled helplessly, "What fun do I have? I've been too busy with family matters lately. But we got along very well today. We can exchange contact information and have dinner together sometime."
He Xun certainly didn't miss the momentary panic Huo Liang showed, nor did he miss the look that lingered on Huo Liang's clothes and necklace.
Clearly, the other party thought he was a noble young master from some family and wanted to befriend him.
He Xun readily agreed.
After adding each other's contact information, Huo Liang seemed to suddenly realize something and pointed to the gemstone necklace around He Xun's neck, saying, "So you bought this necklace."
He Xun certainly wouldn't expose him, even though the other party's acting was really clumsy.
Being an actor in mainland China is definitely the easiest thing to do.
He was about to say something to make excuses and then go find Mo Shilin when the other man's next words froze him in place: "It was only posted a few minutes ago on the official website yesterday before it was taken down. So you bought it."
He Xun: "Huh?"
“This necklace was handcrafted by the late jewelry design master Isabella.” Huo Liang didn’t doubt that he was wearing a fake. After all, those who could enter this auction were not ordinary people. Huo Liang’s tone was unusually envious. “There is only one of its kind. The price is one hundred million.”
"!"
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