Chapter 43 [VIP]
As soon as the host finished speaking, everyone fell silent, their gazes fixed intently on the two of them.
Xu Xing straightened up, his face expressionless, but a faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered in his deep eyes, as if he was not surprised by the sudden invitation.
He strode in with long, steady steps. An invisible aura spread with his steps, and the crowd spontaneously parted to make way for him, not daring to even breathe loudly for a moment.
Jiang Zhuochen watched quietly as Xu Xing walked towards him step by step until he stood beside him.
The host, with keen insight, handed the envelope to Xu Xing and took a few steps back.
Xu Xing lowered his eyes, his gaze lingering for a moment on the envelope in his hand before slowly shifting to Jiang Zhuochen's face. He raised his hand and placed the envelope in Jiang's hand, but didn't immediately pull his hand back. The two were so engrossed in looking at each other that they didn't notice the employees below the stage holding their breath.
The slender hand that was pressing on the envelope, with its fingers slightly bent, covered the other person's hand from an angle that no one could see, with the pad of its thumb pressing on the wrist.
The HR staff on the stage widened their eyes slightly. Had their CEO just moved his finger?
"Going crazy?" Xu Xing's voice was deep, with a hint of indulgence that was barely perceptible.
This action gave the surrounding onlookers a slightly different meaning, and in order to control the expression on their faces, their companions' hands were almost purple from gripping so tightly.
Jiang Zhuochen unconsciously gripped Xu Xing's wrist, his slightly bewildered expression making him look like a cat being stroked. "Everyone had a lot of fun."
He shook their clasped hands. "The special prize—nobody else gets it. Aren't I amazing?"
Now she's a showy little cat.
Xu Xing looked at his fluttering eyelashes and overly easy-to-understand face, smiled, and then very naturally wrapped his arm around the man's wrist, pulling him closer to himself.
"It's time to go home." His voice remained steady, but the way he took her hand carried an irresistible force.
The host stepped forward to give a final summary, jokingly saying with a smile, "These are two tickets that our department went through a lot of trouble to buy. We almost thought we wouldn't be able to give them away, but luckily there were still lucky winners."
She winked at Jiang Zhuochen, "I hope you have fun with the other one."
With the president, another party involved, present, the employees dared not openly cause a commotion. They could only lower their heads and desperately try to suppress their laughter, their eyes meeting and everything was self-evident.
"Thank you." He waved with his other hand, which wasn't holding the envelope. "Goodbye."
As Jiang Zhuochen passed the snack counter, he suddenly remembered something, broke free from Xu Xing's arm, and quickly walked to the messy counter.
Xu Xing did not stop him. He let go of his hand and saw the other person accurately dig out a well-preserved piece of cake with the thickest cream decoration from a pile of paper plates and wrapping paper, and thoughtfully put the packaging box back on.
After taking the cake, he jogged back and, under Xu Xing's slightly helpless gaze, unhesitatingly stuffed the cake into the other's pocket.
"I saved this for you," he said softly, his voice low and reluctant, yet tinged with a hint of pride. "The biggest piece, I've kept it hidden for a long time, and I haven't let anyone touch it."
The pocket of the dark haute couture suit suddenly bulged. Xu Xing was stunned for a moment, then looked up and saw Jiang Zhuochen's expression of wanting to praise him. After a long while, he sighed resignedly and pinched Jiang Zhuochen's cheek. "You're having so much fun and you're still thinking about me?"
Jiang Zhuochen's wrist was pulled back by him, and he followed the other's steps out, tilting his head back and humming: "Think about it when you have time, I'm very busy."
The door closed gently, and a deathly silence lasted for a full five seconds.
The entertainment room erupted in a deafening roar of screams and chatter, the sound waves nearly lifting the ceiling and making the glass vibrate.
"My God!"
"When did the president arrive?! Sister Xinyi, you're so mean!!"
"Did he touch his hand? Did he pinch his cheek?"
"A cake! He stuffed a cake into the CEO's pocket! And that haute couture suit!!"
"Aaaaaaah, I'm dead! What kind of incredible plot is this?!"
"Who recorded that?! Who recorded the moment the CEO touched her hand and pinched her cheek?! I'll pay for a year's worth of bubble tea to buy it!!"
The HR ladies all looked at the surveillance camera. "Keep working hard, because who knows when some unauthorized footage might leak from inside the company."
Back home, Jiang Zhuochen leaned against the sofa back, his fingertips twirling two exquisitely printed tickets. He had never seen an art exhibition in this world before, nor how it differed from the way literati and scholars appreciated paintings back home.
He craned his neck towards Xu Xing, his face full of curiosity. "Was the art exhibition fun?"
Seeing Jiang Zhuochen's eager expression, Xu Xing took the ticket and glanced at it. "I guess it won't be very fun for you. Just appreciate the paintings by famous artists."
"You look down on me." Jiang Zhuochen sat up and rebuked him with her eyes.
"No." Xu Xing's eyes lit up with a smile as he denied it gently. "If you're interested, I can take you to see it this weekend."
"Really?" Jiang Zhuochen immediately leaned closer to him happily.
“However,” Xu Xing changed the subject, drawing out his words, “you also need to do me a favor.”
Jiang Zhuochen's expression changed abruptly, and he moved further away, muttering under his breath, "Why are they even haggling over the price..."
"You're just sitting at home doing nothing anyway," Xu Xing lowered his voice, with a hint of coaxing, "Why don't you go out for a walk, hmm?"
Jiang Zhuochen pursed his lips and considered for a few seconds, then said, "Okay."
At night, the hotel complex is bathed in a dazzling light against the sky. Cars move slowly in the driveway, and a deep red carpet stretches from the main entrance to the revolving door. Even the water droplets splashing from the fountains sparkle like diamonds under the lights.
Inside the banquet hall, crystal chandeliers refracted countless tiny spots of light, scattering across the clinking glasses. The air was filled with the interplay of fine wines and expensive perfumes, creating a unified atmosphere of decadent luxury.
Jiang Zhuochen held Xu Xing's forearm sleeve. The other man was dressed in a well-tailored black suit, with a tall and straight posture. His indifferent face automatically stopped many restless steps.
"What are you doing?" Didn't you say you were just coming over for a meal?
"It's about eating," Xu Xing said, half-jokingly, with a hint of something he couldn't say aloud. "But the people here are so annoying."
Jiang Zhuochen immediately understood, "You need me to be a shield? But what use am I here?"
“Of course it will be useful.” Xu Xing turned his head, the warm light softening his cold features, and even his voice became gentle: “Take my hand.”
"Okay."
Jiang Zhuochen followed him closely, and seeing him take a glass of red wine from a tray held by a passing waiter, he followed suit and took a glass as well.
He listlessly swirled his wine glass, obediently staying within Xu Xing's peripheral vision. His gaze would occasionally drift to the tempting aroma of a cake tower or the dazzling jewelry of a certain lady, but most of the time it remained fixed on Xu Xing's sharply defined profile.
The other party was chatting and laughing with several industry giants, effortlessly pulling each other along, but the content of their conversation was like the scribbled characters on a birthday party standee—he couldn't understand a single word.
A young waiter carrying a tray hurried along, carefully weaving through the crowd. When he reached Jiang Zhuochen's side, perhaps due to the large number of people, he was bumped by someone, causing him to stumble and sway from side to side, spilling the entire tray of wine directly onto an elderly man.
Xu Xing reacted extremely quickly, turning to the side to shield the old man from the splashing liquid with his own back.
The glass shattered on the smooth marble floor, producing a series of crisp, piercing sounds.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" The waiter was so frightened that his face turned pale and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
The surrounding laughter and chatter abruptly stopped, and everyone turned to stare at the scene.
Xu Xing frowned slightly and quickly checked the old man's condition. "Mr. He, are you alright?"
"It's alright, it's alright, thanks to your quick reaction." Old He waved his hand, though he was a little frightened, his eyes showed more admiration for Xu Xing.
The banquet organizers broke out in a cold sweat and rushed over to apologize and have people clean up the mess. A group of people surrounded Xu Xing and asked him to go to the lounge to change his clothes.
Xu Xing turned his head to look at Jiang Zhuochen, who was just a few steps away. Jiang's clear eyes were wide open in surprise at the sudden turn of events.
With so many people around, he walked up to Jiang Zhuochen and whispered, "I'm going to change my clothes and I'll be right back. Wait for me at the dessert section over there. Don't go anywhere else, and don't talk to anyone. Just wait for me, okay?"
Jiang Zhuochen nodded obediently, "Okay, I'll wait for you."
He watched the other person leave towards the lounge, then obediently retreated behind the stacks of desserts. He picked up a piece of chocolate and took a bite, watching until that tall figure disappeared without a trace around the corner of the corridor. The surrounding whispers returned, and he felt a strange emptiness in his heart.
However, Xu Xing's apparent concern for Jiang Zhuochen in front of everyone had already caught the attention of some people with ulterior motives.
Mr. Zhang, who had long struggled to gain access to the Xu family's powerful connections, immediately realized this was a golden opportunity. He picked up his wine glass, a forcedly enthusiastic smile spreading across his face, and casually strolled over to the dessert table, saying warmly, "Oh, isn't this Mr. Jiang? What are you doing here alone? Where's Mr. Xu?"
Jiang Zhuochen remembered Xu Xing's instructions and, not wanting to cause any trouble, simply replied, "He has something to attend to and will be back soon."
"Oh, I see." A glint flashed in Mr. Zhang's eyes. He looked around and noticed a huge decorative potted plant near the entrance to the terrace. The lighting there was slightly dim, creating a small, relatively quiet area that was neither too conspicuous within the main hall's view nor too far removed from the noisy center.
“It’s too noisy here with people coming and going,” Mr. Zhang gestured considerately to the corner, “Mr. Jiang, why don’t you rest over there for a while? It’ll be quieter and easier to wait for Mr. Xu to return.”
His behavior was attentive, as if he were doing it entirely for Jiang Zhuochen's sake.
Jiang Zhuochen wanted to refuse, but the other party's smiling face was full of wrinkles. He was so disgusted that he didn't notice what he was holding in his hand. He took a sip and the strong taste of alcohol choked him.
He really didn't want to cough like an idiot in public, so he waved his hand and walked out, accidentally ending up at the place Mr. Zhang had pointed out.
When Jiang Zhuochen recovered, he found that the other person was also standing in the shadow cast by the potted plant.
The other person opened their arms to block him in, chuckling. "Going back is just waiting idly, why don't I chat with Mr. Jiang here for a while?"
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