Delivery Driver

Jing City, Winter 2010, 8:00 PM.

A silver-gray electric scooter drove into Dongsheng Yuyuan Residential Area. The driver's yellow jacket had "Haotuan Delivery" written on it.

Dongsheng Yuyuan Residential Area was only one kilometer away from Penguin Innovation Building, the headquarters of Penguin Video, one of China's three major video websites. Many Penguin Video employees and executives lived here.

Li Xun parked his electric scooter and took down the takeout. He looked up at the residential building in front of him, lost in thought for a moment.

In his past life, he was a screenwriter. Over more than a decade, he had written scripts for over a dozen film and television dramas intermittently, but he never managed to make a name for himself. Finally, one day, his script was favored by a big director, who was willing to buy it for 500,000 yuan and secure 50 million yuan in investment. That was a full 50 million yuan in investment! He, Li Xun, was about to make it big!

Since the director valued his script so highly, how could he not appreciate the gesture? When the director offered him a toast, he would drink it no matter the cost!

However, Li Xun had always had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Usually, just two taels of baijiu could make him drunk for a whole day. But on the day the movie started shooting, he drank a full half jin.

As a result, when he woke up, he had become the Li Xun of this parallel world—the Haotuan Delivery driver Li Xun.

The original body was too poor. To pay rent and cover his daily meals, he had to continue the original body's job for now, while also taking time to participate in Penguin Video's recruitment exam.

More than ten days ago, the results of Penguin Video's recruitment exam came out. His score was satisfactory. Now, he had successfully passed Penguin Video's interview and received an offer of employment. Starting tomorrow, he would officially begin working at Penguin Video.

Ninth floor, 901.

"Ding dong, ding dong."

The door opened.

It was a young lady wearing a white business suit and a blue skirt. The woman was so beautiful that it made one feel ashamed of oneself. Although Li Xun had been in the entertainment industry in his past life, he had truly met very few women this beautiful.

"Miss, your takeout!"

"Bring it in and put it on that table!"

Li Xun stepped into the room. The first impression the apartment gave Li Xun was its size. It looked at least 150 square meters. Li Xun knew that the housing prices in this complex were not low, with a unit price of around 100,000 yuan. This apartment was worth at least 15 million yuan!

Li Xun arranged the takeout one by one. This order filled an entire table with eight dishes:

Chopped Chili Fish Head, Steamed Cured Meats, Spicy Fried Chicken, Duck Blood, Braised Pork Belly with Pickled Vegetables, Stir-fried Pork with Chili, Sour and Spicy Konjac Tofu, and Bitter Gourd Stuffed with Meat.

All classic Xiang Cuisine.

Just as Li Xun was about to turn and leave, he heard the woman say:

"Today is my birthday, and I've ordered a big table of food, but there's no one to celebrate with. Can you have a drink with me?"

"I'm sorry, I don't drink."

Li Xun was tempted by the beauty's invitation, but with his alcohol tolerance, he was useless in both his past and present lives!

The woman silently found a bottle of water and a bottle of Maotai. Then, she poured a cup full of mineral water and another cup full of Maotai.

She handed the cup filled with water to Li Xun and picked up the cup of Maotai herself.

"Please!"

Saying that, the woman tilted her head back and downed the cup of baijiu in one go.

This was a 3-tael cup, and she finished it in one gulp!

Li Xun was a little dumbfounded.

This woman, who looked so delicate, had an incredibly strong tolerance for alcohol!

Then, Li Xun watched as the woman's face turned red at a visible speed, and she seemed to be standing not on solid ground but on a swaying boat.

Seeing this, Li Xun put down the cup of water he was holding and helped the woman to the nearby sofa.

The woman was completely drunk. She leaned on the sofa, her words slurring intermittently.

"Do you know? I, Dai Ying, was the top scorer in the college entrance examination, the 'heaven's favorite daughter' in my family's eyes! I... came from a remote mountain village... with no background at all. Before the age of 29, I bought such a large apartment in Jing City entirely through my own efforts, paid in full! Do you think I'm not successful enough? I, Dai Ying, am a senior... vice president in a Fortune Global 500 company, a global brand value top 500... enterprise, with an annual salary... of over ten million. Don't I count as successful? You... you say... I... am I successful?"

"Of course, you are. More than successful, you're practically a woman of destiny!"

Li Xun said while thinking, how many dishes did it take to get this drunk! Well, eight dishes, and he delivered them.

The woman draped her arm over Li Xun's shoulder.

"But do you know what my subordinates call me behind my back?"

"What do they call you?" Li Xun asked.

"They... they call me... they call me... an old maid! They call me... the Ice Queen! They call me a destined lonely old woman! Where am I old? I... I'm not even 30 yet this year, where am I old? Why do they call me an old maid? Why do they say I'll never find a man in my life? I really want to fire them all... and then... and then... replace them all with new people!"

"Yes, fire everyone who talks behind your back. Our senior vice president shouldn't tolerate such humiliation!" Li Xun went along with her, while also wondering if he could just leave. Seeing the woman in this state, he was a bit worried.

The woman continued intermittently:

"Speaking of new people, let me tell you... a while ago, the company recruited... a genius, ...a genius newcomer... His imagination... is boundless!"

"How is it boundless? Can you tell me?" Li Xun asked casually.

"Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. That story, in fact, only has one person from beginning to end. It's hard to explain in a few words. I can only tell you, it's truly astonishing! A real... divine twist, a divine concept. This person... will definitely make a name for himself!"

"Is he really that good?" Li Xun said, wondering if he should find something to sober her up. The woman's face had already turned as red as charcoal. Being this drunk, it felt inappropriate to leave, but staying was also not ideal.

"Do you know? No, you couldn't possibly know! This is a genius idea! This is a genius! ...This is the kind of talent I need. Those who only gossip behind people's backs are all useless failures who can't get things done and only cause trouble. The works they spend months on are always full of errors and lack originality. If... if it weren't for me, the vice president, giving them revision directions over and over again, their works... would be simply eye-sore. They actually call me... the Ice Queen? Call me an old maid? And say I'll never find a partner in my life? Say I never smile? Their skill level is so low, why should I smile at them? If they're incompetent, why should I smile at them? Believe it or not, when this genius newcomer arrives, I'll... I'll... smile at him every day!"

"Okay, okay, smile at him and make those who gossip behind your back furious. By the way, do you have any close friends? Give me their numbers, and I'll help you call someone. You're this drunk, how can you not have anyone to take care of you?!"

Silence.

The woman looked at Li Xun, then suddenly fell silent.

The atmosphere changed without anyone noticing.

The woman's red eyes stared intently at Li Xun.

"Can you kiss me?"

Li Xun looked at Dai Ying in surprise, swallowing hard.

It was too sudden.

This was taking advantage of someone's vulnerability, wasn't it?

What if she woke up the next day and regretted it?

Those hazy eyes, that flushed face.

This was really testing one's humanity!

"I actually know deep down that what they say about me is true. I really am an old maid. No, I... I'm not just an old... old maid. I've lived for 29 years, and I've never even been kissed. I've missed out so much! Haha, do you think I've missed out? ... In the past, I only knew how to study hard. Now... now I work hard every day... I work desperately, and I have no idea how to date. I... I might really end up like they say... dying alone! I'm just too proper, too afraid to take risks! I'm going to change today, drink with a stranger... it's a change... letting a stranger kiss me is also a change! Can you accompany me... take... take this risk? Can you... kiss me?"

"This, this isn't really appropriate. It'll be awkward if we see each other again."

Li Xun's lips felt dry, and he couldn't help but lick them.

"Again? What 'again'? I'm uninstalling Hao Tuan right now. From now on, we'll be strangers, never to see each other again!"

Li Xun swallowed, his breathing becoming a little rapid, but he still maintained some self-control.

Dai Ying, however, was getting impatient!

"What's taking you so long? How about this... you kiss me, and I'll give you a hundred yuan, okay? Will you kiss me or not?!"

Li Xun's heart raced. He walked to the table, drank the water in his glass in one gulp, then poured himself a full glass of Maotai from the bottle opposite him. He then took a small sip.

This sip was about half a liang.

He was going all in.

Liquor emboldened the timid!

Then, two faces, like hot coals, came together.

His alcohol tolerance was terrible, just as bad as in his past life. After just one sip, his face turned red as if it were a burning coal.

And then, Li Xun kissed her: one kiss, two kisses, three kisses, four kisses, five kisses, six kisses...

Li Xun felt a wave of dizziness.

Then...

"Gulp!"

Li Xun passed out drunk.

Three minutes later, Li Xun was snoring.

His alcohol tolerance, as expected, was as pathetic as in his past life.

In the early morning, Li Xun felt someone kicking his leg. He groggily opened his eyes and saw a woman so beautiful it made his heart race.

The memories of last night slowly returned to his mind.

He savored them a little.

He unconsciously licked his lips.

Dai Ying looked at the man sleeping on the floor next to her, feeling both embarrassed and lucky.

Last night, she had a rare emotional breakdown, not only drinking with a stranger at her home but even... even asking him to kiss her, and offering a hundred yuan per kiss? She might as well die! After the embarrassment, she felt a faint sense of lingering fear.

She had been so drunk last night. If the man lying on the floor had even a shred of malice, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

Fortunately, this healthy and handsome-looking man had gotten drunk after just one kiss.

Fortunately, she would never have to see him again. At worst, she could just use Bao Le Mei for takeout from now on.

However, if she were to be honest, this man was truly handsome. Otherwise, no matter how bad her mood was last night, she wouldn't have invited this stranger for a drink.

The man staggered to his feet.

"Um, how many kisses did I give you last night?"

Li Xun's mind was a mess, filled with the image of her offering a hundred yuan per kiss. Inadvertently, the inappropriate words blurted out.

Dai Ying's ears turned red instantly. She didn't remember how many kisses there were either, and she definitely didn't want to recall the event.

Moreover, this man was so shameless, taking advantage and then asking for his payment?!

Didn't she kiss him back later?

She really wanted to bang her head against a wall and die!

"Open your WeChat, I'll transfer you ten thousand yuan. You can't tell anyone about this. Also, in the future, no matter what delivery service you work for, be it Hao Tuan or Bao Le Mei, if you ever get an order for this address, you are absolutely not allowed to accept it. After today, I don't want to see you again!"

Li Xun dazedly took out his phone. With a ding, Dai Ying scanned his QR code. Li Xun was still half-drunk, his head feeling heavy and muddled. He thought about how today was his last day delivering food, and they indeed wouldn't have much chance to see each other again.

He groggily heard Dai Ying mention ten thousand yuan and couldn't help but do the math in his head. Then he whispered, "Ten thousand yuan is... one hundred kisses. Did I kiss you one hundred times last night?"

At this moment, he had an inexplicable obsession with figuring out exactly how many times he had kissed her.

Dai Ying's delicate eyebrows shot up, her cheeks burning like fire. She cursed, "Go to hell!"

Her pointed high heel kicked Li Xun's ankle, the pain making him suck in his breath.

This woman, she looks so delicate, but she sure kicks hard.

"Goodbye!"

Li Xun quickly fled.

"Goodbye?!"

Dai Ying muttered, "I hope we never meet again!"