Everyone was in high spirits, so Shen Lian stopped turning them down.
He went to a corner and called Chu Yilan back. As it happened, Chu Yilan was busy too, entertaining a major client. Unless something changed, neither of them would be done before midnight.
Chu Yilan wasn't worried about anything else, only that Shen Lian would feel awful afterward if he didn't get enough rest. Shen Lian explained that he had no work tomorrow and could sleep in. As for alcohol, he wouldn't touch a drop.
Chu Yilan thought it over. "All right. I might finish even later than you. I'll have Bing He pick you up."
"Mm-hmm."
By the time Shen Lian returned, Lin Fu had finally recovered his composure. He forced an embarrassed smile. "I really made a fool of myself tonight."
"It's okay. Life goes by fast," Shen Lian consoled him.
Lin Fu: "..."
Zhao Wenshu booked a place and rounded up their friends, and the whole crowd headed over.
Shen Lian drank tea instead of alcohol. Zhao Wenshu noticed but didn't stop him; he even covered for him. Whenever someone insisted on making the lead actor drink, he sent the pumped-up Lin Fu in instead. The man had just won a major award, after all, and his heart was overflowing with enough rivers, lakes, and seas to accommodate plenty of booze.
Shen Lian joined in the banter and card games. When he wanted to get along with people, he really did radiate warmth. He was charming and a good sport, and beneath the intoxicating lights, both his looks and his bearing set him apart.
More than one person asked Zhao Wenshu about Shen Lian, but the moment he heard their questions, Zhao Wenshu waved them off. "Take my advice. Don't even think about it."
After