The last rays of the setting sun were swallowed by the earth, and darkness enveloped the entire night sky.
Nan Qing felt completely drained.
His over-40-year-old but passionate agent, Zhou Guangliang, spent the entire afternoon first outlining his recent plans, then giving a general overview of the plans for the next six months, and also explaining the relevant rules of the entertainment industry. When he finished everything, there was still half an hour before Huo Yuzhou's workday ended. Nan Qing thought he could finally take a break, but unexpectedly Zhou Guangliang directly called over his French teacher and made him study French for another hour and a half.
In the end, he left work later than even the workaholic Huo Yuzhou.
When he got home, he sprawled out on the sofa like a pancake, not even having the desire to pick up his iPad and play a couple of games.
Huo Yuzhou pulled him out and gave him water.
Nan Qing sipped through the straw, letting out a long sigh.
"I think I should consider becoming an endorser for that health supplement."
Huo Yuzhou rubbed his head.
Which one?
Nan Qing released the straw with a "snap," her soft lips, moistened by the water, looked like crushed scarlet roses, glistening with a watery sheen.
Her bright, sparkling eyes stared at him, completely serious:
"Kidney-tonifying tablets make me feel completely drained; if he's doing well, so am I."
Huo Yuzhou chuckled softly, gently rubbing his cheek with his large hand.
"Real?"
"Fake, fake, fake!"
Fearing that Huo Yuzhou might actually contact him, Nan Qing quickly sat up straight.
"I'm a rising star, if I actually took that kind of ad, they'd laugh me to death!"
"Well--"
He sighed, seemingly with some self-pity, but his tone was exceptionally sincere.
I wish I were like you.
Huo Yuzhou didn't react immediately, "What?"
Nan Qing glanced at them lightly, her eyes filled with envy.
"If I were like you, with all my flesh in those places, I'd shoot an underwear commercial and dazzle them. Just thinking about it makes me ecstatic."
The handsome man slightly curved his lips, his thick eyes revealing a deep, unfathomable depth.
Even her deliberately lowered voice carried a certain seductive quality.
"Want to give it a try?"
"Even if it's not on your body, you'll still feel amazing."
Nan Qing's pupils widened in shock, her clear eyes quickly falling on Huo Yuzhou's face, and she reached out to cover Huo Yuzhou's mouth.
But Huo Yuzhou was too flamboyant today.
He spent the whole day spouting nonsense, using that handsome yet aloof face to utter nonsensical words.
Nan Qing hesitated for a second, but didn't dare to cover Huo Yuzhou's mouth.
He was afraid Huo Yuzhou would kiss his hand.
The slanting light fell on Huo Yuzhou, and even his handsome, aloof face seemed to be tinged with some indescribable meaning.
Nan Qing's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm.
"Don't want."
Huo Yuzhou leaned forward, suddenly closing the distance between them.
As if unwilling to let him off the hook, they continued to question him relentlessly.
Why not?
"What's wrong with giving it a try? Aren't we good friends?"
Nan Qing's ears burned, and she reached out to push Huo Yuzhou away.
"Don't try to fool me. What good friend would do something like that? Huo Yuzhou, I'm not stupid."
Huo Yuzhou remained motionless. Nan Qing flicked the collar, which had two buttons undone, revealing the faint muscle lines of his chest.
The deep voice carried a soft chuckle, the last syllable lingering in the air.
" Qingqing, are you scared?"
Nan Qing began to feel ashamed and annoyed again.
Huo Yuzhou was always provoking him.
He mumbled a few incoherent replies, using the opportunity to distance himself from Huo Yuzhou.
"Yes, yes, I'm scared."
"You're too different; I have megalophobia."
"Alright--ah--"
He lost his footing and slid along the edge of the table.
As he fell, Nan Qing panicked for a moment, but Huo Yuzhou caught him firmly, preventing him from falling.
Still shaken, Nan Qing breathed a sigh of relief and instinctively hugged Huo Yuzhou.
The next instant, that familiar voice rang out softly, carrying a hint of dangerous pleasure.
[ Baby, if you keep talking nonsense, I really won't be able to hold back and you here.]
Nan Qing's gaze suddenly fell on Huo Yuzhou's calm and expressionless face.
Huo Yuzhou felt uneasy.
In the silent air, the handsome boy he held in his arms seemed lost in thought, his voice hesitant.
" Huo Yuzhou, you..."
Huo Yuzhou remained calm and composed. "What?"
Nan Qing's ears started turning red again, the swirling red spreading from her earlobes to her neck, and then sliding down her fair skin.
Nan Qing opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Forget it, he shouldn't ask this time.
Without even thinking about it, if he really asked Huo Yuzhou, "Do you want to me with me here right now?", given Huo Yuzhou's shameless and unrestrained style, he would probably really take it as an invitation.
After much agonizing reflection, Nan Qing pushed Huo Yuzhou aside, stood properly, and said solemnly:
"It's nothing, I just wanted to say that before it gets too late, I'd like to go to my teacher to review my spoken English from this afternoon. Do you want to come with me?"
Huo Yuzhou helped him straighten his clothes.
"My husband has a meeting in a little while, he'll come find you after he's done."
"Otherwise, your husband can teach you."
Nan Qing looked at him with suspicion, "You've studied this?"
Huo Yuzhou patted his head with a hint of affection.
"Silly child, you've been repeating Antoine's words for so long, I've learned them by now."
Nan Qing's cheeks burned as she pulled Huo Yuzhou's large hand away, her face flushed with anger.
"So what if you learn fast? You're so annoying, I'm never talking to you again!!!"
-
The quartz clock hanging on the wall completed a full rotation, its black hour hand pointing to 10.
Huo Yuzhou finished that international conference and soon received another message.
This is Bai Ruanruan's life resume.
It was more detailed than the last background check on Mona, starting from birth, spanning over 50 pages. Huo Yuzhou read through it bit by bit, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
An ordinary childhood, until his fate took a sudden turn at the age of 18.
His seemingly tumultuous life, at every pivotal turning point, appeared meticulously planned.
He didn't win the Literature Cup Youth Award, but while relaxing, he saved the school board chairman's father, who was suffering from a heart attack at the prestigious school, and was admitted to the school through special admission, becoming the same school as Qingqing.
He injured his finger on the eve of his piano exam and cried outside the school, where he met Bai Yanxiu, the second son of the Bai Family, and they became friends.
During a classmate reunion dinner, he found the documents lost by the Bai Family's eldest son's assistant, which came into Qin Mubai's view.
Bai Ruanruan received financial assistance after her parents died unexpectedly and the driver who caused the accident happened to work at a small company owned by the Bai Family.
While working part-time in college, he was bullied by Nan Qing, who was then the young master of the Bai Family. He cried about it, which was overheard by the Bai Family's parents who lived next door, and thus he moved into the Bai Family.
It wasn't until this year, when Nan Qing pushed her down the stairs and she hit her head, that her identity was exposed and she was recognized as a blood relative.
He even appeared in front of him several times.
With an air of superior savior, he hesitantly revealed what he considered highly confidential information, which was long gone to him.
Every chance encounter propelled him forward, until he reached where he is today.
After all, barring any unforeseen circumstances, if things proceeded as planned, Bai Ruanruan would probably never see Nan Qing again in her entire life.
The cold white light reflected off Huo Yuzhou's sharply defined profile, the interplay of light and shadow making his already striking features appear even more profound, a dark light flashing in his narrow eyes.
A moment later, he dialed a number.
It was noisy on the other end of the phone, sounding like it was coming from a private room in a bar.
Gu Xingchen pushed away the person next to her, laughing nonchalantly.
"Didn't you already beat him up? Do you still need to arrange another meeting? Not satisfied yet?"
"Alright, alright, there's a wine tasting event the day after tomorrow—oh? Should we invite that idiot from the Bai Family?"
Gu Xingchen leaned against the sink, a wicked smile on his face.
"Leave it to me, no problem!"
"Just you wait!"