Pei Zhao was exceptionally clever, and he immediately understood what those words implied.
Since she wasn’t his girlfriend, then they were just playing around.
That, he understood all too well.
Just like what he was doing now.
The girl beside him was named Qiaoxi, a newly rising actress.
He had met her at a banquet once and thought she was quite to his liking, so he made his intentions known.
She wasn’t coy about it. She obediently stayed by his side, was very perceptive, and was willing to put in the effort to satisfy all his needs.
Pei Zhao was very satisfied with her performance in bed, mainly because she was uninhibited.
They had originally agreed that she would stay with him for half a year. By his calculations, that time was almost up. To be honest, he was actually a little reluctant to let her go.
Pei Zhao didn’t take it too seriously, though. He thought he simply hadn’t gotten over the novelty yet; perhaps he would grow tired of her in a few days.
Jin Boyan lit a cigarette and said calmly, “My friends—Pei Zhao and Shen Siyu.”
Su Qingmiao listened to Jin Boyan’s voice and took a moment to realize that he was speaking to her.
She raised her eyes and gave them a faint but perfectly polite smile. “Hello.”
Shen Siyu nodded. “Hello.”
Pei Zhao, however, was quite enthusiastic. “Hello, little sister. What’s your name?”
“Su Qingmiao.”
“Nice name. How old are you?”
“Twenty-one.”
“…A college student?”
“Mm.”
No wonder. She looked so innocent.
“Which university?”
“Nan University.”
“Oh, a prestigious school. So you’re a little academic star.”
As though he had suddenly remembered something, he turned to Jin Boyan. “Hey, wasn’t that kid Lin Che also at Nan University?”
Lin Che?
At the sound of those two words, Su Qingmiao froze for a moment.
That handsome, clean-cut face flashed through her mind. Did they know Senior Lin too?
Jin Boyan’s expression darkened. “What the hell does that have to do with me?”
“Don’t mention that bastard in front of me.”
Su Qingmiao’s fingers curled slightly. What did bastard mean in this context?
Pei Zhao raised an eyebrow and did not continue the subject. “By the way, Su Miaomiao, what department are you in?”
“Are you from the neighborhood committee?” Jin Boyan interrupted him directly. He lifted his cold, pale eyes to look at Pei Zhao. “Why are you asking so many questions?”
Pei Zhao spread his hands. “I’m just asking. It’s not like I’m going to eat her.”
“Why are you so nervous?”
Jin Boyan: “…”
He didn’t know why, but he simply felt annoyed.
Just then, a server came in and brought over several bottles of liquor.
The server set the alcohol down and was preparing to leave.
“What would you like to drink?” Jin Boyan asked. Seeing how primly she was sitting, he felt a little like laughing.
“Water is fine.” Su Qingmiao had no idea what they had here, and ordering water certainly couldn’t go wrong.
“Bring her a glass of orange juice,” Jin Boyan said lazily to the server.
“Of course. Just a moment.”
Pei Zhao’s smile grew more amused. This was getting more and more interesting.
He had never seen Jin Boyan take such an interest in any woman before.
“A-Yan, I heard you gave those old bastards quite a beating over there.”
Jin Boyan leaned back, sinking into the soft leather sofa, and let out a derisive laugh. “They’re all a bunch of pieces of trash.”
“They reached their claws too far and forgot whose bowl they were eating from.” He exhaled a thin stream of smoke, the haze blurring his emotionless profile.
Shen Siyu said, “I heard you already had leverage on them before you left? You’re certainly capable of biding your time.”
The corner of Jin Boyan’s mouth pulled up, but the smile held no warmth.
“Dogs that can’t be tamed should have been stewed long ago. They wasted a month of my time. What bad luck.”
Su Qingmiao didn’t understand what they were talking about, but she could sense that Jin Boyan was a very formidable—and very dangerous—man.
He was simply someone she could never afford to offend.
All she could hope for now was that the year would pass quickly, that he would get tired of her soon, and that they could end this ridiculous relationship.
The orange juice was brought in soon afterward. Su Qingmiao thanked the server, picked up the glass, and took a sip.
It was sweet and delicious.
The three men chatted casually. With nothing else to do, Su Qingmiao could only drink her juice, and before long, the glass was empty.
After drinking so much, she began to feel the need to use the restroom.
“I’m going to the restroom,” she said, turning her face toward him.
“Mm.”
Su Qingmiao had just risen to her feet when the girl in the red dress also stood up.
“I’ll go with you.” She wore a smile.
While Su Qingmiao had been sitting there just now, she had already remembered who this girl was.
She was the second female lead in a recently popular short drama, Qiaoxi.
Su Qingmiao smiled. “Okay.”
The two of them went to the restroom together.
When Su Qingmiao came out, Qiaoxi was touching up her makeup in front of the mirror.
She was very beautiful, with the kind of striking, confident appearance that was both vivid and generous. Every gesture she made carried a hint of sensuality.
Qiaoxi smiled at her through the mirror. “Hello, my name is Qiaoxi.”
“I know. All the girls in our dormitory watch your dramas.”
“You’re even prettier in person than you are on television.” Su Qingmiao praised her without holding back.
Not only was she beautiful, she was also very approachable. She didn’t seem to have any of the airs of a celebrity.
“Really? Thank you. You’re very pretty too.” Qiaoxi blinked.
Su Qingmiao gave a shy smile.
Just then, Qiaoxi covered her mouth and coughed several times.
“Are you all right?” Su Qingmiao asked.
Qiaoxi put away her lipstick. “I didn’t control myself properly when I was servicing Young Master Pei just now.”
Su Qingmiao: “?!”
Qiaoxi found her expression adorable. “Did I scare you?”
Su Qingmiao felt heat pouring from her ears. H-How could she say something like that so casually?!
“What’s the big deal?” Qiaoxi said with an utterly untroubled smile.