The drinking party on He Canglan’s side was in full swing.
The eloquent Zhou Qichen had brought along a group of branch bank presidents, vice presidents, and various types of beauties.
With a flick of his eyes, Zhou Qichen signaled a strikingly beautiful young woman to sit beside He Canglan.
She poured tea, refilled wine, and served dishes—attending to every detail with care.
In such social gatherings, there were certain unwritten rules. As long as they didn’t cross his principles, He Canglan generally didn’t want to appear overly aloof and risk offending others.
The young woman didn’t look very old, and upon asking, it turned out she was indeed a third-year university student interning at the bank.
Those who could intern at the national bank were no ordinary people—they had to excel in every way, and their looks were no exception.
After exchanging a few brief words, He Canglan paid her no further attention.
The young woman felt a bit confused and began to worry. Was her service not attentive enough? Had she said something wrong? Or was she not attractive enough?
For a moment, she doubted herself. Holding her wine glass, she said, “President He, before I refill your glass, let me punish myself with three drinks!”
With that, she quickly poured a glass of baijiu and downed it in one go.
Zhou Qichen, watching from the side, chuckled and leaned close to He Canglan’s ear. “Canglan, has the young lady taken a liking to you?”
He Canglan curled the corner of his lips. “So what?”
“Come on, don’t tell me you’re still a virgin!” Zhou Qichen winked at the young woman.
He Canglan smiled without answering.
Silence was the best disguise. No one believed a man like him could truly be indifferent to women.
With so many temptations, the only explanations for resisting them were either impotence or a different orientation.
“Young lady, stop drinking. Come out with me for a moment!” He Canglan raised an eyebrow at the girl who kept drinking.
Zhou Qichen wore an understanding expression and made a gesture only He Canglan could decipher.
Outside, a dedicated attendant guided them to a luxurious suite.
He Canglan walked ahead, while the young woman followed closely behind, her face a mix of nervousness and delight.
For some, getting involved with this circle felt like a stroke of divine luck. No matter what they gained, they believed the experience was worth it.
Yet, there were also those who lost their lives without ever knowing how they died.
News of such incidents would sink like a stone in the ocean, leaving no trace for anyone to uncover.
Those unwilling to take responsibility were everywhere. Those who didn’t know their place would vanish like weeds, with a sum of money paid as compensation to settle the matter.
Once inside the room, He Canglan closed the door and felt a bit warm. He casually loosened his tie, tossed it onto the sofa, and sat down.
The young woman pursed her lips and slowly moved closer to He Canglan. “President He, are you tired? Let me give you a massage.”
With that, she tried to sit on his lap.
He Canglan frowned and waved his hand, signaling her to sit on a chair farther away.
The young woman was puzzled. Did they need to have a heart-to-heart talk before getting down to business?
Gazing at the man who stood 1.9 meters tall, with a handsome and imposing appearance and an aura of noble elegance, she couldn’t help but feel restless. “President He?”
“I just wanted to get you away from the drinking table! Young lady, honing your skills is the most reliable path. Don’t put your faith in crooked shortcuts!”
He Canglan rarely spoke this much.
Of course, the young woman couldn’t guess what he was thinking. Only he knew.
The young woman in his heart was also a third-year university student, pure and captivating like a snow lotus blooming proudly on a snowy cliff!
The current social climate made him think that if she were to attend such a drinking party like today and be forced to drink by others, he might lose control and flip the table.
This thought startled him and also struck him as somewhat amusing.
Longing is like an invisible hand; once it arises, it spreads endlessly, clawing at the heart and gnawing at the liver.
The girl had been sitting on the stool, staring at him without blinking: “Mr. He, do you need…”
“No need, you can leave! I’ll have the driver take you back to school.” He Canglan cut her off directly, not sparing her another glance.
After just a moment, He Canglan looked up, his tone tinged with laziness: “Go! The driver is at the door.”
The girl, half-confused, glanced at the man with his straight waistline and upright posture, then slowly shuffled step by step toward the door.
Only when the door opened did she fully realize that the man truly had no intention of doing anything with her.
She didn’t know whether to be happy or disappointed. What exactly was on such a man’s mind?
After all, she was also campus belle-level, with a figure that was quite impressive—clearly defined curves and a C-cup skill that was truly remarkable.
He Canglan took out his phone, found the beautiful avatar of Lan Die on WeChat, opened it, and sent a voice message: “What are you doing?”
Until He Canglan finished his financial meeting with Zhou Qichen, that voice message remained unanswered.
It was the first time he had been completely ignored by a young girl, and so thoroughly at that!!
As soon as this ended, He Canglan was about to go find Lan Die when his elder brother He Wanlan called again.
A group of distinguished foreign guests had arrived at the ministry under his jurisdiction, and He Canglan was needed to assist with their visit to some of the National Security Agency’s industrial holdings tomorrow.
This was a major matter! He Canglan pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning back in his chair with some fatigue: “To the State Banquet Hall.”
He then began making calls, summoning the heads of the two large enterprises to be visited, and working through the night to draft all the arrangements for tomorrow’s on-site visit.
By the time he arrived at the State Banquet Hall, He Canglan was still on the phone. His elder brother He Wanlan pulled him into a private office to secretly discuss some matters.
“Why do you smell so strongly of alcohol?” He Wanlan patted his younger brother on the shoulder.
“There was a business lunch at noon, with a financial tycoon from Hong Kong.”
“Did it go well?”
“If big brother says it went well, then it must have!” He Canglan showed a hint of playfulness.
He Wanlan smiled and led He Canglan and the group to the banquet hall.
Discussions, dinner, appreciation of a traditional Chinese music concert…
By the time everything was settled, it was already past ten in the evening!
He Canglan pulled out his phone and found that Lan Die had replied to him at six in the evening: “I was hosting a program and just finished work.”
He dialed her number, and she answered on the third ring.
Her lovely voice carried the scent of alcohol and a hint of weary sensuality: “Lan Die, where are you?”
Lan Die was in her rented apartment. She had brought her grandmother and Lan Tian back from the hospital in the evening, and both were now asleep.
She lowered her voice: “I’m at home, already in bed. Let’s not meet!”
“Send me your location!” He Canglan said without hesitation.
While Lan Die was hesitating, she heard the man on the other end of the line say: “Be good! Even if you don’t tell me, I have plenty of ways to find out!”
She absolutely believed this statement was one hundred percent credible!
Lan Die took a deep breath and, as if resigned to her fate, sent her location.
More than ten minutes later, Lan Die saw the Maybach parked by the roadside downstairs.
He Canglan said: “Come down!”
Lan Die had already changed out of her dress in advance, wearing jeans and a short-sleeved knit top—everything that could be covered up was covered up!
Just as she reached the first floor, she saw the tall, upright figure of a man at the entrance of the building unit. Amid the flickering glow of his cigarette, there was an indescribable sensuality.
Lan Die involuntarily halted her steps. Before she could regain her composure, her body was lifted upright and carried to a hidden spot beneath the stairwell, where she was pressed against the wall of the stairs…