“Excuse me, do you know Jin Huaiqian?”
The person who approached was a young man with plain features.
Xie Sui replied, “We are not close.”
The man’s eyes did not stay idle. After looking at his face, he glanced at the badge on his chest.
Kaiwu Media Culture, Xie Sui.
“Kaiwu? What kind of company is that? How come I have never heard of it?”
Xie Sui had already detected the inexplicable hostility from the man in front of him. “Likewise. I have never heard of your company either.”
The man became angry from embarrassment. “Our company is a famous media outlet in the industry. We have interviewed many popular celebrities. You have not even heard of us?”
Xie Sui replied, “I am sorry, I do not follow celebrities.”
The man rolled his eyes, his tone full of disdain. “I really do not know how someone like you, with absolutely no substance, managed to strike up a conversation with Jin Huaiqian. You only have your looks going for you.”
Instead of getting angry, Xie Sui laughed. “At least I have my looks to show for it. You have no substance, no manners, and no looks, yet you are incredibly jealous. No wonder people ignore you. Sometimes you need to reflect on yourself and see if you actually have any capability.”
A few people walked past them, casting strange looks in their direction.
Having been publicly silenced and unable to back down, the man’s face burned hot. He stiffened his neck and sneered, “You are just like those gold-diggers.”
“Sour grapes. Buddy, did you just get dumped?”
“You!” The man raised his hand to strike, but before it could fall, a large hand firmly grabbed his wrist.
“Dalin Media?”
The man’s expression changed instantly. “President, President Jin.”
Jin Huaiqian shook off his hand. “If I remember correctly, your company has invited us several times.”
The man smiled sheepishly. “President Jin, thank you for remembering.”
Jin Huaiqian said indifferently, “Looking at it now, it was right not to agree. Cooperating with you makes your reputation highly questionable.”
The man said, “I was just joking around just now.”
Jin Huaiqian said, “You certainly have a remarkable talent for lying through your teeth.”
The man’s face turned bright red. Unable to find any words to argue back, he slunk away in defeat.
“Are you alright?” Jin Huaiqian asked.
Xie Sui shrugged, entirely unbothered. “What could be wrong? His attack power is zero. Does this count as a hero saving a beauty?”
“If you want to count it that way, you can.”
Xie Sui gave a cunning smile. “It feels pretty good.”
Xie Sui did not drive today, so he rode in Jin Huaiqian’s car.
As soon as he got into the car, Xie Sui realized there was a driver.
“Hello there.”
The driver nodded slightly and continued to look straight ahead.
Xie Sui complained, “Your driver is quite cold and aloof.”
Jin Huaiqian glanced at him. “Sit properly.”
“Oh.”
As soon as there is someone else around, he starts putting on acts again.
The restaurant’s private room offered excellent privacy. The dishes were exquisite, and the conversation indeed centered around some industry topics. Xie Sui even raised a few highly insightful questions.
Jin Huaiqian did not expose him and played along with his act.
Xie Sui ordered a bottle of red wine for himself. As glass after glass of the mellow wine went down, a warmth spread from his stomach and flushed the corners of his eyes. His voice began to carry a lazy, slurred quality, and his gaze lingered on Jin Huaiqian’s face with even less concealment.
Xie Sui propped up his cheek with his hand, shook his head gently, and let out a barely audible sigh.
“President Jin,” he raised his eyes, which were misty. “This wine seems to have a strong after-effect. My head is a bit dizzy.”
Jin Huaiqian set down his wine glass, picked up a napkin, and wiped his hands with slow, deliberate movements.
Xie Sui’s acting was very clumsy, so clumsy that anyone could see right through it at a glance. Jin Huaiqian naturally saw through it clearly; Xie Sui had no intention of hiding it at all.
Jin Huaiqian looked at him with a half-smile, then stood up, picked up his suit jacket from the back of the chair, and naturally reached out to wrap his arm around Xie Sui’s elbow. “Then I will take you back.”
“Sorry for bothering you, President Jin.”
The two walked out of the private room, passed through the quiet corridor, and entered the elevator. In the enclosed space, Xie Sui could smell a very faint fragrance from Jin Huaiqian, mixed with a hint of red wine.
Upon reaching the underground garage, Xie Sui got into Jin Huaiqian’s car. The driver was no longer there.
“Address,” Jin Huaiqian asked.
Xie Sui gave the address of his apartment, which was in a fairly decent area of the city.
Jin Huaiqian hummed in response, said nothing more, and focused on driving.
Xie Sui leaned back against the seat, staring at Jin Huaiqian’s profile with great interest.
The light and shadow of the streetlamps alternated across his face. The line of his jaw was smooth and sharp, the bridge of his nose was high, and his entire face was deep and charming. Everything fit perfectly within Xie Sui’s aesthetic preferences.
Xie Sui’s hand began to itch again.
He never mistreated himself. If he wanted to touch, he touched.
Xie Sui’s hand wandered all over Jin Huaiqian’s body, even giving his pectoral muscles a squeeze.
Xie Sui let out a satisfied, low laugh. “These pecs are well-trained.”
Jin Huaiqian’s hand on the steering wheel tightened suddenly, his knuckles turning white from the force. He freed one hand and slapped away Xie Sui’s restless hand with a sharp smack. “Behave yourself if you do not want us to crash.”
Xie Sui clicked his tongue. “So fierce.”
But Xie Sui did not push further either, obediently drawing his hand back.
About twenty minutes later, the car pulled up downstairs of Xie Sui’s apartment building. Jin Huaiqian turned off the engine, unlocked the doors, and looked at Xie Sui.
Xie Sui did not move. He turned his head, his brow furrowing slightly as he said exaggeratively, “President Jin, could you please walk me up? My head is spinning so much that I cannot see the path clearly.”
Xie Sui admitted that he was growing greedy. He was no longer satisfied with keeping things at a simple one-night stand with Jin Huaiqian. He wanted something long-term, lasting until he grew completely tired of playing with this body.
Jin Huaiqian leaned forward to unbuckle Xie Sui’s seatbelt.
He did not pull away immediately. Instead, he stared into Xie Sui’s eyes and murmured, “Do you want me to take you up there as well?”
“That would be perfect.”
The car door closed behind them with a dull thud.
Xie Sui leaned into Jin Huaiqian’s embrace. Previously, Xie Sui had always been the one holding others, enjoying the pleasure of control and the intimacy of close contact. Now, being held by someone else was unexpectedly comfortable. It was a sensation he had never experienced before, carrying a strong sense of novelty.
Feeling Jin Huaiqian’s firm and powerful arms, Xie Sui deliberately leaned his entire weight against him. Jin Huaiqian’s expression did not change in the slightest; he still held him securely in his embrace.
The two walked into the apartment building, and the elevator headed up. Xie Sui acted as if he had no bones along the way, draped over Jin Huaiqian, who practically dragged him to his floor.
Jin Huaiqian said with amusement, “You are so dizzy you cannot even walk. Hurry up and open the door.”
Xie Sui pouted. “Aren’t you enjoying this too?”
Xie Sui fished out his keys and opened the door.
“Do you want to come in and sit for a while?” Xie Sui stepped aside. “Have a glass of water before you leave.”
Jin Huaiqian nodded. “Since Mr. Xie has extended such a warm invitation, it would be rude of me to decline.”
Xie Sui leaned against the doorframe, watching Jin Huaiqian walk in.
A closet flirt.
Xie Sui closed the door and switched on the living room lights.
Xie Sui walked to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, and handed it to Jin Huaiqian.
“Thank you,” Jin Huaiqian said.
Xie Sui grabbed a bottle of water for himself, unscrewed it, and took a sip. “Oh, so polite.”