Lu Qin didn’t know what was happening. Clearly, he could endure when he left, his body behaving abnormally, but his mind remained clear. The stronger the effect of the drug, the calmer and more composed he became. If he couldn’t even resist the effects of this despicable drug and succumbed to its control, then he didn’t deserve to hold his current position.
However... just by speaking a few words with Pei Rong, the
drug in that champagne seemed to transform into hellfire in an instant. Damn
it!
Reason told him to throw Pei Rong out immediately, but his
hand held onto the torn shirt and refused to let go.
He couldn’t let go.
Pei Rong was so promiscuous that if he let go, he’d probably
take the opportunity to undress.
Yes, that was it.
He couldn’t let go.
Lu Qin’s hand accidentally brushed against Pei Rong’s skin.
“...”
His fist clenched tightly.
The silky shirt fluttered like snow.
A cool breeze brushed past, and Pei Rong groaned softly. In
his peripheral vision, he saw the elevator numbers going up, as if someone was
coming to the seventeenth floor.
He thought Lu Qin was about to leave just now, probably
realizing that something was wrong with his body. It was very likely that he
called for a secretary or someone similar to come up.
Pei Rong wasn’t stupid; he was quite certain that his
champagne was chosen randomly, and the fact that both he and Lu Qin were
affected meant that the champagne tower had an extremely high drug content.
Perhaps numerous people had already fallen victim to it.
If this matter wasn’t orchestrated by Zhou Hang, then someone
was targeting Jianglu Entertainment. The trending topic tomorrow, “Charity Gala
Turns into a Debauchery Party,” was truly unbearable to think about.
Pei Rong worried that his reputation would be ruined. If
photos of him in this state were taken and spread, would he still be able to
retire with honors?
In any case, Lu Qin didn’t care about the entertainment
industry’s superficiality; he was safer here. Without thinking twice, Pei Rong
mustered up the last of his strength and stumbled into the presidential suite
behind Lu Qin.
For now, he would hide, regardless of Lu Qin’s spare shirts.
As for any explanations, he would deal with them when he sobered up.
“Just borrowing for a moment...”
Lu Qin watched as Pei Rong entered his room, a place where no
one was ever allowed to step foot, yet this person boldly went in as if it was
his own.
He went in... and even leaned against the door, looking at
him provocatively, with an inviting gesture.
Pei Rong just wanted to confirm if Lu Qin was planning to
leave, so he thought about locking the door.
In that moment, he felt as if he had locked eyes with a
fierce beast, a prelude to being hunted.
He used all his strength to slam the door shut, but someone
effortlessly blocked it.
Bang!
The door was slammed shut with another tremendous force, as
if it were welded shut.
Lu Qin’s gaze was sharp as a hawk, and he said word by word,
“I’ll give you one last chance. Leave.”
Pei Rong looked at the door that seemed to be welded shut,
but no, he wouldn’t leave. He felt safe here.
Lu Qin: “...Fine.”
Pei Rong looked at Lu Qin’s dark gaze, and his scalp
tingled... Wait, wasn’t Lu Qin just ignoring him and refusing to look at him
for an extra second during the banquet?
Uh, anyway...
Why not... help each other out?
After comparing the possible outcomes inside and outside, he
still stood still. Lu Qin was cold and handsome, and even after he retired from
the circle, he probably would never encounter anyone as good-looking. With his
personality, he couldn’t be bothered with love, so taking this opportunity to
experience it would be a fulfilling aspect of life.
Most importantly, Lu Qin wouldn’t pester him endlessly.
Well, since he’s already here.
Right?
Then he saw Lu Qin starting to undress, revealing his
abdominal muscles and the V-line, and further down...
Pei Rong immediately felt a hint of wavering.
He was now just dressed in tatters, and he suspected that
soon he would be in a pitiful state as well.
But this moment of doubt came too late, like a flame
extinguished by a raging snowstorm.
***
One hour later.
Pei Rong calmly and weakly pushed Lu Qin, saying, “Mr. Lu,
the effects of the medicine have worn off.”
It’s okay now. They could stop and sort out what happened.
Lu Qin responded bluntly with two words, “Not yet.”
Pei Rong: ?
He was wrong; he should have run as soon as he noticed things
getting worse when the other spoke.
***
Afterward, Pei Rong couldn’t be bothered to ask about the
effects of the medicine on Mr. Lu.
They probably didn’t take the same thing; Mr. Lu’s
after-effects were stronger, very powerful, explosively strong.
How could he have thought it was safe to stay here?
Unbelievable.
Damn it.
***
Pei Rong endured the night, and when he woke up, Lu Qin was
no longer there, sparing him the awkwardness of facing the situation while
sober. He breathed a sigh of relief.
A qualified one-night stand partner should be like this.
Thoughtfully, Pei Rong took the private business card left by Mr. Lu on the
bedside table, tore it up without even looking at it, and flushed it down the
toilet.
If Mr. Lu’s personal phone number were picked up by someone
else, it wouldn’t be good if it leaked.
When he looked in the mirror, even someone as composed as Pei
Rong couldn’t help but gasp.
Sigh.
Before this, Pei Rong had never experienced anything like
this before. It was his first time realizing that his body could leave marks so
easily.
Every time Lu Qin kissed the back of his neck, Pei Rong felt
a shivering sensation, as if he was being stared at by a fierce beast. The
force was so heavy that it felt like Lu Qin’s tongue had thorns.
Today, he still had an event to support the developers, so
last night, he fought hard not to let Lu Qin kiss his face. The more he
resisted, the more Lu Qin retaliated in other ways.
Ah, such a petty man.
Pei Rong tiptoed on the tattered shirt and opened Lu Qin’s
wardrobe.
His guess was correct; this hotel was owned by the Lu family.
Although the 17th floor had not been occupied for a long time, clothes for all
seasons were available, emitting a faint woody fragrance, obviously changed and
maintained regularly, ensuring that Lu Qin could use them whenever he came here
on business.
Pei Rong chose a black shirt and put it on. He then picked a
scarf before finally checking his phone, which he had ignored all night.
He called Luo Qun directly and asked, “What happened last
night?”
Luo Qun preemptively asked, “Are you okay?”
Pei Rong replied, “I’m fine, tell me.”
Luo Qun sounded frustrated as well. “One of the deputy
managers of this hotel went gambling while traveling abroad and ended up owing
millions to loan sharks. With no way out, he spiked the champagne, hoping to
capture some scandalous footage to extort money.”
In the entertainment industry, such occasions often involved
secret communication after the gathering, but after being drugged, things could
get completely out of control.
As a deputy manager with access to surveillance cameras
throughout the building, as long as a star got involved in any scandal, it was
a piece of cake to capture something on film.
“Last night, Lu Qin suddenly announced the dissolution of the
banquet, and everyone was shocked. Zhou Hang was completely clueless; suddenly,
a group of bodyguards came and evacuated the whole building. I almost thought
there was a bomb in the building. Lu Qin really has guts.” Luo Qun praised Lu
Qin, “I was really worried about you. If your assistant hadn’t said that you
sensed something was wrong and left early, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep
tonight.”
Luo Qun kept on complaining, “Zhou Hang is scared now.
Luckily, the banquet was held at a hotel under the Lu family, so the
headquarters will have to take some responsibility. If it were at a different
hotel, it would have been solely our company’s failure, and Zhou Hang would
have to return to his hometown today.”
Pei Rong casually rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He
liked wearing loose clothes. Although Lu Qin’s shirt was one size too big for
him, it didn’t look awkward when he tucked it into his waist. “What time did
they announce the dispersal?” he asked.
“Probably around 8 o’clock,” replied Luo Qun.
Pei Rong closed his eyes. It seemed that Lu Qing had already
taken quick action to block all potential dangers before he encountered him on
the 17th floor.
What a relief.
If only he had known... why bother staying on the 17th floor
and feeding the wolf?
When Lu Qin let him leave, it was already safe outside.
The man had some conscience, and Pei Rong forgave his
rudeness slightly.
Luo Qun asked, “Where are you now?”
Pei Rong mentioned the name of another hotel. “Send someone
to pick me up.”
There was no need to make a big deal out of last night’s
accident to avoid unnecessary trouble. Pei Rong believed that Lu Qin thought
the same way.
The nanny car stopped at the entrance of another hotel about
a hundred meters away. As soon as the car door opened, Pei Rong slipped into
the car. Unknown when he actually arrived at this other hotel.
As he sat inside, he grimaced and furrowed his brows, but
remained silent.
Luo Qun, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Pei Rong
through the rearview mirror and carefully said, “You don’t look too well.”
It wasn’t entirely accurate to say he didn’t look well, but
he did appear a little feverish.
She had mentioned before that Pei Rong looked particularly
attractive after exercising, but now he looked like he had exercised too
vigorously.
Pei Rong muttered, “I randomly picked a hotel, and the air
conditioning wasn’t working. Caught a cold.”
Luo Qun’s voice turned hoarse upon hearing his response, and
she nervously suggested, “Should we go to the hospital first?”
“No need. Just find me a place to lie down when we get
there.”
The largest shopping mall in the city center had reopened
after renovations and invited Pei Rong to cut the ribbon. Pei Rong endorsed
three of the brands in the mall, and they were all taking advantage of the
opportunity to offer discounts and promotions.
Pei Rong appeared around ten o’clock. At 7 AM, the shopping
mall was already packed with fans, and it was teeming with people.
The nanny car entered the underground basement through a
hidden staff passage. After parking steadily, the assistant opened the car door
on Pei Rong’s side and said, “There’s a lounge on the fifth floor, Brother Pei.
Let’s wait there.”
Seeing that Pei Rong didn’t move, the assistant curiously
leaned forward and asked, “Brother Pei?”
Pei Rong paused for a long time and mustered all his strength
before moving like a snail.
He had never imagined that a simple action like getting out
of the car could be so difficult. His arms and thighs were more sore than after
a day of intense action scenes in a movie.
After coming out of the car, Pei Rong immediately regained
his calm and composed demeanor.
Most celebrities would arrive at the venue early, go to the
backstage to do makeup and go through the script. Pei Rong was no exception,
but due to his natural good looks, he could skip the tedious makeup process and
use this time to sleep.
He had a good hour-long nap in the lounge until Luo Qun woke
him up, saying, “Here’s the turtleneck sweater you wanted. Are you really going
to wear this? It’s not your style.”
Pei Rong replied hoarsely, “What style do you need when you
have a cold?”
Luo Qun still had doubts; she felt that something was off
with Pei Rong’s condition today. Pei Rong was known for his professional and
bewitching image, never fastening the top two buttons of his shirt, even when
he had a cold or a fever.
Pei Rong continued, “If the cold worsens and delays my work
progress, and I can’t finish on time, what will happen to my career?”
Luo Qun was speechless.
It was still the Pei Rong she knew.
He even specifically sought out a master to find an
auspicious day to retire, and he wouldn’t delay it even for a day.
The sweater had embroidery on it, which made it luxurious but
uncomfortable. Sacrificing comfort for style, Pei Rong’s skin had suffered and
become fragile after being rubbed by the clothes, making him feel a bit sore.
He started to miss the haute couture shirt he just took off.
It was loose and comfortable.
The brand wasn’t visible, but it was far better than his
trashy luxury brand shirt, which would tear easily.
The opening ribbon-cutting ceremony went very smoothly, and
Pei Rong smiled and interacted with fans, but he didn’t speak much.
Before the end, there was a media interview segment, and
reporters rushed to the front, competing to ask their most pressing questions—previously
about whether Pei Rong had undergone plastic surgery and now about whether he
was wearing makeup today.
“Why does your voice sound a bit hoarse? Did you catch a
cold? Your fans are concerned about your health and are asking you not to push
yourself too hard.”
Pei Rong smiled faintly. “I won’t push myself too hard. I
have a slight cold today. I’m sorry, my condition isn’t great.”
A reporter asked, “When others catch a cold, they look
disheveled, but you catch a cold and still look beautiful. We’re so envious.”
Pei Rong replied, “Thank you.”
One male reporter seemed to want to push his way to the front
and accidentally bumped into a female reporter beside him. She stumbled, and
her recording pen rolled to Pei Rong’s feet.
Without thinking, Pei Rong bent down and picked it up.
Afterward, he remembered that his back was almost broken, but he remained calm
and straightened up without changing his expression.
Suddenly, there was a burst of exclamation from the group of
reporters, as if they had discovered a shocking piece of gossip, and they
exclaimed, “Pei Rong! What happened to your neck?”
“It’s all red; is it because you’re wearing a high collar
today?”
“Is it an allergy?”
“I don’t think it looks like an allergy; the color is
darker.”
“Wow!”
In just a moment, when Pei Rong lowered his head, the sharp-eyed
reporters noticed the deep red mark on his neck.
He raised his hand and touched the back of his neck and
calmly said, “My nose was stuffy last night, so I had someone do gua sha for
me. I’m sorry you had to see this... unattractive Pei Rong.” (T/N:
He was referring to a massage.)
“No, no, not unattractive,” the reporters quickly refuted.
And... it’s a bit suggestive.
So, it turned out to be gua sha. The one who did it was a bit
heavy-handed. They should apologize for having dirty thoughts.
The reporter’s gossiping heart was suddenly extinguished, and
the topic shifted back to the common cold.
Pei Rong smiled and said, “I’m worried about infecting you
all. I can’t have a long interview today, sorry.”
As soon as he spoke, the assistant understood the implicit
meaning and apologized while escorting Pei Rong out. When they reached the
backstage, the assistant asked with concern, “Should we buy some cold medicine?
Or go to the hospital?”
Pei Rong did need some anti-inflammatory medicine, but it had
nothing to do with cold symptoms. He decided to wait until evening to call
someone to get it for him.
The embroidery on the collar of his sweater irritated his
neck, so he simply changed back into the shirt that belonged to Lu Qin.
Although it was a brand-new item from the other’s wardrobe, it felt as if it
carried Lu Qin’s detestable aura. In his heart, he cursed Lu Qin in passing.
Gua sha... What a load of nonsense!
