Pei Rong tightly clenched the fabric of Lu Qin’s suit on his back, veins standing out on the back of his hand, creating wrinkles across a large area.
Originally, he had intended to ease the situation by borrowing some of Lu Qin’s clean and refreshing aura. He almost pressed his own mouth against Lu Qin’s neck, attempting to suppress the urge to vomit.
He tried hard, but it was in vain. A mouthful of red wine found its way into Lu Qin’s collar, flowing meticulously into the fabric alongside the prominent veins on his neck.
Fortunately, he hadn’t eaten anything after exercising earlier. His symptoms were intense dry heaves, with only a bit of sour water and the wine that hadn’t gone down.
In his mind, Pei Rong thought he was incredibly unlucky. He had never been this unlucky in his entire life. If Jiang Tian had appeared even a second later, he would have managed to swallow that sip of wine.
The persistent nausea prevented him from lifting his head, and he maintained the same motion, rolling his head over and over, striving to gradually calm down the fading discomfort.
His eye corners turned red from holding back, his chest rising and falling, his breath shallow. He didn’t dare open his eyes even slightly, afraid that Jiang Tian might be standing right in front of him.
The entire scene left almost everyone stunned. The entertainment industry’s artists were accustomed to various staged scenarios, but this kind of situation was exceptionally rare.
As Pei Rong tried his best to minimize the effects of the alcohol while holding onto Lu Qin, he vomited carefully. In the eyes of bystanders, it appeared as if Pei Rong had suddenly entangled himself with President Lu, unable to bear parting, and it seemed like strawberry imprints were about to appear on President Lu’s neck.
Meanwhile, Lu Qin remained motionless, his expression unreadable.
Two individuals, one cold and one warm, left some people’s faces flushed as they watched on.
Was this the impact of the first beauty in the entertainment industry when he got emotional? If it weren’t for the fact that the person he got entangled with was President Lu, no one would dare to gaze too fervently, afraid that they might come too close to seize this charming beauty.
Lu Qin didn’t dare to think about what flowed into his chest, feeling as stiff as a sculpture. But that stiffness only lasted for a moment. The next moment, considering what some people might be thinking in their hearts, he lifted his hand to embrace Pei Rong’s waist. With a clear declaration of ownership, he transformed Pei Rong’s previously unilateral flaunting of charm into an intimate embrace.
Pei Rong thought Lu Qin would push him away. Rational people wouldn’t explode on the spot in such a situation; they would settle accounts later.
However, he had acted irrationally at first. What would Lu Qin’s reaction be? He had no certainty.
As he felt anxious and suppressed the urge to vomit, a broad palm pressed against his waist, like a stabilizer that inexplicably calmed his churning stomach.
He didn’t need to look to know that this hand had distinct knuckles and was rough from calluses.
“What’s wrong?” Lu Qin lowered his eyelashes and asked, a hint of unnatural redness in his ears.
Pei Rong’s ears were close to Lu Qin’s resonating vocal cords, and he heard the slightly lower pitch of his voice, which quickly resonated in his eardrums. Pei Rong uncomfortably rubbed his ear. Was this the voice that netizens went crazy over, the one that could impregnate just by hearing it?
Just as Pei Rong was about to speak, someone approached without any sense of propriety, and in a melodious voice, they called out, “Brother Pei.”
Pei Rong’s movements froze, wishing he could cover his ears. When would this end?
In the center of the venue, everyone watched this scene of highly aesthetic and tempting silent play. Jiang Tian’s voice broke the tableau, causing people to shift their gaze to him.
Jiang Tian was originally a rising star. He appeared in numerous fast-moving consumer goods advertisements. Now, he had signed with Jianglu Entertainment, a company heavily invested by the Lu family. He and Pei Rong were like brothers. That was at least in public.
After witnessing the scene just now, everyone vaguely understood why President Lu suddenly became interested in the entertainment industry. No one dared to underestimate the relationship between Pei Rong and Lu Qin now.
One person’s success could benefit others, and Jiang Tian’s style was different from Pei Rong’s. He portrayed the image of a handsome and charming male friend. There was no competition between them. The resources left behind by Pei Rong alone were more than enough.
Riding this trend, Jiang Tian could also soar to new heights.
In the entertainment industry, when someone was about to succeed, they wouldn’t withhold their smiles.
Jiang Tian greeted everyone with a brilliant smile, relieving Pei Rong of his embarrassment. If Pei Rong decided to cooperate, willing to make introductions, it couldn’t be better.
He remembered what Luo Qun had once told him.
Luo Qun said that Pei Rong always refused to participate in social gatherings and drinking sessions, maintaining his purity. So, despite relying on his good looks to become popular, he found it difficult to access top-tier resources.
“Xiao Tian, you’re starting from a higher point, and with the resources from the Lu family, you’ll definitely rise above the rest in the future.”
Jiang Tian thought contemptuously, thinking that being pure and aloof was just like being a naïve fish in the pond. Once he had the chance, he would be more closely attached than anyone else, making sure his master’s methods were truly deep.
Oh well, his master had profound methods, and he’s just following behind, reaping the benefits. In the future, he might even replace him.
Jiang Tian exchanged greetings and took advantage of the situation to bask in the limelight, enjoying the attention from the crowd. After a while, he noticed that Pei Rong was completely ignoring him.
The atmosphere turned awkward, and anyone could tell that their relationship was strained.
The company had instructed him not to appear in any events where Pei Rong was present, without providing a reason. Since Pei Rong was planning to withdraw from the entertainment circle, Jiang Tian speculated that it was a setup for future publicity, allowing him to capitalize on the attention even after Pei Rong’s withdrawal.
However, he believed that appearing together at this stage would benefit him more. The popularity that he had gained from Pei Rong’s variety show appearances was substantial. It was just a coincidental encounter, after all. What harm could it do?
Jiang Tian looked towards Lu Qin unconsciously, wanting to strike up a conversation with someone else. Suddenly, he met Lu Qin’s unfriendly gaze, causing his heart to skip a beat.
Pei Rong pressed one of his ears against Lu Qin’s collar, but it couldn’t prevent the other ear from hearing.
He expressed in distress, “I want... to go out... for some fresh air.”
Without a second word, Lu Qin led Pei Rong towards the exit of the venue, completely leaving Jiang Tian behind.
In the center of attention, there was only one person left. Jiang Tian soon felt the piercing scrutiny, making his face turn pale.
After a while, others lost interest in him as well.
Lu Qin took Pei Rong to the restroom. As soon as the door closed, Pei Rong instinctively moved away from him and wiped the corner of his mouth.
With an expression as cold as iron, Lu Qin looked at himself in the mirror. The red traces of liquid were visible on the white shirt covered by the black suit. His expression was fierce, but not disheveled.
It’s as if wearing a piece of tie-dye art.
At this moment, he realized that there was only wine on his shirt, without any impurities.
Unbelievably, he’s managed to carry around an unknown substance on his shirt until now, and Pei Rong was still fine despite being the culprit.
Pei Rong nervously adjusted Lu Qin’s tie, wanting to help him take it off quickly, but Lu Qin grabbed his wrist.
“Explain.”
Lu Qin’s thoughts shifted between ‘Pei Rong wanted to take advantage of the opportunity’ to ‘He didn’t want to attend the banquet and was intentionally causing trouble’.
Either situation made it difficult to comprehend why the other would spit red wine into his collar.
It certainly couldn’t be seduction.
The cold wine, chilling to the core, suddenly ignited like burning alcohol.
Lu Qin’s breathing became heavier, and even in this situation, he couldn’t let the other go. He’s incredibly audacious.
Pei Rong: “Well... In the wine-tasting class, they say you’re supposed to hold red wine in your mouth for 8 or 9 seconds. Then I suddenly saw Jiang Tian, and I remembered the disgusting chicken gizzards he cooked for me, so... I suddenly felt nauseous and was afraid we’d lose face if I vomited in public.”
Lu Qin quickly regained composure: “Oh, that was a mistake in the wine-tasting class.”
“Then why don’t you vomit into your own sleeves?”
Pei Rong was momentarily dumbfounded, as if suddenly enlightened.
Indeed, why not?
He thought for a moment. It might be a subconscious feeling that the posture of dry heaving would not make him look good. Leaning against Lu Qin could reduce the body’s movement.
Lu Qin looked down at him from above.
He couldn’t come up with an answer, right? There must be a purpose behind it, and the purpose was...
Pei Rong: “I didn’t think of it. Sorry, that’s the reason.”
He added, “Do you believe me?”
A normal person hearing his explanation might have questioned it. After all, the excuse of “feeling nauseous when seeing a person” was quite weak, as if it was a groundless assumption.
However, Lu Qin said, “I believe you.”
He had watched the variety show featuring Pei Rong and Jiang Tian. The way Pei Rong held his nose while supporting Jiang Tian made Lu Qin extremely uncomfortable, fueling his anger.
Lu Qin’s assessment of Jiang Tian was that he lacked self-awareness and was selfish. Despite knowing that his senior brother couldn’t handle spicy food, he still used his senior brother to show off.
Lu Qin felt that if he didn’t take action, Pei Rong would definitely be bullied at the company.
He even hoped that Pei Rong would call him.
However, Pei Rong had never initiated contact with him.
Pei Rong felt guilty and said, “I’ll wash your clothes.”
President Lu certainly didn’t lack people to wash his clothes, but he should show a bit of attitude here or else the other might think that he’s easy.
Lu Qin: “Is that so?”
Pei Rong: “...Yes.”
Lu Qin’s eyes were as deep as the sea, and finally, he said nonchalantly, “Let’s leave it as a debt for now.”
Secretary Gao quickly brought spare clothes to the restroom. He couldn’t help but sigh; having someone pour wine on President Lu felt like it happened in a previous lifetime.
Pei Rong obsequiously opened the wooden door of the partition for Lu Qin. “President Lu, please.”
Lu Qin glanced at him and directly unbuttoned his shirt.
Pei Rong scratched his face and took out a tissue. He soaked it in water and wiped the area below Lu Qin’s neck.
Ah, look at those abdominal muscles, that firmness... that vigorous spirit.
Lu Qin didn’t say anything. He just had Pei Rong pack up his soiled clothes, and the two of them left.
When they arrived, Lu Qin dropped Pei Rong off at the entrance of his residential area. When they left, he still walked him to the door.
“Do you have red wine at home?”
Pei Rong imagined the scene of Lu Qin pouring a bottle of red wine over his head, and a shiver ran down his spine.
“Yes.”
He got out of the car with his bag of clothes, and as expected, Lu Qin followed him upstairs.
Pei Rong took his time and fetched a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet.
Lu Qin said coldly, “No need for glasses.”
Pei Rong hesitated, “...Um... I’ll warm it up a bit.”
If he was destined to be doused, he hoped it would be at 37 degrees Celsius.
Lu Qin seemed a bit annoyed, and he somewhat forcefully evaded the corkscrew, twisted it open in three or two moves, took a sip from the bottle’s neck. In front of Pei Rong’s resigned gaze, he pulled his slender waist and kissed him.
Pei Rong opened his mouth, his Adam’s apple bobbing, left only with the passive option of swallowing.
With a slight sound, Lu Qin let go of him, facing the restlessness in his lower body. He said, “Remember to hand wash the clothes.”
Then he picked up the new coat from the sofa, put it on in haste, and left.
Pei Rong, who was preparing to use the washing machine: “...”
He had never hand-washed clothes in his lifetime.
