Chapter 13 Part2 (1/2)

You guys asked for more of Yi Wenze's perspective, so here it is. ? Trip to Chengdu! What do you think the first thing they do together will be?

Chapter 13.2 — An Unstoppable a.s.sailment of Fl.u.s.ter (2)

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He did not enjoy boisterous settings.

However, there were times when it was necessary to attend some social engagements, such as the present. A friend had come from Hong Kong and was at Chengdu's Muse Club[1]. As chance would have it, the film's cast and production team had returned to Chengdu in preparation for a press conference, so naturally he had been unable to escape the fate of being dragged here. Fortunately, the owner of the club was with them the entire time and the booth selected was in a good location. Still, it was inevitable that they would attract some shrieks of surprised excitement.

As soon as he sat down, the owner asked whether they wanted to call some girls over.  The partiers in their group of course were happy with such an arrangement, inducing stony expressions on the faces of the several actresses with them… ”Teacher Yi, would it be all right if I sit beside you?” An actress who had only recently joined the cast on filming site had been crammed to the extent she was left without a spot, and so she could only turn a pitiful look on him.

He s.h.i.+fted over and made some room. ”Have a seat.”

And then, he sat with his entire body balanced only on the very edge of the seat. Truly such a gentleman.

The man holding a guitar on the stage lowered his voice, his tone suggestive as he complimented that the beautiful ladies in Chengdu certainly lived up to their reputation. Instantly, a wave of squeals rose up from the audience off the stage. Yi Wenze could not help shaking his head and chuckling. That fellow still loved to flirt and tease wherever he went. The woman next to him asked, ”Teacher Yi, you didn't use a stuntman in your place today. I heard your arm was injured?”

Yi Wenze gave a smile. ”It's not too serious.”

His mobile phone unexpectedly vibrated. Picking it up, he saw it was a message from Jia He: I'm booking my plane ticket. When will be a good time?

The press conference was at three o'clock. Working out the timing in his mind, he went online and found the best flight, then sent the flight number directly to her.

Before long, another text came back: So touched! That one it is, then!

In that dim, evocative lighting, an emoji with tears streaming down its face blinked on his phone's screen.

A picture from more than a month ago flashed in front of his eyes, how she, holding a pair of chopsticks, had tentatively asked whether she should make another dish instead since the vegetables were overcooked. That morning, beneath the blanket, she had been almost completely naked when she volunteered herself up for the deed. Truly… always only knowing how to ignite things but never knowing how to put out the fire.

A faint smile brimmed from the corner of his lips as he returned a text to her: No need to feel touched. Tomorrow, just offer all of yourself to me[2].

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After the text was successfully sent out, a long time pa.s.sed without any response.

She must have gotten quite the scare from that. He offhandedly picked up his wine and took a sip. The wine was quite good, its palate full-bodied and smooth. Actually, the wine that night had been better, except the entire time Lun had had too much fun teasing her until in the end things had gotten out of hand.

”Teacher Yi, is it your girlfriend?” the person beside him inquired.

He did not provide an answer. That young woman carried on, sighing enviously, ”I watched your interview from that day. If I were your girlfriend, I definitely would have died of happiness.”

He smiled slightly. ”She didn't really seem to have much of a reaction.”

Or perhaps he should say, she only dared to state it aloud when she was drunk.

The young woman gave an exclamation of ”Ah?” Those large, circle-lense-wearing eyes shone an even deeper black. ”Teacher Yi, I'm going to be a bit nosy and ask, what sort of person is your girlfriend? How could she stay so calm?”

”She's a screenwriter.” He set his wine gla.s.s on the table.

”Oh, a girl of skill and talent.”

The woman feelingly expressed this remark and was about to say something else, but the man who had been performing onstage had already darted over and casually removed the hat from Yi Wenze's head. ”How was I just now?”

Yi Wenze made an ”Awesome!” sign and then let out a low chuckle. ”Your voice cracked.”

That person was terribly abashed. Wanting to sit down, he cast a glance at that young woman, who at once astutely rose and said, ”You guys sit.”

”Thanks.” Taking a seat, he threw an arm around Yi Wenze's shoulders. ”I honestly don't know why Tian Chu wanted to get a divorce. You're so epic. From what I could see, that girl there was practically plastering herself on you, but you still had the mind to play with your phone.”

This person was a Northerner and spoke in crisp sentences. All of a sudden he remembered how, when Jia He occasionally talked on the phone with her family, she would rapidly rattle away in the Beijing dialect, and he felt that her little tongue was so amazing.

Someone, he was not certain who, discovered that the group adjacent to them was also a cast from a current film project and straightaway suggested that they bring their groups together to make things even livelier.

Yesterday when his young sister phoned him, on the other end of the line, someone had babblingly called him, ”Uncle.” The soft, sweet chimes of a child's voice are always able to cause a person to completely relax, until the little boy, in words that were still enunciated unclearly, began asking for ”Aunt.” Yi Wenze, feeling a little helpless, had had no choice but to gently tell him, ”Aunt is busy with work in Beijing, but when she has time, she will go to New Zealand to see you.”

Without a doubt, it must have been Wenrun who taught him that. Since knowing about his relations.h.i.+p with Jia He, she would phone all the time, grilling him with questions about the Loli he was raising for himself[3]. From the looks of things, she truly had been doted on and spoiled rotten by her husband, staying at home the entire day but only learning stuff like this. But maybe she and Jia He would have common topics to talk about…

He swirled his wine gla.s.s gently, then glanced again at his mobile phone. She wouldn't have dropped her phone and broken it, would she?

A text message suddenly came in: Just now… I dropped my phone.

Sure enough.

He stood, wanting to find a quiet place to call her back. However, without warning, there was a shattering crash behind him. Turning, he saw the floor covered in debris. The young woman who had sat beside him earlier had smashed a mirror with a wine bottle. All around, everyone was a little stupefied. In contrast, by the mirror, a man whose face was scarlet and who appeared to have consumed quite a few drinks took a couple of staggering steps forward. ”What? I just said a couple of things to you and now you're not giving me face?”

For a moment, the atmosphere was as if daggers were drawn, and all the people in the nearby booths flocked over to spectate.

Yi Wenze's brows creased together as he watched this. He did not know this person; it should be someone who came over when the booths were brought together. The several people around that man hurriedly stepped forward and pulled him back, all speaking at once, saying, why bother squabbling with a young girl? The more they tried to soothe him, though, the more enraged that man became, and he was about to yank up his sleeves and charge forward.

”All right now. What is a man picking bones with a woman for?” At last, Yi Wenze spoke up.

And then, utter silence.

It honestly was because… just now he had been sitting in a corner with a cap on and also the bar's lighting was dim. Only now, when he spoke, did the people who had joined from the other booth see that over here there actually was… Yi Wenze.

That man basically did everything but pour a gla.s.s of wine to apologize. With a smile, Yi Wenze patted him on the shoulder. The man immediately fell back into his original seat. ”This is to compensate your damages.” Yi Wenze pulled out three thousand RMB from his wallet and handed it to the relieved club owner. ”My apologies. Everyone has drunk too much and lost the sense of what is appropriate.” The club owner hastily refused, pus.h.i.+ng his hand away, but the money still ended up getting stuffed into his palm.

The people at the nearby surrounding tables were still ogling this scene, their eyes gleaming. Yi Wenze, though, had already bowed his head and was looking at his mobile phone.

It had powered off by itself.

”I've got matters to attend to and need to leave first. Everyone, please continue.” He gave these words as an explanation. His friend, who had been sitting to the side watching the excitement, quickly stood and also flashed him an ”Awesome!” sign with his hands, commenting, ”My voice cracks, whereas you, guy, you hold down the scene.”

Giving a faint smile, Yi Wenze looked at him, tilted his chin to point it at that actress, and stated, ”Take care of her a bit.”

That person gave him a grin that contained much veiled meaning. ”You're finally enlightened to certain things?”