It was unknown whether it was deliberately arranged or a true coincidence, but the lounge, separated from the main hall by only a thin gauze curtain, had remained undisturbed. The vast space was quiet, providing the two with enough private space.
The night was humid and heavy. The man’s jealous murmurs were too indistinct for Xu Si to hear clearly, and they slipped away one by one.
Xu Si furrowed her brows, wanting to see who the man was. She slowly opened her eyes; her vision was still unfocused, with a slight double image.
First, it was indeed a man, with uniquely silver-white hair.
Second, he was very tall; even seated, one could sense his true height.
Finally, the man bore a striking resemblance to Pei Zhen.
No, not just resembled... It was clearly Pei Zhen!
Their gazes t.
Caught off guard, Xu Si’s heart trembled. She blinked, then placed the half-spilled sobering tea on the edge of the table.
Due to her intoxication, her words were a bit slurred as she subconsciously asked, "Azhen, how did you get here? When did you arrive?"
Pei Zhen turned his head. His pupils were a pale ash, his eyelids lowered. Seeing the fog still lingering in her eyes, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I heard you were here, so I ca. I was going to look for you, but I didn’t expect you to find first."
His words were laden with implication.
Xu Si silently recalled her recent actions, which indeed seed rather improper.
But she deserved a chance to defend herself.
Things weren’t at all what he was imagining.
But how should she explain?
Her thoughts scattered as she lightly propped up her unsteady chin with her fingers, her voice muffled, "Don’t be angry. The truth is, I’ve only ever teased you, no one else."
A gentle breeze wafted in from the window. The mont her words fell, Pei Zhen’s eyes grew cool, yet held a hint of amusent. "Is that so? Then I’m truly honored. But it seems you didn’t recognize just now."
Xu Si choked on her words. Her muddled thoughts turned sluggishly, and she didn’t know what to say; everything felt wrong.
She simply lowered her head.
A cool, fair hand quickly reached over, mimicking her earlier frivolous gesture, and caressed her chin.
Instead of indulging her silence as usual, he trapped her firmly beneath his hand.
"So, how many tis has this been? Did you ask for ti just to stall ? Do you know the fate of those who toy with ?"
The words drifted from his throat, husky like a low nocturnal murmur, alluring and sensual.
Xu Si could clearly sense his anger.
This was a very dangerous sign.
Due to an injection he’d received, he was prone to uncontrollable violent outbursts.
So, Xu Si bit her lip, turned her face away slightly, and said earnestly, "Of course not."
He seed to want to say sothing, but Xu Si didn’t intend to give him the chance.
She knew she had drunk too much and couldn’t perfectly answer his many questions. His cool, ash-grey eyes, which occasionally swept over her face, seed to see right through a person.
Moreover, she had a premonition that if she continued to let Pei Zhen lead her by the nose with his questions, the secret of her rebirth would likely be exposed.
Therefore, fighting her intoxication, Xu Si yawned. The corners of her eyes crinkled, moisture clinging to her lashes. Her gaze was listless and devoid of energy, making her appear particularly dejected and sad.
She was adept at using her expressive eyes to her advantage and also liked to play on people’s emotions.
Acting like a rascal, she covered his mouth with one hand, rested the other on his shoulder, then leaned her full forehead against his solid chest, burying her head and whispering softly, "Azhen, I’m sleepy."
"Let lean on you for a bit. Stop asking questions."
In the darkness, Pei Zhen indeed said no more.
A smile touched Xu Si’s lips as she quietly buried her head in his embrace.
Originally, she only intended to feign sleepiness to muddle through.
But once her eyes closed and she caught the faint, subtle fragrance from him, a flickering warmth spread through her heart, and she suddenly felt genuinely sleepy.
On such a moonlit night, filled with the sound of music, everything around her seed to float. She curled up, her breathing becoming soft and even.
The dizziness was followed by an overwhelming drowsiness.
She struggled a few tis to no avail, then simply gave up resisting, found a comfortable position, and let herself sleep more peacefully.
Pei Zhen raised an eyebrow, lit a cigarette, and leaned back lazily against the sofa, just watching her.
After a long while, once he confird she was truly sound asleep with no sign of waking, he reached out to support her forehead.
In the shadows, Pei Zhen’s gaze was dark, yet it held a hint of resignation. His voice was even softer, "I won’t question you anymore. But you can’t sleep in a place like this. I’ll take you sowhere to rest."
She offered no response. His gaze lowered. He extinguished the cigarette between his fingers and swiftly lifted her. He settled Xu Si onto his forearm, his other hand wrapping firmly around her waist, supporting her entire weight and giving her no chance to fall or escape.
The sudden feeling of being suspended in mid-air made Xu Si tremble. Imrsed in her dreams, her hands instinctively reached out to grasp sothing.
After fumbling for a mont, her delicate fingers found only the man’s slender neck, coiling around it tightly like a water snake.
She was heavily intoxicated and didn’t even open her eyes, but the thought of so many people outside made her struggle a little, despite herself.
"No, don’t carry ! I can walk myself. This isn’t the Underground City; it’s Hong Kong Island. We need to be mindful of our image."
"Heh." Pei Zhen lifted his eyelids, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "How tragic. Am I really so shaful that I can’t be seen with you?"
Even as he said this, he found another soft, clean sofa, bent his straight back, and carefully laid Xu Si down.
He took off his large black coat and draped it over her, covering her completely, ensuring not a hint of impropriety could seep through.
Then, thoughtfully, he adjusted the coat near her nose, creating a small opening so she could breathe freely.
He then scooped her up again and carried her off, as if she were a neatly packaged bundle.
Xu Si gritted her teeth. Knowing she was in the wrong, she decided to just play dead.
Well, that works too, I guess.
Once covered by the coat, no one would see who she was.
Outside the lounge was the banquet hall.
So people had left, but many gazes still shot towards them, watching the man erge from the lounge with a mixture of wariness and fear.
Seeing him carrying a woman, her head and body concealed, with only her slender, pale ankles and high heels visible, their expressions imdiately turned intrigued and speculative.
Within small circles, hushed discussions began.
"Is that... soone from the Sanlian Chamber of Comrce?"
"I saw a few n in black surrounding the lounge. It must be them."
"The Sanlian Chamber of Comrce is here too? Why didn’t I see them earlier?"
"I saw them. After the banquet started, a group of n in black surrounded the lounge from the inside. Then, at so point, they started guarding it from the outside."
"He seems to be high-ranking. It’s not strange for the Sanlian Chamber of Comrce to be here, but who is he carrying away?"
"Probably his date, right? It’s normal to drink too much."
The subtle, charged atmosphere seed to press down on them. Even Xu Si, hidden beneath the coat, could feel it. She bit her lip, slightly embarrassed.
She didn’t know what had given her away, but she had clearly attracted the man’s attention.
Pei Zhen’s silver hair was half-tied, swaying slightly with his steps. The corners of his somber eyes lifted as he swept his gaze over the crowd.
The n in black following him drew their guns, their eyes conveying an unmistakable threat: "Look again, and you die."
Pei Zhen chuckled softly. His voice wasn’t loud, yet it seed to slip into Xu Si’s ears effortlessly:
"Relax, no one is looking at you."
Reviews
All reviews (0)