Chapter 1691: Cloud Boss and Little Cousin Extra (8)

Celebration Banquet

Yun Hezhi takes great care of his voice and has specific dietary needs, so he doesn’t smoke or drink. At the banquet, no one pressured him, mostly because a prominent figure in Beijing Opera like him commands respect, and no one dared to act improperly towards him.

However, Fan Zhengyu had a bit to drink, and her face was already flushed with redness.

"Zhengyu, is Mr. Yun single? Does he have a girlfriend?"

"He’s really handsome. Do you have his contact information? Can you share it with me?"

"He seems to have a great personality too. It’s rare to find someone so disciplined nowadays."

...

Fan Zhengyu doesn’t have a great tolerance for alcohol, so she wasn’t too drunk. But all around her were voices talking about Yun Hezhi. When she looked up, she saw a beautiful female teacher from the orchestra talking to him. Though she couldn’t hear what they were discussing, they seemed to be enjoying each other’s company.

This made her feel a bit uncomfortable. She hadn’t been drinking and turned to grab a nearby cola instead.

The soda went down her throat, but she felt turmoil inside, uneasy.

She used to practice privately with Yun Hezhi and rarely interacted with the orchestra members. Now, many were gathering around him, offering toasts. That feeling was almost as if...

Yun Hezhi was no longer hers alone.

Fan Zhengyu thought this notion was rather dangerous.

Since when had Yun Hezhi become her personal possession? She turned away, continuing to drink and chat with others. It was a celebration banquet, after all, and everyone was naturally happy, causing Fan Zhengyu to drink a bit more.

Originally, there were follow-up activities planned, but Yun Hezhi was going to leave. He couldn’t possibly leave the drunken Fan Zhengyu behind, so they both left together.

The car they took was Fan Zhengyu’s. The group leader wanted to find a driver for them, but Yun Hezhi refused.

**

Two girls from the group helped Fan Zhengyu into the car and fastened her seatbelt. A crowd watched them drive off before turning to continue the night’s activities elsewhere.

Since Fan Zhengyu had quite a bit to drink, the car interior was filled with the smell of alcohol, so Yun Hezhi opened the window to let in some fresh air.

Fan Zhengyu had originally fallen into a sleepy daze after getting in, but the cool breeze seemed to wake her up a bit. "Mr. Yun..."

"Awake?"

"When did you help me with my makeup?"

Yun Hezhi was just about to ask her specific home address because he only knew that they lived on opposite sides of a river. He didn’t know which exact courtyard she lived in. But here she was, talking about makeup.

"There will be opportunities in the future."

Fan Zhengyu let out a soft "uh-huh," just feeling the discomfort of her churning stomach. Yun Hezhi noticed her distress and quickly pulled over, allowing her to get out of the car. However, she had completely forgotten that she was still buckled in and lunged forward, only to be yanked back by the seatbelt.

She reached for the seatbelt buckle but couldn’t find it.

Yun Hezhi, somewhat helpless, reached out and their fingers brushed.

His fingertips, cooled by the autumn breeze, while hers—

burning hot from the alcohol.

Fan Zhengyu’s fingers froze, just staring at him in a daze. The distance between their faces seemed almost nonexistent.

The streetlight outside cast in, making his dark eyes appear quite cool.

Instinctively, she held her breath.

Yun Hezhi simply thought she was drunk and found it amusing, letting out a low chuckle...

His breath lingered in the air.

Accompanied by the "click" of the seatbelt buckle unlocking, Fan Zhengyu looked at his amused smile, feeling somewhat dizzy.

"You... have a really nice smile."

Yun Hezhi didn’t expect her to say something like that, slightly curling his lips, his smile growing gentler.

"When are you going to help me with my makeup?"

"Why are you still thinking about makeup?"

"In the future... there might not be another chance." Actually, Fan Zhengyu was still in a bit of a haze. With their collaboration ending, intersections would naturally decrease. She couldn’t just contact him and ask to do her makeup. She had to seize the opportunity now.

"When do you want me to?" Yun Hezhi asked with a smile, not expecting her response:

"Now."

Now?

Yun Hezhi glanced at his watch; it was nearly ten o’clock. It wasn’t feasible to take her home, and going to the Peach Garden was out of the question since the place had already closed.

"Another day." It was too late to be alone with a girl like this; it wasn’t proper.

However, something unexpected happened next. As Yun Hezhi was leaning over to help her with the seatbelt, planning to step away, he didn’t anticipate her grabbing the edge of his clothes.

The young girl surprisingly called softly, her voice trembling:

"Mr. Yun—"

Her sweet voice seemed to pierce right through him.

Soft and tender, slightly hot with the warmth of alcohol, it brushed against his cheek.

In an instant—

Half of his body went numb.

Yun Hezhi’s throat tightened, and he could only feel that half of his body seemed to be on fire...

Fan Zhengyu usually respected him like he was her mentor, never showing such an expression before. Yun Hezhi turned to look at her; the young girl’s face was layered with blush, her breathing was erratic, but the hand clutching the corner of his clothes was firmly there.

Was she...

Acting coy with him?

Yun Hezhi had never seen such a situation before; those who interacted with him were all from the Beijing Opera Circle. Even friends like Tang Wan and Ruan Mengxi would never use such a tone and expression with him.

Perhaps those who studied opera traditionally had some old-fashioned mannerisms; he had never experienced this before. His heart trembled, and his face felt a burning sensation.

Fan Zhengyu could probably say anything, and he would agree.

"Alright, I’ll help you with your makeup now."

Fan Zhengyu let go of his clothing corner and obediently sat back in her seat.

"Seatbelt," Yun Hezhi reminded.

"Oh."

Fan Zhengyu fiddled for a while before finally fastening her seatbelt again.

Yun Hezhi drove, but did not head home; instead, he went to Peach Garden. It wouldn’t be appropriate for a man and a woman alone at this hour to go to his house, and his makeup supplies at home weren’t complete.

Throughout the ride, Fan Zhengyu was in a good mood, but Yun Hezhi...

The way she called him "Boss Yun" made his heart tremble with unease.

His emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

The light inside the carriage was dim; otherwise, Fan Zhengyu would have surely seen his ears glowing a deep red.

The palm gripping the steering wheel was drenched in sweat.

It was clearly the most normal address—everyone called him that—but coming from her mouth, it seemed to change its flavor.

It sounded like it could take someone’s life.

...

Actually, Yun Hezhi was not very good at socializing before, maybe even somewhat introverted, which led him to like people like Ruan Mengxi: bold, straightforward, and cheerful—like sunshine, completely different from him.

But his introversion made him humble, afraid to express, and even more afraid to approach. When he achieved some success, he discovered Ruan Mengxi had already met someone she liked—

Qi Zeyan!

He could see the mutual affection between them and chose to support and fulfill them.

He never formally confessed to her; they hardly ever spent time alone. The youthful ripple in his heart seemed to have long lost its intensity upon meeting again.

Compared to the current unrest and excitement in his heart, he never felt such a strange feeling towards Ruan Mengxi.

Perhaps it was more about envy and admiration.

He longed to become as carefree and open-hearted as she was.

And now, he could easily interact and socialize with others. His admiration for Ruan Mengxi had naturally dissipated long ago.

Yun Hezhi drove, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of the person seated in the passenger seat...

In his heart, he seemed to have quietly confirmed something.

Thinking about her earlier coquettish words, the corners of his lips twitched slightly. He hadn’t expected her to have this side.

It indeed made one somewhat defenseless!

At this moment, Yun Hezhi didn’t know that Fan Zhengyu was a natural at being coquettish since childhood. This kind of thing was second nature to her. It’s just that after growing up, such incidents became rare; at this moment, he couldn’t handle it, and in the future—

He would be even more unable to handle it.

**

Yun Hezhi’s mind was filled with numerous thoughts; while driving, he periodically checked on Fan Zhengyu, completely overlooking the car following them.

It traced them directly to the entrance of Peach Garden.

The location of Peach Garden is quite secluded; at this hour, aside from an occasional car passing by, it was deserted. Yun Hezhi parked the car, helped Fan Zhengyu open her car door, and his peripheral vision noticed another somewhat familiar car in the parking lot.

At this hour, why would this person not go home but come to Peach Garden?

Yun Hezhi didn’t dwell on it too much, leading Fan Zhengyu to enter from the back door of Peach Garden.

But someone had drunk a little alcohol; though still conscious, their steps were staggered. Yun Hezhi had to reach out and lightly hold her arm, maintaining utmost gentlemanly courtesy.

Suddenly, a car approached from the rear side, its headlights shining blindingly.

Yun Hezhi’s brows furrowed, the car coming to a steady stop in front of him with a sharp screech of brakes—

Echoing piercingly in the silent night.

Then a man leapt out of the car, his expression ferocious and menacing.

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