The Boring Party Where They Met

The party was at its zenith when he arrived. Sullen, scowling and very displeased. He didn't want to be anywhere near here at all. The other guy who was giving the party was after all his rival and after losing to him in the best actor award, he much preferred the distance that defeat usually meant, if this were a normal world he lived in and he was not Lui Zhen, the greatest and most sought after actor on the face of the planet.

But that's the rub. He was popular and respected, which meant he had to attend a party given by his rival to show his magnanimity and grace in defeat. How long has it been? Five years when the entire entertainment world crowned him Emperor?

But after five years, his surprised defeat at the hands of a newbie who came out of nowhere.

"What a boring party," his manager, Nan King, muttered dispassionately. "We shouldn't have come."

"Isn't that what I have been trying to tell you all night? It's hosted by that idiot Wong Kang. Of course, it's going to be boring," Lui Zhen said mockingly, sipping at the glass of drink in his hand.

"We can make excuses to leave after five minutes," Nan King said in his whispery voice. "That should be enough time to convince everyone you're fine with losing to Wen Huo."

Nan King's voice faded into strained silence when he accidentally encountered Liu Zhen's glacial stare.

"I mean, you have a pictorial very early tomorrow morning. You need your good night's sleep. That's what I meant," Nan King stammered, mentally kicking himself.

Lui Zhen was about to annihilate his lame excuses with a few well chosen words when a crowd suddenly pushed itself through the french doors and saw them.

"Zhen! I didn't know you've arrived," a young man with a mop-like head of orange hair greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hiding from the crowd, eh," another young man wearing a skin tight baby blue suit chimed in. "I don't blame you. Have you seen what they're doing out there? Wang Kong is practically begging them to stop staring at their phones and dance."

"Well, in their defense, almost everyone is in this app group where they bid on something interesting like a tree from Guana," another young man whose wearing a ruffled white shirt said. "It's the current rage among our group."

"A tree from Guana?" Mop head asked with lifted brows. "What and where is it?"

"Doesn't matter," Ruffles shrugged.

"That's precisely it, mate. The idiocy of it all," Baby blue suit explained. "The thrill of the bid is the dope."

Mop head looked at his companions then rolled his sleepy eyes in Liu Zhen's direction.

"Are you leaving?"

"Why? Do I have to?" Liu Zhen said with a smirk.

"You're here hiding. I thought you'd stay away by now. Not your scene."

Liu Zhen shrugged and didn't answer.

"It's not even an important award," Baby blue suit said. "Minor."

"Next to the Academy awards, that is," Ruffles said. "Have been known to give unknown actors a helping boost or two."

"I think that's something our respected movie emperor should not hear, no," Mop head chortled merrily.

Liu Zhen looked at him and remained silent.

"One thing rocking this party though is that girl," Ruffles suddenly changed the subject. "Did you see that white porcelain skin? Like cream poured all over her. I'd like to see that delicious looking confetti naked on my bed."

"In your bed? She's not a boy, k? Even with that small chest, nobody will mistake her for a dude," Mop head laughed. Besides him, Baby blue suit was also convulsed with laughter.

"Ha ha ha," Ruffles said, unruffled. "Even if I were gay, I would convert if I had that girl in my arms. She looked so silent yet wild just standing there. Who is she? Anybody know?"

"I think she's with Wen Huo," Baby blue suit said.

"I thought she was one of the staff," Mop head said, blinking his sleepy eyes.

"That's what I thought, too, that's why I tried to kiss her downstairs in the kitchen," Baby blue suit said. "But she impolitely stepped on my toe and told me in no uncertain terms to keep my saliva from touching her lips or else. Wen Huo saw us and laughed. He called the girl Sheng Sheng and the two of them left arm in arm."

"Sheng?" Ruffles asked.

"That's what I thought he said. I guess it's short for something," Baby blue suit shrugged.

"Kiss stealing," Mop head mocked. "Juvenile."

"Her lips practically shouts 'kiss', so I tried," Baby blue suit shrugged.

"And failed. Ha ha," Ruffles guffawed.

"Beast," Baby blue suit seethed.

"Where are you off to?" Mop head's attention suddenly diverts to Liu Zhen who gave his glass to the gawking Nan King as he walks to the door and pushes it open.

Liu Zhen gave him a blistering glance and left without looking back.

Wen Huo and a girl wearing a slim unadorned black dress that exposed a pair of trim and neat legs sat near a window talking. Wen Hou had on a doting expression as he looked at the girl, who was excitedly waving her arm in the air. Wen Hou caught the pale hand and put it on her lap, laughing at something the girl was saying. The girl grinned then her eyes shifted to where Liu Zhen was standing staring at them and her smile seemed to freeze.

Surprised at the girl's sudden change of expression, Wen Hou turned his head. His handsome face split in a surprised grin as he caught sight of Liu Zhen.

"You came," he greeted, standing up and extending a hand.

Liu Zhen ignored the hand, still staring at the girl.

"Wang Kong said you were here but I thought he was joking. Why didn't you let me know? It's an honor for me to have you here. I can't thank you enough for coming...," Wen Hou's voice trailed away as the man he was talking to remained frozen on the same spot, still staring at the girl behind him. "Emperor Liu?"

"Do you know her?" Liu Zhen suddenly transferred his pair of burning gaze at Wen Hou.

"Know who?" Wen Hou was flabbergasted, staring at Liu Zhen with surprise.

"Her."

"Her?" Parroted the still shocked Wen Hou. He finally realized where Liu Zhen's eyes were staring at and followed his gaze.

The girl sat on the edge of the sofa with her long legs crossed. Her red lips were stretched in a friendly smile which widened as she met Wen Hou's questioning stare. As they watched, she lifted her arm and gave a mocking wave.

"Sheng Sheng?" Wen Hou asked, shifting his eyes to Liu Zhen's fulminating countenance. "What about her?"

"Sheng Sheng? Is that the name she now calls herself as?" Liu Zhen's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Do you know Sheng, Emperor Liu?"

"Know her?" Liu Zhen laughed sarcastically.

"Well?" Wen Hou prodded impatiently when the other man remained silent.

"Well, what?"

"Do you know Sheng Sheng?"

"Why don't you ask her?"

"I'm asking you," Wen Hou was getting impatient.

"Know her? In the biblical sense, you mean?" Liu Zhen mocked.

"What...what do you mean by that?" Wen Hou was shocked, opening his round eyes at Liu Zhen.

"Guess."

By then, the subject of their conversation had already strolled to where they were, her dazzling smile still plastered on her face. The smile though dipped a little bit when she caught the tail end of Liu Zhen's provocative question.

"Darling, what did Emperor Liu mean? The biblical sense? It's that drastic?"