Chapter 9: Dinner Date

The party hadn't started for long, but those people in the box had already hit it off and formed a few small groups. While people were at a hot buzz, Yu Qinghuan sat in a corner alone and got covered by a money tree, making him even more insignificant.

It was director Liu that noticed that Zhao Qingyuan had come.

After three rounds of wine, the usual seriousness on his face was totally gone. While drawing a big picture for those drunk casts, he suddenly heard someone snort in the corner unexpectedly.

When he followed the sound, wondering who was so bold, he looked right into Zhao Qingyuan's provoking eyes.

When did he come?

Director Liu got startled and immediately moved his ass to him, "Why are you hiding in here? You should have said hi to us."

"Why bother?" Zhao Qingyuan waved his hand at him casually, saying, "It's too noisy there. I'd better stay here." Liu Jia'an had ever served as Zhao Qingyuan's grandfather's solider. They still had contacts after Liu Jia'an got demobilized, so they always kept a good relationship.

Although director Liu became a has-been now, throughout the whole entertainment circle, only Zhao Qingyuan would dare to talk to him with this tone.

"You kid!" Director Liu really wasn't angry with him. He derided him while catching a glance at Yu Qinghuan who was sitting next to him, "You know him?"

"Of course." Zhao Qingyuan smiled and then clasped Yu Qinghuan's neck, "This is my buddy."

With the corner of his eye cramped, Yu Qinghuan brushed off his hand. Zhao Qingyuan didn't get angry. Instead, he sat even closer and tried to cuddle him again like sticking plaster.

On seeing that, director Liu nodded smilingly, "Hm, Qinghuan is a good kid. You can not bully him."

Zhao Qingyuan rolled his eyes as the response.

While they were chatting harmoniously, all the other people already dropped their jaws.

When did Zhao Qingyuan come? Why had none of them even noticed?

He was the best actor winner, and this was his movie party. Why would he hide himself? None of them had Monkey King's eyes. How could they recognize him?

Those who had turned up their noses at Yu Qinghuan felt really sorry now.

If they had known that Zhao Qingyuan was sitting in the corner, they would snatch a position there whatever the cost was!

All the others felt remorseful and changed their attitude a180. They all bowed and scraped to propose a toast. But as cocky as Zhao Qingyuan was, he didn't buy it at all. He took none from them, including Wang Cheng.

"I don't drink." Leaning on the chair, Zhao Qingyuan caught a glimpse of Wang Chengcheng randomly.

"It's my fault." With a fine-tuned smile on her face, Wang Chengcheng didn't feel embarrassed at all. She quickly put down the glass of wine and changed it to a glass of corn juice, then said to Zhao Qingyuan, "Mr. Zhao, how about I propose a toast with the corn juice?"

Wang Chengcheng not only had a perfect outline, her bone structure was also perfect. With that fair-skinned and slim fingers holding the glass of bright yellow corn juice, what a feast to the eyes!

Zhao Qinghuan just started at him. Only until Wang Chengcheng's hand got sour did he turned his head, "I'm sorry. I have had enough corn juice tonight."

This time Wang Chengcheng really felt humiliated. She made an excuse and went back to her own seat.

Having been messed up by Zhao Qinghuan, the second half of the party seemed quite not right. It was supposed to end at 8. But now was only 7:30, and most people had already gone.

Yu Qinghuan turned down Zhao Qingyuan's proposal of having another round of drink. And then he sneaked back home while the party was still on.

Yu Qinghuan kept receiving messages from Zhao Qingyuan all the way home. Maybe Zhao hadn't had someone to talk to for a long time. Now he finally got one and kept nagging at him like he had just grown a mouth.

Zhao Qingyuan: Qinghuan, you are new in this circle. There're so many things you don't know. Wang Chengcheng looks pretty though, actually she is the most scheming one among all of you! If I accepted her toast tonight, maybe the gossip between us would hit the headlines early next morning.

Zhao Qingyuan: That Li Hongxiu is also a bitch. Oh man! See what kind of casts director Liu had chosen.

Zhao Qingyuan: Qinghuan, let me tell you. Don't overthink things. Alas, I think I am the last pure land in this circle. As straightforward as I am, I wouldn't be welcomed anywhere. Never mind. I'm better shut myself and try to improve my acting skills and maybe someday I'm gonna win an Oscar.

Yu Qinghuan scrolled all the messages expressionlessly. He didn't reply any, only threw his phone on the couch.

He was not sure whether Zhao Qingyuan was the last pure land of the circle, but what he was sure was he was a total freak.

Zhao Qingyuan had waited for a few minutes but still got no reply, so he kept bombing him with more messages.

Zhao Qingyuan: Qinghuan, did you receive my messages?

Zhao Qingyuan: Qinghuan, why don't you text me back? Pissed off? Having a bath? Or being asleep already?

…

Yu Qinghuan got really annoyed by the nonstop messages, so he unlocked his phone and started to reply Zhao's messages…

Yu Qinghuan: Don't worry. You will always be popular wherever you go.

Zhao Qingyuan replied in a split second: Wow! That's so kind of you! Trying to comfort me.

Yu Qinghuan: But an Oscar? A definite no!

Zhao Qingyuan:…

Zhao Qingyuan: Qinghuan, you really hurt my feeling, you know? I am the best actor winner!

Yu Qinghuan: Oh. Gotta sleep. Nighty night!

Zhao Qingyuan: …

If Yu Qinghuan said he was going to sleep, he really meant it. He had worked too hard in his precious life. Shooting the whole night wasn't a rare thing. The result was his body broke down before he was thirty. And finally he had a chance to reincarnate, and Yu Qinghuan decided he would take good care of this body.

He would lie in bed at 10 on time every night. But tonight he couldn't fall asleep however hard he tried. He always thought something was on his mind.

He racked his brain but still couldn't remember what he forgot. He even had no idea when he felt asleep.

While in Huo family, Huo Qu, who had always gone to bed at exact 9 o'clock, stayed up late without precedent.

He sat stiff in his study, and the expression on his face had turned from exciting at the beginning to disappointing now.

Qinghuan said he was gonna call him. But why hadn't he called yet?

Did he drop his card or he simply couldn't remember where he put it?

What should he do if that was the case?

Huo Qu pressed the power button of his phone a few times, looking rarely anxious.

Watching him from outside, his two brothers were scared. Huo Rong couldn't help asking Huo Zheng, "Zheng, what is wrong with him? He acted a little weird today."

Huo Zheng frowned, "Is he working on a new dangerous subject?"

In order to study the life span of proton, Huo Qu had soaked himself in the pool for three whole days. He wouldn't listen to anyone and insisted that he had turned into splinter patron. And finally Huo Zheng had no choice but knocked him over and carried him home.

And his situation today reminded Huo Zheng of it.

"Oh no!" Huo Rong got his hairs on the back prickled with fear. He whined, "It kills me if that happens one more time.

Huo Zheng wanted to shush him in case Huo Qu heard them. But it was too late. Huo Qu suddenly got up and looked right in their direction, wearing no expression with that pair of empty eyes.

Huo Rong tried to get on his feet, "Qu, I just want to check why you are still up."

"This…" Huo Qu held up his phone before Huo Rong, "Is there any missed calls?"

Maybe Qinghuan had already called, but he was not good at using a phone, so he missed his calls.

The more Huo Qu thought about it, the more reasonable he found it was. So he urged Huo Rong, "Rong, take a look for me."

"What missed calls?" Huo Rong talked in whispers, but still started to check it carefully.

There was nothing in his call records. No missed calls!

"No one has called you." Huo Rong held up the phone and shook it in front of Huo Qu.

Did he make some new friend? But that was impossible. For his personality, Huo Rong would rather believe that his little brother only wanted to know about the functions of his phone.

"I see…" Huo Qu's face instantly darkened. He went back to his room listless and squatted before his desk again like a mushroom.

And then whatever Huo Zheng and Huo Rong asked, he always kept his mouth shut, like losing his tongue and his soul.

Yu Qinghuan didn't know when he fell asleep. In his dream, Huo Qu kept calling his name like a monk's enchanting: Qinghuan, Qinghuan, Qinghuan…

Yu Qinghuan then woke up with a start. Until then he remembered he promised Huo Qu he was gonna call him.

As far as he knew about Qinghuan, he wouldn't sleep before he called. So he quickly turned on the light and routed out the card and dialed the number on it.

Someone picked it up on the first ring. On the other end of the line came Huo Qu's lively voice, "Qinghuan!"

"Wow! You picked it up so fast!" Yu Qinghuan was a little surprised, and then teased him, "Have you been waiting by the phone?"

"Yeah." Huo Qu replied without thinking, "I've been waiting for your call the whole night."

Yu Qinghuan couldn't help but looked at his phone. It was already twelve o'clock in the morning. How long had Huo Qu been waiting? He felt so sorry and immediately apologized, "I'm sorry, Huo Qu. I forgot."

Huo Qu wasn't angry at him at all, "It's OK. You kept your words anyway."

His words didn't make Yu Qinghuan feel any better, but made him feel more awful. Picturing how Huo Qu stared at his phone and waited for his call pitifully, he thought he was such a shithead.

He could have forgotten anything but not this.

"It's my fault. You go to sleep now. I'm gonna treat you a big meal, OK?" Yu Qinghuan decided to make up for him.

"Deal!" Huo Qu had no idea what Yu Qinghuan meant, but he still agreed readily, as long as he could see Yu Qinghuan.

Yu Qinghuan talked about something else and then hung up because he was too sleepy.

Now he not only got Yu Qinghuan's number, but also got a chance to have dinner with him! The bad mood now was totally gone. Huo Qu then put away his phone, took a hot bath and went to bed, pleased.

But the twin brothers outside who were watching all this would have a sleepless night.

Huo Zheng, "Who is Qinghuan?"

Huo Rong scratched his head, "The one I told you about last time. A C-list actor our company has just signed."

Huo Zheng goggled at Huo Rong, "How did Qu make acquaintance with the actor of your company? Did you set them up?"

Huo Rong felt wronged, "I am also wondering how they got to know each other." After a pause, he quietly closed Huo Qu's door and then said, "He is going to meet that C-list actor. What should we do?"

Huo Zheng took it for granted, "Do you even need to ask? Of course we'll follow him." Who knows what tricks that C-list actor was cooking. They had to stay highly vigilant!

So early the next morning, Yu Qinghuan got up to pick up Huo Qu. He had no idea that another car from Huo family was following them, where the twin brothers were watching him over!