Chapter 8: Come Over and Toast with Me
Meng Qianyi sighed. "Forget it. If even you, as the person involved, can’t figure it out clearly, then I’m even more clueless. But in any case—"
She moved closer to Xu Tanxi and grasped her shoulder.
"Whatever happens, you have to tell me. You know, I’m always on your side."
Xu Tanxi nodded. "I understand. Don’t worry."
Just as she finished speaking, her phone rang.
She picked it up and saw the caller ID displayed four words: “Worldly Beauty.”
“...”
That damned man, what does he want this time?
It was only seeing this call that Xu Tanxi remembered the morning they parted in Paris—she had asked the man to save his number and told him to be available whenever she called once he returned to Jing City.
Had she known that pretty boy was actually Shang Hejing from Jing City, she never would have said such nonsense about being on call.
No, if she had known, what happened that night in Paris wouldn’t have happened at all.
Xu Tanxi now felt nothing but deep regret—a capital letter regret.
She didn’t know why Shang Hejing was calling, so after thinking for a couple of seconds, she cut off the call, deciding to pretend he had dialed the wrong number.
But he called again immediately.
Utterly speechless, Xu Tanxi made a shushing gesture to Meng Qianyi and silently mouthed "Shang Hejing" before answering.
Meng Qianyi pressed her ear closer to listen.
“Got something?” Xu Tanxi’s voice was as cold as a frozen pear from the Northeast.
On the other end, Shang Hejing’s voice was tinged with faint static, carried by the bar’s music surrounding him, slipping into Xu Tanxi’s ear.
“Hello, Miss Xu, I am the worldly beauty who promised to be at your service whenever called. Do you require my service tonight?”
Xu Tanxi was speechless.
Alright, alright, so she had found herself a live father figure—what the hell was this, a face-to-face ultimate skill?
“No, thanks!” Xu Tanxi replied through gritted teeth.
If he were in front of her now, she’d tear him apart.
On the other end, Shang Hejing seemed to chuckle softly, the drumbeat of the music mixing with his voice, making it hard for Xu Tanxi to hear clearly.
“Have you arrived at the theater?”
---
Shang Hejing abruptly shifted to business, and Xu Tanxi remained composed. “Yes, I have.”
“What kind of dance troupe is that? A breakdancing troupe? Why’s it so noisy?”
“Oh, my colleague is playing music through the speakers,” Xu Tanxi answered smoothly.
“Calling for something?”
“Nothing, just wanted to ask if you really don’t want me to pick you up later?”
Xu Tanxi’s patience was wearing thin. She knew this man wasn’t sticking around out of affection; the only reason was to tease her repeatedly.
“Shang Hejing, listen carefully. I’m very busy, and I know you’re busy too. Let’s just mind our own business. I won’t interfere with you, and you don’t interfere with me, okay?”
“But you don’t look very busy to me,” the man’s voice dripped lazily.
Xu Tanxi paused, confused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean—I’m seated two tables behind you to your right, in a booth, Xu Tanxi. Come over and have a drink with me.”
“...”
In just one day, she had lost count of how many times her expression had cracked, her pupils trembling.
Holding her phone, she immediately turned her head to the right rear, where the multicolored lights flashed dazzlingly.
Shang Hejing’s striking appearance, combined with his naturally aristocratic yet wild aura, made him immediately recognizable amidst the flickering beams.
The man lounged lazily in the booth, holding a glass of wine in his left hand, waving his phone at her with his right, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips.
Yet that smile didn’t reach his eyes, giving Xu Tanxi an inexplicable chill.
The noise was too loud for Meng Qianyi to catch what was said on the call. Following Xu Tanxi’s gaze, she turned her head and asked, “What’s wrong? Who are you looking at?”
Xu Tanxi’s face was expressionless. “That one over there in the white shirt, holding a glass of whiskey and making a call—that’s Shang Hejing.”
Meng Qianyi’s eyes widened. “What the hell?! He’s here too?”
Through the multicolored beams and shadows, Xu Tanxi locked eyes with the man. Fine, if this was a game, she was ready to play.
She turned around, opened a bottle of Black Label, poured half a glass in one go, then stood, holding her drink as she walked toward Shang Hejing.
Seeing her fierce demeanor, Meng Qianyi thought she looked ready to fight, panicked and tried to pull her back, but slipped and failed.
Xu Tanxi clicked her heels, her steps swift and confident. Her classical cheongsam clashed oddly with the decadent bar atmosphere.
Yet inexplicably, Shang Hejing watching this graceful figure approaching him felt that this woman possessed a beauty that transcended the environment’s vibe.
---
Stopping in front of Shang Hejing, Xu Tanxi, standing at 1.69 meters and wearing heels, appeared slightly domineering.
A stunning beauty suddenly entering one’s field of vision was impossible to ignore.
People in the booth fell silent, exchanging glances between Shang Hejing and Xu Tanxi, bewildered.
Shang Hejing placed his phone on the table and, as if nothing had happened, tapped the empty seat beside him with his chin.
“Sit?”
Xu Tanxi waved her glass and smiled brightly. “Sure.”
But she didn’t sit in the empty seat—she settled directly on Shang Hejing’s lap.
The warm softness pressed against her leg; Shang Hejing’s expression shifted briefly, but his hand instinctively circled her waist. Everyone around stared wide-eyed, too shocked to drink.
Xu Tanxi tapped her glass against Shang Hejing’s whiskey glass, the clink ringing crisply.
The man tilted his head slightly to look at her, his deep brows and eyes mysterious under the shifting lights.
“You sure pick interesting places.”
Xu Tanxi’s lips curled with playful charm. “But honestly, the sitting experience is just so-so.”
Shang Hejing raised an eyebrow. “The ‘sitting experience,’ really just so-so?”
Hearing his emphasis, Xu Tanxi realized which word he meant.
Flirting with her so openly in front of everyone—he was begging to be teased to death.
She matched his tone, deliberately provoking. “Really, very so-so.”
The surrounding crowd perked up, eager for gossip, but a cold glare from Shang Hejing sent them scattering like birds.
A slight pinch at her lower back made Xu Tanxi frown. “What are you doing?”
“You’re lying. I’m just correcting you.”
Xu Tanxi sneered. “Your way of correcting me is by pinching? Besides, do you have proof I’m lying? You actually thought I was giving you emotional value in bed?”
If anyone else said that last line, they’d be furious. But this was Shang Hejing—his emotions were steadier than anything.
He pulled her waist closer and whispered near her ear, lips barely brushing her earlobe, “Whether you’re lying or not, you know it yourself.”
As he spoke, his hand wandered over her waist. Xu Tanxi felt ticklish and immediately broke free, standing up.