Luo Fei stared at him with a half-smile, his dark eyes unreadable. "Does President Ye happen to be free tonight? Care to join me for dinner?"
Ye Yi, acting as if he hadn't noticed the suggestive tone, readily agreed. "Sure, I know a Thai restaurant nearby that's pretty good. Shall we go?"
He slung an arm around Luo Fei's shoulders like a close friend, revealing a row of pearly white teeth as he grinned charmingly. "I didn't drive, so it'll be a bit of a bother for you, President Luo."
Luo Fei tilted his head, his gaze lingering on the arm on his shoulder for a few seconds before shifting away. "President Ye is quite the minimalist, not driving out."
"Can't help it, our company's small. But then again, I have President Luo here, don't I?"
Luo Fei had never met anyone who so shamelessly imposed on his car. But then again, it made sense. Fantasyland was hardly comparable to the Luo Corporation.
He figured the president of that company must be dirt poor.
Thinking this, he felt a surge of satisfaction.
A hint of a smile finally touched his lips. "You're welcome."
Ye Yi mentioned a very popular, trendy restaurant.
There was a long queue.
When they arrived, the waiter politely informed them there would be a wait.
Ye Yi quickly glanced at Luo Fei, signaling he was okay with it.
Luo Fei looked at his watch and said with a stern face, "Please have your manager come out."
Soon, a man with "Manager" on his name tag appeared.
After a brief whispered conversation, someone respectfully escorted them inside to their seats.
Ye Yi followed him, "President Luo still has great influence."
Luo Fei smiled. "Our time is precious; we can't afford to waste it on trivial matters."
Ye Yi nodded in agreement. "You're right."
They sat down.
"What would you like to eat?" Luo Fei asked.
Ye Yi was even more casual, flipping through the menu and selecting a couple of dishes. "I've chosen."
"Does President Ye drink?"
"Me? I'm quite picky. I don't drink anything that's not good."
Luo Fei snapped his fingers and gestured to the waiter. "Bring us two bottles of your best wine."
"Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment."
They were seated by the window.
Outside the glass, neon lights flickered in a dazzling array of colors, with pedestrians coming and going.
A live singer was crooning a soft English melody in the restaurant.
The atmosphere was quite pleasant.
Luo Fei slowly spread out the tablecloth. "This place is nice."
"I think so too."
They exchanged pleasantries, both smiling cordially, but neither knew what the other was thinking.
When the food arrived, Luo Fei raised his glass first, a smile on his lips. "A toast to President Ye."
Ye Yi raised his glass. "President Luo, my alcohol tolerance isn't great. I'm the type who's all talk and no game. If I get drunk later, I'll have to trouble you."
"It's no big deal. If you really get drunk, just remember where home is, and I'll take you back," Luo Fei chuckled.
He scoffed inwardly. Poor alcohol tolerance? Who would believe that? Already putting on an act?
"With you saying that, I feel reassured. Cheers."
"Cheers."
After a few drinks, Luo Fei's gaze fixed on Ye Yi, as if contemplating something. Suddenly, he said, "President Ye, have we met before?"
Ye Yi nodded seriously. "Yes, we have."
"Do you remember where we met, President Ye?"
"Online. I often see President Luo in the entertainment news section," he replied readily.
Luo Fei narrowed his eyes. "That's not what I meant. I just have a feeling that President Ye and I have met somewhere before."
The more he listened to Ye Yi speak, the more familiar he found his voice.
He felt like he had heard it somewhere, more than once.
"Several months ago, there was a charity auction in Kyoto. Was President Ye perhaps in attendance?"
He finally remembered why the voice sounded so familiar!
The mysterious person who had bid against him for Ji Zhixiu's painting had the same voice!
At least eighty percent similar.
If it hadn't been for him, he wouldn't have spent so much money on a useless item!
Thinking of this, a flicker of cold anger flashed in Luo Fei's eyes.
Ye Yi shook his head, feigning innocence. "Charity auction? I just returned to the country. If there's anything fun happening in Kyoto, President Luo should take me along."
His eyes held a hint of confusion that seemed genuine, appearing completely artless.
Their gazes met, one utterly innocent, the other filled with scrutiny.
Luo Fei chuckled softly and averted his gaze, temporarily suppressing his suspicion. "I must have mistaken you for someone else. My apologies."
If it were him, why would he have deliberately outbid him?
But then again, that person wore a mask, didn't they, precisely to avoid being recognized?
For a moment, many thoughts flashed through Luo Fei's mind, but he pushed them all down.
He looked up, his smile enigmatic under the lights. "Come, let's have another drink."
Luo Fei hadn't expected Ye Yi's claim of poor alcohol tolerance to be true.
As they exited the restaurant, he steadied Ye Yi. "President Ye? Are you alright?"
Ye Yi clung tightly to his arm, his voice clearly slurred with drunkenness. "Don't worry... I'm fine... Not drunk!"
He practically dragged the man into the passenger seat. Luo Fei got into the driver's seat and realized he was already sweating on his forehead.
He took off his jacket, glanced at the man slumped in the passenger seat, and rolled down the window for some air. "Where does President Ye live?"
The cold wind rushed in, and Ye Yi rubbed his arms, tilting his head to think for a long moment before giving an address.
Luo Fei let out a quiet sigh of relief and merged into the traffic.
Ye Yi sat up and looked at Luo Fei, his tone remarkably serious. "President Luo."
Luo Fei glanced at him as he had a moment. "Sobered up?"
"No, I think I'm going to throw up..."
As he finished speaking, Luo Fei slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road.
He got out of the car, strode around to the other side, yanked open the door, and hauled Ye Yi out, his anger barely contained. "Don't you dare throw up in my car..."
Ye Yi's head spun from the jostling as he squatted on the ground and retched for a bit. Then he shook his head. "Can't throw up."
Luo Fei took a deep breath, resisting the urge to abandon him on the roadside.
He gritted his teeth. "President Ye, don't drink next time!"
Ye Yi nodded. "Are you angry?"
Luo Fei got back into the driver's seat, his face cold and silent.
"Are you angry? President Luo?" Ye Yi asked very earnestly. If Luo Fei was angry, he would apologize.
"Shut up!" Luo Fei cut him off coldly.
When they reached the entrance to the residential area, Ye Yi unbuckled his seatbelt and got out, steadying himself. He bent over and stuck his head in. "Thank you for today, President Luo! I'll treat you next time!"
"No need!" Luo Fei spat out the words through clenched teeth.
He didn't even glance at him again.
He quickly started the car and sped away like an arrow released from its bow.
"Tsk," Ye Yi watched him drive away, hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed, his eyes clear. There wasn't a hint of drunkenness. "Can't handle it."
He returned home at a leisurely pace.
Ye San was waiting for him. "Why are you back so late?"
Ye Yi walked past the entryway and opened the refrigerator, finding a mango yogurt. He tore off the lid. "Had dinner with Luo Fei."
"How was it?"
He leaned against the cabinet door, pulled out his phone, and opened Weibo. "He seems to have guessed that I was the mysterious person who bid against him at the charity auction last time."
Ye San: "I still don't understand why you went to meet Luo Fei today."
Ye Yi curved his lips into a smile. "Isn't it nice to be treated? Though, he's quite cunning, not mentioning Jing Zhou at all."
He lowered his gaze and saw the hashtag #LuoFeiRecommendsLockHeartDrama trending on Weibo. He couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?"
Smiling, he turned the phone to show him. "Look at the comments. I got a free promotional opportunity from Luo Fei."
[Everyone is watching Lock Heart Drama!]
[President Luo, why doesn't your company produce something like this?]
[I'm also following this drama, the costumes, makeup, and plot are all great.]
Ye Yi briefly recounted the day's events.
Ye San found it quite exasperating. "Aren't you afraid he'll get angry and just leave you on the side of the road?"
"Then you can come pick me up," Ye Yi said indifferently.
He had gone there purely to annoy Luo Fei anyway.
Dinner today cost Luo Fei 300,000 yuan.
Those two bottles of expensive wine had been placed in the restaurant beforehand.
But Luo Fei would never know.
"You have a lot of hostility towards Luo Fei," Ye San stated definitively.
Ye Yi sneered. "Of course. I'm a very vengeful person."
Thinking of what happened on "Angel Star," Ye Yi felt he had been too lenient with Luo Fei.
Ye San remained noncommittal about his vengefulness.
"Take it easy," he cautioned.
After all, Luo Fei was far more complex than he appeared on the surface.
It wasn't his schemes that were to be feared, but his underhanded tactics.
Like the Jing Zhou incident.
Ye Yi let out a lazy hum. "Got it."
...
On the weekend, Jiang Mian and Li Zhuyi arrived at the Ji Corporation building on time.
This time, she didn't wear a mask and walked in through the front desk in broad daylight.
Fan Cheng was already waiting for her downstairs. Upon seeing her, he cleared his throat. "Miss Jiang, we're filming on the twentieth floor."
Jiang Mian nodded slightly. "Alright."
He led them past the front desk staff, who were watching them, and into the president's exclusive elevator.
The receptionist stared at Jiang Mian's retreating back for a long time, feeling a strong sense of familiarity.
She nudged her colleague and mentioned it.
Her colleague scoffed. "She's a big star, wouldn't she look familiar? Haven't you been watching Lock Heart Drama lately?"
"No," she said with a hint of distress. Celebrities are familiar, but she felt like she had seen Jiang Mian somewhere before. "I think I've seen her."
"In a dream."
She stubbornly insisted, "Don't believe me, I've definitely seen her. Let me think."
Those eyes...
Inside the elevator.
Fan Cheng: "It should take about two hours. The President asked me to accompany you."
"No need," Jiang Mian knew he wasn't idle. "You go ahead with your work. If you need anything, just call me."
Fan Cheng nodded. "Alright. I'll take the young madam to familiarize herself. If you have any problems, come find me."
With no outsiders present, he dropped the pretense.
Jiang Mian smiled. "Okay."
For this perfume advertisement, Jiang Mian had no lines.
It would be a close-up shot to highlight Jiang Mian's beauty, and it would be played on large outdoor screens nationwide.
Upon arriving at the studio, Fan Cheng took Jiang Mian to the stylist, explained the requirements, and then bid her farewell.
The entire perfume advertisement was designed in a pure and alluring style.
Jiang Mian changed into a dress as arranged by the stylist.
It was a white, strapless, bow-adorned, puffy dress.
Jiang Mian's skin was fair and tender; she always took good care of her skin.
Wearing the white dress, she instantly looked pure, yet still exuded a charming aura.
The stylist couldn't help but exclaim, "You look even better than I imagined."