June 13th.
Xu Xiuwen needed to go to Fei City. He was going to meet some people, discuss various matters, and would certainly need to host meals, including drinks. Clearly, he couldn't handle it alone.
So, just two days later, Lu Xinyao, the new secretary who had recently transitioned from the front desk, went on the business trip with Xu Xiuwen.
At noon on June 13th, Xu Xiuwen drove with Lu Xinyao to Fei City. Since they planned to return the same night, neither of them had brought a change of clothes.
Throughout the drive, Xu Xiuwen didn't talk much to Lu Xinyao. Most of the time, he was focused on driving. During a brief stop at a service area, he casually mentioned, "Lu Xinyao, you should get a driver's license."
Lu Xinyao nodded repeatedly.
...
Xu Xiuwen's main reason for coming to Fei City was to meet with the head of the Huizhou Province TV station, deliver the final version of a TV drama, and discuss collaboration matters.
This wasn't the first time Xu Xiuwen had worked with the Huizhou TV station. He had sold the second-round broadcast rights of his first drama to three local stations, including Huizhou TV.
The drama had a great response and impressive ratings when aired on Huizhou TV's entertainment channel. With this prior cooperation, the TV station's head was quick to agree to a meeting.
Upon arriving in Fei City, Xu Xiuwen headed straight to the Huizhou TV station building.
When he reached the building's entrance, the security guard wouldn't let him in without a pass. Xu Xiuwen called the head of the TV drama review department. After the call, the contact person came down to greet him.
The person in charge of dramas at Huizhou TV is a man in his late thirties named Meng Dong.
Meng Dong, around 1.75 meters tall, wore glasses and had a refined demeanor. He was also very approachable and friendly.
They spent quite some time discussing in the TV station's conference room, reaching a preliminary agreement on collaboration.
However, this was contingent on the drama's quality, which would need to be reviewed by the department, requiring some time.
The price for the drama was the same as offered by Su Province, 350,000 per episode.
The previous life's version of "He Yi Sheng Xiao" had 32 episodes, but Hang Fei's version was more detailed, ending up with 36 episodes. The total came to 12.6 million. The cost for the second drama was higher, but 12.6 million was still a good price.
Xu Xiuwen didn't negotiate further.
They agreed verbally that as long as the drama passed the review, they would sign the contract once the distribution rights were obtained.
After discussing the drama, it was already 5 PM. Xu Xiuwen proposed treating Meng Dong to dinner. Meng Dong agreed but insisted on Xu Xiuwen hosting the meal to show hospitality.
Xu Xiuwen had already researched restaurants in Fei City and reserved a private room in advance. He informed Meng Dong that he had already paid the deposit.
Meng Dong, hearing this, had no choice but to agree to Xu Xiuwen hosting the meal but insisted on covering other expenses for the evening activities.
Before heading to the restaurant, Meng Dong invited a few other people from the TV station, including some review staff and a male host from the station, whose name is omitted.
Seeing the male host, Xu Xiuwen was quite excited. Not only did he know the host, but he had grown up watching his programs. He was very familiar with him.
However, Xu Xiuwen was surprised to find that the male host was actually quite the lsp (lecherous, suggestive person) in private. At the dinner table, he frequently cracked dirty jokes.
Although his jokes were vulgar, they were undeniably funny. Coupled with his professional delivery, they made everyone burst into laughter, though Lu Xinyao remained red-faced throughout.
The dinner lasted for two hours. As people from the TV station, they could all hold their liquor well. Xu Xiuwen, as a guest from afar, was frequently urged to drink. He was toasted multiple times—seven or eight rounds in total.
Despite Xu Xiuwen's enhanced constitution, he couldn't handle so much alcohol.
Fortunately, Lu Xinyao was there to help him, shielding him from much of the drinking.
Nevertheless, Xu Xiuwen still drank quite a bit and felt a bit tipsy.
As the evening wound down, the male host suggested heading to a bar to pick up some girls. Seeing the usually dignified and serious host now casually talking about picking up girls shattered Xu Xiuwen's image of him.
Xu Xiuwen remembered that his mother, Ning Wanqiu, had always admired this host. If she saw him like this, she surely wouldn't admire him anymore.
Of course, Xu Xiuwen kept these thoughts to himself—saying them at the dinner table would be offensive.
That said, despite his lecherous nature and penchant for crude jokes, the host was actually quite a decent person.
Xu Xiuwen could tell he wasn't a scheming type.
Setting aside his lsp traits, Xu Xiuwen felt a genuine connection with him. They had a lot in common and hit it off well on many topics.
Before the dinner concluded, Xu Xiuwen took a moment to go to the restroom and settled the bill.
Upon returning to the private room, the male host suggested going to a bar. His colleagues from the TV station were all eager and excited about the idea.
Xu Xiuwen could tell that these people shared similar lsp tendencies. Not wanting to dampen their spirits, he agreed to go along.
The drinking had already brought Xu Xiuwen closer to these people, at least on the surface.
Suddenly, Meng Dong pulled Xu Xiuwen aside and asked with a smile, "What about her?" He gestured towards Lu Xinyao with his eyes.
Xu Xiuwen glanced over at Lu Xinyao, who was still smiling, her face flushed from the alcohol.
Meng Dong said, "I'll take you to have some fun. It's not appropriate with a woman around. Maybe you should let her go back to rest."
Xu Xiuwen replied, "Brother Dong, she came with me. Her home isn't here; she doesn't have a place to go back to."
"Are you silly? Just book a room for her to sleep. You don't need to go back tonight; come back tomorrow."
"I'll ask her." Xu Xiuwen wasn't one to act unilaterally; he respected people's wishes.
When Lu Xinyao heard Xu Xiuwen's words, she immediately said, "Mr. Xu, I'll go with you."
"We're going to a bar."
"I know, but I'm your secretary. It's my responsibility to accompany you and ensure your safety."
Xu Xiuwen smiled, "You're just a secretary, not a bodyguard."
In truth, Xu Xiuwen would have preferred if Lu Xinyao went to the hotel to rest. After all, Meng Dong had mentioned earlier that he would take Xu Xiuwen to experience something new.
Although Xu Xiuwen wasn't sure what kind of experience Meng Dong had in mind, it was indeed inconvenient with Lu Xinyao around.
However, seeing the determined look in Lu Xinyao's eyes, Xu Xiuwen knew he couldn't change her mind. He gave up on trying to persuade her, saying, "Then you should come with us."
"Alright, Mr. Xu," Lu Xinyao replied.
Xu Xiuwen couldn't persuade Lu Xinyao otherwise. He looked up at Meng Dong and shook his head.
Meng Dong immediately shot him a questioning look, as if to say, "You can't even manage your secretary? How are you supposed to be a boss?"
Xu Xiuwen could only smile wryly.
As they prepared to leave, Meng Dong insisted on covering the upcoming expenses, declaring loudly that he would take care of it. The group then headed to the bar.
They arrived at a well-known local bar in Fei City, called "Colorful Sunshine." By the time they arrived, the bar was already packed.
Xu Xiuwen rarely went to bars in either his past or present life. He disliked the dim atmosphere and couldn't afford to spend money on such places back then. Even now, though he could afford it, he still retained his dislike for bars.
Tonight, he was accompanying Meng Dong and his group. If it were up to him alone, he wouldn't have chosen to visit a bar.
"Colorful Sunshine" was a fitting name, but the bar's environment had nothing to do with sunshine.
The colorful lights on the ceiling were so blinding that they almost made one's eyes hurt.
The place was filled with people from all walks of life.
On the dance floor, a large group of young men and women were dancing energetically.
Among them were some girls dressed quite provocatively.
Some were attractive, especially under the bar's psychedelic lights, exuding a captivating charm.
Yet, none of them caught Xu Xiuwen's eye. Among the women he knew, there were far too many beautiful ones. For example, Lu Xinyao, who was right beside him, was definitely as attractive as any woman here.
However, for Meng Dong and his friends, the goal was to find excitement, not to evaluate appearances. After all, they saw plenty of beautiful women at the TV station.
Meng Dong and the male host seemed to be regulars at this bar. Following them, Xu Xiuwen was led to a large VIP booth, where Meng Dong called a male waiter and ordered a stack of drinks.
After placing the order, Meng Dong leaned in and whispered to Xu Xiuwen, "Brother Xu, you hang out here for a while. I'll come find you later."
With that, Meng Dong disappeared into the crowd. Xu Xiuwen looked around and noticed that the male host was also nowhere to be seen.
In the booth, only Xu Xiuwen, Lu Xinyao, and a few remaining TV station staff were left. Someone initiated a toast, and everyone started drinking.
Half an hour passed quickly. Neither Meng Dong nor the male host had returned. By this time, everyone in the booth, including Xu Xiuwen, was feeling a bit drunk.
Xu Xiuwen, who had already drunk a lot, felt increasingly dizzy. Lu Xinyao promptly stepped in to help him with the drinks.
Just then, Meng Dong reappeared out of nowhere. He sat down next to Xu Xiuwen, poured himself a large glass of alcohol, and downed it in one gulp.
Putting the glass down, Meng Dong asked with a smile, "Brother Xu, why aren't you going up to have some fun?"
"I'm not really interested in dancing," Xu Xiuwen said.
"Oh, I see," Meng Dong replied.
"Brother Dong, where did you go just now?" Xu Xiuwen asked.
"I went over there to meet a friend," Meng Dong answered.
"Male friend or a female friend?" Xu Xiuwen inquired.
Meng Dong gave a mysterious smile. "Of course, a female friend."
"Do the people here know your female friend?" Xu Xiuwen asked curiously.
Meng Dong made a face of disdain. "How could they possibly know Green?"
"Why didn't you bring her over to introduce us?" Xu Xiuwen asked.
Meng Dong was momentarily speechless. After a few seconds, he said, "Green doesn't like crowded places."
"Are you sure she's a female friend? Her name is Green?" Xu Xiuwen asked.
"Of course, I'm sure," Meng Dong confirmed.
"Your female friend sounds quite interesting."
"How so?"
"She doesn't like crowded places but comes to a bar?"
Meng Dong was immediately at a loss for words.
"What does your friend look like?" Xu Xiuwen asked.
At this question, Meng Dong suddenly gained confidence. "I'm not bragging, but there are few women in the world more beautiful than her. She's so stunning that words can't do her justice."
Xu Xiuwen laughed. "Really? Can there be such a beautiful woman in this bar? Are you not exaggerating?"
Meng Dong was anxious. "How could I be exaggerating? It's not just me—many people think so."
The world might lack many things, but beautiful women were not one of them.
Seeing that Meng Dong was so adamant, Xu Xiuwen decided to believe him and nodded without further comment.
However, seeing that Xu Xiuwen didn't say anything, Meng Dong thought he still didn't believe him and couldn't help himself. "No, you must go take a look. Just one look and you'll know I'm not exaggerating."
Xu Xiuwen chuckled awkwardly. "Brother Dong, there's no need for that. I believe you."
"No, you must come with me to see her," Meng Dong insisted.
It seemed Meng Dong was adamant about it.
"Fine, then. Let's go take a look," Xu Xiuwen said, his curiosity piqued.
So Xu Xiuwen stood up and followed Meng Dong toward the bar.
The bar at "Colorful Sunshine" was a straight bar, about eleven or twelve meters long. The shelves behind the bar were filled with a variety of drinks, both domestic and international, in a dazzling array of colors.
In the middle of the bar, a woman was sitting alone. A bottle of alcohol was in front of her, and her right hand held the rim of her glass. The glass swayed gently with her wrist.
From her back, the woman did indeed seem quite elegant. But as for whether she was attractive, Xu Xiuwen couldn't tell, since Meng Dong only brought him to the far right end of the bar, about six or seven meters away from her. From this distance, Xu Xiuwen could only see her profile and back, not her face.
Xu Xiuwen was puzzled. "Brother Dong, why don't we go over there?"
Meng Dong awkwardly smiled and explained, "Green doesn't like being disturbed. Let's just look from here."
Xu Xiuwen couldn't help but laugh. He asked, "Brother Dong, even if she doesn't like being disturbed, it should be fine to say a few words to her, right?"
"Well, I think it's better not to approach," Meng Dong replied.
Xu Xiuwen looked at him for a few seconds and suddenly asked, "Brother Dong, could it be that she doesn't know you at all?"
Meng Dong, being honest, nodded. "You guessed it right. She indeed doesn't know me."