Chapter 47 - Borrowing the Mantra of Drunkenness
Around eight o'clock in the evening, in a mid-to-high-end restaurant in the center of Xincheng City, Fang Hong sat at a table next to a transparent glass wall, enjoying the view outside.
After waiting for about six or seven minutes, He Xuan arrived.
She sat down opposite him, smiling as she greeted him. "Sorry for making you wait. The traffic was terrible."
He Xuan had obviously dressed up for the occasion. She wore light makeup, her black, long, straight hair parted neatly. Her outfit highlighted the youthful beauty of a college student while breaking away from the typical girl-next-door style, presenting a distinct personal style.
Fang Hong smiled and responded, "I just got here too."
At that moment, the waiter arrived with the menu. Fang Hong took the menu and, glancing at He Xuan, asked, "Do you have any dietary restrictions?"
He Xuan shook her head with a smile.
After ordering a few dishes, the waiter left, and Fang Hong initiated a conversation. He was quite familiar with how to engage with women.
As they chatted, He Xuan couldn't help but admire Fang Hong. She realized that Lin Ruoshui's ex-boyfriend was not only handsome and rich but also very well-mannered. He seemed like the perfect man. Little did she know, Fang Hong (the original owner of this body) had been wealthy for a long time. She had once had a crush on him, although back then she didn't know about his wealth. His looks were enough to make him desirable. After all, being handsome gave a man a huge advantage when it came to choosing a partner. However, Fang Hong had chosen Lin Ruoshui over her.
After a while, He Xuan, curious, asked, "By the way, you mentioned you wanted to tell me something earlier today. What is it?"
Hearing this, Fang Hong smiled. "I need to ask you for a favor."
He Xuan, still intrigued, asked, "A favor?"
When she learned that Fang Hong's request wasn't a confession of love, He Xuan felt a bit disappointed. She had come with expectations.
Fang Hong, unaware of her thoughts, took the opportunity to continue. "I started an internet company with a few friends and built a microblog platform. It's not a big deal, really. I just need to invite you, Su Dongyan, Zhong Xue, and Yun Xiaoli to register on the platform. You can write anything that comes to mind—what you see, hear, or think—and share pictures as well. You can post as much as you want, and after a month, you can do whatever you like."
"So you have a company?" He Xuan was surprised. It confirmed that Fang Hong was, indeed, the rich second-generation type. With a smile, she added, "Sure, I'll help Dongyan and Xiaoxue later."
Fang Hong smiled back. "Of course, I can't let you help for free."
As he spoke, Fang Hong looked to the side. The Lancôme cosmetics he had bought earlier were brought over, covered with a newspaper so He Xuan didn't notice. He placed the three sets of cosmetics on the empty space on the table and pushed them toward He Xuan. "Please, give these sets to Xiaoli, Dongyan, and Xiaoxue. Thank you."
When He Xuan saw the Lancôme brand, her eyes widened. She knew that each of these sets cost more than 2,000 yuan. While it wasn't astronomical, it was certainly something that most people couldn't afford.
Afterward, Fang Hong handed over another set to He Xuan with a smile. "This one's for you. I'm not sure if you like this brand, but I thought I'd get it for you."
At first, He Xuan had wondered why there were only three sets and why they were all for Su Dongyan and the others. But when she saw that she had been given an even better set, worth more than the others, she immediately felt special.
Most importantly, He Xuan loved the Lancôme brand.
"It's just to register an account. You really don't need to give me such an expensive gift for something so simple," He Xuan said, pretending to be reserved, though she secretly liked it very much. Fang Hong easily saw through her act.
"When I've already bought it, how could I return it? Besides, I don't need cosmetics, so it'd be a waste to let them go to waste," Fang Hong said with a smile. After a brief pause, he added, "Just take it as a sponsorship fee for helping me promote Weibo by posting more often."
Under Fang Hong's insistence, He Xuan finally agreed and accepted the gift.
The dishes arrived soon after. They continued chatting and enjoying the meal, but just as they were about to finish, a little accident happened.
He Xuan suddenly suggested having a drink to celebrate.
Fang Hong, of course, didn't refuse, though he was a bit surprised by her suggestion. But he didn't show it. When He Xuan insisted on drinking, Fang Hong quickly realized she was the type to drink excessively, which was why she had suggested an evening meet-up. She was likely trying to get drunk.
He Xuan, sitting opposite him, thought everything seemed perfectly reasonable, but Fang Hong easily saw through her hidden motives.
He was used to such tactics. He had seen much more complicated schemes in the past. He knew exactly what to expect.
As time passed, as Fang Hong had predicted, He Xuan grew drunk and collapsed on the table.
Fang Hong glanced at the time, paid the bill, and walked over to gently push He Xuan's shoulder.
"He Xuan?"
He Xuan groaned and responded vaguely with a "Hmm," clearly intoxicated. Fang Hong smiled to himself and didn't waste any time. He lifted her from the chair, holding her by the waist and wrist.
He then called over a staff member and asked them to temporarily store the expensive cosmetics until the next day, as it would be inconvenient to carry everything in her current state. The employee agreed, though the restaurant didn't typically offer storage services.
With the arrangements made, Fang Hong helped He Xuan outside, planning to get her a taxi to take her home. However, He Xuan, still half-drunk in his arms, suddenly muttered, "Fang Hong, I like you... Let's be together..."
Fang Hong wasn't surprised by her confession, but he acted as if he were. He could tell she was pretending to be drunk, using it as an excuse to express her feelings.
"Go ahead, say it," he thought, knowing full well there was room to play along.
He Xuan continued, her voice weak from drunkenness, "You know... I've liked you for a long time, but I had to hide it because you were with Ruoshui. Now that you've broken up with her... I don't want to hide it anymore... Will you be my boyfriend?"
Fang Hong looked down at her, and she lifted her head slightly, her eyes glazed with intoxication. Despite knowing it was all a ruse, Fang Hong thought for a moment and then nodded, "Okay."
He Xuan, hearing this, was overjoyed. She beamed, "It's past ten o'clock..."
Fang Hong understood her implication immediately.
It would take about half an hour to drive back to the school, and the dormitory would be closed by the time they got back.
"Let's go to my place," Fang Hong replied.
Without waiting for her response, he quickly hailed a taxi, and they made their way to Binhu Community.
Once they arrived, they entered the apartment. Fang Hong closed the door and, without further delay, carried He Xuan to the bedroom. Shoes, pants, and socks were discarded on the floor as they made their way from the living room to the bedroom.
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