Chapter 81 - 80: It’s All Tricks

Chapter 81: Chapter 80: It’s All Tricks

To be honest, Xiao Ran wasn’t very keen on giving it to her.

It wasn’t that he was being aloof; he just didn’t really like chatting on WeChat.

Besides, having too many people on WeChat wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Sometimes, one person would ask a question, another would reply, and a few hours would just disappear. And most of the topics they talked about were meaningless fluff.

Xiao Ran smiled. "You’ve had too much to drink. You should have some water to sober up."

Don’t be fooled by the drunken look on the girl’s face; she was perfectly clear-headed. She looked at Xiao Ran with pleading eyes. "You don’t want to give me your WeChat, do you?"

Xiao Ran gave her a surprised glance. ’She’s young, but she’s a sharp judge of character!’

It made him too embarrassed to refuse.

He forced back his awkwardness and said, "Of course not. I’m not that kind of person!"

"Then add me. Don’t worry, I’m not the type to pester people with pointless chats."

The girl genuinely just thought he was a nice person, and since he was an author, you could never have too many friends. She really wasn’t thinking about developing things in any other direction with him yet.

Since she’d put it like that, it would be churlish of Xiao Ran to refuse again.

It would make him seem too standoffish.

So, he silently took out his phone and pulled up his QR code.

Seeing this, the girl quickly took out her own phone, scanned the code, and sent a friend request.

She even sent a smiley face emoji with it.

When she saw that he had actually accepted, she finally broke into a satisfied smile.

By now, the drinking was winding down. Director Zhang, his face flushed and a wide smile on his face, looked over at Xiao Ran and picked up his wine glass.

"Come, Teacher Xiao, let’s have another drink. To the success of the new film!"

Xiao Ran nodded with a smile.

"You should drink a little less. I’ll down mine, but you can drink as you please."

With that, he raised his glass and drained it in one go. The tart, astringent taste of red wine once again filled his mouth.

Xiao Ran picked up his water glass and took a sip of water.

Honestly, this wasn’t about Xiao Ran having a high tolerance for alcohol; it was a show of respect for Director Zhang, an unwritten rule of drinking etiquette.

Director Zhang had already drunk quite a lot tonight, and Xiao Ran was worried he would overdo it and feel unwell later, especially given his age.

Director Zhang was taken aback.

He had to admit, those words really warmed his heart.

He nodded, his eyes filled with an indescribable appreciation. "For that alone, I have to finish this glass!"

And with that, he too drained his glass.

’The young man respects me, so I can’t just pull rank because of my age!’

’Besides, I’m looking forward to our next collaboration!’

Liu Min had also drunk a lot today. Even though she had driven, there was no way around it. At this kind of gathering, you couldn’t just refuse to drink.

Of everyone present tonight, basically everyone had been drinking except for Sister Mi.

However, no one dared to get completely drunk, since they all had to get back to work tomorrow.

The party lasted for three hours in total.

Director Zhang had the photographer take a few group photos, and only then did the event officially come to a close.

These photos weren’t just for commemoration.

They were meant to be released along with Sister Mi’s and the male lead Gao Weiguang’s costume photos tomorrow to promote the new series.

After all, the more people who knew about it, the higher the ratings would be.

...

After dinner, everyone said their goodbyes, and Xiao Ran prepared to head home.

Liu Min, her eyes hazy with drink, looked at Xiao Ran. "Teacher Xiao, let me take you home..."

She had noticed earlier that the girl next to him had asked for his WeChat. She hadn’t even made her move yet, and someone else was already after him.

This served as a reminder to Liu Min. She decided to use the alcohol as an excuse to test the waters with Xiao Ran.

To see how he felt about her.

And whether their relationship could move to the next level.

For an older woman like her, a clear outcome was more important than some hazy ambiguity.

’If you like someone, you get together. If it’s a good fit, you get married!’

After all, they weren’t young anymore and their work was busy. No one had extra time to waste.

Liu Min had it all figured out. In any case, she was so much older than Xiao Ran;

at the end of the day, it was a case of robbing the cradle. He was a divorcé, sure, but that just made him second-crop tender grass—and still tender grass, right? Besides, she was a scriptwriter and he was an author. If they got together, it would definitely be a huge help to her career!

’No matter how you looked at it, she was the one coming out ahead!’

Hearing this, Xiao Ran froze. "Sister Liu, you drank quite a lot tonight. I think it’d be better if you called a designated driver to take you home."

’You’ve got to be kidding me!’

’With that much alcohol in her system, one puff into a breathalyzer and the thing would probably explode on the spot.’

He was only twenty-four this year; he figured he could probably manage to live a few more decades.

At his words, Liu Min gave a charming smile. "Look at you. I’m not stupid. Of course I’m going to call a designated driver—to take you home first, and then take me home."

It was just a matter of paying a few dozen extra yuan for the driver’s fee. She didn’t care about that little bit of money.

It was also a perfect chance to get some time alone with him. For Liu Min, this was a rare and valuable opportunity.

"That’s too much trouble. I can get home by myself. You should just call a driver and get home to rest. You have work tomorrow," Xiao Ran refused.

This really was getting a bit troublesome.

Because she had drunk quite a bit, there was a slightly nasal tone to Liu Min’s voice when she spoke.

"No, that won’t do. I’m the one who brought you here, so I have to make sure you get home safely."

Don’t be fooled by the drunken flush on her face; she knew exactly what she was doing.

An idea struck her, and she continued, "What if the designated driver turns out to be a bad person? Then I’d be done for."

As she spoke, she swayed a couple of times, looking extremely vulnerable.

It was probably because of the alcohol, and also because seeing someone ask for Xiao Ran’s WeChat had given her a sense of crisis. It made Liu Min feel that she absolutely had to test Xiao Ran’s feelings for her tonight.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran frowned.

He hesitated.

To be honest, seeing her in this state, Xiao Ran really was a bit worried about letting her go home alone.

It wasn’t that he was afraid the driver might have bad intentions—this was a society ruled by law, after all. He was just afraid she’d end up throwing up all over her own car.

Besides, she had given him a ride several times already. Out of courtesy, Xiao Ran felt he should be the one to see her home first.

He could just take a taxi home from her place.

Thinking of this, he hesitated for a moment, but still nodded. "How about this. We’ll get a designated driver to take us straight to your place, and then I’ll leave from there."

Liu Min nodded. "Well, I’ll have to trouble you then, Teacher Xiao."

Her home was about a thirty-minute drive from the Bund. Designated drivers usually drove rather slowly, so she should have around forty minutes to have a good talk with Xiao Ran.

’I’ll seize these thirty-five minutes and seal the deal!’