After the dance ended, Lin Jie graciously declined Du Feixue's invitation for the next dance and headed to the long table filled with delicacies on the west side of the hall. He picked some food with a plate and walked into one side of the dining room.
The dining room had a long table that could seat twenty people. About seven or eight people were eating.
Lin Jie went straight to the far end of the table, where there were fewer people.
Opposite him sat a man in his thirties, eating slowly and methodically. Next to him was a young man who seemed to be constantly fidgeting like a worm, with an anxious look on his face and a tuft of hair dyed red.
"Brother Li, my dear brother," the young man urged. "Can you eat faster? Or at least introduce me to Du Feixue before you come back to eat?"
The man called Brother Li took a sip of red wine without rushing, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes. "When her voice wasn't good, I wanted to introduce you, but you despised her."
"Now you want to pursue her? You've missed the best opportunity. Don't waste your time."
"I just didn't expect Du Feixue's voice to improve so much all of a sudden! The song she sang before the party started wasn't any worse than those of a pop star!"
The tuft of red hair spoke somewhat regretfully, "If I had foresight, I wouldn't have wasted all my efforts. Brother Li..."
Speaking of which, the tuft of red hair looked warily at Lin Jie and whispered, "Brother Li, Du Feixue is my last hope. She is into the arts, and I'm somewhat of an artist myself. We have a lot in common."
"As long as you help me out, I'm sure I can win her over!"
Brother Li glanced at him, smirked, and said, "How am I supposed to help you strongly? At most, I can introduce you two and put in a few good words for you. There's not much I can do."
The tuft of red giggled, "Brother Li, you can do more than you think!"
"Aren't you Du Feixue's cousin-in-law? Brother Li, I know you go to a massage parlor once or twice a week, and if the missus finds out..."
Brother Li's face darkened, and he said coldly, "That's a legitimate blind massage parlor. Your sister-in-law knows about it!"
"The place may be legitimate, but whether the masseuse is, that's another story!"
The tuft of red showed a meaningful smile, reminiscing, "I went specifically once, and I must say, that girl's massage skills are quite good! Not only are her skills good, but she's also quite good-looking, with a nice figure too."
"If the missus finds out..."
Brother Li stood up abruptly, speaking in a deep voice, "I'll introduce you right now, come with me!"
Lin Jie heard their entire conversation but didn't care. There must be dozens of blind massage parlors in Binhai, so he continued eating.
"This little pastry is nice and exquisite, tastes good too. Try it!"
Lin Jie looked up to find An Kexin sitting beside him. The plate she pushed over had a dozen or so little pastries, shaped like animals and flowers, vividly lifelike, small and bite-sized, very appetizing.
He picked one up and put it in his mouth. It was sweet but not greasy, leaving a fragrant taste, so he couldn't help eating a few more.
As he ate, Lin Jie said, "It's really quite good! Kexin, why did you accept Han Wenbin's invitation to dance with him? He's not a good person; he's been with many women before."
An Kexin replied casually, "I've heard a lot about this Young Master Han. Besides, am I such an easily deceived person? He invited me to dance just to ask me for a favor."
"He asked me to tell you that, after the party, he wants to meet you alone."
Lin Jie's action of eating the pastry paused, and he asked eagerly, "Han Wenbin wants to see me? For what?"
He felt a bit nervous and uneasy inside, thinking perhaps this guy pretends not to care but still does over those thousands, right?
An Kexin shook her head and said, "He didn't say, just told me he wanted to ask a favor from you."
Lin Jie became even more puzzled and said, "A favor? Han Wenbin has everything, what could he possibly need my help with?"
An Kexin was equally perplexed, saying, "He's being very secretive about it and I couldn't figure it out. I told him I'd ask your opinion; whether to meet him or not, it's up to you."
Lin Jie thought for a moment, sighed, and said a bit helplessly, "It's not afraid of being stolen from, just afraid of being remembered by a thief."
"For a big crook like Han Wenbin, refusing might not be of much use for now. It's better to meet and find out what he's up to."
An Kexin nodded and said, "That sounds good! I'll accompany you when the time comes, no need to worry."
Having made the decision, Lin Jie cast aside his unease and worry and began to eat heartily.
He treated this party as a free buffet, feeling a little regretful that the exquisite food here couldn't be packed to go. Otherwise, Lin Miao would surely be delighted.
An Kexin ate a little to maintain her figure and went out to socialize shortly after.
Lin Jie, not wanting to mingle with strangers, stayed in the dining room to rest after eating his fill.
At this moment, Lin Jie was the only one left in the dining room. He planned to leave after some more time.
"So here you are, I've been looking all over for you!"
As this voice came, Du Feixue walked into the dining room, holding two glasses of red wine, followed by Zhao Mo and the young man with the tuft of red hair.
She took a seat to Lin Jie's right, stretched with a lazy yawn, and said, "Zhao Mo, and you, Young Master Qin, you don't need to follow me. I'm tired and just want to rest here for a while."
"There are so many pretty single girls outside; go ask one of them to dance. You might even end up bringing someone home."
Zhao Mo's face fell slightly, and he said, aggrieved, "Fei Xue, you know how I feel about you! I've been devoted to you for so many years, refusing countless girls because of you..."
"Zhao Mo, I hate it when you talk like that!"
Du Feixue said with full disdain, "I've been upfront with you from the beginning, that I have no feeling for you."
"So, how many girls you rejected is purely your own business. Don't make it sound like I'm responsible, as if I owe you."
The tuft of red laughed mischievously and patted Zhao Mo's shoulder, teasing, "Bro, Fei Xue is right. Nowadays it's all about mutual consent. Your persistent obsession won't get you anywhere, you should wake up!"
He laughed again, saying, "Let's be real, buddy. Even before Fei Xue's voice got better, she wouldn't accept you; now that her voice is heavenly, she definitely won't. Think about it, isn't that the truth? So, you should stop... pestering..."
Suddenly, Zhao Mo seemed to be struck by lightning. His face turned as white as a sheet, without a trace of blood, and he started to shiver. This frightened the tuft of red so much that he dared not pat Zhao Mo's shoulder anymore, involuntarily taking a step back.
Zhao Mo looked at Du Feixue, stammering, "Fei Xue... Is this... true?"
Seeing Zhao Mo's desperate look, Du Feixue remained expressionless and said, "Thank you for your pursuit, but there's no possibility between us! Young Master Qin is right. You should have given up long ago."
Watching Zhao Mo stumble out of the dining room, Lin Jie inexplicably felt a twinge of sympathy towards him!
Seeing Zhao Mo finally give up and leave, Young Master Qin's eyes flashed with joy. Looking at Du Feixue with sincere enthusiasm, he said, "Fei Xue, just call me Yuanhang, no need to be so distant, calling me Young Master Qin."
Du Feixue, in no great mood herself, mocked, "We just met today. Isn't it natural to be distant?"
Qin Yuanhang chuckled and said, "Some people can become confidants or fall in love at first sight upon meeting; that's fate."
"The song you sang at the start of the party was so mesmerizing it echoed in my mind for days, leaving a deep impression. A few of my mates and I have formed a band, and we still need a lead singer. Would you be interested in joining us, Fei Xue?"
"Not interested!"
Du Feixue's rejection was straightforward, waving her hand to dismiss them, "Surely there's no lack of interested girls outside, go invite them. Please don't bother us anymore!"
Qin Yuanhang's face turned ashen, and having no more face to lose, he angrily glared at Lin Jie before leaving.
Having said this, Du Feixue paid no attention to Qin Yuanhang's reaction, pushing a glass of red wine in front of Lin Jie, "Lin Jie, have a drink with me! This is a fine wine I sneaked from my father's cabinet."
The glass of red wine resembled the color of fresh blood.
Under the light, it glowed like a ruby, emitting a captivating brilliance. The intoxicating aroma drifted into Lin Jie's nostrils, making him groan involuntarily, filling him with the desire to drink it all in one gulp!
At this moment, Shen Lanruo shouted in Lin Jie's mind, "Lin Jie, this is a vintage red wine from the Haut-Brion Vineyard in France, aged for fifty years. It's an exquisite top-grade wine!"
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