Chapter 7
Xie Zhi raised his head, a flicker of self-mockery passing through his pitch-black, glossy eyes.
What had happened?
Heh, there was no one left who could help him.
The frustration in Fang Xianxing’s heart fell silent after seeing his self-destructive demeanor, and she voluntarily repeated the concern that had just slipped out of her mouth.
“Running into trouble again? Tell me about it, maybe I can still help.” Xie Zhi shook his head, pouring another glass from a bottle that was already half-empty, raising it toward his lips.
This was liquor, baijiu, not water!
Fang Xianxing frowned, reaching out to snatch the glass from his hand.
Xie Zhi deftly tilted aside, dodging Fang Xianxing’s grasp, and after taking a sip on his own, he looked up at her.
The emotion in his eyes was displeasure.
Displeasure that Fang Xianxing was meddling.
Him wanting to drink was his business, and Fang Xianxing had no say in it.
Though Fang Xianxing had helped him before and, in his eyes, was a decent person, the two of them weren’t that close. Back when she’d helped him, he’d put in a lot of effort and scheming himself.
Later, he’d even taken on all the mess after their failed marriage arrangement, dealing with it entirely on his own, enduring his mother and father’s blame for a long time, as well as the scrutiny from Fang Xianxing’s mother and father.
His desire to marry had been called ulterior motives, but was Fang Xianxing’s desire to marry so pure then?
If he exposed Fang Xianxing’s fake marriage intentions to both their parents, they’d surely scold her even more harshly.
So, he didn’t feel he owed Fang Xianxing anything.
“Drinking so much baijiu on an empty stomach—don’t you care about your life?”
Xie Zhi seemed unbothered, but his lips were actually turning a little pale, which made Fang Xianxing unable to hold back her exasperated outburst.
“No more drinking!”
Xie Zhi didn’t make a sound, most of his face hidden in the shadow away from the light, his throat bobbing as he silently kept drinking his liquor.
Why was he so difficult!
The air around Fang Xianxing grew commanding as she stood up, strode toward Xie Zhi, and pressed down on his left hand, ensuring he couldn’t move, before reaching to grab the glass in his right hand.
Her stance practically pinned the seated Xie Zhi in her embrace.
Suddenly restrained so intimately by a woman, Xie Zhi’s expression shifted dramatically, and he began to struggle. The glass Fang Xianxing had grabbed splashed liquor everywhere in their tussle.
“Let go of me!”
“I won’t! Not unless you let go of the glass!”
Fang Xianxing held firm. Though she couldn’t quite explain why she wanted to interfere in Xie Zhi’s affairs, since she’d already said no drinking, he had to listen.
It felt as if his whole body had sunk into warm, soft cotton, making Xie Zhi acutely aware that he was being held by a woman. Shame, irritation, and the drunkenness finally creeping up on him made him unbearably agitated. With all his strength, he stood up, flinging Fang Xianxing’s right hand off him.
Xie Zhi wasn’t weak—his dream was to join the front lines of underwater archaeology, so even after graduating and being stuck in an office, he’d never let his physical training lapse.
Fang Xianxing hadn’t anticipated this. Her right hand was successfully shaken off, and it looked like it would slam into the chairback due to momentum when a pair of soft, delicate hands suddenly reached out, catching her hand and pulling it into their embrace.
Fang Xianxing and Xie Zhi both froze.
“Fang Zong, are you alright?” A young man who’d toasted Fang Xianxing earlier in the private room but had been overshadowed by others furrowed his delicate brows, carefully cradling Fang Xianxing’s hand in his arms. He took two steps closer to them, looking at Xie Zhi with dissatisfaction. “How could you raise a hand against Fang Zong?”
Xie Zhi’s gaze flicked to Fang Xianxing’s hand being held by him, then coldly turned away.
What did it have to do with him?
Anyone could see he was just resisting, couldn’t they?
A man forcibly restrained by a woman—why couldn’t he fight back?
Xie Zhi felt indignant, but his usual habit of ignoring people kept him from saying a word. He turned his head, giving Fang Xianxing a cold, indifferent glance.
Fang Xianxing tugged at her hand, but the young man held it tightly. She frowned, and as she lowered her head, she met Xie Zhi’s increasingly icy eyes.
This situation was infuriating.
Fang Xianxing shifted her gaze, her expression darkening completely, and issued a curt command to the young man: “Let go!”
The young man glanced at Fang Xianxing, then at Xie Zhi, reluctantly releasing her hand with a aggrieved air, still muttering, “Fang Zong, if I hadn’t passed by and seen this, your hand would’ve been hurt. He’s got no sense of restraint!”
Fang Xianxing pulled her hand back, also releasing her hold on Xie Zhi, and stepped back to put distance between them. “Got it, thanks. What’s your name? I’ll have someone contact your agent later.”
This meant she’d thank him tangibly.
“Fang Zong, I’m Tang Xuan, from Muchen Entertainment.” Tang Xuan’s eyes lit up, a bright smile blooming on his face as he took a big step toward Fang Xianxing. “I thought you’d already left. It’s great to run into you again.”
His tone was soft and gentle, with a hint of shy hesitation in the trailing notes, though it was a bit less timid than in the private room, as if he’d loosened up some.
Sensing the clinginess in Tang Xuan’s words, Fang Xianxing instinctively wanted to pull away, but since he’d just helped save her hand from injury, it wouldn’t do to ignore him now. She gave a perfunctory “Mm” in response. “Where’s your agent?”
Get him out of here—take the win and go.
Tang Xuan’s voice carried a laugh, his tone tinged with a delicate, naive charm. “I snuck out. I just debuted not long ago, and not many people know me yet, so I wanted to wander around freely. Fang Zong, don’t tell my agent, okay?”
Though Fang Xianxing had dodged plenty of honey traps, her personality meant she didn’t like embarrassing people to their faces, so she could only suppress her irritation and deal with him.
This was also why she was so eager to find a shield through a fake marriage—things she couldn’t say or do herself, she could later pass off under her husband’s name.
What a pity…
Fang Xianxing’s gaze dipped slightly downward, seeing Xie Zhi sitting there as if it had nothing to do with him, taking another sip of liquor.
Fang Xianxing frowned. This guy, Xie Zhi, really knew how to make her worry.
In truth, Xie Zhi wasn’t entirely unresponsive.
He’d come here to drink alone for some peace, not to listen to others flirt and chatter.
Tang Xuan’s syrupy voice grated on his nerves.
His application to join the underwater archaeology team had been rejected, the reason being that the project was critical, safety came first, and the first batch of divers only wanted female team members with better physical constitutions.
But shouldn’t physical fitness be judged by training results?
Why was his application dismissed outright, without even a glance, just because he was a man?
Now, seeing Tang Xuan standing beside him, all dainty and spineless, gazing at Fang Xianxing with admiration, it infuriated him beyond measure.
It was because too many men were used to being pampered, hiding under women’s protection, turning themselves into weak, whimpering little rabbits, that society slapped men with fixed labels like weak, delicate, timid, and in need of protection.
Couldn’t this Tang Xuan show some backbone, stand up straight, and speak clearly?
At that thought, Xie Zhi couldn’t take it anymore. He stood up, grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair, pushed past Fang Xianxing, and walked straight out.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Fang Xianxing was startled and reached to pull him back, grasping at air. “Xie Zhi!”
“What?” Xie Zhi stopped, turning back with displeasure, his tone dripping with malice. “What, one isn’t enough for Fang Zong?”
What kind of talk was that?
Fang Xianxing frowned, quickly stepping forward to grab his arm. “You’ve had so much to drink—I’ll take you home.”
Faced with Fang Xianxing’s kind words, Xie Zhi couldn’t keep venting his foul mood here. He struggled to leave. “Mind your own business. I’m not drunk!”
After drinking that much, how could Fang Xianxing possibly feel at ease?
The two stood at an impasse, a woman and a man tugging back and forth, drawing plenty of stares and whispers—some laced with malicious speculation about their relationship. Fang Xianxing shot a sharp glance around, and the murmurs quieted down.
Tang Xuan stepped forward, ever considerate. “How about I help this brother instead?”
Fang Xianxing glanced at him, then turned to Xie Zhi with a stern tone. “Drunk or not, I’ve seen you, and I’m getting you home safely. You don’t have a choice. Now, he’ll support you, I’ll get the car, and you’d better behave!” Fang Xianxing’s rare severity stunned Xie Zhi.
She was scolding him.
Xie Zhi looked up at Fang Xianxing, wanting to snap back defiantly, but he held it in.
He wasn’t afraid of her—it was just that he was indeed a bit drunk. If she wanted to take him home, fine, let her.
Normally, didn’t she always speak to everyone so gently?
Why was she suddenly harsh with him alone?
Tang Xuan cautiously approached, placing both hands on Xie Zhi’s arm with a warm smile. “Brother, let’s go.” Xie Zhi wanted to shake him off, but as he looked up and caught Fang Xianxing’s icy stare, he pursed his lips and stayed still.
Seeing him settle down, Fang Xianxing felt a slight relief in her heart. She turned and led the two of them outside.
At the entrance, Fang Xianxing went to fetch the car, leaving Tang Xuan and Xie Zhi waiting together. The cold wind blew, wrestling Xie Zhi’s mind between clarity and haze.
With Fang Xianxing out of sight, Tang Xuan suddenly spoke, his voice shedding its softness, carrying a laugh but low and steady. “Brother, are you playing hard to get?”
Xie Zhi’s brows twitched, enduring a sharp pang in his head before looking at Tang Xuan and replying coldly, “No!”
Tang Xuan gave an ambiguous smile. “I hope you’re telling the truth!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Xie Zhi’s gaze darkened for a moment.
“Nothing much, just… if you don’t like her, don’t toy with Fang Zong and let her waste too much effort on you.” Tang Xuan looked at Xie Zhi earnestly, his face tinged with mockery. “Who doesn’t know that the more a woman invests in something, the more she’ll care about it? Are you pretending not to understand?”
Why should he understand?
A man like him—why should he have to understand women?
“Whatever tricks you’ve got, use them on Fang Xianxing. Don’t bother me!” Xie Zhi shot him a disgusted look, shook off his hand, and stepped aside.
“So lofty!” Tang Xuan quirked a corner of his mouth. “If Fang Zong happens to like that tune, I might just have to learn a thing or two from you.” Cheng Ge had said Fang Xianxing was investing in a TV drama for the first time—young, beautiful, upright, with no rumored male companions, a rare breath of fresh air among the wealthy.
If he could latch onto her, he’d not only thrive in the entertainment industry but do so respectably.
That was far better than cozying up to some rich matron, ruining his reputation for a couple of lousy gigs.
But it turned out Fang Xianxing already had someone she cared about.
Naturally, Tang Xuan wanted to sow discord, ensuring Fang Xianxing and Xie Zhi were done for good.
His habit of keeping to himself was labeled as aloofness by Tang Xuan, even twisted into a ploy to hook Fang Xianxing. Xie Zhi’s expression soured, barely holding back his anger, resentment starting to simmer within.
Where did Fang Xianxing pick up this two-faced pest?
The more Xie Zhi’s emotions churned, the hazier his mind grew. The drunkenness took over, his burning stomach protesting with tight, painful spasms, his body swaying involuntarily.
Tang Xuan didn’t care at first, but catching a car’s headlights approaching out of the corner of his eye, he quickly stepped forward to steady Xie Zhi.
Xie Zhi, now thoroughly fed up with him, didn’t want to be touched and shoved him away.
His head was foggy, and he felt his push lacked strength. Just as he started to feel frustrated, Tang Xuan hit the ground with a “thud,” clutching his ankle, his eyes red as he looked up at him.
“Brother, you’re drunk. I was just trying to help you—how could you do this to me?” His voice was pitiful and aggrieved.
Fang Xianxing, who’d just parked and stepped out, felt a headache coming on.
She’d only gone to get the car—how had things escalated again?
Xie Zhi pushing her wasn’t enough—now he’d shoved the little star too.