Chapter 424: Accompanying Guests (Part 2)

Chapter 424: Accompanying Guests (Part 2)

With Shen Hao passed out, the world seemed to lose a buzzing fly, and the room finally fell into a welcome quiet. Hou Weidong felt quite pleased with his clever maneuver, and his mood lifted accordingly.

Zhu Yingying, Xiaoman, and the other girl in purple were all women of distinct elegance. Years of rigorous training had endowed them with a natural grace in every gesture, transforming the originally dim and stuffy private room into a space that felt vibrant and fresh.

Hou Weidong was different from the young man he had been a few years prior. Although he was still under thirty and could technically be called a "young comrade," having served closely under two successive county and municipal secretaries had subtly influenced him. He sat calmly in the corner of the sofa, engaging in a casual, meandering conversation with Liu Mingming.

Liu Mingming had been observing Hou Weidong closely. Seeing the young man’s demeanor—unaffected by honor or disgrace—he thought to himself, “Hou Weidong maintains this same unpretentious yet dignified attitude even in front of Wu Ying and Liu Tiesong. This boy is no ordinary talent.”

As a member of the so-called "prince circle," Liu Mingming had encountered many outstanding young people. They generally fell into two categories: those who sharpened their wits desperately to infiltrate his circle, and those who, convinced of their own brilliance, strutted around with arrogant confidence. Hou Weidong’s calm and unassuming bearing, however, made Liu Mingming feel remarkably comfortable.

Liu Mingming’s eyes flickered with a thought. He wanted to test Hou Weidong’s reaction to the women present. “Let’s not just sit here like fools,” he said to Hou Weidong. “Let’s take the initiative and ask the ladies to dance.”

Liu Mingming took the lead, gentlemanly inviting Zhu Yingying to the floor. Well-traveled and articulate, he didn’t take long to charm her, drawing several laughs from Zhu Yingying.

As Zhu Yingying laughed, her peripheral vision kept drifting toward Hou Weidong. Last time, she had agreed to Bu Gao’s request solely for the ten thousand yuan, steeling herself for the sacrifice. Unexpectedly, Hou Weidong had stood her up midway. Bu Gao, however, kept his word and paid the ten thousand yuan without hesitation. Thinking of her family’s difficult situation, Zhu Yingying had accepted the money gracefully.

Her thoughts were complex now:

On one hand, seeing Xiaoman’s large-scale, high-end karaoke club made her feel unbalanced. Back when they were in the provincial song and dance troupe, Xiaoman’s background had only been slightly better than hers. But Xiaoman had acted with decisive courage, successfully catching a wealthy husband. Time had proven that this move, once heavily criticized, was highly effective. Meanwhile, women like her were still dancing on stage, working hard to bridge the gaps between acts.

On the other hand, Hou Weidong’s act of standing her up made her feel he wasn’t entirely bad. However, Zhu Yingying’s greatest asset was her natural beauty. Being stood up left her feeling a certain resentment.

“If Miss Zhu could come to our company as an image ambassador, our brand would elevate by countless levels,” Liu Mingming said.

Following his lead, Zhu Yingying asked, “Where does Mr. Liu work?” In the afternoon, Xiaoman and the others had focused mostly on discussing Shen Hao, largely ignoring Liu Mingming. She knew he was a "princeling" from the provincial capital, but his specific business remained unclear.

“I run a small real estate company in Lingxi,” he replied.

Zhu Yingying spoke elegantly, “Mr. Liu is too modest. You must be a property tycoon. President Bu was very successful with the Xinyue Building in Shazhou. What projects are you developing?”

Liu Mingming specialized in land speculation and didn’t have any widely recognized residential projects of his own. He skillfully replied, “I’ve collaborated with Lingxi Jinyue and Kaixuan.”

Kaixuan Real Estate was a famous brand in Lingxi, located in the city’s prime golden district. There was a famous saying in the real estate industry: “Location, location, and still location.” To secure that prime plot of land, several famous real estate companies in Lingxi had used every trick in the book. In the end, Liu Mingming had secured the land, shocking everyone and earning him a reputation in the Lingxi property circle.

Zhu Yingying knew the names of Lingxi Jinyue and Kaixuan. When the new Kaixuan project had opened, they had even invited her troupe to perform. She let out a soft “Wow,” and said, “Then I should address you as President Liu. My apologies.”

She immediately added, “Just now, President Liu mentioned inviting me to your company. Was that a joke?”

Liu Mingming rested his hand on Zhu Yingying’s healthy, vibrant waist, inhaling the alluring scent of youth. His heart beat a little faster for no apparent reason. He thought, “The women from the provincial song and dance troupe are truly captivating. No wonder Bu Gao is preparing to marry Xiaoman, and no wonder Shen Hao is chasing Li Ying so relentlessly.”

Aloud, he said, “My business is doing well. Having talent like Yingying join us would be a dream come true. I’d like to invite you to visit the company tomorrow. Are you interested?”

Dancing was a youth-dependent career; one couldn’t dance forever. Sooner or later, she would have to switch paths. Hearing Liu Mingming’s invitation, Zhu Yingying glanced at Xiaoman, then smiled charmingly. “It’s a deal. I’ll return to Lingxi tomorrow. Give me a call.” Her attention had now shifted entirely to Liu Mingming; she no longer looked at Hou Weidong.

Liu Mingming had originally intended to use the beautiful women to test Hou Weidong, but he hadn’t expected to hit it off with Zhu Yingying himself. A veteran of the dating scene, he recognized her demeanor as a strong sign of interest. Boldly, he slid his finger across the palm of her hand and asked, “What is your friend’s name? She seems quite reserved.”

Zhu Yingying felt Liu Mingming’s flirtation. She tried to withdraw her hand, but when she couldn’t easily pull away, she let it be. “Her name is Yan Zi. She performs solo dances in the troupe. She’s always been aloof and doesn’t mix well with others. She used to share a room with Xiaoman, so she came to support us.”

Liu Mingming continued to trace his pinky finger lightly along Zhu Yingying’s fingers. Yan Zi, ticklish, squeezed his fingers tightly.

Bu Gao saw Liu Mingming and Zhu Yingying dance three songs in a row, chatting and laughing. He smiled at Hou Weidong and said, “Shen Hao’s noise scared Li Ying away, but Liu Mingming is dancing and flirting. Look at Zhu Yingying’s expression—they have a chance.”

Hou Weidong felt a strange emotion toward Zhu Yingying. When she had entered earlier, he had deliberately kept his distance. Now, seeing the hint of ambiguity between her and Liu Mingming, even though she had no real connection to him, thoughts of her slender neck and supple body made his heart feel slightly sour.

However, he quickly adjusted his mindset. “It seems Zhu Yingying is also a frivolous person. Fortunately, I resisted the temptation back then. Otherwise, I’d be feeling very uncomfortable right now.”

There were two reasons for this discomfort. First, he might have been forced into a close friendship with Bu Gao, becoming an inextricable strategic partner. Second, judging by Zhu Yingying’s behavior, she was likely a shallow woman. Getting involved with such a person could be summarized in two words: trouble. Or, if expanded to four words: huge trouble.

Thinking of this, the sourness in Hou Weidong’s heart quickly turned into relief.

The music started again, and Liu Mingming and Zhu Yingying returned to the dance floor. Xiaoman turned to Hou Weidong and said, “Director Hou, you’re a man. Be proactive. Ask Yan Zi to dance.”

Yan Zi shot Xiaoman a glare, silently accusing her of meddling.

Hou Weidong hadn’t paid much attention to Yan Zi until now. Hearing Xiaoman’s suggestion, he didn’t want to appear petty, so he walked over to Yan Zi and said, “May I have this dance?”

Yan Zi wore a long purple dress adorned with small silver dots, which looked noble under the lights. Her features weren’t particularly delicate, but combined together, they had a unique, understated charm.

She accepted the invitation gracefully.

Hou Weidong was about 1.75 meters tall, which was average height in Lingxi. Yan Zi was approximately 1.67 meters. Their heights matched well.

Knowing she was a professional, Hou Weidong didn’t presume to be an expert. He politely said, “I’m not a good dancer. Please don’t mind.”

Yan Zi replied, “You didn’t study this. If you danced well, it would be neglecting your main duties.” Her tone was neither cold nor warm, but simple and direct. Accustomed to words with deeper meanings, Hou Weidong was momentarily unaccustomed to her bluntness. He smiled but didn’t reply.

After dancing a few steps to the music, Yan Zi asked, “Are you from Shazhou?”

“Yes, I work in Shazhou.”

“Is your father the Party Secretary or the Mayor?”

Hou Weidong laughed. “My father is neither the Party Secretary nor the Mayor. He’s an ordinary retired police officer.”

Yan Zi tilted her head slightly, looking at Hou Weidong. “So, you’re from a common family. Why are you hanging out with these playboys?” Having heard about Shen Hao chasing Li Ying, Yan Zi had been angry all night and hadn’t spoken. Now, she vented her frustration openly in front of Hou Weidong.

Hou Weidong said, “Don’t say that. No one is a playboy.”

Yan Zi remained silent for a few steps, then sneered. “Your dancing skills are decent. It seems you frequent these messy places often.”

Hou Weidong felt annoyed too. “She thinks she can hurt people just because she looks good. I won’t buy that.” He countered, “By your logic, everyone who dances is involved in messy things?” He added, “If you can’t stand it, why come? And since you came, why say such meaningless things?”

Yan Zi stopped dancing. “How do you speak?”

Hou Weidong released Yan Zi’s hand, politely said, “Thank you,” and left her standing in the middle of the floor.

Just then, the music ended, and no one noticed the incident.

Hou Weidong sat back in the corner of the sofa, looking toward the other side. Yan Zi was also sitting in a corner of the sofa. Both looked at each other with dissatisfaction.

By midnight, Bu Gao suggested getting late-night snacks. Hou Weidong had little enthusiasm. “Shen Hao is drunk as a skunk. Forget it. Let’s all leave.”

Liu Mingming asked, “Director Hou, can you drive?” Upon receiving an affirmative answer, he said, “You drive Shen Hao’s car and take him home. I have some things to attend to.”

Hou Weidong didn’t ask further. He took the keys Liu Mingming handed him and went out to drive Shen Hao’s Desert Prince SUV. When the car reached the entrance, two staff members from the karaoke club carried Shen Hao out.

Bu Gao and the others were sitting in the car with Xiaoman and Yan Zi. Yan Zi asked, “Who was the man who asked me to dance earlier? He was very rude.”