Water and Fire~Chapter 16: Mr. Ren, Where Do You Live?

 

Chapter 16: Mr. Ren, Where Do You Live?

Qin Qianyu's eyebrows clung to each other. "I thought she was using you to block the drink and you were going to deal with her personally. Boss, you disappoint me!"

His thick eyebrows and large eyes made his frown look exaggerated, giving him an inexplicably funny look.

Although Qin Qianyu expressed his displeasure, he generously offered Chu Qianmiao a seat.

Chu Qianmiao looked puzzled before switching seats with him: "Brother Qin, what's going on?"

Qin Qianyu waved his hand: "Come here! No more nonsense! My boss wants to talk to you!" He deliberately made a lie to scare Chu Qianmiao.

Chu Qianmiao trembled and changed seats. She also thought Ren Yan was going to settle the score with her for using him to block the drink. She sat there for a long time, but Ren Yan didn't have time to speak to her. He was constantly talking to Zhou Hanhai or another executive.

Chu Qianmiao's guard gradually dropped. She turned to chat with Qin Qianyu, who kept trying to trick her into a drink. But somehow, as soon as he said, "Qianmiao, look at how far we've come, shouldn't we have a drink?" Ren Yan would call on him, giving him a chance to answer. He would either ask the waiter to refill everyone's tea, or tell Zhou Hanhai about a project he had encountered, so he could have a reference for how to solve the same problem if Hanhai Home Textiles encountered it in the future.

This was how he always managed to distract her from the drink.

Qin Qianyu's mind gradually became less clear after drinking, and he couldn't figure out the strangeness of the situation for a long time.

While Ren Yan was talking to the company's executives again, Chu Qianmiao sympathetically whispered to Qin Qianyu, "Has your boss always been this oppressive? He's always asking you to do this and that... Isn't that just asking for your attention? Brother Qin, I think you're in trouble!"

Qin Qianyu nodded frantically, as if he'd found a long-lost relative. "You think this is really embarrassing, too, don't you? Qianmiao, you're truly my soulmate!"

He was about to pick up the glass of wine and drink, but the executives' second round of toasts interrupted him.

Chu Qianmiao shuddered. With the second round of toasts, it would be difficult for her to escape. As she pondered this, Yu Yue raised his glass and extended his arm toward her: "Come here, Lawyer Chu, I'll toast you!" This time, he didn't even bother to say thank you; he simply toasted.

Chu Qianmiao's mind raced like a bellows, her thoughts working at the speed of the third universe, pondering how she could divert Yu Yue's drink.

Yu Yue repeatedly urged her to take the glass, and she was so anxious she couldn't think of a solution. She figured there was no way she could avoid this drink.

But drinking this glass wasn't the most terrifying thing. The most terrifying thing was what others would say: "Lawyer Chu, since you and Mr. Yu have already drank, why don't you drink with us? You're only giving Mr. Yu face and not us. That won't do!"

So, she had to raise her glass and go through the motions with everyone.

—So, once this drink with Yu Yue was the first, the rest was terrifying.

Thinking of this, Chu Qianmiao steeled herself, determined not to drink from this glass, or else she'd be faced with a sea of ​​wine.

Unable to think of a non-depressing excuse, she decided to simply and bluntly tell Yu Yue she couldn't drink.

Yu Yue, oblivious to the complex mental activity that had been swirling through his mind for just two seconds, continued to urge her on. Chu Qianmiao gritted her teeth and decided to come clean—

Suddenly, a hand reached out to her. The fingers were long, slender, with distinct joints, and the skin was white and smooth. Chu Qianmiao paused for a second and thought, "What kind of divine hand is this? How can it be so beautiful? Everything it touches seems to become more luxurious."

For example, the wine glass held by that hand, its transparent walls, against which it was placed, looked priceless.

Chu Qianmiao blinked and realized that the priceless wine glass was hers—Ren Yan had just reached out and lifted the glass in front of her.

She glanced at Ren Yan, who was just saying to Yu Yue, "Mr. Yu, I'm out of wine. I'll toast you with this. I'll need you to arrange the IPO guidance later!"

Yu Yue said graciously, "No problem." The two men extended their arms and clinked their glasses crisply, finishing the toast.

Chu Qianmiao's eyes widened as he watched Ren Yan put down his glass, turned to look at her, and raised his eyebrows as he asked, "What are you staring at? You're all talk, but you can't see what you're supposed to be doing?"

Chu Qianmiao immediately fetched a wine dispenser and filled the empty glass in front of Ren Yan.

Several more executives arrived, but Ren Yan interrupted their toasts before they even reached Chu Qianmiao. Chu Qianmiao diligently refilled Ren Yan's glass, earnestly praising him, "Mr. Ren, you're such a drinker!"

It was unclear whether this remark struck a chord with Ren Yan, or amused him. He turned to look at Chu Qianmiao, a mixture of anger and amusement in his eyes.

Chu Qianmiao realized how much God had favored Ren Yan. While others would blush and swell after drinking, Ren Yan looked as if he hadn't drunk at all. His face remained calm and handsome, except that his eyes were less sharp and more hazy than usual. This difference between the two was a swirl of male hormones, emanating from the alcohol.

Those eyes, brimming with hormones, half-lidded as they glared at Chu Qianmiao, "You're just trying to piss me off."

Chu Qianmiao felt that glare warm, and felt like she was also drunk.

"Ah?" she said, holding the wine dispenser, her face innocent. "I'm not mad at you!"

Ren Yan raised his lip and asked, "You said I could drink, so why do I drink?" He shook his head. "You're so heartless."

Chu Qianmiao swallowed. A handsome man's half-smile after drinking could be so stimulating. It seemed as if her ovulation period would be brought forward by his smile.

Ren Yan took the wine dispenser from her and filled the glass in front of her. Then he returned to pick up his own glass. He turned back, eyes narrowed, lips curled slightly, and asked Chu Qianmiao, "Have you calculated how many drinks I've blocked for you? Shouldn't you toast me a glass?"

The fine Maotai liquor made his voice rich and magnetic.

Chu Qianmiao blinked and looked at Ren Yan.

At this moment, he seemed a little tipsy, yet not at all.

She hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, yet she felt a little tipsy.

Her heart warmed, and she raised her glass, feeling like she could say a lot, but all she could say were three words: "To President Ren!"

Ren Yan pulled his arm closer, distancing himself from her glass, refusing to let her touch it.

"You're so eloquent when it comes to others, but how come you can only say these three words when it comes to mine?"

It turned out he wasn't satisfied with the toast.

Qin Qianyu came over, grinning and watching the fun, his eyes filled with drunken excitement.

Chu Qianmiao quickly said sincerely, "Mr. Ren, let me be honest. Other people's faces can keep me calm and focused, but yours is just too handsome. And now it's so close to me, I can't think straight. I can't say anything!"

Qin Qianyu, standing by, gave thumbs-up and applauded, his voice acting like ten people. "Qianmiao, you're still speechless?! That's another level-one flattery! Seriously, Qianmiao, if the table weren't in my way, I'd kneel down and become your apprentice! Your flattery skills are so impressive, you could run rampant in our financial district!"

Chu Qianmiao remained guarded, "Brother Qin, I'm so proud of you for praising me like that!"

Ren Yan tapped the table with his beautiful fingers, which seemed to become sophisticated with every touch.

Chu Qianmiao immediately turned around, a look of reverence on her face, and raised her glass with both hands, offering it forward: "Mr. Ren, toast to you!"

She toasted with all her heart.

Sensing her sincerity, Ren Yan suddenly smiled, a smile that held a hint of sly arrogance.

"Forget it," he said, grinning.

His smile and words came with such suddenness that not only Chu Qianmiao but even Qin Qianyu were stunned.

"Huh?" Chu Qianmiao couldn't help but wonder when she saw Ren Yan put his glass back down.

—Not drinking again??

She wondered inwardly.

"Can you drive?" Ren Yan suddenly asked.

"Yes..." Chu Qianmiao answered, bewildered. She felt as if her thoughts, even though she hadn't drunk alcohol, had been distorted by the alcohol, completely being led by someone who had, and had been drinking quite a bit.

At that moment, Yu Yue approached again, wine glass in hand. Seeing Chu Qianmiao raising her glass toward Ren Yan, he exclaimed, "Ah! Lawyer Chu, you're so ungrateful! You didn't even take a sip of the wine I offered you, and now you're secretly drinking with Mr. Ren!"

Ren Yan calmly reached out, placed his fingers on Chu Qianmiao's wrist, and pressed. The wine glass she was holding was conveniently placed back on the table.

"She shouldn't drink anymore. Xiao Qin and I have been drinking, so we can't drive. I'll have to ask Lawyer Chu to be my designated driver later."

Yu Yue thought for a moment. "Your car needs to be taken away. Leaving it here overnight wouldn't worry you, and I'd be worried too. What if someone gets drunk and scratches it?" He happily accepted the offer and once again let Chu Qianmiao off.

Chu Qianmiao looked down at her wrist, a little distracted.

Where Ren Yan had pressed her earlier, she felt as if the skin there had become more refined.

***

Another hour of feasting and drinking passed before the banquet finally ended. After the usual pleasantries, everyone said their goodbyes and headed home.

Qin Qianyu took a taxi and left first. Chu Qianmiao wanted to take a taxi as well, but Ren Yan stopped her.

Ren Yan tossed the car keys into her hand: "Didn't I tell you to be my designated driver? Do you really think I was just saying that?"

"..." She really thought he was just saying that.

Ren Yan got in the passenger seat first. Chu Qianmiao followed suit.

Chu Qianmiao sat in the driver's seat, fiddling with the seat height and steering wheel for a while, becoming a bit nervous. Finally, she said to Ren Yan: "Okay, Mr. Ren! I'm sorry, I'm a Virgo, but if I can't get it to the most comfortable setting, I feel uncomfortable and can't drive!"

Ren Yan glanced at her with silent disdain.

"Mr. Ren, where do you live?" Chu Qianmiao asked, ignoring her disdain. She was a petty person who didn't care about the mistakes of others. Because her plan was untenable.

"Let's just drive to your place," Ren Yan said. "I'm on my way."???

—You know where I live, so you're on my way.

"You mean towards Lize Bridge? Is that right?" Chu Qianmiao asked. That's where Ren Yan drove her back to after their last late dinner with Yu Yue. But last month, the lease on that house expired, and the rent had skyrocketed. She and Gu Miaoyu couldn't afford it, so they moved. "Mr. Ren, well, I don't live in Lize Bridge anymore. I live in Yangqiao now."

Ren Yan turned his head, glanced at her, and said lightly, "Then let's drive to Yangqiao. I'm on my way, too."

"...?"

—Where do you live, anyway? You're always accommodating me about where I live, and I'm starting to get suspicious. I'm telling you!

Chu Qianmiao's mind was crackling with wild speculation.

Ren Yan looked at her, narrowed his eyes, and spoke like a fire hydrant: "I have a lot of houses."

"……………………"

Chu Qianmiao felt that her mind was getting bigger and bigger, and she was overthinking things day by day.