She had only ever seen him on TV news before. Seeing him in person for the first time, the heir was truly handsome beyond compare.
He nodded politely at her, then left with his assistant.
Yu Wanwan entered the private room. Inside, the lights were bright, and the smell of alcohol mixed with cigarette smoke hit her. Zhang Jingxu sat beside the host seat, his tie slightly loosened, a few strands of his usually immaculate hair falling over his forehead. Under the glamorous lighting of the room, he exuded a rare, slightly fragile weariness.
Hearing footsteps, he seemed to sense something and turned his head. His gaze, blurred and slow from the alcohol, abruptly focused the moment it caught sight of Yu Wanwan, becoming deep and burning.
He stared at her for several seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, then spoke softly: "You're here."
His voice was hoarse and deep, with an inexplicable note of dependence and reassurance.
Yu Wanwan's heart stirred, and she slowly walked over.
As she reached his seat, her gaze suddenly locked onto his left wrist. There, in addition to an expensive watch, was the red string bracelet she had given him, its striking red standing out vividly against his fair skin.
Yu Wanwan frowned slightly. Why was he wearing it to work?
So childish.
The bald-headed boss sitting at the far end had kept his eyes on Yu Wanwan since she entered. He slowly spoke: "President Zhang, is this your new wife?"
Zhang Jingxu smiled, naturally took her hand, and stroked it with his thumb, an intimate gesture.
Yu Wanwan was a bit flustered by his sudden closeness, but in public, it wasn't easy to pull her hand away and embarrass him.
Another boss laughed: "Looks like President Zhang and his new wife are very close. With such a beautiful wife by your side, no wonder you turned down our Mr. Liu's kind offer."
"Kind offer?" Yu Wanwan pondered the meaning of these two words and instantly understood. He didn't call a designated driver when he was drunk; instead, he called her over to serve as a shield against romantic advances.
Thinking this, she immediately caught on. She lowered her head and gave him a smile that hid a knife, her voice tinged with jealousy: "It seems our President Zhang is quite 'lucky in love.'"
Seeing the couple about to quarrel, the boss quickly clarified: "Don't misunderstand. Mr. Liu thought President Zhang was still single, so he wanted to set him up with his daughter. President Zhang flatly refused when he heard."
Yu Wanwan switched seamlessly into the role of a jealous little wife, questioning: "Didn't you tell them you're already married?"
"I did," Zhang Jingxu replied, tipsy but still holding her hand tightly. He gently squeezed her soft palm, his voice slightly aggrieved: "What could I do if Mr. Liu didn't believe me? So I specially called you here to prove it to him."
Hearing this, Mr. Liu awkwardly laughed and raised his glass: "This is my fault. I've never seen Jingxu with a woman, so I thought it was an excuse. I'll drink a glass as punishment."
Yu Wanwan was about to suggest they leave when Mr. Liu poured red wine into his glass again and said: "Mrs. Zhang, I was indeed presumptuous earlier. I accept the punishment. But today, I'm genuinely happy to meet President Zhang's legendary supportive wife. Let me toast you separately, thanking you for coming all this way and apologizing for my earlier rudeness. Drink as you wish; I'll finish mine."
Yu Wanwan: "..."
What a bunch of troublesome old men.
Composedly, she picked up the glass he had drunk from and accepted gracefully: "Mr. Liu, you're too kind. I appreciate your goodwill. Our A Xu is too honest; he gets dizzy easily after a drink. I'll have to ask you and all the seniors here for guidance on future business matters. Bottoms up."
With that, she downed the red wine in one gulp.
Zhang Jingxu looked up at her as she finished the glass, and something in his heart softened.
The people at the table laughed: "Our Mrs. Zhang is truly a heroine!"
After finishing her drink, Yu Wanwan put down the glass and quickly said before another boss could raise a new toast: "Gentlemen, I'm sorry, but our A Xu doesn't hold his liquor well. If he drinks more, he won't be able to get up for work tomorrow. We'll take our leave. Enjoy yourselves."
Having said that and drunk the toast, the others couldn't very well keep them, so they let them go.
Arriving at the parking lot, Zhang Jingxu still held her hand tightly, refusing to let go. Yu Wanwan tried to pull her hand back, but he only gripped it tighter.
She frowned slightly in displeasure and whispered: "The act's over. Let go."
"What act?" Zhang Jingxu didn't release her, his voice hoarse and syrupy from the alcohol.
Yu Wanwan turned to look at him. Seeing that he seemed genuinely drunk, she sighed at the designated driver waiting nearby and decided not to argue.
In the car, a faint smell of alcohol mixed with the freshly washed scent of Yu Wanwan's hair, creating an oddly pleasant fragrance.
Zhang Jingxu sat very close to her and said softly: "Thank you for coming tonight."
Yu Wanwan stared straight ahead expressionlessly and said only four words: "Don't let it happen again."
Zhang Jingxu was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong and whispered: "I'm sorry, I put you in a difficult position by drinking."
"No..." Yu Wanwan frowned, unsure what to say.
Ever since he had so naturally and dependently held her hand in the private room, her heart had been in chaos.
He continued: "You... must have been asleep by then, right?"
Her voice carried a hint of awkwardness: "No."
Zhang Jingxu's eyebrows lifted, and his tone suddenly added a note of anticipation, his voice seeming to carry a seductive hook: "So you were waiting for me?"
"Why would I wait for you?" Yu Wanwan glanced sideways at him, not being honest: "I was just editing a video, so I hadn't slept yet."
"Oh." His tone was clearly disappointed.
Yu Wanwan's gaze settled back on the wrist wearing the red string. She reached out to take it off: "Why are you wearing this?"
Zhang Jingxu dodged her hand and adjusted the bracelet: "You gave it to me, so of course I'll wear it."
"But..." Yu Wanwan's voice was helpless: "It's so childish."
"Not at all," Zhang Jingxu said. "It's not childish; it actually brings me good luck. You know? Our company's project with Shengshi had been stalled for a long time, but today it was suddenly signed. You must have shared your luck with me, which made the signing so smooth."
Yu Wanwan: "..."
She was born with bad luck, not good luck.