Su Zhiyi looked up at the man beside her in surprise. Pei Yan's glass was no longer just shallowly filled. At some point, he had poured a full glass, so full it was nearly overflowing. He naturally raised the glass, stood up, and toasted everyone in the room. "Since my role is small, I won't be with the crew long. Meeting is fate. This glass celebrates our fleeting encounter." Pei Yan's handsome face was serious as he spoke the congratulatory words in his cold, magnetic voice. Then he tilted his head back and downed the glass in one go. He didn't stop; he remained standing. "The second glass is on behalf of Miss Su. Miss Su is a very good actress. I wish her a bright future." He poured another full glass, brought it to his lips, and drank it expressionlessly. His Adam's apple bobbed seductively as the liquor flowed down his throat, burning slightly, and the cold liquid made his stomach warm. Su Zhiyi watched, her drunkenness clearing a bit. She could see a faint blush creeping up his neck, all the way to his ears. Had Pei Yan already gotten a little drunk after just two glasses? No wonder he had only pretended to drink when Director Zhou toasted him earlier. He must have a very low tolerance. Pei Yan's toast shocked everyone at the table into silence. The first to react was Director Zhou, who quickly smiled and stood to return the toast. "Meeting is fate indeed. Pei Yan, you put it so well. Thank you for your hard work these next few days." He also cheerfully praised Su Zhiyi: "Zhiyi is certainly a good actor. Everyone who worked with her today saw it. Her acting is constantly improving. She'll definitely become an excellent actor in the future!" Then came the round of individual toasts and polite exchanges. Pei Yan's "I don't want to drink" was written all over his face. The only two drinks he had taken were to shield Su Zhiyi. No one dared to toast Pei Yan. Nor did anyone dare to toast Su Zhiyi, since Pei Yan had just blocked for her. If they toasted Su Zhiyi, Pei Yan might block again, provoking him. As the dinner progressed, the alcohol fully took effect. Su Zhiyi was so dizzy she couldn't even see faces clearly. The drunken artists present were each calling their assistants to pick them up. When the assistants arrived, they left one by one. Su Zhiyi wanted to leave too, but she was too drunk to walk. Everything in front of her was double. When she suddenly stood up to try, her vision went white and she nearly fainted. She had to prop her forehead on her palm, hiding most of her face, and sit silently, waiting for the alcohol to subside. Pei Yan watched it all. All the actors were picked up by their assistants. Director Zhou and the assistant director left to pay the bill. The lively room was now down to just Su Zhiyi and Pei Yan, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only Su Zhiyi's slightly rapid breathing broke the silence. Pei Yan picked up his phone and opened the dial screen. "What's your assistant's number?" "Huh? What?" Su Zhiyi's voice was thick and nasal, like a milk candy melted on a fire, sweet and sticky. "I said," Pei Yan's drunkenness seemed to be rising too; he exhaled a hot breath. "What's your assistant's number? I'll call her to come get you." "Assistant... what assistant? Sister Xie? She's my agent, not an assistant. I don't have an assistant. Sister Xie is very nice to me..." Su Zhiyi's words were jumbled, but the meaning was clear. "You don't have an assistant?" "Mm..." "Then I'll call your agent. What's her number?" "Why call my agent? Sister Xie... Sister Xie is busy. She sent Brother Zheng to the set today..." Su Zhiyi was completely drunk, her mind a mess, completely forgetting that the man beside her was Pei Yan, whom no one in the entertainment industry dared to offend. She unconsciously leaned onto Pei Yan, soft as water, wrapping her arms around his, her hot cheek against his shoulder, her lips nearly touching the exposed skin of his neck. She tried to cool herself against him, rubbing a few times, but only felt hotter. The temperature seemed to rise, making her frown uncomfortably. Her red lips parted slightly, letting out unconscious murmurs. Every breath was like steam from boiling water, some of it brushing against Pei Yan's earlobe, turning it red. Pei Yan, never having been touched so intimately, stiffened. His brows furrowed. He wanted to push her away, but seeing her clearly drunk, he stopped. He didn't want to push her away. This was bad. "Forget it." His first reaction wasn't disgust at her reckless closeness, but blame toward her unreliable company. What a flaky company, not even providing a necessary assistant. Didn't Gu Yumo say Su Zhiyi was a young lady from some prestigious family in the capital? Why would a capital socialite be stuck in such a lousy company? Did Qianyue Entertainment have a life-saving grace over her, making her willingly stay in this shady company? Pei Yan couldn't figure it out, and now wasn't the time to ponder. He called his assistant. "Wait for me at the entrance. I'll be out soon." After getting a response, he hung up, took off his coat, and covered Su Zhiyi's face with it. Then he put on a mask, a hat, and a large pair of sunglasses, covering his face completely. He bent his knees, slid one arm under her knees, gently supported her back, avoiding sensitive areas, and steadily lifted her, walking out. The night grew dark, and fine raindrops fell, spreading a damp chill through the air. The city was still bustling, with many pedestrians and vehicles moving about. A few shops were still open. No one noticed the black car parked on the street, blending into the night. Pei Yan carried Su Zhiyi out of the restaurant, avoiding pedestrians, and walked to the black car. "Get out and open the door for me. My hands are full." The window rolled down, and the assistant stuck his head out, staring in shock at Pei Yan, then at Su Zhiyi in his arms. "Brother Pei, you... I... this... she..." The assistant stammered, shocked again and again. He had been Pei Yan's assistant for years and knew him well. Pei Yan had a wealthy background but chose acting out of pure love for it. The entertainment industry was a tangled mess, but Pei Yan never engaged in it, keeping himself spotless. Sometimes the assistant wondered if Pei Yan had secretly become a monk. This was the first time he'd seen Pei Yan holding a woman... so intimately. "A crew member got drunk. Her assistant isn't here," Pei Yan explained briefly. "Oh..." The assistant weakly responded, not asking further. He got out and opened the rear door. Pei Yan got in with Su Zhiyi. The assistant cast curious glances, trying to see who was in Pei Yan's arms, but Pei Yan shielded her too well. "Focus on driving," Pei Yan said, looking at his phone. "Take us to Donghua Hotel." "Okay, Brother Pei." Startled, the assistant quickly averted his gaze, returned to the driver's seat, and drove attentively to Donghua Hotel. "Who are you?" It was too dark outside, and the car was pitch black. Su Zhiyi could only see the half of Pei Yan's face lit by the car's interior light. Drunk and in dim light, she could vaguely tell the man so close to her was very handsome. She giggled foolishly and boldly touched his face. "You're really handsome. Which crew are you from?" Her fingertips were cold, her pads soft. Pei Yan's face had cooled in the night breeze, the blush fading, making him more sober. But Su Zhiyi's action made his heart pound violently again. He had taken off his mask when he got in, but the heat rising to his face showed his inner turmoil. Why did removing the mask still feel so stuffy? "Sit still. Don't move." Pei Yan held down the restless Su Zhiyi, easily grasping both her slender wrists in one hand. With her hands restrained, she had no support. The girl collapsed weakly into his arms. Su Zhiyi was restless all the way, feeling as if a crab had clamped her hands, making them immobile. She tried to break free several times but failed; the "crab pincers" only tightened. She frowned and muttered discontentedly, as if cursing the "crab." Then she opened her mouth and bit down on the "crab pincer." The "crab" hissed in pain. "Sss..." Pei Yan endured the pain and looked at the fresh teeth marks on his wrist. He didn't blame Su Zhiyi for her audacity. "Alcohol really is a harmful thing." The drinking culture behind the scenes in the entertainment industry really needed to be reined in. There were many small incidents along the way, but the assistant diligently delivered them to Donghua Hotel. The car stopped outside the hotel for a few minutes. Pei Yan checked through the window, confirming few people were outside, then put on his disguise again, covered Su Zhiyi's face with his coat, opened the door, and carried her into the hotel. Little did they know, a gray car had been following them. The gray car's window rolled down, and just as Pei Yan stepped out with Su Zhiyi and entered the hotel, a phone flash went off inside the gray car.