Chapter 17

Chapter 17

With an empty stomach, how could he decline such a delightful invitation to eat?

Wei Xi promptly joined the group of seemingly unlucky fellows. When they mentioned the shortage of seats, he promptly left Unity Yi behind without a second thought.

The Wei family watched them depart, their sympathetic gazes briefly sweeping over Xing Kai and the others. The moment the door closed behind them, Wei Tianyi called out to the butler, "Xiao Zhou! Xiao Zhou! Order takeout! Order takeout!"

Shu Wanrong: "..."

The more one looked at this house, the stranger it seemed.

*****

Wei Xi got into the car and didn't say another word. He nestled in the back seat, completely absorbed in his game—it was truly an act of unwavering dedication!

In the quiet car, only the sounds of the game echoed around. Xing Kai drove, feeling uneasy under the unspoken silence. With a guilty conscience, he had deliberately found an excuse to leave the bodyguard behind that Wei Xi's father had wanted him to bring along. Now, he attempted to strike up a conversation with Wei Xi: "How did you become an internet addict in just a few months? What mobile game are you so engrossed in?"

Wei Xi replied, "I'm playing 'Little Crocodile Loves Bath Time.'"

Xing Kai: "Huh?"

He tried to recall which company had produced this grand new creation but couldn't remember any connection to crocodiles. Awkwardly, he chuckled. "Uh... Is it fun?"

Wei Xi didn't lift his head. "I wonder if they have paper versions of these."

Xing Kai was taken aback by the randomness of his thought. "Paper versions? Aren't those for burning to the deceased? Are you going to burn them for someone?"

Wei Xi's tone carried a hint of amusement at the question. "That old rustic fool has probably never played with something so entertaining."

Xing Kai couldn't follow the conversation and thus abandoned his attempt to find common ground. Fortunately, when the car arrived at the restaurant, Wei Xi's attention shifted back from the game.

The place was adorned with pavilions and towers, its picturesque scenery illuminated like a miniature of a past era within a modern city. It allowed Wei Xi to find some familiar resonance in this rapidly changing foreign world beyond the mountains.

As Xing Kai led the way inside, he boasted, "What do you think? I put in a lot of effort to secure this reservation. That should show my sincerity in welcoming you, right?"

Previously, he had guessed the reason behind Wei Xi's return to the capital without contacting him. Although he had acted nonchalant around his friends, only he knew how uncertain he truly felt. Therefore, he was anxious that Wei Xi would be on guard, and he had gone to great lengths to choose an appropriate setting to probe for information. Though securing a spot at the state guesthouse was challenging, it was expensive and impressive!

Once the delicious food was served, and after a few drinks, Wei Xi, attending the banquet alone, would usually become careless and candid when drunk. He had even dared to agree to bite Ruan Shihang during a truth or dare game. Wouldn't he answer whatever he was asked then?

The national guesthouse's liquor was not cheap, and to intoxicate someone would require quite a bit of spending. But with only a few people in their group, the cost of alcohol was peanuts to Young Master Xing from the Xing family.

Wei Xi nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. Where's the food?"

Xing Kai felt that his old friend seemed particularly keen on eating today, but he didn't think much of it and replied with a smile, "What's the rush? We're almost at the private room."

To his surprise, halfway there, he saw someone he knew. Startled, he exclaimed, "Young Master Ruan?"

Ruan Shihang was walking out with an unfamiliar young man. Upon seeing him, he gave a faint nod. His gaze lingered on Wei Xi for a moment before recognition dawned on him, and his expression turned cold.

Feeling incredibly fortunate today, Xing Kai immediately approached Ruan Shihang to chat. The unfamiliar young man smiled and walked away upon noticing the situation. Ruan Shihang also remained tight-lipped about the stranger's identity. Left behind, Wei Xi waited for the food, tilting his head in confusion when he saw Lu Wenqing, who had squeezed out of the crowd, approach him with astonishment. "Wei Xi, how did you end up here?"

"I've been invited to dinner," Wei Xi replied.

"A welcome banquet?" Lu Wenqing still held a favorable impression of Wei Xi. After some thought, he warned, "But those few people just now... I sensed ill intentions from their faces. Moreover, their foreheads were darkened, as if they're about to encounter great misfortune tonight. You should keep your distance from them."

Hearing this, Wei Xi felt a bit anxious. He could indeed tell that those people were headed for trouble, but why so soon? If they encountered misfortune tonight, would it affect the dinner invitation he'd received?

Ruan Shihang had finally managed to dismiss Xing Kai and the others. Unaware of the conversation between Wei Xi and Lu Wenqing, he looked at Wei Xi with the same cold, disdainful gaze. Turning to Lu Wenqing, he said, "Brother Lu, sorry about that. I just ran into a few acquaintances. Let's go."

Just as Lu Wenqing was about to introduce Wei Xi, he saw Ruan Shihang's impatient expression as he glanced at Wei Xi, and asked in confusion, "Do you two know each other?"

Ruan Shihang didn't want to explain. The photo of Wei Xi secretly kissing him had caused quite a stir. The Ruan family had put in a lot of effort to prevent outsiders from knowing that he was the other person in the photo. Being secretly loved by a man was an indescribably uncomfortable feeling. Now, just as he had returned, they happened to meet at the State Guesthouse. Ruan Shihang found it hard to believe that this was merely a simple coincidence.

He complained irritably, "He's like a haunting ghost, never leaving me alone."

He was afraid that Wei Xi would find an excuse to cling onto him, but to his surprise, Wei Xi merely looked at the sky outside and said to Lu Wenqing, "Don't talk about people during the day, and don't talk about ghosts at night. Didn't you teach him that?"

Lu Wenqing laughed awkwardly, "His family are all Party members, you know how they are." The Lu family's business didn't flaunt itself much outside their circle, and as a direct descendant, Lu Wenqing studied broadcasting seriously. Besides, he wasn't skilled enough to show off his abilities outside.

Wei Xi let out an "ah" as if he understood something, then scanned Ruan Shihang up and down. Ruan Shihang felt uneasy under his gaze, assuming that he was up to something. Just as he was about to lose his temper, Wei Xi pulled something out of his pocket and, rather clumsily, said, "VIP customers get special gifts with their top-ups. Would you like to sign up for a membership card first?"

Ruan Shihang: "?????"

Seeing that his sales pitch was ineffective, Wei Xi left with regret, as eating was more important than making money. Left behind, Ruan Shihang was baffled. Seeing how Wei Xi had left so easily after failing to earn money, he couldn't help feeling humiliated for having worried that the other party might harass him due to his secret love.

Filled with anger, he blurted, "Crazy! What does it matter if I talk about ghosts at night? Ghost, ghost, ghost! So what if I do?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he stumbled and fell on his face at the shiny entrance of the State Guesthouse.

Lu Wenqing: "..."

He couldn't explain the shiver that ran down his spine. Silently, he moved away, yet, due to his intense fear of ghosts, he couldn't help but call home for comfort. Unexpectedly, during his conversation with his mother, he found out that Mr. Shuo Zong was also at home.

The mere thought of Mr. Shuo Zong immediately calmed him down. He begged his mother to let him speak with the man.

Shuo Zong's voice was calm, as if everything was under control. "What happened to you?"

Upon hearing this voice, Lu Wenqing felt a warmth spread through his body. "Sir, I met Wei Xi at the State Guesthouse."

Shuo Zong paused, his tone instantly turning cautious. "The State Guesthouse is a place for dining. What is he doing there?" Was he planning to devour the entire restaurant?

"Of course, he's eating!" Lu Wenqing didn't understand his concern, his mood light and cheerful. "He said someone invited him for a meal. I guess it's a welcome banquet. But the people who invited him looked rather unfortunate, like they're about to suffer a great financial loss. One of them even seemed to have a blood-related calamity. Their faces were so strange. Do you think something might happen?"

Shuo Zong: ".................."

**********

When Wei Xi entered the private room, he was still regretting the lost business deal. However, seeing the dishes on the table lifted his spirits. Xing Kai had unexpectedly run into Ruan Shihang, putting him in an excellent mood. Upon seeing Wei Xi, he enthusiastically called out, "Wei Xi, where have you been? You made us wait. Come, come, come, let's order some food. It's been so long since we've seen each other. We must drink until we're all drunk."

He deliberately requested the most luxurious state banquet menu and the rarest wine list from the national guesthouse to ensure that Wei Xi couldn't refuse. Upon opening it, Wei Xi's eyes sparkled at the array of exquisite dishes: "Can I order anything I want?"

Xing Kai thought to himself, what was the cost of a single table of food? Even the most expensive dishes would only amount to tens of thousands at most. With a grand gesture, he said, "Order whatever you like!"

Ten minutes later, Xing Kai rushed out of the private room in a panic, grabbing one of his buddies who looked as if his head had swelled to an enormous size. "Did you bring your credit card?"

Wei Xi's voice echoed, "This one, this one, and also this one, I want them all."

The waiter replied, "Maotai from 1976? There are only ten bottles left."

Wei Xi responded, "Hmm, then bring me ten bottles. And also this one."

The waiter asked, "Chateau Lafite Rothschild? How many would you like?"

Wei Xi answered, "Bring me all of them."

Xing Kai's knees buckled, his face drained of color.

His buddy, listening with hairs standing on end, fumbled for his wallet and stammered, "Bro, my...my credit limit combined won't be enough to cover his Chateau Lafite."

Xing Kai gritted his teeth and replied darkly, "Forget about that for now. How could he possibly finish all that alcohol? Unopened bottles can be returned later. Right now, our priority is to get him drunk."

The friend agreed and regained his confidence. After returning to the private room, he glanced at the expensive pile of drinks and swallowed hard. Following the original plan, they began urging Wei Xi to drink.

Wei Xi didn't have a high tolerance for alcohol, so he rarely touched it in public. Over the years, he had only gotten drunk once in their presence, and his subdued demeanor after that made him easy to handle.

Half an hour later, Xing Kai and his friends huddled in a corner. One of them cautiously asked, "Kai, Brother Kai, do you think he's drunk yet?"

Xing Kai stared silently at the handsome young man crouched on the table with a bottle of wine in one hand and a roasted chicken in the other. He couldn't find any words to respond.

The other person followed his gaze and felt something was off. Scratching his head in confusion, he asked, "So who should go ask him questions?"

The curly-haired youth on the table tilted his wine bottle, realizing it was empty. Squinting, he examined the mouth of the bottle before tossing it away, leaping off the table to grab another from the box. With brute force, he bit the neck of the new bottle and spat out the broken glass and cork.

Xing Kai watched in a daze, his gaze then shifting to another empty wine storage box nearby. "..............."

Hesitantly, he stepped forward, no longer interested in asking questions. He reached out to stop Wei Xi, saying, "Wei, Wei Xi, that's enough. No one keeps drinking like this..."

Wei Xi raised his head, his eyes fixed on Xing Kai. His cheeks were flushed, and with an emotionless expression, he spoke, "You're regretting it."

Xing Kai's composure was on the verge of shattering. The pent-up anger he had held back all night finally erupted. "What regret? Are you fucking with me?!!"

Just as he finished speaking, a whistling sound pierced through his ears.

*****

Shuo Zong arrived hastily with his companions. Upon kicking open the door, they saw three towering figures huddled together in a corner, weeping softly. One of them had a bleeding forehead and wore the most terrified expression.

Empty bottles littered the floor. On the dining table, the slenderest young man among them sat with his fluffy, obedient curls, holding a wine bottle in one hand and a pork leg in the other. He turned his head with an inquisitive, harmless gaze.

His friend hurried into the room and fell silent for a long moment upon seeing this scene. "This is the tragedy you mentioned?"

Shuo Zong: "…"

In the next instant, the curly-haired young man dropped the pork leg, spread his arms, and leaped into the air, landing in Shuo Zong's embrace. He started rubbing his face against Shuo Zong's neck.

His friend: "…So this is the ferocious beast you claimed to have found?"

Shuo Zong: "…"

My friend was furious beyond measure: "Scoundrel! Return the money I earned for you!"