Chapter 10

Chapter 10

*

Meng Yu quickly waved his hand: "Of course not, it's just..."

"Just that you think there's no way you'd lack for women around you," Ning Wen finished the second half of the sentence for Meng Yu, her smile radiant and charming. "So it seems President Yin is unexpectedly a true romantic at heart?"

Yin Jihong didn't deny the claim.

His slender fingers slowly turned the glass in his hand, his pleasant voice still clear amidst the noisy KTV: "I might have to go up the mountain during the New Year to pray for a romantic match."

Meng Yu let out a "pfft" laugh: "Or a superstitious type?"

Yin Jihong's tone was leisurely: "Who says love isn't a superstition of timing and destiny."

At those words, all three people present were stunned for a moment.

Meng Yu and Ning Wen were stunned because what Yin Jihong had just said was a line from the movie "Spring Rain Keepsake" — the debut film that Director Peng He had used to launch their careers.

As for Jin Mo, she was taken aback because she had watched that movie at home with Yin Jihong years ago. He had never been interested in romantic art films, yet he insisted on accompanying her, so Jin Mo had no choice but to go along with it.

As it turned out, just a few minutes into the movie, she turned back and found him already fast asleep.

Since he had been asleep, how could he possibly remember that line from the movie?

Perhaps... Cheng Shu had prepped him beforehand.

Following up on "Spring Rain Keepsake," Yin Jihong chatted with Meng Yu and Ning Wen about their other performances and future career plans, delving into deep discussions with them.

Having one's work truly understood and resonating with others is undoubtedly the most cherished wish in a dedicated actor's heart. The biggest difference between Yin Jihong and typical businessmen like Old Nian and Old Sun was that he not only understood profit but also understood people and art.

After a few drinks, the way Meng Yu and Ning Wen looked at him now held genuine admiration.

Meng Yu raised his glass in a toast: "President Yin, I can now understand why you're a true romantic at heart. I doubt those ordinary pretty girls could even catch your eye."

Yin Jihong raised his glass to clink back, reverting to his usual rascal demeanor: "No need to think so highly of me. I'm still a typical visual creature."

Ning Wen looked at him with interest: "Then what type of beautiful woman do you like?"

At this, Jin Mo also looked up, quietly watching him, waiting for the unknown answer he would give.

They usually chatted about everything under the sun, free-spirited as they were, yet this kind of topic had never really come up in all these years. She never expected it to be brought up half-jokingly by others at this impromptu drinking session today.

She had thought about what the answer might be, but sometimes she felt that the answer she imagined didn't really matter.

Yin Jihong took two more light sips of his drink.

A moment later, he casually looked up and deflected with a light laugh: "Someone lively and dashing, I suppose."

Jin Mo's fingertips slid lightly over the rim of her glass, quietly tucking into the blanket on her lap. The blanket was soft and warm, but her fingertips were slightly cold.

Meng Yu immediately pointed casually at Ning Wen beside him: "Someone like her?"

Ning Wen looked up at Yin Jihong and took up the conversation gracefully, her tone laced with playfulness: "President Yin, would someone like me be able to catch your eye?"

Yin Jihong's gaze flickered over Ning Wen without pausing, but lingered on Jin Mo's face for two extra seconds before he spoke with a smile: "Movie Queen Ning has no shortage of suitors — they'd line up all the way to the other side of the Pacific. How could I possibly get in on that?"

Ning Wen smiled sweetly: "Well, President Yin could take a number, and I'll see if I can let you cut in line."

He laughed and replied: "No thanks, I'd rather not be ganged up on by your legion of male fans."

The group laughed along, and Meng Yu, getting into the swing of things, pulled them into a dice-drinking game.

Jin Mo knew how to play, just was rusty. After a few rounds, she lost nine times out of ten.

But the one actually made to drink was never her. Aside from the first cup she drank herself, every round after that, Yin Jihong would, without a word, pick up her glass and down it in one go.

Meng Yu couldn't take it anymore: "President Yin, this is no fun! You drink for Sister Jin Mo every time — then what's the point of winning!?"

Yin Jihong set another empty glass at the end of the row beside him, feigning helplessness: "I can afford not to win, but Momo can't handle losing. I'm afraid she'll cry, and then I'll have to be the one to calm her down."

Jin Mo: "...?"

The looks the others gave her immediately grew more pitying, their meaning increasingly complicated. After all, according to Yin Jihong, she was both fierce and a crybaby who couldn't handle losing.

Peng He chimed in with a sigh: "Then Sister Jin Mo is quite high-maintenance — a match for my wife."

Director Peng He was famously whipped in the industry. No matter when or where, if his wife called, he'd immediately rush home in a panic. And precisely because he was so afraid of his wife, despite all the resources he had, no actress with ulterior motives ever dared get close to him.

"You said it." Before Jin Mo could defend herself, Yin Jihong had already confirmed it on her behalf, looking genuinely worried: "I really don't know what man in this world could put up with her temper."

Jin Mo watched him spouting nonsense with a straight face and couldn't help but laugh in exasperation: "You can't find a partner yourself, and now you want to drag me down with you."

Yin Jihong reached up and ruffled her hair: "You and your Brother Ji naturally have to share fortune and misfortune alike."

Jin Mo's luck tonight was truly terrible — no matter how she played, she lost spectacularly. Watching the empty glasses pile up higher and higher beside Yin Jihong, she couldn't bear it anymore and pleaded with the group: "I'm going to step out for some air and try to turn my luck around."

Yin Jihong had an excellent tolerance for alcohol and never showed it on his face.

Only his beautiful eyes were brighter than usual; no one could tell he'd drunk so much.

He shifted aside to let her out, asking in a low voice: "Want me to come with you?"

"I'm going to the ladies' room — are you coming too?" Jin Mo laughed, then gestured at the group waiting expectantly for him: "While I'm gone, they can have a proper taste of being dominated by you."

He could tell she wanted some time alone, so he didn't insist.

-

Jin Mo came out of the restroom and took the elevator straight down.

As soon as she pushed open the KTV's front door, the evening breeze hit her face with a hint of chill, blowing away some of the alcohol on her and the faint stuffiness she had tucked away in her heart.

In truth, her tolerance for alcohol was excellent — nearly a match for Yin Jihong's. Yan Qinxuan often jokingly called her the "Goddess of Drink." During holidays, she'd sit with Grandpa Yin and the others at the table, always managing to stay until the very end alongside Yin Jihong.

But Yin Jihong refused to let her drink much in front of others, and even more so, didn't want anyone to know how well she could hold her liquor.

His little scheme was obvious — in front of outsiders, she would always be the little sister who needed to be cradled in his hands and carefully protected.

With him showing such blatant favoritism toward her, how could she possibly be ungrateful or dissatisfied?

Yet those casual words — "someone lively and dashing" — still felt like a thin needle, pricking gently at her heart from the moment he said them. Not particularly painful, but a dense, lingering itch that wouldn't go away.

Those four words had nothing whatsoever to do with her, Jin Mo.

She stood under the streetlight, gazing at the dazzling nightscape of S City, lost in thought for a moment before pulling out her phone.

Earlier, Jiang Ting had called her twice, but she hadn't heard the phone over the dice game. She took advantage of this moment outside to call Jiang Ting back.

As soon as the call connected, Jiang Ting's concerned voice came through: "Momo, are you still not back yet?"

"Yeah, probably a while longer. We're currently singing karaoke with some friends."

When she heard Jin Mo was out at a KTV, Jiang Ting couldn't help nagging her a bit more: "Okay, then don't drink too much, and be careful. It's late, and you never know what kind of sketchy people you might run into. Try to head back as soon as you can."

"Mom, you're worrying too much." Jin Mo gently reassured Jiang Ting, "This is a legit KTV, there aren't any shady people here. Besides, Brother Ji is here, so we're fine."

After reassuring Jiang Ting a bit more and telling her to get some rest, Jin Mo finally hung up.

She'd just put her phone away and was about to head back when someone blocked her path.

Blocking her way were two guys around her age, dressed sharp, clearly from rich families. But that wealth came with a spoiled, cocky vibe that screamed "trust-fund brats."

Jin Mo's heart gave a little lurch.

She remembered how she'd just told Jiang Ting on the phone that she was totally safe, and how she'd turned down Yin Jihong's offer to walk her down. She was at a loss for words.

She stopped in her tracks, watching the two men close in, her fingers quietly clenching at her sides.

"Hey there, sweetheart." The taller one, holding a cigarette, spoke with a flirtatious tone, "Here all alone for some KTV fun?"

Jin Mo gave a slight shake of her head, her tone flat and distant: "I'm here with friends."

"Friends? Guys or girls? Bring 'em over to hang with us." The other guy, with a bright lipstick mark on his neck, let his eyes roam all over her face and body, "We've got a whole crew, but none of 'em are as pretty as you."

"You said it." The guy with the cigarette stepped closer, now just a couple steps away, "What's that saying again? Once you've seen all the flashy roses and peonies, you want a fresh lotus or white lily to clear your eyes."

Jin Mo's usual style was simple and elegant, almost "sexless and minimalist." Today she was in a long white knit dress with a coffee-colored wool vest, looking almost "old-fashioned" next to the girls in the KTV in their mini skirts and bare legs.

But no matter how low-key her outfit, it couldn't hide her pretty face, slim figure, and that calm, gentle vibe.

Jin Mo quietly stepped back, slipping her hand into her vest pocket to unlock her phone: "You've got the wrong idea. I'm not a lotus or a lily—I'm a cactus."

"Oh? The lipstick-mark guy laughed even harder, "Looks all quiet and proper, but she's got some bite. Even better."

At first, they were just running their mouths, but fueled by booze and nicotine, their true colors started to show. As they talked, they kept closing in, their eyes full of bad intentions, like they were about to get handsy.

Watching them get closer, Jin Mo's heart sank, and she regretted her decision big time.

Why couldn't she have just stayed in the private room? Why did she have to get the bright idea to come down for some air?

Her luck tonight was just the worst.

Having been glued to Yin Jihong's side her whole life, she'd never been in a situation like this. He always had her back so completely that not a hair on her head was ever touched—or to put it bluntly, he never let her run into people like this.

But now, he wasn't there.

Regret was useless, and hoping he'd magically sense her danger was pointless. She had to rely on herself.

Jin Mo dug her nails into her palm, forcing herself to calm down and think fast.

Not far from the KTV was a brightly lit convenience store with people and security cameras. If she made a run for it while calling Yin Jihong, she might just be able to hold out until he got there.

Just as the guy with the cigarette reached out, about to grab her shoulder—

Jin Mo was about to turn and sprint when a hand suddenly and gently caught the man's wrist.

She looked up, flustered.

What met her eyes was the face of a stranger.

The man appeared to be around the same age as those two playboys, perhaps a few years older than her, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

He had black hair, fair skin, and strikingly handsome features—refined, steady, and clean.

He seemed to be from a completely different world than the two frivolous, reckless men before her.

But the next second, he calmly called out their names: "A Yang, Xiaopeng."

The moment he spoke, the faces of "A Yang" and "Xiaopeng" changed instantly.

Just hearing their names, the arrogance they had displayed moments ago vanished without a trace, and they even unconsciously took a step back.

They seemed quite wary of this man who appeared utterly harmless.

——————————

Author's note:

Red packets continue to drop randomly, 66 of them! Please keep showing your love with collections, comments, and nutrient solutions~ Love you all! Also, don't forget to check out my column! Feel free to check out my next new book "The Crane" in my column, a Beijing circle story (possibly a Beijing circle ensemble), it's really exciting haha.

Sang: President Yin, congratulations, the refined and steady handsome man you wanted for Momo has arrived! No need to thank me!

Yin Puppy: Stepmom, I'm going to kill you!!!!!! That dog of a man, get lost!!!

Just thinking about the upcoming competition and the crematorium, I want to stand up and laugh five hundred times hahaha! I love writing this kind of stuff, little puppy, go fight tooth and nail for your wife! Don't let the second male lead outshine you! Everyone's rooting for you!

If this book gets published! I definitely want to write this line "Love is a superstition of timing and place" as a special signature! Haha.