Back at the hotel, before he could even enter his room, Xiao Can received a call from Qin Ge.
Yesterday, he had exchanged contact information with the other guests. Although they had all been played during the show, privately, he was respectful and polite to his seniors, finding no fault with them.
After the show, Qin Ge didn’t hold grudges and cheerfully invited him to supper with everyone, saying that everyone was there and asking him to invite He Xingzhou and Tan Zhen as well.
Xiao Can was happy to accompany them, but while accepting the invitation enthusiastically, he made sure to emphasize that “Mr. He might go to bed early.”
Qin Ge had heard about He Xingzhou’s style of doing things and said he wouldn’t insist.
After the call ended, Xiao Can stepped out of the elevator. He Xingzhou’s room was diagonally opposite, and he didn’t feel like calling, so he knocked on the door as he passed by.
The door opened quickly, and He Xingzhou had already changed into a different outfit, his hair still damp, looking a bit more easygoing than usual, probably having just taken a shower.
Seeing Xiao Can, he was very surprised. “What’s up?” he said, stepping back a bit, “Come in.”
Xiao Can thought, who wants to come in!
“It’s just a matter of a few words,” he deliberately took half a step back, keeping a greater distance, “They’re planning to have supper, are you going? “
“I’m not going,” He Xingzhou replied decisively.
This was completely within Xiao Can’s expectations. He had no intention of persuading him and just nodded. “Okay, got it.”
After saying that, he turned to leave, but He Xingzhou unexpectedly took a step forward and asked, “Are you going?”
“I am,” Xiao Can said.
After a brief moment of thought, He Xingzhou said, “Then I’ll go too.”
“…You don’t have to force yourself,” Xiao Can said.
“Not forcing myself,” He Xingzhou said, “I’ll change clothes, and we’ll go together.”
Xiao Can was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, “As you wish.”
After he finished speaking, he quickly walked back to his room. After closing the door, he stood there for a while before remembering to call Tan Zhen.
Tan Zhen wasn’t that fond of joining in on such activities. After hesitating for a while, he asked, “Is He Xingzhou going?”
“He is,” Xiao Can said.
“He’s actually going? Why?” Tan Zhen was surprised.
Xiao Can nervously touched his nose, “How should I know.”
“Could it be because you’re going too?” Tan Zhen suddenly guessed the truth.
“Don’t guess randomly,” Xiao Can avoided the topic, “Are you going or not?”
“If even he’s going, if I refuse again, I’ll seem too unsociable,” Tan Zhen sighed, “I’ll go.”
Surprisingly, the supper was planned at the same hot pot restaurant they had visited a few days ago.
Fortunately, this time Tan Zhen had no reservations and could enjoy the authentic spicy hot pot.
Xiao Can finally tasted the signature flavor of this restaurant and repeatedly praised its reputation.
The atmosphere was lively, and everyone drank quite a bit.
Xiao Can had a good tolerance for alcohol and actively clinked glasses with others, drinking one glass after another, hardly showing any signs of intoxication.
Tan Zhen drank less, but he was clearly feeling tipsy.
His face was flushed, and he sighed to Xiao Can, “You can really hold your liquor.”
“Are you not feeling well?” Xiao Can asked.
He could tell that Tan Zhen wasn’t very used to this kind of occasion. When others urged him to drink, he always seemed hesitant, but ultimately, he couldn’t refuse and had to force himself to drink.
If it weren’t for Xiao Can covering for him a bit, he would probably be completely drunk by now.
“I’m okay, just tired,” Tan Zhen said, yawning softly and complaining quietly, “Why hasn’t it ended yet.”
On the other side, Qin Ge was chatting enthusiastically with several people, looking radiant and energetic, apparently not intending to leave anytime soon.
Xiao Can gestured to He Xingzhou, who had been on the sidelines the whole time, “Why don’t you let him take you back first?”
He Xingzhou had drunk very little. When he first sat down, someone poured him a glass of beer, and now there was still a little left. Unlike Tan Zhen, he couldn’t be persuaded to drink when he didn’t want to, and after a few attempts, everyone realized that he was immovable and let him be.
Anyway, this guy didn’t seem to want to fit in, so there was a reason for him to leave early. Xiao Can felt that this arrangement was very reasonable.
He Xingzhou noticed their conversation and asked, “If we leave, what will you do?”
“I’m fine,” Xiao Can said, “When it’s over later, I’ll leave with everyone else.”
After a moment of silence, He Xingzhou looked at Tan Zhen and asked, “Do you really have to go back? Can’t you hold on a little longer?”
Tan Zhen was stunned for a moment, then smiled, shaking his head as he laughed.
In any case, He Xingzhou was nominally Tan Zhen’s boyfriend, and his behavior was really not up to standard as a boyfriend.
Xiao Can felt dissatisfied with this kind of Alpha and asked, “Is there a problem?”
“No problem,” Tan Zhen hurriedly interjected before He Xingzhou could speak, “He’s leaving with me, right now.”
He Xingzhou opened his mouth to speak but was immediately silenced by a glare from Tan Zhen, so he held back his words.
The two of them stood up to indicate they were leaving first, and the others symbolically tried to persuade them to stay a bit longer before bidding them farewell.
Less than ten minutes later, just as Xiao Can finished pouring another drink for Qin Ge, He Xingzhou unexpectedly returned.
“Did you forget something?” Xiao Can asked, puzzled.
He Xingzhou shook his head and sat back down. “I saw him off to his car.”
Since there were still others present, Xiao Can couldn’t directly complain to He Xingzhou. He could only endure his dissatisfaction and ask as gently as possible, “Why didn’t you take him back to the hotel?”
“I intended to, but he said it wasn’t necessary,” He Xingzhou shrugged helplessly. “He even drove me out of the car.”
“…”
There was laughter all around, but Xiao Can immediately understood what had happened.
He had found it strange just now. With Tan Zhen’s personality, how could he readily let He Xingzhou go with him? It turned out that he intended to leave He Xingzhou out of sight and then bring him back.
After teasing each other for a while, someone brought up the recent gossip about secret filming that had caused a stir online.
Yumi, who was a bit drunk, blurted out, “Why do I feel like Tan Zhen and He Xingzhou both have good relationships with you, but they’re not close to each other?”
This remark was directed at Xiao Can, but He Xingzhou, also involved, seemed not to have heard. He casually picked up a slice of cucumber with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, showing no intention of refuting.
“Every couple has their own way of getting along,” Xiao Can chuckled. “Tan Zhen is a bit afraid of being too affectionate in public.”
“Then why did they officially announce their relationship?” Yumi asked again.
He Xingzhou tasted the cucumber slice.
Xiao Can had to rack his brains to find excuses for them. “They felt like it at the time? Not liking public displays of affection doesn’t mean they don’t want public recognition.”
An Omega girl interjected, “You seem like their spokesperson!”
“You’re asking me, so I have to answer,” Xiao Can gestured towards He Xingzhou with both hands. “Otherwise, you can ask him!”
He Xingzhou raised his eyes, glanced at everyone, picked up a peanut with his chopsticks, and calmly chewed on it, showing no intention of responding.
“Alright, alright, these are their private matters. Why are you so concerned?” Qin Ge said. “Have you sorted out your own love life?”
The topic was diverted, and Xiao Can breathed a sigh of relief, while He Xingzhou remained calm as ever.
“What exactly are you here for?” Xiao Can complained softly, “You don’t seem to want to fit in.” With that, he tapped He Xingzhou’s glass with his hand. “You don’t drink, and you don’t take the opportunity to go back when given the chance.”
“Just joining in the fun,” He Xingzhou said.
“You’re out of place,” Xiao Can said.
He Xingzhou shrugged, as if to say whatever.
Xiao Can stared at him for a while, then picked up a beer bottle from the side, opened it skillfully on the table, and poured it into his glass without saying a word.
He Xingzhou looked at him in surprise.
“Drink,” Xiao Can pointed at the glass. “I’ll be angry if you don’t.”
Though he had a good tolerance, having drunk several bottles, Xiao Can was feeling a bit intoxicated, and his actions at the moment were somewhat unreasonable.
Unexpectedly, He Xingzhou actually picked up the glass, took a sip, and then put it down after a couple of mouthfuls.
Seeing He Xingzhou stop after just a few sips and intending to put the glass down, Xiao Can said again, “Is this considered drinking? Can’t you handle it?”
He Xingzhou hesitated for a moment, then took another sip.
“I see, you don’t know how to drink at all,” Xiao Can chuckled. “And you call yourself an Alpha, what a joke.”
He Xingzhou tilted his head back and emptied the remaining half of the glass in one gulp.
“That’s more like it,” Xiao Can refilled his glass and then lifted his own. “Cheers.”
The two glasses, filled with beer, clinked together, making a crisp sound.
Xiao Can raised the glass to his lips, but seeing He Xingzhou not moving, he urged, “Drink, are you looking down on me?”
He Xingzhou took a deep breath, exhaled quickly, and then swiftly drank from the glass again.
As soon as Xiao Can finished his drink, He Xingzhou had only drunk half of his.
Xiao Can reached out, tapping his fingers on the table in front of He Xingzhou, and kept saying, “Faster, faster, faster!”
He Xingzhou reluctantly finished the remaining half of the glass, furrowing his brows and letting out a long breath.
Xiao Can’s voice was not loud, but the person sitting next to him could still roughly observe their interaction.
“Wow, does Zhou ge always listen to you like this?” the person exclaimed to Xiao Can.
Xiao Can thought to himself, yeah, why does he listen to me like this?
…When he doesn’t even like me.
“He’s drunk and confused,” Xiao Can said. “I’m just taking advantage of the situation to tease him a bit.”
The other person smiled and didn’t take it seriously.
He Xingzhou heard this and retorted, “I’m not drunk.”
“Oh really,” Xiao Can grabbed another bottle, skillfully opened it on the table, and poured it for him. “Then keep going.”
He Xingzhou shook his head. “Any more and I’ll be drunk.”
Xiao Can’s heart stirred slightly.
After tonight, who knows when he’ll be able to meet He Xingzhou again?
They say, “Drunk actions are the truest.”
Perhaps this was an opportunity to resolve the issue.
A ridiculous thought emerged in Xiao Can’s mind along with the alcohol. His heart beat violently, then swelled rapidly.
Accompanied by a strong heartbeat, a flush finally appeared on his cheeks.
He Xingzhou wasn’t drunk enough yet, it would be better if he drank a little more.
Xiao Can leaned closer to He Xingzhou and said in a volume only he could hear, with a disdainful tone, “You’re a scaredy cat.”
