The dark shadow appeared suddenly and unexpectedly, striking swiftly and reaching the two of them in an instant.
Jing Li, who happened to be facing the shadowy figure, immediately changed his expression and instinctively raised his hand to counterattack.
However, Gu Tingshen’s actions were even faster. He held Jing Li and spun around instantly, then raised his hand and forcefully punched the shadowy figure.
The powerful punch instantly met the shadowy figure’s face, directly sending the figure flying away.
Jing Li, who had been worried about Gu Tingshen’s safety and turned his head in a panic, witnessed this scene: “……”
Sorry, he had overthought it.
He should have realized that not everyone could withstand Gu Tingshen’s overwhelming purple-gold aura.
That shadowy figure had probably never expected that Gu Tingshen, who was now just an ordinary person without his sealed power, could inflict such severe injuries. After this blow, the figure developed some reservations about Gu Tingshen and could only painfully retreat with its remaining strength. Before leaving, it cast a deep glance at Jing Li beside him.
However, upon meeting Gu Tingshen’s cold, narrowed gaze, the figure’s pupils shrank instantly, and it hurried away.
Jing Li, however, couldn’t spare a glance at him and thus did not notice the exchange of glances between the two.
At the moment, his entire focus was on Gu Tingshen. Although he was indeed impressed by Gu Tingshen’s actions, he still worried if the other was hurt.
“How are you? Were you injured?” Jing Li slightly pushed away from Gu Tingshen’s embrace and inspected him from head to toe. Seeing no signs of injury, he sighed in relief but still reprimanded, “Don’t do that again next time!”
“Are you stupid? He was clearly targeting you, and you deliberately stepped forward to give him an opportunity!”
Jing Li glared at him disapprovingly, “Can you show off in such a situation? You dared to rush forward like that against that thing.”
“Next time, you better obediently stand behind me.”
“Can you do that?” Gu Tingshen looked down at him.
“What?”
“Can you obediently hide behind me the next time we encounter such danger?”
“……”
Jing Li was momentarily speechless, unable to answer for a moment.
Naturally, he could not do that. Knowing the dangers of those things, how could he hide behind Gu Tingshen and put the other in harm’s way instead?
But even if he could not do it, he did not want to agree with Gu Tingshen’s approach.
After all, he was a cultivator, while Gu Tingshen was merely an ordinary person.
At least for now, he was still an ordinary person.
But he also knew that such reasoning would sound feeble to Gu Tingshen. After a few seconds of silence, he said softly, “At least, you should assess the situation before acting. If it’s just an ordinary attack……”
No, that wouldn’t work either!
Jing Li paused, instantly pursing his lips.
Just then, the hotel security arrived to inquire about the situation, so he ended the topic.
After dismissing the security, another ten minutes passed, and the director had already called to urge them. The two then got into the car and headed to the restaurant.
Inside the car, neither of them spoke, leaving the compartment filled with nothing but the sound of their breathing.
“I saw that person’s face,” Gu Tingshen suddenly said in the stillness.
Jing Li was taken aback and instinctively turned to look at him.
“It’s the man you sketched,” Gu Tingshen stated firmly. “So you’ve been hiding something from me. That man is not just an ordinary person trying to get close to you.”
Jing Li: “……” So why is your mind working so quickly at a time like this!
Jing Li remained silent, as he had not yet figured out how to explain it away.
“Don’t think about hiding it from me,” Gu Tingshen continued, as if seeing through his thoughts. “I’ve already looked into that man’s background, and I intended to tell you about it when I came to pick you up.”
Jing Li was instantly taken aback and asked, “What did you find out?”
“His public name is Wang San. He came to the capital twenty years ago, but no one knows where he was or what he did before that.”
“He probably used some kind of concealment technique, so no one suspected anything about the missing information.”
“After arriving in the capital, he worked for several entertainment companies. Now he’s a director at a company called Yujing Entertainment, where he controls many resources and holds considerable influence.”
“However, he always keeps to himself and doesn’t have deep connections with people in the company. Besides work, he rarely shows up at the office, but because the scripts he handles always bring substantial profits, the company’s boss is willing to support him.”
“His last appearance was over a month ago, right after you signed with Yan Qing’s crew. He approached an actor named Zhang Weixi from that crew to star in a new drama for his company. After that, he disappeared until today.”
Gu Tingshen glanced at Jing Li.
Jing Li paused, “Anything else?”
“It’s all in the file, the bag is on the back seat.”
Jing Li turned and indeed saw a sealed leather bag on the back seat, looking quite thick.
As he reached for it, Gu Tingshen suddenly said, “We’re here.”
Jing Li paused and looked out the window, and indeed they had arrived at the private restaurant’s entrance.
Clearly there was not enough time for Jing Li to review the file now, so he turned back around, planning to study it carefully after returning to the hotel after the meal.
Gu Tingshen found a parking spot and they exited the car, entering the private restaurant together.
When they reached the private room, the three large round tables were already full, with dishes served as everyone chatted idly, evidently waiting for the two of them.
“Sorry, I was delayed on the way, making everyone wait.” Gu Tingshen apologized to the group with a smile. He then scanned everyone present, finally settling his gaze on the director. “Director Wen, I’m sorry to bother you tonight.”
“Look at Mr. Gu, saying such polite words. It’s my honor that you are willing to grace us with your presence. What’s all this talk about bothering me,” Director Wen stood with a beaming smile, quickly ushering them to be seated.
The others also echoed for them to sit and join the conversation.
Jing Li smiled and greeted everyone as well.
Their seats were next to Director Wen, the two places side by side.
Gu Tingshen didn’t stand on ceremony, thanking them before taking his seat with Jing Li.
Once seated, the director took the opportunity to personally pour them drinks, then raised his own cup to address everyone, “Now that we’re all here, let’s begin our wrap party.”
“First, I must thank everyone for their hard work and support for the crew, thank you all for your hard work and for accompanying me to this moment of completion. So, this first toast is to all of you, hoping for a bright future for everyone present, and also hoping for more and better opportunities for cooperation in the future.”
With that, he raised his cup in gesture before downing it.
The others echoed the sentiment before drinking as well.
As the cups were set down, the wrap party officially began.
At the dinner table, everyone temporarily set aside status and rank, toasting merrily as the atmosphere grew lively.
Even Gu Tingshen was toasted by many, and with his polite and courteous manner, others gradually shed their apprehensions, with more joining in the toasting.
Jing Li smiled as he watched person after person approach Gu Tingshen for a toast, watching him down cup after cup, but his heart began to furrow.
At this rate, even gods would get drunk, right?
But given the occasion, he couldn’t really stop them, only glancing repeatedly at Gu Tingshen, hoping he would refuse himself.
However, Gu Tingshen seemed oblivious to his hints, politely accepting every toast offered.
This only made Jing Li’s brow furrow tighter, his glances toward Gu Tingshen more frequent.
Though Gu Tingshen didn’t notice his subtle movements, Director Wen beside them caught on.
Perhaps feeling a bit tipsy, the director smiled at Jing Li teasingly, “Jing-laoshi, why do you keep glancing at Mr. Gu? Are you worried he’ll get drunk, or do you feel we haven’t toasted you enough?”
This remark was clearly a joke, so everyone’s attention shifted towards the latter. The atmosphere at the moment was already lively, so everyone instantly started teasing and laughing.
“Oh my, I didn’t even notice until Director Wen mentioned it. I was wondering why Jing-laoshi kept looking over there.”
“Hahaha, seems Jing-laoshi isn’t enjoying himself enough! Allow me to toast Jing-laoshi again!”
“Me too!”
“And me!”
……
In an instant, over a dozen people stood up from the three tables, all flushed red from drinking. They raised their cups toward Jing Li before downing them.
Jing Li had no chance to stop them and could only helplessly stand and drain his cup as well.
However, it seemed that the ordeal was far from over.
Just as Jing Li set down his cup and was about to explain a few words and maybe speak up for Gu Tingshen, another person rose with a drink, simply saying “A toast to Jing-laoshi” before downing it.
Seeing this, Jing Li could only swallow his words again, refilling to drink once more.
This back and forth continued, and Jing Li was toasted several more times. His alcohol tolerance was not great to begin with, so he was starting to feel a bit dizzy.
But with so many people at the three tables, it was impossible to finish with just a few toasts. One person would finish toasting, and another would immediately stand up, showing no signs of stopping.
As Jing Li saw yet another person standing up to toast, he shook his head and was about to stand up again.
However, at that moment, Gu Ting Shen placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling as he said to the person offering the toast, “Xiao Jing can’t handle his alcohol well. How about I drink this toast on his behalf?”
Without waiting for a reply, he directly took Jing Li’s cup and drained it.
The person offering the toast froze for a few seconds, eyes darting between them, seemingly confused by the situation.
But Jing Li reacted first.
“What are you doing?” Jing Li turned to Gu Tingshen, his handsome brows furrowed in displeasure as he mumbled, “They toasted me, not you, why are you drinking?”
But his dizziness was severe. As soon as the words left his mouth, his body swayed, and he stumbled right into Gu Tingshen’s embrace. His mumbles turned into soft murmurs as his hot breath caressed the other’s ear.
Gu Tingshen felt a rush of heat near his ear and a surge of warmth flooding elsewhere as his arm instinctively tightened around Jing Li.
He glanced down at the noticeably abnormal flushed face nuzzling his chest, those hazy, intoxicated eyes gazing up at him so alluringly, and his heart melted completely.
“Be good, baby, drink less, you’re drunk,” he leaned in to gently coax Jing Li, restraining his emotions as he moved to help him sit properly.
But to his surprise, upon hearing he was drunk, Jing Li suddenly pushed him away, shouting, “Nonsense! It was just a few drinks, how could I be drunk?”
In his dazed state, Jing Li had lost control of his strength. The shove was feeble, merely causing Gu Tingshen to stagger back, accidentally kicking the table leg and shifting the entire table slightly.
The dishes clattered noisily, with a few cups even toppling over and spilling their contents.
The commotion instantly drew the attention of the other tables to them.
Jing Li, oblivious to the disturbance he had caused, first looked confusedly at the table, as if he did not comprehend the situation. Then, seeing everyone staring at him, he grew flustered.
“Shen-ge,” he turned to Gu Tingshen with a pitiful expression, “Why are they all looking at me?”
There was a clear tone of grievance in his words, his tone soft and sweet, completely unlike his usual demeanor.
Coupled with his flushed, reddened face from the drunkenness, it added an alluring charm to his already handsome features.
Gu Tingshen’s gaze instantly darkened, but more than that, he didn’t want so many eyes on Jing Li in this state.
He immediately removed his coat and covered Jing Li’s head, restraining his struggles. He then stood, addressing the room calmly, “Sorry, Xiao Jing is drunk. I’ll take him back first.”
Without waiting for the others’ reactions, he pulled Jing Li up and headed straight out.
Everyone stared dumbfoundedly at their departure until they exited the private room.
The atmosphere between them seemed rather…off, didn’t it?
But these thoughts only lingered in the minds of the onlookers, and no one dared to voice them out loud.
They all knew the rules of the circle they moved in, what should be said, what shouldn’t be said, and who shouldn’t be offended. They were all quite clear in that regard.
So, after the pair left, the others merely froze for a few seconds before resuming their drinking as if nothing happened.
Only Wu Xiaojun, who was at the same table with Jing Li, concealed the pain in his eyes as his hands clenched white under the table.
But that was all.
He knew he had long lost the qualification of getting close to Jing Li.
*
Outside, Gu Tingshen half-carried Jing Li to the car and settled him into the passenger seat before removing the jacket from his head.
Finally feeling the fresh air again, Jing Li brightened up, but upon meeting Gu Tingshen’s gaze, he instantly became dejected.
“You actually covered me with clothes!” he accused.
However, in Gu Tingshen’s eyes, this accusation turned into a display of coquettishness. Especially after the coat had been draped over him, Jing Li’s complexion became even rosier. Even the corners of his eyes took on a touch of peachy pink. Paired with his increasingly moist eyes, he looked even more charming.
“I was wrong,” Gu Tingshen caressed the corner of his eye, unconsciously leaning closer until their foreheads touched. His voice dropped to a soft murmur. “So, does Xiao Jing want to punish me?”
Jing Li instinctively tilted his head up at the motion, gazing directly into Gu Tingshen’s profound eyes.
Jing Li felt like he was being pulled into a bottomless abyss, nearly consumed whole.
The face before him was the one he dreamed of day and night. The alcohol amplified emotions he had suppressed, enveloping him in longing until he forgot to think.
As the face inched closer, Jing Li’s gaze dropped to those tempting red lips, and the words slipped out, “Punish you by kissing me! Kiss me now!”
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