Chapter 96: The Beautiful Woman

Although he thought about it, actually taking action was unlikely, considering the obstacles from other aspects.

After all, You Chong had only been back for two or three days, so Lin Hexi decided to wait a little longer.

The day after the fashion show ended, that American colleague checked out and flew back to the United States. Lin Hexi was still on vacation, so naturally, he didn’t return together with them.

On the way to take the colleague to the airport, Zhao Mingliu called to remind him not to skip the party that night.

Lin Hexi replied calmly, “Do I look like someone who would skip out?”

Hearing this, Zhao Mingliu let out a meaningful laugh and said, “The makeup artist has already been booked in advance, so you don’t even need to prepare your own clothes. I’ll have someone buy them tonight. What style do you like?”

Lin Hexi actually thought about it seriously, as if a rough outline had already formed in his mind. He answered smoothly and naturally, “The wig should be long, black, and curly. The dress and shoes should be ones that make my legs look longer. For the specifics, have your people ask the sales assistants.”

“Got it.” Zhao Mingliu responded readily, then asked for his height and size, finally hinting, “I’ve prepared a surprise for you too.”

Knowing Zhao Mingliu’s style, Lin Hexi was skeptical about the so-called “surprise.” “No need for surprises—just make sure it doesn’t turn into a big shock for me.”

Zhao Mingliu chuckled silently on the other end of the phone.

You Chong and his subordinates went on a business trip out of town, originally scheduled to return the day after Halloween. After repeatedly adjusting the itinerary, he finally finished all the work the day before, leaving the others at the hotel to wrap things up, and flew back himself on the afternoon of Halloween.

After arriving home, he put down his luggage, quickly took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and prepared to head to the hotel to find Lin Hexi.

However, before he could leave, he received a call from Zhou Xuan.

Upon learning that he was back, the other person invited him to attend the Halloween-themed party at the bar that evening.

You Chong had little interest in this and just wanted to see Lin Hexi as soon as possible, so he was about to refuse.

Zhou Xuan said over the phone, “Zhao Mingliu asked me to invite you. Are you really not coming?”

You Chong replied, “I have plans tonight.”

“What plans? Going to find Lin Hexi?” Zhou Xuan chuckled lazily. “Halloween is a foreign holiday, and he’s lived in the United States for several years. He might have already gone out to celebrate. Did you arrange anything with him beforehand?”

You Chong was silent for a moment. “No.”

Zhou Xuan, having anticipated his response, said, “Let me give him a call and ask for you.”

The two ended the call, and You Chong, who had already reached the entryway, returned to the living room and sat down.

Two minutes later, Zhou Xuan called again, “I asked the people at the hotel, and they said Lin Hexi isn’t in his room.”

You Chong had no choice but to temporarily abandon the idea of going to find Lin Hexi. He went upstairs and changed into a black shirt.

They first went to a restaurant in the city center for dinner, arriving at the bar just as the party was starting.

Even though it wasn’t Valentine’s Day, couples dining together filled the restaurant, and even the digital menu prominently featured couples’ sets at the top.

Zhou Xuan and You Chong, two single men, stood out among the crowd.

He even regretted inviting You Chong out for dinner. While waiting for the waiter to serve their dishes, he rested his chin on his hand, glancing idly at You Chong. “Don’t you think we’re a bit unlucky? Of all the times to go out for dinner, we had to choose a holiday evening. And to top it off, I’m sitting across from a childhood friend. It’s really not much fun.”

Hearing this, You Chong’s expression turned mocking. “Don’t lump me in with you. I’m not the same as you.”

Zhou Xuan scoffed lightly, “How are we any different? I’m single, and you’re single too.”

“That’s true,” You Chong replied slowly with a nod, then let out a chuckle. “Today I might be single, but tomorrow, who knows? But you,” he said, casting a glance at Zhou Xuan, “today you’re single, and tomorrow you’ll still be single.”

Zhou Xuan was so annoyed that he couldn’t find words to respond.

The Halloween party started at 8 p.m. By the time You Chong and Zhou Xuan arrived, they could already see people trickling into the venue.

At the entrance stood the bar’s security personnel, responsible for checking the guests’ identities. It seemed they had been trained in advance and recognized You Chong and Zhou Xuan. Without requiring them to provide any membership information, they respectfully invited the two inside.

There was still a short walk from the entrance to the main bar area. By the second door, additional staff members were stationed, reminding each guest to take a mask and some candy from the gift box.

The masks for male and female guests had different designs and colors, but masks of the same color were designed as matching sets for couples.

You Chong casually picked a simple black mask and put it on, then turned around and tossed the box of candies he received to Zhou Xuan.

Guessing that the candy box was probably a tool for interacting with others at the bar tonight, Zhou Xuan accepted it with great enthusiasm.

Passing through the second door, they finally entered the area where guests could mingle. Waitstaff stood on either side, handing out drinks to the arriving guests. The two each took a glass of red wine from the server beside them and made their way toward the booth area.

The temperature inside the bar was quite high, making the air stuffy and humid. After sitting down, You Chong reached up to unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt.

As soon as the buttons were undone, before he could lower his hand, a young woman wearing a mask leaned in. She placed her hand on his arm, feeling the muscle beneath his shirt sleeve, and with a teasing tone, asked, “Do you have any candy, sir? Trick or treat.”

You Chong pushed her away with an indifferent expression, stating bluntly, “I’m not interested in you.”

The woman left, visibly disappointed.

Zhou Xuan, who had observed the entire interaction, tossed the candy box in his hand into the air and caught it with precise movements. He then raised his eyebrow with interest and said, “Interesting.”

You Chong glanced at him. “What? Do you have any plans?”

“I didn’t have any plans at first. But now…” Zhou Xuan, shifting from his previously laid-back demeanor, knocked on the table with a challenging expression. “Didn’t you say I wouldn’t be able to find a partner by tomorrow? Well, I’ll find someone tonight and prove you wrong right here.”

You Chong nodded indifferently, a faint hint of mockery in his tone. “I’ll be waiting to see that.”

True to his word, Zhou Xuan began scanning the entire bar, seriously searching for a target.

In the brief moment that You Chong lowered his gaze to taste the red wine in his glass, Zhou Xuan seemed to have already made a decision. He gestured toward the bar counter, saying, “How about that one over there?”

Following the direction of Zhou Xuan’s pointing finger, You Chong looked over and saw a woman.

Although she was seated on a high stool, it was easy to tell from her proportions that she was very tall.

The bar’s lighting wasn’t too dim that night, allowing You Chong to see clearly. She was wearing a black sequined spaghetti-strap dress, her long, dark curls cascading casually over her shoulders. As she moved her head, her long hair shifted, revealing glimpses of sparkling earring pendants.

She wore a black mask of the same style as his. Unlike the men’s version, her mask was embellished with rose patterns adorned with beaded chains.

The mask covered her face from her brow to just above the tip of her nose, revealing a prominent nose and beautifully shaped red lips. Judging from this, it was likely that she wouldn’t look bad once she removed the mask.

Continuing down from her delicately contoured chin, one could see a black choker with intricate cut-out patterns around her slender neck.

The spaghetti-strap dress reached just to the middle of her thighs, and black ankle boots covered her ankles. Between the hem of the dress and the top of the boots, her long, straight, and well-proportioned legs were exposed to the air, her skin appearing fair and smooth under the lights.

Three or four men lingered around her, refusing to leave, yet she remained focused on toying with the candy box in her hand, never once engaging with any of them.

Even though she was a complete stranger, You Chong inexplicably sensed a hint of familiarity about her.

He couldn’t help but take a couple more glances.

Noticing his unusual interest, Zhou Xuan clicked his tongue lightly and teased, “I almost forgot—her style is just like the type you used to like, isn’t it?”

You Chong didn’t respond to the tease and instead looked away, asking, “You interested in her?”

Zhou Xuan rubbed his chin and answered honestly, “I wouldn’t say I’m interested. It’s just that if I’m going to pick a target in a bar, of course I’d go for the most popular and hardest-to-get one.”

He stood up with his glass of red wine, lazily lifting his eyelids as he smiled. “Too bad, no matter how much her style suits your tastes, it’s useless. You’re not into women anymore, so it looks like it’s up to me.”

“Since you’ve put it that way,” You Chong also stood up from the table, his tone carrying a casual hint of amusement, “I’ll just wait and see if you can win her over.”

Zhou Xuan headed to the bar first, while You Chong followed a few steps behind, unhurried.

As they reached the woman, the candy box she was holding between her fingers happened to slip and fall to the ground. Zhou Xuan quickly bent down to pick it up, extending his hand as if to return it to her.

The young, beautiful woman reached out to take the candy box, but Zhou Xuan, holding it back slightly, asked with a playful tone, “Miss, shouldn’t you give me some candy as a token of appreciation?”

The woman seemed surprised at his words, looking up with a hint of astonishment. Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment before she lowered her head, opened the candy box, and poured out two brightly colored candies, offering them to him.

Zhou Xuan was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected that, while others had tried every possible way to get some candy from her without success, he had obtained it so easily.

Amid the envious gazes of the men around them, Zhou Xuan accepted the candies, feeling a slight swell of pride. Buoyed by his success, he confidently extended his hand, offering a gentlemanly invitation for her to dance.

Under the jealous stares of the crowd, the woman placed her hand in his and rose from the high stool.

Earlier, while she was seated, her exact height had been unclear. But now, standing straight before him, she turned out to be nearly as tall as he was.

Zhou Xuan was taken aback once again, feeling a bit uncomfortable due to the height issue. He couldn’t believe it—he was already considered tall among men, yet here was a woman almost as tall as him.

However, it was too late to back out now, and he felt caught between a rock and a hard place. Zhou Xuan had no choice but to feign composure, smiling as he extended his arm to wrap it around her waist.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the slender waist hidden beneath her dress, his arm was firmly grabbed by someone.

Who dared to ruin his moment? Zhou Xuan raised his head in annoyance, only to find that the person interfering was his childhood friend.

His expression quickly shifted from displeasure to confusion, and he asked, “What’s going on?”

Without a word, You Chong released his grip on him and pulled the woman standing within Zhou Xuan’s arm’s reach away, thoughtfully studying her eyes.

Perhaps it was the eye makeup, but even hidden beneath the mask, You Chong felt that her eyes appeared even darker and more luminous under the lights.

The woman did not struggle at all, remaining calm as she allowed him to observe her, even raising her gaze to meet his gaze with composure.

In an instant, Zhou Xuan found himself an outsider in what had been his own situation. He looked at You Chong, who had taken his place, with a mix of surprise and confusion.

Their eye contact lasted only a couple of seconds before they both looked away.

Zhou Xuan let out an inexplicable sigh of relief and turned to remind You Chong that he was about to reconcile with his boyfriend and should be careful not to overstep boundaries.

Before he could get the words out, Zhou Xuan gasped, his eyes widening in shock as he looked at You Chong.

You Chong was no longer staring at the woman in front of him. Instead, taking advantage of the mask that hid his face, he turned his head and kissed her directly on the lips.

It was a brief kiss, just a fleeting touch.

Suppressing the restless stirrings within him, You Chong restrained himself and stepped back. He also realized that this wasn’t the right place to have a conversation, so he decided to take her out of the bar before discussing things further.

The woman reached out and grabbed the slightly open collar of his shirt, pulling him back toward her. Leaning close to You Chong’s ear, she whispered quickly, “We didn’t break up, but we were never together either.”

You Chong’s expression froze for a moment.

Before he could react, she had already moved away from his ear, her fingers still gripping his collar. She pressed her lips against his again, this time with a more decisive and swift kiss.