"What are you talking about?" Sheng Chenjin's expression faltered, as if something he was trying to hide had been exposed. He turned away, as if to avoid his assistant's gaze, and then said, "What nonsense are you spouting? I don't like her at all."
"If you don't like her, why do you care so much about her?" the assistant pressed.
If he didn't like the other person, why did he care so much about her?
The assistant's words echoed in Sheng Chenjin's mind, but Sheng Chenjin didn't know the answer. He only knew that ever since he met Shi Xin Xin, he couldn't stop thinking about the girl's appearance and smile in his mind, and he couldn't help but want to know what she was doing now, and couldn't help but want to be close to her.
Was this liking?
Sheng Chenjin didn't know.
However, he felt that he wouldn't like girls of Shi Xin Xin's type.
After being prompted by his assistant, he seemed to realize that he had been paying too much attention to Shi Xin Xin lately.
"Alright, you can go. From now on, you don't need to tell me anything about Shi Xin Xin," Sheng Chenjin said indifferently after a moment of silence.
Seeing Sheng Chenjin's reaction, the assistant finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to leave.
But the more he forced himself not to think about Shi Xin Xin, the more Shi Xin Xin's figure filled his mind.
Sheng Chenjin couldn't understand, and he couldn't understand why he was so restless because of Shi Xin Xin.
He had only just met her, how could he like her? But the more he convinced himself of this, the more Shi Xin Xin filled his ears, eyes, and mind.
Scene after scene rolled through Sheng Chenjin's mind like quicksand, making him more and more agitated.
When he was agitated, he couldn't calm down to handle anything, and things only got worse.
So, Sheng Chenjin took out his phone and called Ji An.
After a "ding," Ji An answered the phone with a teasing tone, "Oh my, Young Master Sheng, what is it that you, the elder, have the leisure to call me?"
"Cut the crap and come drink with me," Sheng Chenjin frowned fiercely and extinguished the cigarette butt in his hand.
As the swirling smoke slowly dissipated, Sheng Chenjin's heart became even more restless.
"Oh my, what happened? Young Master Sheng rarely drinks. What, have you met your inner demon?" Hearing this, Ji An couldn't help but laugh and tease him.
"..." Being hit on the spot, Sheng Chenjin paused. He wondered how this person could always guess so accurately. However, his face remained cold, "Stop talking nonsense and come now."
"Pfft, okay, okay." Seeing his friend like this, Ji An stopped joking but became curious. It must not be simple to make Sheng Chenjin act this way.
"Are we going to a bar, or to your place?" Even a simple question sounded frivolous coming from Ji An.
"...My place," Sheng Chenjin said faintly, barely suppressing the urge to hit Ji An. "Bars are too noisy."
"Fine, fine, fine. You just wait for me. I'll bring some good wine, and we'll get drunk together." Ji An chuckled, and Sheng Chenjin had already hung up the phone.
Ji An was true to his word, bringing over a dozen bottles of aged red wine, rich and mellow with an unforgettable aftertaste.
"It's rare to see you so generous, actually willing to bring these out," Sheng Chenjin couldn't help but sigh. "You usually treasure these wines."
"Good wine is naturally precious, otherwise it's a waste," Ji An pouted. "But it's different for you, a good brother. We must use the best when drinking together."
"Yes, good brothers!" Sheng Chenjin smiled and patted Ji An's shoulder solemnly.
After that, the two didn't waste any more words. They poured and drank cup after cup of red wine, chatting as they drank, feeling quite refreshed.
Alcohol always stimulated the nerves, making people say things they dared not say, and bringing out things buried deep in their hearts, things they hadn't even realized themselves.
So, alcohol was truly a double-edged sword.
Sheng Chenjin didn't speak at first, just kept drinking. The numbness of the alcohol made him forget his troubles for a while. As the wine grew stronger, the emotions he had been holding back could no longer be contained and had to be poured out.
"Ah? Shi Xin Xin? Is that the female celebrity who just returned to the country?" This was the first time Ji An had heard this incredibly familiar name from Sheng Chenjin's mouth. He couldn't help but widen his mouth into an "o" shape in surprise.
"Do you need to be so surprised? I, I just mentioned it casually." Sheng Chenjin couldn't help but glare at him, pretending to be strong. "I just don't understand, what tricks is she still trying to play?"
"What does her playing tricks have to do with you?" Ji An narrowed his eyes, seeming to sense something...
"Of course it has something to do with me. Who knows what schemes she might be hatching," Sheng Chenjin curled his lips. The wine in his belly tasted uniquely different, changing his demeanor.
"Women's minds are truly hard to guess, one moment like this, the next like that. She's cold and ignores me, as if I've done something wrong."
"She even mocks me intentionally or unintentionally. Where does Shi Xin Xin get the audacity to do something like this?"
Sheng Chenjin grumbled incessantly, his face flushed with the wine, full of a frustrated inability to understand. His thin lips opened and closed, only speaking of Shi Xin Xin.
Ji An secretly watched his friend. The bold guess he had earlier became even clearer.
"Don't you hate this kind of person? Why keep thinking about it? The more you think, the more annoyed you get. Isn't it good that she's like this? It suits our intentions," Ji An said, pouting.
"Hey, Chenjin, it seems you're paying more and more attention to her now."
"...No!" Sheng Chenjin vehemently denied it. "I, how could I possibly fall for her!"
"Oh, then why are you blushing? Why are you stuttering? This is the first time I've seen you make such an expression." Ji An didn't back down and pressed on.
"It's from the wine! Can't you see that!" Sheng Chenjin slammed his wine glass down, expressing his extreme displeasure. "I asked you to be a listener, and you're acting like a mute. Just listen to me!"
"Alright, alright." Ji An helplessly covered his forehead. He truly had no choice but to deal with such a friend.
What could he do? He had to treat him like an ancestor from time to time.
What a bitter life he had. He thought he could finally have a few drinks with his friend on a weekend, but instead, he just had to listen to him complain.
"Actually, she's not always so cold. Shi Xin Xin even got into my car, but afterward, she became even more distant. You tell me, is it possible that my driving is bad? But that's impossible. I'm the best driver among us."