The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 124

But before Li Rong could act, Zhai Ning suddenly extended her hand, stopping the champagne glass Zheng Zhupan was shoving toward her.

Zhai Ning looked up and fixed her gaze on him, her tone irritable. “If he drinks himself into gastric bleeding, are you expecting me to stay here and work overtime?”

In truth, Zhai Ning wasn’t entirely defending Li Rong. She saw clearly that Zheng Zhupan’s superficial attempt to force Li Rong to toast her was, in fact, a way to pressure her into yielding—to fully align herself with Suhe Biotech’s interests.

But Zhai Ning had her principles. She wasn’t particularly motivated by wealth; she only wanted to bring this all to an end and return to a peaceful life as soon as possible.

While Zheng Zhupan had leverage over her, she also held something against him.

She knew Zheng Zhupan didn’t want mutual destruction and wouldn’t truly resort to outright threats.

Sure enough, Zheng Zhupan squinted his swollen eyes, hesitated for a moment, then eased up and withdrew the champagne glass.

“Doctors are always so health-conscious, no matter the occasion.”

Zhai Ning made sure to leave him an exit. She raised her own glass and clinked it against Zheng Zhupan’s in a detached manner, taking a symbolic sip.

As she drank, she couldn’t help but glance at Li Rong. Anyone else would have been shaken by Zheng Zhupan’s sudden aggression, but upon seeing Li Rong’s expression, Zhai Ning was slightly surprised.

As a woman who has long worked with women and children, Zhai Ning’s thoughts were more delicate than Zheng Zhupan’s. She noticed that Li Rong showed no trace of panic or fear; even those beautiful eyes of his seemed unfocused on the immediate events.

Such calm composure was typical of someone who had been famous for years and navigated the cutthroat world of fame with ease. But this newcomer, someone so obscure he left no impression, was utterly unshaken.

Was it ignorance that brought fearlessness, the audacity of the young and inexperienced?

Zhai Ning felt an inexplicable sensation toward Li Rong. It wasn’t dislike, nor was it an attraction rooted in his appearance. Her sixth sense warned her to stay away from him—not because he was dangerous, but because she felt guilty.

Facing this face, these bright eyes, she couldn’t suppress her guilt. Perhaps this was the power of innocence.

This kind of innocence, paired with the gaze that regarded her as a hero in the news for her brave deeds, made her feel utterly ashamed of herself.

Especially since this person was so good-looking—better even than the celebrities she liked—the visual impact was even stronger.

Li Rong’s earlier resentment gradually dissipated from his heart.

Killing Zheng Zhupan wasn’t his ultimate goal. He had to endure, endure until all the masterminds behind the scenes were exposed.

Zhai Ning had just helped him out of a tight spot, yet he felt no gratitude. What he thought was that, although Zhai Ning had, for some reason, aligned herself with Zheng Zhupan, it was evident she didn’t agree with many of Zheng Zhupan’s ways or character.

Perhaps Zhai Ning was a promising breakthrough. If they could get Zhai Ning’s testimony, their subsequent actions would be much easier.

But persuading Zhai Ning to defect would be a challenge.

Last year, when the uproar and rumors were at their peak, Zhai Ning chose to remain uninvolved, staying neutral to protect herself. She wasn’t likely to have a sudden change of heart because of a few words from anyone.

Gaining information from Zhai Ning would require the right opportunity.

In Li Rong’s mind, a mental image of Zhai Ning slowly began to take shape.

Her strong reaction to the rescue of a three-year-old on the high-speed rail years ago indicated guilt and an unwillingness to face her past self. For the wrongs she had done, she was conflicted and struggling internally.

She wasn’t like Zheng Zhupan, who saw cutthroat competition and profit as perfectly justified. Zhai Ning still had a basic sense of conscience. What wasn’t clear was how she had been tempted into this whirlpool in the first place.

In a short amount of time, Li Rong was already calculating how to manipulate Zhai Ning.

“What are you daydreaming about?”

Fu Huan softly asked Li Rong.

To him, it seemed that Li Rong had already won Zhai Ning’s favor. After all, Zhai Ning had just voluntarily helped him out of an awkward situation. Thanks to this, throughout the entire meal, Li Rong had been able to use his supposed stomach ulcer as an excuse to avoid drinking alcohol.

This was truly enviable. Fu Huan knew well that, as the lowest-ranking artist at the table, the group would either vent their excitement or their anger on him. If he showed even the slightest reluctance, they’d retaliate with threats.

Li Rong took a deep breath, stood up, grabbed the white teapot from the table, and poured himself a cup of tea.

His fingers were slender and fair, clearly unaccustomed to heavy labor. The contours of his hands were exceptionally elegant. Even the simple act of pouring tea exuded an air of refinement.

He held the cup of tea, raised his eyes, and smiled at Zhai Ning. The rim of his cup lightly clinked against Zhai Ning’s glass as he spoke in a warm tone: “Thank you, Director Zhai, for your understanding. I’ll toast you with tea instead of wine.”

Zhai Ning’s gaze lowered, landing on Li Rong’s fingers, then slowly shifted to the swirling tea.

As if guided by some unseen force, she hesitated, then raised her wine glass and took a big sip.

This was far more sincere than drinking with Zheng Zhupan. Earlier, she had only taken a tiny sip. This time, she let the alcohol slide down her throat in earnest.

By convention, it should have been the superior who accepted tea in place of wine, but Zhai Ning didn’t say anything about Li Rong’s unconventional approach.

Zheng Zhupan, seeing Li Rong make this gesture, was still displeased but found no excuse to press further.

“Alright, alright,” Zheng Zhupan said, his tone light but dismissive. “Over the past year, we’ve faced some minor challenges—like the closure of Blue Pivot District Six and the incompetence of He Dayong. But today’s a happy occasion. Let’s not talk about work. Relax, everyone. Someone, liven things up! How about a little performance?”

Naturally, the task of performing fell to the entertainers.

Fu Huan stood up. He didn’t mind performing, and since Zhai Ning seemed uninterested in him and the other bosses showed no inclination toward the male entertainers, he wasn’t worried about being taken advantage of.

Fu Huan sang one of his own compositions. His singing was quite good, at least to the untrained ear, and Zheng Zhupan’s expression softened slightly.

Next was Jiang Zui’s turn.

Jiang Zui wasn’t sure if he’d still have a chance to compete in the future. His mind was in disarray, still reeling from the earlier incident with the broken glass. The only song he could think of was the one he’d prepared for the competition.

However, his performance fell short compared to Fu Huan’s, and even the applause was sparse.

Jiang Zui retreated in embarrassment, and everyone’s attention shifted to Li Rong—the one who had spoken the most, seemed the least nervous, and was undoubtedly the most attractive.

Li Rong raised his face and blinked innocently. “Sorry, I’m not great at singing. I’m a little tone-deaf.”

This drew a frown from Zhai Ning. “Aren’t you a contestant on a singing show?”

This was the first casual remark she’d made to Li Rong, prompted by her inability to fathom how a participant in a singing competition could nonchalantly claim to be tone-deaf.

Li Rong’s smile deepened. “Yes, obviously I rely on my looks to get by.”

Zhai Ning: “…”

She couldn’t even think of a retort.

Zheng Zhupan let out a derisive snort, his disdain barely concealed. Pointing at Li Rong, he said, “See? That’s what’s wrong with today’s entertainment industry. Just a bunch of pretty faces with no real talent or substance.”

Li Rong thought to himself, My knowledge and culture are quite decent, easily a hundred times better than yours.

Zhai Ning said, “If you’re tone-deaf, there’s nothing to hear anyway. Let’s just eat.”

She didn’t even realize that, due to a strange, inexplicable sense of guilt, she was already being exceedingly tolerant of Li Rong.

Zheng Zhupan was about to throw in a few more sarcastic remarks when the private room door was suddenly knocked on.

Before Zheng Zhupan could respond, a waiter, acting somewhat beyond protocol, pushed the door open.

“Apologies for the interruption, sir. On behalf of the hotel, we’ve brought you a special dish as a gesture of goodwill. We hope all of you will enjoy it.”

Someone questioned suspiciously, “A complimentary dish? Since when does a seven-star hotel offer free food?”

Given the exclusivity and consistent aloofness of seven-star hotels—no discounts even during holidays—it was even more peculiar for them to give anything for free.

The waiter smiled mechanically. “This is specifically for the esteemed guests in this room. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’re at your service.”

As he spoke, the waiter glanced briefly in Li Rong’s direction before quickly averting his eyes. He then placed the dish on the table.

“Our hotel’s new creation: a carrot platter with four variations—cold shredded carrots, boiled carrot cubes, carrot juice, and stir-fried carrots with celery.”

Li Rong: “…”

Zheng Zhupan scrutinized the brightly colored carrot dish with a perplexed expression. “Why is it all carrots?”

But he quickly came up with an explanation for himself. “A low-calorie specialty dish?”

Some prestigious restaurants weren’t necessarily about delicious food; often, their fame came from their uniqueness. And while certain dishes might seem bizarre, they were seen as “innovative” or “artistic” in high-end establishments.

The waiter hesitated before nodding. “…Yes, exactly.”

Zheng Zhupan had already provided the reasoning, so the others refrained from questioning further. After all, it was free, and they didn’t have to eat it.

But Li Rong couldn’t hold back his amusement and gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

He understood this was Cen Xiao’s way of sending a signal, letting him know the message had been received. There would be waitstaff stationed outside the door monitoring the situation, ready to step in and assist if he needed help.

However, the choice of message delivery… Li Rong could also tell that Cen Xiao wasn’t particularly pleased with his impulsiveness.

Very displeased, in fact.

As a self-imposed punishment for making Cen Xiao worry, Li Rong deliberately picked up a strand of shredded carrot.

With an expressionless face, he fed it into his mouth. He barely chewed twice before the taste overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t help but gag slightly.

Covering his mouth, Li Rong said, “Excuse me, I need to visit the restroom.”

Before Zheng Zhupan could respond, Li Rong had already pushed back his chair, lowered his head, and swiftly left the room.

Zheng Zhupan muttered, “What’s wrong with him? He hasn’t even had a drop of alcohol, and now he’s throwing up.”

As soon as Li Rong stepped out of the private room, he saw the same waiter standing quietly by the door.

“Is he here?” 

The waiter gestured to the room next door. “Team Leader Cen is in there.”

Using the back of his hand to wipe the lingering carrot taste from his lips, Li Rong quickly slipped into the adjacent private room when no one was looking.

Sure enough, Cen Xiao was inside, not even seated.

As soon as their eyes met, Cen Xiao took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “Li—”

Before he could finish calling Li Rong’s name, Li Rong threw himself forward, wrapping his arms around Cen Xiao’s neck and pressing his lips to Cen Xiao’s. He cut off the man’s anxious reprimand with a fervent kiss.

“I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong… Husband.”

Cen Xiao: “!!!!”

Cen Xiao: “…”

All his anger and frustration evaporated in an instant. The previously simmering fury and tension dissipated like specks of dust blown away by the gentlest breeze.