As Luo Zheng's car slowly disappeared into the evening traffic, Dong Jie remained standing outside the venue for several seconds, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.
Only after the taillights vanished completely did she finally withdraw her gaze.
At that moment, a sharp notification sound broke the silence.
Ding. Ding.
Her expression changed instantly.
A flicker of anticipation appeared in her eyes as she hurriedly took out her phone and unlocked the screen.
The moment she saw the message, a bright smile bloomed across her face.
Tomorrow evening, I wonder if Miss Dong Jie has time for dinner together?
Her heartbeat quickened.
Without the slightest hesitation, her fingers moved rapidly across the keypad.
I have plenty of time, Mr. Luo Zheng.
The reply came almost immediately.
Good. Looking forward to meeting you.
"Yes…"
Dong Jie quietly clenched her fist in excitement, unable to hide the joy rising in her heart.
So that was how it was.
Mr. Luo Zheng must have accepted Xu Jinglei's invitation only because it had been offered first, making it difficult for him to refuse.
That woman merely gained the first move.
But first move did not mean victory.
A faint competitive spark lit up in Dong Jie's eyes.
Fair competition. Let's see who gets the final laugh.
She absolutely refused to believe that a woman as proud and aloof as Xu Jinglei would truly be willing to lower herself.
There were certain things… certain compromises… that someone like her could never bring herself to do.
At least, that was what Dong Jie believed.
That evening, at precisely 6:10 PM, Luo Zheng finally stepped out of the hotel lobby.
Before leaving, he had spent nearly twenty minutes coaxing Liu Xixi, who had nearly clung to his arm and refused to let him go.
Only after promising her shopping, food, and an entire day of entertainment tomorrow did the girl reluctantly let him leave.
The black sedan was already waiting downstairs.
As he opened the rear door and entered, Xu Jinglei was already seated inside.
She had changed out of the elegant dress she wore during the day.
Tonight, she was dressed far more casually.
A soft beige knitted top hugged her upper body, while a pair of slim jeans perfectly outlined her long legs.
Her usual intellectual and composed aura seemed gentler now, warmer somehow.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Jinglei."
Xu Jinglei smiled softly.
"Mr. Luo, you really don't need to be so formal. Just call me Jinglei."
Luo Zheng leaned back comfortably and looked at her with a faint smile.
"In that case… how about we call each other like siblings?"
He paused deliberately before continuing.
"Sister Jinglei."
Xu Jinglei was clearly stunned for a moment.
Then the corners of her lips slowly curved upward.
"Alright."
Her voice softened slightly.
"Then when we're alone… I'll call you Brother Zheng."
"No problem."
The atmosphere inside the car became noticeably more intimate.
Outside, Berlin's neon lights flowed past the window like rivers of color.
Inside, silence lingered for a moment.
Then Luo Zheng casually asked, "How long until we arrive?"
"About twenty minutes."
Luo Zheng's eyes flickered with amusement.
"That's plenty of time."
He turned slightly toward her.
"How about we play a little game?"
Almost as if on cue, the driver in the front silently pressed a switch.
The dark partition glass slowly rose.
In an instant, the back seat transformed into a completely private space.
Xu Jinglei's pretty face flushed red immediately.
The calm and refined image she had maintained all day nearly shattered at once.
Luo Zheng watched the change in her expression and found it unexpectedly interesting.
An intellectual woman losing composure…
There was something particularly captivating about it.
"What game?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a faint trace of hoarseness.
Luo Zheng smiled.
"Truth or dare."
The moment those words left his mouth, Xu Jinglei froze.
Truth or dare?
This man really did not believe in taking things slowly.
For a moment, countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
If she chose dare…
Would he intentionally make things difficult for her?
Would he ask for something excessive?
Strangely enough, instead of rejection, a faint and dangerous sense of anticipation rose within her.
After a brief pause, she nodded.
"Fine. But I ask first."
"No problem."
Luo Zheng smiled.
"I choose truth."
Xu Jinglei looked at him carefully for a moment before asking:
"How many girlfriends have you had?"
Luo Zheng did not even hesitate.
"Zero."
Xu Jinglei blinked.
"…Impossible."
Luo Zheng spread his hands innocently.
"I'm only twenty-one."
Then, with a teasing look, he added:
"That was your second question."
For a second, Xu Jinglei stared blankly at him.
Then suddenly she burst into laughter.
This man really did not act like someone twenty-one years old.
There was a maturity in him that felt strangely dangerous.
Next came rock-paper-scissors.
Unsurprisingly—
Xu Jinglei lost.
She sighed helplessly.
"…Truth."
Luo Zheng's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Tell me."
"What was the moment that made you finally let go?"
The moment the words were spoken, Xu Jinglei's expression changed.
The warmth in her eyes dimmed.
A shadow silently passed through her pupils.
Wang Shuo.
The name appeared in her mind almost instantly.
For a moment, silence filled the car.
Then she lowered her eyes and spoke softly.
"…Can I switch to dare?"
Luo Zheng looked at her for two seconds.
Then he smiled.
"Of course."
He moved closer slightly.
"Beautiful women always get special privileges from me."
Then, without giving her time to react, he opened one arm and gently pulled her toward him.
"Your dare is simple."
"Borrow my shoulder."
Xu Jinglei's breathing visibly paused.
The sudden closeness made her entire body tense.
This was the first time a man had been so direct with her.
And this man—
was younger than her by nearly ten years.
Yet the steady warmth from his body and the faint masculine scent surrounding him unexpectedly made her heart tremble.
Slowly…
very slowly…
she leaned into him.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The car continued moving quietly through Berlin's night.
Outside, lights flickered.
Inside, the atmosphere had already become something far more dangerous than before.
The next morning, Luo Zheng woke up at his usual time.
Even now, he still found the speed of last night's progress somewhat surprising.
Wasn't Xu Jinglei supposed to be the composed and artistic type?
Why had she suddenly felt more like a woman who had been emotionally starved for far too long?
He shook his head with a faint smile.
But another matter quickly entered his mind.
Tonight was supposed to be dinner with Dong Jie.
After what happened last night, it obviously could not be handled too openly.
At the very least, he had to keep things smooth.
With a sigh, he sent a polite message postponing the meeting.
At 10:00 AM, the Berlin Film Festival was once again bustling with activity.
Today was the screening day for Happy Times, directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Zhao Benshan.
The entire production team stood outside the screening hall, actively promoting the film.
Nearby, a middle-aged man frowned deeply.
This was Zhang Weiping.
He turned toward Zhang Yimou and said in a low voice:
"Yi Mou, that rich kid you mentioned… he's not going to stand us up, is he?"
Zhang Yimou calmly shook his head.
"No."
"I can tell. That young man is proper."
Zhang Weiping let out a cold snort.
"Young people these days are all arrogant. Especially those rich second generations."
His tone became increasingly disdainful.
"A movie made with fourteen thousand dollars and he dares bring it to Berlin? He'll become a laughingstock."
He had already investigated Marvel last night.
A comic company that had been losing money year after year.
In his eyes, Luo Zheng was nothing more than a flashy shell.
He then leaned closer to Dong Jie and whispered poison into her ear.
"Don't be fooled by that pretty face."
"That kind of company might collapse at any moment."
"If you choose wrong, you'll regret it."
Dong Jie's expression immediately became conflicted.
Her heart wavered.
Was Luo Zheng really just surface glamour?
Was Marvel truly on the verge of collapse?
Before she could think further—
a loud voice rang out.
"Brother Luo! Over here!"
Zhao Benshan's shout instantly drew everyone's attention.
Dong Jie instinctively turned.
And then—
her expression froze.
Not far away, Luo Zheng was slowly walking toward them.
Beside him, Xu Jinglei held his arm naturally, a radiant smile on her face.
The intimacy between them was impossible to miss.
Dong Jie's heart sank instantly.
A wave of disappointment surged up from deep inside her chest.
How had they become this close in just one night?
And more importantly—
if his company was really in trouble…
why did Xu Jinglei still look so confident?
That single thought made the conflict in Dong Jie's heart grow even stronger.