Chapter 1041

Night fell, and the sea breeze blew gently with a hint of chill. Shen Ci came alone to an open-air bar by the beach, intending to have a drink.

The bar was an open-air, wraparound style with only one bartender.

When Shen Ci took her seat, the bartender subconsciously looked up, and with just one glance, was stunned by Shen Ci's beauty.

He politely handed over the drink menu: "Beautiful lady, take a look at what you'd like to drink. We have a hidden special today, and non-alcoholic options are available too."

"Long Island Iced Tea, extra strong, thank you." Shen Ci smiled slightly, and that smile instantly lit up the cold, outdoor bar.

The bartender was surprised that Shen Ci would order such a strong drink, but he complied obediently.

Diagonally across, there was a gaze that had been staring fixedly at her ever since Shen Ci appeared in the visible field of view. That gaze made no attempt to hide or avoid; it was blatantly watching her.

Shen Ci could feel it, so after ordering her drink, she looked over.

It was a man who looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with good skin, a decent appearance, and a slicked-back hairstyle that was very neatly combed.

A pair of peach-blossom eyes, with dark pupils that could not hide his playfulness, and even the faint, ambiguous smile at the corners of his mouth carried a sense of debauchery.

With just one glance, Shen Ci withdrew her gaze.

Because he was simply not her type.

It wasn't that she hadn't seen this type of man before; Gu Lianxing's brother, Gu Yunzhou, was of this ilk, but compared to the man in front of her, Gu Yunzhou was clearly much more pleasing to the eye.

The drink arrived quickly, and the bartender also sent a side of wasabi cucumber for Shen Ci to snack on.

With fine wine and the sea breeze, Shen Ci browsed her phone, enjoying this moment of tranquility, when the bartender suddenly handed over another drink.

A Bloody Mary.

Shen Ci looked up, her face showing confusion.

The bartender politely raised his hand, pointing to the man's location: "Beautiful lady, that gentleman sent you this drink."

Shen Ci looked up again, and the other party raised his glass in a gesture.

Being treated to a drink at a bar was nothing special for a beautiful woman, especially since they were the only two guests in this bar at this moment, so she naturally became the only target in his eyes.

Shen Ci did not refuse, but accepted it happily, raising an eyebrow at him.

And it was precisely because of this response that the man actually got up and walked over with his own drink.

Shen Ci watched him walk around the bar counter, then pull out the high stool beside her and sit down.

It had to be said, up close, this man's looks had improved a bit.

"Beautiful lady, are you alone?"

Just from that one opening line, his accent instantly eroded what little charm he had.

A clumsy Xiangjiang-style Mandarin.

Shen Ci smiled subconsciously, then nodded politely.

"I didn't expect to be lucky enough to run into such a beautiful lady at a bar so late." He looked at Shen Ci, and as soon as he spoke, it was in the greasy, cliché style of a TVB drama, then he introduced himself: "My surname is Huo, Huo Hai."

"Cough, cough..." Shen Ci couldn't help it, suddenly choked on her own saliva and started coughing.

Huo Hai hurriedly handed her a tissue: "Are you okay? Did you catch a cold from the sea breeze?"

Shen Ci raised her hand to signal she was fine, and looking at him while suppressing her laughter, asked: "What did you say your name was?"

"Huo Hai, 'Hai' as in the ocean."

Shen Ci pursed her lips and nodded, thinking to herself, that's really something; what kind of decent person would be named "Disaster" (Huohai)?

"And you?" Huo Hai, oblivious, asked for Shen Ci's name.

Shen Ci didn't hide it: "Shen Ci."

Huo Hai raised an eyebrow: "A very beautiful name, as beautiful as you are."

"Thank you." Shen Ci turned her head to look at Huo Hai, and suddenly, Huo Tiancheng came to mind.

Because there was indeed a resemblance in their features, and coupled with his Xiangjiang accent and the surname Huo, Shen Ci couldn't help but make the connection.

Could he be one of Uncle Huo's sons?

But she didn't ask, because Uncle Huo had too many children, and she couldn't tell them apart.

Although she had no interest in Huo Hai, meeting someone who took the initiative to chat in such an environment was a decent way to kill time.

And Huo Hai was clearly a veteran of the dating scene; although his methods of picking up women were very cliché and Shen Ci didn't buy into them at all, at least the conversation wouldn't hit a dead end.

The bartender behind the counter pricked his ears up high, secretly listening to what the two were talking about, while unable to stop himself from muttering: Such a beautiful woman, I hope she doesn't get taken advantage of by this lecher.

The atmosphere gradually warmed up. Huo Hai clearly had his own rhythm, and when he told a very funny story that made Shen Ci laugh exceptionally happily, he knew the time was right.

He leaned slightly to the side, his arm unknowingly wrapping around Shen Ci's back, slowly and secretly reaching out to drape over her shoulder.

Shen Ci appeared not to notice, but in reality, she had already anticipated his next move.

Just as his hand was about to land, Shen Ci was just about to stand up, but unexpectedly, another hand suddenly reached out from behind and firmly grabbed Huo Hai's "salty pig hand" that was trying to take advantage.

Huo Yu appeared behind the two, wearing a gaudy beach outfit and flip-flops.

He held his brother's hand and, under Huo Hai's shocked gaze, gently placed his hand back in a polite position.

"I've been looking for you for ages."

Without waiting for Huo Hai to speak, Huo Yu looked at him expressionlessly and said: "A Lian is here, waiting for you in the lobby."

Huo Hai's brow furrowed instantly, and he saw Huo Yu suddenly look at Shen Ci, saying blandly: "A Lian is his girlfriend."

"You brat..." Huo Hai looked embarrassed, quickly glanced at Shen Ci, and then got up and hurried away.

Shen Ci suppressed her laughter, looked at Huo Yu in front of her, and said: "Thanks."

Although Huo Yu was dressed in bright, gaudy colors, he himself was very understated. He nodded lightly at Shen Ci, then turned and left without another word.

Shen Ci thought for a moment and remembered that she had encountered this person at the elevator entrance when she checked into the hotel.

Because that outfit was truly eye-catching, she had some impression of him.

Sitting back down, Shen Ci found the bartender staring straight at her, looking as if he had something to say but was holding back.

Shen Ci blinked inexplicably, looked left and right, and finding nothing amiss, couldn't help but ask: "Is it time for you to get off work?"

The bartender shook his head, looking embarrassed: "Beautiful lady, that gentleman just now didn't pay the bill."

Shen Ci: "..."

In the hotel lobby, Huo Hai composed his expression before entering, running in with an excited demeanor, his gaze scanning the surroundings until the fake smile on his face gradually disappeared.

Before he could wonder, Huo Yu walked past him, and a bland sentence drifted over: "A Lian didn't come, I lied to you."

"Huo Yu, you brat, you ruined my good deed!"

Huo Hai was so angry his eyes widened, and he raised his foot to chase after him, grabbing Huo Yu's arm: "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Huo Yu looked back at him and said: "Get it straight what you're here for; don't let your scandalous news hit the papers again."

"My business is none of your concern," Huo Hai said through gritted teeth, and after speaking, he turned around, intending to go back and find Shen Ci.

Then he heard Huo Yu say behind him: "Dad said, let you handle the Golden Bay negotiation."

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