His friend spoke animatedly, "Of course, a lot of guys have their eyes on her. Anyone who gets with her these days is set for life, no doubt. But she’s picky. I heard she wants to find someone outside the industry, not another celebrity."

Jin Xi’s lips curled into a slight smile. "A wise choice."

His friend said helplessly, "And you’re so sure she’ll choose you? A woman like her could get a boyfriend in minutes if she wanted to. The only reason she’s single right now is because she doesn’t feel like dating."

Jin Xi said, "It’s all about making the effort. Tell me more. What else?"

His friend retorted, "If you want to know something, look it up online! Why are you asking me? I’m not the one looking for a girlfriend."

Jin Xi replied, "You work in security, after all. You’ve cooperated with the entertainment industry plenty of times. You should have access to more private information."

His friend was out of excuses. "Fine. After this is over, let’s grab a meal. I’ll tell you everything in detail. But I don’t know much either. She’s extremely private."

Jin Xi shot his friend a look. "You can tell me the details when we get hot pot later."

His friend was puzzled. "Don’t you usually hate time-consuming places like hot pot restaurants? What’s with the change of heart?"

His confusion was soon cleared up. When he saw Lu Wen’s film crew and her fans at the hot pot restaurant, his friend almost fell to his knees before Jin Xi. ’So that’s why he wanted to come to a hot pot restaurant,’ he thought. ’He was aiming for her all along.’

Lu Wen had no idea that someone had set their sights on her. She was happily eating hot pot with her friends and fans. Since they had arrived in the early hours of the morning, they practically had the whole restaurant to themselves. Everyone relaxed in the main dining hall, and the lively gathering didn’t end until around four in the morning.

Covering her mouth with her hand, Lu Wen yawned, her eyes watering at the corners. "I’m so sleepy. I need to go home and catch up on my sleep. Sister Li, arrange for everyone to get a ride home later."

Sister Li said, "Don’t worry, the drivers are all here. I’ll make sure they all get home safely. What about you? Should I take you home first?"

Lu Wen replied, "No need. I have my ways of getting home. You guys go ahead and take care of things."

In the blink of an eye, the hot pot restaurant grew quiet. Soon, only Lu Wen and two other customers remained. Lu Wen glanced over and recognized the head of the security company she had worked with before. The other man looked very familiar as well.

"President Du? You’re here for hot pot too? What a coincidence." With the earlier clamor and the two of them sitting in an inconspicuous corner, Lu Wen genuinely hadn’t noticed they were there.

’This man-made coincidence really is something else,’ President Du thought to himself. He smiled. "Yeah, we finished up with work and came out for a bite. We’re about to head back and get some sleep too."

"I forgot to introduce you. This is my friend, Jin Xi." As he introduced Jin Xi to Lu Wen, he thought to himself, ’I’m such a great guy. I don’t even have a girlfriend, yet here I am, running around everywhere for my bro.’

Lu Wen shook Jin Xi’s hand. "Hello, I’m Lu Wen."

"I know. Congratulations on your award today." Jin Xi shook her hand. His hand was warm and callused—not smooth, but strong.

Lu Wen smiled. "Thank you. I’ll let you two talk. I should be going now."

President Du was about to say something more, but just as Lu Wen turned to leave, he saw Jin Xi suddenly reach out. President Du clutched his chest. ’I had no idea my bro was this bold,’ he thought.

Lu Wen was surprised for a moment, too, but she froze when she saw the object in the hand he held out to her. "Your hairpin fell out."

Lu Wen took the white jade hairpin from his hand. "Thank you. I’m going to the restroom."

Ten minutes later, having fixed her appearance, Lu Wen came out of the restroom. Just as she rounded the corner, she saw Jin Xi leaning against a window. A glance into the main hall revealed that President Du was gone. Without batting an eye, Jin Xi said, "He went back to the venue. There were still some things to wrap up."

Lu Wen was confused. "You didn’t go? Aren’t you his employee?"

Jin Xi smiled. "His company was short-staffed today. I happened to be on leave, so he asked me to lend a hand. Let me give you a ride home. It’s hard to get a car at this hour."

If she hadn’t understood before, Lu Wen now saw Jin Xi’s intentions clearly. She lowered her gaze and smiled. "Alright, then. I’ll have to trouble you."

"It’s no trouble. The pleasure is all mine." Jin Xi squeezed his fingers together slightly. ’Lu Wen really is smart,’ he thought.

Jin Xi’s car was just like him: a very cool and handsome SUV. After getting in, Lu Wen looked around with great curiosity. "This is a nice car. It’s very commanding. I should buy one myself sometime."

Jin Xi said, "If you like it, I can give you some recommendations later. This one has been modified. It has a very high safety rating."

Of course, Lu Wen wasn’t going to refuse. "Sure! I like big cars. I have an SUV too, and it’s the one I usually drive."

Actually, it was Tan You who loved big cars; Lu Wen herself just thought they were okay. But because it was the car Tan You used the most, Lu Wen had grown fond of this type of vehicle by association.

Jin Xi’s lips curled slightly. "You got into my car so readily. Aren’t you worried I might be a bad guy?"

Lu Wen replied, "I know you’re not. A person’s mouth can lie, but their eyes can’t. Your gaze is very righteous. Besides, I’m not some naive little girl. I’m actually very cautious."

Jin Xi laughed. "You trust me that much?"

"It’s not exactly trust in you as a person," Lu Wen admitted candidly. "It’s trust in the uniform you once wore. I believe someone with that kind of experience is very unlikely to be a bad person."

"Besides, President Du has a good working relationship with our company. I don’t believe his friend would be a man of poor character."

Jin Xi said, "That’s a good way to be. Women should be cautious when they’re out and about. After all, there’s plenty of darkness in society."

Lu Wen smiled too. "I understand."

Jin Xi wasn’t a talkative person, and Lu Wen was about the same, but she didn’t find the silence between them boring. As they talked along the way, Lu Wen learned the basics about Jin Xi, including his job, his age, and his past experiences.

Jin Xi wasn’t offended by Lu Wen’s inquiries. If a woman wasn’t interested in you, she wouldn’t ask such things. The thought of Lu Wen describing him as the perfect male lead for a military film put Jin Xi in a particularly good mood.

He dropped Lu Wen off at her residential complex just as the first light of dawn was breaking. After Lu Wen got out of the car, Jin Xi rolled down the window. "Get some rest. See you next time."

Lu Wen turned slightly. "Okay. See you next time."

Neither of them specified when "next time" would be; they simply parted ways at the main gate. If they were both willing, they would surely meet again.

After the awards ceremony, news about Lu Wen and her film crew was flying everywhere again. Lu Wen, who had once been at the center of a storm, disappeared from the public eye once more, and soon all the news related to her was taken down.

Meanwhile, Lu Wen went back to the company to grind away, wrestling with management theories. As for the hustle and bustle of the outside world, she paid it little mind. After all, Tan You was the epitome of a strict teacher. Passing Tan You’s standards was not going to be easy.