Did the Movie Emperor Blow His Cover Today? - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Tao Hui had grown closer to Han Buji and his team lately, occasionally joining them for boxed lunches on set. Everyone usually behaved politely and reservedly.

But when she finally had a formal dinner with the Best Actor’s team, she was surprised to discover they were all… quite the drinkers?

Gao Meng pulled Miao Miao along, while Wu Yue dragged Zhou Xun, and before long, they were all thoroughly tipsy.

By the time half the dishes on the table were gone, Miao Miao was already standing on her chair, dramatically reenacting her food poisoning ordeal. She loudly declared, “It was terrifying! I felt like my shit was about to explode out of my ass, but I also wanted to vomit. I was so torn—should I shit first or puke first? That was the question!”

Tao Hui glanced awkwardly at Han Buji beside her, pressed her hand to her forehead, and muttered, “I’m not actually that close to Miao Miao…”

Tao Hui herself wasn’t drinking. She usually had a high tear threshold, only crying uncontrollably in two situations, when someone comforted her after she’d been wronged, or when she was drunk.

At their high school graduation party, Tao Hui had downed a single bottle of beer and somehow turned the celebratory atmosphere of tearing up textbooks and study materials into a scene straight out of a breakup drama. One by one, her classmates joined her in sobbing at the outdoor food stall, eventually attracting the attention of the police.

Han Buji sipped his white wine slowly, occasionally using serving chopsticks to place food on Tao Hui’s plate.

Tao Hui glanced at him with a complicated expression. When he wasn’t working, he dressed either in casual clothes or plain hoodies, looking like a recent college graduate. Most importantly, he never forgot to maintain his public persona, even during meals.

He kept giving her spicy dishes like maoxuewang (spicy blood curd stew), boiled fish in chili oil, and prawns stir-fried with chili oil, while he ate bland dishes like millet congee with sea cucumber, stir-fried lotus root, and steamed scallops with vermicelli.

Tsk, can’t let the Imperial Capital persona crumble, huh?

Tao Hui picked up a piece of maoxuewang with her chopsticks, stuffed it into her mouth, and mumbled indistinctly, “Han Buji, aren’t you tired? Why force yourself to eat bland food? I won’t tell anyone.”

Han Buji had spotted a stone among the props on set and asked a crew member about it. They told him it was labradorite and could be bought online. He was currently searching for it on a shopping app when Tao Hui’s words startled him. He looked up. “Hmm?”

As he spoke, his fingers accidentally typed “lachangs” into the search bar.

Tao Hui glanced at his phone, which now displayed “Sichuan Sausage,” and pursed her lips. “We’re all friends here. It’s okay to eat something spicy. I really won’t tell anyone.”

Han Buji only responded to her first sentence, asking with a smile, “One of us?”

Tao Hui was about to reply when she bit into a Sichuan peppercorn hidden in a slice of tripe. Her face flushed crimson instantly.

If Miao Miao had been sitting beside her, Tao Hui would have abandoned all pretense and shouted, “Water! Water! It’s burning!”

But Han Buji was there. She couldn’t lose face now.

Tears welled up in Tao Hui’s eyes from the heat. Through her blurry vision, she grabbed a full glass from the table and, under Han Buji’s astonished gaze, gulped down its contents in one go.

She finished with a grimace, her face contorted in pain.

After a silent, agonizing ten seconds, Tao Hui stammered, “Did I just drink… baijiu?”

Even the Best Actor seemed taken aback by her impulsive act. His expression was complex as he handed her a glass of warm water, explaining, “That was my glass.”

Tao Hui didn’t speak, meekly accepting the water and taking small sips.

The 52% ABV baijiu burned like molten metal as it went down, her internal organs screaming from the heat.

The warm water did nothing to quell the fiery sensation; instead, her head began to spin.

Tao Hui glanced desperately at Zhou Xun and Miao Miao. Through her drunken haze, she could make out Sister Xun slurring her words and Miao Miao’s face as red as the braised fish on the table—both clearly in worse shape than she was.

Han Buji had already asked the waiter for a glass of honey water and was gently inquiring, “Tao Hui, would you like some honey water? Do you usually drink alcohol? Are you allergic?”

Perhaps she was truly drunk. Why did Han Buji’s phoenix eyes shimmer with such tenderness and compassion?

Tao Hui shook her head, pointed at Han Buji, and asked, her eyes filled with confusion, “Tell me, what kind of person are you really?”

Han Buji looked back at Tao Hui and asked, “What kind of person do you think I am?”

Tao Hui tugged at the turtleneck of her sweater, which was bunched up around her neck, and muttered, “It’s too hot. Why is it so hot? And why do you always answer my questions with questions? Han Buji does that too.”

The large crystal chandelier overhead was dazzlingly bright, making Tao Hui feel slightly dizzy.

Although there were only six of them dining, they had reserved a banquet room that could accommodate eighteen to twenty people. The other four at the table were engrossed in a drinking game, too busy to notice Han Buji and Tao Hui.

Han Buji frowned and waved his hand in front of Tao Hui. “Tao Hui, who am I?”

“Hmm?” Tao Hui set down her glass of honey water. As if trying to see more clearly, she leaned closer to Han Buji and lazily grasped the fingertip he was waving in front of her with the hand that had been holding the warm glass. “Who are you?”

Han Buji glanced at the pale, slender hand gripping his fingertip. Since they were filming a historical drama, Tao Hui’s nails were coated with only a layer of clear protective polish, leaving them a delicate pinkish-white.

“I’m Han Buji,” he said softly.

“Oh, Han Buji,” Tao Hui replied, furrowing her brow in thought. “Our first meeting was quite awkward, wasn’t it?”

She likely remembered the incident where she had drawn a turtle on a promotional flyer, only to have Han Buji catch her in the act. Tao Hui frowned in displeasure. “So embarrassing.”

As she spoke, a faint aroma of honeyed wine wafted from her lips. Her lips, flushed from the spicy meal, looked particularly alluring.

Han Buji extended his free hand, using his index finger to gently push Tao Hui back by her forehead. “Tao Hui,” he said with a sigh, “you really can’t handle alcohol.”

Undeterred by the distance he had created, Tao Hui leaned back in conspiratorially. “Oh, that wasn’t our first meeting at all! The first time I saw Han Buji, I didn’t recognize him. It was in Iceland, at a hotel in Reykjavik. He helped me carry my suitcase.”

Han Buji glanced at the group of four holding hands as they left for the restroom. He gently patted Tao Hui’s head. “You’ve forgotten, Tao Hui. We met a long, long time ago, more than once. You were only fourteen the first time I saw you.”

Though both were seated, Tao Hui was still shorter than Han Buji. Leaning forward to get closer to him, she had to tilt her head back to see his face clearly.

Han Buji’s words were so gentle that Tao Hui’s alcohol-addled brain finally started to stir up trouble. Even though she didn’t fully grasp what he meant by “fourteen,” her eyes suddenly stung, and tears welled up and spilled over.

Whenever Tao Hui drank, she inevitably dredged up all the little heartaches she usually kept buried, crying until she fell asleep.

Tears streaming down her face, she clutched Han Buji’s hand and wailed miserably, “If only I’d never met you, Han Buji… I really want to be a good actress. If it weren’t for this face, I might have been out of work by eighteen. I’m so pathetic… hic.”

Han Buji watched Tao Hui, who was now sobbing so hard she was hiccuping. He flexed his fingers. “So… you wish you’d never met me?”

He gently wiped the tears from the corner of Tao Hui’s eye and asked, “Is that true? You wish you’d never met me?”

Tao Hui seemed to struggle with the question, shaking her head in thought for a moment. Suddenly, she looked up, sobbing, “Those Han Meimeis are so cruel! They scolded me to death! I’m so miserable! Waaah!”

Han Buji chuckled at Tao Hui’s dramatic self-pity. So this is what she’s like when she’s drunk? Like a little kid tattling to their parents?

Unsure how to comfort this little drunkard, Han Buji took a tissue, wiped away her tears, and gently patted her head. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. If anyone bullies you again, I’ll stand up for you, okay?”

Teary-eyed, Tao Hui looked up at Han Buji in silence.

Three seconds later, she erupted into a thunderous wail that made the Best Actor’s fingers twitch.

For the first time in his 27 years, Han Buji faced a real challenge, How do you soothe a girl who won’t stop crying when she’s drunk? Urgent help needed!

I never thought someone who’s usually so carefree could have so many hidden grievances. Why can’t she stop crying? And why does comforting her only make it worse?

Gao Meng poked half her head through the door, glaring menacingly. “Boss, if you’re bullying Rabbit, I’ll fight you to the death!”

Han Buji watched Tao Hui, who was crying so hard she was starting to yawn, and sighed. “Let’s call a designated driver and go back. Your Rabbit is exhausted from crying.”

Gao Meng glanced at Tao Hui, whose eyes and nose were red and swollen, and clutched her heart, imagining a scene of a domineering CEO forcing a kiss.

As Han Buji’s capable assistant, Gao Meng had already arranged for a designated driver, paying double to have them waiting downstairs at the hotel.

Han Buji helped Tao Hui into the back seat of the car and settled in himself. Before he could even adjust, she slithered over like a boneless eel, clinging limply to his arm. “Dean Mom, where are we going?”

Han Buji sighed helplessly. “Back to the hotel.”

The little drunk nodded obediently, nuzzling her forehead against his arm like an affectionate puppy. “Okay, Dean Mom,” she murmured.

Han Buji had also had a few drinks, and Tao Hui’s clinging was starting to make him feel a little hot. He grabbed a cold bottle of mineral water from the car and gulped down most of it before tapping her forehead. “Fine. Today, I’ll just be your dutiful Dean Mom.”

He had originally planned to have a serious talk with Tao Hui tonight. She hadn’t been as guarded around him lately, but their relationship hadn’t progressed beyond that.

Han Buji wanted to ask Tao Hui why she was so adamant about being from Chuan Yu, and why she had the impression of him being short-tempered.

But the young woman downed a glass of baijiu, got completely drunk, and became incoherent.

When they arrived at the hotel, Tao Hui was still asleep. Han Buji draped his coat over her and said to Gao Meng, who had been pretending to be drunk earlier but was now wide awake and ready to go straight to a meeting, “I’ll take her to your room. Can you look after her?”

Gao Meng watched her boss carry her idol again, so thrilled she felt like running a marathon. Clutching her chest, her eyes sparkled. “Boss, why don’t you take care of Rabbit?”

Han Buji glanced at Gao Meng and chuckled. “Not a bad idea, but maybe next time.”

Han Buji laid Tao Hui on Gao Meng’s bed. She shifted uncomfortably, then suddenly opened her eyes, looked straight at him, and said clearly, “Cherish life, stay away from the Best Actor.”

“Huh?” Han Buji froze, then burst out laughing. Teasing her like a child, he reached out and tapped her forehead. “How exactly do you plan to stay away? Hmm?”

So, even though he was constantly trying to get closer to her, this little girl was still thinking about avoiding him?

Ungrateful wretch! Who had been working tirelessly to pave the way for her career all this time? And now she was chanting slogans to stay away from him like some cult member?

Tao Hui’s eyes were still pink and puffy from crying, her bright pupils reflecting Han Buji’s image. She tilted her head and pondered, “We’ll just… not talk when we see each other. Like strangers!”

“Alright,” Han Buji chuckled, pointing at her. “Want to be strangers? Then we’ll be strangers.”

What started as a joke took an unexpected turn. Tao Hui, still tipsy and dazed, suddenly grabbed Han Buji’s fingertip, looking slightly anxious. “Three days,” she mumbled. “Just three days. We’ll be estranged for three days—you won’t play with me, and I won’t play with you. After three days, we’ll make up. Three days, you know? Seventy-two hours. Not a minute more…”

Tao Hui’s rambling sounded like a childish “breakup declaration” from an elementary school quarrel, utterly immature.

Yet Han Buji listened intently. When she finished, he smiled warmly, gazing at her with indulgent affection. “Whatever you want.”

After finally coaxing Tao Hui to sleep, Han Buji turned to find Gao Meng rummaging through a bottle of quick-acting heart pills.

Gao Meng pointed at a bruise on her arm, muttering, “Mom, I wasn’t dreaming! My arm really hurts from being pinched. It’s definitely not a dream! Our ‘Never Will CP’ just dropped some serious sweetness today! They’re too good at this!”

“…” Han Buji glanced at Gao Meng. “You should take your medication.”

“Okay, boss,” Gao Meng said, popping a small sugar pill from her bottle of quick-acting heart medicine into her mouth. “This couple is too sweet! I’ll love them forever! Aaaah!”

Han Buji returned to his room, took off his hoodie, and tossed it aside. Tao Hui’s perfume lingered on the sleeves—a blend of grapefruit and lychee.

Tao Hui really seems to like fruity scents, he thought.

He stepped into the shower and stood under the warm water, slowly recalling his first encounter with Tao Hui.

It had been seven years ago. That day was a blur of chaos. The icy river water had nearly suffocated him, and someone had been frantically pressing on his chest.

She had shouted, “Wake up! Wake up! Don’t sleep! You’re so young! You haven’t tasted so many good things yet, you haven’t bought a whole truckload of green apples! Green apples are so delicious, you have to try them! Please, stay alive! Wake up!”

The water cascaded down Han Buji’s muscular frame. Standing in the shower, he suddenly smiled.

Her words weren’t exactly compelling reasons to live, but they had somehow managed to rouse him.

He thought of the shriveled apple on his desk and chuckled. I’ve tasted them now. They really are delicious.

Author’s Note:

Tao Hui: That’s not me! I’m a cute and elegant lady, not some idiot who loses her mind after one drink!