Chapter 75: Toasting Each Other
Liu Man nodded, “Yes.”
“Then, you’ll be able to relax very soon and spend the end of your holiday at home.”
Liu Man smiled bitterly. She still had to work hard for money when she returns home.
Everyone was eating and gossiping. The atmosphere was very peaceful. In the middle of the dinner party, people from different tables started to get up and propose toasts. They first toasted the ones at the main table before toasting the others.
Everyone in the entertainment circle knew Xue Yunfei didn’t drink wine. So Coco went to toast Ye Zian, Qiu JIng, and Gao Jindong first. Logically, she would’ve toasted Qiao Xin, Feng Qingyu, Tang Tu, and Yang Huayue next, but Coco ignored the four of them and ran towards Liu Man.
She probably wanted to come here a long time ago, deeming from her face of excitement.
“My Goddess, I need to toast you,” Coco grinned as she stood in front of Liu Man, her eyes glowing.
Coco did not belong in the cast, and she attracted much attention the moment she entered the restaurant. From how she openly ran toward Liu Man, sitting at the last table, she attracted everyone’s attention.
“Why does this scene look a bit familiar to me?”
“Isn’t this girl that cyber singer, Coco? How did she know Liu Man?”
“Guys, study Liu Man’s face. Have we seen her somewhere?”
“My god! I just realized Liu Man’s the Hanfu Goddess on Wei Bo!”
“Me, too! We’ve been too busy in the cast. Such an obvious face, and we’ve never recognized her before.”
That was why Liu Man had no sense of presence. Everyone just now realized she was Hanfu Goddess.
Once again, because of Coco, Liu Man became the most prominent one in the entire room. Her colleagues who had already been working with her for two weeks seemed to gain a new aspect about her and started looking at her as if she was a new person.
Liu Man and Coco had always performed without any make-up on, and Hanfu Goddess was only popular on the internet for a short amount of time even though it was lit. Most of the audience was younger age groups that loved watching live-streams, and so Hanfu Goddess did not have many influences on the overall crowd.
Most of the staff in the cast were above thirty-years-old, and they were professionals in the entertainment circle, so they did not pay much attention to internet live-streams. Besides, Liu Man always wore make-up and costumes when she acted in the movie. She was Ji Ning, and everyone unconsciously thought of her as Ji Ning, too. Furthermore, nobody had time to stare and wonder at an extra when they had a lot of work to do.
“Liu Man, I am so thankful for your presence in my life.”
This was the first time she said her Goddess’s full name. This time, she did not tease Liu Man by calling her ‘Sis,’ for she heard from Xue Yunfei that Liu Man was three years younger than her.
Of course, from the outside appearance, the cute Coco looked very young.
Her tone was serious, and her eyes were filled with appreciation as she looked up at Liu Man.
Liu Man understood her. She knew Xue Yunfei had already started to cooperate with Coco from her words, or else, why would Coco knew her full name and looked at her like someone unbelievably awesome?
Coco was holding a glass filled with Maotai. Under Liu Man’s watch, under everyone’s watch, she drank it all up in one mouthful. Her movements were bold and free; no wonder she was someone who climbed up from the bottom of the circle.
Coco used to be in all kinds of bars. Drinking wine, proposing toasts, and being forced to drink a full glass was something she had to do often. It was part of her job, and so she already had a big capacity for liquor. Just a few cups of them were nothing to her.
“Good, good!” Someone started to applaud for Coco, and the others followed.
At these kinds of business-related social activities, Coco was the bold woman everyone needed. She started toasting so everyone else could start proposing toasts, too.
Liu Man turned around and wanted to pour some red wine so she could toast Coco back. Coco pulled her away, “I can drink wine, but you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t even drink red wine.”
In Coco’s mind, Liu Man was the immaculate, pristine saintess, and a weak woman. How could she even let Liu Man touch wine?
As she said this, Coco quickly poured some juice into Liu Man’s cup and said, “Drinking this will be enough.”
At this time, Xue Yunfei walked over with his juice cup and clanged it against Liu Man’s, “Thanks a lot for recommending Coco to me. She solved my issues with the ending song. Oh, and the lyrics for the theme song, too.”
Liu Man was surprised. She guessed that Coco was somehow related to the production of the ending song, but she didn’t expect Xue Yunfei to let Coco write the lyrics for the theme song.
“What are the lyrics like?” She couldn’t help but ask curiously. Such a great song must be matched by wonderful lyrics.
Xue Yunfei blinked, “I’ll leave a cliffhanger here for you. You will be the first to see those lyrics after me, Coco, and Director Ye anyways.”
Liu Man was still trying to figure out what Xue Yunfei meant when she heard the manager call her name, “Liu Man, you’re the only one who hasn’t toasted Director Ye!”
At this time, Ye Zian and Qiu Jing were being toasted by everyone. They were blushing a lot. Although Qiu Jing was a woman, she did have greater liquor capacity than even Coco. All businesswomen had to drink wine if they wanted their career to become better.
With such a call from the manager, Ye Zian looked towards Liu Man.
Liu Man was very scared of Ye Zian’s eyes, which always seemed superior and were demanding something. It was as if she was back in a scene, and she had to obey him.
During dinner parties, toasting a superior rank was fundamental courtesy. People at Ye Zian’s table were her “superior ranks.”
Xue Yunfei noticed Liu Man’s anxiety. Liu Man wasn’t as bold, as free as Coco. Xue Feiyun patted Liu Man on her shoulders and said with an experienced tone, “Don’t be scared, it’s just a toast. Come back directly after your toast; nobody will be picking a quarrel with you.”
Liu Man nodded, then, holding a cup of juice, she walked to Ye Zian and said, “Director Ye, thank you so much for your teachings and lectures to me these past few days.”
Ye Zian was the first one everyone toasted. There were more than fifty people, and even if Ye Zian only took a small sip for every toast, he wouldn’t be able to hold it off anyways. He was a bit drunk, his face was blushing, and his entire body smelled of wine.
Ye Zian showed a small smile to Liu Man, which he rarely did. He, who was used to being stern usually, looked a bit handsome when he smiled. Ye Zian was only thirty-years-old and was pretty young, but he kept a dull expression, which made him seem old.
“It’s not about my lectures. You’re very outstanding yourself,” At this moment, Ye Zian only gave compliments to people who toasted him. It was New Year’s Eve; what could he give except for compliments? Criticism? New Year’s Eve was supposed to make everyone feel pleased.
Liu Man, who rarely heard Ye Zian complimenting herself, felt very lucky and honored. She showed a slight smile. In such a drunk and stinky crowd, her smile looked like a pure and pristine white lotus.
Everyone saw it. Some were astonished while some were boiling up plans…
Credits: Sydney