My Ex’s White Moonlight Omega Has a Crush on Me - Chapter 19

The car pulled up near a five-star hotel.

Chao Wan followed her agent, taking the elevator up. She kept her head down, listening to her own timid heartbeat in the quiet space. Even the strands of hair obscuring her vision trembled slightly. Though she had resolved to remain poised, stepping into an unfamiliar environment still made her fearful. In her past life, she had never attended a dinner with so many industry insiders alone, let alone one involving drinking companionship.

“Be a little more charming later,” the agent glanced at her through the elevator mirror. “With such a pretty face, why don’t you know how to use it?”

Chao Wan bit her lip, resisting inwardly.

Soon, the elevator reached the tenth floor with a soft ding, and the doors slid open. The female agent led her to a private room, knocked on the door, and beamed with an ingratiating smile. “Sorry to keep you all waiting.”

The room was filled with an unmasked, mixed scent that made Chao Wan instinctively press the inhibitor patch on the back of her neck. The dinner had already begun, with about eight or nine people seated around the round table. Among them were faces familiar to Chao Wan from her past life, as well as some completely unfamiliar ones. The familiar faces were well-known directors, producers, and rising actors in the industry. In her past life, Chao Wan would never have associated them with the shady practice of drinking companionship.

Back then, her life had been smooth sailing, like a delicate paper boat drifting carefreely in shallow waters, admired and praised by everyone. But now, stripped of her protection and thrown into the dark, murky depths of the ocean, Chao Wan realized just how filthy the whirlpools could be and how fragile and worthless she truly was, a mere vase, easily shattered by pressure and control.

The room fell silent for a moment.

“Come, come, have a seat,” a seemingly amiable middle-aged man greeted them. His gaze shifted to Chao Wan, and he paused for a couple of seconds. “Hmm? This one seems a bit familiar?”

Chao Wan averted her eyes, her heart racing, and lowered her head even further. But soon, her agent urged her to lift her head, forcing her to meet the gazes of everyone in the room. Due to her face blindness, she couldn’t recognize everyone, so she just skimmed over them briefly.

“Well, well,” the middle-aged man stroked his chin. “No wonder she looks familiar. Isn’t this the young beauty who trended on social media yesterday?”

Thud.

Suddenly, there was a muffled sound of a cup clattering, as if someone had fumbled it. A waiter hurried to steady it, but the person who dropped it paid no attention, instead narrowing their eyes to stare at Chao Wan.

“President Qin, is something wrong?” someone asked hesitantly.

Chao Wan’s heart raced violently, her body stiff and unresponsive, her breath catching. She followed the sound and looked over.

A woman met her gaze, a hint of mockery in her expression.

Qin Siyu.

“Alright, don’t just stand there. Take a seat,” someone called out, breaking the tension.

“This young beauty left with Teacher Ji last night, so now we’re practically basking in Teacher Ji’s glory too,” another person quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Qin Siyu’s expression darkened.

Crack.

This time, it didn’t seem accidental. Another cup toppled over, shattering on the floor, its contents spilling everywhere. The waiter flustered, rushing to fetch a broom and dustpan.

“Wait,” Qin Siyu said leisurely, stopping him and glancing at Chao Wan. “Since she arrived late, why not let her clean it up?”

Chao Wan’s eyes widened as she watched the whispers ripple through the room, her cheeks burning with shame and humiliation. Her agent nudged her from behind, whispering urgently for her to hurry up and do it.

Staggering forward a few steps, Chao Wan kept her head down, not daring to meet the gazes of those around her, let alone look at the woman across from her who was clearly waiting to see her humiliated.

The tension was so overwhelming that a persistent buzzing filled her ears, like the dull tolling of a temple bell, pounding heavily in her mind.

“President Qin,” a soft, delicate voice called out from nearby.

The female Omega beside Qin Siyu glanced at Chao Wan and gently suggested, “She’s a guest too. Let’s not make things difficult for her, alright?”

A faint smile curled at the corner of her lips as her gaze fell on the canned beer on the table. She reached for one, pulled the tab, and opened it.

“How about we change it to three self-penalty drinks instead?”

Chao Wan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, her mind a blank.

But her alcohol tolerance was practically nonexistent.

The pale yellow, fizzy liquid was slowly poured into a tall-stemmed glass.

Gradually, the people around began to stir, their ambiguous, suggestive gazes fixed on Chao Wan.

The urging grew louder and more insistent. Her manager nudged her from behind, and after stumbling a few steps, Chao Wan found herself forced to stand by the table, facing three glasses filled to the brim.

“Drink,” Qin Siyu said, lifting her eyelids slightly.

Chao Wan bit her lip in embarrassment, unmoving.

Her manager stepped forward, shoving the overflowing glass into her hand and urging her with a sharp look.

The glass was cold, and her sweaty palms made it slippery and uncomfortable to hold.

If she drank this, would they see her as obedient and finally let her off the hook?

With no other options left, Chao Wan clung to a sliver of hope, forcing herself to save face. She pressed the rim of the glass to her lips, tilted her head back, and drank with difficulty.

The slightly sour, carbonated beer rushed down her throat.

Soon, the glass was empty.

Her breath grew warm and damp, her vision blurry and unsteady. In a daze, she heard applause and cheers ringing in her ears.

The second glass was promptly shoved into her hand.

“Drink!”

She shook her head weakly, her eyes reddening from the effects of the first large glass, and murmured in refusal, “N-No more… I can’t drink anymore…”

No one paid attention to her faint protest.

The stares around her were scorching, tinged with a hint of greed, making Chao Wan feel utterly exposed.

Someone pushed the glass toward her, coaxing and forcing her to down the second drink.

The alcohol hit her hard, and her head began to spin. Chao Wan braced herself against the table, barely managing to stay upright.

Through her hazy vision, she saw the incense burner in the corner of the private room emitting wisps of white smoke, its scent cloyingly sweet.

For some reason, her cheeks and body felt unbearably hot.

By the time the third drink came, the female Omega who had suggested the penalty stood up and poured herself a full glass as well.

Her eyes curved into a smile as she said, “Here, I’ll drink with you.”

They clinked glasses.

A crisp sound echoed, but one of them failed to hold the glass steady, and the beer splashed out, much of it spilling onto Chao Wan’s top.

The gazes around her immediately turned probing, frivolous, and voyeuristic.

Panicked, Chao Wan clutched her clothes, listening as the female Omega apologized repeatedly, but her mood only sank further, her vision blurring with unshed tears.

A server quickly brought a change of clothes, presented on a tray and handed to her.

“It’s just the outer layer, why not change here?” someone jeered.

Chao Wan’s shoulders trembled slightly as she retreated several steps.

The alcohol was taking its toll, leaving her slightly intoxicated, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink. With her top soaked, the curves of her figure, usually hidden beneath her outerwear, were now largely exposed.

Some chuckled under their breath, while others echoed the earlier suggestion, their eyes fixed unwaveringly on Chao Wan.

Biting her lip tightly, Chao Wan felt her thoughts grow increasingly muddled.

There was no time to dwell on feelings of embarrassment, for the heat rising from within her body nearly overwhelmed her.

Was it this hot in the room just moments ago?

The incense in the corner continued to release silent wisps of white smoke.

The faces around her gradually blurred into a chaotic oil painting of colors, and whispers seemed to drift from all directions, haunting her like a nightmare.

Chao Wan’s expression grew hazy, her fingers unconsciously tugging at the zipper of her dress.

Suddenly, the door to the private room swung open.

Someone stood up in surprise. “Director Cheng? I thought you said… you weren’t coming?”

But as soon as he caught sight of the person accompanying Cheng Lou, he fell silent, his eyes widening.

Ji Tanyue walked in, draped in a soft fur shawl, her high heels clicking firmly against the floor.

Though her attire was one of lazy elegance, her expression was unusually cold.

“My apologies,” she said, her voice devoid of its usual polite warmth.

“I’m late.”