Chapter 41
This is the first time I've really experienced what extravagance means.
The games they played got more and more outrageous. People who looked dignified and proper were now whispering with celebrities beside them, laughing out loud from time to time, and some had even started embracing each other.
Can things really be like this? Aren't these people entertainers? Surely they wouldn't take on this kind of work?
"Jeremy, don't just sit there. Have a few more drinks with Emily and Nina." Vivian leaned against a sweet-looking guy next to her and raised her eyebrows at Jeremy with a smile.
Nina bumped Jeremy's shoulder, her smile sweet: "Don't worry about me, just take good care of Emily. But don't be too enthusiastic—don't scare my friend."
Jeremy picked up a glass and handed it to me, leaning close to my ear with a magnetic voice: "Emily, have you never been to a club before? You can drink, right? If you can't, I'll get you a soft drink instead."
Not only have I been to clubs, but I've also actually managed them—I even hired people to train the girls there. But being attended to like this by someone else? That really was a first.
His closeness made me uncomfortable. I awkwardly dodged away, but Nina pushed me, and losing my balance, I fell right into his arms. The drink spilled all over both of us.
"I'm sorry, so sorry." Jeremy quickly put his phone down and frantically grabbed tissues to wipe me off.
His fingers were long and slender. He carefully held my wrist, the tissue rubbing against the wet fabric, leaving bits of paper stuck to my clothes. His face turned red, and he reached out to help clean it off—a gesture that looked more than a little intimate to anyone watching.
Even though Oscar and I weren't really engaged, this kind of physical contact with a strange man felt like cheating somehow. I couldn't help feeling guilty.
My face flushed as I quickly raised my hand to stop him: "It's okay, it's okay. I can do it myself. I'll... go to the restroom."
I fled the private room, not noticing the tall, thin figure following me. When I reached the sink, he handed me a wet wipe: "I'm sorry, Emily. Try wiping it with this."
I kept my head down as I took the wet wipe from him, slowly wiping in front of the mirror. The stain on the dress was obvious, and the thin fabric under the fluorescent light seemed almost see-through.
When I realized this, I instinctively crossed my arms. Looking up, I noticed he was much taller than me: "I'm fine now. You should go back. Thanks, though."
Jeremy smiled at me, his eyes curving like two stars: "It was my fault anyway. Emily, how much was this dress? I'll pay for it."
"It's just a little wet, and I was the one who bumped into you and spilled the drink. You don't need to pay. Don't feel bad about it. Why don't you go back first?" I'd text Nina later—I should just leave.
Jeremy looked a bit troubled: "Vivian asked me to look after you. If I leave first, that would be kind of rude. If you don't want to go back to the private room, how about I take you to the rooftop? At night, the view from the top of Silver Haven Hotel is pretty nice."
"Never mind, I need to head back. You do what you need to do." I waved my hand in refusal. We were still strangers—we weren't close enough to enjoy night views together.
Jeremy didn't push: "Then let me get your bag and tell them you're leaving. I'll take you home. Wait here for me, I'll be right back."
Without giving me a chance to object, he strode toward the private room.
When he came back with my bag, I reached out to take it, but he casually kept it in his own hand with no intention of handing it over: "Let's go, Emily. My car's parked outside."
I hesitated: "You really don't need to take me..."
Jeremy flashed a charming smile and whispered to me, "Emily, don't get me wrong. The main thing is I don't want to stay in that room either. Just think of it as doing me a favor. I'll treat you to dinner later to say thanks."
Hearing this, I understood immediately. He wasn't a club employee either—everyone was just dealing with social pressure. He was an influential celebrity who still didn't have the freedom to choose. That was pretty pitiful: "Alright then, let's go."
He put his hands together and winked at me: "Thank you so much."
In the elevator, watching the numbers jump, the small space felt awkwardly quiet. I randomly picked a topic: "Being an entertainer must pay pretty well, right? Nina told me you're quite famous."
Jeremy smiled helplessly: "Then you definitely haven't followed my work. I'm not trying to sound pitiful, but is there any job in this world that's easy? Take me—I started as a trainee in my teens, finally debuted, and signing with a company was a huge deal. The contract terms mean I have to follow the company's arrangements for everything. After each job, everyone wants their cut. My income looks high, but after it goes through all those channels, what reaches my hands isn't much."
I was curious: "If that's the case, why not skip the company? Wouldn't you be more independent?"
Jeremy smiled bitterly: "No sign? Celebrities without companies have to rely on luck to get famous. Their careers might end before they even begin."
That made sense. I didn't continue the conversation—discussing life philosophies wasn't really appropriate between strangers.
The elevator reached the first floor. Before the doors opened, he'd already skillfully put on a baseball cap, covered his face completely with a black mask, and added large sunglasses. Not an inch of skin showed.
"You're..." His practiced transformation was kind of funny.
He seemed to laugh: "Better safe than sorry. Otherwise, tomorrow you'd see the headline—'Jeremy's Night Out with Mystery Woman.' I can't cause you trouble."
I didn't know how famous he was, but since he was being so careful, when the elevator opened, I stepped back: "Maybe I should just get my own ride. I'll tell them you took me home."
Jeremy turned around. I couldn't see his expression, but his voice sounded relaxed: "My car's right outside. It's no trouble. If you're worried about being photographed, here's a mask—no one will recognize you with it on."
He opened a new mask and gently hooked it over my ears. The sudden closeness made me instinctively want to back away. Seeing the elevator doors about to close again, I quickly pushed him away, pressed the open button again, and hurried out.
There were no fans mobbing the hotel entrance. I was just feeling relieved when I saw Oscar leaning casually against a car nearby, his gaze burning as it landed on Jeremy right behind me.
The scene looked exactly like getting caught cheating. I felt inexplicably nervous. I turned back to take my bag from Jeremy, and when I looked at Oscar, my smile was a bit guilty: "You... what are you doing here?"
Oscar's gaze drifted lazily from Jeremy to my face, and he flashed a wicked grin. "I came to take you home."