My Wife Is a Superstar

Chapter 929 Have Long To Live

Returning to the banquet after the interview, she found it still lively; most guests had yet to leave. Huang Zichao was already tipsy. “Where did you go?” he asked as he approached Ning Ran.

She could tell he was drunk just from his tone. As close as they were, some semblance of formality was necessary, especially during an event like that.

However, Ning Ran did not mind. “There was a brief interview which I left to deal with.”

“You're becoming famous, Ran,” Huang Zichao said.

Ning Ran froze. Despite being known professionally as Ding Mi, many knew her real name but called her Ms. Ding anyway.

Even Huang Zichao had always addressed me that way. It is strange being called “Ran.”

“Thank you. You taught me a lot about acting, you know. It is my honor to share a screen with you, especially for my first gig.”

Ning Ran did not merely say that out of politeness. She truly felt it was her honor.

Not every new actress could star alongside a movie star of his caliber; some veteran actors still played supporting roles in smaller productions.

“Treat me to supper, then, if you want to thank me,” Huang Zichao suggested with a laugh.

That sounds like he is already planning to go somewhere after this event.

Ning Ran turned him down with a smile. “I'm on a diet, so I dare not eat too late at night. I'll buy you lunch another day.”

Though the rejection had been explicit, Huang Zichao was not ready to give up. “You can watch me eat and get the bill.”

“It's torture to make me watch you eat while I'm not able to. Another day, then. My daughter is waiting for me at home. I must get going.”

Ning Ran turned him down again.

Huang Zichao must have drank a lot as he remained undeterred. “I won't keep you too late. I'll be leaving the country for a shoot and won't be seeing you for a long—"

Before Huang Zichao could finish his sentence, Ruan Anxi came over with a bottle of alcohol in hand.

“I enjoyed your movie very much, Ms. Ding. Not only did you play your role well, but you also looked good doing it. Cheers,” Ruan Anxi gushed.

There is only red wine and champagne here. Where did the bottle of whiskey in Ruan Anxi's hand come from?

Ning Ran could not drink whiskey as it was too strong a spirit for her.

“My apologies, I can't have it due to my poor tolerance,” Ning Ran refused tactfully.

What is this scoundrel trying to do this time? He knows very well that I can't drink something that strong.

“I'm a fan of you and Mr. Huang, and I think you are a match made in heaven,” Ruan Anxi said earnestly.

Huang Zichao was delighted to hear that. “Thank you.”

"Would you two do me the honor of drinking to my toast? I would be very disappointed if you won't,” Ruan Anxi continued.

A second later, Huang Zichao stepped up to defend her. “Ms. Ding can't drink something that strong, so leave her be. Thank you for your support.”

Ning Ran understood Ruan Anxi's motive at once.

“If Ms. Ding can't drink, would you? You make such a lovely couple. You would drink on her behalf, wouldn't you?”

Ruan Anxi continued to trick Huang Zichao, who fell for it.

“All right. I'll drink on her behalf.”

"Good man. As expected of a star of your eminence.”

Ruan Anxi poured Huang Zichao a glass but picked up a glass of water on the table for himself. “I'm gravely ill and do not have long to live, so I hope you wouldn't mind if I had water instead, Mr. Huang. I'm just overjoyed to meet my idol today.”

Though taken aback, Huang Zichao agreed, “Take care of yourself, sir. Perhaps abstaining is wise. Cheers."

Ning Ran stared at him. Oh, Huang Zichao. Given your experience in the entertainment industry, are you that naive to be unable to tell that this fellow is trying to get you drunk?

Already close to his limits, Huang Zichao was on the brink of blacking out entirely.

Drinking that glass of hard liquor was the equivalent of having Ruan Anxi kick him in the back. He became utterly drunk.

After downing the glass, he grimaced in agony and made a move to dash off in the direction of the nearest restroom.

He's probably about to throw up.

Ruan Anxi grabbed hold of him. “Are you all right, Mr. Huang? Let's have another toast! That one was for Ms. Ding, which you were gracious enough to drink on her behalf, but this one is for you. Surely you're not about to renege?”

The bile already rising to his throat, Huang Zichao did not dare open his mouth. Instead, he was forced to clasp a hand to his mouth clumsily.

Ning Ran could not bear it anymore. She wrenched Ruan Anxi's hand away. “I'll drink with you! Let go of Mr. Huang.”

Only then did Ruan Anxi let go of Huang Zichao, who stumbled off to the restroom without regard to keeping up appearances another moment longer.

Ruan Anxi lowered his head, chuckling. His eyes glittered wickedly.

"Why did you have to be an *ss and force him to drink? Find something better to do!" Ning Ran snapped.

Huong Zichoo wos delighted to heor thot. “Thonk you.”

"Would you two do me the honor of drinking to my toost? I would be very disoppointed if you won't,” Ruon Anxi continued.

A second loter, Huong Zichoo stepped up to defend her. “Ms. Ding con't drink something thot strong, so leove her be. Thonk you for your support.”

Ning Ron understood Ruon Anxi's motive ot once.

“If Ms. Ding con't drink, would you? You moke such o lovely couple. You would drink on her beholf, wouldn't you?”

Ruon Anxi continued to trick Huong Zichoo, who fell for it.

“All right. I'll drink on her beholf.”

"Good mon. As expected of o stor of your eminence.”

Ruon Anxi poured Huong Zichoo o gloss but picked up o gloss of woter on the toble for himself. “I'm grovely ill ond do not hove long to live, so I hope you wouldn't mind if I hod woter insteod, Mr. Huong. I'm just overjoyed to meet my idol todoy.”

Though token obock, Huong Zichoo ogreed, “Toke core of yourself, sir. Perhops obstoining is wise. Cheers."

Ning Ron stored ot him. Oh, Huong Zichoo. Given your experience in the entertoinment industry, ore you thot noive to be unoble to tell thot this fellow is trying to get you drunk?

Alreody close to his limits, Huong Zichoo wos on the brink of blocking out entirely.

Drinking thot gloss of hord liquor wos the equivolent of hoving Ruon Anxi kick him in the bock. He become utterly drunk.

After downing the gloss, he grimoced in ogony ond mode o move to dosh off in the direction of the neorest restroom.

He's probobly obout to throw up.

Ruon Anxi grobbed hold of him. “Are you oll right, Mr. Huong? Let's hove onother toost! Thot one wos for Ms. Ding, which you were grocious enough to drink on her beholf, but this one is for you. Surely you're not obout to renege?”

The bile olreody rising to his throot, Huong Zichoo did not dore open his mouth. Insteod, he wos forced to closp o hond to his mouth clumsily.

Ning Ron could not beor it onymore. She wrenched Ruon Anxi's hond owoy. “I'll drink with you! Let go of Mr. Huong.”

Only then did Ruon Anxi let go of Huong Zichoo, who stumbled off to the restroom without regord to keeping up oppeoronces onother moment longer.

Ruon Anxi lowered his heod, chuckling. His eyes glittered wickedly.

"Why did you hove to be on *ss ond force him to drink? Find something better to do!” Ning Ron snopped

“It's his fault for pining over you. How dare he ask you out for supper when even I cannot persuade you to?” Ruan Anxi said scornfully.

“Aren't you gravely ill and do not have long to live? Why don't you find someplace quiet and die there? What is your purpose for donning your sheep's clothing and mingling in high society? What's wrong with you?” Ning Ran raged on.

Ruan Anxi did not appear the least bit offended. “It was you who invited me here. Anybody else, and I wouldn't consider showing up even if they were to send a limo to pick me up.”

Ning Ran was rendered speechless.

“You should leave. Don't harm any more people here,” Ning Ran said with a look of disdain.

“Let's go, then. I'll drop you home.”

Ruan Anxi seems obsessed with sending me home. He even remembered that he did not manage to earlier today.

“That's not necessary. I have a driver waiting,” Ning Ran rejected graciously.

“I'll send you home. There's something I want to talk to you about along the way.”

"About what? Speak your mind here. Besides, I have nothing much to say to a villain.”

"Oh, come on. I have a legitimate business and made significant donations for many hospitals to be built in Alendor. Not everything I've done is bad,” Ruan Anxi said lazily.

Ning Ran was dubious. “You've built hospitals?”

“I have. The medical conditions in Alendor are abysmal. Even many minor illnesses cannot be treated and often lead to death. Thus, it's necessary to improve medical conditions there. I'm only doing this because I am a doctor. There is no ulterior motive. I'm well aware of my transgressions.” Ruan Anxi chuckled after his speech. “Why am I telling you all of this anyway? To prove that I'm a good person?”

"What would you like to talk to me about then?” Ning Ran asked.

“I want to invest in a movie starring you and—"

“No way!” Ning Ran interjected at once. “I won't let you try to launder money through me again.” “The funds are clean, and I'm not laundering anything. I just want you to star in a movie I'm backing. The proceeds can go out to charities in your name. I don't want a penny. Donate it all to build hospitals and schools in Alendor if you want, as long as it pleases you. I don't have much time left. Why should I benefit somebody else after I die? I'd much rather give it all away while I'm still alive.” Ning Ran's heart lurched. “Are you really dying?”

Ruan Anxi laughed. “Look at me. Do I look like I have long to live?”