How Many Dishes Did You Drink With to Get This Drunk

He was right in the middle of talking.

He totally missed the nervous look in Yara Song's eyes next to him.

She glanced at Shawn Zhang, debating whether to reach out and warn him.

Shawn hadn't shown up at the banquet this afternoon, so naturally he had no clue about anything that happened.

To Shawn, the kid in front of him was just some clueless goof—a total airhead.

But Shawn had no clue that the boy he saw as an idiot had, just hours earlier, taken down one opponent after another with lightning-fast moves.

"Shawn Zhang is so handsome!"

"I'm rooting for Shawn Zhang!"

Hey, Shawn's talking to you! If you don't have the guts to step up, then quit yapping! Or else, watch out—Shawn's gonna show you what he's made of!

A few girls were shouting and making a scene nearby.

They were cheering Shawn on.

"Thanks for the support."

Shawn flashed them a smile.

His smile was pure heartthrob material.

The girls who were already obsessed with him got even more excited.

Feeling all the admiring glances around him, Shawn was very satisfied.

Even though he was just standing there, in his mind Shawn had already spent several blissful years with Serena and Yara.

When he arrived at the hotel today, Victor Wu had told him that Yara Song was bullied this afternoon.

Victor just didn’t mention what kind of skills or strength the guy who bullied Yara actually had.

He only told Shawn that because of that guy, Yara lost the female lead role in Gavin Yu’s movie.

Already seeing himself as Yara Song’s messenger—and planning to use this chance to hype up a joint publicity stunt with her—Shawn immediately promised that at the banquet, he’d help Yara teach that clueless kid a lesson.

Then the group headed up to the top floor together.

As soon as they got off the elevator, Shawn saw that kid sitting with Serena Tong, and his excitement shot up even more.

If he could crush that kid right now, he’d not only win Yara’s favor, but also boost his popularity with Serena.

Yara’s status was still a bit lower than Serena’s.

Shawn’s ideal hype partner was obviously Serena.

Of course, if he could pull off a double win, he’d be even happier.

Just thinking about it...

Imagine—Shawn Zhang, the popular heartthrob, with Serena and Yara, two top-tier female stars, hyping up a love triangle storyline. His popularity would explode instantly.

It’d be a goldmine.

Everyone would just say it’s because Shawn Zhang is so outstanding that Serena and Yara are fighting over him.

Then, while Serena’s and Yara’s fans start a flame war online, Shawn could jump in as the mediator, show off his warm-guy image, and instantly suck up a whole wave of new fans.

Anyway, charging a ‘dumb tax’ is always profitable, no matter when you collect it.

When that happens, Shawn could easily rocket up to super A-list status.

Opportunity!

Just thinking about it made Shawn feel refreshed and energized.

He might've just been standing there, but in Shawn's head, he'd already lived out years of happy times with Serena and Yara.

Life’s just sweet!

Shawn grinned, a little lost in his daydream.

“Alright, I’ll reluctantly stand up then.”

Evan Lin sighed.

The teenager’s voice carried a hint of helplessness.

Some people are just stubborn—they love to dance on their own grave.

"Whoa, I think you’re misunderstanding. I don’t just want you to stand up—I’d much rather you leave on your own!"

Right now, Shawn Zhang saw himself as a heroic figure, as if he was protecting Serena from being tricked or kidnapped by the kid in front of him.

Whether it was emotional manipulation or something else, it didn’t matter.

Shawn was sure that this totally useless kid must have used some special trick to make Serena fall for him.

Once Serena saw the truth, she’d definitely thank Shawn for everything he did for her!

"Leave?"

Evan Lin let out a quiet laugh.

Everyone saw the teenager stand up from his seat.

He took a few steps forward, suddenly standing right in front of Shawn Zhang.

He was a bit taller than Shawn, and his build was on the lean side.

When Evan Lin was sitting, nobody could really see his physique.

But once Evan stood up, everyone noticed—the teenager’s muscles weren’t bulky, but his body was perfectly proportioned.

Not only that, every move he made was smooth and calm. Compared to Shawn’s nonstop shouting, the teenager’s quiet composure was like a breath of fresh air.

"What do you mean by that?"

Shawn Zhang frowned, watching the teenager approach, his face full of caution.

"What are you trying to do?"

He shot Evan Lin a warning: "Stay back! If you get any closer, don’t blame me for not warning you—I really will knock you out with one punch."

"Your face already looks like that, so if I land a punch and mess it up—even better! Actually, for you, getting your face messed up is basically plastic surgery. Shouldn’t you pay me a surgery fee?"

Shawn raised his fist, pretending to threaten him.

His words carried a teasing tone.

The people nearby burst out laughing—they found it hilarious.

"Yara, don’t you think I’m right?"

Shawn flashed a stylish glance at Yara Song, who was standing a little behind him. "I really should charge this kid a surgery fee."

He was just trying to be funny.

But after saying it, Shawn felt something was off.

Because Victor Wu, at some point, had already pulled Yara away from him.

And Yara’s face didn’t show the same amusement as everyone else.

In her eyes, there was even a hint of sympathy, pity, and worry.

Shawn froze for a moment, then seemed to realize something.

"Don’t worry, I’m a civilized guy—I won’t hit too hard."

Shawn thought Yara was worried he’d go too far.

But soon, Shawn felt something was off again.

Because not just Yara and Victor, but even Serena and Queenie, who hadn’t said a word for this kid, didn’t show any sign of stepping in to stop him from getting hit.

They just stood there.

Serena shook her head and sighed, looking helpless.

Queenie, on the other hand, was full of excitement, her eyes shining.

She looked like she was waiting for something.

She was clearly just waiting for the show to start.

A show?

What show?

Were they all just waiting to see this kid get beaten up?

Shawn thought of this and turned his head, still confused.

But as soon as he turned, he found himself face-to-face with the teenager.

"How many dishes did you have? Drinking like this?"