Peninsula diplomat: My second life with a top celebrity

Tango is always a must at dinner parties in Argentina.

By 8:30 p.m., the drinking had almost stopped. The atmosphere in the villa had become completely lively, and guests from South America were heading to the dance floor in twos and threes. Latin music was emanating from the speakers, like another form of alcohol.

After sobering up considerably, Zheng Daoxun leaned back on the sofa in the corner, chatting with several counselors from other countries about the 2030 World Expo.

He didn't say much, only occasionally sharing some of his own insights, but he seemed quite engaged in the conversation.

"Dohoon".

Zoe Gomez appeared before him at some point, her tone warm and familiar, like that of an elder speaking to a younger person:

"Won't you buy me a dance?"

Zheng Daoxun smiled and agreed.

There were already eight or nine couples dancing in the very center of the dance floor.

It's mostly South Americans dancing themselves.

Although Koreans are also party animals, they mostly consume alcohol excessively and become reserved when it comes to this kind of enthusiastic and social dance, standing in twos and threes at the edge of the dance floor, holding a glass of alcohol in their hands.

Jung Do-hoon led Zoe into the dance floor.

His hand rested on her waist, her fingers on his shoulder. The music was an old-fashioned tango, with a distinct rhythm. Zoe twirled in his arms, her skirt brushing against his trousers.

Zheng Daoxun danced very well; although not at a professional level, he was definitely outstanding among diplomats. In his previous life, he had spent a few years in Argentina, and there was a street near the embassy district in Buenos Aires that was full of dance halls; he had naturally become accustomed to it over time.

As his gaze swept across the edge of the dance floor, he saw Suzy.

She sat in a more secluded spot, her figure almost half-hidden by potted plants. She took a glass of wine from the waiter's tray, swirled it slowly, focused her gaze on the wine glass, and only after a long while did she frown and take a sip.

He was simply politely declined by Jung Do-hoon; surely he wouldn't be drinking alone like this?

On the dance floor, her gaze was drawn to her by her footsteps, and when Zheng Daoxun turned back to look at her, the glass of wine was already empty.

Bae Suzy rested her chin on one hand and twirled an empty wine glass in the other. The dim light outlined her delicate face, and in the interplay of light and shadow, one could see the woman's downcast eyes and her innermost thoughts.

She seemed lost in thought, the hem of her black tulle dress cascading down to her ankles. In the interplay of light and shadow, her solitary silhouette emerged from the background, as if from a completely different world from the bustling center of the dance floor.

As if sensing something, she suddenly looked up.

Two gazes met for a fleeting moment in the noisy dance floor. Jung Do-hoon quickly looked away, his dance steps leading him in another direction, his back to the woman's ambiguous gaze.

When the music ended, applause erupted from the crowd.

Jung Do-hoon escorted Zoe back to her seat. She patted the back of his hand and praised his dancing skills in Spanish:

"Dohoon, you really haven't been to Argentina?"

"It's thanks to your guidance, Madam. I was just cooperating with you."

He smiled and chatted with her for a few minutes, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Bae Suzy was still sitting in that corner.

Another glass of wine was taken from the waiter's tray in silence.

As Zheng Daoxun passed by her, he didn't stop. He just glanced down at her—her cup was almost empty, with only a thin layer of transparent liquid at the bottom, which refracted a small arc of light when the lamp shone on it.

"You've got a good alcohol tolerance," he joked casually.

She didn't look up, but simply rested her chin on her hand, gave a soft "hmm," and then said:

"No, compared to you... I'm definitely far inferior."

Jung Do-hoon smiled and said nothing more. He returned to his seat and started talking about new energy again. Occasionally, his gaze would sweep over Soo-ji, whose wine glass was being emptied and refilled repeatedly.

Drinking this much?

Zheng Daoxun summoned his attendants.

"Miss over there," he gestured with his chin toward Bae Suzy, "don't give her any more alcohol, replace it with water."

The waiter glanced in the direction he indicated, then turned back, a subtle pause in his expression.

"Sir," the waiter said, "that lady has been drinking soda water."

Jung Do-hoon paused for a moment and looked at Bae Soo-ji.

She happened to be looking at him too.

It felt like we had been waiting for a long time.

Although she hadn't heard what he said to the waiter, the clever woman still managed to guess.

She parted her red lips slightly and drank the soda water in her glass in one gulp, her fair hand holding the wine glass and turning it slightly in the air.

The two didn't speak, yet they seemed to have talked a lot.

In the dimly lit corner, the soft, warm light blurred the light hidden in the eyes, making it impossible to guess what they were thinking.

He obediently picked up the soda water beside him and raised a glass to it from afar. The crisp bubbles burst on his tongue, much like the subtle feeling of having his thoughts touched at that moment.

Suzy seemed to have done nothing, yet she had captured his attention; that was interesting.

Jung Do-hoon put down his cup, leaned back on the sofa, and the slightly tipsy feeling made him close his eyes slightly. He listened to the conversation of the people around him, but he always felt that a gaze was burning into his profile.

When he opened his eyes again, Soo-ji turned to the side and was chatting elegantly with the lady next to her, seemingly only glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

He suddenly had a thought of going for a walk with Bae Soo-ji, but quickly dismissed the idea.

It's just a fleeting encounter, why bother going the extra mile and disturbing your peace?

As the banquet drew to a close, the two had no further interaction until Kim, the representative from Bae Suzy's agency, couldn't contain himself and came over.

Representative Kim was in his early fifties and not very tall. At the beginning of the banquet, the two of them drank a glass of champagne together, but Jung Do-hoon was so eye-catching that they didn't have a deep conversation.

Representative Kim sat down next to Jeong Do-hoon and exchanged a few polite words:

"I was just talking to Xiuzhi about Section Chief Zheng—you are young and promising. At 25, you can't find another clerk like him in the entire Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Zheng Daoxun smiled and responded with a few words. He knew that such words were best taken with a grain of salt.

Then Kim changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat joking.

"Actually, I just made a bet with Suzy."

"Oh?"

"I'm telling you, with a young talent like Section Chief Jung, Xiuzhi definitely wouldn't be able to get your business card." Representative Kim laughed, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkling together. "We love to joke like this, now she owes me a meal."

Jung Do-hoon gave a faint "hmm," then looked at Bae Soo-ji again. Her elegant, fair shoulders and neck arched slightly as she smiled helplessly at him.

Representative Kim wanted to establish contact with him and needed a pretext, but instead, he let Soo-ji get close to him.

Success! Kim received the business card, and Suzy completed her task.

If it doesn't work out, it's just a romantic and witty joke.

"I never imagined my business card was so valuable."

He took out a business card holder from his suit pocket, pulled out a card, and handed it over.

On the sofa not far away, Bae Suzy looked up and met his gaze.

Jeong Do-hoon smiled helplessly:

"Representative Kim, it's best if the men treat us to a meal."