Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

Ding Heng cautioned, "It's better to stay within your bounds and not waste too much time on women."

"I know."

Xie Baoyang didn't mind being lectured by Ding Heng, but he couldn't help but want to complain.

Brother, how dare you say that to me?

He changed the subject, asking, "Hey...didn't you say you were bringing your girlfriend? Where is she?"

Ding Heng stepped aside, making way for Long He behind him.

Xie Baoyang glanced at it, grinned, and said, "Hey kid! Another new one? You have the nerve to talk back to me?"

Ding Heng raised his hand and shoved him: "Go away, go away, stop making a fuss."

Xie Baoyang turned to Long He and said politely, "Hello, sister-in-law. I was just joking. Don't mind me. My name is Xie Baoyang. You can just call me Lao Xie."

Long He nodded politely: "Hello, you can just call me Xiao He."

Xie Baoyang's gaze lingered on Long He's face for a couple more seconds before he suddenly hissed.

"Sister-in-law, you... why do you look a bit like that celebrity? You know, the one who sings... who was just participating in a competition... what's his name again?"

Long He's nerves tensed instantly.

She tried to keep her expression steady and calmly asked, "Really?"

"No, sister-in-law, you're prettier than her!"

"I wouldn't dare compare."

Long He spoke modestly, but was secretly overjoyed.

Xie Baoyang stopped there: "You two go upstairs first, to the largest private room at the back of the second floor. I'll go to the kitchen and urge them to start stewing the turtle."

Ding Heng nodded and led Long He up the stairs.

Long He gripped Ding Heng's hand tightly and asked in a low voice, "Why did you tell people I was your girlfriend?"

"It's summer vacation, so it's normal for friends to get together and bring a girlfriend along, isn't it?"

Ding Heng's tone was very natural: "Just think of it as doing your brother a favor, pretend for a bit, it'll save face for me too."

Longhe adjusted his glasses, his heart fluttering slightly at the mention of "girlfriend," but he still sounded reluctant.

What if someone recognizes me?

"Don't worry, as long as you don't take off your glasses, no one will recognize you!"

"Oh……"

Long He hummed twice: "But just this once, there won't be a next time!"

Her tone was deliberately stern, but the smile in her eyes was clearly visible, and her ponytail swayed gently, revealing her joy.

"Okay, okay, I'll pretend this once."

Ding Heng's eyes were full of doting affection.

Actually, his original plan was to bring Zhao Yanxi, since the kitten was lively and had met Xie Baoyang and the others before, so she would be able to get along well at this kind of dinner party.

But since my brother is so angry today, I'll still give her a sweet treat.

…………

A pot of green pepper and turtle soup was served. Xie Baoyang raised a glass filled with baijiu (Chinese liquor) and tilted it towards Ding Heng.

"Come on, let's have one first! This one's a special toast to Lao Ding, to thank him for sharing wealth and prosperity with his brothers!"

The others at the table cheered and applauded, but Long He's gaze swept over them without showing any emotion, and he noticed something quite interesting.

The gathering was organized by Xie Baoyang, and most of the attendees were their high school classmates.

Ding Heng sat in the main seat, and everyone treated him with unusual politeness, even reverence.

But Ding Heng is just an ordinary college student. Is it just my imagination?

Long He was filled with doubt...

Just as she was racking her brains trying to figure it out, someone suddenly turned the conversation to her, expressing the same confusion as Xie Baoyang.

"Seriously, Lao Ding, your girlfriend really looks like that celebrity Long He."

"Right? I think so too!"

Some people immediately echoed this.

"You know what, it really does look like him. Old Ding, did you find someone who looked like him?"

A burst of laughter erupted from the table.

"No way, I'm not as good-looking as her."

Long He nervously pushed up his glasses, afraid they might fall off.

Before the laughter had even subsided, a guy with a buzz cut and a flushed face, who was already drunk, started talking incoherently.

"Old Ding definitely did it on purpose! Have you guys forgotten? He really loved listening to Long He's songs in high school, and I remember for a while my phone's wallpaper was Long He's!"

Long He was stunned, his heart suddenly filled with turmoil.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Someone else chimed in: "I remember! I borrowed Lao Ding's QQ Music membership once, and his playlist was full of Longhe's songs. I was wondering back then, how could someone like Lao Ding be a fan of celebrities?"

Seeing that everyone was getting carried away, some people who hadn't drunk too much stopped them in time.

"Sigh...it's all in the past. We were all young back then, and everyone has had a crush on a few celebrities. We don't want to upset their girlfriends!"

Long He snapped out of his daze and quickly denied it.

"No, no, there's nothing to be upset about."

I'm not happy, I'm too busy being happy!

My brother actually used her photo as his phone wallpaper back then? Why didn't she find out sooner?!

Long He's heart beat faster and faster as she thought about it. Fortunately, the lights in the private room weren't too bright, and no one noticed the unnatural blush on her face.

Ding Heng put down his chopsticks at the right moment, picked up his wine glass, and said, "That's enough. I have important business to attend to tomorrow. Let's finish this drink and then leave."

Everyone responded enthusiastically, raising their glasses in a toast.

As they left the late-night snack shop, the night breeze swept over them, dispelling some of the smell of alcohol from Ding Heng's body.

Xie Baoyang saw him to the door, and Ding Heng turned around and waved to him.

"Don't bother seeing me off, go back."

"Okay, drive carefully on the road."

Xie Baoyang stood under the porch and watched the two get into the Mercedes before turning back into the shop with a sense of relief.

On the way back, Long He drove, while Ding Heng, in the passenger seat, tilted his head back, closed his eyes to rest, and occasionally let out a burp.

Long He asked with concern, "Have you had too much to drink?"

"Um……"

Ding Heng responded vaguely, deliberately drawing out his words: "It's alright... I didn't drink too much, just a little sleepy."

Longhe didn't say anything more and focused on driving.

Because she usually has a driver, and hadn't driven in a long time, her driving skills were inevitably rusty. Fortunately, there wasn't much traffic late at night, and she gradually regained her driving feel and relaxed a bit.

She tentatively asked, "Um... what your friend said earlier... did you really use me as your phone wallpaper back then?"

"Um……?"

Ding Heng was drunk, his voice slurred, as if he were half-asleep: "Is that not allowed?"

Long He continued, "Why?"

Ding Heng exhaled a breath of alcohol and began to speak his true feelings "after drinking".

"My brother became a big star, so I wanted to show off."

"Showing off?"

"What a pity..."

Ding Heng sighed softly, his tone regretful: "Back then, I was too timid... I didn't dare tell anyone that you were my brother... I was afraid people would think I was bragging... They all thought I was a silly fangirl."

Upon hearing this, Longhe's heart was once again stirred.

"Then why don't you tell people that your brother is a big star?"

"How could that be! Wouldn't that harm my brother?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Hehe... With fame comes trouble, but don't worry! I definitely won't cause any trouble for my brothers!"

Long He didn't say anything more, but his eyes unconsciously glanced at the passenger seat.

She recalled that in the first two years after her debut, many "old classmates" suddenly appeared on her social media, telling her stories, some true and some false.

Her closest brother, who had grown up naked with her, remained silent throughout, only setting her as his screensaver to satisfy his insignificant vanity.

Long He's eyes stung, and he tilted his head back to sniffle, finally managing to stop the tears from flowing.

Before they knew it, the Mercedes had returned to the hotel.

Longhe parked the car, turned off the engine, and unbuckled his seatbelt.

Ding Heng, sitting in the passenger seat, kept his eyes closed and his breathing steady, as if he were asleep.

Long He went around to the passenger side, opened the car door, bent down and helped Ding Heng up from his seat. He struggled to get him out of the car and half-dragged, half-helped him into the elevator.

Back in the room, Long He dragged and pulled Ding Heng into the bedroom, intending to just throw him on the bed and be done with it.

The next second, Ding Heng wrapped his arms around Long He's slender waist and pulled her into his embrace, falling onto the soft mattress together.

"Hey!"

Long He exclaimed in surprise, unsure how to react.

The man's breath, carrying a faint scent of alcohol, brushed against her ear, tickling her.