Chapter 37: The Farce of Hype, the Curtain Fall of Art

"Cheers!"

Li Can was clearly enjoying his drink. Winnie, however, was starting to feel the effects. Most of their previous gatherings had been light affairs, and while she knew Li Can could hold his liquor, she hadn't expected him to be this capable.

Her eyes grew hazy, and a faint flush crept onto her cheeks. The atmosphere was heating up; the lighting wasn't exactly dim, but it felt unmistakably intimate.

"Winnie, are you alright? You look like you've had a bit too much."

"You're the one who's had too much!"

She huffed, shooting him a charming, sidelong glance. Under the lights, the sight of the tipsy beauty left Li Can momentarily stunned, and he felt the alcohol beginning to cloud his own mind. But the beautiful moment was shattered by Winnie herself the very next second.

"Give it to me!"

Snatching the bottle, fueled by a fierce competitive spirit, she stood up, tipped her head back, and downed nearly half the bottle in one go.

*Gulp, gulp, gulp...*

"Hah!"

Winnie let out a long breath, looked at Li Can with a provocative, wicked grin, and tilted her chin up slightly. "Hmm?"

"Damn, that's impressive!" Li Can applauded.

"Hehe." Winnie chuckled, blushing. She sat back down beside him, pretending to be casual, though her movements were anything but. "Hey, I have something I want to ask you."

She grabbed her phone and pulled up an image. "How do you pronounce this character?"

It was too deliberate! She looked just like those desperate guys trying to find a topic to chat with a goddess. Asking about a character while drunk—how studious could one possibly be? Li Can felt something was off, but not knowing if he was overthinking it, he studied her for a few extra moments. *Don't be so narcissistic, man.*

"Hmm? This... damn, I don't know it either."

The image showed the character "齺" (zōu). Not just Li Can—even an expert in philology would likely be stumped for a few seconds. Li Can squinted through his tipsiness, frowned, and looked at it again.

Seeing that Li Can had taken the bait, Winnie leaned in closer, her head resting near his, her heart beating a little faster. A wave of fragrance washed over him. Seeming uncomfortable, she kicked off her high heels and curled her feet up beside him. Through her sheer black stockings, one could faintly glimpse her snow-white feet with their red nail polish.

But Li Can, still convinced he was just overthinking, became obsessed with the character. "I have to know what this character is!"

When he finally found that it was pronounced "zou," he burst into laughter. "Haha! Win—"

Feeling the softness beside him, he turned his head and stiffened, his gaze drifting. Winnie was hugging his side, her face pressed against his shoulder.

Her blonde hair brushed his neck, tickling him, and he could feel her wine-scented breath and the rhythmic thumping of her heart. The alcohol went to his head even more.

"Winnie? Are you asleep?"

Winnie was squinting, pretending to be asleep, and didn't answer. She was nervous. But Li Can's next words nearly made her jump up in anger.

"This won't do, lightweight. You're out after just a few drinks? That's not very Russian of you..."

*!*

Winnie managed to restrain herself.

"Forget it, you shouldn't be this drunk."

"Winnie?"

After calling her name a few times with no response, Li Can shook his head. He laid her down on the sofa and covered her with a blanket. Winnie was speechless, forced to keep up the charade of being half-asleep, murmuring, "No... don't go back... sofa... no..."

She even muttered a few phrases in Russian to make it sound authentic. By now, the alcohol was hitting Li Can hard, too. Not hesitating, and while he was still somewhat clear-headed, he packed up Winnie's bag and phone, picked up her slender heels, scooped her up, and left the office.

After quietly closing the door, he decided to take her to his staff dormitory for the night. Winnie, being carried bridal-style, was ecstatic, her mind going blank. Resting in his arms, she pressed her cheek against his warm chest, rubbing against him like a kitten. Perhaps because it was so comfortable, she eventually drifted into a genuine sleep under the influence of the alcohol.

After unlocking the dorm door, settling her in, and covering her with a quilt, Li Can finally let out a long breath. It was almost unbearable. Black stockings, slender heels, long legs, a gorgeous blonde—who could resist that? Even with the alcohol, he had barely managed to keep his cool.

"Does she really want to hit on me?"

"I'll observe for a while and ask Xiao Ai later..."

Shaking his head, he stumbled back to the office sofa, grabbed a blanket, and collapsed. He fell fast asleep the moment his head hit the cushion. The aftereffects were heavy; he couldn't hold on any longer. He had only managed to carry her back through sheer willpower. He couldn't embarrass his country. Absolutely not!

...

The next day.

Winnie woke up, rubbed her eyes, and froze. Her pupils dilated. "I... I actually fell asleep?!"

Seeing the concerned text message Li Can had sent, she went silent. She really wanted to kick something. She would never trust those "dating strategy" articles again. She'd do it herself!

"Damn it!!!"

She slipped into her red-bottomed heels. After tidying up in front of the mirror, she gathered her things and headed straight for the studio. Upon entering, she offered a normal greeting and began to work, as if nothing had happened the night before.

Li Can glanced at her from time to time, his brows furrowed. *Hmm? Hmm... hmm! Hmm?*

Something was wrong. She was definitely acting weird. Maybe he wasn't just being narcissistic after all. Li Can’s eyes narrowed. *Holy crap? Is the world really opening up to me?!*

...

Time passed quickly. A week flew by.

Throughout the week, the fame of Lin Feng and Han Jiayin grew steadily with the promotion of the drama. Their personal social media followings both broke the 100,000 mark and continued to climb. As the promotional reach expanded, the stream count for *A Glimpse of Beauty* on music platforms had already reached 2.26 million, with a terrifying growth rate. Once the process wrapped up and *Xianxia* officially premiered, they would likely become overnight sensations.

Chen Meijing’s new album teaser campaign had also begun, with promotional resources being rolled out. Anyone with eyes could see that Chen Meijing was about to hit a new peak.

Within the industry, the names of all three had spread, becoming the subject of professional discussion. On the "Melodious China" forum, topics regarding them became the talk of the town.

Of course, the one receiving the most attention was still the man behind it all: Li Can. He was the true key.

[Man, I can't understand it. What kind of god is Li Can? Why does everything he touches turn to gold?!]

[There's always been something metaphysical about him.]

[Lol, you think a master just gets famous instantly? Have you seen his buildup and his past flops?!]

[I've seen it, man. I'm from the China Conservatory of Music. Li Can never flopped. He's been soaring in the sky the whole time. It's ridiculous.]

[...Damn, then how does he do it?]

[If I knew, would I still be failing?]

The industry was buzzing. Many musicians appeared on the forum, shocked by Li Can’s consecutive hits. Whoever he backed became a star—who could handle that?

The online discussion was intense, but Wang Fusheng only felt the world was too noisy. Li Can’s success was more painful to him than being killed. What disgusted Wang Fusheng the most was that he couldn't find a single flaw in *A Glimpse of Beauty*. Even he had to admit it was excellent. It was a joke!

"It doesn't matter how good it is. I absolutely cannot let a person like this continue to ruin the Chinese music scene!"

Wang Fusheng’s eyes were resolute as he found a new angle and began to type:

[The Farce Era of Traffic-First: Witnessing the Decline of Art]