In a large conference room at the hotel, camera flashes went off continuously. Matthew stood holding a few small gifts from fans, posing for a photo with five young men and women. These were all modest gifts, valued at no more than a hundred dollars each.
Matthew had specifically instructed his team to not accept any expensive gifts.
He then reciprocated with gifts of his own, a collection of DVDs from all the movies in which he played the lead role, starting from The Scorpion King. The gesture, while thoughtful, was not overly extravagant.
This exchange of gifts followed the local custom of reciprocal politeness.
Originally, only four fans were supposed to attend, so Matthew had instructed Brown Williams to bring four sets of DVDs. However, with one extra fan showing up, Matthew had to send a bodyguard to fetch an additional set.
The fan group, initially two men and two women, now consisted of two men and three women.
Matthew, however, didn't make a fuss and warmly welcomed all five of them.
Once the additional DVD set arrived, Matthew personally handed the signed copies to each fan. When he reached the second-to-last fan, a girl with a ponytail, he shook her hand and said, "I remember you—your name is Bai Xue, right? We met at the airport."
Bai Xue's face lit up with joy, and she quickly responded, "Yes! Yes! You even signed my name in Chinese." She added, "Matthew, your Chinese is amazing."
The others nodded in agreement.
Since they had arrived, Matthew had been speaking to them in Chinese the entire time. If not for his appearance, it would be hard to believe he wasn't a local celebrity.
Matthew smiled and nodded, "I hope we can meet again next time I'm here."
Bai Xue immediately replied, "We definitely will."
After finishing with her, Matthew stepped over to the last girl. She looked to be about the same age as Bai Xue, but unlike Bai Xue's natural look, this girl wore carefully applied makeup, her eyes brimming with allure.
This girl looked familiar.
"Hello," Matthew greeted her first and handed her the DVD set.
"Hello, Matthew. My name is Nini, and I love your movies," she said as she shook his hand.
"Thank you," Matthew replied before calling the others over for a group photo.
Nini bit her lip softly, refraining from saying anything more. Although she had some plans, she wasn't foolish enough to think this was the right place to act on them.
After taking another group photo, Matthew also took individual photos with each fan. He instructed the staff to note their contact information so that once the photos were developed, they could be sent to them.
As they were posing for another photo, Nini quietly asked, "Matthew, how can we stay in touch with you?"
Matthew gave her a curious glance, prompting her to explain, "You'll be heading back to Los Angeles soon. How will your fans here be able to contact you?"
Matthew smiled as they posed together and casually replied, "I'll leave you all an email address. If you need anything, you can send a message, and my assistant will check it regularly."
Nini felt a bit disappointed but hid it well.
"Thank you all for the gifts. I'm very happy to receive them," Matthew said louder, addressing the group. "It's getting late, and I've prepared dinner for us."
He gestured toward the door, saying, "This way, please."
Matthew led the group to a restaurant on the same floor, where a private room had already been prepared. He took his seat at the head of the table and motioned for the others to sit down.
Before he could finish speaking, the alluring girl, Nini, quickened her pace, moving ahead of her companions to sit right beside him.
Matthew, with his years of experience, immediately sensed that this girl might have other motives beyond just being a fan.
He had encountered countless women over the years with various agendas.
Moreover, the more he looked at her, the more familiar she seemed. He was certain he hadn't met her before this trip, which led him to believe he had likely seen her online.
Matthew frowned slightly. Nini... He was almost sure he had seen pictures of her on the internet.
After Nini sat down, she glanced at Matthew, noticing that he was also looking her way. She smiled at him.
Matthew gave her a slight nod and instructed the waiters to serve the dishes, all while keeping an eye on her.
This girl had naturally flirtatious eyes. When she wasn't smiling, it wasn't too noticeable, but once her face lit up with a smile, her eyes turned into crescent moons, exuding a dreamy, seductive charm.
Thanks to the preparations made earlier, the table was soon filled with a variety of delicious dishes.
"Help yourselves," Matthew said with a smile. "I'm not sure what the legal drinking age is here, so we won't be having any alcohol today. Just relax and enjoy."
Although he said this, the others, faced with such a big celebrity, couldn't fully relax.
Matthew, however, did his best to keep the atmosphere lively, especially after learning that apart from Nini, the other four fans were all from the same university's Chinese language department. He even tried to join in on a conversation about ancient poetry.
Initially, he hadn't planned on discussing poetry, given his limited knowledge, but today, Chen Datou's remark had left an impression on him.
Who would've thought that ancient poetry could be used like that? Chen was truly a genius.
Of course, Matthew's knowledge of poetry only extended to a few famous verses from his school days, some of which he could barely remember.
He merely opened the topic, giving the others something to talk about, which helped ease the atmosphere.
It was just basic socializing, after all.
Listening to the four students discuss poetry, Matthew couldn't help but think of Chen Datou again, especially how "A Thousand Miles to Jiangling" had completely altered his perspective.
Suddenly, more poetic lines came to mind. Using Chen's method, it seemed they could all be interpreted in rather mischievous ways.
For example, breaking down the line "Hoeing the crops in the midday heat" could suggest one person hoeing and another taking a rest. Then there were lines like "Bending the bow to shoot a great eagle," "The city's springtime grasses grow deep," "Dancing with a clear shadow," "Fighting within the same house," "Inserting willows everywhere," and "The Yellow River flows into the sea"...
Matthew quickly stopped his wandering thoughts. These ideas were far too wicked.
In the end, time reveals a person's true nature!
After about half an hour, Bai Xue, on behalf of the group, suggested that they should take their leave. Matthew didn't try to stop them and arranged for someone to escort them downstairs.
As they reached the hotel lobby, they politely declined the Disney staff's offer to drive them home, opting to take the same six-seater van they had arrived in.
"Let's go," Bai Xue called to her companions. "It's time for us to head back."
One of the boys followed, saying, "I never expected Matthew, such a big star, to be so down-to-earth."
"Yeah," the other boy agreed. "This trip was totally worth it."
As the group walked toward the exit, Nini suddenly said, "Bai Xue, I need to use the restroom."
"We'll wait for you," Bai Xue turned to her.
"No need," Nini quickly waved her off. "I'll take a cab home afterward anyway. It's not on your way."
Bai Xue thought for a moment, then said, "Alright, we'll stay in touch and go see the premiere of Fast & Furious 4 together."
"Sure," Nini replied, waving as they left the hotel. She then turned and headed toward the restroom near the elevator.
As she approached the elevator, she glanced back to ensure that Bai Xue and the others had already left in the van. She didn't actually go to the restroom but instead took the elevator back to the floor where they had dined.
She hoped Matthew Horner hadn't left yet.
When the elevator arrived, Nini stepped out, praying as she walked toward the private dining room. She turned on the voice recorder hidden in her handbag and gently knocked on the door.
"Come in," came a familiar voice from inside.
Nini's eyes lit up. She was lucky—Matthew hadn't left yet. She pushed open the door and was first met with the scrutinizing gaze of his bodyguard.
Looking further in, she saw Matthew just hanging up his phone.
"Hello, Matthew," Nini greeted him with her most charming smile, fully aware that she looked best when smiling. "I think I left my keys here."
"Really?" Matthew, ever polite, said, "Come in and look."
Nini walked to her previous seat and bent down to search the floor. Her seat was directly across from Matthew, and with her loose-fitting T-shirt, it wasn't long before a certain view was revealed.
Matthew, meanwhile, was also looking at the floor, helping her search.
"Here they are! I found them!" Matthew crouched down and picked up a set of keys from near his chair. "Are these yours?"
Nini glanced at them and cheered, "Yes! I thought I had lost them…"
She had planted the keys earlier as part of her plan to return.
Matthew nodded. "Good thing you found them." He checked his phone and then said to Brown Williams, "Let's head back. Armani's designer will be bringing clothes over soon. Have someone wait for them in the lobby."
As Brown stepped aside
to make a call, Nini quickly stood up and quietly said, "Thank you, Matthew."
"No problem," Matthew waved it off. His years of experience had given him a keen sense for these things, and he could tell that this young woman likely had ulterior motives. After a brief consideration, he asked, "Where are your friends? Are they waiting downstairs?"
Nini smiled and shook her head, "No, they've gone home."
Matthew glanced at his watch, "Would you like me to have someone drive you back?"
This universally understood gesture wasn't lost on Nini, but having worked so hard to shake off her companions and return, she wasn't about to leave so easily.
Biting her lip, Nini replied, "No need. I'll just grab a cab." She then added in a lower voice, "But since you helped me find my keys…"
Her voice dropped even further, her eyes brimming with seductive intent. "I really ought to thank you."
"Cough…"
Matthew coughed into his fist. Could she be any more obvious? Was this not a blatant request for "A Thousand Miles to Jiangling"?
He had encountered situations like this many times before.
But upon further reflection, he understood. When a man is evaluating a woman's looks, he should first consider his own appearance. If he's just average, then he should check his wallet.
Lacking in both departments made things difficult.
Nini's subtle hints were unmistakable, and seeing Matthew's thoughtful expression, she knew he had understood. She immediately suggested, "Could we talk in private?"
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