Chapter 31: The Wine Exhibition

The next morning, Han Jiayi stretched contentedly and sat up, smoothing her hair. As usual, she woke punctually at seven; though she hadn’t slept long, she felt quite refreshed. She glanced at Bai Renzong across from her—he was still asleep.

Han Jiayi tiptoed over to Bai Renzong’s side, lowered her head, and looked at him. His expression was gentler than usual; his brow finally relaxed, mouth open and drooling, utterly carefree.

“Heh, sleeping like a fool…” Han Jiayi covered her mouth, laughing softly. “He’s actually quite handsome when he’s quiet.”

After preparing breakfast, Han Jiayi returned to Bai Renzong, poking his cheek.

“Huh?” Bai Renzong opened his eyes, groggy. “What time is it?”

“It’s eight,” Han Jiayi replied, her confidence and grace restored. “Let’s have breakfast.”

“Mmm…” Bai Renzong rubbed his eyes. Though still a bit sleepy, the girl before him was like the morning sun—full of energy and vitality, rousing his own spirits.

After washing up, he and Han Jiayi sat at the table.

Breakfast was noodles topped with leftovers from last night and some fresh ingredients—ribs torn into strips, Mapo tofu, and shredded pork with green peppers.

“Are you okay with these?” Han Jiayi asked curiously. “It’s a bit of a jumble, but I didn’t want to waste anything.”

“It’s delicious,” Bai Renzong replied, eating heartily.

He actually liked this sort of thing—not merely for avoiding waste, but for its practical wisdom: this girl was not only beautiful, she knew how to live well.

Besides, this mishmash of toppings made for genuinely tasty noodles.

“Hopefully the wine exhibition the day after tomorrow will yield good material,” Bai Renzong mused.

After two days of rest and preparation, the wine exhibition officially opened at the 503 Cultural Center in Beichang City.

Bai Renzong was a bit nervous, as it was his first time appearing on camera for his videos.

When he came downstairs, Wang Bei was already waiting in her car.

As soon as she saw the two, she frowned. “You two look way too casual.”

Bai Renzong wore a white shirt and blue jeans, while Han Jiayi had on a loose goose-yellow T-shirt over a white camisole and baggy denim shorts—like they were just out shopping.

“I’m not the star today…” Han Jiayi muttered.

“I don’t make a living off my looks,” Bai Renzong added, unconcerned. “Let’s go, time to set off.”

On the drive, Wang Bei checked the filming equipment.

“Sis, help me out with filming later,” Wang Bei reminded. “You won’t be on camera today, just shoot alongside me. With more footage, editing afterward will be easier.”

“Oh…” Han Jiayi responded, taking a camera from Wang Bei.

The three arrived at the entrance of the 503 Cultural Center. A huge display board listed the wine brands participating in the exhibition—names like Torres and Pafi. Bai Renzong didn’t usually drink and hadn’t heard of these brands; the only wine he knew was the famous “Lafite,” but Lafite wasn’t on the list.

After checking their tickets, they entered the exhibition hall.

The 503 Cultural Center wasn’t particularly large. The hall was divided into six major sections, each with staff guiding attendees around, introducing various wine brands. Bai Renzong and his companions were no exception; as soon as they entered, a male staffer in his thirties approached.

“Hello, are you three interested in wine?” he asked kindly with a smile.

“I’m an uploader on D Station,” Bai Renzong explained directly. “I don’t usually drink, just here to see what’s going on.”

“No problem. This exhibition is to help everyone understand wine culture. We hope you’ll help spread the word,” the staffer replied. “Would you mind if I show you around?”

“Yes, let’s go,” Bai Renzong nodded, following behind.

Han Jiayi and Wang Bei divided their tasks: Han Jiayi focused on filming Bai Renzong, while Wang Bei captured both him and the wines and the handsome men and beautiful women attending the exhibition.

“Wine is made from special grapes—the fruit is small, with thick skin, little flesh but lots of juice. Each winery has its preferred grape, and the winery represents the wine’s brand. Names like Torres and Lafite are actually the names of the wineries…” the staffer introduced the basics.

Bai Renzong found it interesting and asked, “So, what’s special about a wine like Lafite from 1982?”

“It’s all about good marketing,” the staffer laughed. “The 1982 Lafite is famous because of great publicity—it appears in movies and TV, so everyone knows it, even those who don’t drink wine. Plus, the grapes from 1982 were indeed excellent, so the price went up. But it’s more valuable as a collectible; taste-wise, there are plenty of wines better than it.”

After a lengthy introduction, they finally reached the wine tasting.

“You can try some—our ZY wines are quite good. These are some of the most popular recent vintages.” With that, the staffer grabbed two glasses, swirled them, and handed them to Bai Renzong.

“Shake the glass before drinking, let the wine breathe and open up. Then smell the wine…” Before he finished, Bai Renzong took a sip.

“Hmm…” Bai Renzong raised his eyebrows. “A bit astringent… and the grape flavor is rather tart.”

“How about this one?” The staffer handed him another glass.

Bai Renzong swirled it and took a sip, frowning immediately. “Isn’t this the same as the last one? The sweetness and tartness are identical.”

The staffer looked curiously at his glass, then turned to ask his colleague who poured the wine, quickly laughing, “Ah, I mixed them up. It should be this glass…”

But Bai Renzong shook his head. “No… I can tell these are from the same vintage, but this one’s different. There’s a hint of…” He thought for a moment. “Clove.”

“Really?” The staffer was stunned, then quietly checked with the person pouring the wine, and after confirming, turned back with interest. “You can detect clove notes in the wine?”

The staffer was astonished, and Han Jiayi, who had been following, took the glass Bai Renzong had tasted and sipped as well, muttering suspiciously, “What? Clove?”

The staffer paused for a while, then quickly grabbed Bai Renzong’s hand. “Please wait a moment!”

He waved to several others, gave quick instructions, and soon four or five people arrived with bottles in hand, surrounding Bai Renzong with eager expressions.

“Huh?” Bai Renzong felt a bit nervous at this spectacle. “What are you all doing?”

“Don’t worry,” one staffer said, shaking hands with Bai Renzong. “I’m Zhang Zhiyong, marketing manager for ZY Wines in Beichang. We just want you to taste some of our wines. It’s rare to meet someone so knowledgeable—having you taste them is an honor for these wines.”