“Have a drink. It’ll help you sleep.”
Chen Li poured a glass of red wine and handed it to Jiang Wanyin.
Jiang Wanyin felt that she did indeed need some alcohol to help her sleep, so she took the glass and sipped it slowly.
Shen Ci sat quietly beside her, keeping her company.
Life is but a dream… wind sways, rain falls… where does the heart find anchorage, the blade rises and cuts… unable to sever… cause and effect…
(A/N: Lyrics quoted from the song “If Dream”)
A slightly husky, magnetic voice began to sing.
Jiang Wanyin looked up. Pei Zhou had somehow taken a seat at the song-selection console, holding the microphone as he sang unhurriedly.
His naturally upturned lips were captivating, drawing Jiang Wanyin to study him without meaning to.
Pei Zhou was wearing a crimson casual suit today. The alcohol and drowsiness had tinged the corners of his eyes with a hint of red.
In the dim private room, he was like a resplendent red-tailed mermaid in the deep sea, radiating a fatal allure.
That voice, that face—what a waste that he hadn’t debuted as an idol, Jiang Wanyin silently lamented on behalf of countless fans.
Pei Zhou sang song after song, and Jiang Wanyin took sip after sip along with the music.
“Come on, let’s play dice. Highest roll asks, lowest roll answers. Truth or dare.”
Chen Li had sobered up a bit and was feeling bored, so he invited Jiang Wanyin and Shen Ci to play a little game.
Jiang Wanyin had never actually played these kinds of games before.
When she was in school, she was either grinding through practice problems or working part-time jobs.
After starting work, she was either working overtime or trying to sustain her hobbies of drawing and design with her mediocre skill level.
“Alright.”
The three of them shook their dice cups simultaneously.
Chen Li got a 6, Shen Ci a 5, and Jiang Wanyin a 2.
Chen Li curled his lips at her smugly and asked, “Do you still want that scumbag?”
Better to endure short-term pain than long-term suffering. Chen Li was a man himself, and he’d been through it before.
He’d run into this foolish woman today whom he found reasonably agreeable, so he might as well do a good deed and help her sort this out.
Jiang Wanyin shook her head. “Absolutely not.”
“Hm?”
Chen Li lit a cigarette and said, “Aren’t you afraid that woman was just bluffing? Maybe she’s not pregnant, or maybe it’s not your boyfriend’s.”
“Just a woman’s intuition.”
She had vaguely sensed something off about Lin Wenhao before.
When it all came to light, she’d actually already had a thought in the back of her mind that something was indeed wrong.
Shen Ci patted Jiang Wanyin’s shoulder reassuringly. “Continue.”
With a few clatters, Chen Li got a 6, Shen Ci a 4, and Jiang Wanyin a 3.
Chen Li suddenly smiled. “Oh! My luck’s pretty good today! Wanyin… what should I ask you? Hm… how many boyfriends have you had?”
Jiang Wanyin said calmly, “One.”
Chen Li’s expression showed a hint of surprise, and he blurted out, “You’re not still a virgin, are you?”
Jiang Wanyin felt her face grow hot at his words. She looked at Chen Li and saw his expression turn somewhat awkward, realizing he’d probably had too much to drink and spoken without thinking.
Shen Ci came to her rescue. “That’s a second question.”
Chen Li, thinking he’d already let the words slip, picked up the dice and tossed them again—another 6.
He raised an eyebrow challengingly.
Shen Ci shook his dice too—a 5.
Jiang Wanyin tossed hers with trembling hands—a 3.
Chen Li burst out laughing. “Designer Jiang’s luck really is terrible today.”
Jiang Wanyin glared at him. Did it have to be this bad?
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Pei Zhou, who had stopped singing and was watching the three of them play. Summoning courage she didn’t know she had, she picked up a die and handed it to him. “President Pei hasn’t rolled yet.”
Of course Pei Zhou knew Jiang Wanyin was trying to “divert the flood eastward”—shifting the trouble onto someone else. He inwardly cursed the woman for not knowing what was good for her, daring to drag him into this mess, yet his hand unconsciously took the dice and tossed them casually.
Everyone’s gaze followed the bouncing dice until they landed under the nearby mahjong table.
The lighting in the private room was dim, and no one could make out the number on the dice.
Since it concerned her directly, Jiang Wanyin quickly stood up and walked over to the mahjong table. She had just bent down to look when she felt a bit dizzy, so she simply knelt down and stuck her head underneath.
She didn’t realize there was anything wrong with her posture.
But the three men on the other side only saw the woman’s arm raised high, its curve graceful.
The alluring sight made the three gentlemen unconsciously shift in their seats.
“It’s a one!”
Under the table, Jiang Wanyin was so excited that she bumped her head: “Ouch!”
“Are you alright? Lisa.”
Shen Ci stood up and walked over, bending down to shield Jiang Wanyin’s head with his hand as he guided her out.
The moment Jiang Wanyin stood up, her legs went weak—they had fallen asleep.
“Careful.”
Shen Ci steadied her with one hand on her shoulder and the other lightly touching her waist, helping her regain her balance.
Once she was steady, Jiang Wanyin took a step back: “Thank you… President Shen.”
Shen Ci noticed that the woman had flinched like a startled little rabbit just because his hand had brushed her waist, and he felt a subtle stir in his heart.
His hanging fingers rubbed together subtly as he gave a slight nod and returned to sit on the sofa.
Chen Li couldn’t wait to urge Pei Zhou to answer: “Zhouzi, you lost!”
Although Chen Li had brought up the topic with Pei Zhou, he wasn’t actually a mind reader when it came to him.
He was only joking—he didn’t really think Pei Zhou had never been with a woman.
Jiang Wanyin also looked at Pei Zhou with sparkling eyes.
Pei Zhou saw that the woman’s usually clear, cool eyes were now wide with curiosity, round and adorable, her glances carrying a hint of spring and shyness that made one’s heart tingle and itch. Without thinking, he mumbled an “mm” in acknowledgment.
“No way, Zhouzi, you actually—”
Only when Chen Li exclaimed in shock did Pei Zhou realize what he had just admitted to.
Damn, how had he been bewitched by an ordinary woman!
He glared fiercely at the “culprit,” then turned his head away, picked up a glass of wine to hide his burning ears, and downed it in one go.
“Ah, let’s continue, let’s keep going…”
Jiang Wanyin received Pei Zhou’s “just you wait” glare, and her mind suddenly sobered up a bit. She quickly changed the subject.
Drinking really caused trouble—she had made President Pei lose face. What if he gave her a hard time later?
The considerate Shen Ci picked up the dice: “Mm… I still have a question to ask. Come…”
Another round of dice hit the table.
Pei Zhou: 6, Chen Li: 6, Shen Ci: 4, Jiang Wanyin: 1.
Jiang Wanyin: “…”
She shouldn’t have agreed to this game. These favored sons of heaven were simply children of fortune!
Jiang Wanyin gave a sheepish smile: “There are two sixes. Let’s roll again.”
“No need. This round goes to Zhouzi to ask.”
Chen Li crossed his long legs, leaning back on the sofa with an air of “I’m a bit tired.”
Could Mr. Chen not torment her for even one day?
Jiang Wanyin had no choice but to look at Pei Zhou with pleading eyes.
What goes around comes around—who can escape heaven’s justice?
Pei Zhou raised one handsome brow: “Jiang… great designer, if you had to choose one of the three of us to be your boyfriend, who would you pick?”