As the question was asked, Jiang Yichen’s gaze swept across Xing Luo’s darkened face.
“Baby, are you playing?” Jiang Yichen’s pitch-black eyes looked at Xing Luo.
The corners of his mouth curved slightly as he waited for Xing Luo’s answer.
Silence fell around them, everyone waiting for Xing Luo to respond.
Jiang Yichen appeared to be handing her the reins, but in truth, he was testing her.
Once, Xing Luo had directly said she didn’t want to play, and Jiang Yichen had mocked her for being overly jealous.
Xing Luo gripped her wine glass, took a small sip, and said flatly, “Sure, I’ll play.”
Why wouldn’t she? Even if Jiang Yichen ended up locking lips with Ji Yan this time, it had nothing to do with her.
Ji Yan produced a spinning wheel and placed it in the center of the table.
The wheel spun, and everyone’s eyes fixed on the rotating pointer.
After several spins, the pointer finally came to a stop, pointing at Jiang Yichen.
“Ooh.” The crowd jeered.
Sheng Huai and Xu Che were laughing the hardest.
Just then, Yu Yan walked over from the bar counter. “What’s got everyone so excited?”
Xing Luo pointed at the spinning wheel. “Truth or dare.”
Yu Yan glanced at the pointer, let out a light laugh, and looked at Jiang Yichen. “So, Young Master Jiang, who are you going to have kiss you this time?”
Yu Yan’s question was merciless.
She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at him.
No one dared to speak to Jiang Yichen like that—except Yu Yan.
Yu Yan wasn’t afraid. She had connections and skills. The fact that she could run such a large bar in the capital meant she had backing. She never worried about Jiang Yichen trying to trip her up.
Jiang Yichen’s expression darkened. He took Xing Luo’s hand. “Who else could kiss me besides my girlfriend?”
“Who knows with you?” Yu Yan’s tone rose, and she curled her lips into a smile.
She turned her gaze to Xing Luo, who smiled back.
“Come on now,” Ji Yan cut in. “Are we playing or not?”
She looked at Jiang Yichen with a coy, coaxing expression. “Yichen, pick one—truth or dare.”
Jiang Yichen didn’t look at her. Instead, he turned to Xing Luo. “Baby, pick one for me.”
Xing Luo smiled obediently. “You want me to pick for you?”
She asked again.
Jiang Yichen nodded.
“Then truth it is.” Xing Luo chose according to what she knew Jiang Yichen truly wanted.
If he picked dare and ended up drawing some kind of kissing challenge, he might end up blaming her.
So it was better to be a “considerate” girlfriend.
Jiang Yichen’s eyes lit up, and he curled his lips into a smile. “Good girl.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Yu Yan couldn’t help but let out a small laugh from where she stood.
It was barely audible—Jiang Yichen naturally didn’t hear it.
“Truth.” Jiang Yichen said.
Ji Yan looked a little disappointed and pouted. She pulled out a pre-prepared stack of cards from her bag and placed them in front of Jiang Yichen.
“Yichen, draw one.”
Jiang Yichen glanced at the cards, then reached out and drew one.
He flipped it over. Written on it was—
What’s the name of the person you truly loved?
Ji Yan read the question out loud, emphasizing the word “loved.”
Not “liked.” Not “had feelings for.” It said “loved.”
That word carried weight.
Ji Yan shifted her gaze to Jiang Yichen. “Yichen, time for your answer.”
The smile at the corners of her lips couldn’t be hidden.
Xing Luo smiled too—at how boring Ji Yan was.
Yu Yan, tired of standing and watching the show, sat down beside Xing Luo.
Everyone turned their eyes to Jiang Yichen.
Jiang Yichen picked up the card and stared at it for a long while, then set it back down on the table.
He leaned back against the sofa, crossing his legs.
The corners of his lips curved up unconsciously as he looked at Xing Luo. His lips parted but didn’t move.
Xing Luo simply smiled back at him.
She didn’t care what she might hear from Jiang Yichen’s mouth. She just wanted to play her part well until the very end.
“Yichen, what’s your answer?” Ji Yan urged when he didn’t respond. “Is the question that hard? It’s been ages—can’t you even think of a name?”
Sheng Huai and Xu Che laughed.
This question was practically a knife to Xing Luo’s heart. Everyone knew she was crazy about Jiang Yichen. But Jiang Yichen didn’t love her.
“You can choose not to answer, but then you have to drink,” Ji Yan added, casting a provocative glance at Xing Luo.
With that, she clasped her hands together, as if waiting for a good show to unfold.
The surroundings were lively, with cheers occasionally erupting from other tables.
But their table had fallen quiet for a long time.
Jiang Yichen still hadn’t spoken. He kept staring at Xing Luo.
In her dark eyes, she could see his reflection.
He curved his lips, wrapped an arm around Xing Luo’s shoulder, gave it a firm squeeze, and said in a flat tone, “I’ll drink!”
With that, he raised his glass and downed it in one go.
The empty glass clattered onto the table, reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors.
Ji Yan, off to the side, smiled almost imperceptibly.
Yu Yan shot a glance at Jiang Yichen.
Xing Luo’s expression never changed throughout.
She wasn’t surprised by Jiang Yichen’s answer.
Jiang Yichen had never truly loved her—at most, he had a bit of interest.
Just a “playing around” kind of interest.
Xing Luo lowered her head and took a small sip of wine, her fingertip tracing a slow circle around the rim of the glass.
After finishing his drink, Jiang Yichen leaned back against the sofa. That lazy, indifferent posture made it seem like nothing had happened at all.
Ji Yan looked at Jiang Yichen’s empty glass and casually refilled it for him.
“Yichen, let’s keep playing.” Her tone was intimate and coquettish.
Jiang Yichen glanced at the truth-or-dare cards on the table, then reached over and swept them all aside.
“Switch games!” It was a command, not a suggestion.
Ji Yan swallowed back everything she wanted to say. She didn’t dare defy Jiang Yichen.
“How about dice?” Yu Yan pulled out a few dice from under the table.
With dice, the drinks went down faster, which meant more profit for her.
When a rich young master like this showed up, how could she not take the chance to squeeze some money out of him?
Everyone looked at Jiang Yichen, and Jiang Yichen looked at Xing Luo.
Xing Luo smiled, and Jiang Yichen slowly nodded in response.
The sound of shaking dice soon filled the table.
The bottle of liquor on the table quickly ran dry.
Xing Luo shot Yu Yan a look.
Yu Yan immediately stood up, and the two sisters exchanged a knowing smile.
“Oh no, we’re out of liquor. Let me go grab a few more bottles for Young Master Jiang.”
Jiang Yichen might be arrogant and conceited, but he was generous with his money—he never spent little whenever he came to her place.
Yu Yan went and brought back a few of the most expensive bottles, setting them on the table.
After several rounds of drinks, everyone was getting a bit tipsy.
Jiang Yichen suggested heading back, and no one objected.
Ji Yan didn’t even put up much of a fuss.
“Yichen, take it slow.” Her steps were unsteady, her voice rising slightly.
She had lost the most rounds just now and had drunk the most as well.
Jiang Yichen stared at the bleary-eyed Ji Yan, then said to Sheng Huai and Xu Che, “You two are responsible for seeing her home.”
“Yichen, you’re going the same way though. We’d have to take a detour to drop her off.” Sheng Huai said deliberately.
After speaking, he looked at Xing Luo and smiled slightly. “Sister-in-law won’t mind, right?”
He loved stirring up trouble, and he also knew Xing Luo wouldn’t mind—and wouldn’t dare to mind.
“When I’m not around, is this how you all do things?” Xing Luo looked at Sheng Huai.
“It’s not appropriate to have a guy with a girlfriend escort a girl home.” After saying this, Xing Luo linked her arm through Jiang Yichen’s.
Sheng Huai was a bit surprised by Xing Luo’s response. Wasn’t she afraid of making Jiang Yichen angry?
Jiang Yichen tightened his grip on Xing Luo’s arm, pulling her closer.
“Call her a ride.” Jiang Yichen said to Sheng Huai and Xu Che.
“Why call a ride?” Sheng Huai laughed. “There’s a perfectly good car right here—why not take it?”
Jiang Yichen hooked his foot around a nearby stool and kicked it straight into Sheng Huai’s shin.
Sheng Huai let out a sharp hiss, his leg buckling as he collapsed to his knees in pain, his face twisting in agony.
“Don’t ever say something like that again!”