“Ah..”
Shen Guai let out a small gasp of surprise, quickly covering her eyes with her hands.
A dull pain shot through her wrists as Qin Chaomu clamped down on them with a death grip, forcibly wrenching Shen Guai’s hands away from her face.
“If you dare to bark like a dog again and let Chen Qinghe hear you, I’ll kill you,” Qin Chaomu said, her voice icy. She looked at Shen Guai with a faint smile or rather, she looked at the parts of Shen Guai’s body that weren’t meant to be seen.
“Qin Chaomu, if you dare to do it with me here, I’ll run out right now and tell Chen Qinghe we’re a fake couple…”
Taking advantage of Qin Chaomu’s brief moment of hesitation, Shen Guai shook off her grip, dodged to the side, grabbed her bathrobe, threw it on, and bolted out the door.
Qin Chaomu deeply enjoyed this side of Shen Guai the dazed look she had after being toyed with.
She tilted her head back slightly. The water from the showerhead trickled down her chin, and a smirk played on her lips.
The Card Game
Wrapping herself in a pure white bathrobe, Qin Chaomu sat down next to Shen Guai without a word.
Thinking back to the “hooligan” behavior Qin Chaomu had just displayed, Shen Guai suddenly felt that the scent of the shower gel on Qin Chaomu’s skin was a bit… provocative.
Qin Chaomu glanced sideways at Shen Guai, mentally calculating the distance between Shen Guai, Chen Qinghe, and herself. Realizing Shen Guai was sitting slightly closer to Chen Qinghe, Qin Chaomu hooked an arm around Shen Guai’s shoulder and pulled her close.
“Qin Chaomu!” Shen Guai was about to protest when she noticed Chen Qinghe shiver, a trace of fear in her eyes.
Following Chen Qinghe’s gaze, Shen Guai saw that Qin Chaomu’s stunning face was currently directing a chillingly cold smile at Chen Qinghe.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Qin Chaomu tilted Shen Guai’s chin up, raising an eyebrow with a gaze that was heavy with threat.
It was as if she was saying: If you dare say a single word out of turn in front of an outsider, I’ll have you carried out of here horizontally. And the same went for Chen Qinghe.
“I didn’t realize you knew how to play cards, Sister~” Shen Guai narrowed her eyes and gave a fake smile.
Shen Guai was intentionally being sarcastic. She knew Qin Chaomu well, the woman lived a strictly disciplined life. Aside from work, her time was entirely consumed by eating and sleeping. Playing cards? Qin Chaomu never played cards.
“I’m alright at it,” Qin Chaomu said calmly, her slender fingers picking up a card.
Shen Guai leaned her head to the side, her eyes locking onto Qin Chaomu’s fair hands. Her knuckles were well-defined, her fingers long, and her nails neatly trimmed. Those hands were practically perfect.
“We’re playing for five yuan a round,” Chen Qinghe said, sitting across from them and rubbing her hands together. She was thinking she could fleece this little couple for a good amount tonight.
Qin Chaomu nodded absentmindedly, her eyes landing on the hickey on Shen Guai’s collarbone. Shen Guai also nodded absentmindedly, her eyes landing on the way Qin Chaomu was staring at the hickey.
With both opponents distracted, Chen Qinghe felt she had already won before the game even started.
“I’ll be the Landlord!” Chen Qinghe shouted, holding her cards. She was so happy her eyebrows were practically dancing. “Aren’t you guys going to bid against me?”
Chen Qinghe looked at Shen Guai, then at Qin Chaomu. Seeing them both acting dazed and muddled, she felt a bit bored. But then she thought: If they don’t know how to play, won’t I have a blast tonight?
“What does ‘bidding for Landlord’ mean?” Shen Guai blinked her large eyes, looking toward Qin Chaomu as if asking for help.
In reality, Shen Guai was observing Qin Chaomu’s expression. She was afraid that if one thing went wrong, this “bad woman” would lose her mind in front of others.
Hearing this, Chen Qinghe was even more delighted. She loved playing with people who didn’t know the rules, especially people like Shen Guai, who had “more money than brains.”
Qin Chaomu fell into thought for a moment. Clearly, Chen Qinghe’s question had hit a blind spot in her knowledge as well. Seeing that Qin Chaomu wasn’t angry at her “stupidity,” Shen Guai relaxed.
“Pair of fours.”
As the Landlord, Chen Qinghe felt victory was within her grasp. After two rounds, the couple opposite her barely knew how to play their cards. Shen Guai fumbled with her hand for a long time before eventually throwing out a pair of Twos.
“Holy crap!” Chen Qinghe cursed. “That’s like an ant fighting a cannon!”
Qin Chaomu bit her nail, sitting cross-legged. Her face was dead serious as she looked at her cards, then she shook her head helplessly.
Shen Guai was less than twenty centimeters away from Qin Chaomu. She tilted her head to look at her. Without makeup, Qin Chaomu’s skin was translucent and flawless, giving her a more approachable, refined look.
If she did it with me for a night… then I’d definitely have to be the one on top…
While Shen Guai was daydreaming, Chen Qinghe had already dropped a “Airplane” (a specific card combo).
“Come on, come on! Pay up!”
In less than an hour, Chen Qinghe had made 280 yuan. Looking at the balance in her WeChat wallet, she grinned so wide her teeth showed. Her hotel room only cost 80 yuan; she was making a 200 yuan profit tonight.
Qin Chaomu watched Chen Qinghe’s reaction and shook her head with a smile.
She lost money and she’s smiling?!
Shen Guai glared at Qin Chaomu, incensed. Was this woman intentionally losing to Chen Qinghe just to make her miserable?
“I’m done, I’m done!” Chen Qinghe knew when to quit while she was ahead. She was afraid if they kept playing, this dazed couple might actually win their money back. “I’m going to the snack cabinet to buy some food. When I get back, you two are playing League of Legends with me.”
Chen Qinghe barked orders like a conductor and skipped out of the room.
The “Bitch” Definition
“Qin Chaomu, were you throwing the game?” Shen Guai asked unhappily. “Do you like Chen Qinghe that much?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Qin Chaomu smoothed her hair and reclined halfway on the bed. She lifted her long legs and lightly kicked Shen Guai in the lower back. “The one throwing the game was clearly you. What, were you worried about Chen Qinghe losing money?”
“How was I throwing? You were the one who wouldn’t play your cards!” Shen Guai was so angry she hit Qin Chaomu’s leg with a pillow.
“I wouldn’t play?” Qin Chaomu sneered. “She was the Landlord. Every time I tried to play, you would use your cards to block me. How was I supposed to play?”
“I just wanted to get the cards out of my hand. Is that not allowed?” Shen Guai cupped her face, her voice softening, her eyes showing a hint of confusion.
“Eldest Miss, if your brain isn’t working, don’t come out trying to chase girls,” Qin Chaomu sat up on her knees and threw the pillow back at Shen Guai. “How embarrassing.”
“Qin Chaomu! You dare hit me!” Shen Guai scrambled up, intending to settle the score. In her haste, she tripped over herself and fell straight into Qin Chaomu’s arms.
“Uh…” Shen Guai’s lips parted slightly. she looked up at Qin Chaomu awkwardly.
The woman she was staring at was excessively beautiful. Shen Guai raised her brows and pursed her lips. After a long silence, she challenged, “Try hitting me one more time?”
Thwack!
“Ah..”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Shen Guai received a flick to the forehead.
“Qin Chaomu! You bitch!”
Shen Guai was fuming. This woman actually dared to hit her?
Qin Chaomu sneered and grabbed Shen Guai by the neck. With a slight surge of strength, she pinned her down.
“Do you know what ‘bitches’ love to do most?”
Qin Chaomu stroked the broken skin of the bite mark on Shen Guai’s earlobe. In her upturned eyes, desire and irritation were becoming impossible to suppress.
“Don’t tell me ‘bitches’ love making love,” Shen Guai said, her hands resting on Qin Chaomu’s collarbones, catching an accidental glimpse of the scenery beneath the robe.
Qin Chaomu clearly hadn’t expected that answer. She froze for a second, but her expression quickly returned to that damned fake smile.
“You got half of it right. Bitches… love forcing others to make love.”
Room 2011
Meanwhile, on the second floor of the hotel, in Room 2011.
The door was slightly ajar. Three men and a woman kicked the door open and stormed inside.
In the middle of the room stood a woman in a black shirt and trousers. She wore a black baseball cap that obscured the upper half of her face.
“You’re late. A-Ken isn’t here.”
The woman’s voice was weary. She was thin, the kind of thin that looked like she might blow away in the wind.
“Damn it! Where did this woman come from!”
The four intruders drew daggers from their waists and lunged at her without a word.
The woman in black was incredibly skilled. With a slight turn, she evaded their attacks. She pulled a baseball bat from her backpack, swung it once in her palm, leaped into the air, and sent one of the men flying with a side kick.
Following through with a pivot, she swung the bat downward, aiming straight for another man’s vitals. Two of them fell, screaming in pain.
The woman in black lowered the brim of her hat, a smirk appearing on her face. She bounced the bat in her hand and suddenly blurred toward the woman in the group. With a swift kick, she sent the woman crashing into the last remaining man.
The movements were seamless.
“Shit! This woman is freaky!”
The room door closed. Song Ci lowered her head and hurried toward the hotel exit, only to collide head-on with another person.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Chen Qinghe knelt down to pick up Song Ci’s baseball cap. When she looked up, she froze.
It was an extremely cold, elegant face like a high-end runway model. She was as beautiful as a descending deity. Chen Qinghe gripped the black cap awkwardly, wondering why she had never seen such a beautiful girl before. She looked to be in her early twenties. Was she a new model?
“Give it to me,” Song Ci said expressionlessly.
“Oh, right, right.” Chen Qinghe swallowed hard. Damn, she’s gorgeous.
Seeing Chen Qinghe standing there dazed, Song Ci snatched the hat and left without a word.
“She’s pretty, but pretty rude,” Chen Qinghe muttered. Suddenly remembering she had snacks to buy, she sighed and walked away.
Song Ci walked out of the hotel, turned a few corners, and finally got into an old-fashioned stretched Lincoln.
“Madame Xu, A-Ken escaped. People have already started moving to kill him.” Song Ci took off her hat and sat beside Madame Xu. As Madame Xu’s high-level enforcer, Song Ci enjoyed privileges other bodyguards didn’t like sitting in the same car as her.
Madame Xu rubbed her temples. “How much longer can he live?”
Song Ci pondered for a moment. “Three days at most.”
Xu Xia (Madame Xu) nodded. “Within three days, I want to see A-Ken. Alive.”
“Yes, Madame.” Song Ci leaped out of the car and vanished into the night.