Fool's Game 3

So this was truth or dare.

The Fool's Game was truth, while dare meant the punishment the loser received after the game ended.

"Right!"

The host promptly turned around, pulled a punishment box out from under the table, and held it out.

"Young Master He, please draw one."

He Zhenglin narrowed his eyes at the host. Why did the man seem so eager the moment there was talk of punishing him? He had even interrupted him earlier, yet there was nothing He Zhenglin could fault in his manner.

But he couldn't see anything suspicious. There were plenty of people in his mansion, so it was normal to see unfamiliar faces.

Preoccupied with his thoughts, He Zhenglin was a little slow to move. To the others, it looked like something else entirely.

Jimo spoke casually, but his words were infuriating. "Young Master He, surely you're not such a sore loser that you can't even handle this?"

"That's fine too. It's your birthday party, after all, so you have the final say. We've played the game, and since that's how it is, Xiao Shu and I will be going."

He Zhenglin scoffed. He had so many things to fall back on that he could fly high just by standing still. He had never known what it meant to be a sore loser.

"What's the hurry? Did I say I wouldn't accept the punishment? Since you know it's my birthday party, did you bring a gift?"

As he spoke, He Zhenglin reached decisively into the box, pulled out a ball, and handed it to the host.

Jimo said nothing more and waited quietly.

He still wanted a gift from him? If beating him up counted as a gift, Jimo would be happy to oblige.

After unfolding the slip of paper, the host formally announced the punishment.

"The losing player must choose any player present, interlace fingers with him, and maintain eye contact until one of them looks away."

The room fell silent as soon as the host finished reading. For a long while, no one spoke.

He Zhenglin wore a strange expression. "What kind of punishment is that?"

Indeed, at most, it was a prank. Ever since Jiang Wangshu had put on the bunny girl outfit that evening, the birthday party had been filled with a strange atmosphere.

The host asked, "Are we still playing, then?"

"Yes! It's not like I'm a sore loser."

He Zhenglin deliberately emphasized the last words. He raised his head and looked straight at Jimo. "Can the person I choose refuse?"

The host kept smiling. "Not according to the rules."

Jimo frowned and refused outright. "We're not participating."

Jiang Wangshu nodded in agreement. "Right."

Jimo said, "And I suspect this punishment box has been tampered with. I want to open it and check."

This host worked for He Zhenglin and drew a salary from him. The moment he saw his young master lose, he produced such a mild punishment. If they had lost, the punishments might have been different.

But Jimo really was overthinking it this time. He pulled several balls out of the box in succession and opened them to find that the slips really did have proper punishments written on them.

They ranged from wearing a silly headpiece and crawling around the room meowing to actual punishments like doing a hundred abdominal rotations around a bar.

Jimo looked deeply regretful as he tossed the balls back into the box.

He really did want to see He Zhenglin have a terrible time.

"You believe me now?"

He Zhenglin's lips curved upward, and his mischievous streak began to stir again. Seeing how resistant Jimo was only made him want to go against him all the more. Now it seemed this punishment round wasn't so bad after all.

He was just about to speak when he suddenly felt his arm tighten. Someone had grabbed him.

"A-Lin, what did you promise me in the lounge?" Ke Yueyi asked evenly, gazing at him.

He Zhenglin's gaze shifted to Jimo again. He pulled his hand free, his tone irritated.

"I won't become interested in him. You're overthinking it, Yi. We're just playing a game together."

He Zhenglin hadn't expected Ke Yueyi to stop him again after he finished speaking, still just as insistent. "Choose someone else."

Jimo couldn't hear what they were saying clearly, and his gaze was guarded.

But Song Wenxi, who knew the two of them extremely well, could see it all too clearly.

He gave Jimo a long look, then turned to He Zhenglin and suggested, "Why don't you choose me instead? It'll be over in a moment anyway."

This time, He Zhenglin refused without even thinking.

"It's no fun playing with you."

"Forget it."

Fortunately, though, he didn't insist anymore. As if to prove he wasn't interested, He Zhenglin looked away from Jimo. But a moment later, his gaze shifted to Jiang Wangshu behind him, and he raised a hand to point. "I'll choose him."

Ke Yueyi had no objection this time, but someone else stepped forward to object.

Jimo said, "No!"

He Zhenglin had chosen Jiang Wangshu for a punishment that would clearly embarrass the people involved. Didn't this once again confirm Jimo's suspicion that He Zhenglin was gradually becoming interested in the male lead?

At a time like this, he had made such a request right in front of him.

How could Jimo stand by and watch the two fall in love while gazing into each other's eyes?

He Zhenglin was annoyed. "This won't do, that won't do. Why don't you do it, then?!"

To his surprise, Jimo answered quickly this time. "Fine!"

Aside from Song Wenxi, the other three people present were all taken aback.

Jiang Wangshu placed a hand on Jimo's arm. "Brother, let me do it instead."

If Jimo was going to play this kind of game with someone else, he would rather take his place.

Jimo patted him reassuringly. He didn't think much of it and was still thinking that this didn't count as a punishment at all. He Zhenglin was getting off far too easily.

This time, He Zhenglin ignored Ke Yueyi's dark expression and didn't even turn to look at him.

Jimo had said it himself, so he couldn't be blamed for this.