Why Are You Butting In?

Pitiful?

A cold glint suddenly flashed through Lu Heng's eyes. He hated that word.

Who wanted her sympathy?

Stupid, self-righteous woman.

Soon, everyone took their places at the mahjong table. Lu Heng's father made an excuse and left. The old madam sat in the east seat, with Lu Heng's mother helping her watch her tiles. Next came Lu Kuo, then Lu Heng, and finally Xia Zhi.

Lu Heng sat immediately before Xia Zhi in the turn order.

Xia Zhi secretly shot him a look, hinting that he should discard the tiles she needed later.

Lu Heng merely gave her a chilly glance and ignored her.

Xia Zhi hadn't really expected the villain to go easy on her. She simply figured that she and he were the only outsiders in this family. Fighting alone was too hard, so of course they should stick together.

Xia Zhi had no real strategy when playing mahjong. She went entirely by feel and played however she liked. She didn't care how she won, as long as she won.

Unexpectedly, she got ridiculously lucky and drew a good hand right away. After casually discarding two tiles, she was already one tile away from winning.

She was a little excited and couldn't suppress the smile tugging at her lips.

Lu Heng cast an indifferent glance at her embarrassingly pleased expression.

Lu Kuo said, "You're looking awfully happy, Xia Zhi. Don't tell me you're already waiting on your winning tile?"

Uh.

The male lead really did have sharp eyes. She hadn't even let it show.

"Yeah, I've had pretty good luck this hand."

Xia Zhi didn't know how to be modest, either.

Lu Kuo smiled. "Then here's hoping you start with a win. Grandma said the first win pays double."

Xia Zhi's eyes lit up. "Really, Grandma?"

The old madam smiled. "Of course. We'll just have to see whether you're lucky enough."

Lu Heng's mother, who sat beside the old madam watching her tiles, said, "Judging by how Xia Zhi draws her tiles, she looks like a beginner. Beginners tend to draw good hands."

Rubbing her hands eagerly, Xia Zhi drew a tile, silently chanting, Two or five of circles, two or five of circles, two or five of circles...

Full of anticipation, she turned it over. Four of characters.

What a letdown.

Xia Zhi silently discarded it.

After the old madam and Lu Kuo, it was Lu Heng's turn to draw and discard.

"Three of circles."

Xia Zhi's little heart gave a tremble. She hurriedly checked her tiles. No, she needed the two of circles, not the three.

She'd gotten excited for nothing.

Another round passed, and Lu Heng calmly discarded a four of circles.

Xia Zhi: "!!"

Did this jerk even know how to play?

He discarded the three of circles, then the four?

Although Xia Zhi's own skills were limited, that didn't stop her from questioning anyone else's.

Two more rounds passed, and she still hadn't drawn a two or five of circles. No one had discarded either of them, either, and she had already thrown away two fours of characters. She couldn't help growing a little anxious.

Perhaps someone else already held the twos and fives of circles. She had to change what she was waiting for.

But what should she switch to?

After pondering for ages, Xia Zhi decided to switch to the five and eight of characters.

Lu Heng sneered inwardly.

When his turn to discard came, he calmly tossed out a two of circles.

Xia Zhi's eyes nearly popped out. She blurted, "You threw out the three of circles, then the four, and now the two? You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Deliberately stopping her from winning, right?

Great. Now everyone knew Xia Zhi needed a two of circles to win, and they all stopped discarding circles.

Xia Zhi shot Lu Heng a resentful glare and silently began discarding her circles.

This awful man didn't deserve any sympathy at all. Look how nice the male lead was. He'd even thoughtfully let her claim a tile for a triplet to soothe her wounded heart.

And him?

It was as though he'd been born just to oppose her.

Xia Zhi had barely finished complaining inwardly when she felt a pair of sharp eyes sweep toward her.

She discarded a four of circles, and Lu Heng laid his tiles down. "I win."

Xia Zhi craned her neck. "Why the hell did you discard a four of circles if that's what you needed to win?"

She really wanted to crack his skull open and see what was inside.

"What do you care what I win on? A win is a win."

Lu Heng completely ignored her fury.

"Pay up."

Reluctantly, Xia Zhi took out her phone. "I'll send it to you on WeChat."

She had thought Lu Heng might at least make a polite show of declining. Instead, he took Xia Zhi's phone straight from her and transferred a thousand to himself.

Xia Zhi: "!!"

"Did your finger slip and add an extra zero?"

More importantly, her WeChat transfers didn't even require a password?? The original owner of this body had been far too careless!

Contempt showed in Lu Heng's eyes. "No."

Xia Zhi: "..."

Wasn't this family playing for ridiculously high stakes?

She couldn't afford this. She really couldn't.

Seeing Lu Heng add Xia Zhi on WeChat, Lu Kuo said, "You two are hilarious. You haven't even added each other on WeChat until now? How do you usually keep your relationship going?"

Only after asking did Lu Kuo realize something was wrong. He'd forgotten that this young couple hadn't seemed to get along very well before.

For a moment, the atmosphere froze.

Just as Lu Heng's face turned cold and he showed no intention of answering, Xia Zhi said with a smile,

"We're pretty conservative. We use primitive methods to connect."

She had meant that they didn't use any devices and connected face-to-face instead, but somehow, once the words left her mouth, they sounded a little off.

Still, Xia Zhi didn't dwell on it. It had only been an offhand remark.

The others, however, were astonished.

Lu Kuo stared, somewhat dumbstruck, at the perfectly composed Xia Zhi. His sister-in-law was far bolder than he'd imagined.

She could say something like "primitive methods" without batting an eye, and even "modestly" call herself conservative. Tsk, tsk. He was really curious what she'd be like if she weren't conservative.

Lu Kuo gave Lu Heng a sympathetic look. He'd have to get Aheng something nourishing one of these days.

Lu Heng glared at Xia Zhi. Did this woman know what she was saying?

Xia Zhi looked innocent. Had she said something wrong? Why was everyone looking at her so strangely?

Lu Heng's mother gave a light cough. "Time to shuffle."

Lu Heng was still glaring at her.

Xia Zhi glared right back without hesitation. Those bright, doe-like eyes were clear to their depths, without a trace of filth or the slightest hint of lewdness or wantonness.

So pure, and so stupid.

Lu Heng was truly too infuriated by her to speak.

After a few rounds, the old madam grew sleepy. She usually went to bed early, so she had Lu Heng's mother take her place and keep playing.

Mrs. Wu came to help the old madam back to her room to rest.

Everyone politely wished the old madam good night.

The old madam reminded them again, "It's too late tonight. None of you should go home. You ought to come back and stay in your own rooms from time to time."

Everyone hastened to agree.

After Lu Heng's mother joined the game, the atmosphere wasn't as lively as before. Everyone drew and discarded in silence.

Three rounds later, Lu Heng's mother suddenly spoke. "Aheng, your uncle's son Taozi has turned over a new leaf now. Let bygones be bygones. See if there's a suitable position for him at the company."

"Arrange something for him. We're family, after all. We can't really cut off contact."

On the surface, her words sounded like a discussion, but her tone was clearly giving an order.

Lu Heng's previously expressionless face abruptly turned cold.

Seeing that he said nothing, his mother continued to persuade him. "You can't blame your uncle for what happened with your adoptive parents. Who wouldn't look out for themselves in that situation?"

"Besides, your adoptive parents had an accident. It wasn't as though anyone harmed them..."

Lu Heng kept his head lowered, a tile clenched in his palm. He gripped it so tightly that his knuckles had turned slightly white.

Lu Kuo glanced at Lu Heng. "Mom, stop."

Lu Heng's mother said, "I'm talking to your younger brother. Why are you butting in?"

Lu Kuo frowned. "Since the company has already been handed over to Aheng to manage, you shouldn't let our aunt egg you on into meddling."