Chapter 35

-Eight points.

That was very good luck.

Everyone fell quiet as they looked at the cards, their eyes turning almost instinctively to Lin Yu, who had been silent the whole time. Lin Yu looked at the cards on the table and nearly blacked out. The goddess of luck really hadn't smiled on her. Her gaze fell on the wineglass on the table, filled to the brim. She pressed her lips together, held down her card, and reached for the glass.

"Wrong one. This is yours." Seeing her like that, Chen Lüli knew her card had to be low. As she reached out, he spoke in a lazy drawl.

Lin Yu's fingertips paused. Another glass was placed in her palm. It was his, and he had already drunk more than half of it. Lin Yu blinked and held the glass.

Seeing her stunned expression, Jiang Yan'an and Jiang Yingshan knew her luck hadn't been very good, and they couldn't insist on making her drink the full glass.

So they turned a blind eye.

Jiang Zao, meanwhile, was laughing behind her hand in her heart.

Only Ming Yu raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't Yuyu's wine the full glass?"

Chen Lüli lifted his eyes and glanced at her. "The wine belongs to whoever poured it."

Ming Yu fell silent for a second.

Thinking back on the rules, that was indeed the case.

They had essentially exploited a loophole. Lin Yu hadn't poured any wine, and everyone else at the table still had some left in their glasses. Only the glass in front of Lin Yu was the fullest.

If they really made her drink it, even if she had the lowest card, it wouldn't be fair.

She said nothing more.

But she felt somewhat irritated. Chen Lüli was protecting Lin Yu.

Lin Yu, however, wasn't the kind of person who lacked sportsmanship. She had been stunned because she hadn't expected to draw such a low number right off the bat. She put down Chen Lüli's glass, picked up the bottle, and filled it to the brim. Her voice was soft and gentle. "There's no telling who'll win the next round."

Jiang Yingshan and Jiang Yan'an laughed when they heard that. "You talk big."

Chen Lüli watched her quietly as she drank the full glass. He said nothing.

Fortunately, it was dealcoholized wine; the alcohol had evaporated, so it wasn't easy to get drunk on it.

Lin Yu had expected it to be like the wine at home, potent and dry, but to her surprise, it was fragrant and sweet, really delicious. A whole glass went down like juice. Even so, Lin Yu still hoped to win a few rounds. No one could have bad luck forever, after all. Soon, the cards for the second round were dealt.

A new contest began.

This round, Jiang Yingshan drew a one, the lowest at the table. He knew when to bend and when to stand firm, calling a halt when his glass was only a third full and draining it in one gulp.

The third round was when the real contest began. Everyone had fairly high cards, so it came down to who could hold out. The wine was poured more and more slowly as everyone exchanged looks, each person holding down their card, waiting to see who would crack first. The tension was so thick that even the housekeeper came and went quietly when she brought over a fruit platter, not daring to breathe too loudly.

In the end, Chen Lüli drank that glass.

He really was impossible to read. Only when everyone thought they were the loser did he reveal his card.

Over the course of the game, Lin Yu played the coward a few times and also tried holding out until the end. She tied with Jiang Zao once, and they drank their glasses together.

The wine really wasn't easy to get drunk on, but drinking too much of it made her a little dizzy. She was clearheaded, but by the end, she couldn't drink any more and leaned against Jiang Zao's shoulder.

The two huddled together in an embrace.

Chen Lüli turned and saw the scene. He raised an eyebrow.

He gave the housekeeper a signal.

The housekeeper understood. She took the jacket from his clothes rack and carefully draped it over Lin Yu.

Jiang Yingshan and Jiang Yan'an both logged into Extreme Survival. Their bellies full of wine, they continued battling it out in the game, pulling Chen Lüli in with them.

Chen Lüli picked up his phone and played a few rounds with them.

Ming Yu propped up her forehead, feeling a little dizzy. Her family called, and she answered before hanging up. The Ming family's driver soon came to pick her up. She looked at Lin Yu, who was chatting with Jiang Zao as they huddled together, then at Chen Lüli, who was playing games with Jiang Yan'an and Jiang Yingshan. Apart from that one moment when he had protected her, there had been nothing more intimate between them that night.

She very much wanted to follow that line of thought. Perhaps nothing had developed between them at all.

But her sixth sense kept mounting faint attacks on that thought. The driver arrived and called her. Ming Yu hung up, stood, and said, "I'm heading home first."

Jiang Yan'an waved. "Take care."

Jiang Yingshan said, "Take care, young miss."

Ming Yu picked up her hat and put it on. When she reached the door, she suddenly turned back and looked at Chen Lüli. He didn't even raise his head. Ever since Lin Yu had drunk that full glass of wine tonight, his attitude had been colder than before. Ming Yu watched him for a few seconds, then abruptly turned and went down the steps.

Jiang Zao saw it happen.

But she also remembered how Ming Yu was always calling herself a proud member of the singles club. Every year, Ming Yu made the same birthday wish; even in high school, she had wished for all her rotten peach blossoms to retreat, retreat, retreat.

So what was with the way she was looking at Chen Lüli now?

No, please.

Jiang Zao glanced at Lin Yu, who was leaning against her, drowsy and ready to fall asleep. Jiang Zao was about to smooth Lin Yu's hair when she noticed the suit jacket that had appeared over her shoulders.

Jiang Zao felt it and looked it over a couple more times, her eyes lighting up.

Oh.

It was Chen Lüli's.

She pulled the jacket higher and tucked it around Lin Yu, who mumbled, "Live well, work hard."

Jiang Zao held back a laugh. "You got it."

Chapter 35

It was late at night.

After the game, Jiang Yingshan leaned back and spread his hands. "I'm not leaving tonight. I'll stay here. I'm too tired."

Hearing that, Jiang Yan'an pulled a cushion into his arms. "Me too."

Without ceremony, he said to the housekeeper nearby, "Sorry for the trouble, but could you get a room ready for me? The one I had before is fine."

The housekeeper paused and glanced at Chen Lüli.

Chen Lüli snorted. "Call a designated driver."

"No, no, no, I don't want to go back. My mom nags me to death."

Jiang Yingshan snapped his fingers. "Same here. My grandpa's driving me crazy, setting me up on a blind date every day."

Jiang Zao said, "I'm staying here for the night too. I still haven't finished getting my place in order."

The housekeeper stood there, caught in a dilemma.

Only when Chen Lüli waved his hand did she smile and say, "They're all ready."

Jiang Yan'an gave Chen Lüli a look that said, See? I knew you'd prepared. Chen Lüli drank his warm water unhurriedly. A few seconds later, he put down the glass and stood, bracing a hand on the back of the sofa as he lowered his eyes to Lin Yu, who was drowsily huddled with Jiang Zao. Jiang Zao was just about to discuss with Lin Yu whether to call a designated driver or make do and stay the night. Last New Year's Eve, everyone had stayed except Lin Yu, who had gone home. Oh, that wasn't all. Chen Lüli had also returned to the Chen family home late that night. When the others woke up, only the housekeeper had been there to look after them.

A tall figure suddenly appeared in front of her, startling Jiang Zao into shrinking back. Chen Lüli didn't even glance at her. He lifted the suit jacket from where it covered Lin Yu up to her chin and looked at the half-asleep woman. Taking her chin between his fingers, he asked, "Are you going home, or staying the night?"

Lin Yu was hazy with sleep. The dizziness from the wine had actually passed, but she was still tired after drinking so much. She opened her eyes and looked at him blearily.

Sleep weighed heavily on her, and she wasn't thinking clearly. All she could think was that he was so handsome; that had never changed. Lin Yu murmured, "I'm staying with Zaozao."

Chen Lüli raised an eyebrow slightly and lifted his eyes to glance at Jiang Zao.

Holy shit, Jiang Zao thought. He had clearly looked a little tender when he was looking at Yuyu just now, he really had. But the moment he lifted his eyes to look at her, they were full of cold arrows.

Jiang Zao swallowed and said, "Yuyu and I haven't seen each other in ages. She missed me, and I missed her too."

Chen Lüli narrowed his eyes. He looked away, pulled Lin Yu's arm over his shoulder, and lifted her, jacket and all, into his arms. He said to Jiang Zao, "Sorry for the trouble, but please let her parents know."

Jiang Zao quickly sat up straight. "You got it."

She took out her phone and sent Auntie Zhong a WeChat message while turning to see which room Chen Lüli carried Lin Yu to.

Jiang Yan'an stood. "I'll do it. I'll take Yuyu to her room."

Jiang Yingshan stretched out a long leg and tripped Jiang Yan'an onto the sofa. Jiang Yan'an had drunk quite a lot tonight, and later, while playing the game, he had drunk a glass for every loss. The problem was that he had switched to whiskey, which naturally packed a punch, so he was unsteady on his feet and went down when Jiang Yingshan tripped him. He fell full-length onto the sofa, and Jiang Zao quickly hopped aside, afraid he would land on her.

After sending the message, she saw Chen Lüli take Lin Yu to the room on the left side of the second floor. The housekeeper opened the door, then gestured to Jiang Zao from upstairs. "Miss Jiang, your room is over here."

Hers was on the right, with a small study between the two rooms.

That meant both women were staying on the second floor, while Jiang Yingshan and Jiang Yan'an would occupy the two rooms on the first floor. There was also a third floor, which was the owner's quarters.

Seeing that, Jiang Zao breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Lüli hadn't been so outrageous as to take Lin Yu to his own room.

She stood, scooped up her jacket, and followed them upstairs. She saw Chen Lüli come out, pulling the door closed behind him. She poked her head into the room to check on Lin Yu, and seeing that she was asleep, felt reassured. She came out and returned to her own room. Chen Lüli looked at the messy living room and frowned. He said to the housekeeper, "Thank you for taking the trouble to tidy up tonight."

The housekeeper nodded. She knew the master of the house was a bit of a clean freak.

The last time, on New Year's Eve, he had also gone back to the Chen family home because he couldn't stand it.

After giving his instructions, Chen Lüli returned to Lin Yu's room. The humidifier and heating were on, and orange light shone beside the bed. There was also a faint scent of lavender in the room, which she had carried with her since the moment she walked in. Tonight, she was dressed in flawless white, and her figure was faintly visible beneath the dress.

Chen Lüli undid a cufflink and sat down beside the bed, his eyes on the woman lying there.

Lin Yu lay on her side. She didn't know why, but her sleep had grown lighter as soon as she entered the room. She could feel his gaze, and her eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Chen Lüli naturally saw it too. His fingertips slid through her hair. "Awake?"

Lin Yu instinctively pressed her lips together.

The incense burning in the room had a woody scent that smelled exceptionally good.

Seeing her pretend to be asleep, Chen Lüli curved his lips. "Good that you're awake."

The next second, he bent his arm and leaned over, catching her chin and kissing her on the lips. The last time they had kissed was on New Year's Eve, several days ago. The confirmation on the day of the Spring Flower Festival was itself a ripening agent, at least for Chen Lüli. He slipped the tip of his tongue inside, drawing Lin Yu's tongue to his.