Vengeance

Chu Yiqi did not answer immediately. Xi Ai waited a few seconds and said, "Okay, the premiere is on September 23."

Chu Yiqi looked at the road and closed his eyes slightly.

"Oh right, Xixi and the others kept asking me to bring milk tea back with me."

Xi Ai stopped and asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"Let's go and take a look."

The journey back was quiet, so Chu Yiqi naturally fell asleep, and Xi Ai turned the air conditioner up a little.

Upon arriving at the garage, Xi Ai did not immediately wake Chu Yiqi. Instead, she leisurely took out her phone, adjusted the lighting and brightness, and took a few photos before softly calling out, "Chu Yiqi."

Chu Yiqi had actually felt a slight unease the moment Xi Ai stopped the car, but what truly pulled her out of the dream was when Xi Ai leaned over, unbuckled her seatbelt, and left a hand in between to prevent it from rubbing against her neck.

The sudden closeness felt so long-lost that Chu Yiqi was stunned for a while before belatedly pinching herself.

Xi Ai chuckled for a moment, opened the door, and said, "I assure you, Teacher Chu, we just arrived, and this is real, not a dream, not an illusion."

Chu Yiqi ignored the last half of the sentence.

It's hard to say whether it's a blessing or a curse, but even when her condition was at its worst, she never experienced hallucinations. Therefore, the only way she could catch a glimpse of Xi Ai was through a series of unpredictable dreams.

"I know." Chu Yiqi paused for a moment and said, "Give way to the people who just woke up and whose heads are still spinning from your driving."

It's terrible. I was clearly confused, but I had to blame the person who drove so smoothly.

Xi Ai smiled and got out of the car to get her things from the back seat, saying as she did so, "Okay, Teacher Chu."

Chu Yiqi took the bag of milk tea and went back to distribute it to the hungry little ones... well, the big ones.

The adults just pulled out two decks of cards.

Xi Ai's brow twitched. Sure enough, the next second Yu Nianxi took the deck of cards and ran away from Shi Yunshan and the other two, saying, "Let's play, the three of us."

Chu Yiqi glanced at Xi Ai, who didn't give a clear no or no response, so she said, "Teacher Xi, let's play together."

"I've always been a good friend, okay?"

"Of course, okay, okay."

Yu Nianxi came specifically to see Xi Ai because Xi Ai had done a better job of shuffling the cards.

Xi Ai was still wearing that casual hoodie, her hair loose behind her, cards flying between her fingers. Chu Yiqi had always known that Xi Ai could count cards—those who are always active in social circles and seeking fame and fortune usually know a thing or two, but Xi Ai counted cards much more casually than others.

Xi Ai only cares about whether the deck of cards is fun to play after it's shuffled; she rarely tries to deliberately shuffle which cards for which side.

The only exception was when I brought Chu to play at a family gathering.

In retrospect, Chu Yiqi first learned to play cards because of Xi Ai's persuasion—or rather, half-coaxing and half-persuasion.

*

The second qualifying round has just ended. Although only Xi Ai and Chu Yiqi from this dormitory went to Group A, they both stayed, so the atmosphere was relatively relaxed.

Xi Ai played a couple of rounds and then gave up her seat to Chu Yiqi after she finished washing up and came back.

"Oh dear, Chu Yiqi—"

Chu Yiqi hesitated for a moment: "But I don't know how."

"It's okay. I just tried the water as you suggested, and the others are just average."

"Really?"

Zhou Qingxi and Zhou Yangxi nodded repeatedly, "We've only been learning for a short time too."

"Well... I'll give it a try."

Xi Ai watched from the sidelines until she lost five or six times in a row.

Xi Ai seemed to chuckle. Chu Yiqi was about to turn around and glare at her, but Xi Ai suddenly sat down, using the armrest of Chu Yiqi's chair to sit halfway down.

Chu Yiqi suddenly stiffened and became somewhat nervous.

It's strange, yet uncontrollable.

Xi Ai glanced at him, leaned forward slightly, and her hair brushed against Chu Yiqi's neck, carrying a faint fragrance, like the mugwort scent of shampoo, but not entirely.

Chu Yiqi knew that neither Xi Ai nor he liked perfume, so he didn't think about it and sniffed again very subtly—but still couldn't tell the difference.

Forget it, Chu Yiqi decisively gave up on this track that didn't belong to him. He watched as Xi Ai's fingertips swept across the cards, finally pinching a few in her hand. She tilted her head and asked Chu Yiqi, "Do you believe me?"

By then, they had already broken the ice for quite some time, and their relationship could almost be described as pretty good, so Chu Yiqi said rather naturally, "This one will do."

"Okay, three with one."

*

"What are you staring at, Teacher Chu?"

Xi Ai's voice trailed off, and as soon as it reached Chu Yiqi's ears, she quickly snapped back to reality. She coughed and said, "It's nothing, you're bothering me just because I'm spacing out?"

"Fine, whatever." Xi Ai arranged her cards and said, "Do you want the landlord?"

Chu Yiqi glanced at the cards and said without hesitation, "No."

"I want."

"Who asked you?" Xi Ai teased Yu Nianxi with a smile, but still pushed the three landlord cards to Yu Nianxi.

Yu Nianxi retorted, "Who was talking to you?"

"cut."

"whispering sound--"

"oh."

"snort."

Chu Yiqi couldn't stand it anymore and gently spoke up to mediate: "Alright, Taro King, play your card!"

Yu Nianxi: "..."

Seeing Xi Ai being particularly smug and even mouthing "play the card" repeatedly—he became even angrier.

Go ahead and play it, I'll scare you to death if I play a straight.

After playing the first game, which ended in a crushing defeat for Yu Nianxi, she decisively gave up on the Dou Dizhu game.

Then I chose to take the train.

Xi Ai: "..."

Chu Yiqi: "..."

Oh well, it's all just for fun anyway.

Chu Yiqi watched Xi Ai shuffle the cards. She had to admit that she was surprisingly tolerant of the terrible hand Xi Ai had just shuffled, and it wasn't just because they won in the end; it was mainly because Xi Ai's shuffling was quite entertaining.

It was clearly just an ordinary hoodie, but perhaps the young lady's indifferent temperament was too prominent at this moment, so she looked exceptionally beautiful as she cut the cards with her eyes down.

Xi Ai handed the cards to Chu Yiqi, then took them back herself and casually shuffled them again.

Feeling that Yu Nianxi might slap her a few times if she kept playing, Xi Ai quickly put the cards on the table and said, "Can you lift them up a bit, Teacher Chu?"

Yu Nianxi stared at Chu Yiqi as he raised his hand, then turned over a seven of clubs and feigned anger: "Why didn't you ask me?"

"Oh." Xi Ai picked up the cards and dealt them. "Then ask me."

Yu Nianxi is personally quite satisfied with the little interactions between the couple—a couple who have just broken up. It would be even better if Xi Ai didn't attack the innocent bystanders who were diligently trying to play matchmaker.

Obviously, Xi Ai wouldn't.

As long as there are others around, Xi Ai's artillery fire will be aimed at everyone except Chu Yiqi.

This forms an envelope, ensuring that Chu Yiqi remains within a safe range.

"How about this, whoever loses has to choose one of the truth or dare questions."

Are you naive?

Yu Nianxi looked at Xi Ai's phone meaningfully, as if she was about to turn on the screen to check the lock screen at any moment.

Xi Ai glanced at her indifferently, then said, "Alright then, does Teacher Chu agree?"

"I'm fine."

Alright, outnumbered.

Chu Yiqi played for a while, then sighed.

She knew that with this childish nature, the cards he shuffled would be unpredictable. He'd either collect a long string at once or not be able to collect a single card in two rounds.

"..."

Xi Ai pursed her lips, noticing Chu Yiqi's speechlessness.

After the first round, Chu Yiqi chose to tell the truth, and Xi Ai received the most cards.

Yu Nian waved her hand: "Come on, you two can ask them yourselves later. I don't want to hear anything."

As agreed, it was Chu Yiqi's turn to shuffle the deck this time. As if to avoid the historical problem of Xi Ai's bad hand, she shuffled it several times. She couldn't count the cards, but she learned how to cut the deck at that banquet.

So Chu Yiqi easily cut the cards and waved them in front of Xi Ai.

Xi Ai almost laughed. She blinked and said, "Teacher Chu, how can you still be so vindictive?"

"Just doing it on a whim."

After Chu finished distributing the cards, he asked Xi Ai, "So, what do you want to ask?"

Xi Ai thought for a moment and said, "Never mind, I'll remember it. I'll ask you if I want to know more later."

"Okay, that works too."

Without the added bonus of shuffling her own cards and with the added buff of her "former arch-enemy," Xi Ai's luck is anything but good.

So when Xi Ai heard Yu Nianxi ask her a question with an obvious answer: "Why do you wear a ring to every event, and why don't you accept jewelry endorsements?"

On the other side, the three people playing Dou Dizhu all slowed down their movements at that moment, subtly and slowly moving closer to Xi Ai, trying to eavesdrop on her confession.

Xi Ai glanced at Chu Yiqi and gave an ambiguous answer: "Well, I also have tattoos. Who would want to contact me? It would be too presumptuous."

Yu Nianxi didn't accept an answer without a response, and said, "Last time, I heard about it! Around the film festival, people said it was okay to have tattoos, but you, not only did you refuse them, but you also said that you couldn't have any skin below your neck at all during the whole event?"

Shi Yunshan couldn't resist adding insult to injury: "Yes, Nianxi! That misty blue fishtail dress, the one with the asymmetrical sleeves and a super pretty butterfly on the right shoulder! She was wearing a necklace and a ring."

Xi Ai choked up, suddenly remembering that Shi Yunshan had mentioned that it was early March, Chu Yiqi's birthday.

She actually thought this question would be quite interesting. So after waiting a while, Xi Ai answered casually, "Who knows? I just really like my own rings and necklaces."

Yu Nianxi was satisfied now. The rings and necklaces that Xi Ai had worn recently... were either gifts from Chu Yiqi or matching items for the two of them.

After finishing her meal, she couldn't very well overturn the table, so Yu Nianxi happily put away the cards and let Xi Ai wash them.

Nie Chuiying kept teasing Shi Yunshan, and Shi Yunshan smiled slightly and replied silently, "I know, I know."

“You don’t know.” Nie Chuiying said this almost through gritted teeth, then nudged Shi Yunshan’s elbow.

"Smack—"

Shi Yunshan dropped a few cards. She looked up at Nie Chuiying. Nie Chuiying grinned and picked up Shi Yunshan's cards, placing them one by one among Shi Yunshan's cards. Then she tugged at Shi Yunshan's sleeve and made a heart shape with her hands.

Shi Yunshan: "..."

She played her card and said, "Besides, are you my childhood friend and I are your childhood friend?"

“Yours.” Nie Chuiying smiled and leaned on Shi Yunshan’s shoulder, saying, “She’s been like this since she was little?”

"No, not really."

Shi Yunshan thought for a moment. Xi Ai had actually settled in China when she was eight or nine years old and had always been very sociable. However, Xi Ai was also one of the first people in that circle to gain real power, so she often seemed much more reliable.

Such liveliness... perhaps it's after Xi Ai and Chu Yiqi became close.

Regardless of whether the initial popularity was staged or not, at least later on, Shi Yunshan could see that Xi Ai and Chu Yiqi always looked more vibrant and like ordinary people when they were together.

"Alright, Nie Chuiying, hurry up and get out of here. Stop thinking about this and that." Meng Yike was actually listening to these words, but suddenly realized that their round of landlords was playing too quietly, so she decided to make some noise.

For everyone's sake, some sacrifices are necessary.

Nie Chuiying will definitely understand.

They played for only half an hour before the six of them parted ways.

Just as they were packing up, Sister Luo received a phone call from airdrop.

Su Luojian was just about to watch a movie with her husband when she suddenly heard the recording crew say that the kids were playing cards: "..."

“What if you guys were even a little bit normal? Like…”

“Gambling in a group.” Meng Yike kindly finished Su Luojian’s sentence.

Su Luojian didn't feel heartened at all, and finally took a half step back: "Go to sleep early! I'll let you off the hook today, but don't let it happen again."

Xi Ai hurriedly responded. Originally, Chu Yiqi was quite obedient, but she had also been somewhat assimilated by her.

"Goodbye, Sister Luo! Love you!"