Chapter 20 "What do you think we can play?"...

Before the two could exchange more than a few words, Jiang Wenxin came over, leaned against the back of Qiao Shu's chair, and said she wanted to introduce her to some elders.

Qiao Shu had just taken a sip of wine, wiped her lips with a napkin, and then stood up.

Jiang Wenxin introduced Qiao Shu as her daughter-in-law, putting her arm around Qiao Shu's waist and personally introducing her to the respected elders. Her words and laughter revealed her approval and affection for Qiao Shu.

Mrs. He covered her mouth and joked, "Your mother-in-law is afraid that we old folks will devour you. There are so many things waiting for her to handle, but she insists on staying here to protect you."

Qiao Shu took Jiang Wenxin's arm and said, "Mom has always been very good to me. Besides worrying that I'm not good at talking, I also want to chat and have a heart-to-heart talk with the aunties."

"Look at you, and you call that being tongue-tied? Then what are we?"

"She's beautiful, and she speaks beautifully too."

Qiao Shu's interactions with Jiang Wenxin were different from those with the old man. Jiang Wenxin genuinely used her connections to pave the way for Qiao Shu, while with the old man, she was always just a figurehead to highlight the grandfather-granddaughter relationship and a minor supporting character who served tea and water. He never seriously introduced himself.

Looking at Yu Zeheng, he was surrounded by several big names in the investment banking industry, chatting happily with them. His every move exuded maturity and composure. He was no longer the young and flamboyant race car driver who fought desperately on the track. As time slipped by, it also left something behind.

Noticing the gaze, Yu Zeheng looked up.

Qiao Shu didn't flinch when he caught her gaze; instead, she smiled and gave him a sweet wink.

The next second, she turned her head away and continued chatting with the elders, nodding frequently with a docile and dignified expression.

Yu Zeheng frowned slightly, then looked away and calmly continued the conversation.

As the banquet drew to a close, the violinist in the orchestra played the first note of Mendelssohn's Concerto, and the melodious and lyrical music filled the banquet hall.

On a whim, someone invited those around them to dance, and more and more people slid onto the dance floor.

A fair arm appeared before him, and Qiao Shu made an inviting gesture, inviting him to dance with her, shamelessly claiming that it was a gift from the auction of her item that night.

“You’ve hit the jackpot. I rarely dance with boys.” Qiao Shu blinked her eyelashes; her eyes seemed to speak volumes.

The words of refusal were on the tip of his tongue, but Yu Zeheng pursed his lips, and after a moment, he took her hand.

He has always kept his distance from such activities, and they are not something he is good at. He has only learned to do a perfunctory job in these complicated social situations.

Qiao Shu put her hand on Yu Zeheng's shoulder; the two were very close.

It's called dancing, but it's really just very subtle movements to the music, with two faces facing each other, which is perfect for doing one thing—whispering and chatting.

Qiao Shu wrinkled her nose and whispered that she didn't really like this kind of occasion either: "The best way is to make a dazzling entrance first, and after the attention that follows satisfies your vanity, then make a stunning exit. Beauty is inherently about scarcity."

Yu Zeheng said she was superficial and had nothing on her mind except her appearance.

Qiao Shu answered honestly, "That's all. Otherwise, why do you think I chose you out of your Yu family?"

Yu Zeheng exposed her: "You chose not to be me first."

He is his cousin.

"Really? I had already forgotten." Qiao Shu grabbed his arm. "Then, with your cousin, I firmly chose you, and you can't deny that, because I admit you're quite attractive."

Her tone was so frivolous, just like her gaze at that moment.

Yu Zeheng held her waist and turned her around. His expression was cold: "Because Yu Mingcong was still in high school at the time, it was illegal for you to want to marry him."

Based on the timeline, it seems that this is indeed the case.

Qiao Shu smiled nonchalantly, still in the same tone as before: "Is that so? I don't remember that much. I only remember that you looked very beautiful back then, lying in the hospital bed. Hmm, you still had a unique charm."

Like Xi Shi holding her heart.

Yu Zeheng didn't expose the fact that during their first meeting, her eyes were glued to his cousin and she hadn't looked at him directly. He was already used to this woman's constant lies.

He didn't respond to her question, but instead asked, "Do you regret it?"

While Qiao Shu was stunned for a second, he added the second half of the sentence: "Marry me."

Do you regret it?

Qiao Shu hesitated for a moment, but unlike those who only talked about it superficially, she thought about it carefully before giving her answer: "No. I might have had such thoughts during the two years of marriage, but I haven't had them even once since the divorce."

This was an answer Yu Zeheng hadn't expected: "Why?"

"The answer is simple. If it had been someone else, the outcome might not have been the same. In a way, everything went as I wished, and this marriage never disappointed me, including the matter of divorce."

If it were anyone else, it would be difficult for her to escape so easily and unscathed.

Especially when Qiao Shu learned from Jiang Wenxin's conversation that they all thought Yu Zeheng had initiated the divorce, it was impossible for him not to be moved. He became the one at fault in the marriage and remained silent about any accusations.

But since things have come to this point, she wouldn't say sorry or anything like that, given her personality.

If given the chance again, Qiao Shu would still choose to do the same thing.

"Maybe one day we'll become friends." In some ways, they're actually quite similar, and that possibility isn't out of the question.

Yu Zeheng watched her silently as she spoke, his cold face revealing little emotion. He pursed his thin lips, and just when Qiao Shu thought he was going to remain silent, he suddenly spoke again.

"I won't sleep with my friends, and I won't be friends with people I've slept with."

Yu Zeheng was taken aback by her words, and her turning around was like a ballerina whose music box had stuck, letting go of her hand when the music stopped.

Finally, he casually remarked, "This is my principle."

—

On weekends, there are times when Qiao Shu doesn't want to socialize, and she turns to playing video games as a form of entertainment.

She sat cross-legged on the sofa, holding a game controller. She selected a game from her collection and clicked start. She wasn't obsessed with completing games; she played them whenever she felt like it. As a result, although she had bought quite a few games, she hadn't played some of them.

Qiao Shu was wearing pajamas, her black hair casually clipped up in a loose bun, unusually unkempt. She gripped the handle and operated it with dazzling skill.

Xiao Xi couldn't understand the game's content, but she could tell from Qiao Shu's tone that he would jump up and kiss her when she was happy, and when she was frustrated, he would lie down obediently and make whimpering sounds.

A typical internet addict girl.

When Yu Zeheng returned, the dog and the man looked over at the same time, with almost identical expressions and demeanor.

Since the dinner, their relationship has improved; at least they no longer treat each other like air.

"Good evening." Before the words were even finished, Qiao Shu had already turned her head and was manipulating the little figure on the screen, which was nimbly jumping up and down and swinging and slashing.

While Yu Zeheng was eating, his ears were filled with game sound effects, Qiao Shu's occasional "wow" sounds of amazement at his own cool gameplay, and Xiao Xi's excited panting.

"Want to play together?" The woman on the sofa turned her head, her long hair freed from the shark clip and clung to her cheek.

Yu Zeheng rested his hands on the table, scanning the unfamiliar interface on the screen: "I've never played this before."

"It's okay if you don't know how, I'll teach you. It's very simple to play. Once you understand the buttons, other games are pretty much the same." Qiao Shu seemed very helpful at this moment. He was tired of playing alone and needed a companion.

Yu Zeheng met her expectant gaze and did not refuse, telling her to wait a moment.

He went upstairs to change his clothes.

Wearing a thin, light brown knit sweater and gray trousers, he sat down, with Xiao Xi between them, intently staring at the screen.

Qiao Shu gave Yu Zeheng another controller and explained the function behind each button. Her explanation was disorganized, so Yu Zeheng brought up the button operation interface, looked at it carefully, and said that he could start.

"It's okay if you can't remember, just try a couple more times."

Yu Zeheng looked at the screen and said, "Hmm."

Qiao Shu initially chose the two-player game. Relying on her familiarity with the gameplay, she controlled her character to pick up Yu Zeheng and then "accidentally" threw him onto the laser beam. With a "poof," Yu Zeheng's character died. She secretly suppressed a laugh: "Oops, my hand slipped."

Or, as he jumps, she is "unlucky" enough to be standing where he lands, watching his little figure bounce on her little figure's head and fall off the cliff.

Only she herself knew the murderous intent she harbored along the way.

Yu Zeheng leaned forward, his elbows resting on his legs. He remained unfazed even after being accidentally killed multiple times. He would die and then revive, following closely behind the cunning little man in front of him. He not only had to avoid the monsters in the game, but also his companions' schemes.

After exploring the various ways to die, Qiao Shu switched to a different game. Of course, she wouldn't humiliate herself by choosing a racing game, but instead chose a mini-game that she was better at.

Without exception, Qiao Shu won every single one of them.

She comforted Yu Zeheng, saying that he was a beginner after all, and it was already quite good that he could play like this.

Yu Zeheng said calmly, "Again."

Finally, there are fighting games.

Qiao Shu chose a role that she was good at, beautiful, and powerful, while Yu Zeheng casually chose three other roles that were close-combat and did not have an advantage.

"here we go."

Qiao Shu had already planned her combo: how to stylishly reduce his health by more than half, then kick and chop to prevent him from getting close, and finally finish him off with a powerful ultimate move. That was her plan. But as her character jumped up to kick, Yu Zeheng's character crouched down, delivered a counter-kick that sent her flying through the air, then flashed back, charged up his palm, and slammed it down hard...

She had won so many times that her confidence was overflowing.

The word "KO" lit up on the screen.

Qiao Shu suffered a crushing defeat; Yu Zeheng killed three of her characters with just one.

"Again!" she said, gritting her teeth in defiance.

The person next to me put down the controller and said casually, "I'm done playing. It's getting late, I should go to sleep."

Qiao Shu checked the time again and realized it was already eleven o'clock.

But having lost the game so badly, she didn't want to let anyone go to sleep. She pursed her lips and said, "Let's play another round." Yu Zeheng drank some water and shook his head: "We've played long enough. Hmm, you played pretty well."

To Qiao Shu, these words didn't sound like a compliment at all; they sounded more like, "You're not bad, but you're not quite as good as me."

"The last one."

No matter how Qiao Shu invited him, Yu Zeheng refused without flinching. He finished half a glass of water, lifted his leg and went upstairs, leaving behind a cold and inhuman back view.

Qiao Shu gritted her teeth, her face tense, and started playing another game.

She always dies at the beginning, for a simple reason: she is completely oblivious to the screen, her mind filled with images of her brutal defeat, and she never gets a chance for revenge.

I felt very frustrated, humiliated, and resentful.

Qiao Shu had won so many times before, she could easily beat him, but he no longer gave her the chance to prove herself.

She had lost all interest in the game she was playing. Putting down the controller, she picked up Xiaoxi and asked face to face, "Mommy is better than him, right?"

Xiao Xi looked bewildered, the puppy's eyes filled with innocence.

Qiao Shu, feeling utterly defeated, rubbed its head and said, "Forget it, go to sleep. How can a child stay up all night?" She took the teddy bear and placed it next to its little bed. Xiao Xi obediently lay back down, rubbed its head a couple of times, and then closed its eyes.

She went upstairs to her room.

Qiao Shu lay in bed, thinking it over and over, still unwilling to accept defeat.

She got up with a sinister look on her face, opened the door, and then walked to Yu Zeheng's room in her slippers. She raised her hand several times to knock on the door, but then, under the control of reason, she lowered it.

There's always tomorrow.

She'll win it back tomorrow.

Qiao Shu took a deep breath. Then again, why wouldn't he play it one more time?

She shuffled back to her room, when she heard a click behind her. She turned around to find the door open, and Yu Zeheng, arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe, watching her with an air of nonchalance. "What is it?"

Qiao Shu was taken aback. She thought she looked a little suspicious, but her pretty face made her seem less like a harasser. She asked awkwardly, "You're not asleep yet?"

"There's always a shadowy figure loitering outside my room, I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

Qiao Shu responded with an "oh," showing no remorse whatsoever for being the instigator. After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "If you can't sleep, would you like to play another round with me?"

Given her level of self-discipline, Qiao Shu rarely gets obsessed with anything. However, she is fiercely competitive and addicted to winning. After winning all the time, she suddenly suffers a crushing defeat with no chance to try again, which she finds completely unacceptable.

She knew how outrageous things were, so her voice was exceptionally soft, weak, and lacked confidence.

Yu Zeheng didn't move. His forehead was full and smooth beneath his wispy hair. His dark eyes stared at her for a moment, then he raised his chin towards the inside of the house: "Come in and play."

When it was Qiao Shu's turn, she stammered and asked warily, "Play, play what?"

As far as she knew, he hadn't had a girlfriend for two years since the divorce; adults always have certain needs.

Yu Zeheng narrowed his eyes and asked, "What do you think we can play?"

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Author's Note: The correct way to hook a wife [cat emoji]

——

50 red envelopes, kiss kiss!