40/Games

No sooner had You Huai finished cursing than Shen Yu tugged at Chen Mian's arm and asked her, "Who's the bigger beast here?"

It seemed like they were just making conversation. Chen Mian was looking at her phone, seemingly detached from the situation. When she heard Chen Yu ask this, she looked up at him without saying anything, but her expression said three words: What do you think?

You Huai chuckled at Chen Mian's expression, hooking his arm around Chen Yu's shoulder and laughing, "No, what are you looking for? You want to compare yourself to me in this? Who else is more of a beast than you? Don't believe me? Ask the others."

The sound came just as the song was changing and the room quieted down. Heads turned to look, and everyone asked in unison, "What?"

Then, out of nowhere, someone casually asked what game they wanted to play. Probably because the music was so loud they were a little hard of hearing, someone in the back asked in a loud voice, "What is it? Truth or Dare?" This unexpectedly drew a lot of applause and cheers, saying, "That's it! That's it! What kind of high school student comes to karaoke and doesn't play Truth or Dare?"

So a group of people huddled together, placing empty wine bottles they'd picked up from the ground in the middle. There weren't enough chairs in the room, so they asked the waiter for a few more empty chairs to bring in, and people squeezed together.

Shen Yu was clearly used to these people's wild imaginations. This was nothing compared to what happened when they were playing basketball. They asked if we wanted to go to the cafeteria after the game. No one knows how the message got back to the person who asked, but it was interpreted as "Only idiots go to the toilet to eat." If they weren't true friends, they probably would have beaten him up a hundred times over.

Chen Mian was a bit stunned, and didn't react for a while. The usually calm girl tilted her head as she saw the scene of people raising their hands and shouting Truth or Dare, which looked like a human wave. Although she didn't say a word, her expression was full of surprise.

It was as if Shen Yu had an extra pair of eyes; even while he was talking to someone else, he could still reach out and steady the drink she was holding, which was about to spill.

After placing it on the table, he didn't say anything, just chuckled softly.

Chen Mian subconsciously nudged him with her elbow amidst his muffled laughter, signaling him to shut up.

All of these actions were natural, and there was not even any eye contact between the two.

Compared to other couples on the field, they weren't even considered intimate.

However, the girl from another school sitting to Chen Mian's right in the science class inexplicably felt a connection with him.

When Chen Mian first came in, her first impression was that she was pretty, but too aloof. She would smile at everyone on the stage, even those she didn't know well, making people feel that she was easy to get along with.

But Chen Mian was different. She seemed completely unconcerned that no one was talking to her. After Shen Yu had her sit next to him, he didn't say a word. During that time, Shen Yu only asked her a couple of times if she was thirsty or hungry, and then let her be by herself. He didn't take care of her much. Shen Yu wasn't like other boyfriends who would ask about her well-being, and Chen Mian wasn't like other girls who would act coquettishly.

But the aura they exuded made it immediately clear that they were related.

It's probably one of the more popular terms these days: "couple vibes".

Place the empty beer bottle in the middle, and clear the surrounding area to leave room for it to turn around.

Such occasions have always been the domain of social tyrant You Huai. When he saw that Shen Yu did not refuse the truth or dare game that he called a stupid game, he knew that Shen Yu was probably trying to get information out of Chen Mian. This game is not without skill, but it is more appropriate to describe it as practice makes perfect. If you control your strength well, you can actually control the probability of stopping at a certain position.

He counted on his fingers, then raised his hand first and said, "Me first."

The man from Shenyu was leaning against the wall when You Huai winked at him in an ambiguous way. Not only did he fail to understand his friend's good intentions, he even called him an idiot.

These two words reached Chen Mian's ears, causing her to look up at Chen Yu.

Chen Song also swore, using all sorts of vulgarities like "father," "damn it," "fuck," and "smother," as well as even more offensive ones. He would even spit on the ground when he got carried away with his swearing. He was extremely rude and had the air of a scoundrel. Even with his handsome face, he was repulsive to look at. As a result, for a long time, Chen Mian had no good feelings towards people who swore.

This is the first time I've heard Shen Yu swear.

Shen Yu noticed the way Chen Mian was looking at her, lowered his eyes to look at her, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Surrounded by people, Chen Mian wasn't used to being too close to Shen Yu in this setting. She subconsciously lowered her head and whispered, "Shen Yu, you're swearing."

To Shen Yu, the voice sounded like a rabbit going out to become a police officer and telling a tiger not to eat its meat. The accusations were not threatening at all, and because of the low voice and the lowered head, it sounded like flirting.

Due to the occasion, these people needed a certain atmosphere when playing games, so the background music was Jay Chou's single, and the volume was turned down so as not to drown out their conversation. Just then, the music played on her eyelashes.

The lyrics go: Her delicate and pretty appearance is like a juicy peach that everyone wants to bite into.

As Chen Mian's fair profile came into view, Shen Yu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he felt a surge of heat.

This is really weird, Shenyu.

Chen Mian just said something so simple, why are you making such a fuss?

Damn, that's really serious.

He reached for the school uniform jacket lying next to him, draped it between his legs, and then warned Chen Mian beside him, "Can you not provoke me in a situation like this?"

Chen Mian understood what he meant after seeing the coat covering his legs.

She was silent for a while before muttering a curse at him, "You're the beast."

You Huai called him a beast, and Chen Mian called him a monster.

The birthday celebrant, nearing adulthood, wasn't upset. He just tilted his head and chuckled, offering no rebuttal, which was a sign of acceptance.

The wine bottle came to a stop in front of Shen Yu at that moment.

You Huai shouted, "Stop flirting, it's truth or dare, Brother Shen!"

Shen Yu leaned back on the sofa, a coat draped between his legs, looking relaxed, and answered casually, "Truth or dare."

"Okay." You Huai asked him, "Then let me ask you, did you ejaculate prematurely the first time?"

Chen Mian: "..."

Shen Yu laughed angrily, "You'll be damned."

Chen Yin scolded You Huai, "Can't you ask questions properly? Can't you ask someone who can understand?"

You Huai raised his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay, next one, next one."

The bottle spun again, this time back in front of Chen Mian.

The precedent set by Shenyu was right there. Everyone thought Chen Mian would choose dare, but this girl didn't hesitate for a second and directly said the truth.

But who to ask was another problem.

This game also depends on how familiar you are with someone and whether you can take a joke. Chen Mian and Shen Yu have a relationship, and everyone knows that Shen Yu is very protective of her. You Huai was about to say, "Let me do it," when he heard Lin Lin, who was sitting in the corner, say, "Chen Mian and I are classmates, so why don't I ask her?"

Since the girl had spoken up, You Huai naturally couldn't volunteer.

So he clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Alright, ask something useful."

Lin Lin's phone screen was lit up in her pocket. Chen Ke had just sent her a message asking for her location. She replied with her location. Since exchanging a few messages with Chen Ke last time, the two had kept in touch occasionally, and their only common topic was Chen Mian.

If Chen Ke's dislike for Chen Mian stemmed from his trampled self-esteem, then Lin Lin's dislike for Chen Mian was more complex.

She had put in countless efforts to get the boy she liked, the occasions she wanted to fit into, and the friends she wanted to make, but to no avail. Yet Chen Mian dismissed all of this effortlessly, making her seem like a joke.

Lin Lin felt jealous, but this jealousy also made her despise herself, because this was Chen Mian, the impoverished student Chen Mian who received donations from the organization.

"I might be asking a serious question, but I'm really curious, Chen Mian, are you and Shen Yu dating?"

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

You Huai thought to himself, "Wow, that's a really good question."

However, Shen Yu, one of the parties involved, had a cold expression, which was a sign of displeasure.

Chen Mian, who was standing next to him, looked up at Lin Lin, who had asked the question, and replied coldly without the slightest hesitation, "No."

"We're not talking."

...

We played a few more rounds afterwards.

But the atmosphere was clearly not like that anymore.

Chen Mian got up and went to the bathroom. Looking at her flushed face in the mirror, she reached out and splashed some water on her face. She took out a tissue and just as she was drying herself, she heard footsteps approaching.

Chen Mian looked up and saw Lin Lin standing behind her.

Lin Lin turned on the tap and rinsed her fingers. "To be honest, I really thought you and Shen Yu were dating. Otherwise, it's really hard to understand why Shen Yu would treat you so well. It turns out you two aren't dating." She looked at Chen Mian. "Then, why were you able to move into his house? What exactly is your relationship, Chen Mian?"

Chen Mian threw the tissue into the trash can, not replying to her question, but simply asking, "What's it to you?"

"Is it none of my business? When I confessed to Shen Yu and was rejected, if I remember correctly, your good friend Zhao Lili comforted me. You were just there listening without saying anything, but you probably thought I was a joke, right? You were already dating Shen Yu back then, weren't you?"

Chen Mian, annoyed, interrupted her, "Lin Lin, I don't have the patience to listen to this. You insisted on calling me here tonight, and it's not just about this, is it? Can you just get to the point?"

Lin Lin smiled at her, hitting the nail on the head, "You'll find out in a minute."

She turned off the tap and opened the bathroom door to leave when she heard a commotion coming from the hallway.

The man's shrill voice cursed, "Fuck your mother! How many times have I told you I'm here to find my daughter, Chen Mian! Where is Chen Mian?! I'm your father! Get the hell out here right now! Where are you hiding?! What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Lin Lin caught the name Chen Mian and glanced over there, but her gaze met that of Chen Yu, who was leaning against the wall opposite the women's restroom and smoking.

Lin Lin was startled, and goosebumps rose all over her body.

When did Shen Yu arrive? What did he hear? And how much did he hear?

She gasped, her mouth agape, instinctively trying to explain, "I'm not—"

He was interrupted by the security guard's voice halfway through his sentence.

The security guard asked Shen Yu, "Sir, who are we—"

Shen Yu stubbed out his cigarette, his voice a little hoarse, "Throw it out."

Upon hearing this, two or three security guards immediately grabbed Chen Song, who was trying to walk inside, and dragged him directly into the elevator. They showed no mercy, and Chen Song's cries of pain could be heard from time to time as they were dragged, only to be drowned out by the sound of the elevator arriving, and then they disappeared again.

The corridor became quiet again.

The only sound was the gurgling water from the women's restroom sink, which wasn't fully closed.

Lin Lin took a step back, momentarily flustered.

Her fingers dug into her palm.

Seeing Shen Yu standing there, the lighter in his hand lighting up and then going out, amidst this agonizing, almost torture-like sound, she heard Shen Yu ask her, "Did you find this place?"

Even when she mustered up the courage to confess her feelings to Shen Yu, all she received in return was an apology from the boy.

Although the refusal was decisive, it was polite.

Unlike now, the question is indifferent, as if it's just an inquiry and doesn't require her answer.

She bit her lower lip, slowly turning her head to look at Chen Yu again, unaware that her voice was trembling, "I...I just came to use the restroom, I didn't do anything—"

However, their excuses are not very good; they don't realize that the best course of action at this moment is to shut up completely.

Shen Yu interrupted her directly, saying to the waiter who was looking in their direction not far away, "And this one too, please get out of here, thank you."

Then he opened the toilet door and pulled Chen Mian out, who was standing at the sink washing her hands repeatedly.

The lights were as bright as day.

Chen Mian asked him, "Aren't you angry?"

Shen Yu led his men toward the private room, his voice calm, "What's there to be angry about?"

"While playing the game just now."

"What you're saying isn't true?"

As I reached the door, I heard singing coming from under the door.

Chen Mian turned around and glanced towards the corridor.

It was empty; neither Chen Song nor Lin Lin had disappeared.

She then looked at Shen Yu.

It is 11 o'clock.

This person will be an adult in one hour.

Seventeen-year-old Shen Yu made two people disappear from her sight with just one sentence.

She lowered her eyes and looked at the surface of her shoes.

"I don't want to spend your birthday here with you."

She reached out and took his hand, which was hanging by his side.

Her voice was very soft, almost like a coquettish whisper in his ear, as she said, "It smells like alcohol inside, I want to go back."

/

Sorry for the long wait.