Chapter 23
Liang Shi finally lit the farewell firework himself. The emotions that had been suppressed for too long were released tonight, and she couldn't have been happier. She loved sharing lovemaking with him; the feeling and the experience were wonderful.
But when she came to her senses and woke up from his arms, she realized something was terribly wrong. Did this man think she had accepted him?!
Last night was too wild; Liang Shi thought the small bed might collapse, but thankfully it was still standing. She woke up first, and the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was his slightly bluish stubble on his chin. This man, if he were unkempt, would probably be quite handsome.
Unfortunately, today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and like Snow White's glass slipper, it's time for him to leave.
Liang Shi gently pressed on his chest with his fingernail, and the man seemed to sense it and woke up.
His hand on her waist tightened naturally, pressing her naked breasts even closer to his.
"Let me go when you're awake."
Li Junqian grasped her restless hand and lowered his head to kiss her.
"Um, I didn't... brush my teeth!"
She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately gave in to his kiss, or rather, it suited her perfectly. They say you shouldn't mess with a man who's just woken up in the morning, and it's true. The kiss quickly became more and more inappropriate until she was pinned down again.
"Li Junqian, no..."
"Little Shi, if you didn't want to, you wouldn't have kissed me back just now, and you wouldn't have even touched my leg..."
Her legs, probably out of inertia, had actually wrapped around his waist... How embarrassing!
"Um, just once... only once..."
Two repressed souls are destined to be entangled for a long time.
Liang Shi slumped into his arms: "Li Junqian, it's 9:30, you should go."
Li Junqian pinched her waist but didn't say anything. He probably felt her words were too heartless; one second they were inseparable, and the next she was telling him to leave.
"Let's pretend last night and now never happened. I just really wanted to... you know, and you happened to be here, so..."
Before Liang Shi could finish speaking, she was picked up. Her bare shoulders felt cold, and she saw that he was frowning, his expression not good. Indeed, what she had said hadn't been very pleasant.
"You mean, if it weren't for me, you would have done the same?"
That wasn't what Liang Shi actually meant, but he didn't want to explain.
"Think what you want."
"You're really something."
Liang Shi watched him get up and change his clothes, wanting to explain but unsure how: "I..."
"I got someone to buy me a 2 PM flight. Yes, I have to go."
...
Li Junqian left, leaving behind his military overcoat. Liang Shi, wearing the overcoat, sat on the sofa, took out his phone to edit a message to explain what had happened that morning, but ultimately didn't send it.
Anyway, they wouldn't end well, so this unpleasant ending was probably what she wanted. But she was very unhappy. The New Year's Eve dinner was hot pot, but Liang Shi wasn't in high spirits. Even the Spring Festival Gala skits didn't make her laugh.
Liang Shi had another hot pot dinner with Yuan An on New Year's Eve. The latter was in a relationship, and the young couple went out for a walk in the middle of the night, leaving Liang Shi to go home alone to celebrate the New Year.
It's called staying up all night, but it just means lying in bed with your eyes open, all alone. She touched the pillow beside her, leaned down to smell it, and could still faintly smell that man's scent.
Yesterday, the two of them were making love in this bed, and now they've parted on bad terms. Liang Shi thought about it all day; her words this morning were indeed a bit irresponsible. Or rather, she was a bit shameless. She broke up with him, refused his request to get back together, and said hurtful things, but last night, in a moment of impulse, she followed her heart and had sex with him. In the end, she was being hypocritical.
It's understandable that Li Junqian would be angry. He hasn't messaged or called her yet.
Liang Shi was also concerned about saving face, and after agonizing over it all day, she still hadn't offered an apology. The windows were tightly shut, but the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers outside continued incessantly, some near and some far. She took out her phone and typed a mass New Year's greeting text message.
Let's start on this special day. To be honest, Liang Shi was afraid that Li Junqian would really ignore her. Although this was the outcome she wanted, she still hoped that the two of them wouldn't become strangers.
Twenty minutes passed without a reply. Liang Shi couldn't help but think of Li Junqian's family. It was past nine o'clock; their large family reunion dinner was probably still in progress. Was that why he didn't have time to check his phone?
Li Junqian was indeed too busy to check his phone, and he had a very unpleasant New Year's Eve dinner. Gu Feng was right; his family was extremely concerned about him starting a family. His maternal grandfather started the conversation, and by now, the relatives at the table had already introduced him to more than a dozen girls.
Today was an auspicious day, and Li Junqian didn't want to upset his family, so he neither refused nor expressed his opinion. After a round of drinks, he was still relatively sober and took the opportunity to go to the courtyard to sober up. He also planned to make a 'call for help' to Gu Feng.
Gu Feng on the other end of the line had probably drunk quite a bit, as he spoke with a slight slurred speech: "You really are a good buddy. I was just about to call you when you called me."
Li Junqian leaned back in the wicker chair in the courtyard, looking at the dim crescent moon in the night sky: "Any plans tonight?"
Li Junqian is known for his integrity and rarely accepts invitations to social gatherings. His sudden and unusual mention of this today seems suspicious.
"Let me guess, you can't stand the bombardment from all your aunts and uncles anymore? But the girls your relatives introduce you to are all top-notch beauties. In this day and age, you should make time to meet them and maybe they'll help ease your heartbreak."
Li Junqian closed his eyes, raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose: "Get lost, my game with Xiao Shi isn't over yet. If you don't have a game, I'll find someone else."
When Gu Feng heard that he was about to hang up, he quickly raised his voice: "How could I not have a game? Just now, Young Master Luan from Hanlin Capital asked me if I wanted to play cards. I'll send you the location."
Finally, Gu Feng added, "Don't worry, Bureau of Arhats."
As soon as he hung up the phone, his cousin Zhou Meng came over and called him in, saying there was good news. Ha, good news? Li Junqian didn't need to guess what it was.
There was an empty seat on the living room sofa, which was given to him. His grandfather was watching the Spring Festival Gala and making comments from time to time. As soon as Li Junqian sat down, his mother handed him a photo. He didn't look at it and put it on the coffee table.
"The only daughter of the Zhou family of Luyuan Shipping, she spent two years in Australia after graduation and only recently returned to China. She's smart and beautiful. Your grandfather has heard about her and says she's a nice girl. He'll let her meet him when she gets back from her trip."
Feeling a bit annoyed, Zhou Meng added fuel to the fire from behind: "Cousin, you're thirty-three after the New Year. I think you're the best-looking one in our family. You should hurry up and find me a sister-in-law to have a baby. It'll definitely be a handsome little boy. By the way, this Sister Zhou and I are quite destined for each other. Our names are similar."
Li Junqian knew that his grandfather was watching TV on the surface, but was actually waiting for his answer. The best thing to do at the moment was to express his opinion: "Let's meet after the New Year and see if it's suitable."
After a whole night, he finally relented, and Zhao Jiaren's tightly furrowed brows relaxed: "I'll make the arrangements later."
"Whatever you prefer."
As he spoke, his grandfather yawned and got up. He was probably in a good mood because he had heard a satisfactory answer, but he was too old to stay up all night, so he went upstairs to rest.
Li Junqian saw the location sent by Gu Feng, exited the chat window, and saw a message notification in the pinned chat box. He clicked on it and saw the same old New Year's greetings. Actually, he had long since stopped caring about what happened this morning. He had originally planned to call her back, but he was really busy today.
He grabbed his car keys and got up. Zhao Jiaren asked him, "Where are you going?"
"We're one short."
Knowing he had many friends and frequent social gatherings, Zhao Jiaren simply said, "Go back early."
Zhou Meng, who also loved to have fun, followed beside him and said, "Cousin, can I join you?"
Li Junqian put on his coat: "Can you drive?"
Zhou Meng was overly enthusiastic: "Of course!"
"Let's go, take me there."
Zhou Meng never expected that this "drop-off" would actually be a "drop-off"! After dropping the person off, she was actually told to drive home herself! Was she just a chauffeur?
Li Junqian sent a WeChat message to Zhou Meng's mother, turning the phone screen so that Zhou Meng could see it clearly.
"Cousin, when did you become so cunning?"
He smiled and said, "It's the Lunar New Year, and it's hard to find a designated driver."
Zhou Meng had prepared herself for a night of fun, but now her mother was ordering her back. She pouted in protest, "Even designated drivers get paid, right? Cousin, it's Chinese New Year, shouldn't you give me a red envelope as a token of your appreciation?"
Li Junqian sent her a huge red envelope, then left without saying a word, turning the steering wheel and driving off.
Sure enough, money is quite useful.
...
It was called the Arhat Game, and it really was the Arhat Game. Li Junqian was pushed to sit down by Gu Feng: "Young Master Luan went all out today. Before you came, I played a round and lost all my savings for my wife! You have to teach him a lesson for me."
Luan Jiang greeted Li Junqian, flicked his cigarette case with one hand, revealing half a cigarette, and offered it to him: "Junqian, long time no see, want one?"
Gu Feng refused on Li Junqian's behalf: "He never smokes, but I'll have one with him."
While the automatic mahjong table was arranging the tiles, Luan Jiang leaned back in his chair, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and slowly exhaled: "These days, men who don't smoke are like giant pandas—rare and precious."
"Absolutely, my brother is all about self-discipline."
After Gu Feng finished speaking, he lit a cigarette, took a puff, coughed, and quickly stubbed it out in the ashtray.
Luan Jiang laughed at him, saying, "You're no good at this."
Gu Feng waved his hand with a smile: "Women are troublesome. They won't let me kiss them after I smoke. I haven't smoked in a long time and I'm not used to it."
Luan Jiang held a cigarette between his index and middle fingers while arranging his mahjong tiles: "Which woman would dare to set rules with you? Why didn't you bring her along?"
Gu Feng also wanted to. He originally wanted Zhou Yun to stay in Shanghai for the New Year, but she insisted on going back to reunite with her family. He couldn't very well stop her from going back to reunite with her family, could he? Anyway, it was only a few days.
Quite by chance, Zhou Yun called him on WeChat at that moment: "My woman invited me to a video call, you guys make the call."
Li Junqian had a lucky streak, winning by himself on the very first hand. Luan Jiang gave him a thumbs up: "Everyone in the gambling circle calls you the Gambling Saint, and you truly live up to the name!"
"luck."
Luan Jiang believed that winning by self-draw was all about luck, but wasn't it a bit too lucky to win two hands in a row? If this weren't his turf, Luan Jiang would have suspected cheating.
Li Junqian was playing cards absentmindedly, pondering how to handle his relationship with Liang Shi, or more precisely, how to take it to the next level.
Gu Feng, looking like something big had happened, ran over to show him his phone. Li Junqian glanced at it and then stood up: "You make the call, I'm going out for some fresh air."
Luan Jiang leaned closer: "What are you collecting? Let me see."
The other two card players also asked gossipy questions. Gu Feng naturally wouldn't tell them. In this circle, not only women are prone to leaking information, but men are too. If he said it today, the whole circle would be talking about Li Junqian having a woman who is pursuing him relentlessly tomorrow.
As a prominent family, Gu Feng himself was also troubled by the issue of marrying someone of equal social standing. However, he was much better off than Li Junqian. The Gu family was more involved in business than politics, and even if he tried his best to marry Zhou Yun, it wouldn't cause too much of a stir. As for the Li and Zhao families, that was a different story.
Li Junqian's maternal grandfather personally acted as matchmaker, and the fact that Li Junqian hasn't yet told his family about Liang Shi speaks volumes. Liang Shi's family has nothing; they're not even close to being considered by the Li and Zhao families. Li Junqian has probably already considered this...
Gu Feng watched him walk to the balcony and sighed softly. When he finally saw the mahjong tiles in front of him, his eyes widened: "What kind of luck does this guy have? He won and still wants me to play? Sorry everyone, this is on me!"
Liang Shi's WeChat Moments post seemed like a trap set for him. Li Junqian smiled and called her.
When Liang Shi, who was far away in Wenchuan, saw the WeChat voice call on his phone, his ears burned with emotion. He guessed that she had seen her 'tragic' and 'lonely' post on her WeChat Moments. Actually, she was just trying it out, but she didn't expect that he would still care about her.
Of course she'd accept it; that was the ultimate purpose behind her posting "How to spend Chinese New Year alone" on her WeChat Moments.
"what?"
Her tone was unfriendly, but Li Junqian could imagine that she was like a hedgehog with its quills raised in defense.
"Didn't you watch the Spring Festival Gala?"
Liang Shi noticed that it was very quiet on his end, and wondered if their family banquet had ended.
"You talk as if you've seen it."
Li Junqian turned his back to the balcony. The glass sliding door provided excellent sound insulation, making the inside and outside seem like two different worlds: "Not with Yuan An?"
Liang Shi chuckled: "He has a girlfriend. You've done a good job."
As she spoke, she heard a slight laugh on the other end of the phone. What was so funny about that?
"What are you laughing at? What do you want? If not, I'm hanging up."
"What are you doing?"
Liang Shizheng held a glass of water, took a sip, put the blanket on the bedside table, and saw the medicine box he had forgotten to put away that morning: "Take your medicine."
Then, I heard his usually cool voice become a little nervous, probably because he thought she was sick.
"Have you caught a cold?"
"No."
"Then what medicine should I take?"
Liang Shi sneered: "Did you take any precautions yesterday? You still have the nerve to ask?"
Li Junqian's life motto was to be meticulous in everything he did, but he didn't even consider this point, and even abandoned her to return to Shanghai.
"Xiaoshi, I'm sorry."
Liang Shi chuckled: "It was just a one-night stand, you don't need to feel sorry. Besides, I was the one who initiated it yesterday. Also, I want to make it clear to you that what happened last night doesn't mean I accept your so-called request to get back together. How should I put it, just think of it as us satisfying our normal physiological needs."
Li Junqian didn't speak. Liang Shi glanced at his phone; the call was still going on. He guessed that what she was saying was something he didn't want to hear.
"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes." She preemptively struck.
Li Junqian really disliked the term 'one-night stand'. In his view, they weren't strangers; she took the initiative last night, and he could sense that she was in love.
Reason prevailed over resentment. Li Junqian knew that all her rejections stemmed from pressure from his mother, or rather, from his entire family. He had to take things one step at a time.
He changed the subject: "When are you coming back? I'll come pick you up."
Liang Shi scoffed, "Who are you to me? I wouldn't dare let President Li pick me up personally. I'm too tired, I'm going to sleep."
Sweet dreams, little one.
"Thanks to you. I'm hanging up."
Li Junqian smiled at the chat interface, picked an auspicious number to send her a transfer red envelope, and added a note with four words: Waiting for you to come back.
When Liang Shi saw this enormous red envelope, he was truly shocked. Who gives out 520,000 yuan in red envelopes during the Lunar New Year? He must have had too much to drink!
She sent a question mark, and the latter told her to accept it. Liang Shi couldn't resist calling him back via WeChat.
"Um?"
The pleasant monosyllable sound almost made Liang Shi forget what to say.
"Are you out of your mind? Are you showing off your wealth or implying that I'm poor?"
"Xiaoshi, it wasn't what you said. I just wanted to try harder to show you my love."
520, four zeros. This kind of affection is really expensive. Liang Shizhen has gained a new understanding of rich people.
"If I accepted it, my conscience would bother me, and I wouldn't be able to sleep! Who knows if the money of someone as wealthy as you came from a clean source? Actually, I'm very curious, where did you get so much money? You wouldn't be accepting bribes everywhere..."
It's understandable that she would think that way. After all, Fan Ning, the vice president of Greater China, only earns a million a year. You have to know that he owns a luxury mansion on the banks of the Huangpu River, plus all those luxury cars, not to mention the ones she doesn't know about. He doesn't need working capital to buy any of those things. He hasn't spent a single penny of his family's money since he went abroad, so there's no way he would use Zhao Jiaren's money to buy these things...
It's possible that this man used his family's extensive network of connections to accept bribes.
He chuckled: "When I was little, I knew some publishing house owners. If you want to publish a book, I can help you get in touch with them."
Liang Shi didn't understand what he was talking about at first, but it took her a while to realize that he was indirectly saying that she had a "rich imagination".
"Don't worry, Xiaoshi, I'm still capable of making money."
Liang Shi was speechless: "Who cares about your money-making! I'm not accepting it! I wouldn't dare accept money you've worked so hard to earn!"
"How about a bet? If I can earn this money back within an hour, you'll do me a favor?"
Liang Shicai refused to fall into his trap: "I will not agree to get back together with you, so don't try to set me up."
Li Junqian smiled and said, "Okay, if this matter has nothing to do with getting back together with you, shall we bet?"
Hearing his confident voice, Liang Shi, driven by curiosity, asked, "You're not thinking of investing in stocks, are you?"
Li Junqian, as if he'd heard a joke, corrected her: "Little Shi, it's so late now, the stock market has already closed. Do you really want to know?"
She pretended to be nonchalant: "I only care about the result."
Li Junqian didn't hide anything: "I have a card game tonight."
"Playing cards for such high stakes, aren't you afraid the police will raid your house? This is gambling, isn't it? Believe me or not, I'll report you."
He laughed at her naivety: "Little girl, give me some good luck?"
Liang Shi deliberately went against him: "Li Junqian is bound to lose tonight! He always loses when he gambles!"
"Naive. Wait for my good news."
Liang Shi rolled over: "Oh. I'm hanging up."
Gu Feng had lost everything, but when he saw his good friend return, he quickly stood up to offer him his seat: "Dude, I just won so much from you that I lost it all again. This seat is cursed!"
Luan Jiang shook his head and laughed: "You're blaming the toilet for your typical constipation, Young Master Gu. You have to admit you're not as good as others."
Gu Feng made a vomiting face: "I suspect you guys are cheating!"
Li Junqian sighed, "You unlucky bastard, stay away from me."
Gu Feng deliberately moved a chair and sat down next to them: "I'm watching you. Don't even think about cheating."
Over the next hour, Gu Feng's mouth gaped wider and wider. Luck isn't scary; what's scary is luck combined with skill. If Li Junqian hadn't said he wouldn't fight anymore, he probably would have won eight figures tonight.
Luan Jiang clapped his hands: "Junqian, are your hands blessed?"
It wasn't that he was stingy with the money; after all, it was a small amount for him. The main thing was that he found it unbelievable that none of them were beginners; they had grown up at the card table since childhood. How could they be outmatched by a "nice guy" from the same circle?
Li Junqian took out his WeChat payment QR code: "One million. After deducting what Frankl lost, you can calculate how much to give me for the rest."
The three young masters at the table, along with Gu Feng, were all stunned. Who was so arrogant after winning money at cards, urging to claim their winnings as soon as they got off the table?
"What's wrong with you? You usually don't care about winnings, are you not giving Young Master Luan any face today?"
Li Junqian shrugged: "I'm short on money lately."
Gu Feng seemed to have heard a joke: "You're short of money?"
Fortunately, the young men at the mahjong table were all quite well-behaved. Li Junqian took a screenshot of the transfer records and sent it to Liang Shi, asking her to accept the 520,000 yuan red envelope. He also took a picture of the mahjong table and posted it on his first WeChat Moments.
He posted: I won the bet.
Liang Shi's eyelids were drooping, but for the sake of that one result, he actually persevered. A WeChat notification sounded, and Li Junqian sent a screenshot of three transfers, totaling more than 600,000 yuan.
As expected, the rich only know other rich people, and they play such big games.
The timing was perfect. And that post on WeChat Moments—Liang Shi realized he'd fallen into a trap after all.
Li Junqian may seem gentle, but he's actually like a wolf.
She hurriedly accepted the huge red envelope and replied, "Thank you, boss."
The latter, as expected, prioritized profit: "Wait until you return to Shanghai, and you are not allowed to break the contract."
Liang Shi: Okay.
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