The first day of the ninth lunar month, an ordinary day that even Meng Jiuyi often forgets.
If you remember, then forget it; if you don't, that's fine too.
The last time she celebrated her birthday was during her senior year of college. She bought a single-serving cake, with a cold chicken cutlet next to it. Meng Jiuyi squatted on the balcony and slowly ate it.
Downstairs, a family of several people were taking a walk together after dinner. The lively atmosphere belonged to them, while she only had the silent moon for company.
The sound of the fireworks exploding was enough to shake the entire sea area, and exclamations seemed to rise from the cruise ship that launched the fireworks. From afar, one could see crowds of people on the railings, and everyone was amazed by the spectacular night scene.
Meng Jiuyi had no idea how much this event was worth or how many connections she needed to make. The fireworks vanished in the darkness and then returned milliseconds later. The scorching sparks fell into Meng Jiuyi's eyes, and she stared at him intently.
"How...how did you know my birthday?"
"Is this difficult?"
Tan Yuchen spoke in a lazy tone, holding her chin and turning her back. The starlight from the fireworks illuminated the entire sea, making their eyes bright and trembling.
He and she shared those ten-odd minutes of the world's most spectacular events.
As the fireworks were almost over, Tan Yuchen pushed aside the lighter and opened the thick lid, casually saying, "We can skip the cake, but we can't skip the other things."
Knowing she had just thrown up from eating cake, the man made no extra preparations. A slight metallic clang was hidden in the booming fireworks, and a cluster of flames slowly rose.
"Make a wish."
The heatwave enveloped her from all directions, finally converging on his arm around her. It must have been the fireworks that altered gravity, causing her chest to swell as well.
Meng Jiuyi didn't move, looking up at him intently.
Is this some kind of employee benefit?
The flames danced softly between the two like bean sprouts, illuminating the man's deep features, and he chuckled.
"Want to obtain beauty."
"Then...what's the reason?"
"Yes, why?"
Tan Yuchen looked down at her intently, "Am I really that bored, or have I become that idle?"
The man's gaze was deep and intense, his wispy hair half-falling over his forehead, and his dark eyes seemed to be drawing her into a vortex.
Meng Jiuyi couldn't help but look away. Under the light, her neck resembled a jade hilt, tempting her to play with and caress it, forcing her to tilt her head back like a swan.
His Adam's apple bulged prominently and rolled noticeably, his gaze remaining level with hers, as he forcefully rubbed her head.
"Use your little brain and think about it slowly."
He's a real ladies' man; his words are ambiguous, and he flirts with women but doesn't linger.
Meng Jiuyi's heart felt like it was being tossed with pebbles, the ripples disturbing the originally calm surface. The booming sounds of fireworks seemed to be plotting to shatter her heart.
In her moment of confusion, the first thing she thought of was the happiest period of her life, as described by Mo Ruyue.
To win her heart, Meng's father went to great lengths to please her, constantly picking her up and dropping her off at school. Fireworks are dazzling, but their brilliance fades quickly.
Girls often indulge in fantasies, believing they've found true love, but for men, sex comes faster than love.
Was he trying to make amends because he suspected she was the one on the cruise ship that night and felt guilty, or was he using a gentle approach to trick her into continuing their sexual relationship?
The burning heat that had filled his heart was quietly cooling down. As the fireworks were about to end, Meng Jiuyi gently closed his eyes and blew out the flames.
"What did you wish for?"
After the fireworks ended, he sat down at a small table, his pull-tab bumping into hers.
Meng Jiuyi made no secret of her hope, saying, "I hope to make a lot of money in the new year."
"Is that so?"
Tan Yuchen said, "You were staring at me for so long just now, I thought you had something on your mind."
Anyone can flirt, Meng Jiuyi's smile remained unchanged as she rested her chin on her hand.
"Yes, I want a cousin too—"
He slightly lifted his eyelids.
"Give me a raise!"
Tan Yuchen chuckled softly, "How much higher do you want to go?"
Meng Jiuyi remained silent.
She was just saying it casually; she's asking for an exorbitant amount. Who knows, maybe he'll take it back when they fight later.
Do you know how to play dice?
Tan Yuchen clearly understood her concerns, and gestured towards the black box on the ground, "How about I give you a one percentage point if I win?"
Her eyes widened slightly, and she asked warily, "What if you lose?"
He pointed to the drinks next to him, "Choose one: a soft drink or beer."
Dice is Meng Jiuyi's forte. Just kidding, she spent so much time working as a salesperson at a bar, wasn't that all for nothing?
In the first few rounds, she had an exceptionally smooth run, defeating him without any obstacles. Tan Yuchen showed no signs of being a loser and said calmly.
"How about we change the name of the five dots?"
The man was still thinking about the matter of asking her to change how she addressed him. It didn't sound bad when she called him "cousin," and it even had a gentle tone. But then he heard her call Tan Sheng at the Meng residence that day, and it sounded almost like she was being coquettish.
The contrast between the two made him feel increasingly uncomfortable no matter how he listened.
Meng Jiuyi squinted: "Still calling it a reduplicated word?"
"what ever."
After drinking about a dozen bottles of beer, she felt a little dizzy. Coupled with her incredible luck earlier, she had no doubt that she was possessed by the God of Gamblers.
"make a deal!"
She shook the dice haphazardly in her hand, then slammed them heavily on the table. In contrast to her fake gestures, the man lightly shook the dice box and casually placed it on the table.
The rules are very simple: the sum of the dice rolls from both sides is the final number, and the roll only goes up, never down.
Meng Jiuyi covered his dice box tightly, exuding confidence.
"Three fours."
Tan Yuchen glanced at her, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Six sixes."
Wow, that's some serious confidence, skipping so many levels in a row.
Meng Jiuyi stared at him warily, but the man's smile was so unpredictable, so she probed.
"Seven sixes."
Tan Yuchen replied lazily, “Eight sixes.”
Eight?
She only has two here, does that mean he has six?
She confidently declared, "Open!"
The man casually lifted the lid, revealing a box full of sixes. Meng Jiuyi's drunken face flushed red with anger as she glared at him furiously.
"Okay, you've really gone all out!"
No one can shake it so neatly.
"How did I mess up?"
Tan Yuchen held the box and shook it casually. This time, he opened it and found six ones. He didn't seem to care at all, but Meng Jiuyi's mouth was agape, wide enough to fit an egg.
These were just the casino's little tricks, but Tan Yuchen found her reaction quite amusing.
He smirked and tapped his well-defined fingers on the table.
"A person's gambling behavior reflects their character."
This is to make her fulfill the bet; changing the way she's addressed won't hurt her at all.
Meng Jiuyi, her face burning hot, wondered what to call him. The sea breeze carried the fermenting effects of her drunkenness, and the outline of the man opposite her gradually blurred before her eyes, leaving only his head as a dark blur.
"talk--"
For some reason, she thought of stroking his hair, how soft it was, and how he hiccuped and unconsciously uttered words.
"—Dog."
Hmm, that's quite fitting.
Then Meng Jiuyi saw the silhouette approaching in an instant. She instinctively wanted to run, but the man stretched out his hand and grabbed her, and then the world spun around her.
"What did you call me?"
Even when drunk, she was restless and tried to struggle, but it seemed like something was pressing down on her legs, and she couldn't move no matter what she did.
The man easily pinned her down with one leg, grabbed her chin, and looked down at her with narrowed eyes.
"You've got some nerve, calling me that again."
His tone was sharp and menacing, as if he were about to strike at cattle and sheep. Meng Jiuyi was completely enveloped by him; just looking at his jawline, she could feel its sharpness. Even though she was drunk, she was very sensible and spoke timidly.
"...cousin."
Tan Yuchen stared at her, then chuckled after a while, the smile quickly spreading to the depths of his eyes.
His attention was drawn to the mole at the corner of her eye. Only when he blocked the light did he realize that it was actually indented, unlike something that was naturally present. He touched it with his finger.
"Where did you get this thing?"
"....ah?"
Her voice sounded a bit disjointed after she got drunk, and she thought someone was asking her how she got out, so she scratched her head.
"...viviparous."
Tan Yuchen clicked his tongue lightly: "...I'm asking about the mole on your eye."
"...Don't gouge out my eyes..."
She covered her ears tightly with both hands, and Tan Yuchen laughed out loud, gently pulling off her ears, "Little deaf girl."
She could never be at a disadvantage and immediately wanted to fight him, but the man easily subdued her with one hand, completely trapping her beneath him.
Her long hair lay on his arm, the heat of the beer flushed her cheeks, making her eyes burn. When they met, her clear eyes had become cloudy, filled with starlight and glistening tears.
Like a delicate, blooming rose, the scent of wine mingled with her fragrance and wafted to the man's nose.
Tan Yuchen's prominent Adam's apple bobbed down, and his low, husky voice carried a seductive quality.
"I also have a mole between my right eyebrows, do you want to see it?"
Meng Jiuyi didn't hear something clearly, but driven by curiosity, she raised her head to look at his eyebrows.
"..where?"
Tan Yuchen drawled, "That's outrageous."
She switched sides, half-asleep, and started to roll his eyebrows, muttering to herself.
"...No."
"Closer."
She did approach, unaware that the man was staring intently at her, his fine hairs falling across his forehead, his eyes so dark that not a ray of light could penetrate them, filled with intense desire.
It wasn't until his hot breath sprayed on her face and brushed against his nose that Meng Jiuyi belatedly tried to back away.
However, Tan Yuchen suddenly kissed her, and the aggressive feeling of his lips pressing against hers made Meng Jiuyi moan. She was uncomfortable and tried to pull back, but the man pressed her down onto the deck and dug his fingers deep into her long hair.
---
Lao Tan was so unrestrained because he thought that night it was Jiu'er.
One update today. An elderly family member recently fell ill with H1N1 flu and isn't doing well. Please forgive the short updates, my darlings. Goodnight~
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