Chapter 22 He suddenly couldn't laugh anymore...
Chapter 22
During the period leading up to the summer vacation, Wen Yining was extremely busy. Because she had to stay in Beicheng for the first month of the summer vacation to tutor Liu Hengheng, Wen Yining applied for a dormitory. As soon as the vacation started, she immediately moved to another dormitory and lived with other students staying on campus.
Finally, she could catch her breath. Li Changjing came to pick her up for dinner.
Whether it was due to his personality or his status, she never saw Li Changjing appear in public. Every time they went out, it was in a relatively private space, as if he had a grudge against places like streets and squares.
In the height of summer, the locust trees overhead in the northern part of the city are lush and verdant, with dense shade beneath them and the chirping of cicadas filling the air. Sometimes, when she and he were sitting in the car, she would turn her head and look at the couples strolling hand in hand under the trees outside, and she would feel a surge of envy for this scene full of life.
After the two finished their meal and left the private room, they coincidentally ran into one of Li Changjing's friends in the corridor.
Wen Yining listened to their conversation and recognized the man as Xue Rui, who was having dinner with some friends. Those friends were also Li Changjing's friends, including Fang Qi. So, after a few words, the two who were about to leave went into another private room.
There were about twenty men and women in the room, a bunch of people on the sofa, and another bunch of people at the card table.
This was the first time Wen Yining had met Li Changjing's friend. As soon as she entered, she felt all sorts of eyes on her, but seemingly out of consideration for Li Changjing, no one asked about their relationship or made any jokes about them.
Li Changjing made no attempt to introduce them.
Someone made way for Wen Yining at the card table, and Li Changjing put his hand on her shoulder so she could sit in the spot. He then sat on the stool to her left behind her, as if to let her play cards while he showed her the cards.
Wen Yining never imagined that one day she would be sitting at a gambling table.
She looked at the cards in front of her, feeling helpless and lost. "But I don't know how to play."
Li Changjing took a stack of chips and placed them beside her. "It's okay, I'll teach you."
The other three people at the table, two of whom she had seen before, were Gao Zhiyuan, the young master who had thrown the glass at her, and Fang Qi. In just over a month, the female celebrity that Wen Yining had seen with Fang Qi had been replaced by another unfamiliar girl, but she was still stunningly beautiful and nestled obediently beside him.
Young Master Gao was sitting alone; the female celebrity who had been with him at JS was not there. It was unclear whether they had broken up or she hadn't come.
Wen Yining looked up at Fang Qi, who had a clean and refreshing appearance and could pretend to be an innocent young man. She silently sighed in her heart that appearances can be deceiving. But thinking about the few times she had interacted with him, she felt that given his playboy behavior, it was perfectly normal for him to be a womanizer.
Wen Yining had seen this kind of thing on the card table before; it was dominoes, also called Pai Gow. But the material of this deck of dominoes in front of her seemed to be real bone. It felt warm and cool to the touch, and the texture was very smooth, unlike plastic. It had a kind of heavy feeling of life.
Li Changjing turned the cards over and placed them on the table, then held her hand and taught her to recognize the cards one pair at a time: "Heaven, Earth, Man, Harmony, Chang, Wen, Miscellaneous."
They were too close; his chin was almost touching her forehead. Wen Yining stared straight ahead, not daring to turn her head abruptly. Feeling his warmth and breath, she subconsciously softened her voice, "How come you can play this?"
Before Li Changjing could answer, Fang Qi on the other side chuckled.
Wen Yining looked up at him, puzzled.
Fang Qi grinned and opened his mouth as if to say something, but then looked at Li Changjing next to her and suddenly changed his mind, saying, "It's always good to have more skills."
Wen Yining: "..."
I never imagined that this word could be used in this way one day.
Li Changjing shuffled the cards with one hand, saying, "When I was a kid, I would watch others play when I went out with my friends, and that's how I gradually learned."
As Wen Yining pondered the phrase "going out with friends to watch others play," she heard Li Changjing casually say to the scattered cards on the table, "Put out the pairs I just pointed out to you."
Wen Yining: "Uh..."
He's too serious when he teaches!
Why do I suddenly feel this pressure, like being called to the blackboard by the teacher to do a problem in class?
She lowered her head, frantically trying to recall the order of the cards she had just played.
The people at the table started chatting.
Fang Qi seemed to be introducing her to another person at the table: "What a coincidence! What was the name of that new place Liu Zhicheng opened? It was called JS, right? That's where we met Juanjuan, the girl who was working part-time to support herself. Li Er was there too, and he actually pretended not to know her. Guess what happened?"
"He didn't know what was going on and insisted on leaving early. As a result, we ran into Juan, who was riding home in his car, in the parking lot..."
Wen Yining was stunned when she heard Fang Qi's first sentence, and couldn't hear the rest.
Li Changjing was dealing with a guest at Xishan Hall. The person seemed to be a relative of his. If she wasn't mistaken, it should be the child of the uncle who had called him, which was his cousin.
She still doesn't understand what happened in that private room, but she understands the seriousness of the matter from the manager's attitude.
However, judging from his tone, Li Changjing was clearly keeping it from them...
It turns out that even with childhood friends who seem to have such a close relationship, Li Changjing still treats them with the same suspicion...
Wen Yining was momentarily stunned, unable to describe her feelings for a moment. It turned out that in families like theirs, the deep brotherly affection was all about suspicion and scheming.
She suddenly felt that the air conditioning was too cold, and a chill ran through her body.
To help Wen Yining, a novice, the four of them played a round of games casually for her to test the waters. With Li Changjing, her strategist, as her advisor, Wen Yining was not worried at all.
He played two rounds with her, and whenever she was unsure what to play, he would hold her hand and play the cards, giving Wen Yining a rather arrogant feeling of having a powerful backer. But she was dumbfounded in the third round. Li Changjing was being far too strict and demanding as her teacher. He simply let go of her hand and let her play by herself, even pushing a pile of chips in front of her and telling her to feel free to lose as much as she wanted.
Wen Yining: "..."
Whenever the opponent played a card, she would subconsciously turn to him for help, and when she met his gaze, she would feel a sense of tension, like "a master calmly watching his disciple's performance on the battlefield."
As she was fighting, she inadvertently turned her head and met Gao Zhiyuan's gaze on her left without warning. To be fair, Gao Zhiyuan was quite handsome, with delicate single eyelids and slightly upturned corners of his eyes. However, he always had a sullen face and a sinister look in his eyes, making him seem unapproachable and as if he was about to turn on her at any moment.
As soon as Wen Yining met his gaze, he looked away, as if it were just a casual glance.
While shuffling the cards, another bespectacled man I didn't recognize glanced down at his phone and suddenly swore, "Have you received any news about Liu Peilin's family?"
Fang Qi pushed the cards aside: "What? Did something bad happen to his family?"
The man suddenly stopped talking, and Wen Yining had a thought, so she prepared to stand up.
The others at the table had already realized what was happening. The girl next to Fang Qi stood up and said, "Watching you guys play cards is so boring."
Wen Yining had no interest in these things and avoided them at all costs. She turned to look at Li Changjing, who was looking down at the cards on the table, his expression indifferent and unresponsive.
She stood up and said, "I'll go take a look over there."
Everyone else at the table had left, leaving only a few of them.
Wen Yining got up and went to the restroom.
The private room was very large, similar to a suite. The bathroom was behind a very exquisite embroidered screen, and there were separate rooms for men and women.
The group of smokers were gone, leaving only a faint scent of spices and clean detergent, making the air inside even better than outside.
She had barely uttered a word when Gao Zhiyuan suddenly strode forward, cornered her in the bathroom, and locked the door behind her.
“I’ll double how much Li Changjing pays you a month, and when you break up with him, you can come to me.”
After listening to him stare at her with a gloomy tone and expression, Wen Yining was stunned for a long time before she realized that he wanted to... take her as his mistress?
Aren't he and Li Changjing childhood friends? He just blurted it out like that while she and Li Changjing were still together? And if she remembered correctly, wasn't he being pressured by his family to get married? And they even had a specific candidate in mind.
The tone, devoid of any respect and treated as if it were a transaction, made Wen Yining's blood boil, and her face instantly turned cold.
No matter how arrogant she was, she had grown up in that kind of circle, so reading people was a basic skill for her. When Gao Zhiyuan saw that her expression was not good, he also realized that his tone had been too forceful and harsh just now, so he softened his tone and said, "I really like you. I liked you last time in Super Junior."
Gao Zhiyuan looked at her. Under the light, her skin was as white and delicate as snow. She had a pure and innocent temperament. Her eyes, which were both angry and wary, were clear and bright, clean and beautiful.
He patiently added, "It's nothing unusual to have a boyfriend's ex-girlfriend; it's very common. But if you feel embarrassed, I won't introduce you to other people in the future."
Wen Yining actually detected a hint of sincerity in his gloomy tone. She took a deep breath, clenched her hands, and suppressed the intense humiliation and anger she felt.
He's not Li Changjing. She can't afford to mess with these second-generation rich kids. Besides, she hasn't forgotten the cup he threw at her when they first met, and the tone of his voice when he said he was going to kill someone. That wasn't just empty threats.
Her patience is growing stronger every day, and she can still calmly explain, "Li Changjing and I are in a romantic relationship, not a sugar daddy/sugar baby relationship."
Gao Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Everyone here is in a relationship. It's 1 million a month. Think about it."
Wow, she's so valuable!
Wen Yining clenched her fist and exhaled softly. She didn't want to say another word to this playboy. Her voice was cold: "Aren't you afraid Li Changjing will find out?"
His expression froze for a moment, then he quickly took out his phone and lowered his voice: "Let's add each other on WeChat. No rush, take your time to think it over. I'm not trying to steal Chang Jing's girlfriend."
Wen Yining suddenly remembered something and looked at Gao Zhiyuan, "Did Li Changjing often hire people before?"
Gao Zhiyuan smirked. "He only cares about work and promotions. He's always entertaining old men. He's not interested in these things." At this point, Gao Zhiyuan suddenly looked her up and down. "But he clearly wants to keep you as his mistress now. You're quite shrewd and a smart person. You should know that it's best not to tell him about our current conversation. Think about what I'm about to say. The price is negotiable."
Wen Yining suddenly felt her anger subside. She nodded, walked past Gao Zhiyuan to open the door, and said, "I've made up my mind."
Gao Zhiyuan was delighted and took two steps after her. "Go ahead and say it."
Wen Yining opened the door, turned back and smiled at him, "One hundred million a month."
After saying that, he walked out without looking back.
Gao Zhiyuan paused, the amazement in his eyes suddenly turning sinister. Watching her figure disappear behind the screen, he slowly raised his hand to touch his lips, revealing a smile of interest.
Wen Yining breathed a sigh of relief as she walked into the crowd. She glanced at the card table, where the group was still talking in hushed tones. Li Changjing, with his back to her, leaned casually against the back of his chair, raising his hand to smoke. His silhouette stood out cleanly and refreshingly amidst the noisy crowd.
She thought for a moment, then walked to another group of people and found a sofa in a remote corner to sit down.
Two girls in the crowd watched Wen Yining approach, exchanged knowing glances, and raised their eyebrows at each other.
"Hey, miss, why don't you come and play?"
Wen Yining turned her head when she heard the voice and saw that the two girls were looking at her, so she realized that the words were being spoken to her.
She's not socially anxious; she's spoken on stage countless times during various school events since elementary school. But compared to socializing, she still prefers to be alone.
Not wanting to refuse, Wen Yining smiled at them, stood up, and walked over.
Both girls were very pretty, and perhaps because of their makeup and clothing, they had a charming and sweet aura. They smiled and made way for Wen Yining to sit between them.
Wen Yining didn't recognize any of the people in the group. Being a newcomer, she sat up straight, feeling a bit reserved.
Both of them were from the film academy. They introduced themselves as Momo and Ranran, respectively, without giving their full names.
Momo is the girlfriend of Li Changjing's friend. Ranran is lively, likable, and knows how to act coquettishly, somewhat like Gu Lingling.
The two enthusiastically pulled Wen Yining into playing Liar's Dice.
Wen Yining had never played this kind of game before. "How do you play Liar's Dice?"
As soon as the words were spoken, the two women widened their eyes, exchanged an exaggerated glance, and burst out laughing. "Seriously, little sister? Are you from the Qing Dynasty? You don't even know how to play this?"
Wen Yining glanced at the two people's reactions, and a strange feeling flashed through her mind. Before she could grasp it, Ranran began to explain the rules to her.
Wen Yining understood immediately and said with difficulty, "How about we change the punishment? I can't drink much."
"It's okay, it's okay, the alcohol content isn't high, and we can't drink much either. Besides, you're a top student, your IQ is definitely higher than ours. We're the ones who will suffer, okay?" Ranran said, pulling her along.
The two insisted on playing this way, and before she could say anything more, they put the things out.
Seeing this, Wen Yining couldn't refuse too strongly.
Everyone gathered around the sofa to look.
Wen Yining awkwardly and clumsily followed the two in rolling the dice. She narrowly won the first round, but lost the second.
"Oh dear, you lost!"
Ranran immediately went to pour her a drink. The person next to her noticed that the bottle she was holding was clearly high-proof liquor. This kind of liquor looks mild, but it actually has a strong aftereffect. It was different from the bottle Ranran had drunk in the first round. The person raised an eyebrow. Ranran gave that person an affectionate wink.
Most of the people in this circle knew more or less about Ranran's feelings for Li Changjing, but all her attempts to impress him and her attempts to get close to him had been in vain. He had been a chaste man all his life, but he had to bring a woman with him, so of course she wanted to get revenge on him.
Both of them had a good tolerance for alcohol and were also experienced gamers; they could easily outdrink her.
Wen Yining pinched her nose and drank the wine. It tasted better than she had imagined, and she didn't feel much after drinking it.
After playing a few rounds, with wins and losses, Wen Yining even drank less.
Gradually, perhaps due to the effects of the aftereffects, she felt increasingly dizzy even though she didn't feel drunk. Her consciousness became sluggish, and sometimes she only realized what she had said after it had already been spoken.
The different perfumes on the two people on either side mingled together. They smelled nice before, but now they felt like needles pricking Wen Yining's head, making her dizzy and nauseous.
Wen Yining subconsciously looked at Li Changjing. They were still talking, and he had his back to her and wasn't looking over.
I forced myself to play a few more rounds.
She shook her head. "That's enough. I can't play anymore. Getting drunk is a hassle."
"Why did you stop playing? It's only been a few rounds. You can't just run away after winning!" Momo said unhappily.
Wen Yining pursed her lips at her less-than-polite words. A friend might say that as a complaint, but for someone she was meeting for the first time to say it was a bit offensive. She refused earnestly and firmly, "I really can't play this time. I'm really drunk."
"Let's play a few more rounds~" Ranran hugged her arm and pressed against her.
Wen Yining subconsciously glanced at Li Changjing's back again. With everyone around watching, she couldn't refuse and had no choice but to agree to play two more rounds.
Li Changjing turned his head and saw Wen Yining raising her glass to drink. His gaze swept over the two people next to Wen Yining, then returned to her. He tapped his fingertips on the table but did not stop her.
When he checked on her again a while later, Wen Yining's expression was somewhat dazed, and she seemed to be getting drunk.
The two girls sitting on either side of her seemed to be even more drunk than her, but anyone with eyes could tell they were faking it.
"Ningning."
Wen Yining looked up slowly, and Li Changjing was looking at her through the crowd. His arm was draped over the back of the chair, the cigarette between his fingers was still smoking, and there was a smile on his lips, but there was no smile behind his glasses. Instead, he gave off a gloomy feeling. "Come here."
Wen Yining breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and said to the two people next to her, "Li Changjing called me, I'll go first."
"You haven't had enough fun yet, go over later."
Wen Yining shook her head, "I really need to get drunk."
Momo's expression turned cold, and she scoffed sarcastically, "Acting like you're not drunk."
Wen Yining was stunned when she saw the girl who had been so enthusiastic suddenly turn her back on her. She felt a little cold inside, pursed her lips, and said nothing.
She felt even more dizzy as soon as she stood up. Afraid of falling, she looked down and carefully walked. As she stepped over Ranran, Wen Yining watched as Ranran suddenly and unintentionally stretched out her foot. If she hadn't been watching where she was going, she probably would have fallen without even knowing why. She would probably have thought she was unsteady and embarrassed herself in front of so many people, not to mention hitting the hard corner of the table.
"Are you alright? Be careful, why aren't you watching where you're going?"
Wen Yining paused, steadied herself, and turned to look at Ranran, who was still smiling sweetly and friendly, her eyes crinkling.
Wen Yining's drunken consciousness cleared up a bit, and she belatedly realized what was wrong. Her gaze immediately turned cold as she looked at the group of men and women on the sofa. She then realized that they all knew that Ranran and her friend were deliberately playing a trick on her.
However, most of them were people she already knew, friends of Li Changjing and girlfriends of his friends, while she was a newcomer and no one told her.
Moreover, Ranran and her group's methods were impeccable, and they accepted their losses.
Li Changjing watched the scene unfold. Although he couldn't see the details, he could guess the gist of it. He glanced at the two people beside her with a gloomy look, stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and walked towards Wen Yining.
As Wen Yining walked over, Li Changjing, who was coming towards her, pulled her into his arms. Amidst the overwhelming scent of perfume in the room, his familiar scent was clean and reassuring.
She suddenly felt very wronged, grabbed Li Changjing's clothes with both hands, buried her head in his chest and sniffed softly.
Li Changjing coldly glanced at the people on the sofa, then looked down at Wen Yining's head buried in his arms. "Didn't you realize they were deliberately getting you drunk? Even if they weren't, you can't drink alcohol, yet you drank so much? Idiot."
He just wanted to see what she would do, so he didn't interfere, and she just kept drinking.
Perhaps being drunk amplifies emotions; Wen Yining felt even more wronged, her voice gradually lowering, "How did you figure it out? I just realized they were doing it on purpose..."
Li Changjing scoffed, "You're usually so principled with me, why are you so soft-hearted with others? You do whatever I tell you to do."
"No." Wen Yining looked up at him and explained seriously, "I was just thinking that since it was the first time I was meeting your friends, I couldn't act too unsociable, or they might say something bad about you."
Having had so many social engagements, Li Changjing had long since become accustomed to reflexively spouting all sorts of polite phrases without even thinking.
He chuckled habitually, wanting to say something to tease her, but looking at her slightly flushed cheeks and her hazy, half-drunk, and aggrieved eyes, he couldn't utter the sweet nothings he usually spoke so easily.
The smile on Li Changjing's face faded.
Recalling what had just happened, Wen Yining felt a pang of hurt and resentment. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her voice choked with sobs as she unconsciously whispered, "I didn't do anything to them..."
Li Changjing paused in stroking her hair, then slowly pressed her face into his arms.
Wen Yining nestled in his arms, unable to see the top of his head. Li Changjing's expression instantly turned cold. The next second, he released her. When Wen Yining looked up, Li Changjing's expression remained that of a refined and gentle man, his eyes slightly curved, gentle and alluring.
He gently put his arm around her and led her out, saying, "Ningning, wait for me in the next private room for a while. I need to take care of something, then I'll take you back."
Wen Yining nodded. As usual, if he didn't say anything, she wouldn't ask him what was wrong.
As Li Changjing passed by the door, he glanced at Luo Hao in the corner without making a sound, and Luo Hao nodded slightly in understanding.
Li Changjing watched as Wen Yining was helped by a waiter to walk towards an empty private room next door. Luo Hao followed behind her, watching. The gentle look on his face turned cold. He said a few words to the waiter, then turned and went into the private room.
Soon, a waiter pushed a food cart in and set out a table full of baijiu (Chinese liquor).
Ranran and Momo, who had been watching from the sofa, broke out in a cold sweat and exchanged a surprised and uncertain glance.
Surely they couldn't have come for them?
After thinking it over, the two of them felt relieved.
They were completely innocent; they didn't cheat or they didn't drink it themselves, so even if she complained, she wouldn't have any evidence.
Moreover, Li Changjing seems like such a gentle and refined person. Although he is not easy to approach, he is not pretentious at all, and he always smiles and nods politely to the waiters to express his gratitude. He shouldn't be capable of doing something so ruthless.
He called the two over and, with his usual gentle and approachable smile and tone, pointed to the dozen or so bottles of high-proof liquor on the table and said to them, "I'd like to treat you two to drinks."
The once noisy private room was now completely silent; everyone held their breath as they watched the scene unfold before them.
The two men were deathly pale, staring at him with fear and disbelief.
Ranran suppressed her fear and forced a smile, saying coquettishly, "Young Master Li, what do you mean by this? We played a game with Ningning and she lost. We're honoring our bets. Besides, we drank quite a bit. It was just a game, there's no need for this."
Li Changjing was still smiling and nodding, "Looks like you're not going to give me face."
This means you absolutely have to drink it.
Drinking a dozen or so bottles of high-concentration liquor is no joke.
The two of them completely changed their expressions. Momo turned her head, her eyes filled with tears, and looked at her boyfriend pleadingly, "Anjin..."
Song Anjin looked grim. His girlfriend had been forced to drink in public, and he was extremely embarrassed. However, after thinking about what had just happened, he naturally realized what his girlfriend and her best friend had done.
They had all grown up together since childhood. Although their relationships varied in closeness, they all knew each other's temperaments and personalities to some extent. Song Anjin looked at Li Changjing, moved his lips, but still didn't say anything.
Momo's face instantly turned ashen.
The people at the card table stopped and watched everything unfold. Gao Zhiyuan threw down his cards and snorted coldly, "I don't know whether to call these two women bold or stupid. Aren't they just slapping Brother Changjing in the face in front of so many people?"
Fang Qi also composed himself, looking at Li Changjing thoughtfully.
Ranran and Momo looked at the wine poured by the waiter in front of them, knowing they couldn't escape, and picked it up with trembling hands.
The wine was served in large glasses; one glass was enough to keep someone with a low alcohol tolerance drunk until the next day.
After finishing one glass, the waiter immediately poured a second one.
The two drank several cups in a row and were starting to lose their balance. Their makeup was ruined by tears, and they kept begging for mercy.
Li Changjing smiled and said, "Drink."
The already quiet room became even more deathly silent.
The two continued until they collapsed to the ground, convulsing and vomiting.
Throughout the entire process, Li Changjing maintained a gentle smile. Only now did he stand up and pat Song Anjin's shoulder gently and kindly, like a good older brother. "I'm sorry, Jin'an, I acted impulsively. Please forgive me."
Without waiting for a reply, Li Changjing finished speaking and walked past him out.
The waiter opened the door, and Li Changjing walked out, took the wet wipes handed to him, and slowly wiped the fingers that had just patted the man's shoulder clean one by one before throwing them into the trash can.
Author's Note: I'm reiterating, even if it means taking the blame: the male lead is definitely not a good person. He's hypocritical, cold-hearted, and overly emotional, and he's obsessed with power.
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