Chapter 29

Half an hour later...

"Y-you guys..." Having lost seven rounds in a row, Ji Jie clutched a hand of cards he couldn't play, staring at the empty-handed man and woman before him, speechless.

"Ah!" He Lele suddenly let out a small cry, as if she had remembered something important.

The two men looked at her with different expressions; Qin Zhixiu wore a faint smile, while Ji Jie looked as if he wanted to tear her apart.

"Has it been half an hour yet? I don't think I've cried yet..."

"Pfft..." Qin Zhixiu burst into laughter.

"He! Le! Le!" Ji Jie roared through gritted teeth!

☆, Chapter 34: Don't Provoke Mu Wei

After Ji Jie flew into a rage from embarrassment, Qin Zhixiu smiled and picked up his music score book to compose. Ji Jie immediately fell silent, signaling He Lele to clear away the cards.

After He Lele finished tidying up and went downstairs with the empty coffee cup, Qin Zhixiu stopped his pen, his beautiful eyes hiding traces of amusement as he looked at Ji Jie.

"Something you want to say?"

"Don't tell me you didn't help her."

Qin Zhixiu shook his head. "I truly did not help her."

"Hmph... then her luck tonight is truly formidable."

Qin Zhixiu chuckled. "Yes, but it's not just luck. You didn't lose unjustly; at least when it comes to poker, you really can't beat her right now."

"...Why?"

"She can count cards."

"What?"

Yes, after each person had played two rounds, she would roughly know what cards Qin Zhixiu and Ji Jie still held. She could count, not because she had an exceptionally high IQ or a particularly good memory, but because... in the fifth grade of elementary school, she developed scopophobia. For the first year, she was afraid to look at anyone and afraid of anyone looking at her—she wouldn't cry, laugh, or speak, and would even tremble in fear at the sound of voices outside. Her parents quit their jobs and moved house for her, staying by her side at home for a whole year. To distract her and gradually eliminate her fear, her parents played various card and board games with her constantly. When she was alone, she would count poker cards one by one.

Later, her parents taught her to imagine everyone else as poker cards, without eyes, so she wouldn't be afraid. Honestly, the effect of this method was... terrible, because she always wanted to group them into sets of four, and when the number of people was odd, she would always want to find someone to fill the gap, which instead made her more anxious.

It was precisely because she seemed sensitive to numbers and had decent luck when playing games involving them that her parents suggested she study accounting—if only her parents knew that after finishing accounting, she ended up doing this kind of work...

Don't think about it.

She was still young; she could start over. Everything still had a chance.

At two in the morning, she was finally able to fall asleep, with the second volume of *Bodyguards Can Be Pressed But Not Humiliated*, which Mu Wei had given her that afternoon, tucked under her pillow, along with a thank-you note from Sun Xiaozhuang. The girl's handwriting was very elegant; despite having her phone number, she had written a note by hand instead of sending a text... If the handwriting reflected the person, the girl must be a kind-hearted soul. But meeting Mu Wei, she would get hurt, right... Should she tell Sun Xiaozhuang something? But, snitching behind someone's back... she couldn't do it.

The next morning, Ji Jie and Qin Zhixiu hadn't come downstairs yet. Mu Wei had just finished breakfast and was about to head out when He Lele hesitated for a long time before speaking up.

"Are you serious about Miss Sun?"

"What?" Mu Wei stopped in his tracks.

"If you're just looking for someone to play with, Miss Sun will get hurt."

"Are you suggesting I find someone else to pursue?" Mu Wei looked at He Lele in astonishment, finding it utterly ridiculous. Who did this woman think she was? She had only lain under him once, and he hadn't even touched her yet, yet she dared to interfere in his business? Who gave her the nerve?

"I'm sorry, I know I have no right to say anything, but... if Miss Sun gets hurt because of you, I also have a responsibility. So, if possible..."

Ji Jie happened to step out of the elevator. Hearing He Lele's words, he amusedly pulled over a chair, lit a cigarette, and wore the expression of someone watching a show.

Sensing Ji Jie's gaze, Mu Wei glared over in annoyance. Ji Jie shrugged, puffed on his cigarette, pursed his lips, and made a face that said, "It's none of my business, I'm just watching."

Looking at He Lele impatiently, Mu Wei's tone was unkind. "Miss He, please clarify your own status. Don't say things you shouldn't, and it's best to stay away from things you shouldn't manage." Just a prostitute used for venting lust, what right did she have to speak to him like that?

Status... she was certainly clear about her status, but work was work; she couldn't break her bottom line as a human being just because of work. "If you insist, I can only tell Miss Sun what she should know." She wouldn't talk too much, but she wouldn't say nothing either, watching Sun Xiaozhuang jump into his fire pit.

Mu Wei sneered, pinched He Lele's chin, and lifted her head. "Are you threatening me?"

"..." He Lele lowered her eyes and said nothing.

"Fine, let me see what you can do." With a slight force, he flung He Lele's face aside, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.

Not until she saw Mu Wei's SUV drive out of the outer courtyard did He Lele turn and walk toward the dining table.

"Good morning, Mr. Ji. What would you like for breakfast?"

"Hehe..." Ji Jie puffed on his cigarette, smiling as brightly as peach blossoms. He raised his hand and clapped, making a loud "pop-pop" sound, then took the cigarette out, licked his lips, flicked the ash, and praised, "Got guts."

"What's wrong?" Qin Zhixiu, having just stepped out of the elevator, seemed still a bit drowsy. His fair, delicate face radiated an air of pure "dazed cuteness," looking for all the world like a beautiful youth who had just stepped out of an anime.

"This woman," Ji Jie pointed at He Lele with his cigarette, then put it back in his mouth, "is fearlessly provoking Mu Wei. It's been a few years since we've seen someone with such fat guts, right? Don't you think we should give her a round of applause? Is the demo for the first song done?"

"...Mm."

"Good morning, Mr. Qin."