Chapter 30: All Comers Welcome

Shuangxu sat next to Shen Yu, able to clearly see Lu Manman’s expectant and radiant face.

But she couldn’t see Shen Yu’s expression, nor could she see his eyes lowered towards Lu Manman.

It would be very gentle, she thought.

“Shen Yu, you’re not even going to kiss her?” Yue Zifeng practically wanted to push their heads together.

“Are you even a man?”

“Playing the innocent card, huh?”

Shen Yu chuckled lightly amidst his friend’s teasing and leaned towards Lu Manman.

Shuangxu lowered her eyes at the same time, avoiding the scene.

She stared at the floor, as if she began to feel the slight rocking of the boat in the waves. But it shouldn’t be, this yacht was so big, so stable.

He Tingzhou glanced at her. She was lost in her own world, oblivious, and didn’t see his bored expression.

“Who’s the Ace of Spades? Come out, don’t try to hide.”

Yue Zifeng’s shout snapped her out of her thoughts. Looking up, she realized the game had moved to the next round, and everyone was searching for a new unlucky victim.

Shuangxu caught the sight from across the table. Song Leyan, across the table, gave her a meaningful look, flashing the joker card in her hand.

“I’m the King,” Song Leyan said, her eyes fixed on Shuangxu. “Ace of Spades, come out.”

Shuangxu sensed something. As she reached for the card in front of her, she felt a slight crease on the back.

Someone had marked it.

Yue Zifeng searched everywhere but couldn’t find it. He looked at the last person remaining. “Little Shuangxu, is it you?”

Shuangxu flipped her card over. It was indeed the Ace of Spades.

Song Leyan’s triumph was evident in her eyes. She repeated the task. “The person on your left or right, choose one, and pass the card with your mouth.”

The noisy scene suddenly fell silent. All eyes were on Shuangxu.

Shen Yu sat on her left, He Tingzhou on her right.

Song Leyan deliberately wanted to embarrass Shuangxu.

Passing a card with their mouths, their lips pressed together against a thin card, the intimacy was no less than a direct kiss.

She knew Shuangxu liked Shen Yu, but would she dare to choose him?

If she chose He Tingzhou, who didn’t care about anyone’s face, even the Emperor’s, she would be publicly rejected and lose face.

Lu Manman’s eyes also fell on Shuangxu, seemingly wanting to see what she would choose.

Shuangxu unconsciously clenched her fingers.

Click – the sound of a glass being placed on the table broke the silence. Shen Yu’s expression was extremely calm, his voice devoid of emotion. “It’s getting late, let’s go.”

Yue Zifeng followed suit, “Alright, I need to go upstairs and take a hot shower, I’m going to catch a cold.”

Song Leyan refused to let it go. “Everyone else played, why can’t she play? Passing a card isn’t too much, you were just feeding grapes to the beautiful woman mouth-to-mouth, why are you so unwilling to play?”

Yue Zifeng choked.

“It’s alright,” Shuangxu said.

Zheng Zuye, swirling his glass, interjected with a smirk, “Why don’t you choose me? I’m happy to help.”

She would rather choose a pig than Zheng Zuye, that scoundrel.

Shuangxu picked up a card, bit it with her teeth, and turned to the right.

She thought, her reputation as a toad would probably be confirmed.

Song Leyan was about to correct her that the card wasn’t passed like that, but Shen Yu’s eyes swept over her.

The look was rather cold, and she shut her mouth.

He Tingzhou leaned back on the sofa, relaxed and motionless, with an indifferent expression.

Shuangxu leaned towards him, he looked at her initiative with cold eyes, not intending to accept.

His narrow, sharp black eyes held only indifferent indifference.

Like watching a play that had nothing to do with him, her predicament of being publicly humiliated and her forced composure, the anxiety still leaking from her eyes.

She was the clown on stage, he was one of the spectators.

Shuangxu expected he wouldn’t give her an easy way out, but she didn’t expect it to be so cold and embarrassing.

She had never done such a thing in her life, being watched by so many eyes. She knew Song Leyan was gloating, she knew Shen Yu was watching her.

Her face turned red, not because of shyness, but because of embarrassment.

Forget it, that’s it. Everyone saw, it was He Tingzhou who didn’t want to cooperate, not that she couldn’t play, not that she was obsessed with Shen Yu.

Her body was about to retreat, but He Tingzhou grabbed her waist and pulled her over.

Shuangxu stumbled into his arms, unprepared. Before she could react, He Tingzhou held her, and under her surprised gaze, lowered his head, his teeth biting the other end of the card.

At that moment, Shuangxu almost felt his breath, intertwined with hers, his nose brushing against hers, very lightly, like an illusion.

The temperature of her cheeks rose exponentially, Shuangxu realized she couldn’t breathe.

She saw He Tingzhou’s eyelashes, unexpectedly long.

Those thin, cold eyelids suddenly lifted, she fell into He Tingzhou’s dark, deep pupils without any defense, her heart trembled violently.

She almost felt He Tingzhou’s body temperature, his arm wrapped around her waist, the cold pine scent of his body was originally very faint, but now it enveloped her like a thin mist.

The entire boat fell silent in that instant, only the sound of the waves crashing against the hull, whooshing.

Someone’s glass fell to the ground, shattering with a bang, the sound startled Shuangxu, she quickly retreated from He Tingzhou’s arms.

He Tingzhou turned his head, spat out the card, and leaned back on the sofa.

Lu Manman was also surprised. This cousin, whom she had never dared to get close to since she was a child, would actually cooperate with Shuangxu in playing a game.

But then again, men are probably all like this…

This, a delivered ambiguity, she would accept all comers.

She turned her gaze back to Shen Yu, his expression was unchanged, as usual.

But her eyes inadvertently swept over, and she saw his hand resting on the armrest of the sofa, his knuckles were tense.