Everyone was waiting for Chu Shangluo to speak, and as soon as he did, those present knew there was going to be a spectacle.

The ongoing feud between Chu Shangluo and Su Ran was well-known. Chu Shangluo had previously taken over the Jiang family from Su Ran and recently intercepted a business deal from Mr. Chen that had been meant for Su Ran and Wen Yan. It was clear Su Ran, a young wolf with something to prove, would try to reclaim his losses.

Two large boxes filled with rough stones of various shapes were brought to the gambling table. Su Ran smirked.

“President Chu, choose one of these boxes. The rules are simple: we’ll each pick five stones from the box. Whoever reveals the most jade wins.”

He picked up a high-powered flashlight from the table, twirling it in his hand.

“I’m not trying to take advantage of you. Your friends here can help you choose. Though, I’m not sure if they know how to.”

“Cut the nonsense,” Chu Shangluo said, unimpressed by Su Ran’s repeated attempts to provoke him. He casually pointed to a box. “Let’s get this over with. I don’t have time for children’s games.”

Calling Su Ran a child was his sore spot, but he kept his composure, glancing briefly at Wen Yan, who stood by with a polite smile.

Su Ran continued, “President Chu, we should bet on something.”

Chu Shangluo glanced at the pile of unremarkable stones. “What do you want to bet?”

“Not money—that’s boring. I heard you’re leading the old city renovation project. How about betting the material supply rights for that project?”

The crowd stirred. Many admired Su Ran’s boldness—he was openly targeting a highly lucrative deal.

Chu Shangluo had control over the entire old city district because the Chu family had originally funded the construction decades ago, and the land use rights still belonged to him. Handing over the material supply rights was no small matter—it was a goldmine that many had their eyes on.

Weighing a stone in his hand, Chu Shangluo realized Su Ran was calculating carefully. This box of worthless rocks couldn’t possibly compare to the value of the materials contract, yet with everyone watching, refusing wasn’t an option.

Looking at Su Ran’s smug expression, Chu Shangluo nodded. “Alright, since you’re being so direct about business, I’ll make my own bet. I won’t ask for much—just a public apology if you lose.”

It was practically a zero-cost wager for Su Ran, who was confident he wouldn’t lose.

“Deal.”

Su Ran began selecting stones immediately, while Chu Shangluo hesitated, unsure how to pick. Just as he was about to randomly grab some, Jiang Jia chimed in,

“Why don’t you let Ren Jiaoming help? He’s probably good at this. Didn’t he research jade a lot while searching for his brother?”

Chu Shangluo was about to argue that finding jade and stone gambling were entirely different, but before he could speak, Ren Jiaoming had already picked a stone and placed it on the table.

Chu shrugged. “You want to play? Fine. Pick whatever you want. No pressure—it doesn’t matter if we lose. I won’t blame you.”

He then stepped back, allowing Ren Jiaoming to choose freely.

Letting his secretary handle such a major bet? The onlookers whispered among themselves, their curiosity piqued. His cold, elegant demeanor was already striking, but now they were wondering if Ren Jiaoming’s rumored skills were as impressive as people claimed. After all, he had helped Jiang Corp recover from crisis and was credited for Chu Corp’s recent success.

The gossip buzzed louder, but Ren Jiaoming ignored it entirely, staying focused.

Gu Yao nudged Chu Shangluo. “What if you really lose?”

Chu Shangluo shrugged. “Then I lose. So what?”

Gu Yao grinned. “Well, say goodbye to that juicy deal then.”

“Are you stupid?” Chu Shangluo sneered. “If I don’t agree, what can they do? A verbal bet means nothing. At most, people will say I don’t keep my word. Let them talk—it’s not like I haven’t been criticized before.”

Gu Yao chuckled. “You’re really something. Now I see why you only asked for an apology instead of anything more. Su Ran could also break his promise, but an apology can be fulfilled immediately.”

Jiang Jia chimed in, “What if he refuses to apologize too?”

Chu Shangluo’s gaze shifted toward a middle-aged man in the crowd who bore a strong resemblance to Su Ran. “The Su family values their reputation. Su Ran isn’t the only one here today.”

Jiang Jia’s eyes lit up in realization. “Oh, I get it now! That’s brilliant—and so cunning! I love it!”

Chu Shangluo shot him a glare. “…Get lost.”

Meanwhile, Ren Jiaoming had finished selecting his stones. He removed his gloves and returned to Chu Shangluo’s side while Su Ran was still choosing his.

Chu Shangluo glanced at Ren’s gloves. “The stones were too dirty. I’ll buy you a new pair of gloves, okay? Did you find this gambling fun? If you’re bored, we can do something else later.”

Ren Jiaoming replied flatly, “It’s not fun. Pretty boring, actually.”

Gu Yao shivered. “Ugh, the sweetness here is overwhelming.”

By this time, Su Ran had also finished choosing his stones. The staff stepped forward and began cutting open the stones one by one. Everyone watched closely, waiting for the results. Su Ran, confident, tilted his chin upward, prepared for his victory.

However, after a moment, the staff checked the weight of the extracted jade and announced, “President Chu’s side has revealed the most jade. President Chu wins.”

Su Ran’s smug smile froze instantly. Chu Shangluo blinked, surprised that Ren Jiaoming had actually won.

Patting Ren Jiaoming’s shoulder, Chu Shangluo turned to the pale-faced Su Ran and grinned. “Sorry, but I won. Time to apologize, don’t you think?”

All eyes shifted to Su Ran, eager to witness the spectacle.

Su Ran clenched his fists, glaring fiercely at both Chu Shangluo and Ren Jiaoming. He couldn’t believe he’d lost—how could someone be better at selecting stones than him?

Apologizing in front of such a crowd would be a massive blow to his pride. He turned to leave when suddenly, someone grabbed his arm.

Startled, he exclaimed, “Gege…?”

Su Chenxi, his older brother, replied calmly, “The Su family keeps its promises. Apologize.”

Facing his elder brother, who highly valued the family’s reputation, Su Ran had no choice but to comply—there was no escape.

Chu Shangluo crossed his arms, smiling as he waited for the apology.

“I’m sorry,” Su Ran finally muttered through clenched teeth, lowering his head. Everyone present could tell how reluctant he was to apologize.

Chu Shangluo waved it off with a smug, magnanimous smile. “Forget it. He’s just a kid—I won’t take it seriously.”

The words “just a kid” struck a nerve, hitting Su Ran’s sore spot perfectly. As soon as Su Chenxi released his grip, Su Ran turned and stormed off, unwilling to endure the crowd’s judgment any longer.

With the bet concluded, Mr. Chen’s birthday banquet was about to begin. That night, the business circle fully acknowledged that Chu Shangluo had a highly capable secretary. Meanwhile, Wen Yan clenched his fists tightly, glaring at the proud Chu Shangluo with resentment.

‘Keep laughing,‘ Wen Yan thought bitterly. ‘You won’t be laughing for long. One day, I want to see you cry.’

By the time the banquet ended, it was nearly midnight. Given the grand occasion, drinking was inevitable. Both Chu Shangluo and Ren Jiaoming had a few drinks. Since Ren had helped him win the bet, Chu Shangluo was especially proud, with many guests praising his secretary’s competence, causing him to drink even more.

As they left the banquet, Chu Shangluo, clearly tipsy, leaned heavily on Ren Jiaoming for support, staggering slightly. The cool night breeze seemed to sober him up a little—but only a little.

Lighting a cigarette, he rested his entire weight on Ren and murmured, “Hey… How do you know so much about stone gambling?”

“I don’t. Just lucky.”

Chu Shangluo touched Ren Jiaoming’s cold cheek. “Liar. You never do things you’re unsure of.”

Ren Jiaoming didn’t respond. The island was surrounded by the sea, the sound of waves echoing clearly.

Chu Shangluo suddenly pulled Ren Jiaoming toward the beach, sitting down on the sand.

Ren Jiaoming tried to help him up. “President Chu, let’s go back and sleep.”

“I’m not sleepy… Ren Jiaoming…” Chu Shangluo chuckled softly, resting his head on Ren Jiaoming’s shoulder. Gazing at the star-filled sky reflected on the calm sea, he whispered, “Let’s pretend this is a date—our first date.”

His words were tinged with drunkenness. Ren Jiaoming turned to look at him, only to be kissed gently on the lips. The kiss carried a faint scent of tobacco, causing Ren Jiaoming to frown slightly.

“You don’t like the smell of smoke, do you?” Even while drunk, Chu Shangluo noticed the slight crease in Ren Jiaoming’s brow.

Ren Jiaoming hesitated before answering, his voice softer than usual. “When I was a kid, my house caught fire. I was trapped in a cabinet and had to breathe in that smell for too long… I’ve hated it ever since.”

Revealing such a vulnerable memory surprised even Ren Jiaoming himself. Perhaps he was also a little drunk.

Chu Shangluo fell silent. After a moment, he stubbed out his cigarette and laced his fingers with Ren Jiaoming’s. “Then I’ll quit smoking for you. Would that make you happy?”

In the quiet night, with the sound of waves in the background, the rapid thumping of their hearts echoed between them. Fingers intertwined, they gazed at each other, uncertain whose heartbeat was racing so fast.