Long Wu decided to find solace in the gambling arena after his heartbreak in the romance departnt. He was quite interested in that plot of land too, but Leng Er outmaneuvered him with a better strategy and took the lead.
"The newly acquired lot of yours is worth barely a tenth of the one in Nanyuan. Why don’t you throw in your True Treasure Pavilion as well?" Leng Mochen remarked, his expression unchanged, flipping the tables back on him.
Long Wu’s face imdiately twisted in mock agony, unwillingly pointing at him, "Fine, you win this ti!" He had to admit it, Leng Er was soone who never ended up at a loss.
Li Si’s lips twitched upward, and in her mind, she couldn’t help hearing the lody of Chen Xiaochun’s "Fine, You Win" looping over and over.
"But... I can match it with Zhongji!" Leng Mochen offered, referring to one of the two plots he had secured, its value almost equivalent to Long Wu’s Nanyuan.
Long Wu finally showed a satisfied expression and deliberately winked. "Alright then! Sisi, Xiao Ning, you two can bear witness here! Watch how your Brother Wu beats them this ti!"
Leng Mochen let out a cold snort, "The truth will co out in the gamble!"
"Tch!" Leng Ning retorted, "The ga’s not over yet. Let’s see who wins!"
Xu Er chid in, "Exactly! Totally agree!"
"My Mochen will definitely win! Just don’t cry when the ti cos!" She couldn’t believe that Long Wu would win in the end. Look at how smug he was acting.
Long Wu clutched his wounded heart. "You’re all so confident? Well, in that case, I’ve got no choice but to unleash my secret weapon! Co, behold my lucky charm—always victorious in gambling!" He pulled out a yellow jade token and hung it around his neck, trying to look as convincing as he could.
"Long Wu, not to be harsh, but what’s the use of all these gimmicks? Just get on with it!" Xu Er said eagerly, rubbing his hands together. He didn’t bother to ntion how, during boring days abroad, he often entertained himself with online poker—his experience was nothing to scoff at.
This drew more laughter from Li Si and the others. Was he sure he’d been abroad? Why did it sound like he’d just returned from the future instead? His roasting skills were seriously top-notch!
The most thrilling mont finally arrived. Long Wu gently flipped over his cards—an 8. "Haha, a full house! Let’s see if I don’t crush you all!"
A faint smile flickered across Leng Mochen’s lips before disappearing instantly.
Li Si and Leng Ning groaned in unison. How could he have pulled an 8? Nervously, they both turned toward Xu Er’s card for a last glimr of hope.
Xu Er couldn’t hide his excitent and revealed his card with flair. "Haha, it’s a 4—my lucky charm!"
Then, with fake regret, he patted Long Wu on the shoulder, "Brother Wu, thanks for the win! I know it stings, but hey, what can you do? Luck’s just on my side!"
Infuriated, Long Wu slapped his hand away, gnashing his teeth. "Don’t celebrate too soon! Our Leng Er hasn’t revealed his card yet!"
Unperturbed, Leng Mochen casually flipped his card, wasting no ti for suspense—Jack of Spades!
"Whoa! We won!" Li Si cheered, leaping toward Leng Mochen. He had really beaten them. Leng Mochen smiled, calmly accepting the fragrant embrace tossed his way.
Leng Ning was originally heading for him too but abruptly veered toward Long Wu instead. "Brother Wu, admit defeat—fair and square!"
"Whether I admit it or not, he still won! Xu Er, you jinx, you’re always my bad luck! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have lost that plot of land! My land! It hurts so much!" Long Wu dramatically clutched his chest.
Xu Er felt wronged—wasn’t he the one who’d won so many tis before? Were all those victories just others going easy on him?
"Heavens! My poor new ride—I didn’t even get to warm the seat before handing it over. Could it get any worse? What, and now you’re blaming ? Seriously?"
The two brothers-in-misfortune hugged each other and burst into fake sobs, provoking another round of laughter from Li Si and the others.
Leng Mochen checked his watch and cut through their theatrics. "Alright, ti’s about up. Where are the fireworks?"
Long Wu shoved Xu Er off him and tidied up his collar. "Get off ! Why’re you hugging so tight? I’m not so beauty! Let’s go; everything’s ready!"
"See, this is how ungrateful you are! My poor little heart hasn’t even healed yet, and you treat like this! How tragic! My ride, my baby!" Xu Er bemoaned exaggeratedly toward Leng Mochen and shot a pitiful glance at Li Si, who was holding their winnings.
Leng Mochen couldn’t stomach it anymore and rubbed his goosebump-covered arm. He didn’t understand how soone could enjoy acting so extra. "Fine, forget about the car!"
Xu Er, now appearing bashful, changed his tune. "No way! A wager’s a wager! I was just kidding, honestly. Now then, the fireworks—where are we setting them off?"
"At Jinxiu Building, at Leng Er’s company, right across from here. Let’s head out—it’s about ti!" Long Wu grabbed the lighter and car keys off the table, pushing Xu Er toward the exit as he spoke.
"You’re incredible!" Li Si said, linking arms with Leng Mochen and looking at him with admiration. The lighting cast his chiseled features with even more masculine allure.
"Just figuring that out now?" He lightly flicked her nose. Her delicate and ek deanor made her all the more endearing.
Leng Ning, trailing nearby, deliberately cleared her throat. "Ahem! Just a reminder, there’s still a living, breathing person here!" With that, she strode past them. Did they not consider her feelings at all—witnessing couples flaunting their love left and right? Her hopeless secret crush had her enduring countless heartbreaks, yet she stayed loyal to her infatuation like a moth drawn to a fla.
The two glanced at each other and burst into laughter, quickly following her.
On the rooftop of Jinxiu Building, rows upon rows of fireworks were lined up, with dazzling bursts illuminating the night sky periodically around them.
The atmosphere was steeped in the spirit of the New Year. This year’s celebration felt particularly special to her.
Leng Mochen wrapped an arm around her as they watched Long Wu and Xu Er continuously light fireworks, with Leng Ning cheering and shouting on the side.
The vibrant, exploding fireworks soared into the heavens, painting their most brilliant pictures before vanishing into the vast night.
"Cold?" he asked softly.
She shook her head. "Not cold!" Even at a few degrees below freezing in Beijing, it still felt much warr than the thirty-below temperatures of North City.
"Happy?" he gazed deeply at her, as though he could never get enough of her. He especially adored her soft, rosy cheeks, which gave him the irresistible urge to pinch them.
"Mm-hm! More than happy—I feel loved!" As she tilted her head toward him, seizing the mont when the others were too busy to notice, she sneakily leaned in and nibbled the beauty mark on his chin.
"You little rascal!" He pulled her closer, his words teasing, but his heart bursting with joy. If not for the others around, he would’ve kissed her right back with fervor!
Half an hour later, the fireworks were all spent, leaving only paper shells scattered across the ground and the lingering sll of gunpowder in the air.
Leng Mochen checked his watch again. "Let’s call it a night! We’ll gather again another ti!"
It was already 10 p.m., and considering Long Wu and Xu Er likely needed to return for their family’s New Year’s Eve dinner, this seed the best plan.
"Alright then! Happy New Year in advance! Leng Er, you scored big today—you’d better treat us to sothing nice soon! I’ll send over the materials for that plot soon!" Despite his heartache, Long Wu still knew to keep his word.
"Relax, it’s just a ga—don’t take it too seriously! Happy New Year! Talk later! Xu Er, you can drive the car ho!" Leng Mochen waved it off. To him, it was all just for fun; he never really planned to take the car.
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