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Chapter 33: Game

Song Xian had spent the entire night going from not knowing how to use it at all to fully developing methods of use—and much of the credit belonged to Jiang Liuyi, who transitioned from merely being the subject of Song Xian’s experiments to actively stirring the flames herself.

It wasn’t until they had completely run out of energy that Jiang Liuyi finally tossed the device aside and began her conquest in earnest.

The night had only just begun, and the desire that had long been pent up between Song Xian and Jiang Liuyi was fully unleashed. At some point, the lingerie that Song Xian had thrown onto the sofa ended up back on her body. Just as she had predicted, it was practically useless—but ironically, it was even more effective than wearing nothing at all. Jiang Liuyi’s movements were noticeably rougher than usual.

She even refused to let Song Xian take it off, insisting that she sleep in it. Before falling asleep, she pressed her leg against the silky fabric, savoring its smoothness. Song Xian tried to push her away several times but failed, finally calling out, “Jiang Liuyi.”

Jiang Liuyi, drained of strength, merely turned her head and answered with a lazy “Mm.”

“I need to change the sheets,” Song Xian said.

“Oh,” Jiang Liuyi replied, making no move to help. Song Xian reached out and poked her in the hipbone. “I need to change the sheets!”

Jiang Liuyi moved—but instead of helping, she pulled Song Xian into her arms. The two of them rolled across the bed in a tangle, the comforter wrapped around them, and tumbled straight onto the carpet. The sudden maneuver left Song Xian stunned for a few seconds, unable to react. 

In the end, she could only sit up helplessly. Her skin stung faintly; she wasn’t sure if it was because they hadn’t done anything the night before and Jiang Liuyi had lost all restraint—either way, the fresh bite marks throbbed painfully.

Mustering the last of her strength, Song Xian changed the sheets and called Jiang Liuyi back to bed. As Jiang Liuyi got up, she bumped into something with a soft yelp. Song Xian turned her head, about to ask what happened, but before she could speak, Jiang Liuyi had already pressed her back onto the mattress.

The person beside her fell asleep just like that, without even pulling the blanket over herself. Song Xian covered her with a thin quilt, then turned onto her side, ready to sleep.

A few minutes later, she furrowed her brows. She wasn’t sure if it was the cold night air or if the air conditioning had been set too low, but she actually felt a little chilly. With no other choice, Song Xian scooted closer to Jiang Liuyi.

The moment she moved, Jiang Liuyi instinctively wrapped her arms around her.

The motion was smooth and natural. Jiang Liuyi’s breath, soft and warm, brushed against the shell of Song Xian’s ear, tickling and comforting her at the same time.

For the first time, while fully awake, Song Xian didn’t resist falling asleep in someone’s embrace.

It was a peaceful, dreamless night.

The next morning, Jiang Liuyi was woken by the sound of an alarm. She turned her head to look at Song Xian—it was her phone ringing. It seemed they had been truly exhausted the night before; normally such a light sleeper, Song Xian hadn’t stirred at all. Jiang Liuyi reached out and silenced the alarm. As she did, her gaze happened to catch the screen—a photo of herself displayed there.

Jiang Liuyi quietly watched as the phone’s screen dimmed and went dark.

Whatever minor irritation she had felt at being woken up vanished completely. Waking up early like this, she thought, felt wonderful.

Song Xian was still asleep. Jiang Liuyi got up first, washed up, and went to make breakfast. She wasn’t particularly skilled in the kitchen, and the fridge didn’t have much stocked, so she stuck to what she knew: a fried egg, some reheated bread, and a cup of warm milk. Just as she finished tidying up and was about to call Song Xian to wake her, she saw the bedroom door open—Song Xian was already walking out.

She paused when she noticed the breakfast set out on the table, her gaze naturally falling on Jiang Liuyi.

Jiang Liuyi smiled and said, “Good morning.”

Song Xian gave a small nod. “Morning.”

She went into the bathroom to wash up. While brushing her teeth, she heard movement outside and thought about how diligent Jiang Liuyi had been lately—not only taking on more housework but also making breakfast every morning. I should be more diligent too, she thought.

After finishing up, Song Xian sat down across from Jiang Liuyi at the table. Just as she lowered her head to take a sip of milk, she heard Jiang Liuyi call her name. “Song Xian.”

Her movement paused as she lifted her eyes to look at Jiang Liuyi, just in time to hear her ask, “Should we visit your parents sometime?”

“My parents?” Song Xian frowned slightly.

Seeing her reaction, Jiang Liuyi shifted her approach. “Is your relationship with them… not very good?”

“It’s fine,” Song Xian replied.

She had always been rather independent. From kindergarten onward, she had attended a boarding school, only returning home on weekends for family meals. Later, during high school, she went abroad to develop her career. Her relationship with her parents wasn’t exactly warm, but there were no real conflicts either.

Still, having a meal together would be a bit complicated.

“They’re not in the country right now,” Song Xian said. “If we’re going to have a meal, it’ll have to wait until they come back.”

Jiang Liuyi nodded. That was good. Once she finished settling things on her end, they could make arrangements to visit.

Yet as she continued eating, a faint unease crept up.

If Song Xian had no real issues with her family, why hadn’t they reached out to her? Weren’t they at least curious about the person their daughter had married?

Jiang Liuyi set down her cup, lifted her gaze, and asked, “Song Xian, do your parents know you’re married?”

Song Xian, not understanding the sudden shift in tone, answered calmly, “Of course they know.”

Jiang Liuyi held back a response and simply said, “Oh.”

Then why had they never been mentioned even once?

She frowned and pressed further. “What did they say about it?”

Song Xian thought for a moment. “They said I could decide for myself.”

Jiang Liuyi: …

At last, she understood. Song Xian’s personality was undoubtedly inherited from her parents.

Jiang Liuyi had no more questions. After breakfast, she needed to practice for a while. She had initially planned to invite Song Xian to come listen, but as she stepped into the living room, she saw Song Xian already curled up with her laptop. “Working?” Jiang Liuyi asked.

Song Xian turned her head. “I still have two images to touch up.”

“I’ll head to the piano room, then,” Jiang Liuyi said.

Song Xian watched her go, her gaze calm and steady.

The luncheon was set to start at eleven-thirty. At ten-thirty, Zhao Yuebai messaged Jiang Liuyi, reminding her not to be late. After getting dressed, Jiang Liuyi glanced over at Song Xian and saw her in a deep blue sleeveless gown, the hem flaring into a light, short mermaid tail. She looked like a silent fish drifting in the depths of the sea. 

Song Xian had also applied light makeup after changing clothes. Seeing Jiang Liuyi standing there without moving, she asked, “Aren’t you going to do your makeup?”

Jiang Liuyi said, “You do it for me.”

She still remembered the last time they had taken photos—how Song Xian had helped her with makeup. Her hands had been quick and skillful, but what stayed with Jiang Liuyi the most was how seriously Song Xian had taken the task. She had loved watching her focused expression; there was something different about it, something quietly captivating.

Song Xian didn’t think too much of it and began doing Jiang Liuyi’s makeup using the products on the vanity. The two of them sat close together. Sunlight spilled in through the window, casting a soft glow over Jiang Liuyi’s profile, highlighting her features with remarkable clarity. Jiang Liuyi tilted her head back slightly, closing her eyes. 

As Song Xian lowered her gaze, her eyes fell on Jiang Liuyi’s lips, and for some reason, the image of her smiling brightly at her the night before suddenly surfaced in her mind. It had been such a clean, warm smile.

Jiang Liuyi opened her eyes and, seeing Song Xian pause, called out, “Song Xian?”

Song Xian snapped out of her thoughts and quickly resumed applying the makeup.

By the time they arrived at Zhao’s house, many guests were already there. From a distance, they could see Zhao Yuebai busy greeting people. Jiang Liuyi led Song Xian over, and they presented their gifts together. Zhao Yuebai paused. “Why are there two gifts? Are you trying to bribe me or something?”

Jiang Liuyi’s gift had been prepared a long time ago. She had only found out that Song Xian had also bought one when Zhao Yuebai called her the other day. In the end, they decided to give both—a double gesture of goodwill.

Despite her teasing, Zhao Yuebai was clearly pleased as she accepted the gifts. Turning to Song Xian, she said, “Just stick with Liuyi today. I’ll come find you two later and hang out.”

Song Xian nodded. “Alright.”

Graceful and poised, Song Xian immediately attracted a lot of attention the moment she stepped in, her gown perfectly complementing her aura. Many guests didn’t recognize her and whispered among themselves, a few in the know quietly filling others in.

“That’s Jiang Liuyi’s wife, right? She’s stunning.”

“No wonder Jiang Liuyi rushed into marriage. Who wouldn’t want to marry someone like that?”

“I heard before that she looked like Yu Bai, but there’s no resemblance at all. She’s way more beautiful than Yu Bai.”

“Yu Bai? I heard a funny story—something about Yu Bai’s sister causing trouble at Song Xian’s company, and Jiang Liuyi stepping in to defend her wife. It was during that magazine interview thing. You guys didn’t hear about it? Honestly, Yu Bai’s really shameless. After breaking up for so many years, she still expected Jiang Liuyi to wait around for her.”

Yu Bai happened to walk by just as these conversations reached her ears. Her hands clenched into tight fists.

Beside her, Qian Shen said, “Ignore them. Just a bunch of jealous, petty people.”

Zhao Yuebai’s birthday had drawn quite the crowd, including friends both inside and outside the entertainment circle, as well as some old classmates. Several of those classmates had once harbored secret crushes on Jiang Liuyi. 

Even back when Yu Bai had been dating Jiang Liuyi, there had been people who mocked her for not being good enough. Now, with the tables turned, they spared no effort in tearing her down.

Yu Bai took a deep breath, forcing herself to rein in her temper.

Qian Shen narrowed her eyes at the two figures not far away, a plan quickly forming in her mind. She gathered a few friends and found a spot to sit. With a look, she signaled to one of them, who promptly pulled out a deck of cards. Qian Shen said, “How about a few rounds?”

After speaking, she had a friend fetch several bottles of strong liquor and set them on the table, pouring the glasses full. Talk of playing games naturally drew curiosity, and soon a crowd had gathered. Across from Qian Shen sat a man in his mid-twenties. He lost two rounds in a row, and, following the rules, downed two full glasses, his hand waving unsteadily before he slumped away.

By the time Lin Qiushui arrived, she saw a large group already gathered around. Opposite Qian Shen, the seat was empty. Qian Shen stood up and called out, “Liuyi!”

Jiang Liuyi turned her head and saw several old acquaintances standing beside Qian Shen, who was now waving her over. “Liuyi, over here!”

She frowned slightly. One of the friends had already walked over, smiling as he said, “Is this your wife?”

Jiang Liuyi nodded and introduced them. Her friend grinned and said, “Come on, want to join us for a bit?”

Song Xian remained calm as she asked, “What are you playing?”

“Cards,” the friend replied with a smile.

As they spoke, Song Xian was already being led over to the table by Jiang Liuyi’s friends, leaving Jiang Liuyi no choice but to follow. A group of young people had gathered there—former classmates, friends, and quite a few people from the entertainment circle. 

When they noticed Jiang Liuyi approaching, they greeted her warmly, taking the opportunity to compliment her wife’s beauty. After exchanging a few polite words, Jiang Liuyi heard Song Xian quietly ask, “What are they playing?”

“Cards,” Jiang Liuyi explained. “High card wins.”

It was simple. The dealer would draw two cards, and the player would draw one from the dealer’s hand. If the player’s card was higher, they won; if it was lower, they lost. Very basic rules.

Song Xian nodded, understanding.

As another round ended, Qian Shen shifted her gaze to Jiang Liuyi and smiled. “Want to play a few rounds? You got married in secret without informing anyone—shouldn’t you be punished a little?”

The other classmates caught on quickly, shouting and teasing, “Punish her!”

Amidst the commotion, Jiang Liuyi was more or less pressured into it. Lin Qiushui had also come over but was squeezed toward the back by the crowd. As the others made space in the center, Jiang Liuyi was nudged into the empty seat. She didn’t sit immediately. Qian Shen coaxed, “Just two rounds. Whoever loses drinks a glass. How about it?”

The punishment was harmless enough.

Jiang Liuyi sat down. Qian Shen smiled and said, “You be the dealer. I’ll draw.”

As she spoke, she handed the deck of cards to Jiang Liuyi. Jiang Liuyi hesitated for a moment, just about to take them when a calm voice spoke from beside her. Song Xian asked, “Can I play?”

Jiang Liuyi turned her head. Song Xian looked toward Qian Shen and repeated, “Can I?”

Qian Shen froze for a second, then quickly recovered, grinning as she bit out, “Of course you can.”

Let’s see if you can survive this! she thought smugly. The liquor they were using was strong—no matter how good someone’s tolerance was, two glasses would knock them down. She couldn’t wait to see Song Xian drunk and making a fool of herself.

As her mind churned with satisfaction, she heard Jiang Liuyi ask, “Are you sure you want to play?”

“I want to give it a try,” Song Xian said.

More and more people gathered around. Those who knew Qian Shen were well aware she rarely lost at cards. Everyone widened their eyes, curiosity piqued, eager to see what would happen if Song Xian lost.

Jiang Liuyi stood up, yielding her seat. Song Xian sat down and said to Qian Shen, “I’m not very good at this. You be the dealer. I’ll draw.”

Qian Shen frowned slightly.

Originally, if Jiang Liuyi had been the dealer, she would have had a guaranteed win. But now that she was the one dealing, there was a chance Song Xian might randomly draw a higher card—and then she’d lose.

Still, with so many eyes watching, she could only grit her teeth and say, “Fine.”

Qian Shen took the cards back, shuffled them briskly, and quickly drew two from the deck. She glanced at them—ten of hearts and eight of spades. She laid the two cards face down on the table and said to Song Xian, “Draw.”

Song Xian lowered her head, her gaze steady, and quickly selected one of the two cards. Qian Shen flipped over the remaining card—it was the eight of spades. That meant Song Xian had drawn the ten of hearts.

What luck. Qian Shen gritted her teeth as the others around them cheered and laughed. She picked up a glass, lifted it, and drank it down in one go.

Second round: three of diamonds and seven of hearts. Song Xian drew the seven of hearts.

Qian Shen drank another glass.

Still unwilling to give up, she snapped, “Again!”

Third round: two of clubs and three of hearts. Song Xian drew the three of hearts.

Fourth round: five of diamonds against eight of hearts. Song Xian drew the eight of hearts.

Fifth round…

Qian Shen tipped back another glass of strong liquor, the burn almost making her dizzy. Song Xian watched her steadily and, in a calm, almost detached voice, asked, “Do you want to keep going?”

Her voice was lovely, yet at this moment, it sounded almost like a death knell. Qian Shen’s heart skipped a beat. Unable to hold it together any longer, she covered her mouth and rushed off toward the restroom, her retreating figure utterly disheveled.

Behind her, Song Xian sat quietly, watching.