It turns out, all men have a natural gambling streak in their bones. Mahjong is one of those things—every man knows how to play a bit of it. To prevent Qin Miaomiao and Lu Qing from teaming up and cheating as husband and wife, only one of them was allowed to play.
Qin Miaomiao was overjoyed. The moment those mahjong tiles were brought out, her eyes lit up. Genuine ivory mahjong!
The feel of the tiles was exquisite, unlike anything ordinary. She treated them like a rare treasure, even feeling an impulse to take this entire set home with her.
Lu Qing ruffled her hair and calmly warned her, "Don’t even think about it. This thing can ruin you. Just have your fun and be done with it."
Qin Miaomiao pouted, rubbing the tiles fondly like a prized possession, clicking her tongue. The tactile sensation was superb—it even made her want to hug them to sleep.
"Oh, my precious, my darling, whether I dominate tonight or not... it’s all up to you."
As she spoke, she even kissed the one-dot tile. Her obsession was plain as day—clearly a seasoned player.
Lu Qing said casually, lifting her up and setting her aside. Qin Miaomiao, hopping mad, stomped her foot. "Lu Qing, we agreed I’d go first!"
Lu Qing shot her a glance. "Wait your turn."
This was obviously payback! Seeing her so excited, he was deliberately toying with her!
No matter how much she muttered complaints or felt irritated, she could only endure it, sitting obediently to the side as she watched them start the game.
"Hey, Little Lu, this isn’t very gentlemanly of you, is it? It was your wife who suggested playing mahjong. Don’t you think you’re being a bit much? Three bamboos."
"Exactly! I saw how your wife handled the tiles just now. Clearly, she’s a pro. If you don’t let her play, her hands are going to itch like crazy. Seven bamboos."
Meng Er suddenly called out, "Pong!"
Song Li didn’t join the game but sat next to Meng Er, observing. The round of tiles they were playing with had been shuffled and arranged by Qin Miaomiao under Lu Qing’s instruction. Her motions were fluid and graceful, her slender fingers as white as scallions, long and elegant. They were especially captivating while arranging the tiles, her rosy nails glinting with luster, utterly mesmerizing.
But alas, she was only laboring for the benefit of others. Qin Miaomiao was fuming, yet she couldn’t bear to leave. She sat quietly next to Lu Qing, completely under his thumb, even resigned to being in charge of drawing tiles for him.
"You’re so indignant. Why don’t you play instead?"
Yan Lv widened his eyes. "No way! I’m just getting into the groove."
Whenever these guys played mahjong, the women sitting around became nothing more than decorations. Yan Lv found them all annoying and directly dismissed them.
The women were disgruntled, shooting Qin Miaomiao bitter looks. If it weren’t for her wanting to play mahjong, these rich patrons wouldn’t have sent them away. Losing their chance to cozy up to these men was, for them, excruciating—like having their flesh flayed off.
The game didn’t go on long before Lu Qing pushed his tiles forward. "Sorry, Pure One Suit."
"What the hell! Little Lu, what’s the deal? Winning right off the bat with Pure One Suit?"
Lu Qing’s eyes sparkled, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile. "My wife draws good tiles. Whatever I need, I get. Nothing I can do about it."
The other three were utterly frustrated, casting despondent glances at Qin Miaomiao. Qin Miaomiao spread her hands innocently:
"Don’t look at me! I’m blameless."
Her gambling luck was hit or miss, depending on the person.
The next few rounds proved one thing: Qin Miaomiao’s hand at drawing tiles was exceptional. Whatever Lu Qing needed, that’s exactly what she pulled!
After several consecutive big wins, the others were struggling to bear it. Yan Lv shouted:
"No way, Brother Lu. You can’t let your wife keep this up. If we keep losing at this rate, we’re going to end up gambling away our pants!"
"Exactly! Hey, sister-in-law, why don’t you draw tiles for me instead?"
Still steaming over her deal with Lu Qing, Qin Miaomiao immediately agreed when she heard this: "Sure, I’ll do it, but if you lose, that’s on you. If we win, I get half."
Jin Jing clicked his tongue twice. "Sister-in-law, you’re quite the businesswoman, huh? But I like your style! Deal!"