So, is she winning this round, or not?
"Sis-in-law, hurry up! What did you draw that’s making you so hesitant?"
"Exactly, Sis-in-law, we’re still waiting for you to draw!"
Qin Miaomiao gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, and laid down her tiles: "Won! A pure flush, blooming with bonus points, plus a ground win—totaling 120 folds."
This time, she really scored a big win! The other three players looked rather disgruntled—losing to a woman? Where’s the pride in that?
Lu Qing patted her head and leaned toward her ear: "Good girl, honey. You’ve got a reward later."
Can I skip your reward, please?
"Come on, shuffle the tiles."
Jin Jing remarked with a sigh: "Sis-in-law, at the rate you’re winning, we’ll end up losing everything down to our underwear tonight."
"Don’t worry, I promise to leave you with just enough for the underwear."
"I haven’t won a single round—fine, I’m done playing!"
Song Li spoke up then: "Jin Wu, step aside, I’ll take over."
"Wait, I was just joking! I haven’t had my fill yet."
Song Li grabbed him in one swift move: "You’ve lost this much already—are you sure you still want to play?"
Jin Jing, resigned, got up. Song Li then took the seat to her left. Oh, wow, playing Mahjong with my idol? I’ll make sure he doesn’t lose too tragically.
Besides, if she keeps winning, it’ll get boring.
So, Qin Miaomiao decided to throw the match in style—skillfully letting others win just enough to keep things interesting, especially Song Li, who was conveniently her left neighbor. His wins came in abundance, and after a few rounds, his pile of chips had grown impressively.
Yan Lv seemed to notice something amiss: "Sis-in-law, you can’t be playing favorites like that."
Qin Miaomiao feigned ignorance, stylishly arranging her tiles: "Playing favorites? Alright, then I’ll shower you with some love too. Brace yourself."
Since Yan Lv was seated to her right, he was completely squeezed this round—practically suffocated by her moves. Meanwhile, the opportunistic Meng Er snagged a medium-sized win, making a tidy sum.
They kept at it for nearly two hours, and it was almost eleven when Lu Qing called it: "That’s it for tonight."
Yan Lv protested first, having won quite a bit himself. He was still riding high on excitement, especially since this was the one Mahjong session where he had experienced the full spectrum of emotions—terrible losses paired with one record-breaking win! It was exhilarating chaos!
"Brother Lu, come on now. Let Sis-in-law keep playing with us for a while longer."
Meng Er chimed in too: "It’s rare to find such a skilled opponent. We should savor this match."
Song Li didn’t say anything, but from his expression, he was clearly enjoying himself.
Lu Qing shot Qin Miaomiao a glance: "You still want to continue? Hmm?"
His hand lightly pressed down on her shoulder, and Qin Miaomiao instantly faltered. She stood up immediately, saying: "Let’s save it for next time. I’ve lost a lot tonight—I need to recuperate."
Throwing matches so generously had indeed cost her, with losses amounting to tens of thousands.
Lu Qing escorted her out first. Upon seeing the now-vacant spot, Jin Jing eagerly jumped back in and laughed: "I’ll play, I’ll play."
But the other three players stood up in unison: "What’s the point of playing with you, you idiot?"
"Seriously? How can you discriminate against me ?"
Meng Er chuckled dryly: "Do you even know how to strategize? Or how to throw games? Playing with you is no fun."
Song Li added calmly: "The three of us, combined, still couldn’t beat one woman’s skills. If word gets out, we’ll lose all face."
Yan Lv snorted and mocked him: "That’s rich coming from you, Song San. Miaomiao threw matches for you the most—how many good hands did you win, eh? I don’t get it—how does she read the game so perfectly?"
Song Li sighed dramatically: "Talent."