26

KTV Lounge. Yu Fan sat on the sofa with a cold face, staring at Jay Chou's face on the TV screen, still replaying things in his mind.

It must have been because he'd had alcohol and his reactions were slow, that he couldn't shake Chen Jingshen off before he pulled his hand back.

Wang Luan'an booked the room late, so they only got a medium-sized one. Everyone on the sofa was squeezed together, and five or six guys were standing around as the atmosphere crew.

The girl sitting to Yu Fan's left was wearing a short skirt. To avoid accidentally touching her, he could only lean a little to the other side.

He didn't know how many times he'd bumped into the thing behind him. Yu Fan couldn't take it anymore and jabbed the person next to him with his elbow. 'Why'd you bring your backpack here?'

'I just came from the library.' Chen Jingshen picked up his backpack, set it on his lap and held it with one hand. 'Is this better?'

...

Yu Fan expressionlessly picked up his backpack with one hand and placed it on the ledge behind the sofa.

Then he sat up straight again and stared at Jay Chou.

Lost another round of Dice. Wang Luan'an cursed as he downed his drink in one gulp, then put down the glass and turned around. 'Scholar, welcome welcome. What song do you want to sing? I'll queue it up for you.'

'No need,' Chen Jingshen handed him the thing he'd just taken out of his backpack. 'Happy birthday.'

'Holy shit, there's a gift? Thanks, Schol—what's this?' Wang Luan'an stared at the thing in the bag, stunned.

'Question Bank.' Chen Jingshen leaned back on the sofa. 'After you finish the previous ones, you can continue with these.'

Yu Fan: '...'

Wang Luan'an: '...Thank you. I love it.'

The room door was pushed open, and another girl came in.

Seeing the crowded sofa, the girl stood at the door, suddenly a bit awkward.

Wang Luan'an immediately stood up and directed: 'Brothers over there, scoot a bit more toward the song-request machine, make some room for my good sister.'

Zuo Kuan, holding his drink and getting squeezed, said without any temper: 'How many people did you even invite?'

Wang Luan'an chuckled. 'I thought we could get the big room, you know?'

Another girl on the sofa instinctively glanced at the person next to her. Yu Fan was looking down at his Mobile Phone, and there was still a tiny gap between them.

The light occasionally swept over the guy's cold, lazy features, making her face flush and heart race.

After a moment, she couldn't help but whisper, 'Actually, you could move over a bit more, there's still room here.'

Yu Fan shook his head. 'No need, I—'

'Scholar, can you move a bit closer to Yu Fan?' Wang Luan'an asked from over there.

'Mm.'

With a low sound, Yu Fan felt Chen Jingshen lean a little toward him.

He suddenly went quiet. The girl was confused: 'Huh?'

Yu Fan squeezed his phone and finished his sentence stiffly: 'Not crowded.'

He wanted to shift his leg, but there really was no room. He could only stay pressed stiffly against Chen Jingshen.

'Come on, Scholar, I have to toast you. Thanks for your earnest teaching and for not giving up on me these past few days—' Wang Luan'an paused. 'Oh, right, Scholar, can you drink? How about I pour you some watermelon juice.'

'I can.'

Not wanting to dampen the birthday person's spirits, Chen Jingshen casually grabbed a cup from the table that no one had drunk from, clinked it lightly with his, and downed it in one go.

'Tsk.' Zhang Xianjing was watching from a distance, chin in hand, and couldn't help murmuring, 'How is Chen Jingshen so handsome even when drinking?'

Zuo Kuan's ears were sharp; he heard her. 'Where's the handsome?'

'His neck and Adam's apple—you wouldn't get it even if I told you. Don't ask.'

'...' Damn it.

Wang Luan'an didn't expect him to down it in one go either. He widened his eyes and put a hand on his shoulder. 'Nice, Scholar! After this drink, we're real bros. From now on, I've got your back at School. If anything happens, just come to me and Yu Fan—'

'Don't drag me into it.' The other party said coldly.

'You were listening? I thought you were focused on your phone.'

Yu Fan didn't look up. 'They can hear your voice in the next room.'

'Wang Luan'an, are you playing or not?' On the other side, Zuo Kuan, who had been holding the Dice cup and waiting for ages, frowned and urged him.

The few guys who had been playing earlier had already stopped. Zhang Xianjing was holding the microphone waiting for her song. Now only the two of them were left in a showdown at the top of the Forbidden City.

Wang Luan'an: 'Play, play, play. I'm gonna drink you under the table tonight! Bring it on!'

'Hold on,' Zuo Kuan paused. 'Two people shaking is boring. Call a few more over.'

'There's no one left.'

'Aren't there a few guys over there? Just grab one.' Zuo Kuan jerked his chin toward the song-request machine.

'Forget it, there's no room to sit here.'

'Just find someone who isn't playing Dice and switch seats, isn't that fine?'

After saying that, Zuo Kuan's gaze drifted straight to Chen Jingshen.

'Scholar,' he said with a smile, 'do you play Dice? If not, switch seats with my friend? That way it's more convenient.'

Wang Luan'an thought it over—it was fine. The people on this side were the more rowdy ones at School. Chen Jingshen might not be comfortable sitting here.

'Then Scholar, how about you...' Wang Luan'an turned around and went silent.

He saw Chen Jingshen reach out, hook an unused Dice cup from the table, weigh it in his hand, and look up calmly. 'Play. How do we play?'

'Scholar, don't play with them. They're all veterans, you can't beat them,' Zhang Xianjing advised.

'Hey, don't dampen Scholar's gaming enthusiasm.' Zuo Kuan's eyes rolled as he thought of something. 'How about this: I have a deck of Adventure Cards. If you lose, you can choose between drinking or an adventure. How about that?'

A deck of cards was thrown onto the table.

Chen Jingshen didn't even glance at it. He nodded. 'Fine.'

Yu Fan was in the middle of a fierce battle with the baddest snake in the game when he suddenly heard a 'smack' beside him. His hand jerked and he got eaten.

He looked up irritably and saw Zuo Kuan slam the Dice cup onto the table, grinning arrogantly, looking his way. 'Hahaha! A leopard! Drink up, you bastard!!'

Yu Fan frowned, about to say 'Who the hell are you acting tough with?'

Then he saw the person next to him raise a hand and pick up a full glass of wine from the table.

Wang Luan'an couldn't stand it anymore. 'Scholar, can you still drink? How about choosing an adventure? I've played this deck before. It's not that embarrassing, really. The worst is it makes you sneak into the next room, request "Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," sing it, and take a bow—no big deal.'

Zhang Xianjing: '...'

'It's fine.' Under the dim light, Chen Jingshen's face was expressionless, looking normal.

If it weren't for the fact that he'd wobbled and bumped into his shoulder three times while drinking, Yu Fan wouldn't have noticed anything wrong with him.

'Alright, straightforward enough.' Zuo Kuan said. 'Continue?'

Wang Luan'an immediately said, 'I'm not playing anymore.'

Chen Jingshen: 'I'll continue.'

Wang Luan'an: '...'

The situation somehow turned into a two-person match between Chen Jingshen and Zuo Kuan.

Yu Fan put down his phone and watched Chen Jingshen shake the Dice without making a sound.

Chen Jingshen's fingers cupped the Dice cup, shook it lazily a few times, then lifted it gently.

Holy crap, the five Dice were all different, not a single repeat.

Yu Fan instantly understood. With Chen Jingshen's luck, losing all night wouldn't be surprising—

Chen Jingshen opened his mouth and called out: 'Five 4s.'

Yu Fan: '?'

Do you even have a 4, damn it?

Before Yu Fan could come back to his senses, Chen Jingshen had already picked up his glass and drunk.

Next round, Chen Jingshen rolled a leopard of 6s.

Yu Fan thought, good, with this hand you should call, call high—

Zuo Kuan: 'Six 6s.'

Chen Jingshen: 'Open.'

Yu Fan: '???'

After a few rounds, Yu Fan figured it out.

Chen Jingshen wasn't unlucky; he was just a pure noob who didn't know how to play.

But... when they'd met people who didn't know how to play at the drinking table before, they either didn't play or they went easy.

But he saw Chen Jingshen drinking one glass after another, nonstop.

Sensing the gaze of the person beside him, Chen Jingshen picked up the Dice cup, glanced at it, and said casually: 'Four 1s.'

'Open!' Zuo Kuan said excitedly. 'I don't have a single one! Drink!'

Chen Jingshen picked up the glass and drank it dry, then lowered his head and coughed softly twice.

Zuo Kuan: 'Continue?'

'Mm.'

Chen Jingshen had just shaken the Dice once when the Dice cup was snatched away.

Immediately after, he felt the person next to him shift and lean toward him.

A 'smack' sound.

Yu Fan leaned forward halfway and slammed the Dice cup onto the table.

He looked at Zuo Kuan expressionlessly. 'You like playing, huh? I'll play with you.'

Zuo Kuan said, 'No, I just want to play with Scholar.'

'Just say you're scared.' Zhang Xianjing crossed her legs. 'I think you just don't dare to shake with Yu Fan.'

'Bullshit!' Zuo Kuan frowned. 'I was about to drink your Scholar under the table. What's the point of suddenly switching to someone else?'

Yu Fan nodded. 'Then let's all fucking stop playing...'

'I'll drink.' Chen Jingshen suddenly said.

Everyone turned to look at him.

'If he loses, I drink.' Chen Jingshen said calmly. 'Is that okay?'

'Bring it on!' Zuo Kuan rolled up his sleeves and stood up from the sofa. 'I'm going to fucking drink at least one person from Class Seven under the table today—'

Ten minutes later.

Zuo Kuan was clutching his stomach, feeling like he was going to throw up.

Yu Fan lifted the Dice cup, revealing the numbers inside.

'Nice!' Wang Luan'an was overjoyed and quickly refilled Zuo Kuan's glass. 'Congratulations, sir, have another!'

In those ten minutes, Yu Fan hadn't lost a single round.

Zuo Kuan was actually bad at drinking games; whatever numbers he had were practically written on his face. Only a newbie like Chen Jingshen would get drunk by him like this.

While Zuo Kuan was drinking, Yu Fan couldn't help glancing at the newbie.

Then he found the newbie had been looking at him the whole time.

Chen Jingshen leaned back on the sofa, his features hidden in the dimness. His alcohol-soaked eyes were very dark and heavy, staring unfocused at the same spot.

He just looked but didn't speak. Yu Fan suspected the alcohol had gone to his head.

With a bang, Zuo Kuan put his empty glass on the table, wiped his mouth, and said, 'Come on! Continue!'

Yu Fan snapped back to attention, turned his head, and continued shaking the Dice.

Wang Luan'an didn't want to watch this bloody battle; he had already gone to sing.

Zhang Xianjing smoothly sat down next to Chen Jingshen.

Taking advantage of the fact that the guys around were focused on the Dice shaking, she leaned closer and said in a sweet, pinched voice: 'Scholar, if you're really feeling bad, how about we leave first—'

Before she could finish, Chen Jingshen had already subtly moved away from her and said quickly and coldly: 'Thanks, no need.'

Zuo Kuan glanced at his numbers, grinned arrogantly, covered them, and shouted: 'Six 1s!'

Yu Fan opened the Dice cup and looked. This round he had rolled badly—a straight, which counted as 0.

But judging by Zuo Kuan's expression, he didn't need to guess to know he'd rolled a leopard of 1s.

If he opened, he'd definitely lose. If he called higher, Zuo Kuan would probably open him, and he'd lose too.

Yu Fan took a gamble: 'Call one more.'

Sure enough, Zuo Kuan didn't even think: 'Open!'

Losing one round was no big deal. Yu Fan picked up the wine on the table and prepared to drink.

Just as the wine was about to reach his lips, his wrist was grabbed.

Chen Jingshen sat up and said in a low voice: 'I'll drink.'

Zuo Kuan was stunned from losing and only then came back to his senses. 'Hey, right. Didn't we agree that if you lose, Scholar drinks? Don't cheat—oh, Scholar, for drinking on behalf you have to drink two glasses. For shaking on behalf... it should be two glasses too, right?'

Chen Jingshen said: 'Fine.'

In the process of picking up the glass, Chen Jingshen bumped into Yu Fan four or five times. Just as he was about to touch the cup, his clothes were grabbed.

'Don't drink, pick an Adventure Card.' Yu Fan grabbed his sleeve. 'You're in no state to drink. Go do an adventure.'

Chen Jingshen: '...'

Zuo Kuan: '?'

Zuo Kuan: 'You can do that—'

'Of course we can, didn't we agree beforehand?' Wang Luan'an stopped singing and came back, quickly opening the deck and spreading it on the table. 'Scholar, come come come, pick one.'

Chen Jingshen was silent for several seconds before reaching out to touch the cards on the table.

With a flick and a flip, the card closest to him was turned over. On it was a small doll with pouting lips, and below it a line of small text—

'Passionately kiss the person next to you.'

The room instantly went silent, as if Hu Pang were on the scene.

'Holy, shit!'

The next second, almost everyone present turned their gazes sharply to Chen Jingshen—and to Zhang Xianjing beside him.

Zuo Kuan's face turned ashen, wondering what the point of his persistence had been.

Zhang Xianjing thought, holy shit, heaven helps me, now that we're kissing passionately, Scholar has no reason not to help me get through midterms, and then naturally start dating, it's not impossible ahhh!!!

Yu Fan thought—

He didn't have time to think.

Under everyone's gaze, Chen Jingshen released his fingers and placed the card steadily on the table.

He leaned back, his Adam's apple rolling very lightly.

Then, heavily and silently, he turned his head and looked at the person beside him—

Yu Fan: '?'

'Try looking at me again, you bastard???'