Chapter 132: Player 4

After a brief moment of chaos, Tang Shiyu suddenly snapped back to her senses.

She stared blankly at Yu Liuxue, whose hands she had tied with a belt and pinned down on the sofa, her hair a mess from being ravished. A current of electricity surged through Tang Shiyu’s entire body. “?”

Why didn’t Jian Yin resist?

Yu Liuxue looked quite satisfied tonight. Just as she was about to put on Tang Shiyu’s suit jacket and leave, Tang Shiyu suddenly grabbed her wrist. Yu Liuxue blinked innocently and turned her head, frowning slightly with a hint of impatience. “Tang Shiyu, what exactly do you want?”

“It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours, and you’ve already had me three times.”

“With a sex drive like that, and you still claim you have nothing going on with Nan Xu?” Yu Liuxue looked at her dazed expression, her eyes flickering with mischief. Suddenly, she was in the mood again. She pursed her lips tightly, then quickly organized her words in just three seconds. Putting on a willful and unreasonable air, she pressed on relentlessly, “Is this what you used to do with Nan Xu in the office on all those days I wasn’t around? Rolling around, making love like animals?”

“Tang Shiyu, I knew it! You brought Nan Xu into your company and made her your assistant with ulterior motives. Now I’ve caught you red-handed!” Yu Liuxue let out a cold laugh and flung Tang Shiyu’s hand away. “Tang Shiyu, I’m telling you, you two better not let me catch you in the act, or I’ll make sure the whole world sees your ugly faces.”

Tang Shiyu had only just managed to calm herself down, but Yu Liuxue’s few words stirred her emotions all over again. Her eyes darkened. Just as she reached out to grab Yu Liuxue’s wrist again, Yu Liuxue panicked and darted to the other side of the sofa. Her brows were furrowed so tightly it looked like they could crush a fly. “Tang Shiyu, why are you so insatiable?”

“Three times a day still isn’t enough for you?!”

Watching Yu Liuxue feign shock as she covered her rosy lips with her hand, Tang Shiyu’s forehead twitched. She wanted nothing more than to tape that nonstop mouth of hers shut.

Yu Liuxue couldn’t shake off Tang Shiyu’s grip. She blinked curiously and leaned her ear toward her. “Tang Shiyu, is it that things aren’t going well between you and Nan Xu… in that department?”

Tang Shiyu was instantly furious. She gritted her teeth. “Stop spouting nonsense. There’s nothing between me and her.”

With that, she strode toward Yu Liuxue. Yu Liuxue shuddered and quickly covered her chest, looking wary. “Don’t come any closer. If you do, I’ll scream for help.”

Tang Shiyu couldn’t be bothered to argue. Without another word, she grabbed Yu Liuxue and dragged her outside. As their figures appeared in the hallway, the people who had been peeking around the office door immediately scattered like startled birds, vanishing back to their workstations and sitting upright as if nothing had happened. Yu Liuxue glanced at the unflinching faces around her, lifted her chin, and stomped her high heels in dissatisfaction. “Where are you taking me?”

Tang Shiyu’s brow twitched. Through gritted teeth, she shot back, “It’s this late and you’re not going home—where else do you think you’re going?”

Yu Liuxue was momentarily speechless. She had been so preoccupied with her pretty older sister that she nearly forgot it was time to go home and rest. She glanced at Tang Shiyu guiltily. “We’re not even married yet. Why are you being so controlling?”

Tang Shiyu: “?”

When you were pointing at the mother vase and throwing a tantrum¹, did you ever stop to reflect on yourself? When you insisted that the tomcat was a female, did you reflect on yourself then? Tang Shiyu felt her temper rising again. Once they reached the parking lot, she worried Yu Liuxue might run off, so she waited until Yu Liuxue got in the car and fastened her seatbelt before closing the door and getting in herself.

Just as Yu Liuxue was about to stretch, Tang Shiyu’s sharp gaze snapped toward her. “If you dare run, I won’t tell you who that woman in the red suit is.”

Yu Liuxue’s eyes lit up. All she did was stretch, and she got such a reward?!

So she obediently stayed in her seat, waiting for Tang Shiyu to get in. The moment Tang Shiyu sat down, Yu Liuxue eagerly leaned over. “Quick, tell me who that big sister is!”

A seductive fragrance suddenly wafted over, like being transported into a sea of blooming flowers. Tang Shiyu was nearly intoxicated by the alluring scent. She subtly furrowed her brows and fastened her seatbelt, grumbling, “Don’t wear that perfume again.”

Yu Liuxue agreed without hesitation. As long as she looked good, she could seduce a pretty woman even in a burlap sack. Perfume was just the cherry on top.

“Hurry up and tell me,” Yu Liuxue urged impatiently, nudging her arm. Tang Shiyu was fuming. She turned her head and gave a faint smile. “Your sister-in-law.”

Yu Liuxue: “!!!”

Tang Shiyu casually gripped the steering wheel, her face practically glowing with schadenfreude. It was as if the words “serves you right” were stamped across her forehead. “Lu Ling is my brother’s girlfriend. They’re already engaged.”

Yu Liuxue collapsed against the car door in anguish. Why? Why would the heavens play such a cruel joke on her? That stunning older sister was actually her future sister-in-law?! Her heart hurt so badly she could barely breathe. Tang Shiyu watched her devastated expression with great satisfaction. But as she laughed, her smile suddenly vanished without a trace.

Tang Shiyu sent a message to her brother: “Bro, I think Jian Yin has some inappropriate thoughts about your fiancée.”

The man replied: “???”

Am I the one being cheated on, or are you?

This realization left Tang Shiyu inexplicably annoyed. But Lu Ling really was better than her—graduated from a prestigious university, flawless background and personality. Even though she and Lu Ling had only met briefly, their parents were already thoroughly impressed. And their parents were both Virgos—extremely picky people. If even they were satisfied…

Tang Shiyu’s face grew darker and darker, the air pressure around her dropping so low that even Yu Liuxue, who was still lost in thoughts of her sister-in-law, couldn’t ignore it. She turned her head weakly to look at Tang Shiyu. “Are you on your period?”

Tang Shiyu gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Get out.”

Yu Liuxue looked up and realized they were already home. She grabbed her little purse, got out of the car, and even politely waited for Tang Shiyu. Tang Shiyu put away the car keys, her gaze involuntarily drifting over Yu Liuxue’s long legs and the oversized suit jacket she wore. Right now, she looked exactly like a little kid playing dress-up in adult clothes. A strange emotion stirred in Tang Shiyu’s chest.

Sensing something was off, Yu Liuxue didn’t hesitate—she turned and bolted. The moment she moved, Tang Shiyu followed. Her long legs quickly closed the distance, and she caught Yu Liuxue in just a few strides. Tang Shiyu pulled her into her arms, and Yu Liuxue could hear her slightly ragged breathing by her ear. “Why are you running?”

Tang Shiyu frowned. She was finding Jian Yin more and more incomprehensible. Everything about her was a mystery.

Yu Liuxue twitched her ear and suddenly had a revelation. She said to the System, “System, if I can’t mess around with Tang Shiyu right now, then draining her dry isn’t a bad option either.”

System: “?”

Yu Liuxue immediately started struggling, shouting loudly as she did. The neighbors began turning on their lights one by one. Tang Shiyu’s face darkened. She bent down, picked Yu Liuxue up, and strode into the house.

Without even taking off her shoes, Tang Shiyu tossed her straight into the bedroom and growled, “Shower!”

Yu Liuxue brushed the long hair from her face, pouting pitifully. “Can’t you be a little gentler?”

“You’re always so gentle with Nan Xu…”

Tang Shiyu’s eyelid twitched violently, and the brief moment of soft-heartedness that had just risen vanished without a trace. She let out a cold laugh. “If you’re not willing to wash up yourself, then I’ll do it for you.”

Yu Liuxue’s eyes lit up, and she was about to say “Sure!” But then she remembered—right now, she was supposed to be a stubborn, yandere fiancée who absolutely loathed Tang Shiyu. She sighed regretfully, then glared fiercely at Tang Shiyu with a pair of vicious eyes. With an air of arrogance, she picked up her change of clothes and vanished from Tang Shiyu’s sight.

Tang Shiyu stared intently at the tightly shut door, her head beginning to throb in pulses.

She went downstairs and brought up two cups of hot water. After Yu Liuxue came out squeaky clean, she immediately followed the plan and threw a fit at Tang Shiyu, who had originally planned to drive back to her own place. The result? Tang Shiyu was effortlessly persuaded to stay the night.

Afterward, Yu Liuxue fell asleep completely content.

Tang Shiyu lay beside her, looking like she had lost the will to live. The more she thought about it, the more it felt like she was under some kind of spell. Why did she keep losing control and sleeping with Jian Yin? How many times had it already happened in such a short span of time? Could it really be like Jian Yin said—that she had grown up, matured, and her desires had increased accordingly?

Tang Shiyu racked her brain but couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her.

She turned her head to look at Yu Liuxue’s sweet sleeping face, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curved upward. Jian Yin looked exactly the same as she did in her memories. She still remembered the first time she met Jian Yin—how the girl had looked shy but couldn’t help sneaking glances at her. Jian Yin’s soft smile with her head slightly lowered had been breathtakingly beautiful. Tang Shiyu’s heart had nearly melted with that smile.

Snapping back to reality, Tang Shiyu’s eyelid twitched again. She suddenly felt that maybe it wasn’t she who was under a spell—but Jian Yin.

How could someone change so drastically overnight?

Nan Xu was working overtime that night. She knew Jian Yin had come to the company to see Tang Shiyu, but she wasn’t the least bit worried. That woman, with her intense jealousy and possessiveness, definitely hadn’t come just to reminisce. So Nan Xu sat calmly in her office, a confident smile playing on her lips. Based on past experience, Tang Shiyu and Jian Yin would surely end up parting on bad terms again tonight.

But things didn’t quite go as expected.

A colleague told her that during the brief time she had stepped out of the office, Tang Shiyu and Jian Yin had been alone together in the office for a full forty minutes—and unusually, there hadn’t been any sounds of arguing. That made Nan Xu a little nervous. But the colleague quickly added that when the two came out, they were indeed quarreling again. Her heart, which had been on edge, settled down slightly.

Nan Xu thought for a moment, then casually asked, “Did CEO Tang seem… different in any way?”

“Oh, totally! It was like the sun rising in the west!” The colleague, a sweet and naïve girl, rubbed her hands together excitedly. “Wasn’t it always Jian Yin clinging to CEO Tang before? But this time, get this—CEO Tang was the one holding onto Jian Yin!”

The smile on Nan Xu’s face froze.

“And get this—Jian Yin went in with her clothes neat and tidy. But when she came out, her hair was a total mess. That’s not even the shocking part—she was actually wearing CEO Tang’s jacket!” The colleague nudged the stunned Nan Xu and asked curiously, “Nan Xu, do you think CEO Tang and Jian Yin might have…?”

“Impossible!” Nan Xu suddenly raised her voice, startling everyone around her.

Snapping out of it, she noticed the strange looks from those nearby and immediately realized she’d lost her composure. She forced a smile. “It’s getting late. You should head home too. Stay safe.”

Her figure quickly disappeared into the elevator. The colleague stood there, hand half-raised to call her back, but seeing how preoccupied Nan Xu looked, she tactfully lowered it again.

Nan Xu sat dazed in her car, both hands on the steering wheel, her mind a complete mess.

Tang Shiyu and Jian Yin had been fighting so fiercely—there was no way anything could’ve happened between them. To convince herself, she listed out all kinds of reasons, and finally managed to talk herself into believing it.

Biting her lower lip, Nan Xu grew increasingly anxious. The way things were developing between Tang Shiyu and Jian Yin had completely exceeded her expectations. If she didn’t start fighting for her place now, she would lose her chance forever. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, her red lips curled into a determined smile. Tang Shiyu would be hers.

She was going on a business trip with Tang Shiyu tomorrow. That meant tomorrow night would be her opportunity.

At the police station, just as the veteran officer was starting his shift, his assistant came rushing over. “Captain Yang! The missing Tang Shiyu is back!”

Captain Yang raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Nothing happened to her?”

The assistant shook his head. “Nope. Turns out the person who came out of Jian Yin’s apartment that day was her!”

“Looks like Tang Shiyu really did just run away from home after getting pissed off by Jian Yin.”

As police officers, they couldn’t rely on speculation alone. Captain Yang thought for a moment. “Where is Tang Shiyu now? Let’s go check on her.”

Tang Shiyu was woken up by the sound of a doorbell. She walked to the window and saw two police cars parked outside the house, with six or seven officers getting out and looking around. Her heart skipped a beat. She tried to recall if she’d done anything illegal recently, then suddenly remembered that Jian Yin had reported her missing a few days ago.

She threw on some clothes, quietly shut the door, and went downstairs.

“Hello, we’re from the Criminal Investigation Division,” said Captain Yang, showing his badge as Tang Shiyu opened the door. She glanced at it, then let them in.

Even though he’d been here before, Captain Yang still instinctively scanned the place sharply, recalling Yu Liuxue’s arrogant demeanor. “Your girlfriend said you were missing for half a month. Where did you go?”

“A friend’s place,” Tang Shiyu replied honestly. “Her name is Gao Zhiqian.”

Captain Yang turned and gave a small smile, then asked, “After you went missing, even though your girlfriend filed a report, she seemed a little too happy about it, from what we observed.”

Tang Shiyu’s face immediately darkened.

Seeing this, the assistant chimed in, “How’s your relationship with your girlfriend?”

Tang Shiyu was about to say “not good,” but then she thought better of it. After all, she and Jian Yin had already slept together. If she said their relationship wasn’t great… and Jian Yin found out, she’d probably throw another fit. She pressed her lips together, just about to lie and say “very good,” when a lazy voice cut in.

“Not good at all.”

Everyone looked up at once. Yu Liuxue had wrapped a small blanket around her shoulders. “Officer, my relationship with her is terrible.”

Captain Yang and his assistant both turned curious eyes toward Tang Shiyu. She forced a weak smile. Captain Yang smiled back and handed her a business card. “Sorry to bother you today. If anything happens in the future, feel free to contact me.”

Tang Shiyu wasn’t sure if this righteous officer was worried she’d be so heartbroken after being dumped by Jian Yin that she might do something drastic, or if he was concerned she’d lash out and do something irrational to Jian Yin.

She accepted the card. When she returned after seeing the officers off, Yu Liuxue was nowhere to be found. Just as she was about to go look for her, the friendly neighborhood auntie called out loudly, “Shiyu, looking for your girlfriend? She climbed over the wall with her hairdryer bag and left while you were walking the officers out.”

Tang Shiyu frowned. “Hairdryer bag?”

Wait, what? Climbed over the wall?!

Tang Shiyu was left full of question marks. “???”

The aunt laughed and replied, “Peppa Pig, of course! You don’t even know that? Her bag is a hair dryer, her clothes are a hair dryer too, and she wears a little bun on her head. Her whole body is pink and soft, she looks just like a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl…”

Without a second thought, Tang Shiyu dashed out after her.

Yu Liuxue had finally managed to slip out of the house while Tang Shiyu wasn’t paying attention. But just as she landed on the ground, a car horn blared behind her. She turned around and saw the old police officer leisurely taking off his sunglasses, smiling kindly. “Young lady, you have to climb the wall to get into your own house?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Yu Liuxue quickly tugged at the white T-shirt printed with a big Peppa Pig graphic on her chest and lowered her voice. “I just pissed off my girlfriend real bad yesterday.”

The assistant looked at her with a complicated expression. “Then where exactly are you planning to go now, sneaking out like this?”

Yu Liuxue froze. Oh right! Yesterday she’d been too busy draining Tang Shiyu dry and hadn’t even thought about where to go today to have a fated encounter with a pretty girl. She glanced back at the wall. Now that she’d already climbed out, there was no way she’d go back and face Tang Shiyu’s wrath just to get her car, right?

She scratched her cheek, then her eyes suddenly lit up. “Why don’t I go to your place and have a cup of tea!” Who knows, maybe there were even more pretty ladies over there.

The old police officer: “…”

Watching the police car drive away heartlessly, Yu Liuxue looked devastated. “They’re just too heartless, too cold, too stingy! They wouldn’t even offer me a cup of tea.”

She casually flagged down a taxi. “Even if they won’t give me tea, how could they bear to leave a delicate, flower-like young woman like me standing alone on this deserted roadside?”

The System felt that its Host was becoming more and more shameless by the day.

Today, Tang Shiyu’s face was as dark as thunderclouds, to the point where it practically screamed “stay away unless you’re ready to burn paper offerings².” The employees didn’t even dare to breathe loudly, all pretending to be busy with their work, not one of them brave enough to provoke her. From afar, Nan Xu caught sight of Tang Shiyu’s expression and couldn’t help but smile faintly. She knew it—there was no way Tang Shiyu and Jian Yin would ever reconcile.

She brewed a cup of Blue Mountain coffee³ and also had someone buy a cup of milk tea. Then, carrying both drinks, she walked into Tang Shiyu’s office. Hearing the door, Tang Shiyu looked up. Nan Xu gave a small smile. “CEO Tang, you don’t look too well today. Have something to perk yourself up.”

“I wasn’t sure if you were tired of the usual, so I specially had someone get this new milk tea…”

“No need. I’ll just have my usual coffee.” Tang Shiyu cut her off.

Nan Xu’s smile didn’t falter. “Thank you, CEO Tang.”

With that, she picked up the milk tea and took a small sip. Under Tang Shiyu’s gaze, she softly said, “It’s very sweet. Are you sure you don’t want to try it?”

“How’s the prep for this afternoon’s meeting?”

Though disappointed, Nan Xu quickly shifted back into work mode. “It’s all ready. Would you like to review it?”

“Have someone bring it over.”

Yu Liuxue had just been tempted by a trendy new ice cream she saw on Xiaohongshu⁴, but unfortunately, it was only available in the neighboring city. Without hesitation, she bought a plane ticket and flew over. After a day of feasting, night had fallen. She booked a room at a five-star hotel, and just as she was about to enter with her keycard, she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.

Tang Shiyu was catching up with an old friend, and as her assistant, Nan Xu had gone ahead with the room key to help her pack. When she entered Tang Shiyu’s room, her heart was pounding wildly. Tonight, it would only be her and Tang Shiyu. If she could seize this opportunity…

“Nan Xu?” A familiar voice suddenly rang out behind her.

Nan Xu turned around, and the moment she saw Yu Liuxue, her pupils contracted sharply. Panic surged through her, and her thoughts spiraled. Why was Jian Yin here? Had she heard something and come to catch them in the act?

Yu Liuxue smiled slightly. “So it really is you.”

She curled her red lips and suddenly thought of a brilliant way to mess with Tang Shiyu. Standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, she put on an unreasonable, confrontational look. “Nan Xu, tonight I challenge you to a duel.”

“If you lose, from now on, you’re not allowed to take one step closer to Tang Shiyu.”

Nan Xu instinctively asked, “And if you lose?”

“Me?” Yu Liuxue smiled sweetly. “Same goes for me.”

“Do you dare to bet with me?”

Her arrogant attitude successfully provoked Nan Xu’s competitive streak. Nan Xu gritted her teeth. “Fine. I’ll bet with you.”

Yu Liuxue immediately swaggered into the room and called for a few bottles of alcohol to be delivered. “We’ll settle it with Fight the Landlord. One drink per loss. Whoever gets drunk first has to leave Tang Shiyu forever.”

Nan Xu couldn’t help but chuckle softly. She had been with Tang Shiyu for so long. If nothing else, her alcohol tolerance was leagues above Jian Yin’s. She agreed without hesitation and even cheerfully pulled out her phone to add Yu Liuxue as a friend and team up for Fight the Landlord.

The System had a growing sense of dread. It swallowed nervously and asked, “Host, you’re not planning to…?”

“That’s right. I’m going to ruin all of Tang Shiyu’s women so she has no one left to love!”

System: 1v1.

The alcohol arrived, the game began, and the duel between Yu Liuxue and Nan Xu was officially underway.

After a few drinks, both of them were starting to feel the buzz.

Yu Liuxue tugged at her shirt. “I’m feeling a little hot. You?”

Nan Xu remained unfazed, her expression blank as she pointed at the drink. “You lost. Drink.”

Yu Liuxue: “…”

Tang Shiyu chatted with her friend until nearly eleven at night, but still hadn’t seen any sign of Nan Xu. She tried calling, but Nan Xu didn’t pick up. With no other choice, she asked the hotel staff to unlock her room. After thanking them and stepping inside, she froze at the sight before her—and all the blood rushed to her head.

On the large bed lay two drunken women, their cheeks red as monkey butts. The bed was a mess, and at least six empty bottles littered the floor. That alone was enough to make her furious. But just as she was about to call someone to drag Nan Xu out, the phone pinned beneath Yu Liuxue suddenly played a woman’s sweet voice: “Call the landlord⁵! Call the landlord!”

At that moment, Yu Liuxue suddenly sat bolt upright as if her soul had returned to her body. “I want it! I want it! I’ve got four twos⁶!”

Tang Shiyu: “…”

Tang Shiyu was instantly fuming. You look like four twos⁷, you damn lunatic!

Translator’s Notes