Chapter 162: Chapter 75: The Top Star of the 1960s Art Troupe (14)
Xia Zhaoyun had a bone-deep aversion to the very concept of "men." After all, every miserable memory she had was tied to one. Who was to blame? She was delicate and soft, but no one had ever been willing to genuinely pay the price for this beautyâto have her back.
But when it came to specific individuals, as long as she wasnât put in a compromising position with them, it was fine.
The only exception was the man in front of her. She wasnât particularly guarded around him, perhaps because she saw him as a fellow member of the marriage-averse club.
âMen are all about saving face. If I refuse to drink in front of so many people, who knows what kind of trouble heâll stir up later.â
âItâs just a glass of red wine, maybe ten percent alcohol. Whatâs there to be afraid of?â
Xia Zhaoyunâs eyes darted around before she picked up the wine glass and chugged it down in one go. Everyone stared, slightly stunned.
Liu Mingkun couldnât help but say painfully, "Sister-in-law, thatâs a â66 Bor..."
Huo Tianhao shot him a look, and Liu Mingkun swallowed the rest of his words.
Xia Zhaoyun scrunched up her little face, the sweet yet astringent taste overwhelming her a bit. She grabbed a cup, GULP GULP, and drank it all down. As she set it on the table, she felt a murderous aura coming from the man beside her, and she wanted to cry.
âThat was the cup belonging to the man beside me!â
With a spoilsport like her present, the meal was rather awkward for everyone.
After the meal finally ended, they relocated to a private billiard room.
On the way, Xia Zhaoyun guiltily explained to Huo Tianhao, "Brother Hao, I wasnât trying to sabotage you on purpose. Itâs just... I really do have a boyfriend. If people from my factory find out Iâm pretending to be your girlfriend, theyâll gossip me to death!"
"But, you know, I think this works out for both of us. Think about it! You have this one-sided crush on me, but I have my own boyfriend and canât return your feelings. This way, you can escape the fate of being controlled by arranged dates and live out your days as a proud, lonely bachelor, right?"
"Itâs hard to find a woman as talented and beautiful as me in this world. Everyone will understand your situation."
Huo Tianhao couldnât help but laugh in exasperation. It was, indeed, a useful but terrible idea. He abruptly gunned the engine, and the woman on the back seat shrieked, clinging to his waist for dear life.
The room wasnât very large, and with two tables in it, it was packed solid the moment everyone crowded inside.
A mix of young men and women, all in their twentiesâthat reckless, hormone-fueled ageâcouldnât help but start stirring up trouble again.
The rivalry between the kids from the North and South Courtyards, as incompatible as fire and water, had been going strong for over a decade. How could a single glass of wine truly erase that? Some of them had even brought their girlfriends and couldnât resist showing off their skills.
And how does one show off their skills? By having someone to serve as a foil, of course.
Xu Weilin glanced at the flash of sky blue, casually holding a pool cue. "So many people and only two tables. If we play by the usual rules, itâll be too boring."
Liu Mingkun was a sharp one. He glanced at Huo Tianhao beside him, felt reassured, and said with a grin, "Brother Lin, how do you want to play? The brothers will play along."
"How about this? Everyone puts in ten yuan. You go up, take one shot. We wonât play solids or stripes. For every ball you sink, you get your money back. Sink two in a row, you get twenty. Three in a row, forty, and so on, all the way until the eight-ball is pocketed. But if you miss a shot in the middle of a streak, your winnings are halved. If you sink the cue ball, you have to cough up another ten yuan. What do you say?" Xu Weilin said with a smile, glancing at the crowd.
Then, he pulled a thick wad of cash from his pocket and threw it on the table. "It was my birthday. A red envelope my family just gave me. Havenât even counted it. Iâll bet it all and be the house."
The bills immediately scattered across half the table. Even the compound kids, who prided themselves on being worldly and sophisticated, couldnât help but stare.
The women didnât seem to mind. After all, their boyfriends werenât short on cash, so they wouldnât have to pay. In fact, if the men won, they might even stuff the winnings into their hands.
As for the men, their blood was pumping. According to Xu Weilinâs rules, even if they lost, it was only ten yuan. If they sank just two balls in a row, theyâd make their money back. Three balls would earn them ten yuan, but four balls would net them thirty!
The amount of money wasnât the pointâit was the thrill of it.
As for Xu Weilinâs money, no one even dreamed of taking it. Even if they did, it was an impossible dream.
They didnât have that kind of skill. Besides, Xu Weilin might be rich, but he wasnât stupid. Pool was one of his signature moves.
Xia Zhaoyun clutched the ten-yuan bill in her pocket, a faint blush on her cheeks. She wasnât sure if it was from the heat or the lingering effects of the wine.
In any case, she loathed this gang of rich brats and felt the man beside her had set this up on purpose. Shielded by her sunglasses, she glared daggers at each of them in turn.
âCouldnât we have just had a nice meal? We all rode motorcycles here, and they just had to drink.
And now weâre playing pool and gambling with money!â