The group chatted and laughed amiably, one by one promising to bring birthday gifts just as they had today. Only then did Yan Qinghe sit down, fully satisfied.
The conversation came to a halt, and the private room gradually grew quiet.
"As the saying goes, if you want to live a long life, you must play mahjong. Does anyone want to play?"
Avoiding Lu Yueming, Qi Huan moved the teapot and cups to the table against the wall. When she turned back, Yan Qinghe had already eagerly untied the mahjong cloth and spread it out flat.
People who are poor at it still love to play - that's him.
"One, two, three, who's going to play?" Yan Qinghe said, shuffling the tiles while urging them on.
Qi Huan returned to sit beside Li Shuchen, poking his arm: "Shu, you play, I'll watch."
"Okay." Since Huan asked, he had no reason to refuse.
Then, Yan Wu sat in the west position, Lu Yueming sat in the south position, and Xiu Wen sat next to her, teaching her.
While they were shuffling the tiles, Qi Huan went downstairs to get some sheets of paper, which she cut into long strips. Whoever lost would have to stick one on, and the person with the most would have to perform a talent for everyone.
In the first round, Li Shuchen seven pairs-huned.
In the second round, Li Shuchen had a thirteen orphans.
In the third round, Li Shuchen had a pure straight.
...
Next to him, Qi Huan smiled and handed out one paper slip after another, while the other three had their faces covered in them.
Blowing the long strip stuck on his nose, Yan Qinghe pushed his mahjong tiles into the center, then suspiciously looked at Li Shuchen: "Shu, honestly, are you cheating?"
Li Shuchen gave him a faint glance: "You're just stupid."
"You're mocking me again... Huan, come sit with me, you teach him how to behave!"
He remembered that Qi Huan had always won during the New Year's mahjong games, so he might as well let her get revenge for him.
Harboring the same idea, Lu Yueming also urged: "Huan, come on! I want to play with you too. Yan Qinghe keeps stealing my tiles, you come help!"
Hearing this, Yan Qinghe touched his nose, was it his fault for having too many pairs?
But since Lu Yueming was on his side, Yan Qinghe didn't refute, but persuaded together with her: "Huan, come play a few rounds."
Unable to refuse the enthusiastic invitation, Qi Huan sat down opposite Li Shuchen, winning hand after hand, undefeated.
Because... Li Shuchen either fed her tiles or directly declared bankruptcy.
"I'm not playing anymore." Lu Yueming's entire face was so covered in paper that her features were barely visible, with a strip even stuck to each earlobe.
Glaring at Li Shuchen, she angrily said: "Are you able to see the tiles through the back? How do you always know what Huan needs?"
"We're on the same wavelength."
Li Shuchen's bug-like performance made everyone have a terrible gaming experience. To appease the anger, Qi Huan pulled him off the mahjong table and let Xiu Wen and Yan Qinghe take his seat.
The four of them started a new game, full of fighting spirit, while Qi Huan stood next to Lu Yueming to observe.
Li Shuchen went to the window, sitting in a high-backed chair and slowly sipping his tea. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Xiu Wen's unfinished painting from noon, and his heart stirred. He went downstairs to ask Mr. Xu for a new sheet of paper and began to paint the most unforgettable scene of his life.
He was so focused on painting that he didn't even notice when Qi Huan came to stand next to him.
"Don't paint!"
Seeing it at first, Qi Huan blushed slightly, hastily covering the kissing couple in the painting.
Li Shuchen put down his brush, took her soft hand, and dipped a handkerchief in warm water to clean the ink from her palms, tenderly saying, "Okay, I won't paint."
On the painting, the ink was slightly blurred, making the outlines of the two people a little vague, but it didn't affect the clarity of what they were doing.
Regaining her composure, Qi Huan lowered her head and blew the ink dry, then rolled up the painting and stuffed it into her space, confiscating it as her private collection.
A moment later, she leaned down again, whispering softly, "No need to paint, just keep it in your mind!"
"I will etch it in my heart... But also remember to review it frequently." Li Shuchen touched his lips, hinting at something.
Qi Huan understood, her lips curving into a slight smile: "Let's see how you perform."
Outside, the setting sun cast a fiery glow, and before they knew it, dusk had arrived.
The light in the room grew dimmer and dimmer, and the four reluctantly left the mahjong table.
Counting the paper strips on their faces, Lu Yueming had the most.
Yan Qinghe, who had one less strip than her, was extremely excited, cheering, "A bet is a bet, what are you going to perform?"
"Sword dance!"
After answering, Lu Yueming drew the soft sword from her waist, her red dress fluttering, the sword's shadow dense, emanating a heroic beauty.
Qi Huan watched, enthralled, her large, sparkling eyes shining like stars, fixed intently on Lu Yueming.
Equally focused was Xiu Wen.
Meanwhile, Yan Qinghe was discussing with Yan Wu: "The force is not enough, the sandbag needs to be heavier next time."
"Mm." Yan Wu agreed wholeheartedly.
Hearing their conversation, Lu Yueming's hand trembled, and her footsteps faltered, but upon seeing Xiu Wen's admiring gaze, she regained her momentum and completed the remaining moves with flowing elegance.
After she sheathed her sword, the fan-girl Qi Huan quickly ran over to hand her a handkerchief to wipe the sweat.
This scene was rather dazzling, and Li Shuchen suddenly found the tea he was drinking a bit sour.
The sky grew darker and darker, and Mrs. Lu had someone call several times before Lu Yueming reluctantly left the room.
At the end, she held Qi Huan's hand and pleaded, "Huan, remember to call me next time we play mahjong."
After taking a few steps, she turned back again: "Huan, how about we open a mahjong hall together!"
Qi Huan's eyes lit up, and she readily agreed: "Sure! But this matter needs careful consideration. It's too late today, you go home first, so Mrs. Lu won't worry. We'll discuss it in detail tomorrow."
With a new source of income, Qi Huan was naturally overjoyed. Even as she lay in bed at night, applying a face mask, she was still enthusiastically planning the future mahjong hall.
At this moment, a knock on the door sounded.
She wrapped herself in a new moon-colored cape she had bought, slipped on her shoes, and opened the door.
"Shu, what's the matter?"
Li Shuchen raised the sword in his hand and said calmly, "Please watch my sword dance."
Tightening her cape, Qi Huan smiled brightly and readily agreed, "Okay."
In the courtyard, the crescent moon hung high in the night sky, surrounded by twinkling stars. In the faint moonlight, Li Shuchen noticed the exposed heels of her feet, immediately squatting down to help her put on her shoes.
"Be careful not to catch a cold."
After reminding her sternly, Li Shuchen picked up the treasured sword and began to dance.
Robes fluttering, the long sword like a rainbow, his features like jade, his figure like a pine.
Qi Huan watched, somewhat dazed, and suddenly eight words flashed in her mind: "Graceful as a startled bird, elegant as a swimming dragon."
Thinking about how this dazzling man was hers, she smiled even more sweetly.
The night wind was chilly, and Li Shuchen's gaze swept over her hands tightly grasping the cape, so he sheathed his sword and led her into the hall.
Before leaving, he casually asked, "Compared to Lu Yueming, how am I?"
Finally understanding why he had danced with the sword in the middle of the night, Qi Huan let out a chuckle and decisively said, "In my heart, no one can match you, Shu."
Li Shuchen suddenly burst out laughing, satisfied, and gently closed the door for her.
Back in the room, Qi Huan quickly took off the cape and kicked off her shoes, climbing onto the bed to start planning what birthday gift to give Yan Qinghe tomorrow.
There were no suitable gifts in her space, so she sought help from the system.
"System, check my balance."
"Okay, host, your current balance is 9999."
After repurchasing the necessary seasonings, ingredients, and medicines as usual, Qi Huan also repurchased twenty sets of mahjong tiles and a hundred packs of multicolored yarn, then checked the balance again.
"Host, your current balance is 5102."
"Okay, exchange it all!"
