Chapter 14 : She’s Playing Hard To Get
Ye Zhuo jogged over to him. “Why are you here, uncle?”
“Your mother sent me to pick you up because she said that it’s not safe for a young woman to walk home alone at night.”
Ye Zhuo nodded and felt a strange feeling in her heart.
As a powerhouse, she had always been the one who protected others. Meanwhile, her situation felt even more strange because it was her first time being protected by her family. To sum up, the feeling… was bizarre. However, she was not revolted by it.
“So, are we going to that place again tonight?” Ye Sen asked.
Ye Zhuo was well aware of where the place was, naturally. “Yes!”
Ye Zhuo urgently needed some money because she needed to buy a phone, a laptop, and some equipment. Additionally, she wanted to move out of the basement.
With the phone and laptop, she would be able to engage in more important matters.
Given her situation, the fastest way for her to make money was through the gambling den.
“Let’s go!” Ye Sen said in excitement. “Both of us are going to kill it tonight!”
Then, both of them walked in the direction of the gambling den valiantly.
Despite the time, the gambling den was still very crowded in every section. However, Ye Zhuo’s luck did not seem to be very good tonight. She lost six consecutive times and managed to win only once.
Ye Sen looked toward Ye Zhuo anxiously. “My niece, why are you off your game today?”
Ye Zhuo answered in a carefree manner, “The person who wins in every bet is known as the Gambling Saint; I’m just an ordinary person!”
Does that mean an ordinary person was capable of winning a dozen consecutive bets last night? Ye Sen scratched his head, pondering the matter.
He suspected that Ye Zhuo was only humoring him, but he did not have any proof.
“Why is she losing so tragically? I thought she was very impressive last night?” Li Qiandong’s gaze swept toward this side by accident. He furrowed his brows ever so slightly, and his gaze was glistening with disgust.
Ever since the Mu family’s banquet, he has seen Ye Zhuo over here for two consecutive nights. He refused to believe that she did not do that on purpose!
Another silhouette was standing next to Li Qiandong. The silhouette’s body was enshrouded in a layer of faint, cold radiance that made one awe at the sight of him. It would also make one afraid to look directly at him.
Upon hearing Li Qiandong’s remark, the man’s hand stopped moving the prayer beads for a moment. His jade-like finger hooked on the dark-colored prayer bead with a clearly defined outline that made up an especially pleasant view to the eyes.
“She’s doing it on purpose.” He looked up ever so slightly when he said that. He was wearing a hat so only a small portion of his fair chin could be seen.
“On purpose?” Li Qiandong donned a puzzled expression on his face.
“She lost a total of six times, yet the money she lost from the six losses was less than half the money she had won previously.”
Li Qiandong looked at Cen Shaoqing incredulously, and then he came to the realization afterward. “She’s afraid of drawing the gambling house’s attention?”
Cen Shaoqing nodded.
Li Qiandong rubbed his chin. “I can guarantee that Ye Zhuo is playing hard to get with us! Brother Fifth, don’t you ever be fooled by her!”
In truth, what sort of gambling skills could Ye Zhuo possibly have? Someone behind her was probably guiding her! If he was not mistaken, the person guiding Ye Zhuo was her uncle.
Perhaps, Ye Sen pretended not to be skilled in gambling so that Ye Zhuo could stand out and draw the attention of the others.
“Do you think that I’m you?” Cen Shaoqing moved the prayer beads and raised his eyes to look toward Li Qiandong.
Li Qiandong was a known playboy without any self-control. It would not be an exaggeration at all to describe him as a casanova.
Therefore, he and Cen Shaoqing were like two opposite poles.
“Brother Fifth, frankly, not all women are like Ye Zhuo. Don’t you develop a phobia for women just because of her.” Li Qiandong pondered for a moment and then continued, “For example, there’s the real daughter of the Mu family, Ms. Mu. Ms. Mu is very kind-hearted, so there must be a misunderstanding about her calling off the engagement….”
Li Qiandong admired Mu Yourong very much.
Even though Mu Yourong was raised in a low-income family, she did not lack upper-class etiquette. She could still choose to forgive her fake sister even though she took everything that was hers. Moreover, it seemed that she was especially kind-hearted with homeless children too.
Mu Yourong was as pure as a paper, and she was not polluted by the common world. Compared to her, Ye Zhuo was the worst that one could get.
“What kind of person is Mu Yourong? Facts speak louder than words,” Cen Shaoqing spoke nonchalantly.
Li Qiandong furrowed his brows. “Brother Fifth, I can guarantee that Ms. Mu is really not who you think she is. Sometimes, it is not only our ears that can deceive us but our eyes too. I feel that both of you should spend time getting to know each other more. You shouldn’t just stand by your opinion and miss out on Ms. Mu just because of a misunderstanding.”
In Li Qiandong’s perception, Mu Yourong was good-natured and generous. Meanwhile, Cen Shaoqing was always calm and composed. These two people were simply the perfect match for each other.
“Rather than wasting time on women, it’s better to do something more useful.” Cen Shaoqing walked further inside. “How’s the CIS database development? Has someone taken up the task?”
Li Qiandong’s face turned pale. He immediately caught up to Cen Shaoqing and answered, “Not yet…”
At that point, Ye Zhuo and Ye Sen left the gambling house early because they seemed to have lost many rounds.
Ye Sen heaved a few sighs in succession. “Why are you so off your game tonight, huh?”
“Uncle, count this.” Ye Zhuo passed the money in her hand to Ye Sen.
Ye Sen counted, and the expression on his face gradually turned into shock. “F*ck! There’s 6,000 bucks! Is it all from tonight’s winning?”
Ye Zhuo nodded as the moonlight cast a layer of clear glow on her face.
“I thought you lost a dozen times in a row? How did you win so much money?” Ye Sen was puzzled.
Ye Zhuo smiled and replied, “That’s because we’re winning big and losing money.”
If she were to win every bet she placed, it would certainly draw in the attention of others.
As a result, Ye Zhuo came up with the idea to stay under the radar.
Ye Sen immediately understood the implication of this, so he gave Ye Zhuo a big thumbs up.
Smart! She lived up to the reputation of being his niece! Indeed, Ye Sen was very proud to have such an impressive niece.
The next day, Ye Zhuo woke up very early. She headed to the market to buy some vegetables and meat, and then she went home to make soup.
The soup was meant for Ye Shu. It was not only good for nourishing her body but was also food that could improve her looks.
Ye Zhuo was skilled in traditional Chinese medicine, after all, so she had a set of unique skills in health preservation.
As soon as Ye Shu woke up, she saw Ye Zhuo bustling about in the kitchen. She was both touched and saddened because it was her fault for being a burden on her daughter.
“You’re up, mom. I’ve already prepared soup; you should have it while it’s still warm.”
Ye Shu took the soup. “Zhuo Zhuo, you finished work so late yesterday night. There’s no need for you to wake up early in the morning to make soup for me from now on. It should be me who cooks for you.”
Ye Zhuo answered smilingly, “It’s fine, mom. I’m not tired! It won’t be too late for you to cook for me when your body has recovered!”
In the afternoon, Ye Zhuo went to work. She had just stepped into the shop when Li Boyang summoned her. “Hold on.”
“Are you talking to me?” Ye Zhuo turned around ever so slightly.
“Mmhmm.” Li Boyang nodded.
Ye Zhuo continued to speak, “Is there anything that I can help you with?”
Li Boyang looked at Ye Zhuo while suppressing the anxiety in his heart. “My name is Li Boyang. The word ‘Li’ is the same as the ‘Li’ in Emperor Taizong of Tang Li Shimin. The word ‘Bo’ means profoundness, while the word ‘Yang’ means world-renowned. I heard from the others that you are Ye Zhuo, right?”
“Mmhmm, yes.”
Li Boyang’s ears were flushing a little from standing so close to Ye Zhuo. “Are... are you still attending school?”
Ye Zhuo nodded. “Mmhmm.”
Li Boyang was stunned for a moment. Did Qiang Lingyu not tell him that Ye Zhuo had already dropped out of school?
Upon hearing her answer, Li Boyang said, “I’m in Feng Bridge High School; how about you?”
Feng Bridge High School was an elite school in Yunjing Province. At the mention of the words ‘Feng Bridge’, Li Boyang’s eyes subconsciously lit up.
“I’m in North Bridge,” answered Ye Zhuo.
Li Boyang was stunned again.
Even though Feng Bridge was an elite school, it was still slightly inferior compared to North Bridge.
North Bridge High School was the best high school in Yunjing Province with high teaching and learning standards. He almost got accepted by North Bridge High School years ago, but, in the end, he was just not good enough.
Ye Zhuo looked so pretty. Did she really get accepted by North Bridge High School?
Then, Li Boyang took out his phone. “What’s your WeChat ID? Shall we add each other as friends there?”
Ye Zhuo shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a phone.”
“Huh?”
Li Boyang was dumbfounded.
Soon afterward, he reacted to the situation.
He believed that not having a phone was a lie and that there must be something in Ye Zhuo’s ‘Moments’ that she did not want him to see…
For example, perhaps she lied and was not enrolled in North Bridge High School at all.
Ye Zhuo… must be feeling guilty, right?