Chapter 47: The Husband’s Charm (Part 3)

Xia Yanxi was playing mahjong with her left hand as Qiao Yanli was holding the other in his hand, playing around with it like a cat playing with its favorite plushie. He would fill the gap between her fingers with his, trace the back of her hand with his, and sometimes, he would press his thumb on the sweet spot between her thumb and index finger. With his every touch, his sandpaper-like skin grazing hers, tiny, cute goosebumps would appear all over her body as a pinkish hue formed around her cheeks.

Of all the girls he had ever known, this woman was the perfect one. Her reaction, especially when she was teased, was enough to make even the coldest of men melt. Although Qiao Yanli maintained his composure outwardly, all he could think about was what a tease she was.

The game ended and it all turned out well for her. Not only did she win all the money Qiao Yanli had lost, she had also earned around four to five hundred thousand dollars.

She was flummoxed. To think that a player of her caliber was able to defeat three men that had the looks and play styles of an elite. Then again, she did manage to get the tiles she had wanted from the pile. Perhaps it was beginner’s luck that had won the game, not her skills.

“Yanli! We won!” Xia Yanxi cried out happily as she turned to Qiao Yanli who was still fixated on her. She was smiling happily, genuinely pleased.

This was the first time Qiao Yanli had a good look at her smiling out of pure bliss. Her eyes were crinkled and her smile had a hint of the beautiful summer glow, like a flower that bloomed in the wild, untethered and free.

Qiao Yanli reached out and playfully pinched the tip of her nose. His eyes, no longer cold and distant, were glinting as he smiled.

“Bravo.”

Since no one carried that amount of cash with them, the lads took out leather pouches that were perfectly made to hold their checkbooks. They each wrote down a number, signed the paper, tore it from the book, and handed it over to Xia Yanli without any resentment. When Xia Yanxi handed over the cheques to Qiao Yanli, he pushed them back to her.

“We agreed on this, didn’t we? The winnings are yours to keep. You were the one who earned them. You deserve it.”

“But I–”

“No buts. It is yours. I did nothing but tease you all night long.”

His black eyes carried a force that one could not disobey. Chu Muzhi and Qiu Shaoze chimed in even, advising their sister-in-law to take the money for herself, not before reminding her that their second brother did mention that she was supposed to keep all the winnings.

Alas, after going back and forth between rejecting and accepting the winnings, Xia Yanxi finally caved in. It was not because she wanted the money, but because she was exhausted and wanted to rest. Qiao Yanli escorted her as they left the establishment.

***

Huo Shiyu was sitting quietly the entire time, watching the disgruntled Bai Wenxuan drinking his heart out well into the night. When she was going to pay the bill, she spotted Qiao Yanli and Xia Yanxi walking out of the infamous priciest booth in Red Rose. She was then intrigued.

Xia Yanxi could not have been that lucky to find herself a rich prince to be with… Not in such a short period of time…

It was unlikely. From what she knew about the workings of the upper-class society, it was extremely rare for a man of a prestigious family to choose a woman on his own accord. She suspected, nay, was sure that Xia Yanxi and that thing of beauty were never truly together before their marriage.

The man’s existence was not fitting for this place, perhaps he was only able to achieve that sort of luxury because he was a boytoy for another rich old lady! With the money lavishly spent on him, he must have then taken Xia Yanxi out to this exuberant expensive establishment! Perhaps to court Xia Yanxi and take her as his own.

When the two walked out of the front door, Huo Shiyu scoffed begrudgingly. As a woman that was only as good as a piece of decor, a boy toy would be the perfect match for her after all!

***

When Qiao Yanli and Xia Yanxi were out in the streets, Chu Muzhi came running to them.

“Second Brother! Wait! I need to talk to you!”

Qiao Yanli hummed to acknowledge his brother after he had signaled for the driver to open the door. The driver came down from the driver seat to open the passenger door for Xia Yanxi.

Chu Muzhi was silently observing them. He saw how she slid into the car and rested comfortably in the back. He arched an eyebrow and asked quietly, “Second Brother, correct me if I’m wrong but… the lead dancer earlier, that’s her, right? It was Sister-In-Law.”

Qiao Yanli hummed again, nodding to acknowledge the man’s question.

“If that’s so, and since you are already married, why would you allow her to work as a pole dancer in this place? She must need money fast. You could just issue her a supplementary card.”