At this moment, as soon as Cheng Zhu entered the men's room, only Li Xinyue and Shen Qingning remained by the sinks.
Shen Qingning clearly wasn't even looking at her, just raised her eyes to glance in the mirror, yet Li Xinyue felt uncomfortable all over, as if everywhere the mirror could reflect didn't belong to her.
She'd originally planned to continue waiting for Cheng Zhu to come out, but somehow ended up huffily returning to her seat instead.
Truly aura suppression.
She picked up her phone, but no longer had Cheng Zhu as a friend, so she sent a text message: "What exactly am I to you now!"
Cheng Zhu, who'd just finished using the bathroom, instantly replied: "You're not there."
TL: You're not in my heart at all. Domineering!
She stared at this reply for a while before understanding it, and instantly exploded again.
"What's wrong, Yueyue?" Chen Rongrong immediately started gossiping: "Did Cheng Zhu make you angry again?"
"Don't mention him, I'm so angry! I definitely won't make up with him. Even if he comes begging later, it's impossible!" Li Xinyue said.
Listening from the side, Li Rui's heart immediately felt unburdened—this was the result he'd been hoping for!
As if without Cheng Zhu, holding love's waiting number, he now had a chance.
Chen Rongrong comforted from the side: "There there, didn't you say yourself that after getting together with him, you didn't like him as much anymore?"
"That's two different things!" Li Xinyue said.
Yes, there really was a large group of girls in the world who got very invested when they liked someone, even actively pursuing them. But once the ambiguous period passed and they got together, her passion instantly faded.
Liked him so much when they weren't together.
After getting together, suddenly didn't feel that much for him.
These girls might even say poetically: "I like the moon, but if the moon rushes toward me, I won't like the moon anymore."
Cheng Zhu had seen quite a few girls like this and just thought: "Chang'e flew to the moon herself—who the hell are you?"
At this moment, after Cheng Zhu finished using the bathroom and returned to his seat, he discovered Li Rui was looking his way again.
He immediately stared back and mouthed: "What are you looking at?"
With his roguish face that was always mistaken for a school bully's, plus his shameless aura, Li Rui immediately lowered his head and pretended to drink his cocktail.
Jiang Wanzhou looked at Cheng Zhu and said: "How was it, did your ex-girlfriend coming to find you soften your heart?"
"No, and she probably won't come looking for me again in the future." Cheng Zhu said.
"What did you say to her?" Jiang Wanzhou started gossiping.
"I told her that you and I are a couple now." Cheng Zhu, annoyed by his nosiness and afraid he wouldn't stop, said irritably.
"Get lost~" President Jiang instantly couldn't bear it anymore.
But he always felt Cheng Zhu now seemed somewhat different from before.
Could love really make men grow?
...
...
On the other side, Shen Minglang drove his Porsche Panamera, taking his sister Shen Qingning home.
All along the way, Shen Qingning kept chatting on WeChat, her phone messages never stopping.
"Who is it?" Shen Minglang frowned, afraid it was a man on the other end.
"Lin Lu." Shen Qingning replied.
"Oh, her." Shen Minglang knew this was his sister's good friend.
Lin Lu's family circumstances were also pretty good, and she was very cute with a lively personality.
Most importantly, her voice was very versatile. He'd heard that the year she graduated high school she even took on voice acting work part-time, becoming a voice actress and earning some pocket money.
This kind of girl was simply a blessing for voice control enthusiasts.
The first time he met her, he'd expressed his interest in Lin Lu in front of Shen Qingning.
Shen Qingning directly said: "I already told her long ago that you're a player."
Shen Minglang: "..."
At this moment, Shen Qingning sat in the passenger seat, chatting with her friend about whether Sisley brand toner and face cream were actually good to use.
Lin Lu wanted to change skincare products, so she came to ask her.
Later in the chat, Lin Lu asked: "Are you still at the bar, or already back?"
"On the way home."
"Video call when you get home? I'll show you the new pajamas I bought."
"No, I need to remove my makeup and shower first." Shen Qingning refused.
"You're sleeping this early? Today I feel like the whole world is watching the World Cup. My dad's almost fifty and still says he's getting up at 3 AM to watch the finals. I'm debating whether to keep him company." Lin Lu said.
"You're just someone who loves joining in the fun." Shen Qingning knew Lin Lu normally didn't watch soccer at all.
"Not really, it's because he told me he bet on the game. If he wins, he'll buy me a bag tomorrow, giving me at least some sense of participation." Lin Lu continued messaging: "I'm even debating whether to bet a bit myself."
"Have you ever bet before? Didn't you say during the World Cup your brother's bar business has been exploding and he bets every day?" Lin Lu rapidly sent messages.
"Bet 2000 on Germany-Argentina 0-0, he insisted on betting for me." Shen Qingning honestly replied.
"My dad also said he feels regular time will end in a tie! But he bet 1-1. Then I'll also have my dad help me bet later, as an extra fee for keeping him company watching the game. If he loses it's his, if I win it's mine, hehe."
Lin Lu even sent a hands-on-hips emoji with text: I'm such a clever little genius.
"Whatever you want." Shen Qingning had no desire to chat about soccer and replied perfunctorily.
Soon she received a voice message. After clicking it, an especially soft and cute voice played: "Sister, you're so impatient with me~"
Lin Lu, this woman who'd worked part-time as a voice actress, her voice message echoed in the car.
Shen Qingning was annoyed to death, Shen Minglang loved it to death.
...
...
After taking his sister Shen Qingning home, Shen Minglang drove back to the bar.
After plopping down beside Jiang Wanzhou and Cheng Zhu, he started handing out cigarettes.
Shen Qingning really hated the smell of smoke, but Shen Minglang's cigarette addiction was actually quite heavy.
"Little cousin, want one?" he said to Cheng Zhu.
Cheng Zhu took one and skillfully lit it with the bar's lighter.
Jiang Wanzhou glanced with slight surprise at the puffing Cheng Zhu, but ultimately said nothing.
There was still a long time until the World Cup finals. Everyone sat in the bar playing dice.
In their area, this dice game was called: Bluffing.
Jiang Wanzhou had poor alcohol tolerance. After losing a few rounds he stopped playing. In the end it was Cheng Zhu versus Shen Minglang one-on-one.
"I fucking called three twos and you challenged me?" Shen Minglang, who'd lost again, was extremely speechless. What was even more infuriating was that Cheng Zhu's own dice included one showing 2 dots.
"I just felt you didn't have it. You must be lying." Cheng Zhu shrugged, holding the dice cup.
"Damn it, I really don't believe I can't beat a high school graduate!" Shen Minglang was furious.
The final result was that he kept losing more than winning.
Even Li Rui's table could constantly hear Shen Minglang cursing.
And every time Cheng Zhu revealed the dice, his face always carried that youthful high spirits, plus the steady assurance that only social adults beyond this age possessed, an expression of "I've got you screwed."
Chen Rongrong couldn't help whispering: "How come even the bar's investor can't beat him?"
Li Rui actually really wanted to learn that vibe from Cheng Zhu, but his mouth said sarcastically: "Xinyue, look at him—he's definitely been out playing a lot."
Li Xinyue didn't speak.
Time passed second by second. The 2014 World Cup finals finally began.
He Wei's commentary started echoing indoors. You know what, his literary talent was fucking brilliant!
His commentary level needn't be mentioned—very high, and his empathy was especially amazing, vocabulary also very rich.
The bar's spectators had all been drinking, so each one's emotions were especially high.
Every shot on goal caused a commotion in the bar.
After Higuaín kicked the ball in, someone even stood up shouting: "Offside! That ball's offside!"
"What's he excited about, running around the whole field celebrating. This goal doesn't count, definitely offside!"
Shen Minglang patted Cheng Zhu's shoulder: "Little cousin, if this ball wasn't offside, that's Argentina scoring. Your 0-0 would be gone."
He really wanted to teach little cousin a lesson—betting on scores is one thing, but only betting on one score, and fucking 0-0 at that, the risk is too high.
Jiang Wanzhou didn't understand soccer. This was his first time watching, but he was also excited to death, constantly asking what offside meant.
In contrast, Cheng Zhu looked completely calm: "But it didn't count, did it?"
As it turned out, both teams went back and forth, each side having several chances to score, but all regrettably failed to convert.
Regular time ended with the score still stubbornly at 0-0!
Jiang Wanzhou's eyes went huge.
"Holy shit!" Boss Shen was even more shocked—fucking 0-0 actually hit?
His heart was still hanging because he'd bet on Germany winning the championship.
Over at Li Rui's table, he got more and more nervous watching, more and more nervous, almost unable to keep his composure.
After all, he'd bet twelve thousand on Argentina winning, and now from the battle situation, everything was unknown.
"Argentina, score!"
Finally, at the 113th minute, it was actually Germany who scored first!
The bar's atmosphere instantly reached a climax. One group of people were cheering, another group cursing.
Li Rui instantly felt somewhat dazed, forcing a smile: "It's fine, it's fine, the game's not over yet."
Over at Shen Minglang's side, he first shouted: "Yes!"
From the looks of it now, he'd very likely win money tonight. Germany was going to win—naturally he was in a good mood.
But then he thought about it—Cheng Zhu was still more badass! Seven point five times odds, the heaven-defying 0-0—he fucking hit it!
Time passed. The 2014 World Cup finals were declared over. Neither side scored in the subsequent time. Only Germany scored one in overtime. The score was locked at 1-0!
Boom! The bar instantly exploded!
Although in the last few minutes, everyone had already anticipated the result would probably be like this.
But people are like this—until the final moment they never give up, always feel miracles exist in the world.
If nothing unexpected happened, tonight's rooftop would be overcrowded again. Many gambling addicts would line up to jump.
On this side, Jiang Wanzhou was delighted beyond measure.
On the other side, Li Rui's heart was bleeding.
Including Li Xinyue and Chen Rongrong's 500 each, he'd lost thirteen thousand in one night! This wasn't a small amount!
Only Cheng Zhu thought pretentiously: Human joys and sorrows are not connected—I just find them noisy.
At this moment, a customer familiar with Shen Minglang loudly said: "Brother Lang is awesome, bet fifty thousand on Germany winning. Shouldn't you give us a discount on bar consumption?"
Shen Minglang stood up, laughing and cursing: "Get lost! Does my money blow in on the wind? I won fair and square with my skills, okay!"
"My little cousin is even more badass!" He suddenly patted Cheng Zhu, nearly making the fruit platter-eating Cheng Zhu choke.
Boss Shen looked at this familiar bar customer and said enviously and loudly: "He bet twelve thousand on 0-0! Seven point five times odds—damn that's satisfying!"