âIs there any evidence of my big bro cheating?â The other partyâs men guffawed as the bald guy rolled his sleeves up, egging on Tang XiaoYu to give him a body check.
With lightning speed, Tang XiaoYu tore the manâs shirt open from the collar, causing buttons to scatter on the floor.
Su Nuo inhaled sharply. Ripping shirts apart is so hardcore!
Tang XiaoYu retrieved a poker card from his shirt and slammed it on the table.
âNot bad.â The man grinned, his anger appeased. âNo wonder. And here I am wondering why Brother Han brought two young fellas over.â
âLetâs continue.â Tang XiaoYu returned to his seat, signalling the dealer to distribute the cards.
He doesnât even sound intimidated! So cool! Su XiaoNuo praised Tang XiaoYu in his heart. I should learn to do this too!
âDid you see how that card got onto his waist?â Luo Li leaned his head over and whispered.
Truth be told, Su Nuo didnât notice it at all, but he had to hide that. He gave a cold, assertive smirk, âOf course.â I must be confident; Iâm a gangster after all!
âToo bad, I didnât. Why donât you whisper how he did that to me?â Luo Li inched closer to him.
A bunch of curses rolled into Su XiaoNuoâs mind right then. Why is there such an annoying person in the world?!
âCould it be magic?â Luo Li clicked his tongue. âMy bad. One should never talk about the supernatural.â
The speechless Su Nuo stomped his foot on him with all of his might.
Phew! Thatâs satisfying!
Although it had been a while since Tang XiaoYu gambled in a casino, his skills didnât get rusty at all. He was the winner most of the time.
âLetâs take a break.â An hour later, Luo Li stood up, âIâll get someone to prepare tea and snacks.â
How in the world am I supposed to eat while wearing a mask?! Su Nuoâs mood plummeted upon hearing that. Forcing me to look on without eating? This pervert must be doing this on purpose! Heâs so vile!
Tang XiaoYu threw his poker cards on the table before massaging his temples.
Su Nuo handed him a beverage, even placing a straw inside meticulously.
âIâm not as good as I was in the past.â Tang XiaoYu sat in the corner with him, âIâm a little dizzy.â
âYou are still really formidable.â Su Nuo lowered his volume to ask, âHow did you know there was something wrong with him?â Curiosity got the best of him.
âitâs just the same old trick, switching cards. But he was swift, so it will be hard to detect that.â Tang XiaoYu explained, âThere is always a card on his palm, which will be switched instantly with a card from his deck when he feigned arranging his cards. Just then, when I was throwing out my card, he has already flicked a card into his sleeve with his index finger. Thatâs why on the surface, there seems to be no trickery at all, and heâs not afraid of me checking.â
âWhy was the card on his waist?â Su Nuo still couldnât make sense of that.
âCards can be spotted easily if they are hidden inside sleeves. Thatâs why he made a provoking look on purpose before stretching himself nonchalantly.â
Tang XiaoYu continued his explanation, âActually, he wasnât belittling me, he just wanted that card to slip down his sleeves and into his shirt.â
Realisation struck Su XiaoNuo. I see.
âBut itâs alright. Thatâs not a result of any malicious intent. He probably did that on purpose to test me.â Tang XiaoYu reassured, âI donât think anyone will be cheating now, donât worry.â
Su Nuo was displeased by the reassurance. Of course, Iâm not worried! Iâm so pro! Besides, Iâm super manly!
âDo you want to go to the breakroom next door to have some tea and snacks?â Luo Li approached them and asked.
âNo, thanks.â Tang XiaoYu shook his head.
Hold up! Even if you donât want it, I do! I didnât have breakfast at all, so Iâm real hungry now! I did have some vigorous exercise in the morning after all! Su Nuo was anxious. How can you decline before asking othersâ opinions?! Thatâs so unreasonable!
âNuo Nuo, are you going to eat?â luckily, Luo Li asked once more.
ââŚâ Silence meant consent!
âLetâs go together then.â Once Tang XiaoYu saw Luo Liâs expression and Su Nuoâs reaction, he made an intelligent deduction that there was a problem between the two of them. So, he took the initiative to answer, rescuing Su Nuo from his plight. What a considerate person Tang XiaoYu was.
âItâs so stuffy!â Su Nuo huffed as he took off his mask inside the breakroom next door.
Tang XiaoYu pulled a tissue out to help wipe sweat off Su Nuoâs face, âBut I donât feel hot though?â
ââŚâ Su Nuo grabbed his hands solemnly, âIâm seriously not nervous at all.â Donât you think otherwise!
Tickled pink, Tang XiaoYu poked a piece of honeydew melon with a toothpick and fed him, âI never knew you gamble too.â
Isnât that obvious since Iâm so damn manly?! While eating snacks, Su Nuo asked âindifferentlyâ, âIs Qiu ZiYan going to release a new album?â Although it wasnât all that appropriate to gossip in such a situation, he still couldnât stop himself from doing so.
âYeah.â Tang XiaoYu continued eating, âHis fans love to hear him sing. Lots of commenters wanted him to have an album.â
Iâm not jealous at all! Su Nuo bit down hard on a watermelon, âIsnât there any negative comments?â there must be!
Tang XiaoYu nodded, âOf course, but theyâre in the minority. Most of them went away after commenting. But there is one by the name of âlittle bald impâ that is real annoying and comments every time.â
âAhem!â Su Nuo almost spit out his food! Donât mention my side account out of the blue! Thatâs horrifying!
âDid he attack you before too?â Noticing his strong reaction, Tang XiaoYu helped to pick off the watermelon seeds that landed on Su Nuoâs face, âCrazy, right?!â
âŚ
Thatâs not crazy at all! Su Nuo howled in his heart before restraining himself and muttering a reply. He must not be found out!
âWho knows how lame that person is in life,â Tang XiaoYu poked a piece of honeydew melon to eat it, âalways waiting online to attack others.â
Su XiaoNuoâs ears heated up. He wolfed down a sandwich, manufacturing a false perception that he didnât reply only because he was busy eating and definitely not because he was guilty!
âThose guys are skilled, be careful.â Tang XiaoYu warned.
âHrmph, mn.â Su Nuo nodded with his cheeks stuffed full, looking rather dumb!
Twenty minutes later, the two of them returned to the gambling table. As Luo Li looked on at the table next door that was filled with some remains of food, he mused, he sure eats a lot. No wonder Han Wei has to keep on earning money.
It was Su Nuoâs turn the next round. Due to Tang XiaoYuâs performance last round, the other party didnât dare to underestimate him. He used every bit of his energy in the game.
Even so, Su XiaoNuo still won one round after another. Not only was he fast, but he was also even wagging his leg nonchalantly.
âŚ
The big guy on the other side of the table was hit hard by that.
âSeriously?â Luo Li broke into laughter, âHe is a pro I searched painstakingly for, you know? And yet he got totally crushed by you two youngsters.â
âNuo Nuo is even better than me.â Tang XiaoYu was sitting beside Luo Li, âIâm skilled because I trained hard, but he is talented.â
Innate talent would make a huge difference when learning the numerous kinds of skills in life. He had no choice but to admit that fact, itâs shown right in front of his eyes.
âProbably Uncleâs luck was great when Auntie was pregnant with him,â Luo Li stroked his chin. He does look quite like a younger brother of Han Wei right now.
Time flew during the gambling. It was noon in a blink of an eye.
âLetâs stop for now.â Su Nuo loosened up his fingers, a little tired.
âWhy donât I send you guys back home?â Luo Li asked proactively.
âWhy would we need you to do that?â Su Nuo gave him a glance, as though looking at a lunatic while pulling Tang XiaoYu up, âStay away from us!â What an assertive guy he was.
âIs your relationship with him bad?â Tang XiaoYu asked curiously when they entered the car.
âHe is a super perverted sleazeball!â Su Nuo responded earnestly, âHe just loves harassing people!â
âReally?â Tang XiaoYu was astonished, âBut when I was in the gambling circle, I did hear people mentioning Brother Luo. Everyone said he was quite nice. And he treated me well today too.â
âThatâs just because he doesnât have his eyes set on you.â Su Nuoâs reply was confident, âWhen he does, he will definitely find a chance to touch your butt!â
Surprised, Tang XiaoYu questioned, âHow did you know that?â
âŚ
Because I was molested by him! Itâs so aggravating!
Su XiaoNuo clutched the steering wheel tightly for a bit.
âHe set his eyes on you?â Detecting something wrong with his reaction, Tang XiaoYu asked carefully.
âYup!â Su Nuo was certain.
âDoes Brother Han know this?â Tang XiaoYu asked again.
My big bro doesnât believe me! How can he not trust his biological younger brother?! Su Nuo was indignant.
âBut with Brother Han around, he wonât do anything to you.â Su Nuoâs lack of reply prompted Tang XiaoYu to stop questioning.
âXiaoYu.â Tang XiaoYu received a call from Qiu ZiYan, âWhere did you go? I couldnât find you the entire day today.â
âI went to school to get something and took a stroll nearby while Iâm at it.â Tang XiaoYu asked, âIs your work done?â
âIt will be in about half an hour. Letâs go to Specialty Savoury Spicy Crab Dish when you come back.â Qiu ZiYan suggested, âThat shop is really famous; I only got a reservation after asking around. Since you like your food spicy, I bet you will love it.â
Savoury spicy crab?
Su XiaoNuoâs perked up ear caught those two words accurately.
Savoury and spicy, sounds delicious! Tender crab meat coupled with tasty sauce, just thinking about it makes my mouth water! It will be even better if celery lettuce and potato strips are added in the dish! Even more so with a cup of pickled plum soup!
âWhy are you salivating?â After hanging up the phone, Tang XiaoYu gave Su Nuo a puzzled look.
âŚ
âMy throat hurts.â Su Nuo let out two coughs, âIt is so dry recently, so I keep feeling sick. I went to see the doctor some time ago.â My flawless acting is so authentic!
âYeah. I noticed your voice is hoarse when I called you in the morning.â Tang XiaoYu fastened his seatbelt, âIn that case, youâll have to eat something light. I wonât bring you any spicy crabs then.â
Hold up! Su Nuo spun his head to him, his eyes glittering!
âBrother ZiYan is taking me out to have spicy crabs for dinner.â Tang XiaoYu explained, âI was actually planning on getting you some for supper, but since your throat is sore, I guess not. Letâs wait until you are well.â
ââŚâ Su XiaoNuo had a strong urge to cry. Although Mr Director could bring him there in the future, as a foodie, if he lost this chance today, he would have one less meal of spicy crabs in his entire life forever!
Bummer!
Thatâs right. The mindset of a foodie was just so weird!
âWhy donât I drive?â Seeing Su Nuo frozen in place, Tang XiaoYu suggested.
Su Nuo changed seats with him obediently.
Indeed, he shouldnât be driving after experiencing a huge blow moments ago.
He would get overly emotional! Itâs a safety hazard!