The air in the private room felt frozen solid.
Xu Wanyue looked up. “Within an hour… someone will come. Someone to handle this.”
The girl across from her smiled faintly. “Fine.”
Fifty-seven minutes later.
The door to the private room swung open. The waiter outside ushered in a man soaked to the skin by the downpour, looking like a drowned rat.
He carried a motorcycle helmet in one hand. His T-shirt was utterly drenched, and his shorts dripped water with every step. Strands of hair clung to his forehead, giving him a thoroughly bedraggled appearance. He set the helmet aside and was about to peel off his sodden T-shirt when he spotted the young girl sitting there. “You of age, kiddo?”
“Eighteen,” the girl replied calmly.
Xu Wanyue blinked in surprise. The girl clearly looked no older than fourteen or fifteen. Lin Cheng seemed to exhale in relief as he stripped off the wet T-shirt. He muttered under his breath, “If she’s of age, it ain’t harassment.”
Now his upper body was bare, clad only in those shorts below. His hair was still dripping. Lin Cheng glanced at the pale girl seated in the chair. “Mind having someone fetch me a couple of towels?”
Her eyes fixed on his face. She paused for a second or two, then gave a subtle signal. Someone hurried off and returned quickly with towels, handing them to Lin Cheng. He took one and started rubbing his hair dry. Xu Wanyue, ever perceptive, grabbed the other. She stood and wiped down his rain-slicked back, noticing the scars crisscrossing it in the process.
“Thanks,” Lin Cheng said with a grin at Xu Wanyue.
She pointed to her former seat and whispered, “Sit.”
Lin Cheng dropped into the chair, and Xu Wanyue stood behind him. For some reason, just seeing him there steadied her breathing, calming her bit by bit.
“The rain’s coming down like crazy. Been ages since I raced in weather like this. Skidded out earlier—nearly wiped out and died.”
Only then did Xu Wanyue notice the gash on his left arm. It was an abrasion, raw and bloody. She rushed to grab a towel to bind it, but Lin Cheng waved her off. “Nah, it’s fine. Already stopped bleeding. Don’t touch it—stings like hell.”
A smile crept back onto his face. He eyed the girl across from him. “You really eighteen?”
“Turned eighteen the day before yesterday.”
“Legal loli, got it. But why the black thigh-highs? So thick, zero skin showing. Thumbs down.” He muttered it so quietly that only Xu Wanyue, standing right beside him, caught it. Her face darkened.
“What’s your name, little miss?”
“Hyacinth.” She clearly disliked the “little miss” bit—her brows furrowed slightly.
“Then you can call me Brother Lin Cheng.” His tone softened, coaxing like one might a child. “So, what’s the deal here?”
“She just lost seventy million to me in a bet,” Hyacinth said flatly.
“Only seventy mil? I figured it’d be seven billion.” His voice drawled lazily. Xu Wanyue’s fingertips tightened on the hem of her hoodie—she knew full well the organization couldn’t even scrape together twenty million right now.
“Such a paltry sum’s no fun. Let’s play a couple more hands.” Lin Cheng leaned forward slightly, lacing his fingers together. “Something with real stakes? After all… neither of us truly gives a damn about money like this, right?”
Hyacinth paused, her gaze locking onto his eyes. But Lin Cheng just smiled at her, calm and unperturbed.
“I refuse,” Hyacinth said, her voice even.
Her tone carried the soft lilt of a young girl, and her chest was especially flat, making her look every bit the fourteen- or fifteen-year-old just starting to develop. Lin Cheng’s expression flickered with surprise. “Huh?”
“Pay up the seventy million first. Then maybe you’ll get a shot at the next round.” Her eyes bored into Lin Cheng, as if trying to read something on his face. He met her stare steadily.
Compared to the playful chill she’d shown toward Xu Wanyue earlier, Hyacinth now seemed a touch more languid. She gave her chair a little kick, sliding it back, then propped her legs up on the table, crossing them casually. Her slender ankles were wrapped in those black thigh-high stockings, paired with chunky platform shoes that added noticeable height.
“You seem pretty scared of me,” Lin Cheng said with a sudden laugh.
Of course, he didn’t have seventy million on him right now. But his face showed not a hint of embarrassment. When out and about, one had to have thick skin. Hyacinth wasn’t fazed by his cheap provocation. “No cash? Crawl over here and lick the soles of my shoes. I’ll knock off ten million for that.”
Lin Cheng’s eyes lit up. “Lick your feet okay? Socks can stay on.”
Everyone in the room froze at that. A faint blush colored Hyacinth’s pale cheeks. She shot him a venomous glare. “You pervert.”
“You said it yourself,” Lin Cheng whined pitifully. Then he added, “Seventy mil’s pocket change. We just inked a deal with Resplendent Pharmaceuticals—first royalties hitting soon. I’ll toss in interest: ninety mil, principal and all. Deal?”
“I refuse.” Hyacinth sneered. “Can’t pay? Then leave something behind.”
“Like what?”
“Her eyes and hands.”
“You can’t just covet her prettier eyes and hands out of jealousy.” Lin Cheng shrugged. “So, how much for this mug of mine?”
“Not even worth a buck.”
It was a solid comeback, and she clearly outdid him in trash talk. Lin Cheng turned to Xu Wanyue. “She was icy to you earlier, right?”
“Yeah.” Xu Wanyue remembered it well: Hyacinth’s mocking sneer and those chilling eyes.
“Of course,” Lin Cheng said with a grin. “She’s jealous of any girl more developed than her. She’ll never grow up—not just that, she can’t eat or sleep properly either. That’s why she’s got this twisted kid personality.”
Xu Wanyue was baffled, but across from him, Hyacinth went rigid. Fury sparked in her eyes. She had no idea how Lin Cheng knew her secrets, but her breathing quickened. Moments later, she slammed a revolver onto the table in front of him.
“Oh?” Lin Cheng picked it up and beamed at her.
“One bullet in the chamber. One shot equals ten million off your debt. How many you got the guts to fire?”
Her eyes were icy cold, like a serpent’s, fixed on Lin Cheng. She was a cute, youthful girl, but that gaze held a venomous chill, eagerly awaiting any sign of nerves or panic from him. Sadly for her, Lin Cheng pressed the barrel to his temple. “For real? Lying little girls get their butts spanked, you know.”
“Hope you’re just as cocky when your brains splatter.”
“No chance. I’ve got the Luck Goddess on my side.” Before pulling the trigger, Lin Cheng turned to the bewildered Xu Wanyue beside him, his expression turning earnest. “Your ability is Luck, Sequence 369. Before turning eighteen, your life’s packed with misfortune. Survive that, and from eighteen to thirty-six, you’re insanely lucky. That’s the core logic of your power. But… the Luck Goddess is a total romantic.”
“Hyacinth sealed it temporarily with some unknown method. I haven’t cracked it yet. But there’s a hidden trait: anyone you favor gets a burst of luck too, bypassing any seal or rule. So… I need your help.”
“What… do I do?”
Lin Cheng extended his other hand and poked his own cheek, flashing an innocent smile.
“Kiss me.”
“Ha?” Xu Wanyue stood there stunned for a good four or five seconds.
“No time to explain. It’s do or die—you don’t wanna see my head burst open like a smashed watermelon, do ya? That’d hurt.” Lin Cheng gazed at her with pitiful eyes. Xu Wanyue’s fingers clenched her hoodie hem. She hesitated for several long seconds before slowly leaning in.
Under the crushing pressure, her mind had gone blank. She trusted Lin Cheng on instinct. He closed his eyes. Xu Wanyue placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Her lashes fluttered, and after a moment’s pause, she shut her eyes and brushed her lips lightly against his cheek.
It was feather-light, quick as a dragonfly skimming water.
Lin Cheng opened his eyes and saw her flushed cheeks. He smiled at her. “Thanks.”
Before Xu Wanyue could say a word, Lin Cheng pulled the trigger.
Click. Empty.
Second shot. Third. Fourth. Fifth. All empty.
Xu Wanyue’s eyes went wide, staring at him in shock. How did he know her ability better than she did? She’d never even heard of this hidden rule.
Lin Cheng caught her stunned look and gave her a weird glance. “You never dated before?”
Her cheeks burned brighter. “Is it embarrassing to say I haven’t?”
Before eighteen, misfortune dogged her every step—no friends, always keeping her distance from crowds. She only ever played with her little sister. After turning eighteen, her sister got into trouble. She joined the Alliance, and sure, some guys pursued her. But deep down, she always felt worlds apart from other Ability Users. She resisted it all.
“Not embarrassing at all. Just curious how you never knew about your power’s hidden rule.” Lin Cheng smiled at her, then turned back to Hyacinth.
Hyacinth looked thoroughly pissed, her fingers clawing restlessly at her legs. Sharp nails raked bloody trails across her pale thighs, only for the wounds to heal at blinding speed.
Pity her skirt wasn’t hiked any higher.
