WSIDIILMBOCIR Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Giving It All to Him

Qin Yuanging’s mahjong skills were nothing to write home about. He couldn’t calculate the tiles, nor did he bother. Whether he won or lost at the table depended entirely on his luck that day.

But with Li Chongge by his side, it was a different story. He wouldn’t offer advice every time, but when he did, it invariably turned the tables and allowed Qin Yuanging to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Whether it was Qin Yuanging’s lucky streak today, or Li Chongge’s Midas touch, Qin Yuanging hadn’t won against all three opponents like this in ages.

But around five o’clock, Qin Yuanging decisively left the table.

His departure created an imbalance, and the others had long gone off to do other things, except for Zhang Zhaolin, who was sitting alone in the garden outside.

Qin Yuanging got up and lit a cigarette.

“I’ll get Zhang Zhaolin to fill in for me. Give me ten minutes, and you can take a break.”

Li Chongge nodded to the others at the table and followed Qin Yuanging outside.

“Why did you stop playing?”

Qin Yuanging offered a cigarette to Li Chongge, lighting it for him.

“Didn’t we agree to take a walk on the beach this evening? An hour should be enough; we should have dinner around six-thirty.”

Li Chongge had assumed Qin Yuanging was so engrossed in his winning streak that he’d forgotten all about it.

The two bypassed the outdoor reception area near the pool and headed towards the garden further in.

The seaside sun shone dazzlingly, and the plants, luxuriating in the abundant sunlight, grew wildly. Even with regular pruning, they were still lush and exuberant.

As the sea breeze rustled the trees, two figures locked in an embrace came into view.

Tang Jingxuan, half a head shorter than Zhang Zhaolin and slender, was held tightly in Zhang Zhaolin’s arms, receiving an eager kiss.

Tang Jingxuan clung to Zhang Zhaolin’s neck, responding passionately. Both were so absorbed that they didn’t notice Qin Yuanging and Li Chongge approaching.

Qin Yuanging hadn’t expected to witness this scene. The lighter he was fiddling with slipped from his fingers and clattered to the ground, finally alerting the oblivious couple.

Zhang Zhaolin’s eyes snapped open, and he instinctively pressed Tang Jingxuan’s head into his chest. Only when he recognized the newcomers did the wariness in his eyes dissipate.

Qin Yuanging gave an awkward laugh and quickly apologized, “Sorry, didn’t mean to intrude.”

Li Chongge remained silent, his expression unperturbed, as if he hadn’t seen anything, or as if he didn’t find anything amiss.

Zhang Zhaolin’s appearance had a roguish air; he didn’t look like a good person when he wasn’t smiling, and even less so when he was.

“It’s okay, I was about to go in anyway; the sun is blinding. Ah Yuan, Mr. Li, were you looking for me?”

Tang Jingxuan remained hidden in Zhang Zhaolin’s embrace, probably embarrassed.

“Li Chongge and I were going for a walk on the beach. We’re one short at the mahjong table; want to play?”

“Sure, I’m itching for a game. Don’t wander too far, and try to be back before dark.”

He nodded to the two and led Tang Jingxuan inside.

Qin Yuanging watched their hands intertwined, a strange feeling welling up inside him.

“What’s wrong? Uncomfortable?”

Li Chongge still hesitated to make any rash moves, as he couldn’t fully trust Jiang Muyuan.

He always needed to be extra cautious when it came to Qin Yuanging’s affairs.

But seeing Qin Yuanging’s strong reaction, Li Chongge couldn’t resist probing him.

Qin Yuanging picked up the lighter, and after some thought, feigned nonchalance.

“What’s there to be uncomfortable about? I just didn’t hold the lighter properly and startled myself. What haven’t I seen in Canada? Would I be bothered by this?”

“What did you see in Canada?”

Qin Yuanging choked, then stubbornly insisted, “I’ve seen everything anyway, nothing can surprise me anymore. Let’s go!”

The beach wasn’t far from the villa, and they arrived in no time.

Qin Yuanging took off his shoes and held them in his hand, stepping into the seawater with one foot.

“Careful, there might be broken shells; be careful not to cut your feet.”

Li Chongge walked beside him, reminding him with a serious tone.

Qin Yuanging felt that today was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, the breeze was gentle, the water was clear… and the person he liked was spending the whole day with him.

So he was in a pretty good mood.

“Look, there’s a complete shell here.”

Qin Yuanging’s voice was tinged with delight as he hurried towards the beach ahead, picking up a shell from the sand, rinsing it in the seawater, and showing it to Li Chongge.

Since Qin Yuanging’s return, Li Chongge hadn’t seen such a lively expression on his face in a long time. He was momentarily stunned.

The Qin Yuanging in his memories should be like this.

“Is it pretty?”

Li Chongge took the shell from his hand.

“Yes, can I have it?”

“Of course, there are many more on the beach; I’ll pick some more for you if you like.”

Qin Yuanging quite enjoyed this treasure hunt-like feeling.

In fact, Qin Yuanging was more childlike than most people. Heaven had been kind to him, granting him a happy and privileged upbringing, as well as outstanding looks and intelligence. Later, Li Chongge would protect him in his career. The greatest hardship he had ever faced was eating stale bread in Canada, and that was his own choice.

So Qin Yuanging was still a bit of a playful person at heart.

Qin Yuanging was busy searching for shells, having long forgotten about the slippers he had brought from the house.

Li Chongge picked them up for him, carrying them in his hand, closely following behind him.

Qin Yuanging would sometimes have sudden whims, following the waves, trying to witness firsthand how a shell was washed ashore.

In any case, no matter what whimsical idea he had, as long as he turned around, Li Chongge would be standing not far behind him.

The sun gradually set in the west, and the shadows of the two people stretched long and thin on the beach.

“It’s time to go back,” Li Chongge reminded softly. “I’ll come with you again tomorrow.”

Qin Yuanging had picked up a dozen shells, holding them in his hands.

“These are all for you.”

Li Chongge accepted them all, carrying Qin Yuanging’s shoes in one hand and all his shells in the other.

When Qin Yuanging started looking around for his shoes, he realized that Li Chongge had been carrying them for him all along.

He always felt that something was different about Li Chongge compared to before, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

When they returned, Sun Qihao was just about to call Qin Yuanging to tell them to come back for dinner.

Because everyone had unanimously agreed to have an outdoor seafood barbecue in the garden that afternoon, Sun Qihao had asked people to deliver a lot of beer.

The chefs were already preparing outside, and the smoke from the charcoal fire whetted Qin Yuanging’s appetite.

“Why were you gone for so long?”

Sun Qihao walked over, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Qin Yuanging replied, “We were picking up shells and lost track of time.”

“Mr. Qin, you’ve been out in the wild for two years, and you’ve turned into Miss Qin? Picking up shells with glee doesn’t really fit your image, does it?”

Sun Qihao, accustomed to being sarcastic, only noticed that the shells Qin Yuanging had picked up were all in Li Chongge’s hands after saying this.

Li Chongge followed Sun Qihao’s gaze to his own palm, nodded to him, and said, “Yes, he gave them all to me.”

Sun Qihao: “?”

He didn’t even ask, did he?

Seeing that Li Chongge really liked the shells, Qin Yuanging felt a sense of satisfaction and decided to pick up some more for him to take back tomorrow.

“Shall we go pick some more tomorrow?”

“Okay, let’s go to the room first, wash your hands, and get a jacket. The sea breeze at night will be cool.”

Sun Qihao leaned against the doorway, finished his last cigarette, and felt that something was amiss.

Anyway, he wouldn’t pick up any damn shells for Deng Weien.