The luxury goods on the table had almost formed a small mountain, with Ji Shileng’s watch perched on top.
Qin Si cradled his face and rubbed the lipstick mark off his jaw with his thumb.
“Can anyone win the prize, as long as they outdrink the others?”
“Hmm? Is there something you want?”
“Yes”
Qin Si nodded.
Ji Shileng gave a slow sound of understanding. After considering it for a few seconds, he shook his head firmly.
“You can’t want those. Those things are for the little playthings”
He smiled.
“You’re not a plaything”
Xiao Liao tightened his grip on his glass at being called that. Every one of his “colleagues” at Shuise racked their brains trying to catch someone wealthy.
But what if they succeeded?
In the eyes of rich heirs like Ji Shileng, they were nothing more than “little playthings.”
Qin Si’s expression eased a little.
“But I don’t want your things ending up in someone else’s hands”
“What’s there to be jealous of?”
Ji Shileng took a bank card from his trouser pocket and pressed it into Qin Si’s hand.
“Here. This is yours. Those little things can go to them”
Now Qin Si truly thought Ji Shileng was drunk.
“Xiaoshi, you can’t just give your bank card to other people,” he said seriously.
He offered it back.
“Are you other people?”
Ji Shileng did not take it. Instead, he looked up at him, Qin Si’s entire reflection captured in his dark, glistening eyes.
Under that gaze, Qin Si surrendered.
“Then I’ll hold on to it for you for now”
He did want to keep the card. He simply had no proper standing in Ji Shileng’s life to accept it.
“I gave it to you, so use it”
Satisfied that he had accepted it, Ji Shileng draped an arm around his shoulders.
“There’s no PIN”
Qin Si: “…”
What a novel feeling.
The young heirs: “…”
No wonder Su Ke said Ji Shileng lost at least tens of millions every time he came to a club.
Apparently, he carried bank cards around without even setting a PIN.
The hosts and hostesses: “…”
Where had this Qin Si come from?
Being the center of attention was nothing new to Qin Si. Yet this time, he sensed something distinctly precarious about his position.
He sighed silently. Ji Shileng’s weight against him had already creased his immaculate suit.
From his inner jacket pocket, Qin Si took out a black card with no spending limit whatsoever.
Having handed over his own card, Ji Shileng felt exceptionally cool and had already raised his glass to start toasting everyone again.
Before the entire crowded booth, Qin Si opened his palm. Colored lights shimmered across the black card.
“My gift in return”
“Huh?”
Entirely focused on drinking, Ji Shileng picked it up without thinking. Then he paused.
“What gift in return?”
Qin Si smoothed down his unruly hair and reminded him, “You just gave me a card”
Ji Shileng nodded as though enlightenment had dawned and examined the card in his hand.
Once he recognized it as an unlimited card, he said, “I can’t accept this. It’s worth too much”
There was not much money on the card Ji Shileng had given Qin Si—less than a hundred million.
But even with another zero added, it could not compare to the black card Qin Si had given him.
He did not really need to bring a bank card when he came to drink with pretty company at a friend’s club. The balance on his membership card could cover another few years of drinking.
But his sister insisted that he carry at least one bank card whenever he went out, just in case.
Honestly, seven or eight times out of ten, he would be drinking away when someone inexplicably slipped the bank card out of his pocket.
Since he could not leave it behind, he simply brought cards with different balances for different occasions.
Qin Si used the same line to coax him again.
“Then could you hold on to it for me for now?”
Ji Shileng pressed his fingertips against the black card and murmured an acknowledgment.
“The PIN is your birthday,” Qin Si said close to his ear.
Ji Shileng nodded. Whether he had actually taken that in was anyone’s guess.
Their entire exchange left everyone else bewildered.
The racing team captain nudged the person beside him.
“Wait, what’s going on with Shileng? Is there something between them?”
“No idea”
The other man scratched his head.
“But weren’t Qin Si and Guo Weishui photographed confronting each other at Yongyi Court a couple of days ago?”
The captain took a drink and said nothing more.
Noticing that the alcohol was really taking hold, Qin Si firmly removed the glass from Ji Shileng’s hand.
“No more drinking”
“I think I can still manage,” Ji Shileng protested. “Don’t underestimate me”
“All right,” Qin Si agreed obligingly. “You can outdrink anyone”
“That’s more like it”
Ji Shileng reached for his glass again.
One sentence from Qin Si stopped him.
“Xiaoshi, could we change the prize?”
His head swimming with alcohol, Ji Shileng repeated, “Change the prize?”
“Your sister gave you that watch. Are you sure it’s all right to just give it away?”
“Of course”
Ji Shileng did not hesitate.
“If I want another one, I can just ask her”
Qin Si let out a quiet sigh and decided to be direct.
“I don’t want to see your things in anyone else’s hands. Not even those little playthings. Do you understand?”
Ji Shileng: “…”
That was quite a possessive streak he had.
Uncomfortable, he looked away from Qin Si’s intent gaze.
“Then you’ll have to ask the winner”
He had already offered the prize. By now, the hosts and hostesses had almost finished drinking, and the results were in. Naturally, they would have to be consulted.
Barely holding himself together, Xiao Liao staggered over to Ji Shileng and sank onto one knee, looking up at him.
“Young Master Ji, I won”
“Qin Si has something to say to you”
Ji Shileng yawned without looking at him.
Xiao Liao lifted his hazy eyes toward Qin Si and called timidly, “Mr. Qin…”
Qin Si was unmoved.
“One hundred million star credits or that watch. Pick one”
The words one hundred million star credits cut through Xiao Liao’s muddled mind, sobering him more than halfway.
That was a hundred million star credits! A hundred million!
How many years would he have to work at Shuise to earn that much?
Honestly, with that money, he would quit on the spot.
If making a living had not forced his hand, who would willingly do work that left them without even their dignity?
With Ji Shileng present, however, Xiao Liao turned an uneasy gaze toward him.
“Young Master Ji…”
He twisted his fingers together, looking utterly compliant.
“Whatever Young Master Ji wants me to choose, I’ll choose”
Ji Shileng knew he was afraid of offending him. Those few seconds of hesitation were enough to reveal what Xiao Liao wanted.
His voice, steeped in alcohol, had grown considerably huskier.
“Take the hundred million. Use it to find yourself a proper job”
Xiao Liao’s eyes widened. He almost wanted to drop to the floor and kowtow in gratitude.
He was not worried that Qin Si would go back on his word. Everyone in their circle said Ji Shileng was generous and always kept his promises.
Naturally, his friend would do the same.
The club owner, enjoying the spectacle and more than happy to stir things up, asked Qin Si whether he needed a check.
When it came to money, nothing was more reassuring than being paid on the spot.
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