As for Pink-Hair, before Falling in Love, He Insisted That He Wasn't the Possessive Type - Chapter 2

Shang Qingye had just walked over to the sofa when he locked eyes with a pink-haired man sitting on the edge.

The lighting in this area was dim. It was not until Shang Qingye drew closer that he realized someone on the sofa was watching him. The man did not seem awkward about being caught staring; instead, he continued to eye Shang Qingye with open curiosity.

The moment Shang Qingye first saw Yu Qingdu, a flash of genuine amazement flickered in his eyes. As soon as Shang Qingye sat down, Yu Qingdu, who was sitting right next to him, caught a faint scent of tobacco.

Yu Qingdu’s gaze remained fixed on Shang Qingye. He did not feel there was anything inappropriate about his behavior at all. After sitting, Shang Qingye crossed his legs and pressed a hand against his left ear, closing his eyes. His face looked somewhat exhausted.

Perhaps because the gaze from beside him was too blatant to ignore, Shang Qingye slowly opened his eyes, lowered his hand from his ear, and turned his head toward Yu Qingdu. He observed Yu Qingdu lazily, sizing him up for a moment. Then, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his leather jacket, fished one out, and tucked it between his lips. Tilting his head toward Yu Qingdu with a reckless glint in his eyes, he asked, “Want one?”

Yu Qingdu had been watching him the whole time and did not feel the slightest bit embarrassed about being caught. Hearing Shang Qingye ask if he wanted a smoke, the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile. He heard himself ask, “Do you need a light?”

Shang Qingye raised an eyebrow and countered, “If I said yes, would you light it for me personally?”

The question was a bit provocative, but he was not in a great mood today. Additionally, the private room was so noisy that his ears were ringing, and the person next to him had been staring him down without any restraint.

Propping his head up with his hand, Yu Qingdu looked at him with a slight smile. He tilted his head slightly and said with a grin, “I will light it.”

As he spoke, he pulled a lighter from his coat pocket and flicked it open, the flame springing to life. He sat up, shielding the flame from the draft with one hand while holding the lighter out toward Shang Qingye with the other.

Looking at the offered flame, Shang Qingye smiled. He compliantly leaned down, bringing the cigarette to the flame until it caught. Because he had to lean in to light the cigarette, Shang Qingye’s body tilted toward Yu Qingdu. Yu Qingdu could clearly see Shang Qingye’s lowered eyes and even catch a glimpse of his eyelashes.

Once the cigarette was lit, Shang Qingye pulled back to a comfortable distance, and Yu Qingdu put the lighter away. Smoking his cigarette, Shang Qingye watched the crowd playing around in the center of the room with a lazy expression.

“Looking for a job?”

Shang Qingye had just exhaled a cloud of smoke when he heard the man next to him ask. At the question, his expression shifted slightly. He turned, switching the cigarette from his left hand to his right. Looking at Yu Qingdu’s incredibly handsome face, he licked his canine tooth. “Are you planning to be my boss?”

Just as Yu Qingdu was about to answer, a somewhat drunken voice cut in.

“Brother Du, Brother Ye, why are you two hiding away here? Come on, come on, let us go play some games.”

Both men looked up to see Zhou Hao approaching them, smelling of alcohol and urging them to join the games. Seeing this, Shang Qingye flashed a smile at Yu Qingdu before standing up to meet Zhou Hao, throwing an arm over the other man’s shoulder. “Let us go, I will play a few rounds.”

Yu Qingdu let out a soft chuckle and stood up as well.

Zhou Hao led Shang Qingye into the thick of the crowd, where a group was playing cards at a central table. Chen Yue was already there. “Quick, come here! Brother Ye is here to crush them!”

Shang Qingye found a spot by the coffee table and sat cross-legged. He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, tossing it inside.

“What are we playing?”

Shang Qingye scanned the group lazily, finally landing his gaze on Chen Yue.

“Hehe, playing,” Chen Yue began.

“Brother Du.”

Before Chen Yue could finish his giggling sentence, he heard Zhou Hao call out to Yu Qingdu. The people gathered around the table looked up to see Yu Qingdu standing behind them.

“Brother, come sit here.” Zhou Hao patted an empty spot next to him, gesturing for him to join.

Yu Qingdu glanced at Shang Qingye, who was sitting next to Zhou Hao. He declined the seat next to Zhou Hao and instead walked toward the gap on Shang Qingye’s other side.

“I will sit here.”

Even without looking, Shang Qingye could feel the man sitting down beside him. Seeing a new addition to the table, Chen Yue assumed he wanted to play, but asked anyway out of habit, “Brother Du, you are playing too, right?”

Unexpectedly, Yu Qingdu tilted his head slightly, his thin lips curving into a smile. “You guys play.”

Chen Yue scratched his head and did not push it. He turned back to Shang Qingye. “Brother Ye, we are playing Blackjack.”

Shang Qingye’s ears began to ring again. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he reached up to press his left ear. “Never played it.”

“Oh, it is easy! Once I explain it, you will definitely get it.” Chen Yue began to explain the rules. “We are playing a version without a dealer. We remove the Jokers, and everyone gets two hole cards. Then, everyone takes turns either hitting for another card or staying, trying to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. If you exceed 21, you bust and you are out. Finally, everyone shows their cards. The person with the highest point total who has not busted wins, and they get to make everyone else drink a glass.”

Chen Yue rubbed his chin and continued. “As for other situations, I will explain them if they come up. Oh, and Aces can be one or eleven, while Jacks, Queens, and Kings all count as ten.”

After hearing the rules, Shang Qingye nodded for the cards to be dealt. Soon, Shang Qingye’s two cards were in his hand. He kept them face down on the table. Just as he lifted a corner to peek at them, he suddenly caught a faint, sweet scent of sandalwood, followed by a rush of warm breath against his ear.

“It is okay. If you lose, I will drink for you.”

The voice was full of amusement and carried that same fragrance. Yet, the culprit looked perfectly serious on the surface. Shang Qingye felt his ear burning from the breath. He glanced sideways at Yu Qingdu, only to see the man looking back at him with a beaming smile.

He let out a short snort. “That is a pity, then. You will not get the chance. Hit me.”

Shang Qingye signaled for another card. The man dealing gave him one. A few others around the table also called for a hit, while some chose to stay.

“Hehe, Brother Ye, I am with you.” Chen Yue was one of those who chose to hit.

Shang Qingye had just finished looking at his new card. Hearing Chen Yue, he laughed, licked his lip, and said, “Then you better keep up. Hit me.”

Shang Qingye signaled for another card again. This time, fewer people were willing to follow. Some hesitated for a long time before deciding to hit, only to bust immediately. Others played it safe and stayed.

Chen Yue looked at his cards, wavered for a long while, and finally chose to hit. He picked up the newly dealt card, took a look, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Shang Qingye also finished looking at his new card. He scanned the table, noting that many had busted in the second round of hits, though a few were still in the game. He turned his gaze toward Chen Yue. Seeing Shang Qingye looking at him, Chen Yue grinned arrogantly.

“Brother Ye, I am still in the game!”

Yu Qingdu glanced at Chen Yue’s cocky attitude, then turned his eyes back to Shang Qingye, his lips upturned as his index finger tapped rhythmically on the coffee table. Looking at Chen Yue’s smug face, Shang Qingye’s smirk did not fade. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and tucked it into the corner of his mouth. Smiling, he spoke while biting the filter.

“Hit me.”