Wen Ying looked up, Xie Qian looked down, their height difference aligning their gazes perfectly.
Wen Ying was in the middle of questioning Xie Qian when she suddenly felt they were too close, close enough to count his eyelashes. She turned her head aside, but Xie Qian pressed a finger to her forehead, gently turning her face back to meet his eyes.
The assertive, almost possessive gesture felt even more intimate than before.
Xie Qian, this young guy, actually knew how to pull such a move. Wen Ying, the “old auntie,” felt her face heat up instantly.
Goodness, why was the cabin so warm? A plane ticket in 2004 wasn’t cheap, and they couldn’t even crank up the air conditioning?
“Why are you blushing? Move over, you’re blocking my way.”
Xie Qian, oblivious to his own charm, made Wen Ying’s ears burn as much as her face.
She shuffled to the window seat, but to her surprise, Xie Qian sat right next to her.
A corner of a plane ticket peeked out of Xie Qian’s pocket. Wen Ying snatched it and saw it was for the seat next to hers, with the destination clear as day—this flight was a direct route from Chengdu to Macau, no stops.
Wen Ying gripped the ticket tightly, proof of Xie Qian tailing her!
“What, what are you doing in Macau?”
Xie Qian calmly took the ticket back, saying lightly, “Whatever you’re doing in Macau, I’m doing the same. I’m not following you. This is the only flight to Macau these two days.”
Wen Ying didn’t buy it.
No matter how coincidental, how could he end up with the seat right next to her?
Wen Ying was going to Macau to “see the world” at a casino and to become an “anti-gambling ambassador,” preaching the dangers of gambling to Xie Qian.
And Xie Qian claimed he was there for the same reason? That made no sense!
Did she, a grown adult, really need this young guy constantly worrying about her and pointing things out?
Wen Ying turned her head toward the window.
Earlier, caught off guard by seeing Xie Qian on the plane, she’d blurted out the “are you stalking me” question. But Wen Ying wasn’t stupid, by the time she sat down, she’d figured out why Xie Qian was going to Macau—he was worried about her.
Worried that the Qin family, while travelling with her, wouldn’t look after her properly.
Worried that, being young and impressionable, she’d go to the casino to “broaden her horizons” but get swept up in the thrill of gambling.
Sigh, heaven had already given Xie Qian perfect looks and a brilliant mind, and then topped it off with such a warm personality. Wen Ying couldn’t fathom how Xie Qian’s father, with such an amazing son, didn’t cherish him and instead betrayed his marriage to have a child with his mistress.
How could anyone bear to hurt Xie Qian?
—You scoundrels, just wait, your reckoning is coming!
Xie Qian, watching from the side, saw Wen Ying’s face grow redder.
Earlier it was embarrassment, now it was anger, her whole being like a hamster turning from white to red. If left unchecked, wouldn’t she end up roasting herself?
“What are you mad about? I didn’t rat you out to your family about the casino thing. I just heard you mention it and got curious myself…”
Xie Qian hesitated as he spoke, but Wen Ying’s alarm bells went off. She nearly leapt from her seat, vehemently denying any interest in casinos:
“Casinos aren’t fun at all, what’s there to be curious about? Gambling is so boring, nothing like the joy of solving problems. If Uncle Qin hadn’t invited me, and I didn’t want to be rude, I wouldn’t even go to Macau. Staying home doing practice papers for the National Day holiday would’ve been so much better!”
Really?
That’s not what you said in your texts.
Wasn’t it a certain hamster who swore she’d use her casino winnings to buy him a gift?
Xie Qian was tempted to pull out his phone and make Wen Ying read her own message. Seeing her frantically explain, he couldn’t help but want to laugh.
“So you love studying that much.”
Xie Qian opened his backpack, pulled out a study guide, and handed it to Wen Ying, “This was for me, in case Macau got boring and I’d do some questions. Now it’s yours.”
“…”
Wen Ying’s vision went dark.
Who brings a study guide to Macau for fun?
Only Xie Qian could do something like this with a straight face.
But bringing a “book” to a casino? Xie Qian had set the tone early, and Wen Ying felt that even if she were possessed by a gambling god, she’d have no chance of winning!
This scene felt oddly familiar. Wen Ying vaguely recalled that when Li Mengjiao went to Hunan for a competition, she’d stuffed a pile of practice papers into her bag.
Now, Wen Ying really wanted to apologise to silly Li Mengjiao. What goes around comes around, indeed.
Xie Qian asked if she didn’t like the book, hinting he had others. Wen Ying clutched the study guide tightly, forcing out tears of “gratitude”:
“This is the one I love, you know me so well!”
Teasing the Wen hamster was Xie Qian’s daily dose of kindness.
He was so used to doing good deeds that missing a day felt uncomfortable.
Now, with today’s good deed done, Xie Qian finally felt at ease.
A passenger nearby glanced at them and smiled knowingly: such carefree, playful youth, truly enviable.
When they disembarked, Qin Jiao was shocked.
“Xie Qian’s coming? Why didn’t you say earlier? I could’ve had my dad book his ticket.”
Wen Ying gave a dry laugh, “If I said I didn’t know Xie Qian was going to Macau, would you believe me?”
Qin Jiao looked at Wen Ying, then at Xie Qian, shaking her head with a smile, clearly unconvinced.
Wen Ying felt she couldn’t clear her name even if she jumped into the Yellow River.
With Xie Qian joining the Macau trip, Qin Xianming didn’t mind. They were all his daughter’s friends, one or two, no big deal!
Besides, Xie Qian didn’t need anyone’s help. He’d booked his own ticket, arranged his hotel, and even had a detailed travel itinerary. When Qin Xianming invited him to stay at the same hotel, Xie Qian agreed without much hesitation.
A straightforward young man.
Qin Xianming laughed, “I remember you and Wen Ying are in the same class, right? You’re both close with Jiao Jiao, come over to our place more often.”
Qin Xianming didn’t care whose kid Xie Qian was. As long as he meant no harm, what did it matter whose family he came from?
Having built his fortune from scratch and amassing billions in his prime, Qin Xianming was supremely confident in his abilities. He had no need to curry favour with anyone.
They’d barely stepped off the plane when the casino’s VIP shuttle was already waiting. For big clients like Qin Xianming, the casino ensured a “home away from home” experience.
Yu Wei’s eagerness blended seamlessly into this setting.
Xie Qian frowned, whispering to Wen Ying, “This guy’s deeply tied to the casino, at least trained by them. Is Qin Jiao’s dad sure he can make a move on their turf?”
Xie Qian knew Yu Wenhao and his son were up to no good, but he didn’t know the specifics of their schemes or how Qin Xianming planned to counter them.
Seeing Yu Wei navigate Macau with ease, clearly familiar with the casino’s service protocols, Xie Qian couldn’t help but be wary.
Wen Ying shook her head slightly, “Uncle Qin definitely won’t make a move in Macau. With us along, he’s just here to have fun.”
Not necessarily.
Wen Ying’s words didn’t fully ease Xie Qian’s concerns.
On this Macau trip, Qin Jiao had her father and brother with her, but Wen Ying was alone. He’d have to keep a close eye on her.
