My Mr.Mermaid Chapter 44

"What should we play?" Qi Rui-Feng was troubled. After thinking for a moment, his eyes lit up. "How about we play Also known as Dou dizhu, a very popular card game in China.Landlord (link)?" I haven't played in a long time." Honestly, as a professional athlete, he didn't have many opportunities to play games.

Yun Duo was on leave today. Since she was free anyhow, she readily agreed.

Tang Yi-Bai had no objections either.

The three of them got into position. Yun Duo dominated the long sofa, Qi Rui-Feng sat on the single armchair to one side of her, while Tang Yi-Bai shifted a chair to the other end of the coffee table to sit across from Yun Duo.

Yun Duo deftly shuffled the cards, her movements rapid-fire quick. Qi Rui-Feng stared on in amazement. The sofa was a little far from the coffee table, so at her height, Yun Duo could only bend over at the waist to reach it. Her T-shirt was loose, and its cloth draped down under the pull of gravity. The collar no longer laid flat against her collarbone, but swooped down to reveal a crescent moon gap. Tang Yi-Bai was seated across from her. This angle was just right for him to see that little flash of cleavage peeking out from under the collar.

"Cough." He felt a little flushed, his heart beating a little faster. He shifted his gaze away and saw that Qi Rui-Feng was still completely mesmerised by Yun Duo's shuffling skills. Tang Yi-Bai let out a soft sigh of relief and said, "Let's sit and play on the carpet."

Qi Rui-Feng asked, "Why?"

Tang Yi-Bai lied with a straight face. "Er-Bai wants to watch."

He then brought out another rug, rectangular, grey, and covered in fine soft furry material. It felt especially comfortable rubbing up against human skin. He placed the rug between the coffee table and the television. Yun Duo sat on top of it, her thighs close together with her legs folded neatly to the same side. Tang Yi-Bai's line of sight was low, and he immediately saw the graceful line of her legs and her delicate ankles, as well as her graceful feet submerged in the soft fur of the rug.

He forced himself to look away, but after a while, he could not help but look again.

He was done for, really. Why was it that no matter where he looked, he felt as if he was being seduced by her?

In contrast to his distracted state of mind, Yun Duo and Qi Rui-Feng were much more focused. However, Tang Yi-Bai's distraction did not mean that he was disadvantaged. Out of the three rounds, he won all three times. Twice as a commoner, once as the landlord.

He pasted the third piece of paper onto Qi Rui-Feng's face, and then took up a piece to stick on Yun Duo's face as well.

Yun Duo saw him coming closer and felt suddenly shy. She couldn't help but duck her head and shuffle backwards, but he suddenly pressed down on her shoulder and said, "Don't move." His voice was soft and very gentle, like a silent trickle of spring water through mountain rocks.

Yun Duo was dazed. His hand was clamped firmly on her shoulder, his palm burning hot, transmitting heat even through her clothes. She stared with wide eyes as he came ever closer. His eyes were at half-mast, his gaze gentle but serious — it was like he only had her in his eyes. He raised his hand and pressed the paper strip to her face. And then, in order to make it stick, he held onto half her face, his index finger resting against the spot where the paper had been dipped in water. He pressed on it gently for a moment, and when he let go, the pad of his thumb inadvertently brushed over her lips. The touch was very light and very faint, but it seemed to leave an indelible trace.

Tang Yi-Bai returned to his seat and began shuffling the cards, his expression calm and natural.

Yun Duo had begun screaming internally: This fellow was already creating such a high level of fuss just by sticking on a piece of paper ... if he truly decided to become a playboy, would anyone be able to beat him?! Why did I have to have a crush on such a devil?! Do I have any chance of making him mine in this lifetime?!

"Yun Duo, it's your turn to draw. We'll win this round," Qi Rui-Feng shook her from her musings.

"Yes." Forget it, she had better focus on the game and not think too much...

For the fourth round, Tang Yi-Bai turned out to be the landlord again. Qi Rui-Feng very fortunately managed to whip out two straights in a row, leaving Tang Yi-Bai helpless. However, in order to arrange these two straights, Qi Rui-Feng left his hand in shambles. After the straights, all he could do was throw out single cards one at a time; it was very pitiful.

Consequently, the game ended up being a battle between Tang Yi-Bai and Yun Duo after that. In the end, Yun Duo was left with 3 twos, a four, and a queen. At that point, a pair of kings had already been played, so she felt that her chances of winning were pretty good. Tang Yi-Bai still held 6 cards. He grinned at Yun Duo. "What do you have left?"

Yun Duo made a face at him. "Who would ask so directly like this?"

"Is it 3 twos, a four, and a something else... a queen?"

"..." Her eyes were wide in shock.

Qi Rui-Feng looked at Tang Yi-Bai and then turned to look at Yun Duo. He asked, "Is it?"

Yun Duo was expressionless. Can you not ask such an embarra.s.sing question?! She puffed up her cheeks. "Cut the nonsense. Play your card."

Tang Yi-Bai put out a pair of threes, then raised a brow at her. "Will you play?"

Yun Duo sulkily played a pair of twos. Using a pair of twos to smack down a pair of threes was so overkill... and her remaining cards were pretty much useless! But if she left it alone and skipped her turn, Tang Yi-Bai would be left with only 3 cards...

Right now, Yun Duo still had a two, a four, and a queen. She knew that Tang Yi-Bai still had a joker in hand, so if any of his other cards were larger than a queen, she would lose. Even as she held onto that last shred of hope, Tang Yi-Bai showed his hand. "You have lost."

He still had a joker, a six, and a king.

Qi Rui-Feng asked Tang Yi-Bai, "How did you know what cards Yun Duo had?"

"I counted."

Qi Rui-Feng was sceptical. "How did you manage to count that? I wouldn't know how to."

Tang Yi-Bai replied, "When I was younger, I had already won first prize in the Math Olympiad. My math is pretty good."

Yun Duo was left speechless at his hidden scholarly attributes. Can't you just focus on developing your brawn and ignore your brain like the stereotypical athlete? Why do you have to compete for the limelight with us nerds as well? So shameless!

After that, they played another few rounds. Qi Rui-Feng gradually became a disaster area of paper strips — his forehead, cheeks, nose, chin were all plastered with paper; luckily his eyes were left open for him to see. Even though he had ended up in such a terrible state, Qi Rui-Feng was still having a lot of fun and still ecstatic to play. Even when Tang Yi-Bai wanted to stop playing, he would not allow it.

Someone suddenly knocked on the door. Qi Rui-Feng was closest to the door, so he stood up to go open it. Yun Duo quietly shuffled the cards, and then she suddenly heard a terrifying scream from outside.

The two of them in the living room quickly ran out. Yun Duo saw a young man in the uniform of a delivery company outside. Right then, he was leaning against a wall with a hand to his chest, his face pale as a sheet. There were several parcels scattered around the floor.

Still unsettled, he said waveringly as he looked at Qi Rui-Feng, "S-sorry, I thought it was a monster."

Yun Duo looked at Qi Rui-Feng. He was built and tall, and with a face covered in white paper strips, he did indeed look like a monster. She couldn't help but burst out laughing. She caught sight of Tang Yi-Bai hiding a smile behind his hand as well, his eyes bright with amus.e.m.e.nt. As if sensing her attention, his gaze shifted to meet hers.

Her heart pounded, and she turned around to retreat to the living room.

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