Chapter 60
Playing Cards
The man who was staring at the stock market on his tablet raised his head. Suddenly, he found himself looking into a pair of innocent and bewitching eyes.
A look of amazement flashed past Fu Nanli’s intense gaze as he said in a deep voice, “Let’s go.”
He then grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.
Wen Qiao asked him, “Am I dressed presentably?”
“Yes.”
As always, Fu Nanli was a man of few words.
Spring Hill Country Club was constructed on a mountain. The car weaved through Xiangzhang Lane and Wutong Lane, before steadily coming to a halt in front of a building with a lowkey luxurious ambiance beside the lake.
The bellboy came forth to open the door for them, and the duo got out of the car.
“Young Master.” An entourage of staff members dressed in formal wear respectfully welcomed his arrival.
Fu Nanli nodded and walked in with his arm around Wen Qiao.
“Where are they?”
“They are in the Bridge Room.”
Famous paintings from various countries were hung on the two sides of the corridor, and the crystal chandelier lights cast a gentle glow from above. Feeling uneasy, Wen Qiao cautiously asked testingly, “Do you remember those friends of yours?”
“Uncle Li introduced them to me. They’re some cousins in the Fu family.”
Only then did Wen Qiao heave a sigh of relief.
The door to the Bridge Room opened, revealing a luxurious and spacious room, gently illuminated by a crystal chandelier. The ink-gray and dark green hues of the interior decor appeared rich and exuded a feeling of understated opulence. Other than the bartender, there were four people, two of whom were playing cards, while one was drinking wine, and the last one was playing with darts.
Wen Qiao’s gaze lingered between the four of them, wanting to see if the back view she caught sight of at the hospital that day was amongst them. Too bad it was hard to distinguish.
Upon seeing Fu Nanli’s arrival, everyone halted their actions.
“Young Master, you’re here.”
Although those present were all young masters themselves, they still respectfully addressed Fu Nanli as ‘Young Master’. As the sole heir in the direct line of descent in the Fu family, it went without saying that his identity was highly dignified.
Fu Nanli introduced them to Wen Qiao one by one.
Fu Chuan, Fu Huaiyuan, Fu Huaiming, Fu Cheng.
The first three were older than him, appearing in their thirties. The last one, Fu Cheng, was two years younger than him. They were all cousins of his in his collateral family.
Those few people were surprised to see Wen Qiao. “This is…?”
“She is my girlfriend.”
As he spoke, he pulled Wen Qiao to sit down on the sofa.
With an incredulous look, Fu Cheng asked, “Young Master, since when did you get yourself a girlfriend? How come we’re completely unaware of it?”
Feigning calmness, Wen Qiao maintained the smile on her face. Meanwhile, Fu Nanli swept a bland gaze over Fu Cheng. “Do I need to report everything to you guys?”
Only then did Wen-in-battle-mode-Qiao heave a sigh of relief.
Raising his hands in mock surrender, Fu Cheng joked teasingly, “We’re just surprised that despite looking like a cold and aloof machine that only knows how to work, you actually have a romantic relationship.”
“Let’s play cards,” Fu Huaiyuan suggested.
Fu Huaiyuan and Fu Huaiming were brothers. Compared to Fu Cheng, they were slightly more distant cousins from Fu Nanli. Amongst the four of them however, Fu Nanli’s most distant cousin was Fu Chuan.
On the side, Fu Huaiming shook his head helplessly. “Play cards with the mathematics and physics genius? Wouldn’t we just be giving money away to him?”
Fu Cheng said with a chuckle, “Brother, go easy on us. Or else there’s no meaning in playing with you.”
With an arm around Wen Qiao’s shoulder, Fu Nanli said, “Then let her play with you guys.”
Fu Cheng said, “Ha? Wouldn’t we be bullying a younger sister in that case?”
When she heard the easygoing banter, Wen Qiao smiled. “Brothers, please go easy on me.”
As she had a delicate voice, she would inadvertently sound coquettish when she spoke. Fu Nanli’s smile faded a little, and he tightened his grip around Wen Qiao’s hand.
Soon after, the four of them sat down at a table, and Fu Nanli was seated beside Wen Qiao.
Bridge tested one’s calculation skills. At the start, the three of them went easy on her, since they were all bridge experts and they would be disregarding the young master if they didn’t cut her some slack.
Unexpectedly, Wen Qiao won three rounds consecutively. The young lady gazed at them with a smile. “Thank you for taking it easy on me, Brothers!”
As he sat by her side, Fu Nanli watched them play with a nonchalant gaze. The young lady’s skills at counting cards exceeded his expectations. It was clear that she was a hidden expert.