Chapter 38: Need Me to Teach You?……

Zhao Taihe used to find Xia Mi La’s well-mannered, obedient girl demeanor utterly boring, but for some reason, he now found it somewhat endearing.

He smacked his lips but didn’t tease Xia Mi La further, instead turning his gaze back to Jin He.

Sitting casually on the sofa, Zhao Taihe asked, “So, what are we betting on today?”

On the court, there were naturally matches, and with matches came wagers.

Jin He remained expressionless. “What do you want to bet?”

“Since you have no ideas,” Zhao Taihe said with a laugh, “let’s go with the simplest one the ‘King’s Game’ we haven’t played in a while.”

In the past, Jin He wouldn’t have been afraid at all. But now, he had Pei Duo Xing by his side.

If they lost the match, Pei Duo Xing would be the first to be targeted. When you bet, you accept the consequences, and at that point, there wouldn’t be much he could do to protect her.

Pei Duo Xing didn’t know what this “King’s Game” referred to.

Cui Zhe whispered a brief explanation in her ear: “The winning side becomes the king, and the losing side has to obey the king’s commands.”

As for the rest, Pei Duo Xing could guess why Jin He looked so troubled and hesitant without Cui Zhe needing to elaborate.

It was just another one of their class-based games.

Call it the King’s Game, but even if Jin He lost, Zhao Taihe would be the only one from the White Tiger Hall daring enough to treat him like a slave. Everyone knew how to read the room who would actually dare to trample Han Lin underfoot?

But she was different. It would be like tearing away the protective umbrella over her head, exposing her once again to blatant bullying.

Everyone noticed Jin He’s silence… Jin He was actually afraid.

Those who show fear have already lost, at least in Zhao Taihe’s eyes.

“Well?” He grinned, still provoking him. “You scared? Already think you’re going to lose before we even start?”

As soon as he said this, a few mocking laughs echoed in the lounge.

Aside from the Azure Dragon Hall, even members of the Vermilion Bird Hall were playing along to set the mood.

“Why is Jin He so spineless now?”

“Totally overshadowed by Zhao Taihe!”

People whispered among themselves, though not quietly enough for Jin He to miss it entirely.

Jin He’s expression darkened even further.

At this point, even Cui Zhe didn’t know what to say.

Conflicts between the Azure Dragon Hall and the White Tiger Hall were nothing new, but this time, not only Jin He, even he hesitated because of Pei Duo Xing’s presence.

Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to suggest calling off the bet that would be equivalent to admitting defeat to Zhao Taihe outright.

“What about the Vermilion Bird Hall?” It was Pei Duo Xing who spoke up then. “What does Xia Mi La think?”

Her reasoning was clear: divert the trouble elsewhere. Since Jin He and Zhao Taihe were deadlocked and couldn’t reach a decision, why not drag another person into the mix and use their refusal to break the stalemate?

She wanted to take a chance on Xia Mi La.

In her experience, Xia Mi La was a gentle, timid pushover. Despite everything that had happened between them, she had never shown any extreme emotions or desire for revenge, always yielding easily.

She was likely the kind of gentle and naive young lady raised in a wealthy family, sheltered from hardship. Having never experienced storms, she remained foolishly ignorant and unaware of the treachery in people’s hearts.

Her peace-loving nature stood in stark contrast to Jin He’s flamboyance and Zhao Taihe’s arrogance. It seemed unlikely she would enjoy such a thrilling competition, let alone accept such radical game rules.

She would refuse.

Once she voiced her refusal, Jin He could then follow suit and announce his withdrawal. That way, no one would say Jin He avoided playing because he was afraid.

Pei Duo Xing thought herself incredibly clever, achieving her goal without shedding a drop of blood. If only she had been born into a better family with a higher status then who in this entire lounge could possibly compare to her?

The moment her words fell, everyone turned to look at her in shock.

Today, Pei Duo Xing had her hair tied up in a high ponytail, wearing a form-fitting luxury-brand jersey, a textured knit top, and a designer pleated skirt. This outfit washed away her usual air of poverty, giving her more poise than usual.

But did she really think that relying on these things packaged by Jin He would allow her to challenge Xia Mi La and use her as a shield?

Moreover, she didn’t understand Xia Mi La at all.

Xia Mi La was indeed known for her excellent composure. Hearing this, she merely glanced calmly at Pei Duo Xing, not a trace of displeasure on her face. Instead, a faint smile surfaced, gentle as a spring breeze.

“Alright,” her voice was soft yet clear, reaching everyone’s ears. “It’s been a while since we played. Let’s give it a go.” As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, her gaze shifting to Zhao Taihe, her tone still gentle. “Now that there are three parties, shouldn’t the hierarchy also have three tiers? King, subject, commoner.”

“Great. The subject suppresses the commoner, and the king suppresses both the subject and the commoner.” Zhao Taihe clapped his hands and laughed heartily. “That sounds even more interesting.”

He looked at Xia Mi La. “How about setting it during the training camp? We’ll be short on people to order around then.”

Xia Mi La tilted her head with a faint smile. “That works.”

With just a few words, the two of them settled the stakes.

Jin He’s expression could no longer be described as merely unpleasant. This was originally just a bet between him and Zhao Taihe, with room for negotiation. But now that Xia Mi La had joined and made it final, he had to yield to the majority.

Yes, he could still choose not to participate no one was holding a gun to his head. But if he backed down, the Azure Dragon Hall would be looked down upon from then on, and Jin He himself couldn’t afford to lose face like that.

So, when Zhao Taihe looked at him again, he sneered and spat out harsh words: “Fine, let’s play. When the training camp comes, you’ll be my personal slave.”

“Stop daydreaming,” Zhao Taihe waved his hand casually, throwing the words back at him. “But I’ve already thought of how to use you…” He raised his finger, pointing at Jin He, then shifted it toward Pei Duo Xing beside him, his tone meaningful. “…and your lot.”

Jin He was infuriated by his insinuation. He stood up from the sofa, ready to rush over and punch him, but was stopped by Cui Zhe beside him.

“A He,” he said, “don’t stoop to his level.”

Xia Mi La also spoke up at the right moment. “Let’s decide on the participants.”

“As for me,” Zhao Taihe stared at the furious Jin He, curling his lips to reveal a row of white teeth as he calmly pointed his thumb toward Ding Yuan behind him, “of course it’s our A-Yuan.”

Jin He sat back down on the sofa, glaring viciously at Zhao Taihe. “I’ll play myself.”

Zhao Taihe shrugged and turned to Xia Mi La. “What about you?”

“My trump card…” Xia Mi La had just begun speaking when the lounge door was pushed open, and the caddie led another person inside.

She smiled gracefully. “Speak of the devil, our trump card has arrived.”

The newcomer was Sun Yongmin. Originally a member of the Hanlin Faction, he had been unable to join the Azure Dragon Hall after offending Jin He. When Xia Mi La established the Vermilion Bird Hall, he immediately came to join her.

Incidentally, his original conflict with Jin He had actually occurred on a golf course.

Earlier, Jin He had prided himself on having some talent in golf. Coupled with the constant flattery from those around him, he gradually became somewhat deluded, starting to believe he was some kind of prodigious young genius.

Then during one round where he was paired with Sun Yongmin, Jin He found himself completely dominated throughout the match. Sun Yongmin even managed a hole-in-one, infuriating Jin He so much that he smashed his club on the spot, convinced it was a deliberate provocation to undermine his dignity. Thus began their feud. No matter how many times Sun Yongmin later apologized or tried to make amends, Jin He simply ignored him.

Zhao Taihe naturally knew this story well. He had never missed an opportunity to mock Jin He about it and had even tried to recruit Sun Yongmin into the White Tiger Hall, though Sun Yongmin consistently declined the offers.

Now, watching Sun Yongmin enter, Zhao Taihe chuckled again and sighed to Xia Mi La, “Never thought I’d be paving the way for you today. Looks like I’ll have to settle for competing for second place.”

Xia Mi La folded her hands on her lap, her smile remaining elegant and warm. “You’re being too modest, A-Tai.”

With everyone assembled and tee-off time approaching, the group rose and began moving toward the golf course.

Xia Mi La, Xu Lian Yi, and Song Ya-yun boarded a golf cart first. The vehicle remained stationary as they waited for Jin Can to join them.

Earlier, when exiting the lounge, he had mentioned having some unfinished business and asked her to wait in the cart.

So Xia Mi La sat obediently in the cart waiting.

In the back seat, Xu Lian Yi and Song Ya-yun were still fuming, complaining about the presumptuous Pei Duo Xing.

“How dare she act like that?” Song Ya-yun was nearly speechless with frustration. “Does she think wearing DESCENTE makes her a Chaebol Heiress?”

“Just wait until they lose,” Xu Lian Yi snorted coldly. “We’ll see what happens at training camp!”

“But will Yongmin senior really win? Hasn’t it been a while since he played? I’m definitely going to cheer for him properly later.”

“He just stopped playing at Hanlin’s venues, but he still maintains memberships elsewhere. You’d better just watch quietly from the sidelines instead of interfering.”

“How is that interfering!” Song Ya-yun complained to Xia Mi La. “Mira, look at her, always talking to me like that.”

Xia Mi La laughed lightly. “Alright, you’re both right.”

Xu Lian Yi, who had been quite angry moments before, couldn’t help laughing at this. “Look at our Mira, she hasn’t even become queen yet, but she’s already learned to distribute her favors equally.”

This teasing remark made Xia Mi La laugh as well. “You and your clever observations.”

Just like that, the unpleasant matters were set aside.

After the three chatted and laughed for a while, Jin Can finally emerged from the clubhouse.

He stood tall and straight, his long legs moving with a brisk rhythm as he reached the car in just a few strides.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” He took a seat beside Xia Mi La.

“Where did you go?” Xia Mi La asked curiously.

Jin Can merely shook his head lightly, offering no further explanation.

Xia Mi La didn’t press further, assuming he had probably gone to the restroom.

*

Rewind to a few minutes earlier. People in the lounge had been filing out one after another until only Jin He, Pei Duo Xing, and Jin Can remained.

Jin He frowned as he looked at Jin Can, as if questioning why he was still there. It was clear that he and Pei Duo Xing had some private matters to discuss.

But Jin Can had stayed behind for a reason of his own.

He rose slowly, his cold and sharp eyes sweeping toward Pei Duo Xing. “Keep your mouth shut. Whether here or at school, though Jin He may have let you in, I can just as easily make you leave.”

After delivering this threat, he cast a casual glance at Jin He.

Jin He was furious. “How dare you speak like that in front of me?”

But Jin Can paid no heed to his anger. He even took two provocative steps forward, stopping directly in front of Jin He. His gaze fixed on him, his tone laced with sarcasm. “Is it really so difficult for you to keep yourself and your people in line? Do you need me to teach you how?”

———————–

Author’s Note: [Hugs]