The next day, still half-asleep, Shang Jincheng called her via video.
"Not up yet? I've brought you breakfast, open the door."
Ge'er opened the door with her hair in a mess, seeing him appearing at the doorway, spirited and carrying two big bags of goodies.
Shang Jincheng, not only dressed smartly but also radiating energy, said loudly.
"I knew you were tired from playing yesterday, so rest well today. Eat first, then go back to sleep. I'll call someone later to keep your sister-in-law company for Mahjong."
Perhaps it was the constant smile on his face, or perhaps it was his excessive attentiveness.
In any case, Ge'er couldn't bring herself to get angry with him.
Noticing a faint bruise under his eyes, she even asked him with concern.
"What time did you sleep last night? You must be exhausted?"
"No, how could I be exhausted? I'm young and strong, in excellent health. What's wrong? Why did you suddenly start caring about me? Did you realize how good I am?"
There, he was still the same smug Shang Jincheng.
Not worth caring about.
He hadn't eaten breakfast either, and it wouldn't do to eat while making him stand by and watch, so Tong An'an invited him to sit down.
The three of them ate and drank for a while. It was getting late, and Tong An'an said to call people over, as she was already itching to play.
Heaven knows, Tong An'an hadn't played Mahjong in years. To set them up, she had stayed up late last night to review the game.
Shang Jincheng made a few calls, and soon, Tong Mengmeng and her husband arrived.
They quickly set up the table, and Shang Jincheng told Ge'er to sit down and play.
Ge'er said, "I don't want to play, you play your own. I'm not interested in this stuff."
"Are you not interested or do you not know how? I've never seen you play Mahjong since you were little. You can't possibly know how, can you?"
"Who says I don't know how? Mahjong is such a simple thing, I just didn't want to learn. I'll pick it up just by looking."
"Then play one for me to see. This game really tests intelligence. You always call yourself smart, let's see if you can win today."
With a few words, Shang Jincheng ignited Ge'er's fighting spirit.
The four sat in a circle, with Shang Jincheng sitting next to her.
To be honest, she didn't really know how to play.
She only knew the rules, but because she wasn't interested, she had only touched the tiles a few times.
After discarding two tiles, Shang Jincheng saw that she didn't know how to play. He anxiously moved his stool closer to her, placing his right arm behind her back, his chest against her shoulder.
It was as if they were leaning together, playing the same game of cards.
"Play the nine of tiao, don't touch this one."
"This one."
"Don't move yet, let me look again."
He was more than ten centimeters taller than Ge'er, and even when sitting, he was half a head taller than her.
With such close proximity, his breath could be felt on Ge'er's face when he spoke.
And today, he seemed to have worn perfume, with a faint woody scent emanating from him.
Listening to his young, pleasant voice, and looking at his long, youthful hands touching hers, Ge'er's heart suddenly fluttered.
It was as if a strong wave of male pheromones had enveloped her, making her restless and constantly wanting to look at his hands.
Shang Jincheng played very seriously, afraid of Ge'er losing.
When he was focused, he looked surprisingly roguishly handsome.
After two rounds, she had won twice, and Tong Mengmeng was displeased.
"You two are cheating, how can you play like this? Who is playing, you or her?"
Shang Jincheng protected Ge'er. "Come on, I'm not saying you two are cheating, who knows if you're playing the 'lovers' card'?"
"I say, you're watching your husband too closely. You followed him out to play cards, is he that irresistible? Do you think any other woman besides you would actually be interested in him?"
It was normal for old friends to bicker, and Tong Mengmeng wasn't one to back down.
"My husband is that charming, unlike you. Although you flit from one to another, none of them are truly devoted to you, and you've never even had a proper girlfriend."
Shang Jincheng, usually so sharp-tongued, was rendered speechless by this truthful statement.
Seeing him pull at the corner of his mouth and not retort, Zhan Jingge suddenly felt an unpleasantness in her heart.
It was as if, no matter how annoying Shang Jincheng was, only she had the right to retort.