After observing the chess game, Meng Jingwei sat beside Madam Qing, dictating moves.
With their combined efforts, Meng Jingwei easily won the first round.
Looking at Qing Muye with a hint of pride, she said, "Playing like this is so boring. Why don't we play with stickers?"
"Hahaha, yes, yes, there needs to be a stake, otherwise it's really boring."
Madam Qing chuckled in agreement.
Seeing Meng Jingwei's triumphant demeanor after winning one round, a flicker of light crossed Qing Muye's eyes. "Alright, as you wish."
He instructed a nearby servant, "Go fetch some paper and a bowl of water."
The servant nodded and immediately went to get the items.
Soon, the things were brought over. Qing Muye tore off a piece of paper, dipped it in water, and stuck it on his chin.
However, as the second round of chess began, Meng Jingwei lost.
And...
She lost eight consecutive games.
By the time Lu Yanming arrived, he saw Meng Jingwei in the living room with her face covered in white paper strips, and couldn't help but chuckle.
"What are you playing that's so interesting?" Lu Yanming smiled sheepishly and walked over to join the fun.
Qing Muye studied the chessboard in front of him and moved his 'cannon', declaring, "Check."
This time, Meng Jingwei's 'general' had nowhere to retreat and lost again.
Unwilling to accept defeat, she furrowed her brow. "No, one more round!"
For some reason, she just couldn't bear to lose to Qing Muye repeatedly, like a gambler who refused to give up, wanting to play another round to turn the tables.
"Can't take a loss?" Qing Muye raised an eyebrow, a curve at the corner of his lips, provoking her.
"You..."
"You rascal, how dare you speak like that!" Madam Qing reprimanded him, then smoothed things over, "Alright, alright, we'll play another day. Yanming is already here."
At this moment, a servant walked over and said, "Madam, young master, dinner is ready."
"Understood."
Madam Qing responded and walked over to Lu Yanming, "Come, Yanming, let's go eat."
"Grandma, didn't you say you were going to introduce me to someone? Hasn't that girl arrived yet?" Lu Yanming adjusted his glasses, looking somewhat bewildered.
"Hahaha... Don't rush, don't rush, let's eat first."
She led Lu Yanming to the dining room.
Meng Jingwei resentfully tore off the paper strips from her face, crumpled them into a ball, and threw them into the trash can.
She secretly mused that her chess skills needed improvement, otherwise, she wouldn't be losing to Qing Muye in every game.
Seeing her annoyed expression, the man found it inexplicably amusing, but he maintained a deliberately indifferent facade.
"They say 'a rabbit doesn't eat the grass by its burrow.' Are your moves encroaching on my territory?" As he sat down, he took a cigarette from his pack, lit it, took a puff, and deliberately exhaled faint smoke towards Meng Jingwei's face, teasing her.
Meng Jingwei, already annoyed by her consecutive losses, smiled at Qing Muye's words.
Her smile, though not reaching her eyes, was bright and captivating.
The little woman was naturally beautiful, captivating even without makeup.
Qing Muye was intensely stirred by her smile, a sudden surge of emotion coursing through him.
"Lu Yanming is your friend, not mine, so how can it be considered 'grass by the burrow'? Besides, I think Lu Yanming is quite refined, not bad at all."
Saying this, she feigned surprise and raised her eyebrows at Qing Muye. "He's your elder brother. If I were to date him, Qing Muye, wouldn't you have to call me... sister-in-law next time you see me?"
She deliberately drew out the last syllable, her every glance and word laced with provocation.
Upon hearing this, Qing Muye's expression darkened, and the fingers holding the cigarette twisted the cigarette butt out of shape.
"You dare!"
After a long pause, he squeezed out two words from between his teeth.
Meng Jingwei completely ignored his anger. "What dare or not dare? Grandma set it up. You should be arrogant towards Grandma instead."
With that, she stood up and walked out.
Qing Muye remained seated, his lips pressed into a straight line, his handsome face etched with a somber aura.
After stewing in annoyance for a while, he finally stood up, strode out of the living room, and quickly followed Meng Jingwei's footsteps.
In the dining room.
The four of them sat around the dining table. The sumptuous dinner was fragrant and exquisite, a feast for the senses.
However, each of them was lost in their own thoughts.
Lu Yanming was still preoccupied with Madam Qing's introduction, so he asked again, "Grandma, aren't we waiting for that girl?"
"Which girl?" Madam Qing looked puzzled.
"The one... the one you were going to introduce to me," Lu Yanming said very seriously, pushing his glasses up.
"Oh~"
Madam Qing nodded. Just as she was about to say something, Qing Muye glanced at Lu Yanming with cold eyes. "Are you that desperate for a woman?"
He spoke sarcastically to Lu Yanming, his words laced with barbs.
Lu Yanming seemed accustomed to Qing Muye's attitude and smiled gently. "I've been single since birth. If I don't find someone soon, my mother will beat me to death."
"Then let your mother introduce someone to you!" Qing Muye glared at him.
But Lu Yanming didn't seem to understand why Qing Muye was so angry today. Lu Yanming had always assumed it was because of Meng Jingwei.
Ever since his breakup with Meng Jingwei at the Ye Se apartment, Qing Muye's temper had become significantly worse.
His friends often teased Qing Muye, saying he was either having his "period" or going through "menopause."
"My mother's taste isn't very good. The women she finds are either too fat or too short, or they're all garish types, tsk tsk... her taste is really not to be admired."
While saying this, Lu Yanming didn't forget to flatter Madam Qing. "But Grandma is different. Grandma has good taste. The girls she introduces to me will definitely be good."
"Hahaha..."
Madam Qing's face lit up at Lu Yanming's words, and she patted his shoulder. "You're the one who knows how to make your grandma happy, you brat."
"I'm just telling the truth," Lu Yanming added, then picked up the drink on the table and took a sip.
"Actually, the girl Grandma is introducing to you today is..." She glanced at Meng Jingwei, who was looking down, silent, and seemingly preoccupied.
Under normal circumstances, if they were just having a spat, introducing someone now wouldn't be an issue, and Meng Jingwei wouldn't refuse, nor would Qing Muye object.
But now, neither of them seemed to have strong objections.
Could it be that they had completely broken up?
But it didn't matter, Lu Yanming was a good person, and she had watched him grow up.
Madam Qing felt that if Meng Jingwei ended up with Lu Yanming, it would be a good outcome.
So she said to Lu Yanming, "It's Jingwei!"
"Pfft... cough cough cough..."
As soon as Madam Qing finished speaking, Lu Yanming, who had just taken a sip of juice and hadn't had time to swallow, immediately turned sideways and sprayed out the entire mouthful of juice, choking and coughing violently.
"Cough cough cough cough cough..."
Lu Yanming coughed until his face was red. He quickly put down the cup and pulled out some tissues to wipe his mouth.
After recovering for a moment, he looked at Qing Muye, then at Meng Jingwei, and finally his gaze settled on Madam Qing.