Chapter 103: Chapter 93: Letting the Sister-in-Law Play So Soon
He said this while looking at Jiang Ruan.
But at this moment, everyone’s attention was not on Bao Ye, especially Si Chen, who was grumbling unhappily when he heard this.
Si Chen quickly looked up, staring at Bao Ye as if seeing King Yama: "Me?"
"Brother Bo, I wasn’t badmouthing you, I was talking about Feng Meiling."
Bao Ye: "..."
Sitting opposite Bao Ye, Si Chen, looking a bit scared, asked, "What do you want me to do over there?"
"You’re not asking me to box again, are you? Oh my god, I don’t want to. Every time I box with you, I have to go home and lie down for half a month. It’s too exhausting."
Feng Meiling chuckled lightly: "Did Brother Bo say he wanted to box? Look at you, scared like that."
"Not a hint of masculinity."
Si Chen: "I’m the one boxing, not you, so of course you wouldn’t know."
Bao Ye picked up a card with his distinctly bony fingers, the pad of his finger gently rubbing the card face. Ignoring the pair, he locked his gaze on Jiang Ruan and said in a low voice, "Why are you standing there dumbfounded?"
"Come over here directly."
Everyone whipped their heads around.
Did they just mishear?
Si Chen was completely dumbfounded: "What did Brother Bo say? Who’s he calling over?"
Feng Meiling quickly caught on, looking shocked yet disdainful: "He’s calling Jiang Ruan over, do you have ears or not?"
This time, Jiang Ruan was quite sure it was directed at her.
She hadn’t been sure earlier.
But now she was certain.
Her nervousness instantly dissipated, her dark eyes gleaming brightly, as she stepped confidently toward him, where there was an empty chair nearby.
Everyone else had someone sitting beside them.
Only Bao Ye was alone.
Jiang Ruan placed her bag next to her, then sat down gracefully beside Bao Ye.
At this close proximity, from this angle, looking at Bao Ye’s cold face like an ice block, expressionless.
Yet the exposed Adam’s apple and collarbone emanated an alluring mature masculine charm.
Jiang Ruan silently swallowed.
And because of her action, the room buzzed with excitement.
Si Chen: "Brother Bo, have you been talking about Jiang Ruan this whole time?"
"Why didn’t you say so earlier?"
Bao Ye glanced at him, his tone cold: "What, do I need to explain to you?"
Si Chen was most afraid of his death stare; its intensity was too strong, he instantly backed down: "No need, no need."
Si Chen, looking all gossipy: "So what exactly is the relationship between you two? Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?"
The other people in the private room also stared at them.
With faces full of gossip and curiosity.
You have to know, this is Bao Ye we’re talking about.
Bao Ye having a woman is more shocking than the Bao Family’s stock prices rising, isn’t it?
When asked this, Jiang Ruan subconsciously tightened her fingers, looking at the man in front of her.
Her eyes were full of expectation.
But then she heard Bao Ye’s cool tone: "Having such a strong curiosity isn’t a good thing."
"Have you ever heard this saying?"
Si Chen: "What?"
"Curiosity killed the cat," Bao Ye said.
Si Chen: "..."
Feng Meiling laughed radiantly like a flower: "Alright, stop being so nosy, this is Brother Bo’s private matter, does he need to report it to you?"
Si Chen pouted: "I’m just showing some concern."
Feng Meiling ignored him, turned to Jiang Ruan, smiling: "I’m Feng Meiling, you can just call me Meiling. If I said something unpleasant earlier, don’t take it to heart, okay?"
Jiang Ruan smiled and said, "I won’t."
"Meiling, you didn’t say anything bad."
Simple and straightforward.
Says it as it is, which is the type Feng Meiling likes.
At least it’s not hiding anything, composed and confident.
Also, how could Bao Ye’s taste be poor?
Si Chen and the others introduced themselves consecutively.
Jiang Ruan greeted them as well.
She remembered all their names.
Everyone got acquainted with each other.
"Shall we continue playing cards, Brother Bo?" Feng Meiling asked the man of the main seat, clearly satisfied.
Bao Ye had no objections, softly saying: "Mm."
Feng Meiling nagged at Si Chen: "Can you make it or not? If you keep losing, you’ll drain my savings. If you lose again, I’ll take over."
Without a word, Si Chen got up: "Better you take the lead."
Si Chen sighed: "My luck with cards is bad today."
They’d been playing for hours, not winning a single hand, if that’s not bad luck, what is?
Feng Meiling: "..."
Another round of mahjong started.
The sound of shuffling mahjong tiles echoed continuously.
Jiang Ruan watched Bao Ye playing mahjong. He played very swiftly, almost as if he knew the tile as soon as he touched it, exactly where to place it, and its use.
Clearly, he was a seasoned player.
Jiang Ruan found it fascinating, as this was the first time she had seen Bao Ye play mahjong.
In the past, he hadn’t brought her to such occasions.
Today, for whatever reason...
While playing mahjong, the group was chatting about political and company affairs. After listening for a while, Jiang Ruan realized that these people were all heirs from the prestigious families in Beijing.
Si Chen was from the Si family, Feng Meiling from the Feng family.
The others weren’t as famous as the Bo family or these two families, but they were also rising stars in Beijing.
Surprised, yet it all made sense to Jiang Ruan.
Indeed, those who could sit at the same table with Bao Ye couldn’t have inferior status or position.
While her thoughts wandered, she suddenly felt a man’s long and warm arm encircle her waist. Startled, Jiang Ruan looked up, right into Bao Ye’s dark eyes.
Their eyes met, and she looked like a startled little bunny, sweet and tender.
Bao Ye’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but his expression remained calm as he asked her, "Bored?"
Jiang Ruan shook her head, "Not really."
After speaking, she turned her head to see Si Chen and the others watching them with gossip-filled faces.
Jiang Ruan’s face immediately flushed. She pushed him slightly and whispered in his ear, "Let go, Bao Ye, there are so many people watching."
At such close distance, Bao Ye clearly saw her reddened ears, like a rabbit, clearly shy.
"What’s there to fear?"
Amusement flashed in his eyes as he said, "Who’s watching?"
Bao Ye glanced around at the group casually.
It was obviously a warning.
The others quickly averted their eyes.
Bao Ye was very satisfied, "No one’s watching."
Jiang Ruan said, "How is that possible?"
She didn’t believe him.
But when she turned, she indeed found no one watching them.
Jiang Ruan: "..."
Seeing Bao Ye looking at her teasingly,
Jiang Ruan bit her lip, feeling like she’d shot herself in the foot.
It made her seem like she was being overly sentimental.
But really, being openly embraced by him in public made her feel excited and thrilled.
Wasn’t this what she’d fantasized about for years?
Being public with him.
Now it had suddenly come true.
She felt like she was dreaming.
"Do you know how to play?" Holding her waist for a moment, Bao Ye turned his head to ask her, playing mahjong with one hand.
Jiang Ruan was honest, "Yes."
"But not well."
In her free time, she would play mahjong with Sister Qin and the others.
Sister Qin was also a mahjong enthusiast.
"No problem," Bao Ye said, "Just treat it as practice."
"You play instead."
Jiang Ruan widened her eyes, "Me?"
She was a bit taken aback.
Bao Ye: "Mhm."
After saying that, he pulled her up despite her protest and sat her down firmly in the main seat.
Jiang Ruan: "!!!"
Under everyone’s gaze.
She was like sitting on pins and needles.
But honestly, the seat was comfortable, soft, and warm.
He had just been sitting there.
Jiang Ruan’s cheeks were flushed.
This move instantly attracted everyone’s attention in the private room, and they all heard the conversation between the two just now.
Feng Meiling, touching her tiles, teased, "No way, Brother Bo, letting the sister-in-law play so soon?"
"Or did you win all night and plan to let us off easy?"
The two were openly displaying their affection.
Holding and hugging, just couldn’t be more intimate.
If Feng Meiling still couldn’t see that this was the golden canary Bao Ye had kept hidden, she would have wasted her years in the circle.
If not now, then when? Wait until they got married?
Whether they marry or not is another matter, sister-in-law is just a title, a bit of flattery never hurt anyone.
"Is that possible?"
Bao Ye sat beside Jiang Ruan, crossing his long legs, his shoulders lazily leaning back, and unapologetically said, "She’s playing for me."
Si Chen stoked the fire, "With stakes this high, if sister-in-law loses, don’t come crying to us, Brother Bo."
"Once the meat’s in our mouths, we won’t spit it out again, you know."