The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

When the door to Nuanyu Pavilion was pushed open, the laughter and conversation inside paused slightly.

Meng Jiangyu led Shen Qingyao in. The warmth of the air conditioning, along with a faint fragrance, wafted over them. Shen Qingyao subconsciously moved closer to him, her eyes glancing around the room out of the corner of her eye.

Several well-dressed men sat around a rosewood table, their eyes all fixed on her, their gazes filled with a hint of inquiry, but without any impolite scrutiny.

"Let me introduce you, Shen Qingyao." Meng Jiangyu's voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the hall. He then pointed to the people present, "Lu Linchuan, Lu Linfeng, Zhou Yanqiu, Tang Yu, Xu Mingxuan."

Shen Qingyao nodded and greeted everyone in a soft, gentle voice: "Hello, everyone."

Today she wore a beige cashmere dress with Meng Jiangyu's black coat over it. A small section of her slender neck was visible at the neckline, and her cheeks were flushed with a faint pink from her earlier movements. Her eyes were as clear as mountain spring water.

Xu Mingxuan was the first to whistle, nudging Lu Linfeng beside him with his elbow: "Well done, Fifth Brother, you've kept it well hidden."

Lu Linchuan stood up, a gentle smile on his face, and gestured to the empty seat beside him: "Please sit down. I just had some sweet soup made, would you like to try some?"

When his gaze fell on Shen Qingyao, it was with goodwill, which made her relax a lot.

Not long after she sat down, soft footsteps came from outside, and Fang Shuning followed Mu Feng in.

She was wearing a light pink cheongsam, her long hair loosely tied up, exuding a gentle and refined air. When she saw Shen Qingyao, her eyes lit up, and she took the initiative to walk over: "Hello, I'm Fang Shuning."

Shen Qingyao was surprised to meet someone of the same sex here, and immediately felt much more at ease, smiling as she replied, "Hello, Sister Fang."

The two girls huddled together and started talking, which livened up the atmosphere in the hall.

Zhou Yanqiu, holding a wine glass, leaned close to Meng Jiangyu and teased in a low voice, "You hid it so well."

Meng Jiangyu ignored him, but his gaze remained fixed on Shen Qingyao.

She was listening intently to Fang Shuning recount the interesting stories of the manor, a slight smile curving her lips. Sunlight streamed through the glass window, falling on her hair and gilding it with a soft golden edge.

Zhou Yanqiu took a sip of wine and looked at the scene, suddenly exclaiming, "So this is what it looks like when an iron tree blooms. It's so sour it'll make your teeth fall out."

Lu Linfeng chuckled, but he had to admit that Meng Jiangyu's gaze towards Shen Qingyao was gentler than he had ever seen before, like spring snow melting on a frozen lake, and even his aura softened.

Xu Mingxuan didn't join in their teasing and quietly drank her tea, but she was worried that her older sister would be upset if she found out.

Shen Qingyao was chatting happily when she suddenly felt a burning gaze. She turned her head and met Meng Jiangyu's eyes. He was looking at her, his eyes filled with starlight.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she winked at him secretly, like a kitten that had just stolen a piece of candy.

Meng Jiangyu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He picked up his teacup and took a sip as if to cover up his feelings. The bitterness of the tea could not suppress the sweetness in his heart.

It turns out that introducing her to these people and watching her integrate into my circle gives me such a reassuring feeling.

Just like a drifting ship that has finally found a harbor, even the wind has become gentle.

The snow outside Nuanyu Pavilion had stopped sometime earlier, and moonlight peeked out from the clouds, shining through the glass windows and illuminating the ground, making Nuanyu Pavilion appear a bright white.

Laughter filled the hall, and the clinking of glasses carried the warmth of this winter night.

As they were chatting, Shen Qingyao's stomach suddenly growled twice, which Fang Shuning heard very clearly.

She blushed and covered her stomach. Fang Shuning smiled and patted her hand, "Looks like you're hungry. The resort's restaurant has barbecue tonight, want to try it?"

Shen Qingyao's eyes lit up and she immediately nodded.

Fang Shuning smiled and said, "Let's go find something to eat, you guys chat."

Meng Jiangyu told Shen Qingyao, "Don't drink anything cold. Call me if anything happens."

As they stepped out of the Warm Jade Pavilion, a cool night breeze blew by, but it couldn't dampen their spirits.

The palace lanterns on the bluestone path shone warmly, and looking up, the waning moon hung in the dark blue sky, casting long shadows of the two people in its gentle light.

The restaurant was warm and inviting, with the aroma of roasted meat filling the air.

The two chose a window seat, where they could see a snow-covered landscape and a waning moon.

The waiter quickly brought over fresh ingredients. The pork belly sizzled on the grill, and tiny flames rose as the fat dripped off, making the aroma even stronger.

"I'm not really a drinker, but I'm in a good mood today, want to have a drink with me?" Fang Shuning picked out a bottle of fruit wine from the wine cabinet. It had a high alcohol content and the bottle was decorated with delicate patterns. It looked sweet and refreshing.

Shen Qingyao smiled and nodded, "Okay!"

The fruit wine, poured into a glass, has a pale amber color. Taking a sip, you can taste the sweet aroma of lychee, but the wine flavor is barely perceptible.

The two chatted as they grilled meat, discussing everything from their favorite perfumes to the TV shows they were currently watching, and found themselves instantly kindred spirits.

"You have no idea how surprised we were when we first saw Mr. Meng bring a girl with him."

Fang Shuning picked up a piece of grilled beef tongue for her.

As Shen Qingyao chewed on the ox tongue, she thought of Meng Jiangyu and smiled sweetly: "He said I was his first love."

Fang Shuning looked at the light in her eyes, picked up her glass, and said, "We must cherish this. Come, let's toast to this rare缘分 (fate/destiny)."

"Cheers!"

The glasses clinked together softly, making a crisp sound.

Moonlight streamed through the window and fell on the rim of the glass, making the wine sparkle.

"I'm curious how you two met?"

"It all started at Lingyin Temple, when he fell in love with me at first sight; then on the first day of school, he came to our school and asked someone to help me out of a predicament; and later, at a gathering organized by Yanqiu, where I was working part-time as a bartender, we started to cross paths."

"This is so wonderful!"

"Yeah, I always thought I was just ordinary, not noticeable at all in a crowd, until I met him."

"To each their own!"

"Yes, that's exactly right!"

The two chatted and laughed, and before they knew it, they had drunk more than a dozen bottles. Their cheeks were flushed with a light blush, like the marks left by the moonlight.

The aroma of roasted meat mingled with the sweetness of fruit wine, making the night exceptionally gentle.

Looking at the smile in Fang Shuning's eyes, Shen Qingyao suddenly realized how lucky it was to meet someone she clicked with on a night like this.

Like this crescent moon, it is not always full, but it always brings joy to people unexpectedly.

The conversation in Nuanyu Pavilion gradually turned to Texas Hold'em.

Xu Mingxuan, itching to play, urged everyone to join a game of cards. "Fifth Brother, want to play a couple of rounds? Don't just sit there like a wooden stake."

Meng Jiangyu wasn't particularly interested. He tapped the table with his fingertips, glanced at the direction Shen Qingyao and Fang Shuning had left, and replied indifferently, "Okay."

The atmosphere immediately became tense as soon as the card table was set up.

Meng Jiangyu sat in the main seat, his back straight, his expression indifferent like that of an outsider.

Dealing cards, looking at cards, raising bets—the movements were fluid and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

He always seemed to have a precise grasp of his opponents' mentality, as if they were transparent to him.

In a crucial hand, Tang Yu, clutching a pair of Aces, confidently pushed his chips forward: "All in!"

He thought victory was assured, and his eyes were full of smugness.

Zhou Yanqiu frowned and folded his card.

Lu Linchuan pondered for a moment and then shook his head.

All eyes were on Meng Jiangyu.

He slowly lifted a corner of his hole card: the King of Spades. There were already two Kings on the table, making a set of three.

"Call." Meng Jiangyu's voice was flat as he pushed out all the chips in front of him.

Xu Mingxuan's face instantly fell, and he slammed the cards on the table: "This is weird! Is your luck blessed?"

Meng Jiangyu didn't respond, but simply had the waiter collect the chips.

In the following rounds, Meng Jiangyu seemed to have gained supernatural insight, either folding accurately to avoid traps or decisively raising to force his opponents to back down. After several rounds, the chips in front of him piled up like a small mountain.

Lu Linfeng, a cigarette dangling from his lips, glanced at the chips in front of Meng Jiangyu and clicked his tongue, "So, we're here to give you money?"

Zhou Yanqiu shook his head with a smile: "He didn't rely on luck; he clearly anticipated our thoughts."

Meng Jiangyu finally raised his eyes and pushed aside the chips he had won in the last round: "That's enough."

He glanced at his watch, then stood up naturally. "You guys have fun, Lin Chuan and I are going to the restaurant."

The crowd looked at his retreating figure, which showed no sign of lingering, and exchanged bewildered glances.

Despite winning the entire match, he showed no sign of pride; he was still the same unpredictable Meng Jiangyu.

Lu Linchuan put down his teacup and followed Meng Jiangyu toward the restaurant, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

This clearly shows that someone is thinking about another person, and even staying for one more second feels like an eternity.