The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

As dusk fell, the warm light in the hotel restaurant spread out in a soft glow.

Meng Jiangyu led Shen Qingyao downstairs, where Zhou Yanqiu and the others were sitting at a table by the window, chatting and laughing. Several exquisite appetizers were laid out on the table.

Shen Qingyao and Su Wan looked at each other and nodded in tacit agreement.

"Cousin, sister-in-law!" Zhou Yanqiu waved with a smile, his gaze sweeping over their clasped hands. He teased, "You two were clearly the first to arrive, so why are you the last to come down?"

Shen Qingyao's cheeks flushed slightly. Meng Jiangyu pulled out a chair for her and said, "He's a frivolous person, just ignore him."

Xu Mingxuan pushed the menu in front of Shen Qingyao, his eyes crinkling with a smile: "Sister-in-law, see if there's anything you'd like to eat."

"What dishes did you order?" Shen Qingyao asked, taking the menu.

"Cheese fondue, golden potato pancakes, Zurich veal, Alpine pasta, perch fillets, Graubünden dried meat, Bern platter..."

"Let's have another cherry cake!" Shen Qingyao said, looking at the menu.

Lu Linchuan clinked glasses with Meng Jiangyu familiarly and chatted about the latest project developments. Su Wan sat quietly to the side, occasionally chiming in, creating a warm yet quiet atmosphere.

The waiter brought over a steaming bowl of soup. Just as Shen Qingyao was about to drink it, Meng Jiangyu grabbed her hand and wiped it with a wet tissue.

Seeing this, Zhou Yanqiu deliberately clicked his tongue exaggeratedly twice: "Cousin, isn't this preferential treatment a bit too obvious?"

Meng Jiangyu raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of amusement: "Any objections?"

Everyone at the table laughed. Outside the window, the snow was still falling softly, and the warmth of the restaurant filled the air with the aroma of food.

Lu Linchuan casually mentioned, "My wedding date is set for the 11th of next month!"

"Why the rush!" Meng Jiangyu hadn't expected it to be so fast.

"There aren't many auspicious days in the second half of the year, and the elders are superstitious about it," Lu Linchuan explained.

Shen Qingyao glanced at Su Wan, her eyes crinkling with a smile; it seemed they were really getting married.

After dinner, the group strolled to the terrace. The night wind swirled fine snowflakes against their faces. Zhou Yanqiu wrapped his coat tighter around himself and couldn't help but exclaim, "This snow is really persistent. It stopped for a while, but it started falling again tonight."

A thin layer of snow had accumulated on the wrought iron railings of the terrace. Xu Mingxuan reached out and touched it, feeling the coolness on his fingertips.

Su Wan took out her phone from her pocket and took a picture of the snow-covered mountains in the distance.

Lu Linchuan stared blankly at the ski resort in the distance, lost in thought.

Meng Jiangyu pulled Shen Qingyao closer to him, put her hands in his coat pockets to warm them, and whispered, "It's windy, don't stand to the side."

Shen Qingyao looked up at him. His profile looked especially soft under the warm yellow light of the terrace. She couldn't help but tiptoe to brush the snow off his shoulder.

Zhou Yanqiu leaned against the railing, swirled the wine glass in his hand, and gestured with his chin towards Meng Jiangyu: "Cousin, you two are so lovey-dovey, you might as well just hold your wedding right here and now."

Upon hearing this, Xu Mingxuan also joined in the commotion.

Shen Qingyao's cheeks flushed instantly. She buried herself in Meng Jiangyu's arms and refused to look up. Meng Jiangyu chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair. His gaze swept over everyone, his eyes full of indulgent laughter: "What's the rush? It'll happen sooner or later."

The snowflakes were still falling in the night wind, and the lights on the terrace cast long shadows of several people. Laughter mingled with the rustling of falling snow.

The group laughed and joked as they walked indoors. The snowflakes they brought in as they pushed open the door landed on the warm floor and instantly turned into tiny water droplets.

The fireplace in the living room was burning brightly, the firewood crackling, and warm light spilled across the carpet, filling the room with a cozy glow.

Zhou Yanqiu pulled out a deck of cards from the corner and slammed them on the coffee table: "Truth or Dare, nobody can escape!"

Xu Mingxuan immediately joined in the commotion, and Su Wan followed Lu Linchuan to find a seat near the fireplace.

Meng Jiangyu held Shen Qingyao's hand, his fingertips still carrying the coolness of the terrace, but the warmth of her palm slowly warmed them.

He gently smoothed her wind-blown hair, then chose a sofa by the window to sit down. Shen Qingyao leaned against him, almost half of her body nestled in his arms, the crisp scent of cedar lingering around her nose.

Shen Qingyao looked at Meng Jiangyu with some confusion, "You guys actually play Truth or Dare?"

"What's wrong? Can't older people play this game?" Meng Jiangyu poured Shen Qingyao a cup of hot water.

"No, I just feel this game is too childish for you guys!"

Lu Linchuan leaned against the sofa armrest, raised an eyebrow and looked at everyone: "The old rules for playing this game. The loser has to either tell the truth or dare. It's a gentleman's game. If you can't do it, you have to punish yourself with three drinks."

The firelight from the fireplace flickered, casting smiles on everyone's faces.

Warm yellow light fell on the coffee table, and six people sat around it in a circle. The sound of shuffling cards and crackling wood in the fireplace created a lively atmosphere.

Zhou Yanqiu dealt the cards to each person, his eyes gleaming with cunning: "Friendly reminder, this is an individual game!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Mingxuan let out a wail, looking at the cards in his hand: "It's over, it's over, with this kind of luck, I'm afraid I'll lose in the very first round."

Meng Jiangyu sat next to Shen Qingyao, his arm naturally resting on the back of the sofa behind her, his fingertips occasionally brushing against the top of her head.

His hand wasn't top-tier, yet he always managed to pass cards to Shen Qingyao at just the right moment, prompting Zhou Yanqiu to protest repeatedly: "Cousin, you're being unfair! You're openly feeding cards to your sister-in-law, this game is unplayable!"

Shen Qingyao smiled, pursing her lips, "Ayu, you're not allowed to help me anymore."

Meng Jiangyu looked at Shen Qingyao gently, "Okay!" Meng Jiangyu finished playing his cards in two or three rounds.

She wasn't good at these kinds of card games to begin with, and relied entirely on Meng Jiangyu's secret help. But as the game progressed, her opponents' card strategies became increasingly tricky.

Zhou Yanqiu and Lu Linchuan worked together seamlessly, playing several consecutive straight flushes, leaving Shen Qingyao with no cards to play.

Zhou Yanqiu threw out his last bombshell, slapping the table and laughing, "Sister-in-law, you lost!"

Shen Qingyao looked at the cards in her hand, sighed helplessly, spread the cards on the table, and blushed slightly: "I admit defeat, I admit defeat."

Everyone immediately started urging, and Zhou Yanqiu's eyes lit up, his tone full of slyness: "Sister-in-law, will you choose truth or dare?"

Shen Qingyao bit her lip, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the corner of the card: "I choose truth."

Zhou Yanqiu immediately perked up, leaning forward with a gossipy glint in her eyes: "Tell me, when was the last time you felt your heart flutter? No lying, no ambiguity!"

The room fell silent instantly upon hearing this, and even the crackling of the firewood in the fireplace became clearer.

Meng Jiangyu raised an eyebrow, and everyone else turned to look at Shen Qingyao.

Shen Qingyao's face flushed bright red instantly, and she subconsciously moved closer to Meng Jiangyu.

Meng Jiangyu, who hadn't said much, gently hooked his fingertips around her fingers hanging by her side. The warm touch brought a reassuring strength to her.

He didn't speak, but turned his head away, a faint smile in his eyes, waiting for her answer.

Shen Qingyao looked up and met his gaze. Her heart skipped a beat. After hesitating for a few seconds, she confessed softly, "It was... just a few hours ago, when I was playing chess with him."

"Oh—" the crowd drew out, making a fuss. Zhou Yanqiu even slapped the table and laughed, "I knew it! Who wouldn't be moved by the focused look on my cousin's face!"

Shen Qingyao was so embarrassed that she shrank into Meng Jiangyu's arms, her voice barely audible: "His eyes were especially bright when he played chess, and the light shone on his profile... he looked really handsome."

Meng Jiangyu chuckled softly, tightened his arms around her, and whispered in her ear, his voice husky with doting affection: "So, it turns out that winning those few moves against you had this unexpected bonus."

Zhou Yanqiu's gaze immediately shifted to Meng Jiangyu, a mischievous smile playing on her lips: "Since you've come this far, you can't escape either. When was the last time you felt your heart flutter?"

Upon hearing this, even Lu Linchuan became interested, putting down his wine glass and raising an eyebrow at him.

"I haven't lost yet." Meng Jiangyu looked down at the person in his arms whose face was buried tightly in his hands, and gently ran his fingertips through the top of her hair.

"Fifth Brother, you might not lose even if you played all night. I think you're just clearly not willing to talk!" Xu Mingxuan started stirring things up. "Sister-in-law, I think Fifth Brother just wasn't interested in you this afternoon, so he's afraid to say anything!"

Shen Qingyao lifted her head from Meng Jiangyu's embrace, looking at him with bright, sparkling eyes. "So, when is it?"

Meng Jiangyu's voice was deep and carried a hint of nonchalant certainty: "When you blushed after losing two games this afternoon?"

Shen Qingyao's thoughts returned, and she couldn't help but blush.

Zhou Yanqiu pressed on, her gossip instincts kicking in completely, "Why are you blushing even after losing a game!"