Chapter 44

Chapter 44 - 44 043 Changlings Desire for Destruction and Sadism Chapter 44: 043: Changling’s Desire for Destruction and Sadism Chapter 44: 043: Changling’s Desire for Destruction and Sadism “Are you afraid of getting drunk?” she asked, handing one of the cups to Xie Shang.

Xie Shang replied, “Not afraid.”

Then Wen Changling explained the rules, which were very simple, “Whoever draws the higher number can ask the other person a question. If they refuse to answer, they must drink as many cups as the difference in points.”

The rules were simple, but the stakes were high.

Xie Shang glanced at the cup in front of him, “I have a pretty average tolerance for alcohol.”

What he meant was: with such a large cup, what is Miss Wen thinking?

Miss Wen earnestly suggested, “Then you should answer the questions seriously.”

“You’re quite the player,” Xie Shang said as he shuffled the cards, “Let’s start.”

Wen Changling courteously said, “You draw first.”

Xie Shang casually picked one and turned it over: 3.

Wen Changling drew a 5.

Xie Shang, his hand braced against the bamboo bed, leaned slightly backward.

His attitude was relaxed, with no sign of apprehension.

In his reckless youth, he felt the sky was only so high and there was nothing he wouldn’t try, nothing he wouldn’t dare to play with. There was this insane heartbeat game at the underground racing track in the west of the city where two racers would speed toward each other, and whoever braked or swerved first would lose. He had never lost in that brutal game.

As long as he dared to play, he could afford to lose.

“Ask away.”

Wen Changling’s first question was not very aggressive, “How many girlfriends have you had?”

“None.”

Xie Shang drew again. In the second round, he drew a 9, a high number.

Xie Shang asked, “Do you prefer sunny days or cloudy days?”

Wen Changling was briefly stunned, surprised by the question Xie Shang asked.

She answered, “Cloudy days.”

In the next round, Xie Shang won again.

“What color do you like?”

His second question still had no edge to it, as if he was truly just playing with her, not prying, unmotivated.

Wen Changling answered, “White.”

In the third round, she drew an 8.

Xie Shang got a 4.

“Why didn’t you become a lawyer?”

His coat had been carelessly piled on her side, but she didn’t notice and sat on it, pushing his clothing. He glanced at it but didn’t mind, “My father is a lawyer, and I learned one thing from him: it’s best not to be a lawyer if you’re a bad person.”

So far, neither of their cups had touched the wine.

Wen Changling naturally extended the conversation, “Is your father a bad person?”

Xie Shang looked at her, the moonlight shattered and melded into his eyes, “That’s the next question.”

In the next round, Wen Changling won again.

She continued with her previous question, “Is your father a bad person?”

Without hesitation, Xie Shang replied, “Yes.”

They drew cards again.

Xie Shang won the next two rounds, his questions remained as simple and casual as before.

“Cats or dogs, which do you prefer?”

“Cats.”

“Jewelry or sweets?”

“Sweets.”

Is he just curious about these things?

Wen Changling had the illusion that she was the hunter and he was the prey; as she approached him step by step with a trap in hand, he did not flee but instead lay at her feet, gently rubbing her with his leg that had been caught in the trap.

This was not like him. He was truly himself when he maneuvered strategy and dominated the gaming table at the Jhiang family.

Wen Changling drew a 10.

She asked, “Are you a bad person too?”

It was he who said it’s best not to be a lawyer if you’re a bad person.

He didn’t become a lawyer.

“Suppose so.”

The card drawing was fast, and Xie Shang, fiddling with the card he had just drawn, took his turn to ask, “What do you like to do in your spare time?”

“Nothing at all.”

Wen Changling drew a 10 for the second time—her luck tonight was very good.

“You said your father is a bad man, what bad things has he done?”

This round, Xie Shang had a very low score.

He didn’t hesitate, pouring the drink directly. Six points short, he methodically drank six cups.

Next round, Wen Changling won again. Normally docile, she showed strong aggression in this game, “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

Xie Shang was silent once more.

A moment later, he poured himself a drink, a total of four cups.

He tilted his head back and drank. The sweet wine didn’t choke as it went down. The loquat wine made by Wen Changling, like her, appeared mild and light, but one taste revealed it was a fiery, burning liquor.

He had drunk ten cups by now, and at Granny Zhu’s House, three cups of wine might be a liang. He drank without a change of color in his face, showing no sign of inebriation as the gambling game continued.

He drew cards again.

His score was higher than Wen Changling’s, he won, “What is your wish?”

What kind of question was that. The prey was still rubbing her with its injured paw, yet she didn’t retaliate.

“Evil begets evil, world peace.” This was all true, Wen Changling wasn’t lying. She genuinely wished for evil begets evil, that those who had done wrong would be punished.

“Are you alluding to me?” he had just said it himself, he was a bad man.

This question was outside of the bounds of the game since they had not drawn cards yet.

With a calm expression, Wen Changling countered, “Have you been bad enough to deserve retribution?”

She was very cunning, and Xie Shang smiled.

The next round, she won.

“If you were to fall in love with someone, to what extent would you go?”

The questions she asked were indeed difficult to answer one after another. Xie Shang sighed with a smile, “Can’t you be a little more merciful?”

He poured, drank, and put the cup down before drawing again.

He drew a 1.

It was fortunate that they were only betting on luck, otherwise, he would have died at the hands of Wen Changling tonight.

Her next question was, “Could you betray your closest kin for her?”

Xie Shang continued to pour.

The one who had been winning was now unhappy, “Xie Shang, why do you keep drinking? Don’t you have a poor alcohol tolerance? Why won’t you answer the questions properly?”

“I can’t answer,” Xie Shang was not the least bit anxious; he seemed very willing to lose. After drinking the wine, his throat had turned soft, “Miss Wen, I’ve never been in love.”

Indeed, he didn’t know to what extent he could go if he fell in love with someone. Would it drive him mad?

Probably.

After all, he could also be driven to madness by hatred for a person.

The loquat wine in the small jar was almost gone, and Wen Changling hadn’t had a single cup so far. Xie Shang’s questions were not only unsharp but could even be considered casual conversation. Whether he was being merciful or his genuine interests in questions just happened to be her most ordinary preferences wasn’t clear.

She leaned against the bamboo bed, moving closer to look.

“Xie Shang.”

“Hmm.”

“Are you drunk?”

Xie Shang looked at her with eyes that were slightly moist and red, like the peach blossoms damp with dew in early March, beautiful enough to inspire poets.

He replied softly, “Drunk.”

Wen Changling gauged the remaining wine with her eyes, which should be about five or six cups, and negotiated, “Then let’s play one last round. Whoever loses drinks it all, okay?”

Wen Changling’s “okay” seemed magical.

“Alright.”

This time, Xie Shang reshuffled the cards.

Wen Changling drew first.

In the final round, she drew a 1, Xie Shang drew a 10.

“Wen Changling.” His eyes misty, there was a scalding warmth in his gaze as he looked at her, his body leaning in towards her, “What are your standards for choosing a partner?”

Lips red, skin white, a beauty after wine was even more beautiful, easily evoking strong urges of destruction and sadism in others.

Xie Shang didn’t ask if Wen Changling was a bad person.

If he did, she would certainly tell him that yes, she was also a bad person.