Super Soldier in the City
Chapter 28 Almost Exposed

Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Almost Exposed

"See that, bro-in-law was amazing, he stunned them all, with each one of them wide-eyed, especially that Nine-colored Rainbow, it was so good. I can still remember the aroma of that drink now. Bro-in-law, can you make another one?"

Li Yifei had only made that simple drink, and Xu Shanshan was clearly unsatisfied.

Li Yifei shook his head and said, "We don’t have that much alcohol at home. This is already the best I could make."

"Then I’ll go buy it tomorrow." Xu Zhenguo loved good drinks and felt an itch upon hearing Xu Shanshan say this, wishing he could rush out to buy some if it weren’t so late already.

Xu Yingying immediately said, "That won’t do, Dad. You’ve already had quite a bit to drink these days. You need to limit yourself, or else it won’t be good for your health."

Xu Yingying’s mother chimed in, "Yingying is right. Alcohol is good, but it can’t be consumed excessively. Yifei, you can’t just give him drinks. This old guy doesn’t hold back when he sees good wine."

Xu Zhenguo pulled a face and said, "You two don’t need to be like this. It’s New Year’s. Surely I can drink a few more glasses?"

Li Yifei smiled and said, "Actually, alcohol can promote circulation and dispel the cold, as long as it’s consumed in moderation and with the right method. It’s not harmful to the body—can even be beneficial. Tomorrow, I’ll make Uncle two more cups of tonic wine that won’t harm him."

Xu Zhenguo burst into laughter, patting Li Yifei’s shoulder heartily. "Good kid, I like what you just said the most. See, old lady, Yifei can make me such wine, so you can’t stop me from drinking, right?"

Xu Yingying’s mother shook her head. "Yifei, I’ll leave it up to you then. It’s up to you to look after your uncle’s health."

Li Yifei quickly said, "No problem, Auntie. Don’t worry. How could I neglect Uncle’s health?"

Xu Yingying’s mother nodded. "Then it’s settled. Your uncle always wants to drink heartily when he gets a chance. If he dares to threaten you, shout for me or Yingying, and watch how we deal with him."

Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily at Li Yifei and said, "Yifei, it turns out that besides me, everyone in our house is of the fairer sex. I have no standing at all. Now that you’ve come, I wanted to get an ally, but you’ve already been bought off by them. I’m still a lone wolf."

Li Yifei also laughed and said, "Uncle, I haven’t been completely bought yet. Occasionally, I’ll be on the same line as you."

This made everyone laugh, even Xu Yingying couldn’t help but smile.

It was getting late, so everyone tidied up and went to rest. Naturally, Li Yifei still slept on the floor. Xu Yingying didn’t let him sleep on the bed today just because they had shared one yesterday.

Nothing happened that night. The next day was the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. Since Xu Yingying’s grandparents had passed, there was no one to visit, so the family gathered to play mahjong, while Xu Yingying fiddled with her computer in her room, working even during the New Year.

After playing mahjong for a while, Xu Zhenguo looked at Xu Shanshan in confusion and asked, "Shanshan, how come you’re so lucky?"

Xu Shanshan smiled smugly and said, "Of course, look who I am. I chose not to go out, and if I don’t win some money from you, it would be too much of a loss." Under the table, she lightly tapped Li Yifei’s foot with hers, showing praise.

Xu Shanshan’s mother turned to look at Li Yifei and said, "Yifei, you wouldn’t be playing tricks with Shanshan, would you? Every time she’s about to win something, you always play the right card."

Li Yifei rubbed his nose and said, "I have no choice, I guess my playing is just that bad."

Xu Zhenguo smiled while he organized the tiles. "Don’t think that using little signals will work. Now that I’m watching you, let’s see if you can still play tricks."

"Go ahead and watch. My bro-in-law and I aren’t using signals, right bro-in-law?" Xu Shanshan winked at Li Yifei with a grin.

Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Indeed, there’s no signal." What they were doing under the table wasn’t signaling—it was an overt tactic. But Xu Shanshan’s pretty and soft foot caressing his was almost too much for Li Yifei to handle. It felt like a powerful temptation, almost like an affair.

Seeing Xu Zhenguo and his wife suspicious, Li Yifei also worried they’d discover their antics under the table. He planned not to pass cards to Xu Shanshan temporarily. But after two hands without the cards she wanted, Xu Shanshan secretly stepped hard on Li Yifei’s foot. Helpless, he had to pass cards again.

After playing a bit more, Xu Zhenguo still didn’t find out how Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan were tricking them. Xu Shanshan kept winning, and Li Yifei kept playing the cards she needed.

"Go get an apple. Who wants one?" Xu Shanshan stood up, happy with her wins and feeling hungry.

"Get one for everyone, we’re all losing our tempers." Xu Zhenguo shook his head repeatedly. They had played about eight rounds of cards, and most were Xu Shanshan’s victories. He hadn’t won more than three rounds.

Li Yifei took this time to visit the bathroom. When he returned, Xu Shanshan handed him an apple, which he ate while continuing the game.

However, when Li Yifei tried to stretch his leg towards the center again, he found that Xu Zhenguo’s foot was now in the middle under the table. He couldn’t stretch his leg over. He wanted to warn Xu Shanshan, but before he could, Xu Zhenguo said with wide eyes, "Stinky girl, why are you stepping on my foot?"

Li Yifei was startled. If Xu Zhenguo and his wife found out Xu Shanshan was using her foot to communicate under the table, the prank would seem minor, but the brother-in-law and sister-in-law playing tricks together might be deemed too much.

Xu Shanshan was also startled, but laughed it off, saying, "Move your foot. I can’t stretch my leg straight, it’s uncomfortable."

"Stinky girl, you’re too picky." Xu Zhenguo had always been doting on his daughter, so he withdrew his foot without realizing her antics.

Because of this, Li Yifei dared not stretch his foot across for a while. But after a few rounds, Xu Shanshan started glaring at him secretly, so he tentatively stretched his foot again. Xu Shanshan was more careful this time, lightly tapping his foot first.

Li Yifei had to nod lightly, and Xu Shanshan’s mouth curved into a happy smile as their little scheme began again.

Until dinner, the game stopped. Xu Shanshan won big, gaining over four thousand yuan, while Li Yifei lost nearly two thousand. The rest were losses by Xu Zhenguo and his wife.

Needless to say, Xu Shanshan was overjoyed, while Xu Zhenguo and his wife, not accepting this, agreed to play again that evening.

Li Yifei cooked the meal himself, showcasing his culinary skills once again, and even made Xu Zhenguo a drink. Despite losing money, Xu Zhenguo was in high spirits.

"Hey sis, bro-in-law was miserable today, losing over two thousand." During dinner, Xu Shanshan said with a wink at Xu Yingying.

Xu Yingying smiled faintly and said, "Let him lose. Whenever we celebrate the New Year, you always manage to make a windfall."

"Thank you, thank you, but bro-in-law loses more miserably than he usually does."

"Of course, with you around, he doesn’t dare to win."

Although dinner was sumptuous, Xu Zhenguo and his wife were eager to resume their mahjong game, so they finished eating quickly. Then they set up for another round, and Xu Yingying watched for a while, keeping her family company, but soon lost interest and returned to her room.

At around eleven, Li Yifei returned to the bedroom to find Xu Yingying lying on the bed, covered with a thick robe on her upper body, her legs covered by a blanket, and a laptop placed on top.

"How much did you lose?" Xu Yingying asked blandly.

"Not much, less than five thousand." Li Yifei grinned.

"I don’t have that much cash left. Give me your account, I’ll transfer it to you."

Li Yifei chuckled. "Then I won’t be polite."

"You don’t need to be. I hired you, so I can’t let you lose money. Besides, if you don’t lose, then I’d end up losing the same amount as you. Every year Shanshan has to win something. Although she seems to have won more this year."

Li Yifei secretly laughed. With him here letting her win, Xu Shanshan couldn’t not win. Since it wasn’t his money, why not use it to buy some goodwill, and Xu Shanshan’s foot had been quite a treat all day.

After Li Yifei laid down on the floor, Xu Yingying said, "It seems like Shanshan hasn’t tested you today, right?"

Li Yifei replied, "She was too busy winning to have time to test me."

Xu Yingying shook her head. "That can’t be right. She’s usually quite sharp. How could she trust you’re my boyfriend so easily? At first, she tested you. But these past few days, she seems convinced. I find it a bit unreal."

Li Yifei stretched and said, "Isn’t it simple? In her mind, you shouldn’t be a random person, right?"

"Obviously not."

"Then there you have it. You, a non-random person, sharing a room with me and even sleeping on the same bed at your grandfather’s house. How could she doubt our relationship?"

"Hope you forget about this. Never mention it in front of outsiders again," Xu Yingying said coldly with an authoritative tone.

"You brought it up first, alright? Now you blame me. I’ll be working under you as my boss, so I wouldn’t dare gossip unless I plan to quit."

"That would be best."

Xu Yingying said coolly, realizing that organizing a job for Li Yifei had some effect. At least it could close his mouth; otherwise, if he babbled indiscriminately, her reputation as a boss could be ruined within the company.