Forced Me to Regress, Huh?

At this moment, Cheng Zhu entered the men’s restroom, leaving only Li Xinyue and Shen Qingning by the sink.

Shen Qingning didn’t even look at her. She merely looked at herself in the mirror. But Li Xinyue felt uncomfortable all over, as though every reflection in the mirror was a space that didn’t belong to her.

She had planned to wait for Cheng Zhu to come out, but for some reason, she returned to her seat angrily.

The aura was genuinely stifling.

She picked up her phone but realized she no longer had Cheng Zhu on her friends list, so she sent a text message. “What do I mean to you now?!”

Cheng Zhu, just finishing up in the restroom, replied immediately, “You’re not here.”

It took her a while to understand this response fully, and her anger instantly flared up again.

“What’s wrong, Yueyue?” Chen Rongrong immediately leaned in curiously. “Did Cheng Zhu upset you again?”

“Don’t mention him. I’m so angry! I definitely won’t reconcile with him. Even if he begs me later, it’s impossible!” Li Xinyue said.

Listening nearby, Li Rui immediately felt elated. This was exactly the result he had looked forward to!

It was as if without Cheng Zhu, he would finally have a chance with the love he had been longing for.

Chen Rongrong comforted her. “Okay. Didn’t you say it yourself? After getting together with him, it feels like you don’t like him as much anymore.”

“That’s a different matter!” Li Xinyue said.

Indeed, there were many girls in the world who became infatuated with someone to the point of pursuing them actively. But once the period of ambiguity was over and they officially got together, her enthusiasm would fade almost instantly.

When they weren’t together, she couldn’t help but like him.

But why did she suddenly feel less attracted to him after they were together?

Some of these girls might even say poetically, “I love the moon, but if the moon came running towards me, I wouldn’t love it anymore.”

Cheng Zhu had encountered quite a few girls like this, and he only thought, “Chang’e had to fly to the moon by herself. Who do you think you are?”

At this moment, Cheng Zhu returned to his seat and noticed Li Rui looking at him again.

He immediately stared back and mouthed, “What are you looking at?”

With his bad-boy face often mistaken for that of a school bully and his uninhibited temperament, Li Rui immediately looked down, pretending to drink his cocktail.

Jiang Wanzhou looked at Cheng Zhu and asked, “How is it? Your ex-girlfriend came to find you. Are you feeling soft-hearted?”

“No at all, and she probably won’t come find me again,” Cheng Zhu replied.

“What did you say to her?” Jiang Wanzhou asked, intrigued.

Slightly annoyed with his nosiness and afraid he wouldn’t stop, he said, “I told her I’m with you now.”

“Get lost!” Domineering CEO Jiang couldn’t take it anymore.

But he kept feeling that Cheng Zhu seemed to be different from before.

Could love really make men grow?

* * *

On another side, Shen Minglang was driving his Porsche Paramela, taking his sister, Shen Qingning, home.

Along the way, Shen Qingning kept chatting on WeChat, her phone buzzing non-stop.

“Who is it?” Shen Minglang frowned, worried it might be a man.

“Lin Lu,” Shen Qingning replied.

“Oh, her.” Shen Minglang knew that she was his sister’s best friend.

Lin Lu’s family conditions were good, and she was adorable and had a lively personality.

Most importantly, her voice was quite versatile. Rumor had it that the year she graduated from high school, she had worked part-time as a voice actress, earning herself some pocket money.

For someone with a voice fetish, she was a dream come true.

The first time he met Lin Lu, he had shown his interest in her in front of Shen Qingning.

But Shen Qingning said directly, “I’ve already told her that you’re a scumbag.”

Shen Minglang: “…”

At this moment, Shen Qingning was sitting in the front passenger seat, chatting with her best friend about whether Sisley toner and facial cream were worth buying.

Lin Lu was thinking about switching to a new skincare line, so she asked Shen Qingning for advice.

After chatting for a while, Lin Lu asked, “Are you still at the bar, or have you gone home?”

“On the way home.”

“Wanna video call when you get home? I’ll show you my new pajamas.”

“No, I need to remove my makeup and shower first,” Shen Qingning declined.

“You’re sleeping so early. I feel like the whole world is watching the World Cup today. Even my dad, who’s almost fifty, said he’s getting up at three to watch the finals. I’m thinking about whether to join him,” Lin Lu said.

“You just like to join in the fun.” Shen Qingning knew that Lin Lu wasn’t interested in soccer at all.

“Not really. He told me he placed a bet. If he wins, he’ll buy me a bag, so I’m feeling somewhat invested,” Lin Lu replied with another message. “Now I’m wondering if I should place a bet myself.

“Have you ever bet before? Didn’t you say your brother’s bar has been booming during the World Cup? He’s betting every day.” Lin Lu sent another message in quick succession.

“I bet 2,000 on Germany vs Argentina ending in a 0-0 draw. He insisted on placing it for me,” Shen Qingning replied honestly.

“My dad also thinks regulation time might end in a draw! But he bet on a 1-1 score. I’ll get my dad to place a bet for me too. I’ll call it my extra fee for watching the game with him. If I lose, it’s on him. If I win, it’s mine. Hehe.”

Lin Lu even sent an emoji with her hands on her hips with the caption: I’m a really clever girl.

“Up to you,” Shen Qingning replied indifferently, not having any desire to chat about soccer.

Soon, she received a voice message. When she played it, an exceptionally soft and cute voice sounded. “Sister, you’re being so impatient with me~”

Lin Lu’s voice, polished from working part-time as a voice actress, echoed in the car.

Shen Qingning found it utterly annoying, while Shen Minglang couldn’t get enough of it.

* * *

After dropping his sister off at home, Shen Minglang drove back to the bar.

He sat down beside Jiang Wanzhou and Cheng Zhu and started smoking.

Shen Qingning hated the smell of cigarettes, but Shen Minglang was quite addicted.

“Cousin, want one?” he asked Cheng Zhu.

Cheng Zhu took one and lit it using the bar’s lighter with practiced ease.

Jiang Wanzhou looked at Cheng Zhu in surprise, but he didn’t say anything in the end.

There was still time before the World Cup finals, so they started playing a dice game.

In their circle, this dice game was called Liar’s Dice.

Jiang Wanzhou had a low alcohol tolerance, so he stopped playing after losing a few rounds, leaving Cheng Zhu and Shen Minglang to face off one-on-one.

“Did you seriously just fucking call me on three 2s?” Shen Minglang was speechless after losing again. What was even more infuriating was that there was a 2 in Cheng Zhu’s own dice cup.

“I just knew you couldn’t have it. You had to be lying.” Cheng Zhu shrugged and shook his dice cup.

“Damn it, I can’t believe I’m losing to a high school graduate!” Shen Minglang was infuriated.

In the end, he lost far more than he won.

Even Li Rui could hear Shen Minglang constantly cursing.

Every time Cheng Zhu shook the dice cup, his face held the high-spirited confidence and vigor of youth combined with an extraordinary composure that belied his age. He wore an expression that said, I’ve got this in the bag.

Chen Rongrong couldn’t help but whisper, “How is it that a bar shareholder can’t beat him?”

In fact, Li Rui really wanted to emulate Cheng Zhu’s confidence, but he said sarcastically, “Xinyue, look, you can tell he’s been playing around a lot.”

Li Xinyue remained silent.

As time passed, the 2014 World Cup finals finally began.

He Wei’s commentary echoed through the bar. Needless to say, his eloquence was truly impressive!

His commentary was top-notch, showcasing remarkable empathy and a rich vocabulary.

The patrons in the bar had all been drinking, so their emotions ran high.

Every time there was a shot on goal, a commotion erupted in the bar.

After Higuain scored, someone jumped up and shouted, “Offside! The ball was offside!

“What’s he so excited about? Why is he running around celebrating? That goal doesn’t count. It’s offside!”

Shen Minglang patted Cheng Zhu’s shoulder and said, “Cousin, if that goal isn’t offside, then Argentina has scored, and your 0-0 bet is done for.”

He wanted to teach Cheng Zhu a lesson. Little Cousin, it’s fine if you bet on a score, but betting on just one score, especially 0-0, is way too risky.

Jiang Wanzhou didn’t understand soccer and was watching for the first time, yet he was extremely excited and kept asking what offside meant.

In contrast, Cheng Zhu said calmly, “But it doesn’t count.”

As the game progressed, both teams played back and forth, each with multiple chances to score, yet all attempts ended in disappointment.

Regulation time ended with the score still 0-0!

Jiang Wanzhou’s eyes widened.

“What the hell!” Boss Shen was even more shocked. Cheng Zhu actually won the 0-0 bet?

His heart was still in his throat. After all, he had bet on Germany to win.

Meanwhile, the more Li Rui watched, the more anxious he became. The tension was palpable.

After all, he had bet 12,000 on Argentina to win, but with the current state of the game, everything felt uncertain.

“Come on, Argentina, score!”

Finally, at the 113-minute mark, Germany scored the first goal!

The atmosphere in the bar surged to a fever pitch. Some people cheered, while others cursed.

Li Rui was in a daze for a moment before forcing a smile. “It’s fine, it’s fine. The game’s not over yet.”

Shen Minglang shouted, “Yes!”

From the looks of it, he was going to win money tonight. With Germany leading, his mood naturally lifted.

But then he thought again. Cheng Zhu was really awesome! With odds of 7.5 and the heaven-defying 0-0 scoreline, he actually nailed it!

Time passed, and the 2014 World Cup finals ended, with neither team scoring in the following time. Only Germany scored a goal in extra time, finalizing the score at 1-0!

Boom! The bar exploded!

Even though most people had expected this outcome in the last few minutes, humans were like that. They never gave up until the very last moment, believing there were miracles in the world.

If nothing unexpected happened, the rooftops would be packed tonight, with many gamblers lining up to jump off the buildings.

On this side, Jiang Wanzhou was shaking with joy.

On the other side, Li Rui felt like his heart was bleeding.

Including the 500 each from Li Xinyue and Chen Rongrong, he had lost 13,000 tonight! This was no small amount!

Only Cheng Zhu thought smugly, The sorrows and joys of humanity are not interconnected. I only feel they’re noisy.

Suddenly, a customer familiar with Shen Minglang shouted, “Brother Lang, you’re amazing. You bet fifty thousand on Germany being the champions. Shouldn’t you give us a discount for our tab at the bar?”

Shen Minglang stood up and scolded jokingly, “Get lost! Do you think my money comes from thin air? I won it with my own abilities!

“Still, my cousin is the awesome one!” He suddenly patted Cheng Zhu on the back, almost causing him to choke on a fruit he was munching on.

Boss Shen looked at the familiar customer and exclaimed enviously, “He bet twelve thousand on a 0-0 score! With a 7.5 payout, damn, that must feel great!”