Chapter 25: Won, But Also Lost

The tactic of provoking was always effective with Monica.
She looked at the card game, unwilling but hesitant. She felt humiliated that she had actually retreated during the confrontation with Steven.
AndHer her hesitation was because she actually believed that Steven would win, and she was destined to swallow the bitter fruit of defeat.
How was this possible?
When did she start trusting Steven so much?
Monica found her sudden thoughts ridiculous, but upon further reflection, she realized that she might be like other people, easily swayed by Steven's confident tone, and therefore trapped in her own emotions during this intense confrontation.
She weakened a bit in momentum.
Perhaps, he was just putting on an act, trying to save face?
She gritted her teeth: "Alright, let's bet, but let's make it clear, you can't..."
"There's nothing that can't be done." Steven interrupted her, "I won't discuss any conditions."
Their conversation was hushed, and the onlookers simply thought they were whispering intimately, considerately giving them some space.
"If you want to play, play thoroughly." He glanced at her, "If you're afraid, then don't bet."
His gaze was too aggressive when it met hers, Monica always felt that those eyes wanted to devour her completely.
Monica couldn't back down, still being stubborn: "Aren't you afraid of losing and then being humiliated and tortured by me?"
"I'm not afraid, after all, I'm willing to accept losing." He said calmly.
He was so straightforward, but she was hesitant, wouldn't it become a joke if it got out?
And if he really lost, he would willingly let her handle it. This condition was really tempting, meaning that Monica could make Steven do whatever she wanted, even if he felt wronged.
There were so many variables in a card game, who could guarantee that they would definitely win?
Monica turned her head and glanced at the other three opponents, her palms were sweaty, she made up her mind and spoke fiercely: "No cheating allowed."
She just didn't believe that he could really win.
Steven chuckled lightly: "Rest assured."
Monica had never really paid much attention to how Steven played cards before.
Occasionally, when he played with Eric and them, she was more concerned about the outcome, never like today, watching his every move with intense focus.
He looked at the card game seriously, his expression extremely calm, so calm that you couldn't see any emotions on his face, and it was even harder to guess whether his hand was good or bad.
In the psychological battle of gambling, he undoubtedly had the upper hand.
Monica glanced at the state of the game on the table, then leaned over to take a look at the cards in Steven's hand, still feeling uncertain.
She scratched his waist to try to distract him, but he caught her finger and whispered, "Is this against the rules?"
Monica retorted, "It's not written in the contract. Who made you not confirm it?"
It was the lesson he taught her at the Ban Shan Hotel last time.
"Baby is getting smarter."
He curved his lips, not in a hurry, one hand holding the cards resting on the edge of the table, while the other slipped under the tablecloth, lifting her skirt and caressing her thigh.
Monica was startled and immediately grabbed his hand, not allowing him to move an inch.
He didn't insist, just withdrew his hand, as if telling her that if she disturbed him, he would also retaliate.
Looking at his calm expression, Monica became even more irritated.
While Steven was confidently and intimately touching her, the expressions of the other three became more and more serious, and the atmosphere at the table became tense.
After fooling around for a while, she finally settled her mood, refocused her attention to watch, only to find that the situation on the table had already begun to favor Steven.
She was incredulous, still remembering how the situation was evenly matched just a moment ago, and suddenly everything changed.
The game was intense, and the crowd watching was silent, creating a heavy atmosphere that enveloped them. Monica couldn't help but feel nervous, focusing her full attention on this showdown.
Time slowly passed, and after Steven played his cards once again, the man who had been relentlessly biting him seemed unable to keep up anymore and gritted his teeth, saying, "I fold."
At this moment, a hint of expression finally appeared on Steven's flawlessly composed face. He raised an eyebrow lightly, discarded his final card, and said calmly, "I concede."
He actually won.
Cheers and applause thundered from the spectators, creating a surge of enthusiasm that left Monica somewhat bewildered. She never expected that he would truly win it all back in just one round.
Everyone showered him with praise and admiration, but Steven turned his gaze towards her, smiling, and asked, "Are you happy now that I've won?"
It felt as if everything he had done was simply to make her smile.
All the chips were pushed in front of Monica, piled up like a small mountain on the table. Even though this money meant nothing to her, she inexplicably felt a great sense of satisfaction.
After losing many rounds, she finally got to see the unsatisfied expressions on others' faces, which made her feel triumphant.
Her heart raced a bit as she nodded and slightly lifted the corners of her lips, saying, "I'm happy."
"Good to know you're happy." Steven was in a good mood and lightly said something that brought her back to reality, hinting, "I'm happy too, not because I won the game, but because I won our bet."
Monica understood the implication in his words and snapped out of her joy from winning the game. Her smile froze on her lips.
With the game over, the poolside meal was ready, and everyone jokingly walked out. It was a bit chilly outside, and Steven was about to get up and fetch her jacket, but Monica grabbed him, glaring at him before hurrying to get it herself.
It was obvious that she was sulking because she disliked losing and didn't want to pay him any attention.
Someone noticed, although they didn't know the reason, and teased, "Mr. Wright had such a great victory just now, but now it seems like the lady is not appreciating it."
Steven wasn't annoyed and his gaze continued to follow Monica's figure, but he didn't say anything.
That person, giving Monica the jacket directly and walking beside Steven, handed him a cigarette and sighed, "She's beautiful, but her temperament is too delicate. Mr. Wright, don't you ever find it tiresome?"
Most people in their circle had a multitude of women around them, and they saw Monica as a beautiful young woman who was sometimes spoiled and assumed Steven had taken her as a temporary lover on a whim, indulging her and eventually getting tired of her.
After all, in their line of work, the pressure was immense, and wasn't it natural for them to choose someone who was understanding and accommodating?
Steven politely declined, "She doesn't like it when I smoke."
Then, he calmly replied, "Having a delicate temperament isn't a bad thing. It's quite cute, and I like it. I hope Mr. Li will be mindful of his choice of words in the future. I'm a petty person, and I don't like hearing someone speak ill of her."
Suddenly, a chill descended upon the scene.
The man was taken aback by the tone and realized that his casual assessment of Monica had upset Steven.
He immediately tried to apologize, but Steven did not give him the chance. Instead, he followed Monica's lead and walked away from the room.
The man stood still, feeling somewhat dumbfounded and annoyed, and ran his hand through his hair.
The group had a barbeque by the pool and enjoyed themselves with laughter and conversation. As it neared its end, a few people pushed a small cart with a three-layered cake, singing a birthday song as they walked.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the birthday boy closed his eyes and made a wish. Then he blew out the candles and said with a smile, "With so many people, let's just let everyone serve themselves the cake."
"Such a good cake, it's a shame to eat it," someone shouted, and then a hand emerged from the crowd and grabbed a bit of cream, smearing it on the birthday boy's face.
Like a lit fuse, it instantly ignited a boisterous celebration.
A group of adults, childish in this particular matter.
No one thought about eating the cake. Instead, they used the cream as weapons and smeared it on the faces of those around them.
Monica detested this kind of scene. She didn't want to end up dirty and sticky. SoSo, she turned and walked away from the crowd, not expecting them to be so crazy. In her haste, her cheek had been accidentally brushed by someone.
She wiped it with a tissue, but the more she wiped, the more it spread. She was getting anxious, so she could only go find Steven. After all, he was the only person she was familiar with here.
Steven hadn't participated in this crazy mischief. Instead, he leaned against a corner by himself. When he saw Monica rushing towards him, he thought she was going to throw cream at him. He didn't react on his face and prepared to dodge.
Unexpectedly, Monica just rushed over and handed him the tissue, saying, "Quick, help me clean it up."
She always paid attention to her appearance and couldn't tolerate having her face covered in cream at an occasion like this.
Steven took the tissue and looked down, carefully examining the cheek she presented. Then he spoke, "The tissue might not clean it all up."
She widened her eyes, "Then tell me where the restroom is so I can wash it off-"
Before she finished speaking, Steven lowered his head and pressed his lips against her cheek.
There wasn't much cream on Monica's cheek, and he had already licked it all off with two strokes. However, Steven never let go of an opportunity.
He pulled her into his embrace, softly kissing and licking her skin, his tongue slowly teasing, filled with sensual intent.
Monica's face burned, and the fingertips gripping his arms tightened. But her feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, unable to move. She could only let her breathing become rapid.
The ambiguous tease quickly came to an end as Steven lightly kissed the corner of her lips and whispered in her ear, "So sweet."
It was unclear whether he was talking about the cake or about her.
Only then did Monica regain some rationality and pushed him away in a panic, using her sleeve to vigorously wipe her own cheek. She accused him with a pretense of anger, "You pervert!"
Steven stood leisurely with one hand in his pants pocket, looking at her calmly. His gaze was so honest that one could not tell he had just done something embarrassing.
"Alright, we should say goodbye now." When Monica turned around, embarrassed, Steven reached out and stopped her.
"Are we leaving?" she asked, a bit confused. "But I just heard them say there would be activities after dinner."
"We won't be participating in what's happening after this." Steven gave a firm response.
"Oh," Monica thought he had something to do, after all, she had only come along with him, so it wouldn't be appropriate to say anything else.
The cheers from a distance were quite lively. Holding her hand, Steven's deep voice in the night was tinged with ambiguity:
"Let them enjoy themselves. We'll go back and take care of our own business."
**Chapter 26 Disposition**