How can I justify myself as a Magnate if I don't indulge myself?

Chapter 18 - 18 Loving Her the Same as Loving You

"Sixteen points! It’s your turn, call it out quickly!"

Lin Jiayun, who had already downed five or six drinks, sported a reddish flush on her face. Due to drinking too aggressively, her stomach had started to feel uneasy...

But an upset stomach was the least of her worries, for her heart felt even worse...

Who could have imagined that she would play dice with a newbie and not win a single round, but rather lose five or six rounds in a row?

Though playing big or small didn’t require much skill, she had been playing dice for so many years and had somewhat mastered the technique of rolling dice. Even the lowest score she rolled was ten points...

But it was useless...

Gu Heng almost always outscored her in every round...

Moreover, Gu Heng never mentioned truth or dare, only insisting she drink...

If it wasn’t for his clumsy dice-rolling technique and sincere eyes, Lin Jiayun would really suspect he was some nightclub veteran pretending to be a noob to trick her...

As expected...

When Gu Heng lifted the dice cup, the shining triplet of sixes was like a flash of light stabbing Lin Jiayun’s eyes.

Seeing Lin Jiayun staring blankly at the dice cup, even Gu Heng felt a bit embarrassed...

He swore he had just shaken it casually, but... it seemed like the system had activated and changed his luck?

"No way! You must have cheated! How could you win every time, sob~ Are you deliberately picking on me?"

Lin Jiayun started to play the blame game...

It wasn’t fair to blame her for cheating...

After all, she had already drunk so much; although the cups weren’t big, adding up to about three bottles in volume, she wasn’t a drinker strong enough to withstand such fierce drinking. It wouldn’t be good if she passed out before digging any information out of him...

And besides, she was a girl...

Playing the blame game was their privilege...

Especially a delicate and soft girl like Lin Jiayun...

When Lin Jiayun snuggled close to Gu Heng, a mixture of sweat and perfume reached his nose, making Gu Heng, who initially wanted to deny her firmly like a true man of steel, soften his heart instantly...

Indeed, people like me are hard in arguments but soft in everything else...

After finding an excuse to cover up his susceptibility to beauty, Gu Heng compromised...

"Okay, okay, I cheated. You don’t have to drink this one, alright?"

Upon hearing Gu Heng’s words, Lin Jiayun first flashed a sweet smile, then quickly added, "That won’t do!"

"?"

"Cheating should have a penalty! In mahjong, false declarations have to compensate all players."

"???"

There was a penalty? This lady was being a bit excessive, dodging drinks was one thing, but she better not expect him to drink instead?

But before Gu Heng could refuse, Lin Jiayun cleverly announced her so-called penalty.

"We’re playing truth or dare, aren’t we? So choose one: truth or dare?"

Gu Heng thought since he had won so many rounds, he might as well let her have some fun, so without making a fuss, he nodded and said, "Then truth."

"Great!"

Gu Heng’s choice was exactly what Lin Jiayun hoped for, and it thrilled her slightly.

Although she already had an answer in mind, she still cutely tilted her head at Gu Heng, pretending to be deep in thought...

A few seconds later, Lin Jiayun snapped her fingers: "Got it!"

"Hmm?"

"Do you like Jingjing? You must tell the truth, no lies allowed."

Though what she most wanted to probe was Gu Heng’s wallet, directly addressing it from the start would seem too utilitarian and might annoy Gu Heng.

This truth question was just right, considering that He Jing and he had known each other for two years, they must have built some emotional foundation, right? If Gu Heng truly liked He Jing, then she would have to consider how to make him fall for someone else...

As for the unwritten rule that you shouldn’t covet a friend’s partner, that just wasn’t going to happen to her, okay?

If Gu Heng truly was of a superior quality, then even if he was He Jing’s official boyfriend, she would still try to lure him away, let alone that they weren’t actually dating.

When Gu Heng heard the question, his eyes drifted towards He Jing, who was happily playing rock-paper-scissors with Xiao Lan not far away...

The dim festive lights illuminated her delicate features, making them appear both hidden and visible. Her originally sleek hair had become disheveled due to the large movements from playing rock-paper-scissors; sensing something, He Jing who was enjoying herself, suddenly looked up and their eyes met momentarily...

But the eye contact didn’t last long, and Gu Heng quickly looked away.

Lin Jiayun, seeing Gu Heng hadn’t answered for so long, couldn’t help but say, "If you don’t want to answer, you can drink, but you have to down three cups."

"What’s there not to want to answer? I like her, yes."

Upon hearing this answer, Lin Jiayun forcefully suppressed the urge to twist her face into a frown...

She had indeed gotten the answer she least wanted to hear.

"Continue!"

After speaking, Lin Jiayun directly shook the dice cup in her hand.

When she saw that the total of the three dice was only six, she felt like dying...

But Gu Heng’s luck seemed to have run out too, as he lifted the cup to reveal three ones, the triplets lying quietly on the table...

Lin Jiayun’s eyes lit up instantly, and she quickly said, "Truth!"

"Ask away."

"How much do you like Jingjing?"

"You seem to be quite interested in this gossip, huh?"

"Humph! Of course, I’m Jingjing’s best girlfriend, and now that someone likes her, I naturally have to check them out."

Lin Jiayun could speak such conscience-betraying words without the slightest blush...

"Hurry up and tell!"

Not only was she urging him with her words, but her heart was also in knots...

She definitely didn’t want to hear answers like "the girl I’ve liked the most in over twenty years" or "the only one for me"...

Although she liked true love, she only liked it when it was directed at her...

If Gu Heng really was some true love war god, how difficult would it be for her to make him fall for someone else? She just wanted to find a rich boyfriend; should it really be this difficult?

But Gu Heng’s next answer made her both satisfied and dissatisfied...

Gu Heng picked up the wine on the table, moistened his lips, and slowly said, "If you ask me how much I like her, I can’t really say, but I can make a comparison for you."

"What comparison?"

"The same as how much I like you."

Lin Jiayun: "What do you mean???"

Shrugging his shoulders, Gu Heng casually said, "Just what it literally means, I like her the same as I like you.

And it’s not just you two, I feel the same about Xiao Lan, and also the two prettiest anchors from our company’s streaming department, Xiaoru and Xu Siyu."

With that explanation, Lin Jiayun understood.

"So you’re just lecherous, right? That’s not liking."

Gu Heng spread his hands, curled his lips, and said with an open face, "I never said I wasn’t lecherous, but for a man, isn’t being lecherous the same as liking?"

Lin Jiayun mimicked He Jing and rolled her eyes dramatically, theatrically spitting out a "Ptooey! Jingjing was right, you are just a jerk!

But at least you’re an honest jerk, much better than those who want to cheat and yet try to set up a facade of being deeply in love."

"So are you complimenting me now?"

"It depends on how you take it~"

Gu Heng’s answer allowed Lin Jiayun, who had been somewhat afraid that he was a true love war god, to feel reassured...

But at the same time, a new problem arose...

In the dating world, there’s a saying that it’s not the jerkiness of men you should fear, but men who understand their jerkiness...

If Gu Heng was the kind of jerk who played both sides, there would always be a vulnerability for her to exploit...

But from Gu Heng’s recent behavior, it was clear he wasn’t like that...

Men who are jerks in a very clear way have one trait.

That is treating women who meet their standards equally, liking anyone just the same, but similarly, able to stop liking anyone just as quickly; what I can give you one moment, I can give to someone else the next...

Such men...

It’s easy for women to be deceived by them...

But conversely...

They can also easily kick you far away...