Because of You

Card Game

5 days before spring festival...at her apartment after she had completed packing her bags to go home. Xiao Chen was lounging in her living room, reading his script.

"Teach me the card game, Xiao Chen," Yue persuaded, passing him the cards.

He looked up and smirked. "Why do you want to learn it for?"

"To impress my brother! Or anyone I meet on the set."

Zheyuan shook his head. "I learned the game to impress girls. I can't teach it to you." Immediately he yelped when he felt his ear being pulled. "What girls? How many girls have you impressed?" Yue pouted, looking him in the eyes.

"Shen laoshi, you're the only one!"

An almost helpless Zheyuan, reached for her hands and tried to hug her but she pulled herself away and crossed her arms. "Did you do the same trick to Xu Mingjie? Wu XuanYi? Zhao Lusi?"

He couldn't help but laughed. "Are you jealous, Yue?" He hadn't seen her like this before. It was...refreshing. What if he tilt her a little bit to the edge?

"No, I'm not. Your card game is no big deal."

"But admit it. You were impressed."

"I'm sure your little jie-jie and mei-mei were bowled over by your little trick there but yours was not the first I have seen. Someone else did it before." Yue stuck her tongue out at him.

Yes, she was starting to feel a little upset. Why doesn't he wanna teach her? Who else does he want to impress?

Yuan nodded and smiled. "By the looks of it, I think I did it much better than he did. Do you really wanna learn?" He patted the space next to him and sighed. "I have one condition. You must not use this to impress boys. Other than your brother."

"Not even Wang-ge?"

"Especially Wang-ge."

"Are you jealous, Xiao Chen?"

"I can't help it. I'm a Scorpio. He seems to be spending more time with you lately."

"But he is not my boyfriend." Yue tugged at his sleeve and smiled at him. "I will tell him you taught me this trick."

Zheyuan always give in. When it comes to her. "Shuffle the cards and divide into two stacks." She did.

"Now take out one card from this stack."

She took out a card of King of hearts. He smiled. "Okay shuffle the others and divide into 2 stacks again. And take out one card."

She took out a card of Queen of hearts.

"Okay for the last round..."

"Wait this was not what you did the last time. You had 4 stacks."

"It's a different way of shuffling. Are you going to learn or not?" He sounded a little impatient.

She nodded.

"Now for the last card....I want you to think of me."

"What?" She giggled. "Is this new? Did you just create it?"

"Yes I did. Shen Yue, think of me." He smiled. She stared at him and saw the boy who played cards with her, the one who waited at home for her after her filming, the boy who moved her heart with sincerity and kindness.

"Okay."

"Pull out a card."

She pulled out a card of Ace of Hearts.

Then she saw it.

King of Hearts. ❤️
Queen of Hearts.❤️
Ace of Hearts. ❤️

She looked up at him, in awe.

"How did you do it?"

He smiled and closed the gap between them holding her shoulders.

"Magic."

She closed her eyes as she felt his lips on hers, warm and gentle. Magic, no magic, this is where she belongs. In his arms. Always.

___________

Happy Chinese New Year. I wrote this earlier but updating here now only 🙂

27.1.2023