Chapter 60: I Can No Longer Hold On

On Saturday, Su Dieyi had to go to her part-time job at the taekwondo academy, leaving Li Huan alone at home, bored, when he unexpectedly received a phone call. Glancing at the screen, he saw it was Han Xue Mi, which struck him as odd—he hadn’t expected her to call.

“Hello, Mimi!” Li Huan greeted her with a mischievous smile. Every time he saw Han Xue Mi’s name, he couldn’t resist teasing her a little.

“Stop it, that name sounds awful!” Han Xue Mi complained from the other end, her voice carrying a languid, coquettish tone as if she had just woken from her afternoon nap.

“What made you think of calling me? Did something happen?” Li Huan tried not to picture Han Xue Mi’s alluring nurse outfit, barely concealing her charms, but the memory of that night, when he opened the door to see her, kept flashing before his eyes.

“You never call me, so I had to call you!” Han Xue Mi pouted, her lips rosy and inviting, like ripe cherries that would burst with sweetness at a single bite.

Li Huan could only laugh awkwardly—whenever girls acted spoiled, he never quite knew how to respond.

“Hmph! I’m angry, so you need to make it up to me by taking me singing tonight!” Han Xue Mi felt clever, proud of herself for coming up with such a perfect excuse.

Li Huan hadn’t expected Han Xue Mi to ask him to take her to sing karaoke, but since she’d already brought it up, he couldn’t refuse. Besides, she had helped him twice, so he nodded and replied, “Of course!”

“Then it’s settled—you have to bring your two friends, or else we won’t go!” Han Xue Mi quickly laid out her condition. She figured this way, Li Huan would do whatever it took to bring the other two, just to see her.

Around seven in the evening, Li Huan noticed that Su Dieyi hadn’t returned yet. He decided to prepare a meal for her, left it on the dining table, and after some hesitation, sent her a text to let her know he’d be meeting friends that night.

Stepping out, Li Huan called Li Gang and Xiao Yu. Li Gang, unattached, agreed instantly. Xiao Yu was being pestered by Pei Yao, but finally escaped by claiming he had to go to work.

At Dancing with Wolves, everyone got four days off per month. Though three people from Li Gang’s team were out at once, it wasn’t a big issue. Tonight, Sun Feifei was on duty; otherwise, the three wouldn’t have been able to skip work together for a night of fun.

Li Huan certainly wouldn’t bring the girls to a place like Dancing with Wolves; after all, they were women, and the costs there were beyond his means. However, he knew a high-end KTV with an 888-yuan package—enough drinks, snacks, and cold cuts to party all night.

The six met at Moneybox—the name of the KTV. Three men and three women walked in, instantly turning heads. The three women, especially, drew attention with their slightly provocative outfits. Han Xue Mi, more modest, wore a chiffon dress that revealed her knees, delicate floral patterns highlighting her pure and adorable personality.

The other two, however, were much bolder in their attire. The tall, striking girl was beautiful; working as a nurse at one of the top hospitals in Zhonghai City, she must have something special to secure a position with significant promotion potential.

Her name was Han Xiaowei—a graceful name. The other, chubby and adorable, was Xia Mo, born with a baby face and an irresistibly cute aura, especially her full bosom, which tempted one to reach out and grab.

Many men perked up at the sight of the three women, some eager to approach, but upon seeing Li Gang and Li Huan—both burly—they hesitated. Only one flamboyantly dressed beauty dared to come over and ask Xiao Yu for his number, which made Li Gang burn with jealousy.

They booked a medium-sized room. To Li Huan’s surprise, Han Xiaowei ordered a bottle of imported liquor. Though a bit startled, he didn’t mind; he intended to treat the girls anyway. He’d thought beer would suffice, but clearly, Han Xiaowei was even more spirited than he expected.

Among the three men, Xiao Yu was undoubtedly the most popular. Han Xiaowei and Xia Mo were clearly there for him, eager to flirt and play coy—an excitement that often arises when mutual attraction sparks between men and women.

Li Huan had Han Xue Mi by his side. Although they’d had a minor misunderstanding before, Han Xue Mi was the carefree type, lively and outgoing. Playing dice with Li Huan, they quickly became friendly, and even his harmless risqué jokes didn’t offend her.

As for Li Gang, he was the most awkward and neglected in the room. He seemed quite interested in Xia Mo, often initiating conversation and making her laugh, but his repertoire ran out quickly. After a few lame jokes, the atmosphere grew uncomfortable.

Finally, Li Huan suggested an interactive game to liven things up. Han Xue Mi didn’t handle alcohol well—after two drinks, her cheeks were rosy and charming—while Han Xiaowei was astonishingly resilient, able to handle five or six rounds without issue.

“This is boring. Let’s play the card-passing game instead!” Han Xiaowei glanced at everyone, a sly smile curling her lips as she snuck a look at Xiao Yu, immediately blushing.

Li Huan paused, exchanging glances with Li Gang and Xiao Yu. All three worked at Dancing with Wolves and knew this suggestive game well.

Xia Mo seemed to be in on it with Han Xiaowei, while Han Xue Mi, clueless, looked at Han Xiaowei in confusion. “How do you play the card game? I’ve never tried it!”

Han Xiaowei chuckled, took a sip of her drink, and explained, “This is how it’s played…”

The card-passing game was a popular flirtatious activity in nightclubs and KTVs, usually played among friends. Sometimes, men with ulterior motives would use it to get closer to a girl, though the consequence was a full glass of alcohol.

The game was simple: you hold a playing card to your lips and pass it to the next person, who must take it with their lips and continue passing it along. The implication was obvious—if the card slipped, a kiss might ensue.

If the card dropped from someone’s lips, that person had to down a glass of alcohol and the game continued. If the card slipped three times in a row with the same pair, especially if the next player was the opposite sex, the loser had to accept a penalty: kiss a friend of the same sex. If the friend refused, the loser drank and sought another; if everyone refused, the penalty was three more drinks. It allowed for up to two chances to cheat.

Han Xue Mi understood, though she thought the game was rather risqué. Still, using her lips to hold a card seemed easy enough, and the arrangement—sitting next to Xia Mo and Li Huan—was acceptable to her.

Xia Mo had originally wanted to sit behind Xiao Yu, but Han Xue Mi stubbornly dragged her away, so she reluctantly gave up. Thus, the three girls sat on one side, with Li Huan, Li Gang, and Xiao Yu opposite them.

“At least I’m not sitting next to Xiao Yu, or he’d definitely take advantage!” Li Huan breathed a sigh of relief, though he glanced at Li Gang’s mouth with distaste. Thankfully, Han Xue Mi was on the other side, which made him happy.

The first draw, Li Gang was up. Sitting in the middle, he looked at Li Huan, then Xiao Yu, and finally settled on Xiao Yu. But Xiao Yu was clearly unwilling.

“Come on, darling, catch it!” Li Gang said, holding the card to his lips and quickly leaning toward Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu barely had time to protest before Li Gang’s big face loomed in, forcing him to take the card with his lips and pass it to Han Xiaowei.

Han Xiaowei didn’t cheat on the first round; she took the card and passed it to Xia Mo, who then passed it to Han Xue Mi...

The game seemed simple—just hold the card with your lips—but in practice, it wasn’t easy. There was always a gap, so it was hard to keep suction, and once you ran out of breath, the card would easily fall.

Han Xue Mi thought it would be easy and fun, but when she opened her delicate mouth to take the card, she realized her mistake. She inhaled hard, feeling her stomach tighten, but couldn’t hold the card any longer.

“I can’t hold it!” Han Xue Mi leaned in, but the card slipped, and Li Huan suddenly felt a pair of tender, moist, soft lips press against his own, warm and sweet, like melted milk candy.

“Wow!” The group gasped in surprise. Han Xiaowei and Xia Mo, without a shred of loyalty, applauded and cheered, while Xiao Yu pouted in disgruntled disappointment.

“Oh... I didn’t mean to!” Han Xue Mi realized something was amiss—it had happened so suddenly, she hadn’t reacted before her lips landed on his. In that instant, she felt as if a current had shot through her body, the scorching heat of his lips igniting her from head to toe.