Chapter 26: The Mahjong Boss
Chen Mingjie’s tone was so smug that Lin Xia, having had enough of his bragging, had no desire to listen any further. Fortunately, Tang Yinlang, who had just arrived at his grandmother’s house, sent him a message. Using the excuse of replying to the text, Lin Xia cut off Chen Mingjie’s long-winded speech about how he had agreed to Jing Ran’s proposal, prevented Jing Ran from turning to the dark side, and made a monumental contribution to world peace…
“I’m home. What about you guys?”
“We’ve arrived too,” Lin Xia replied.
“Have a great time,” Tang Yinlang sent another message.
“Thanks, you too.” Lin Xia felt their exchange was a bit too formal, but that just seemed to be Tang Yinlang’s style.
As Lin Xia cringed inwardly, he turned his head only to find a fluffy-haired head peeking at his screen.
“What are you doing?” Lin Xia laughed, pushing Chen Mingjie’s head away. In response, Chen Mingjie pretended to be gravely injured.
“Ow! My head, it hurts! Xiaxia, how could you be so cruel? Am I not your most precious baby? How could you do this to me!” Chen Mingjie, getting really into his act, clutched his head and howled dramatically in a theatrical voice.
Lin Xia just watched his performance quietly, as if he were looking at a complete idiot. Oh well, he sighed to himself, everyone has an idiot for a friend.
“Xiaxia, why aren’t you reacting at all? I’ve been acting for so long!” Seeing Lin Xia’s indifference, Chen Mingjie felt a bit awkward himself. “But I smelled something unusual in your chat. Are you two together?”
Snapping back to seriousness in a split second was Chen Mingjie’s inimitable skill. Lin Xia could never figure out how he switched gears so quickly until he saw Chen Mingjie act as meek as a rabbit in front of his brother, Chen Mingzong, only to revert to his crazy self the moment his brother turned his back. That’s when Lin Xia finally understood.
“Yeah, we got together yesterday. He confessed to me during the New Year’s countdown, and I accepted,” Lin Xia said, a sweet smile gracing his lips.
“Tsk, tsk, how romantic. Did the great CEO set off fireworks for you?” Chen Mingjie asked curiously.
“There were fireworks, but they were from the central plaza,” Lin Xia said, laughing inwardly as he watched Chen Mingjie’s face twist into a look of disdain.
“And here I thought CEO Tang would stage some grand, romantic confession like in the movies, with drones, hot air balloons, and fireworks. But there was nothing of the sort,” Chen Mingjie said with a disappointed sigh, as if he were the one being confessed to.
“I haven’t told you yet, but Yinlang bought the house next to ours and turned the yard into a playground. The baby and Xiao Cangshu absolutely love it,” Lin Xia said with a smile, unable to resist showing off a little. It was this act of buying the house and renovating the yard that made Lin Xia truly accept him and decide to be with him.
“Wow!” Chen Mingjie looked at Lin Xia, his eyes filled with an undeniable envy. “I never would have guessed. CEO Tang is really thoughtful.”
“I didn’t expect him to do that either. He’s so considerate, and he especially understands me and the baby.” Lin Xia was clearly fond of Tang Yinlang’s thoughtfulness; it was what had made him develop feelings for the man in the first place. Everything Tang Yinlang did made Lin Xia feel like he truly understood him and Bai Tuanzi, from the teething biscuits to the mini playground—they were all things Bai Tuanzi needed. From this alone, Lin Xia could see that Tang Yinlang was a very attentive person who put a lot of heart into caring for the people he valued.
“Stop chatting, you two! Come play mahjong with us!” It wasn’t even lunchtime yet, but the Chen family’s annual, unbreakable tradition was a game of mahjong.
While the two of them were talking, Father and Mother Chen had already set up the mahjong table and were now calling for Chen Mingjie and Lin Xia.
As for Chen Mingzong, no one would ask him. He disdained such pastimes, considering noble sports like golf to be the only acceptable form of entertainment. What the others didn’t know was that Chen Mingzong had a match-three game on his phone. He loved playing it and even roped Xiao Cangshu into playing with him, a little secret between the two of them.
“Coming!” The moment mahjong was mentioned, Chen Mingjie’s attention was completely diverted. He eagerly went to the table and sat down, waiting for the tiles to be shuffled.
Lin Xia also took his seat, completing the table of four. Bai Tuanzi, serving as the lucky mascot, was held in Mother Chen’s arms. Bai Tuanzi had good luck, and Mother Chen loved having him pick her tiles. Whichever one he pointed to, she would take, and it was always uncannily accurate. Thanks to Bai Tuanzi, she was the biggest winner every year.
Chen Mingzong wouldn’t deign to play, but he couldn’t resist Xiao Cangshu’s curiosity, so he brought over two stools for them to sit and watch from the side.
Jing Ran, feeling Chen Mingjie had said his piece, also brought a stool and sat next to him to watch, not forgetting to crack sunflower seeds for him—the very picture of a perfect boyfriend.
“One of Bamboo!” “Peng!” “Anyone want a White Dragon?” “Gang!”
“Pay up, pay up!” After a few rounds, Mother Chen, with her lucky charm Bai Tuanzi, had won a lot of money and was laughing wildly. She looked nothing like the chief surgeon of the central hospital, but more like a middle-aged woman who had taken advantage of others and was now showing off to everyone.
The other three players ganged up on her, but with Bai Tuanzi’s blessing, Mother Chen remained as unshakable as a mountain, her position unthreatened even by a gale-force wind.
“Awoo!” I want this one! Bai Tuanzi excitedly lifted a tender paw and pressed it onto a tile. Mother Chen, grinning from ear to ear, said, “Oh, excuse me,” while smugly picking up the tile Bai Tuanzi had chosen.
“Hu!” Mother Chen took the tile and, sure enough, she had won again. With a triumphant look, she held out her hand to collect money from the three groaning players.
“Here!” The three of them, exhausted and resentful, handed over the money, their hearts aching with an indescribable sorrow.
“Stop cracking seeds and help me,” Chen Mingjie, utterly spent, pleaded for a helping hand. He didn’t think this helper would be very reliable, though. He figured a homebody like Jing Ran had probably never played mahjong before and wouldn’t be much help.
The tiles were shuffled, and a new round began. This time, Jing Ran’s participation unexpectedly shifted the dynamics of the game. With calm composure, Jing Ran directed Chen Mingjie on which tiles to play and which to discard. Gradually, Chen Mingjie gained the upper hand.
Not to be outdone, Mother Chen deployed her ultimate weapon, Bai Tuanzi, but even he was no match for Jing Ran’s exceptional memory and calculation skills. In the showdown between the two bosses, Bai Tuanzi was narrowly defeated by Jing Ran.
It was the first time Chen Mingjie had ever won against his mother since Bai Tuanzi first appeared at the mahjong table. In his excitement, he rewarded Jing Ran with several passionate kisses in front of everyone, causing the flustered Jing Ran to nearly run away in embarrassment.
“Don’t look!” Both Xiao Cangshu and Bai Tuanzi had their eyes covered simultaneously, completely unaware of what had just happened. Doting on her grandson, Mother Chen gave Chen Mingjie a good scolding and, as punishment, forbade him from letting Jing Ran help anymore.
Chen Mingjie stuck his tongue out, flatly refusing to accept his mother’s punishment. And so, the game turned into a battle between the two boss teams, with Father Chen and Lin Xia reduced to mere cannon fodder watching from the sidelines.
Feeling mentally drained, Lin Xia sent Tang Yinlang an exhausted emoji after the mahjong game ended. Tang Yinlang quickly replied, asking him what was wrong.
“I keep losing at mahjong, I’m so unhappy!” Lin Xia whined, not even realizing he was doing it. “By the way, what are you doing?”
Tang Yinlang sent a picture of a large pile of cash.
“I’m playing mahjong too. I won a lot of rounds, but now they won’t let me play anymore. Don’t be upset. How about I give you all my winnings when I get back?”
Recommended Reads
![Those Years When the Son of Destiny Was Severely Scammed [Quick Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/QUICK-TRANSMIGRATION1-214x300.jpg)
