No Substitutes for the Bigshots' Dream Girl Anymore!-Chapter 49: Fighting Spirit
Arnold Simmons hadn’t expected that his offhand comment would stick with the little lady for so long. He found himself simultaneously exasperated and amused, "Look at those people praising you, they haven’t even seen your face yet. Do you really think they’re sincere?"
Hannah wondered if Arnold had a grudge against her.
Every time she was happy, he would come over and rain on her parade.
"Mr. Simmons, don’t you find yourself annoying?" Hannah retorted, echoing the words Arnold had previously thrown at her.
Arnold was taken aback for a moment, then mimicked Hannah’s tone to reply, "Nobody thinks they’re annoying."
Hannah glared at Arnold and fell silent. She took the solid hand he had dealt and deliberately broke it apart card by card.
Her approach to gameplay was so painful to watch that it would make any onlooker wince.
There was no way to take over the game. All they could do was helplessly watch as she recklessly squandered the tens of thousands the Second Young Master Simmons had won for them.
They wanted to cry but couldn’t.
Knowing he had offended her, Arnold did not intervene, merely sat to one side and watched Hannah carry on with her shenanigans.
The pair shamelessly flirted and bickered at the expense of the spectators.
From the card table, they moved to the mahjong table in the next room. Hannah was no longer constrained like earlier, playing without hiding her skills.
When Oliver Taylor absent-mindedly looked up, he caught sight of Hannah’s face in the light, and everything became clear.
He thought to himself, indeed, Second Young Master Simmons acts swiftly.
Following that, Hannah demonstrated to them what a terrible run of luck she had.
The chances of winning could be counted on one hand.
Eventually, Oliver couldn’t stand it any longer. If they continued winning like this, he feared the guests would have heart attacks. He had no choice but to try and stop Hannah, "Young lady, perhaps you should call it a night?"
"Why should I stop?" Hannah tossed out a little chick tile, "I’m just getting started. Don’t hold back."
Oliver and the others were close to tears. All they could do was cast pleading looks at Arnold who was sitting off to the side.
Arnold held his wine glass, took neither a sip nor said a word. Only when he saw Oliver look over did he say, "Let her play, don’t go easy on her."
Oliver: "..."
Dear, dear Second Young Master Simmons, don’t you see that it’s not just a matter of going easy anymore?
They’re embarrassed by their own winnings, fearing the young lady would burst into tears and Second Young Master’s protective instincts would kick in, ultimately leaving them to suffer. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
Perhaps it was due to the strong belief of the many present, Arnold walked up to Hannah and said, "If you lose, make sure you don’t cry about it."
Hannah replied, "I certainly won’t."
Arnold softly laughed. His long, lowered eyelashes cast a shadow onto his peach-blossom eyes. He examined Hannah’s tiles with a focused gaze, then pointed at a "two-bamboo" tile next to her hand, "Discard this one."
Hannah stared at him, then pursed her lips. She seemed a little annoyed that she was being coached from the sidelines. However, after seeing the others winning so much money, she followed his advice.
After a few rounds, she proudly unveiled her winning hand with a grin. She turned to the man by her side overflowing with joy, "I won!"
Arnold sat there, clearly sober, but the corners of his eyes appeared faintly flushed as if drunk with wine. His naturally relaxed peach blossom eyes and his arrogant, aloof demeanor made him seem distant.
He looked like a born emperor, with his delicately soft features striking a perfect balance between laziness and a hint of danger, like the most bewitching flower that blooms in hell, feeding on fresh blood. His inherent arrogance only showed itself inadvertently in his movements.
He looked at the smile on the young lady’s face, the corners of his mouth turned up in an imperceptible smile.
