A Slap to Start With
1727 Words
The smug smile on the woman in red’s face instantly stiffened.
There was nothing more awkward than getting caught gossiping behind someone’s back—and being confronted on the spot.
She recovered quickly, plastering on a warm, sisterly smile.
“Frost! It’s been so long. You’ve been away forever—we’ve all missed you.”
Frost’s features were soft and gentle, but her gaze was anything but.
“If you missed me so much,” she asked coolly, “why didn’t you message me? Don’t have my number?”
The woman’s smile faltered.
“I… I thought you changed it.”
“If you’d actually tried, you’d know I didn’t.”
Frost looked at her steadily, making no move to let the matter go.
“You weren’t finished just now.”
“So… finish.”
The woman laughed awkwardly.
“I was just repeating what I’d heard…”
She never got to finish.
Frost stepped forward.
Smack!
The slap echoed crisply through the ballroom.
The woman screamed, clutching her burning cheek, eyes filling with panic.
“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have repeated those rumors! I’m sorry, Miss Song! Please don’t be angry—”
Frost turned to the woman in blue.
Her face had already gone pale.
“I-I didn’t say anything,” she stammered. “She was the one talking.”
Frost’s expression remained icy.
“Even a comedy routine needs a straight man.”
“You were feeding her every line a second ago.”
“And now you’re abandoning your partner?”
She slowly raised her hand again.
Both women flinched at the same time.
Instead of striking them, Frost calmly picked up a towering two-tier cream cake from a nearby table and set it down in front of them.
“Today’s my brother’s birthday.”
“I don’t want to ruin his celebration.”
“Otherwise…” she said evenly, “one slap wouldn’t have been enough.”
Her voice wasn’t loud.
Yet every word carried undeniable pressure.
“If you can’t control your mouths…”
“…keep them full.”
“You leave after you’ve finished this cake.”
Without another glance, she walked straight between them.
The twins stared blankly at the enormous cake, hardly daring to breathe.
⸻
Frost had barely taken a few steps before she felt someone watching her.
She looked up.
A man was leaning lazily against the wooden railing on the second-floor staircase.
He Tingzhou.
He looked as though he’d just woken from a nap.
The top buttons of his gray silk shirt were casually undone, revealing the effortless carelessness that somehow made his sharp features even more dangerous.
Half righteous.
Half devil.
His amused eyes made it obvious—
He’d witnessed every second of the show.
Frost paused.
“Terrifying.”
He Tingzhou spoke lazily, clearly enjoying himself.
“Should I be worried you’ll silence the witness?”
Frost didn’t regret slapping that woman.
If anything, she thought she’d gone too easy on her.
Still…
Being seen wasn’t ideal.
It made her look like a bully.
Like Shen Yu had failed to teach her properly.
“I was only treating them to some cake.”
Hands tucked inside his trouser pockets, He Tingzhou sauntered downstairs.
“So before dessert…”
“…they get an appetizer?”
“A slap first?”
“Interesting family tradition.”
He was absurdly tall.
As he passed beside her, his shadow completely enveloped her.
After hesitating for a moment, Frost turned around.
“Tingzhou.”
He stopped and looked back, lifting an eyebrow for her to continue.
This was probably her last chance.
Feixue Technology had already been cornered by Chenxing Tech.
If they partnered with Yundun under the current terms, years of hard work would practically be handed over for nothing.
If they refused…
Chenxing would seize the opportunity instead, and everything would still be lost.
Shu Yang had built Feixue from scratch.
Compared to an established giant like Chenxing, her company simply couldn’t compete financially.
She had poured nearly everything she owned into developing the liquid-hydrogen drone project.
No matter which road they chose…
Bankruptcy was waiting at the end.
Since she’d run into He Tingzhou here…
She had to try one more time.
“I know Chenxing offered Yundun a lower price,” Frost said sincerely.
“But a cheaper price doesn’t necessarily make it the better investment.”
“Feixue is willing to give Yundun priority access to all future technological developments.”
“In the long run, partnering with us would create far greater value.”
She looked directly at him.
“My senior is in a very difficult situation.”
“This cooperation means everything to her.”
“Could you… give her a chance?”
He lowered his head slightly.
The gesture looked almost gentlemanly—a tall man accommodating someone much shorter.
His voice, however, carried unmistakable amusement.
“And if I say no?”
Those dark eyes locked onto hers.
Gone was the sleepy laziness from moments before.
His gaze was sharp enough to make her feel like prey beneath an eagle’s stare.
“I…”
He interrupted.
“What?”
“Going to buy me cake too?”
“…”
Frost knew perfectly well that she had no leverage with him.
In the end…
She could only play the Shen Yu card again.
“You’re my brother’s friend.”
“Could you… do him a favor?”
He straightened, returning to that carefree, impossible-to-read demeanor.
“If you want to cash in your brother’s favor…”
“…have him come talk to me himself.”
Frost pressed her lips together.
Originally…
She’d intended to ask Shen Yu for help tonight.
Now she didn’t want to anymore.
The twins’ disgusting words still echoed in her ears.
She didn’t want anyone using her to stain Shen Yu’s reputation.
She knew…
If she asked, Shen Yu would never refuse.
She also knew…
If he stepped in, one sentence from him would solve the problem that had trapped both her and Shu Yang.
When she was little…
She had every right to hide beneath his protection.
Now she was grown.
If she couldn’t help him…
The least she could do…
…was stop relying on him.
During the few seconds she remained silent, He Tingzhou had already turned and walked away.
⸻
He strolled over to the dessert table.
Several people eagerly greeted him.
He ignored every one of them.
Pulling out a chair, he sat down casually before scanning the collection of extravagant birthday cakes.
Then…
Out of all of them…
He dragged Frost’s blueberry mousse cake in front of himself.
He picked up a polished silver fork.
Frost opened her mouth.
Not a single word had time to come out.
The fork had already sunk into her cake.
He Tingzhou leisurely scooped out a bite and ate it with the contentment of someone who had just enjoyed a satisfying nap.
Frost quietly closed her mouth again.
⸻
She hadn’t appeared in public for years.
Naturally, plenty of people rushed over to reconnect.
That was how this circle worked.
They mocked you behind your back…
Then smiled sweetly to your face.
Whether her relationship with Shen Yu was what the rumors claimed didn’t really matter.
As long as she had a connection to him…
Or, at worst…
She was still Song’s daughter.
Across the room, Shen Yu glanced over from the mahjong table.
Seeing her, he crooked a finger.
Someone immediately placed another chair beside him.
Just as Frost was about to sit—
Yue Zifeng reached over and dragged the chair toward himself.
“Little Frost, sit next to me!”
“Every time you sit beside your brother, his luck goes through the roof.”
“Come buff me instead!”
Shen Yu didn’t even look up.
“Your skills are hopeless.”
“Even a lucky charm can’t save you.”
After watching the game for two rounds, Frost had to admit…
Yue Zifeng played mahjong like he’d learned it with his feet.
Forget her.
Even the God of Fortune couldn’t rescue him.
No wonder he lost money every single time.
At least he lost consistently.
⸻
The phone lying beside Shen Yu lit up with a new message.
Frost glanced at it without paying attention.
He ignored it.
A while later, the caller rang directly.
Only then did Shen Yu pick up the phone.
As he stood, his palm landed lightly on top of Frost’s head.
“Take over for me.”
She slipped into his seat.
Her opening hand was unbelievably good—already one tile away from winning.
She had just turned over an upside-down bird tile when the man across the table looked toward the entrance.
“Tingzhou.”
“Care for a few rounds?”
Frost looked up.
Fresh from his nap.
Well fed after eating her cake.
He Tingzhou walked over and took the seat eagerly offered to him.
After glancing at his hand, he clicked his tongue.
“What terrible luck.”
The player to Frost’s left, Zuo Zhong, laughed.
“With Sister Frost sitting here, how could anyone else have good luck?”
He discarded a One Dot.
Frost reached for the next tile.
Before she could touch it—
He Tingzhou calmly picked two tiles from his rack and tossed them forward.
“Pon.”
Frost’s hand froze midair.
Whether intentionally or not…
He Tingzhou either declared a meld himself or fed tiles to Yue Zifeng.
Three full rounds passed.
Frost never got to draw a single tile.
Finally…
On the fourth round…
It was her turn.
Her lucky tile.
The Three Bamboo she’d been waiting for.
She reached toward it.
“Leave it.”
He Tingzhou’s lazy voice fell like a bucket of cold water.
“Pon.”
“…”
Even Yue Zifeng couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Seriously?”
“Isn’t Little Frost about to win?”
Inside her head, Frost silently repeated one sentence twice.
The client is king.
Right now, He Tingzhou was Shu Yang’s king… which made him hers too.
Suppressing the urge to protest, she slowly put her hand back.
“I wasn’t winning.”
He Tingzhou leaned lazily in his chair, balancing it on its back legs as he rocked back and forth.
He didn’t even bother giving her a single glance.
- Writer
