CHAPTER 3: THE GAME UNDER THE TABLE
641 Words
The crystal chandeliers in the Bach family’s dining room cast a lavish yet suffocating golden glow. Tonight’s dinner wasn’t merely a gathering; it was a formal meeting between two powerful clans to officially set the engagement date for Hoac Kinh and Bach Lien.
Kieu Yen sat at the far corner of the table, the humble spot reserved for a "parasite." Dressed in a high-collared, modest dress with her hair neatly braided and her face devoid of makeup, she was completely eclipsed by Bach Lien’s radiance.
"Young Master Hoac is truly talented for his age. Once you two are engaged, you must work together to shoulder the family legacy," Mrs. Bach chirped happily, incessantly piling food into Hoac Kinh’s bowl.
Hoac Kinh sat directly opposite Kieu Yen. Dressed in a black shirt, his usual wild aura was forced into the constraints of an elegant suit. However, his eyes never once rested on his fiancé chirping beside him. Instead, he stared fixedly at Kieu Yen—who was calmly sipping water, looking as composed as if she didn't belong to this world.
Suddenly, a cool sensation brushed against Hoac Kinh’s trousers.
He froze, the chopsticks in his hand trembling slightly. Under the table, Kieu Yen had silently slipped off her worn-out canvas shoes. Her soft, bare foot nonchalantly stretched out, beginning to crawl up his calf before stopping at his knee.
Hoac Kinh took a deep breath, his spine snapping taut like a violin string. He looked up at Kieu Yen, but she remained bowed over her plate, meticulously cutting her steak with a grace so dignified that no one could possibly suspect her.
"Kinh, what’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?" Bach Lien tilted her head, her small hand touching his arm in a pampered tone.
"It’s... it’s nothing," Hoac Kinh replied, his voice rasping.
Beneath the table, Kieu Yen’s "attack" grew bolder. Her toes began to knead gently against his inner thigh—the most sensitive area that a seventeen-year-old boy had never had anyone touch in such a manner. The sensory stimulation, coupled with the paralyzing fear of being caught right in front of both sets of parents, made Hoac Kinh’s blood boil.
His face began to flush crimson, the heat spreading from his neck to the tips of his ears. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead despite the air conditioning being at its lowest setting.
"This boy... he must be shy now that we’re talking about the big day," Mr. Hoac let out a hearty laugh, raising his wine glass. "Come, a toast to the future of these two!"
Everyone raised their glasses. Kieu Yen followed suit, and only then did her eyes flicker up, meeting Hoac Kinh’s burning gaze. It was a provocative look, filled with the arrogance of someone holding a scandalous secret.
She didn’t stop; her bare foot continued to move, rubbing against the thin fabric of his suit trousers. Hoac Kinh strained his body to the point where veins bulged on his wrists as he gripped the crystal glass. He felt like a cornered beast—craving the touch yet driven mad by her teasing.
He knew he should kick her foot away, but the instincts of a seventeen-year-old in the throes of puberty, caught in the grip of curiosity and illicit desire, left him completely paralyzed.
"Kinh, your face is so red. Do you have a fever?" Bach Lien reached out anxiously to touch his forehead.
Hoac Kinh recoiled sharply, his chair scraping loudly against the marble floor.
"I... I need to use the restroom for a moment."
With that, he stood abruptly and hurried away as if fleeing for his life. Kieu Yen smirked faintly, leisurely slipping her shoes back on under the table. She watched Hoac Kinh’s slightly unsteady retreating figure, her mind already calculating the next move.
- Writer
