The game went on. Any "unrelated" matters had to be set aside—for now. Shu Yuxin sighed inwardly. She had no choice but to deal with this bunch.

Cards for the next round were dealt swiftly. Everyone glanced at their hands, then laid them down with nervous excitement.

Lao Mei scanned all the cards, frowned slightly, thought for two seconds, then slapped his palm. “Oops—I lost this round. Hehe, fair enough… Wait, who won again?”

“Me.” Shu Yuxin raised her cards.

Lao Mei froze.

Fu Bai immediately burst into gleeful laughter. “Oh, Lao Mei! Instant karma! Serves you right for asking for it!”

Lao Mei scratched his head and tossed his cards. “Bring it on. I’m not scared.”

“Yeah, right,” Lao Guan chuckled beside him. “Lao Mei’s got skin thicker than a brick wall.”

Lao Mei shot back with a sly grin. “Say that again, Lao Guan?”

Lao Guan ducked his head and fiddled with his phone.

“Ah, so I get to ask?” Shu Yuxin tossed her cards into the pile, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“Go ahead, go ahead.” Lao Mei waved dismissively, feigning nonchalance.

Shu Yuxin cleared her throat lightly. “Question! What’s the most intimate thing you and Fu Bai have ever done together?”

Simple plan: earlier, she’d been randomly labeled “gay.” Now, she was flipping the script.

Though Lao Mei and Fu Bai constantly bickered on the surface, anyone could see they were thick-as-thieves best friends. Based on her own dynamic with Jiang Zixuan, Shu Yuxin was *absolutely* certain they’d shared plenty of moments outsiders would call ridiculously “gay.”

…Had she just revealed something about herself?

Both Lao Mei and Fu Bai stiffened at the question.

Lao Guan, Yan Zhikai, and the others erupted into raucous laughter after a split-second recall. Lao Guan howled loudest: “Lao Mei! ‘Most intimate thing’?! Don’t dodge us! I can’t—HAHAHAHAHA!”

Shu Yuxin, Peng Xiaoxiao, and Jiang Zixuan just stared, utterly bewildered.

Lao Mei grumbled reluctantly, then slung an arm around Fu Bai’s neck. “Ah… like this. Bros do this all the time, right? Nothing more intimate.”

“Keep spinning,” Yan Zhikai raised an eyebrow.

Lao Mei gritted his teeth. “Fine! We’ve shared a bed a few times. Happy? Bros do that.”

“Still spinning,” Yan Zhikai tilted his chin.

Zhang Houlin laughed. “Come on, Lao Mei—we remember.”

Lao Guan cut straight to it: “Sigh… last year’s round? Ring a bell? Do it again~”

Shu Yuxin noticed: Lao Mei looked pained, and Fu Bai wore a deeply uncomfortable expression.

Still, she wasn’t here to force answers. “Lao Mei, if you don’t want to answer, pick a dare.”

She was reasonable—just turning the tables, not burning bridges. Besides, Lao Guan’s crew clearly knew the story. She could ask later.

Lao Mei actually pondered seriously… then looked up at Shu Yuxin.

And saw the mischievous smirk plastered on her face.

“Damn it—TRUTH IS TRUTH!” Lao Mei roared, throwing caution to the wind. “Fu the Dog!”

“Hey—wait—WHAT ARE YOU—?!” Before Fu Bai could react, Lao Mei clamped both hands on his face, yanked him close—and their lips met.

Shu Yuxin’s eyes widened. *Holy shit, this is intense?!*

Peng Xiaoxiao froze for half a second, then scrambled for her phone.

The room erupted in perfectly timed cheers—Lao Guan, predictably, loudest.

Too late. Peng Xiaoxiao’s fingers were slower than Lao Mei’s kiss. They broke apart instantly; Lao Mei released his grip.

Fu Bai frantically wiped his mouth, kicked Lao Mei hard, and bolted for the bathroom. “Lao Mei!! FUCK YOU!!”

Lao Mei, now oddly relaxed, spread his arms. “There. Speechless now?!”

“Oh my god! You guys are *that* intense?!” Peng Xiaoxiao clutched her phone, breathless. “So… all that bickering’s just for show?! Wait—who’s top, who’s bottom?! Oh! Lao Mei, you’re the—”

“STOP! STOP!” Lao Mei cut her off. “That dog’s *my* dog, okay? I’m 100% straight—I only like girls.” He huffed. “Last year, we played Truth or Dare. That bastard Li Gunzi made me do this once—don’t know him? Just imagine another dog.”

Shu Yuxin frowned, then blurted softly, “…It’s *Truth*. You didn’t have to *do* it.”

Lao Mei’s face froze. “Holy shit.”

Fu Bai, fresh from the bathroom, echoed hoarsely, “Holy shit.”

The room exploded in gleeful laughter. Lao Guan, as always, led the chorus.

“FUCK, what’s so funny?!” Lao Mei snarled, whirling on Lao Guan. “You were heckling! Admit it!”

Lao Guan frowned. “Huh? Not my fault.”

“If it weren’t for you, would I have done it?!”

“I never told you to! You chose it!”

“Fuck it—I don’t care! You’re dead!”

“…”

Lao Guan mentally cursed. *Damn it. How unreasonable.*

Logically, Lao Mei should’ve owned it. But he lacked the guts—and couldn’t blame Shu Yuxin, an innocent girl. So the blame landed squarely on Lao Guan.

Why not pick Dare earlier? Lao Mei remembered last year. Hearing “intimate,” he feared something *worse*—so he went all in.

Would Shu Yuxin have asked that? No. She’d only reference what *she* and Jiang Zixuan had done… and they’d never kissed.

Proof: a world without mind-reading is *thrilling*.

Fu Bai sat back beside Lao Mei with a pained sigh, waving a card. “Next round. Lao Mei pulling dumb stunts isn’t new—you still not used to it?”

“Oh? My dog, what’d you say?” Lao Mei started to retort—then froze. “What’s this?”

He snatched the card, squinted. “Oho… ‘Sexy Housewife,’ ‘Innocent Schoolgirl’… Tsk tsk. Planning a visit?”

A common illicit-service card, slipped under doors.

“Bullshit! Found it at the door! Someone shoved it!” Fu Bai protested.

Lao Mei didn’t answer. He stared at the card, expression turning lewd.

“Come on, next round!” Yan Zhikai reshuffled, let others inspect, then dealt.

Quick result: Fu Bai won. Shu Yuxin lost.

Fu Bai didn’t hesitate. He glanced at her. “Truth. My question: Shu Yuxin, what’s your relationship with Jiang Zixuan?”

“Best friends.” Zero hesitation.

“Really?” Lao Mei waggled his eyebrows. “Nothing… deeper?”

“No. You’re overthinking.” Calm. Unshaken.

“And you guys?” Lao Mei scanned the room.

This time, no meddling. They trusted her.

Her expression held no trace of deception.

Lao Mei shrugged helplessly. “Fine.”

“Next round.” Yan Zhikai dealt again.

Loser: Jiang Zixuan. Winner: Lao Mei.

“…Why do I feel Lao Mei’s won, like, ten times?” Lao Guan muttered.

Lao Mei bristled. “What? Skill.”

“Yeah, right. Used up next year’s luck already,” Wei Zhanpeng snorted.

Lao Mei shot him a look. “Luck’s part of skill. Problem?”

“Sure, sure. Keep going. Not me losing.” Wei Zhanpeng gestured vaguely.

Meanwhile, Shu Yuxin poked Jiang Zixuan’s arm lightly. “Tsk. You lost again.”

Jiang Zixuan sighed.

Lao Mei rubbed his hands together, grinned wickedly. “Listen up. My question: Lao Jiang… do you have feelings for Shu Yuxin?”

He leaned in sharply, voice urgent. “Answer now! No hesitation! Quick!”

Jiang Zixuan paused—startled. After two seconds, he pursed his lips.

“No.”