Lin Cheng, a twenty-year-old drifter, moonlights as a bar singer and sells flowers on the side during holidays.
He pulled out his phone and logged into the Alliance’s exclusive portal to check his personal details. The site listed his educational background as "high school dropout." At that moment, he and Lychee were in the council hall. Lychee, sitting across from him, had her arms folded and her slender legs crossed. Her legs were encased in delicate 15D white stockings that swayed gently.
Summer seemed to be just around the corner, and he had a sudden craving for ice cream.
Lin Cheng leaned forward with his phone and asked Lychee, "How do you pronounce this character?"
"Yi, high school dropout."
"Impressive, being a college student really shows," Lin Cheng remarked, setting his phone aside and glancing at the authority table. "Could you add 'poet' to my profile? I believe I have the makings of a poet."
"Just update it on your main account."
"But I deactivated my main account when I retired," Lin Cheng said with a shrug of resignation. "Or perhaps you could elevate my education level. I was only one year away from finishing high school. Isn’t this a bit of educational discrimination?"
"……"
Lychee, weary of the man’s antics, watched him with a smirk as he continued to be playful. She let out a chilly laugh and said, "When Sister Grape finishes her work and arrives, I hope you’re still this lively."
"……" Lin Cheng fell silent and took a sip of the coffee on the table. His face immediately scrunched up. "It’s so bitter!"
"It’s extra strong," Lychee replied淡淡地。
"So bitter, so bitter, so bitter. Is there any sugar?"
"No."
"Then why is your cup filled with milk coffee?"
"I like milk coffee."
"I’ll drink yours."
"I’ve already had some."
"I don’t mind." Lin Cheng grabbed her coffee cup and took a sip. His frown instantly relaxed. Lychee took a deep breath, watching as he even nibbled on her straw, her small fists clenched tightly.
Endure, Lychee, endure.
"Wow, it’s so sweet," Lin Cheng said, biting the straw and giving Lychee a playful wink. "It tastes like lychee."
Lychee took a deep breath and said, “Can you stop talking nonsense all the time? Boss! The more you surf the internet, the more absurd you become!”
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“……Don’t you find it amusing?”
“Ha ha,” Lychee responded coldly. “Should I keep laughing?”
“It really does taste like lychee,” Lin Cheng said innocently.
“I added lychee,” Lychee replied flatly.
“So you still think I’m being absurd?”
“I feel like the lychee you’re referring to isn’t the same as the lychee I added.”
“What do you mean it’s not the same? Lychee is lychee. It’s my favorite fruit,” Lin Cheng said, setting his coffee cup aside. “Alright, let’s get to business. You can’t joke around with the boss during work hours. Remember, next time your salary will be deducted.”
Lychee lifted her white-stockinged leg and aimed a kick at him, but Lin Cheng caught her ankle firmly. “Heh, your sneak attacks stopped working on me a year ago.”
As soon as he let go, Lychee’s other leg kicked out. This time Lin Cheng didn’t defend himself and got lightly kicked. Although Lychee used very little force, Lin Cheng exaggerated his reaction, grimacing in pain.
Lychee retracted her leg and picked up the remote control, turning on the large screen in the conference room to display footage from the casino on the thirty-first floor of the building.
“This is the woman. Xu Wanyue, a judge from the Alliance. Seven days ago, she came to our casino with just twenty dollars. She started with slot machines and won a hundred thousand dollars before moving to table games. She won at baccarat, poker, blackjack, dice, and roulette, never losing. In just seven days, our casino has suffered a net loss of thirty million. The experts we brought in couldn’t beat her or uncover her cheating methods. Due to regulations, we couldn’t expel her.”
Lin Cheng focused on the screen for several seconds. Lychee leaned in slightly. “Have you figured anything out, boss?”
“Those shorts are incredibly short! Her legs are so white, and she has leg rings! It’s outrageous! The way these girls dress nowadays is excessive! It needs to be condemned!”
Lychee tapped Lin Cheng’s head sharply. “Have you figured it out or not?”
“No, I haven’t,” Lin Cheng shook his head. “She’s not cheating.”
“Impossible,” Lychee bit her lip. “Winning like this based solely on luck is less than one in ten million.”
“Well, maybe she’s just exceptionally lucky,” Lin Cheng said with a resigned smile.
“Let her be lucky. You can look forward to your five thousand monthly allowance shrinking to five hundred,” Lychee warned.
“Tonight, I’ll meet her. The title of Rose Street’s little gambler isn’t for nothing.”
“You’d better,” Lychee muttered discontentedly. Then her phone rang. After answering, she glanced at Lin Cheng. “You’re in luck. Sister Grape has an urgent matter and can’t make it today.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Anomalous energy fluctuations have appeared in the neighboring K City. According to our agreement, we need to assist the Alliance again this month.”
“Ah,” Lin Cheng nodded. “So can I leave now and come back tonight?”
Lychee smiled at him. “No, you can’t.”
“Why not?” Lin Cheng looked at her innocently. “I have a game scheduled.”
“Even though Sister Grape isn’t here, she specifically asked me to check on you and find out what you said to that woman last night… so, no moving.”
Lychee approached him and pinned him to the chair. She gently cradled his head with her soft, white hands. Lin Cheng’s face was pressed against her gently rising chest, and her slender collarbone was visible through her slightly transparent shirt. A faint floral scent wafted from her, which Lin Cheng vaguely recognized as the perfume he bought from a street vendor for forty bucks last year for Lychee’s birthday. It was probably fake, but it still smelled pleasant.
Gradually, Lin Cheng felt drowsy, his eyelids growing heavy. Soon, he fell into Lychee’s embrace, his face nestled against her chest. Lychee held his head tenderly, allowing him to rest. She bit her lip slightly and began to delve into Lin Cheng’s memories. This was her ability as a psychic.
……………………………………
The story begins on a rainy evening.
As a twenty-year-old drifter, Lin Cheng had just finished his flower-selling for the day. The last unsold white rose was tucked into his shirt pocket. He parked his motorcycle at the street corner, locked it, and walked into a newly opened bar on Rose Street.