The Ice-Queen Actress Used Her Acting Skills to Reel Me In! - Chapter 3

The card table was already occupied by two men and two women—there was no shortage of players as Qin Zhaoman had claimed.

Shen Niannian glanced around and recognized every face; they were all familiar figures from political news and financial magazines.

Phoebe tossed the last two cards in her hand onto the table and said, “Zelmer, back from playing the hero?”

Qin Zhaoman tapped the back of the chair with her knuckles. “Make room for two.”

Phoebe and a dark-haired man vacated their seats, leaving two blond, blue-eyed foreigners at the table. One of them spoke up, “I wouldn’t dream of leaving. I’m a devoted fan of Neve. If I win this round, do I get the honor of buying her a drink?”

The question was directed at Qin Zhaoman.

Qin Zhaoman sat down and gave him a look. “Now that I’m here, you still think you can win?”

Phoebe burst into laughter at her tone. “Edward, she’s being too arrogant. Teach her a lesson.”

Edward, long accustomed to Qin Zhaoman’s sharp tongue, glanced first at Phoebe, then at Shen Niannian, and said, “No problem.”

Shen Niannian hadn’t spoken a word since entering, yet she had already become part of the wager on the table.

No one asked for her opinion, nor did it matter.

Qin Zhaoman glanced at Shen Niannian out of the corner of her eye and noticed she showed no signs of discomfort or awkwardness, sitting perfectly upright.

Shen Niannian’s dress was backless, and she hadn’t leaned against the wooden chair at all—whether because it was cold or dirty, it wasn’t clear.

Just looking at her posture made Qin Zhaoman feel tired.

She draped her suit jacket over the back of Shen Niannian’s chair and asked, “Do you know how to play bridge?”

Shen Niannian replied, “I do.”

Qin Zhaoman pushed half of the chips in front of her toward Shen Niannian, then noticed her subtly leaning back, her bare back now resting against the jacket.

So she had indeed been avoiding the chair earlier.

What a delicate little butterfly.

Shen Niannian seemed to sense her gaze and straightened slightly.

The blond man looked around and belatedly realized, “Ah, so Neve and I are partners? The last time I saw Neve play cards was in a movie.”

Shen Niannian said gently, “It’s been a while since I last played. I might not be very good.”

Edward chimed in, “No worries. Though I suppose whether Neve drinks with anyone tonight still depends on her.”

He laughed, implying that if he won, it was his victory, but if he lost, it was because Shen Niannian didn’t want to drink with him and had thrown the game.

Qin Zhaoman picked up her cards and said, “Edward, you’re such a fake fan.”

Edward protested, “Zelmer, why are you siding with the outsider?”

Qin Zhaoman asked, “Are you the insider?”

Edward feigned innocence. “Aren’t I? As your loyal business partner, shouldn’t I be on the inside?”

Qin Zhaoman replied, “No.”

Edward sighed dramatically. “Then who is?”

Qin Zhaoman looked at Shen Niannian, as if posing the question to no one in particular. “Care to guess?”

Edward chuckled helplessly, used to her sharp retorts. Qin Zhaoman was notoriously difficult to get along with—befriending her was harder than scaling the heavens, and being mocked by her was practically routine.

Shen Niannian quietly sipped her drink, her cards face down on the table, blending seamlessly into the atmosphere.

Noticing Qin Zhaoman’s empty glass, she refilled it for her.

Qin Zhaoman found this scene just as strange as the one downstairs earlier.

A pack of wild beasts were brawling, while a delicate little butterfly fluttered timidly among them—steadily, without falling.

Though not entirely the same as before.

Shen Niannian leaned slightly to the right of her seat, her cool gaze occasionally sweeping over, her back resting against Qin Zhaoman’s suit jacket.

Qin Zhaoman didn’t touch the drink Shen Niannian had sent over, deliberately teasing her: “It’s too late to bribe me now.”

Shen Niannian replied, “It’s not a bribe.”

She leaned in slightly closer, whispering softly, “Even without bribing you, I can still win.”

A faint fragrance drifted into Qin Zhaoman’s senses. Shen Niannian’s eyes were beautifully shaped—perfectly feline, their gaze cool, yet the slight upward tilt of their corners carried an alluring charm.

Qin Zhaoman looked at her, realizing she had just been issued a challenge, and responded with a smile, “Oh?”

Downstairs, a symphony orchestra played, drowning out their conversation. Their card game wasn’t like a normal one—between rounds, they discussed stock market trends, and whoever predicted the movements correctly could also win chips.

Shen Niannian didn’t understand the stock market. The main players were Edward and Qin Zhaoman, their exchanges evenly matched without a clear lead. Winning ultimately still depended on the cards.

Edward played the first card. Bridge was unpredictable, but no one had expected Edward to actually win against Qin Zhaoman.

Nor had anyone expected Shen Niannian to be so skilled at cards.

Phoebe, who had been sitting on the sofa, unconsciously moved closer to the table. Many others did the same, and soon, the entire second floor had gathered around the game.

Shen Niannian held her hand of cards. She had been just as composed when no one was watching, and now, under the scrutiny of these elites, she remained unchanged.

One by one, she played her cards.

Qin Zhaoman raised a brow, looking at her with mild surprise.

Shen Niannian smiled at her. “Your move?”

Qin Zhaoman shook her head slightly.

Shen Niannian tossed out her last card, smiling. “Looks like I won.”

With the end of the card game, the stock market bets also concluded.

Shen Niannian had won the card round, but when the chips were tallied, Qin Zhaoman still had more.

Edward had lost too much to Qin Zhaoman in the later stock predictions, and those small losses added up—in the end, Qin Zhaoman still came out on top.

But it was undeniable that Shen Niannian had truly beaten Qin Zhaoman in cards.

This surprised everyone.

Not that Qin Zhaoman wasn’t an excellent player—she was—but Shen Niannian just didn’t look like someone who could play cards well.

Qin Zhaoman praised, “Impressive.”

Shen Niannian picked up a chip from the table. “Still lost, though.”

Edward, teased relentlessly by the onlookers, sighed. “I was the one dragging us down.”

He raised a glass, his tone more earnest as he addressed Shen Niannian. “Too embarrassing. Let me make it up to you with a drink.”

Shen Niannian reached for her glass, only for Qin Zhaoman to pluck it from her hand by the rim.

“If he’s apologizing, you should accept it.”

Qin Zhaoman set the glass down, grabbed a handful of chips from the tray, and held them loosely over Shen Niannian’s chest. “Open your hand.”

Shen Niannian obediently held out her palm.

Qin Zhaoman loosened her fingers, letting the orange and black chips cascade into her soft, pale palm. Those that couldn’t be held spilled onto the floor, producing the crisp, metallic clink of money.

The scene was intensely stimulating—the kind of decadent moment that would warrant a close-up in a film.

Qin Zhaoman said, “Returning your winnings.”

Shen Niannian opened her hand, allowing the chips to slip freely through her fingers and scatter onto the floor. Then she extended her palm toward Qin Zhaoman again.

Qin Zhaoman asked, “What else do you want?”

Sitting on the sofa, Shen Niannian met her gaze and replied, “Doesn’t the winner get to choose who to invite for a drink?”

Qin Zhaoman responded leisurely, “Miss Shen, you’re using my chips to invite me for a drink?”

Shen Niannian’s gentle eyes lingered on her, as if asking, Why can’t I?

Qin Zhaoman studied this troublesome butterfly before pressing her hand into Shen Niannian’s warm palm, changing her mind. “Fine, I accept.”

Shen Niannian smiled softly, her eyes still fixed on her.

The evening gown wasn’t suitable for a casual meal, so Shen Niannian went back to change.

Once in the car, her phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number: Just send the restaurant address here.

Shen Niannian replied: Isn’t checking messages inconvenient?

Qin Zhaoman: It’s fine.

Secretary Li opened the car door and stepped in, the faint scent of tobacco wafting through the interior. “How did it go?”

Shen Niannian said, “I’ll be having dinner with Qin Zhaoman later. Bring the contract.”

Secretary Li exhaled slightly in relief. The company was in crisis, and Shen Niannian’s capabilities were limited—they desperately needed a powerful ally. The list of potential partners had been drafted long ago, with multiple suitable candidates, but Qin Zhaoman was the only woman on it.

Given Shen Niannian’s profession and striking appearance, they preferred collaborating with women in such precarious circumstances, which made Qin Zhaoman the sole viable option.

The upside? Qin Zhaoman was also the most formidable on the list, with the strongest background. The downside? Her reputation and temper were even more unyielding than her connections.

Secretary Li said, “It would be great if we could secure a deal with Qin Zhaoman.”

She handed Shen Niannian a biscuit and praised, “You’ve already done well. I guarantee no one else could’ve gotten Qin Zhaoman to agree to a meeting at a time like this.”

Shen Niannian draped her coat over herself and said, “Qin Zhaoman doesn’t seem very inclined to cooperate.”

Secretary Li sighed. “Who’d want to wade into our mess? But given the situation, Qin Zhaoman’s capabilities are the best fit.”

Shen Niannian didn’t dislike Qin Zhaoman, but she could tell Qin Zhaoman was very resistant to her.

Though “resistant” wasn’t quite the right word—it was more like:

Stay away from me, little troublemaker.

Yes, that was exactly what Qin Zhaoman’s gaze screamed whenever she looked at her.

A faint smile flickered in Shen Niannian’s eyes as she asked, “If Qin Zhaoman doesn’t sign, who’s next on the list?”

Secretary Li thought for a moment. “Probably Iwanaga Yuta. You must’ve seen him today. Judging by his social media, he seems quite taken with you. If we work with him, you shouldn’t go—but if you don’t, I can’t imagine him being reckless enough to help us right now.”

Secretary Li suddenly craved another cigarette. She cracked the window open slightly. “Studying finance can’t save the group. I should’ve gone to Miaojiang to learn curses—far more useful than finance.”

Shen Niannian patted her shoulder and comforted her, saying, “I can still try with Qin Zhaoman. How much time do we have left?”

Secretary Li replied, “Less than three months.”

Shen Niannian made a decision: “Then we’ll spend one month negotiating with Qin Zhaoman. If we still can’t reach an agreement, we’ll move on to the next one.”