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Zhong Kui's Diary
"4567!" I threw out a straight.
"Pass!" Guo'er said with a smile.
"A ten with a queen!" I rubbed my smooth scalp; ever since I returned from Wuxian County, I had shaved my head and often found myself wanting to touch it.
"A ten with a queen!" Guo'er laughed as she played her card.
I looked at the cards in my hand, then at Guo'er's cards, and after a moment of hesitation, I sheepishly picked up the cards I had played: "Uh, let's not count this time, let's start over!"
Guo'er didn't mind and cheerfully picked up her cards.
Guo'er and I were playing a leftover game of Dou Dizhu, which is a widely circulated variant similar to a chess endgame. I held the farmer's hand of 4567**, while Guo'er had the landlord's hand consisting of a bomb plus three tens with a pair of queens. The rule was that three singles could only carry one single card and could not carry a pair; everything else was the same as usual.
So the question arose: as the farmer, how could I win? (Note 1)
Qingcheng pointed out from the side: "You need to break the bomb; you have to play one first."
Just as I was about to follow her advice, there came a loud knocking at the door, followed by A Li shouting outside: "Qingcheng! Qingcheng!"
Qingcheng smiled and opened the door. A Li and Song Xi rushed in, both looking excited. A Li held up her phone and shouted, "Breaking news! Wang Bingbing has suddenly decided to hold a concert in Star City to thank a friend who has helped her career... Qingcheng, did you hear that? It's Wang Bingbing, Wang Bingbing!"
"What's the big deal? Isn't it just Ice Ice?" I put my cards away; with this crazy girl around, we definitely wouldn't be able to play well.
"Pfft, as if you've ever met Ice Ice," A Li rolled her eyes at me. "Those who can't reach the grapes always say they're sour; they're the worst!"
"What is Wang Bingbing? Can she be as popular as Zhao Bingbing? Let me tell you, I've been on a date with Zhao Bingbing and had Spicy Hot Pot!" I casually remarked.
"Qingcheng, look at your boyfriend. He's talking nonsense and you aren't going to stop him?" A Li turned to complain to Qingcheng.
"A Li, don't be like that. Zheng Nan really did go on a date with Zhao Bingbing and had Spicy Hot Pot," Qingcheng chuckled.
"Really?" A Li looked at me suspiciously.
"Do I gain anything by lying to you?" I shook my head and got up, preparing to lie down in the bedroom for a bit. I was quite tired after last night.
"Do you really know Zhao Bingbing?" A Li's eyes lit up.
"I don't know her; I was just joking with you," I said, not wanting to waste more time.
A Li rushed over, arms wide open, blocking my way: "Ghost Brother, since you're so close with Zhao Bingbing, help me get a few concert tickets."
I was baffled: "Are you kidding? I know Zhao Bingbing, not Wang Bingbing. One acts, the other sings; they're completely unrelated."
"Don't you know that Wang Bingbing and Zhao Bingbing are best friends?" A Li's expression was even more frustrated than mine, as if I didn't know that Putin, Obama, and Xi Total often play cards together.
"They're best friends; what does that have to do with me?" I laughed heartily.
"You could ask Zhao Bingbing to get two front-row tickets from Wang Bingbing," A Li looked at me as if I were an idiot.
"Oh, that seems possible," I smiled: "But why should I help you?"
"Hmph! If you don't help me, from now on I'll sleep with Sister Qingcheng and you'll be left out!" A Li raised her eyebrows at me, her face clearly showing a 'threatening' expression.
I couldn't help but laugh and curse, "You're ruthless. Alright, I'll give it a try."
...
Three days later, Wang Bingbing's concert was held at the Star City Grand Theater. Despite being a last-minute event, the theater was packed with fans, showcasing Wang Bingbing's undeniable charm.
Thanks to Zhao Bingbing, I managed to get several tickets, and we were seated in the front row. This made A Li and Song Xi extremely happy. Not only that, during the performance, Zhao Bingbing suddenly appeared next to us wearing sunglasses and a mask.
Upon realizing it was Zhao Bingbing, A Li and Song Xi became overly excited and pushed me aside to sit next to her for a photo. I found it puzzling; with her wearing a mask and sunglasses, what was the point of the photo?
Seeing A Li and the others so thrilled, Zhao Bingbing suggested we go backstage for a closer encounter with Wang Bingbing. This made A Li and Song Xi cheer even more.
The backstage area was bustling with activity. When the staff saw us, they waved us away impatiently, saying, "Go on, don't cause trouble. If you want autographs, line up outside; if you're lucky, it'll be your turn."
When Zhao Bingbing took off her sunglasses and mask, the staff paused in surprise. They likely understood the relationship between Zhao and Wang and quickly laughed it off, leading us to the dressing room. After giving us a few instructions, they returned to their tasks.
Aside from A Li and Song Xi, only Qingcheng, Guo'er, Fatty Kong Xuan, and I were there. The rest weren't particularly interested in Wang Bingbing; as Fatty put it, the female lead's screams in adult films sounded better than her singing. I was dragged along by Guo'er, who was brought by Qingcheng, who was brought by A Li. Among us five, only A Li and Song Xi were true fans.
Listening to the girls chattering away, I found myself aimlessly looking around. It was my first time in such a superstar's concert backstage; initially, it felt fresh but soon became rather mundane.
Hmm, over here are costumes, over there are shoes, this pile is headpieces, and that pile is brooches. Wow, the setup is quite grand! Soon enough, my attention was drawn to a dark red box sitting in the corner.
The box looked quite old-fashioned, resembling those jewelry boxes used by noblewomen during the Qing Dynasty. It measured about twenty centimeters square and stood about ten centimeters tall. The front had a decorative brass lock that didn't require a key. In the center of the lid was a pearl the size of a finger—clear and sparkling—worth at least several thousand.
Engraved on the lid were two vividly carved dragons with the pearl positioned between them, symbolizing "two dragons playing with a pearl." If this box truly dated back to the Qing Dynasty, its provenance would be extraordinary. In feudal dynasties, dragons and phoenixes could only belong to royalty; anyone else using dragon motifs could face execution.
I sniffed it slightly; surprisingly, the wooden box emitted a faint fragrance. I wondered if it was made of agarwood. Although it looked like a jewelry box for women, something felt off—why would a woman's jewelry box be carved with dragons? Shouldn't they be adorned with peonies or phoenixes?
I really wanted to open the box and see what was inside, but it didn't seem very polite to rummage through someone else's things without permission. Just as I was about to look away, I noticed that the wooden box suddenly moved.
I was taken aback. Wait, this box can move on its own?
Focusing my gaze, I found that the box was still again; it seemed that everything had just been a figment of my imagination.
After watching for about ten seconds without any unusual activity from the box, I heard Qingcheng call out, "Hey, Zheng Nan, what are you looking at?"
I chuckled and replied, "Nothing much, just thought this box looked nice."
Still feeling something was off, I pondered for a moment, took out my dagger, and made a mark on the floor next to the wooden box. I turned around and chatted casually with Qingcheng and the others. When I looked back at the box, I was shocked to find that it had shifted nearly two centimeters from my mark.
My curiosity piqued, I couldn't help but step forward and bend down to open the wooden box when a sharp voice shouted from behind me, "Hey! What are you doing?"
Turning around, I saw a stunning woman rushing towards me with an angry expression on her face. Her almond-shaped eyes were fierce as she yelled at me while her nails were aimed directly at my face.
I felt a bit frustrated; where did this crazy person come from? She was attacking me for no reason. I grabbed her wrist firmly, applying a little pressure, which made her cry out in pain.
Zhao Bingbing looked anxious and hurriedly said, "Zheng Nan, let go! She's Ice Ice!"
Ice Ice? Oh, Wang Bingbing?
I quickly released her hand. Wang Bingbing didn't even check her reddened wrist before swiftly picking up the dark red wooden box. She inspected it closely to ensure it hadn't been opened before glaring at me and turning to Zhao Bingbing, saying, "Ice Ice, what kind of people did you bring in?"
Initially excited to see Wang Bingbing, both A Li and Song Xi suddenly looked very uncomfortable after hearing that. Anyone would feel uneasy upon hearing such words.
Zhao Bingbing quickly pulled Wang Bingbing close and whispered a few words in her ear. After a moment of looking at me with suspicion, Wang Bingbing finally managed to force a smile and said, "So you're Ghost Brother?"
Eh, what does it mean that Wang Bingbing is so respectful now after being so arrogant before? Does she want to team up with Zhao Bingbing to take my chastity? Ugh, when did I start having such ridiculous thoughts?
At this moment, a staff member was urging Wang Bingbing to go on stage to perform. Wang Bingbing glanced at me, whispered a few words in Zhao Bingbing's ear, and then said to me, "Ghost Brother, I still have two songs to sing, so please wait for me for a while."
After that, Wang Bingbing handed the wooden box to the staff and hurried away.
A few people exchanged glances with Noodles. It was natural for Wang Bingbing to get angry when I rummaged through her things, but after learning my name, her attitude changed instantly, which seemed a bit unreasonable.
Unless she has something to ask of me.
That makes even less sense; I'm just a nobody in Star City. What could I possibly do that would warrant her attention? Uh, she wouldn't want me to catch ghosts, would she?
After pondering for a moment, I turned my gaze to Zhao Bingbing. When she noticed me looking at her, Zhao Bingbing initially maintained eye contact with me nonchalantly. Soon, however, her gaze began to flicker nervously, as if she felt guilty.
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