Catch the Joker

[Li Yu’an Sister still hasn’t come back… I miss her cooking so much T﹏T]

Luo Qingyin shoved her phone screen into Yang Yuan’s face, then began rubbing his cheeks with her tiny hands, trying to physically force him into bringing back that beautiful woman who made delicious food.

“She said she’ll only be back in the afternoon,” Yang Yuan said, barely rescuing his face from her clutches.

“And if you keep rubbing my face like this, you won’t get a single bite of the takeout I ordered.”

Threats were always the most effective weapon. At those words, Luo Qingyin immediately retracted her hands and obediently sat back on the sofa.

“Come to think of it… I always assumed you came here just to mooch off Li Yu’an’s meals.”

“But now that she’s gone, why do you still keep showing up here?”

Luo Qingyin held up her phone, fingers flying across the screen.

[Food’s only part of it! Sister’s always busy with work and never has time to play. Your place is just more fun ⌓‿⌓]

Just then, a knock came at the office door.

Luo Qingyin, thinking it was the delivery, excitedly rushed to open it.

But standing there was a girl about her height, with a healthy tan and sun-kissed skin.

“I brought your takeout over!”

Yang Yuan looked up—surprised to see it was Chun Nana, the girl from yesterday.

“Na Na! Why didn’t you wait for me?!”

Chun Nana’s words were barely out when Bai Zhu came panting up behind her.

“Ah~ I just saw the delivery guy struggling and thought I’d help out!”

Bai Zhu walked in with Chun Nana and explained, “Lord Yang Yuan, Na Na said she wanted to come hang out, so I brought her along.”

“Have you two turned my office into some kind of public entertainment venue now…?”

No sooner had they sat down than Luo Qingyin snatched all the takeout bags off the table.

She pulled out the food one by one and began devouring it with terrifying speed.

Yang Yuan couldn’t comprehend how such a small body could contain so much appetite.

Just as the others were about to start eating, Chun Nana reached into her pocket and pulled out a brand-new deck of playing cards.

“Eating’s boring. How about we play a game?”

“What kind of game?” Bai Zhu asked, confused by her friend’s sudden move.

“How about… Old Maid? Whoever draws the ghost card has to answer one honest question from anyone at the table~”

Luo Qingyin wanted to refuse—she just wanted to eat in peace.

But Chun Nana added, “And of course, to make it more fun—if the question is too boring, the asker has to give their own food to the person who had to answer!”

That rule instantly piqued everyone’s interest. Even Yang Yuan, usually uninvolved, found himself curious.

And so, a card game led by Chun Nana began.

The first round was a no-brainer. The lone ghost card went to Luo Qingyin, who still didn’t fully grasp the rules.

“I’ll ask!” Yang Yuan volunteered, posing what he thought was a clever question.

“When was the last time you stole snacks from your sister?”

Bai Zhu and Chun Nana immediately ruled it as extremely boring.

Luo Qingyin, meanwhile, proudly typed on her phone:

[Last night. I ate her last box of macarons.]

[I even reassembled the packaging. She still hasn’t noticed (o´罒`o)]

With no choice, Yang Yuan placed his largest piece of fried chicken into Luo Qingyin’s mouth as punishment.

Everyone relaxed, thinking this was just a harmless, fun game.

But when the second round started, Chun Nana’s eyes were no longer playful. She calmly observed every movement.

Bai Zhu was the opposite—her emotions were all on her face.

She’d frown when forced to keep a card, sigh in relief when passing it on.

Soon, only Yang Yuan and Chun Nana remained.

When it was Yang Yuan’s turn to draw, he looked at Chun Nana’s mischievous smile and hesitated.

“Big bro Yang Yuan, trust your instincts~”

He took a deep breath and picked the left card—exactly the one with the ghost.

Chun Nana, lucky as ever, escaped with the game ending on Yang Yuan holding the final ghost card.

“Aww~ Looks like our psychological expert isn’t very lucky.”

Now it was Yang Yuan’s turn to answer.

Chun Nana and Bai Zhu huddled together, pretending to debate, clearly dragging it out to build tension.

The suspense made Yang Yuan nervous.

“Alright, here’s my question~”

Chun Nana leaned forward, asking a question that sounded casual but was razor-sharp.

“Big bro Yang Yuan, have you noticed that the girls around you seem to… well…”

“How do I put it… have mental issues and constantly need your care?”

Bai Zhu nodded in agreement. She believed Yang Yuan had a special aura that attracted troubled girls—though she didn’t realize she was one of them.

Chun Nana continued, delivering the core question.

“My question is… in the depths of your heart, do you feel even a tiny bit of superiority or satisfaction… from being needed? Please answer honestly.”

The question cut straight through the denial Yang Yuan had carefully maintained.

From the beginning, he’d told himself he was just trying to save Su Xiaoyou, dragged into this mess by fate.

He saw himself as a passive victim, an ordinary man pushed by circumstances.

“But… is that really true?”

When Su Xiaoyou expressed love in such a twisted, desperate way—wasn’t there a part of him that rejoiced at being loved so deeply?

When Li Yu’an showed her weakest self—wasn’t he grateful to be the only one she could rely on?

When Bai Zhu trusted him so completely—wasn’t there satisfaction in holding that absolute trust?

Yang Yuan couldn’t go further. He was afraid of the real answer.

He stayed silent for a long time—so long that Luo Qingyin stopped chewing.

Though to be fair, she stopped because she’d already finished three full takeout meals.

Finally, Yang Yuan lifted his head and met Chun Nana’s fox-like eyes.

He didn’t dodge. He didn’t make excuses.

He answered with raw honesty.

“I don’t know if it’s superiority.”

“But whenever I think I might’ve actually helped them, even just a little… I feel lighter.”

“Because it makes me believe all of this might… actually mean something.”

“So…” He gave a self-mocking smile.

“If that tiny sense of meaning feels like satisfaction to you… then yes. I think I do have it.”

The room fell silent.

Bai Zhu tilted her head, struggling to understand the word meaning.

Luo Qingyin just stared at Yang Yuan’s untouched takeout, clearly still hungry.

“Interesting…”

Chun Nana, the questioner, wore a complex expression.

“What a clever yet honest answer. I like it!” She grinned, breaking the silence.

“Alright, game’s over. Everyone, keep eating!”

The game ended—but Yang Yuan’s mind wouldn’t settle.

“Who exactly is this Chun Nana… and what does she really want?”