Chapter 39: Sometimes, winning or losing isn’t on the mahjong table

“I am—the genius Mahjong girl!”

After her voice fell, the Mahjong Club’s clubroom was silent for a moment.

Suzuka was the first to laugh.

“Interesting.”

She lowered her hands and tapped her long fingers lightly on the mahjong table twice.

“It’s been a while since I met such a bold little junior.”

“Indeed.”

Yuki leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, her short ash-blonde hair sliding to the side as she tilted her head.

“The last one this bold was Xingzi, and you saw what happened…”

Guchuan Xing, standing behind Qin Huan, just curled her lip when she heard Yuki mention her, clearly not interested in arguing with her.

Kazusa didn’t speak.

She just adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on her nose.

Her slightly upturned phoenix eyes calmly watched Qin Huan from behind the lenses.

“Then, let’s begin.”

Suzuka pressed the automatic shuffle button on the mahjong table.

The tiles clattered noisily beneath the surface, and four neat rows of tile walls rose from the center.

“Junior is the dealer, please.”

Qin Huan nodded lightly, feeling no pressure at all.

For this game, only she would win.

As the mahjong machine finished distributing the tiles, four rows of tile walls were pushed in front of each person.

Qin Huan wanted to imitate the mahjong experts in TV dramas and pick up all thirteen tiles in one go.

However, after struggling to lift them, the thirteen tiles wobbled unevenly in her hands, nearly slipping a few out.

Suzuka didn’t urge her.

She just rested her chin on her hand and waited quietly.

Yuki yawned.

Kazusa picked up the teacup on the table and took a light sip.

Qin Huan finally arranged her tiles.

She looked down at her hand—a complete mess.

Honor tiles, terminal tiles, broken sequences—no complete melds at all.

If this hand managed to even reach tenpai before the draw ended, it would be lucky.

“Junior, are you done arranging?”

Suzuka’s voice floated over lazily.

“Done.”

Qin Huan placed her hand on the tile wall, ready to draw her first tile.

According to the rules, the dealer draws first.

Her fingers touched the tile at the front of the wall, a cold sensation coming from her fingertips.

Qin Huan didn’t draw that tile.

She directly pulled her hand back, then pressed both hands on the table and stood up.

‘I’ve been thoroughly suppressed by Ju Zhenli, Su Lingling, and Guchuan Xing before. This time, I’ve finally found a good opportunity—I have to make a big show!’

Qin Huan was already humming a tune in her heart, but on the surface, she remained sweet, cute, and quiet.

“Three seniors, I have a small suggestion.”

Suzuka raised an eyebrow.

“If I win this hand directly…”

Qin Huan tilted her head, revealing that sweet smile that was almost unfair.

“Could it count as each of the three seniors adding one extra condition?”

“Oh? But junior, you haven’t even drawn a tile yet.”

Suzuka’s eyes lit up.

She really liked this audacious little junior.

‘Taming her… will surely be cute!’

“I know.”

Qin Huan’s smile didn’t change.

Yuki and Kazusa exchanged glances.

Yuki shrugged, and Kazusa expressionlessly put down her teacup.

“Fine.”

Suzuka raised one finger.

“If you win this hand directly, we’ll allow you one extra condition. But if you don’t win…”

Her finger drew an X in the air.

“You’ll strip naked, and you have to stay in the Mahjong Club tonight, as our practice dummy.”

“What does ‘practice dummy’ involve?”

Qin Huan kept her smile.

“Playing mahjong, of course.”

Suzuka said with a grin.

“It’s just that what happens to the loser… well, that’s hard to say~”

“Okay.”

Qin Huan nodded.

She reached out and drew that tile, directly slapping it hard on the table, producing a sharp sound.

Then Qin Huan pushed both hands forward, knocking down all thirteen crooked tiles onto the table.

“Tenhou—”

“Three seniors, please strip.”

The three people’s gazes all fell in unison on the tiles Qin Huan had knocked down.

“Junior.”

Suzuka’s voice was still gentle, but with a hint of danger.

“Your tiles… don’t seem to form a win~”

“Huh?”

Qin Huan looked down at her own tiles, putting on a puzzled expression.

“No win?”

“No win.”

Yuki stood up, pressing both hands on the table, leaning forward slightly, the silver earring on her ear reflecting a cold light.

“Missing one tile here, this sequence doesn’t connect, this is wrong too…”

Guchuan Xing behind Qin Huan sucked in a breath, her voice extremely low.

“Huanzi, how dare you…”

Qin Huan didn’t answer.

She just kept that sweet smile, then unhurriedly pulled out her phone from her pocket.

“Well, I said I don’t know how to play mahjong.”

Her voice was a little flippant.

“So, I need to call in a professional to take a look for me.”

Suzuka tilted her head, as if she didn’t understand what she meant.

The call connected.

“Hello? Elder Sister Zhenli.”

Qin Huan pressed the phone to her ear, her voice instantly switching to a soft, whining, affectionate mode.

“I’ve run into a little trouble in the Mahjong Club. The three seniors say I made a false win, but I think I clearly won… Mm-hmm, can you come take a look for me?”

The other end of the line was silent for a moment, then some sound came through.

Qin Huan turned her phone screen toward the three senior Mahjong Club ladies across from her.

“Student Council President Ju Zhenli’s phone.”

Her voice returned to normal, carrying a faint coldness.

Suzuka was taken aback for a moment, then laughed.

“Junior, why are you showing us this? We don’t have the Student Council President’s phone number…”

“I told you to answer.”

“Elder Sister Zhenli said she’ll be here in five minutes.”

Qin Huan tilted her head, her smile still sweet.

“Three seniors, how about we pause for now? Wait until Elder Sister Zhenli arrives and let her check whether this hand actually wins or not?”

Suzuka’s smile had completely disappeared.

She leaned back in her chair, her deep purple eyes staring straight at Qin Huan, as if reassessing this little junior who looked soft and easy to bully.

Yuki turned her head to glance at Suzuka, a hint of question in her eyes.

Suzuka didn’t respond, just furrowed her brow slightly.

Kazusa put down her teacup, the porcelain making a crisp sound against the table.

“Huanzi…”

Guchuan Xing murmured from behind Qin Huan.

Qin Huan didn’t turn around.

She just reached back and made a “shush” gesture.

The three senior ladies across from her exchanged looks.

Suzuka took a deep breath, then put back on that lazy smile.

“Junior, no need to be so serious, we were just…”

“Just what?”

Qin Huan tilted her head.

“Just playing some mahjong for fun? Seniors, when the three of you surrounded my band’s drummer and stripped her down to a tank top, why didn’t you call that fun?”

The activity room door was pushed open.

Ju Zhenli stood at the entrance.

Her eyes swept across the entire room, paused on Guchuan Xing for a moment, then passed over Suzuka, Yuki, and Kazusa, finally landing on Qin Huan.

“Xiao Huan.”

She walked slowly into the room.

“What’s going on?”

“Elder Sister Zhenli.”

Qin Huan stood up and obediently walked over to Ju Zhenli’s side.

“I was playing mahjong on behalf of Senior Guchuan Xing, and then they said I made a false win.”

Ju Zhenli raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not Xiao Huan’s fault.”

Ju Zhenli patted Qin Huan’s head, pulling her closer to her side.

Her brown eyes stared calmly at the three senior ladies across from her.

“After all, in front of the Student Council President, any mahjong hand should be Xiao Huan’s winning hand.”