Zheng Yu'an indeed wasn't much of a mahjong player, and Yan Shuwang actually didn't particularly enjoy it either. Jiao Tang was the enthusiast. But Qin Hanguan had his own theory: many problems could be readily solved by gathering people to play. Since drinking was bad for the health, then they should play mahjong. Either way, money was involved, making it suitable for a bit of wheeling and dealing.
Besides Yan Shuwang, Qin Hanguan had, of course, invited his old mahjong buddy, Boss Jiao. The combination of two gay men and two straight men made for a rather balanced group.
The high-end mahjong parlors in the industrial park charged by the hour. Qin Hanguan, with a grand wave of his hand, booked six hours straight. When Zheng Yu'an arrived, Yan Shuwang and Jiao Tang were already drinking tea.
The owner of the mahjong parlor was a refined individual. In the central hall were several potted wen zhu bamboo and ying ke song pine trees, carefully pruned. A plaque hung on the wall, inscribed with a line from the essay Lou Shi Ming: "Scholars of great learning are my companions; no unlettered person enters here."
Notes:
Wen zhu (文竹): Asparagus setaceus, commonly known as asparagus fern.
Ying ke song (迎客松): A famous pine tree on Mount Huang, often translated as "welcoming pine."
Lou Shi Ming (陋室銘): An essay written by Liu Yuxi in 8th century China about his simple life.
Qin Hanguan commented specifically on this, "Marvelous."
Yan Shuwang was drinking plum tea, refreshing and thirst-quenching, perfect for early summer. He sat next to a pot of orchids, unusually not wearing a suit. However, his casual wear, made of cotton and linen, was equally exquisite. His hair was pulled back high, tied in a small bun, with a few strands falling beside his temples.
Qin Hanguan clearly hadn't quite adjusted to the beauty of his face. Several times, his gaze lacked restraint.
Zheng Yu'an, taking his seat at the table, couldn't help but warn him, "Don't stare at him."
Qin Hanguan's skin was thick. "Taking a few more looks won't cost me anything."
Zheng Yu'an frowned. "It's impolite."
Qin Hanguan laughed. "We're all men here. No need to be so gentlemanly."
Zheng Yu'an knew that saying more would be useless. Afraid that Qin Hanguan would do something even more outrageous, he took a seat opposite him.
Yan Shuwang paused for a second, his gaze shifting between the two men, before finally choosing the seat to Zheng Yu'an's right.
Jiao Tang, carefree as ever, didn't notice anything amiss. He and Qin Hanguan were old partners, their enthusiasm for drawing tiles and chatting reminiscent of a married couple, exchanging banter with seamless understanding.
Midway through, a young woman in a qipao, with a graceful figure, knocked on the door to bring in tea. Qin Hanguan immediately couldn't help but take a few extra glances. Zheng Yu'an subtly kicked him under the table.
Note: Qipao (or cheongsam or zansae) sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a fitted Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the qizhuang.
Yan Shuwang's hand, reaching for a tile, stopped in mid-air. He glanced at Zheng Yu'an.
Qin Hanguan urged, "Hurry up!"
Zheng Yu'an belatedly realized he had kicked the wrong person. Just as he was feeling embarrassed, his knee grew warm. Yan Shuwang's leg was pressed tightly against his, leaving him no opportunity to move away for the time being.
"Yuanyuan!" Qin Hanguan shouted nonsensically again. "It's your turn!"
Jiao Tang, as if he'd discovered something incredible, laughed. "Who's Yuanyuan?"
Zheng Yu'an said helplessly, "It's me. The pinyin for Yu'an is 'yuan'. Director Qin tends to mispronounce it when he's in a hurry."
"That's quite a cutesy name," Jiao Tang chuckled incessantly.
Qin Hanguan said smugly, "You don't know, but when he used to work at the counter, all the aunties and young ladies in the corporate banking department called him Yuanyuan. Fewer people call him that now that he's a leader."
Zheng Yu'an smiled without saying anything. Qin Hanguan wasn't making things up this time. He didn't mind being called that, but as he rose in the ranks, more and more people understood the proper etiquette, and naturally, no one would call him that anymore.
Since Qin Hanguan had started it, Jiao Tang followed suit, calling Zheng Yu'an "Yuanyuan" as well. The entire mahjong table was filled with "Yuanyuan this" and "Yuanyuan that," making Zheng Yu'an play his tiles much faster, dealing out quite a few winning hands to the other three.
"I'm here to give away money," Zheng Yu'an complained with a wry smile after drawing another round of tiles.
Qin Hanguan, with a cigarette in his mouth, said indifferently, "You only play once in a while. What's a little bit of money?"
Zheng Yu'an didn't want to bother with him, feeling that his luck had worsened since he'd been called "Yuanyuan."
After playing two or three rounds back and forth, Zheng Yu'an had a winning hand. Just as he was thinking of at least drawing a self-drawn win, he suddenly heard Yan Shuwang next to him discard a tile: "Five of wan."
Note: Wan (萬): A suit in mahjong.
Zheng Yu'an exclaimed, "Eh!"
Qin Hanguan quickly stood up to look. "Did you win?"
Zheng Yu'an grinned, spreading out his tiles, very pleased. "I actually won."
Jiao Tang laughed. "Oh, Director Yan dealt the first winning hand."
Yan Shuwang showed no particular expression. He opened the drawer, took out some money, and held it between two fingers, handing it to Zheng Yu'an.
"Yuanyuan," he said, the words tinged with a nasal tone, like calling a child, affectionate and doting.
He said to Zheng Yu'an as if joking, "Go buy some candy."