Maxing Out Charisma, Inheriting Game Assets Chapter 873: Truth or Dare

The living room was very quiet.

The aftertaste of that slap seemed to linger, refusing to dissipate.

Warm light flowed softly, falling on the three of them and bathing the atmosphere in an exquisitely delicate tension.

"Alright, let's stop here. It's just a game."

Tang Song wedged himself between the two of them, creating some distance.

He turned his head, his gaze first falling on Su Yu's face, and reached out as if to touch her cheek. "Does it hurt?"

At that soft question,

Su Yu's eyes, which had still been smiling, instantly flooded.

She bit her lower lip, and the face that had been struck shifted back gently.

"Song..." Her voice trembled, a thick nasal edge to it. "She hit me. You saw it, she really hit me... I make my living off my face, and she hit my face..."

Big tears streamed down that gorgeously photographed face that had just been slapped, dropping with audible plops.

This textbook-level "instant tears" and emotional flip made Secretary Jin's eye twitch.

Tang Song felt helpless too; he could only use his fingertip to softly wipe her tears, leaning in to blow on them: "Don't cry, blow and it won't hurt anymore."

Secretary Jin stood frozen, the corner of her mouth twitching until she couldn't hold back: "Little Star, can you tone down the act? This is really nasty."

"Is it... Mingming? Look at her... she hit me and then she insults me..."

Su Yu pressed her face into Tang Song's chest and cried louder.

Tang Song looked at the theatrically grieving "victim" in his arms, then at Secretary Jin across from them, clearly furious.

He patted Su Yu's back. "Okay, I'll help you get revenge. Stop crying."

After saying that, he let go of Su Yu and walked directly to Secretary Jin's side.

Secretary Jin hadn't yet realized what he intended to do.

"Smack—"

A crisp sound of flesh striking flesh rang through the living room.

Tang Song's hand landed solidly on Secretary Jin's buttock.

It struck exactly on the "zheng" character that Su Yu had written with an eyeliner pen.

Especially in a situation like this, and with the clothing involved, the implication was very pronounced.

Secretary Jin stiffened completely.

She turned her head, shock and humiliation flashing in her eyes.

And Su Yu, who had been crying into Tang Song's shoulder a moment before, abruptly stopped mid-tear.

Seeing Jin Meixiao's reaction, her mouth couldn't help but twist into a wildly upward curve.

Tang Song turned his head and blew again on Su Yu's face: "Revenge served, right? No more crying?"

Su Yu's eyes curved, and she hugged his waist, voice sweet and soft: "Thanks, Song, you're the best to me."

Secretary Jin watched as she pretended to be both advantaged and innocent, and her gaze grew several degrees colder.

"Tang Song!"

This shout no longer hid any emotion.

Tang Song's heart jumped; he immediately released Su Yu and lowered his voice: "Alright, Smile, we're still having dinner together tonight, don't be mad..."

Before he finished speaking,

Secretary Jin used her shoulder to bump into him from the front.

The movement was crisp and forceful, making clear exactly how annoyed she was.

Tang Song theatrically stepped back half a pace, frowning exaggeratedly as if she had actually hurt him.

Secretary Jin shot him a glare, bent over, and picked up the clothes on the floor. "I'm going to wash up."

Saying that, she turned and started toward the master bathroom.

"Wait."

Suddenly Su Yu reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Secretary Jin paused mid-step and glanced down at the hand gripping her wrist.

"What's wrong now?"

If this had happened in the past, or even two hours earlier,

Secretary Jin would have pulled her hand away without hesitation, refusing that kind of intimacy.

And Su Yu would never have reached for her like this.

But oddly, at this moment, the action felt completely natural.

It was as if the barrier between them—years thick—had truly been torn open.

Su Yu smiled: "Why are you in such a hurry? It's a shame to wash away such a meaningful mark."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Secretary Jin's exposed form, "Besides, the game isn't over yet."

Secretary Jin's eyebrow twitched. "You want to continue?"

"It's not me." Su Yu released her hand, turned, and lifted her beautiful face with the red characters written on it, looking toward Tang Song. "Song, you tricked me over here—when are you going to let me go?"

Tang Song's eyes flashed; there was no need to hide now, so he straightforwardly said, "Three and a half hours left."

"In other words—" Su Yu blinked, slowly continuing, "for the next three and a half hours, the three of us have to stay in this room together. Right?"

"Mm." Tang Song nodded.

Su Yu turned back to face Secretary Jin.

The smile on her face widened bit by bit, revealing a sickly, exotic excitement.

"How about it, Ms. Smile? Dare to keep these words on your body and not wash them off... play like this until the end?"

Secretary Jin and Su Yu stared at each other for a moment; Secretary Jin's response was lightly amused: "Heh, fine."

With that she shook off Su Yu's hand.

Then she turned and bent to pick up the black stockings on the floor.

As she moved, those perfectly contoured, shining legs gleamed under the light, and the marks just left on her skin looked startlingly conspicuous.

Yet her motions remained unhurried and composed.

No panic, no embarrassment.

Stockings, bodycon skirt, gray sweater.

She put them on piece by piece again.

When the last button was done, she tucked long hair behind her ear, and her aura slowly pulled back together.

If not for the wild-looking "nu" character above her brow,

On the other side,

Su Yu also began dressing slowly.

Her movements were more casual than Secretary Jin's.

Her long hair was still somewhat messy; the red characters on her face remained, and her red lips curved slightly, giving her an intoxicating, decadent beauty despite the disarray.

Tang Song watched the two top beauties dressing in silence, his breath a bit rapid.

The visual impact of this scene was even stronger than when they had been undressing earlier...

because the marks on their faces were too conspicuous.

Lunch was brought straight into the presidential suite's private dining area.

On the luxurious rosewood table, dishes were spread out abundantly.

Steam rose from local Quancheng specialties, delicate entrees, palate-cleansing fruits, and desserts.

Each item was arranged precisely, the aroma spreading through the air.

As the instigator of today's battleground, Tang Song's survival instincts and performative tendencies were switched to full.

He ladled soup for one, offered a dish to another, picked up drinks and asked seriously which they preferred.

Focused eyes, gentle demeanor—he acted the perfect considerate man,

even thoughtfully introducing each dish.

"This braised free-range chicken with pickled water chestnuts uses local free-range chicken and simmered pickled chestnuts; the chestnuts are glutinous and the soup is fresh—try this first."

"This is millet-fried lamb; the fragrance of the millet and the meat layer together for a unique texture."

"And this..."

Su Yu listened intently, occasionally following up with a light question, genuinely seeming interested in the food.

She even picked up a bite and playfully fed it to Tang Song.

Her gestures were gentle, intimate.

But most of the time, her gaze wasn't on the food, nor completely on Tang Song.

It fell on Secretary Jin's face,

More precisely, on the glaring "nu" character on her forehead.

At first she could hold it back.

Later, she couldn't anymore.

"Phut—"

When she laughed out, even she turned her head away, shoulders trembling.

As a heavyweight actress, she was losing all control of her expressions.

On the surface Secretary Jin remained elegant and composed.

But her movements betrayed a tiny, persistent stiffness.

She lifted her teacup, sipped slowly, then set it down.

She picked up a piece of bamboo shoot, dipped it lightly, and chewed carefully.

As if she were savoring it,

and as if she was trying to suppress something.

After several restrained laughs from Su Yu, Secretary Jin finally put down her chopsticks and looked at her.

"You're eating well today."

"Of course. Eating with Ms. Smile makes me so happy."

"If you're so happy, eat more. At least it might keep your mouth busy for a while."

"No way. Some scenery is too rare; it's a waste to only eat without talking."

"Scenery? You probably don't look in the mirror often enough."

"Not that; I do look at my face, but it's not as interesting as watching Ms. Smile. Especially today."

They traded polite lines, civilized on the surface but barbed underneath.

They effectively squeezed out every chance Tang Song had to show off.

The meal lasted more than an hour.

It was less a meal and more two women settling unfinished accounts from the card table by way of a banquet.

Even usually calm, rational Secretary Jin seemed dragged little by little into this tit-for-tat rhythm, speaking far more than usual.

At least Tang Song had never seen her talk this much in such a situation.

After lunch, the three returned to the living room.

For a moment, no one spoke first.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, winter Quancheng was quiet and bright; distant building silhouettes traced out against the pale sky.

Warmth permeated the room, and the air still carried a mingled scent of champagne and fragrance.

Su Yu lounged lazily against Tang Song, toying with his fingers like a sated cat.

Her gaze remained fixed on Secretary Jin; every time their eyes met, she smiled.

Bright smiles—annoyingly so.

After a bit, she sat up straighter. "We still have plenty of time, let's keep playing. You started the Dou Dizhu just now, so this time... is it my turn?"

Secretary Jin's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you want to play?"

Tang Song's heart skipped.

It seemed Secretary Jin was genuinely riled by Su Yu and intended to keep engaging.

That suited him.

To be honest, he was looking forward to it.

Maybe they'd have to undress again?

Su Yu didn't answer right away.

She rose, walked slowly to the coffee table, and picked up the nearly empty champagne bottle.

She was half an alcoholic by nature; she had been drinking during the Dou Dizhu and had another glass at lunch.

Now only a short, pale-golden sliver remained.

She tilted her wrist and poured the remainder straight into the trash can.

Splash—

The liquid fell.

She lifted the empty bottle and went to the balcony-side floor, squatted, and placed the bottle on its side.

Her pale fingertips gave it a light spin.

The bottle began to roll, friction singing softly on the wooden floor.

After a few turns it slowed and stopped.

She reached out and spun it again.

This time it rotated steadier, slower.

Secretary Jin looked at the spinning bottle and seemed to suddenly understand. Her eyes shifted slightly.

Su Yu looked up cheerfully: "The same simple game, Truth or Dare."

"The rules?" Secretary Jin asked.

"Take turns spinning the bottle." Su Yu looked at the bottle mouth and said slowly, "Whoever the bottle points to is penalized. They can choose truth or dare. Simple, direct, and fair. If the bottle points to empty or to yourself, skip—you lose a chance."

"Okay." Secretary Jin nodded.

"Wait." Tang Song, who had not spoken, finally did.

Both women turned to him.

Tang Song's expression became serious. "Let's make the rules clear. Dares are allowed, but they must be restrained. No physical harm, and nothing that's obviously crossing the line just to humiliate someone."

He paused, his gaze landing on Su Yu before moving slowly to Secretary Jin.

It wasn't that he didn't want entertainment.

On the contrary, this situation alone was exciting.

Played properly, it might even advance the Little Raincoat task a bit.

But actresses could get out of control when they went wild,

and Secretary Jin was clearly riled up now.

Truth was fine—you could refuse and take another penalty.

But if a dare escalated too far, the scene would immediately spiral.

If something went seriously wrong, it wouldn't just be a battlefield of feelings, it would be an accident scene.

Su Yu and Secretary Jin exchanged a glance.

In an instant, sparks seemed to crackle silently in the air.

After a moment, Su Yu lazily lifted her chin.

"Alright, since my husband made the rule, I'll obey."

Secretary Jin also nodded lightly. "Fine."

Soon the three of them each grabbed a cushion and sat on the floor in a not-too-close, not-too-far triangle.

The champagne bottle was placed in the center.

"Who spins first?" Tang Song asked.

Su Yu stuck out the tip of her pink tongue, licked her lips, amber eyes curved, and unabashedly looked across.

"Ms. Smile, please."

Secretary Jin smiled faintly and did not refuse; she gave the smooth bottle a gentle flick.

"Whirr—"

The empty bottle spun on the wooden floor.

A blurred trail followed the glass; warm yellow light flashed on the surface.

All three of their auras were involuntarily reflected on it.

Su Yu's lip smiled; the shine in her eyes grew brighter.

Secretary Jin crossed her legs elegantly, her expression still betraying little.

Tang Song unconsciously held his breath.

The bottle slowed.

Finally the mouth of the bottle came to rest.

Not leaning to either side, it stopped exactly between Secretary Jin and Su Yu.

Su Yu emitted a bright, elongated laugh. "What a pity, it gave you a chance you didn't seize."

Secretary Jin only slightly furrowed her brow and didn't reply.

Su Yu had already taken the bottle and spun it with a flick of her wrist.

"Whirr—"

This spin was faster, steadier.

Seconds later, the mouth of the bottle pointed steadily at Tang Song.

Su Yu's eyes lit up and her smile broadened. "Oh, it's husband in the first round—I'm so excited. Song, what will you choose?"

Tang Song's chest tightened.

With a gaze like that from an actress, choosing truth would likely land him in a trap about "who do you favor" or "who's more important."

Those questions couldn't be honestly answered.

He didn't hesitate. "I choose dare."

Su Yu's eyes brightened; she immediately pointed at the red character on her right cheek. "My dare is simple: pick up that lipstick and change the 'concubine' character on my face to 'wife'."

She turned her head to Secretary Jin, the corner of her mouth up. "I haven't washed it off or destroyed it; under the rules of dare I'm simply altering one character. It doesn't break our agreement, right?"

Tang Song glanced at Secretary Jin.

The smile on her face faded slightly; the emotion in her eyes cooled.

"Of course, you may."

Su Yu was pleased.

She practically leapt forward, closing in as if to be crowned; she closed her eyes.

Tang Song swallowed and took a wet wipe, gently erasing the "qie" character on her right cheek.

Tang Song swallowed and took a wet wipe, gently erasing the "qie" on her right cheek.

Then he picked up a lipstick and, carefully and deliberately, wrote a proper "qi" on that white, tender skin.

She grabbed her phone, took two quick selfies of her face, and grew increasingly delighted, her eyes crescent moons.

She even rudely turned her head and flashed the bright "wife" character at Secretary Jin.

See? This is me now.

Tang Song's scalp tingled; he couldn't help rubbing his brow.

Next it was his turn to spin.

Fate—or some cosmic payback—made the bottle wobble and then, surprisingly, point straight back at him.

"..."

Tang Song could only accept it and shrugged. "Skip. Continue."

Su Yu laughed with malicious glee. "Song, your luck's not great today."

Secretary Jin didn't comment, simply picked up the bottle smoothly.

This time she seemed more serious.

Her spin wasn't fast, but it was steady.

Finally, it stopped calmly in front of Su Yu.

A smile returned to Secretary Jin's mouth. "Looks like my luck's good."

Su Yu raised an eyebrow without worry. "I choose truth."

Secretary Jin looked at her, silent for a few seconds, then said slowly, "Answer one question: What do you envy most about me?"

The living room fell silent.

Su Yu's smile faltered.

Her chest rose and fell once, then she answered calmly: "I envy that you can stand beside him."

Secretary Jin smiled. "Good, acceptable."

It was Su Yu's turn to spin.

The bottle spun a few circles and, neither favoring one side nor the other, stopped squarely pointing at Secretary Jin.

Su Yu immediately asked, "What do you envy most about me?"

Secretary Jin's eyelid twitched slightly.

But she didn't dodge the question.

After a moment's silence, she answered plainly: "His past favoritism toward you."

Su Yu nodded once, then laughed softly. "Pass."

And so the game truly began.

The three took turns spinning the bottle.

Because they weren't sitting too close and because many spins landed empty or on themselves, there were quite a few skipped turns.

Yet whether by chance or design, Su Yu's number of skips was clearly the fewest.

And almost every time the bottle landed for someone, it landed on Secretary Jin.

Su Yu's questions were targeted.

She asked what Secretary Jin feared most.

She asked the one secret she didn't want others to know.

She even asked whether she had slept with a man.

More often than not, Secretary Jin refused to answer and chose dares.

Su Yu then made her feed her wine, tie her shoelaces, look into her eyes and list ten merits...

None of the tasks were extreme,

but each felt like being slowly cut with a blunt knife.

Secretary Jin, on the other hand, landed on Su Yu much less frequently.

Though when she did, she returned double for double.

In total, she had clearly lost out.

Her expression grew progressively uglier.

Slowly, Tang Song and Secretary Jin both began to sense something off.

After another round,

Secretary Jin, who had been ordered to do twenty push-ups in front of Su Yu, panted and looked straight at Su Yu:

"Are you cheating?"

Su Yu looked innocent. "Unfair accusation, Ms. Smile. I just drink a lot and often play these little games—my hands are used to the feel."

Tang Song sitting nearby felt an oddness in his chest.

Maybe others wouldn't detect it, but he knew all too well.

Su Yu wasn't like the other game characters.

She'd been molded as a top-tier entertainer—dance, body control, rhythm, wrist flicks were her strengths.

If she wanted to subtly control the bottle's direction with a familiar bottle, it wasn't