Chapter 73: The Nine-Person Bet

ssed in light purple ancient-style brocade robes of the same color as her current attire. With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he wore an agate belt. His facial features were fair with a clear and...Chapter 73: A Gamble Among Nine People

The night, Yun Qianyue and Yu Qingqing slept together. Mother and daughter chatted until dawn before they finally fell asleep due to exhaustion.

The next day, when Yun Qianyue woke up, Yu Qingqing was already gone from beside her. She looked over and saw Rong Jing sitting at the desk by the window reading a book. The sky outside was dim as if it were going to rain. She rubbed her forehead and asked lazily, "What time is it now"

"It's the hour of Shen," Rong Jing shifted his gaze from his book scroll and looked over at the bed with gentle tone.

“Where’s my mother Why is everything so quiet” Yun Qianyue asked again.

"Aunt Qing and Brother left for Southern Liang early this morning," Rong Jing explained. "They didn't want to wake you because they thought you might be reluctant."

Yun Qianyue frowned, "They left so early"

"Yes!" Rong Jing nodded.

Yun Qianyue thought that she had been clinging to her mother talking until dawn when she fell asleep due to exhaustion. That meant her mother didn't sleep and left as soon as she woke up She said in a melancholy tone, "Why did they leave so urgently We agreed last night to stay at Snow Mountain Elder's place for two days. Even if the elder isn't here, no one would disturb us, why rush"

"This morning I received an urgent message from King of Southern Liang instructing Prince Zhuo to return immediately," Rong Jing explained.

Yun Qianyue hummed slightly. Since they were already gone, there was nothing she could do about it. She lay back down lazily and looked out the window saying, "The sky looks like it's going to rain. Are we setting off for the capital"

"Not yet," Rong Jing shook his head. "Since you love this place, stay another day. Besides, there will be rain tonight and nothing urgent in the capital, no rush."

“Yes.” Yun Qianyue replied, rolling around in bed while hugging her blanket. Apart from feeling a bit uncomfortable about her mother and brother leaving, she had slept very well. She sighed saying, "This place is really peaceful. Each time I come here, I don't want to leave."

"If you're free next year, I'll join you and stay for two days," Rong Jing smiled at her.

“Okay!” Yun Qianyue nodded. Although she wasn’t sure if there would be time in the future, his words still made her happy. She asked again, "Did Night Tianyi and Night Qingran return to the capital"

"Yes! They set out today," Rong Jing nodded.

“By now all rumors must have spread throughout the country. Their attempt backfired on them, and the Lan family suffered a major setback this time. The ten great families had been in seclusion for centuries but just as the Lan family entered society, their reputation was ruined. Brother Zhuo gained a good reputation with his identity as Southern Liang’s crown prince. I bet the people of Southern Liang will love him even more now," Yun Qianyue said.

"Yes! Everyone is now talking about how Prince Zhuo is truly a man, he brought honor to King Zhuo!" Rong Jing laughed.

“And what about Lan Yi What happened with her” Yun Qianyue asked with raised eyebrows. With Southern Lingrui’s decisive action, it was clear that he had gained face.

"Lan Yi is still Lan Yi, she can take a loss! She made the public announcement of their entanglement and from now on, they are no longer connected. She didn’t lose too badly," Rong Jing smiled.

“Actually, Lan Yi is very good; it's really unfortunate!” Yun Qianyue said with regret. "At first I thought this engagement would succeed so I allowed brother to tease her, but then things changed."

"Maybe he was genuinely interested in her at the beginning and later realized that it wasn't right," Rong Jing said.

“Brother’s carefree and smiling face hides a cool-headed mind!” Yun Qianyue said with a smile.

Rong Jing didn’t comment on this.

"What about Feng Jin" Yun Qianyue asked again.

"Yun Qianyue, you really do care about many people!" Rong Jing put down his book and gave her a sidelong glance. "You’ve been sleeping for a day now, and I haven’t eaten all this time, shouldn't you be concerned about my appetite"

When Yun Qianyue heard this, she sat up suddenly from where she lay and nodded at Rong Jing repeatedly, saying, "Let's eat right away!"

"Who will cook" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

Yun Qianyue was about to say 'you', but seeing Rong Jing’s expression, she swallowed it back. "I watched mother cooking yesterday and noted down the steps, so I can probably manage a basic meal or two. Would you be kind enough to taste my efforts"

"Good! I'll give you this favor." Rong Jing smiled slightly, his smile warm and comforting.

Yun Qianyue immediately got out of bed, dressed herself, and quickly groomed and washed up.

"Feng Jin was injured!" Seeing Yun Qianyue busy with her preparations, Rong Jing slowly said a sentence.

Her movements paused momentarily as she looked at Rong Jing.

"Do you think Night Tianyi wouldn't have made any moves in secret Just because of the Dragon's Den Tiger's Nest Formation On that night when Nan Lingrui arrived at the Ten Mile Peach Blossom Grove, Feng Jin welcomed him and encountered an assassin. Aunt Qing had to disguise herself as Luo Yao and couldn’t show her martial arts skills easily; she wasn't able to help. After the confrontation, he was injured." Rong Jing explained: "However, his injuries aren't particularly serious; with a bit of rest for ten days or so, he'll be fine. You should put your mind at ease."

Yun Qianyue nodded her head, "No wonder I didn't see Feng Jin that day; it turns out Night Tianyi had his people take action ahead of time."

"Yes, if he wants to get rid of Nan Lingrui, naturally, he must be absolutely sure. Feng Family originally had a good relationship with the Lan Family and would have been their support, but when the young master of the Feng Family suddenly died, Feng Jin returned to take over as head of the family, thus changing the relationship between the Feng and Lan Families. Because of the engagement matter, the Lan Family broke off their engagement with the Feng Family and completely collapsed. Now that Feng Jin is helping Nan Lingrui, he naturally counts as one of Nan Liang's people. And because of you, the Chu Family also assists Nan Liang. The Hua family, Feng Family, originally had a good relationship with the Chu Family; they are considered part of the Chu Family too. As for Mo Family, soon Mo Li will become the head of the Mo Family."

"Mo Li" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Rong Jing nodded his head.

Yun Qianyue stared at Rong Jing for a moment, then looked away and grumbled: "No wonder you've been eyeing my Mo Li for such a long time; it turns out you're after the Mo Family."

"Actually, not just the Mo Family; I also have designs on Hua Family, Yi Family, Ling Family," Rong Jing smiled faintly. "I'm just curious if you'll be willing to let go of Hu Sheng, Ling Lian, and Yi Xue!"

"No way! You figure it out yourself!" Yun Qianyue immediately rejected his idea with a bad look on her face, glaring at him angrily. "What do you mean by digging away all the people around me Do you need to leave me alone for your own happiness"

"I just think they have such identities that it's a waste not to make use of them," Rong Jing said: "Lan Family and Cang Family can't be counted on anymore. But these three families, I can't let them fall into Night Tianyi's hands."

Yun Qianyue snorted lightly, "In my opinion, the success rate probably isn't high. Night Tianyi and Cang Ting working together is no joke; perhaps these three families already have some agreements with them secretly. Otherwise, when my elder brother announced that the Ten Great Families would enter society jointly, but later withdrew, these three families didn’t follow suit, there must be something fishy going on. I don't want to see any of the Red Pavilion's seven elders being sent out as test stones for these three families; what if they never return Hu Sheng is somewhat more capable among them, but Ling Lian and Yi Xue are still not experienced enough; they won’t be able to compete with Cang Ting and Lan Yi."

"That's precisely why I didn't ask you for these three people," Rong Jing smiled softly. "Why don't you think about poaching someone from me When I wanted to give Qing Ying to you, you wouldn’t have it."

Yun Qianyue curled her lips: "Your Qing Ying is already deeply poisoned by you; if she were given to me, she'd still listen to you. No thank you."

Rong Jing rubbed his forehead, "Qianyue, you have a deep prejudice against me."

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes: "I don't just have a prejudice against you; I know that your insides and outsides are both black-hearted!"

Rong Jing suddenly pulled Yun Qianyue into his arms, smiling as he asked, "Inside and out Hmm"

"I see that you're not hungry at all," Yun Qianyue retorted angrily; her face flushed slightly.

“How am I not hungry Very hungry…” Rong Jing’s voice suddenly turned low and soft, as he lowered his head and kissed Yun Qianyue on the lips.

The kiss was passionate and intimate. Clothing became disheveled; it was a rather heated scene until Yun Qianyue gasped for breath and felt completely drained, at which point Rong Jing let her go, his eyes burning with desire, voice hoarse as he said, "Qianyue..."

"Mmm…" Yun Qianyue responded weakly in his arms.

Rong Jing suddenly grumbled unhappily: “You are so nice to Rong Feng.”

“Huh” Yun Qianyue’s mind went blank; she couldn’t figure out why he brought up Rong Feng at this moment.

"You sent him here over a thousand miles away and guarded the woods behind Tian Mountain for a month to catch tigers for him." Rong Jing's tone was heavy: "At that time, you were only five years old, right That’s not long after I kissed you in the Mandarin Ducks Lake…"

Yun Qianyue looked at him and blinked.

"Qianyue, what should I do if I’m feeling jealous again You actually guarded the snow mountain for a month to send Rong Feng a tiger. Did you like Rong Feng back then" Rong Jing looked into Yun Qianyue’s eyes, his tone even more somber: "I remember that Rong Feng also attended Emperor's birthday banquet when he turned 45; at that time, he was very well-behaved. Did you feel something for him at that time…"

Yun Qianyue was speechless: "Rong Jing, this is ancient history! Let’s not eat old grudges anymore"

"No way! This time I can't resist wanting to eat." Rong Jing stared at Yun Qianyue with a determined look, as if she had no choice but to tell him.

Yun Qianyue felt helpless and shook her head. "Back then, the Wen Marquis Manor went through such a big disaster; he was the one I saved. People say that saving someone's life isn't really rescuing them until you save their heart. Naturally, I had to be kind to him."

"Then why did you specifically save him when there were several children in the Wen Marquis Manor back then" Rong Jing raised his eyebrows.

Yun Qianyue lowered her head and recalled for a moment before smiling. "I just knew him!"

Rong Jing frowned as he looked at her.

Yun Qianyue reached out to hug his waist, pressing her soft body against him and kissed his lips proactively. She smiled and said, "Rong Jing, I like Rong Feng and am willing to do things for him. But it's not the kind of liking I have for you. What I feel towards you is love. If the person I loved was him, do you think I would choose you over him"

Rong Jing relaxed his frown and gazed deeply into Yun Qianyue’s eyes. With such a gaze, her heart pounded twice but when she thought something might happen he suddenly let go of her and calmly said, "Go make the meal!"

"Are you sure I should be making the meal" Yun Qianyue looked at him with some emotion.

"This is the Half Slope Cliff; it’s where the Snow Mountain Elder lives and has his rooms." Rong Jing said.

Yun Qianyue's mouth twitched, understanding what Rong Jing meant. She turned around and tied her belt. Soon she heard him restraining a breath and suddenly burst into laughter, stopping any romantic thoughts in her head. She then walked swiftly towards the door.

Rong Jing listened to Yun Qianyue’s laugh, watched as she left with light steps, covered his forehead with his hand, muttered something lowly, and soon picked up a book again.

As Yun Qianyue left the room, Xiaohei immediately ran over happily, giving her another princess hug. She smiled and patted its head; it was even more ecstatic in showing its happiness.

The man and tiger played around for a short while before they arrived at the small kitchen to see Hua Sheng, Ling Lian, Yi Xue, and Feng Lu bustling about. The little kitchen was in chaos but not a hint of food aroma wafted out. Seeing Yun Qianyue arrive, the four greeted her together, "Young Master!"

"Are you cooking" Yun Qianyue asked.

The four faces turned red simultaneously and looked at Yun Qianyue with embarrassment.

"So, you’re even more unaccustomed to kitchen work than I am," Yun Qianyue said amusingly while looking at them. "My mother is an excellent cook. Why haven’t the Seven Elders of Red Pavilion learned a thing from her"

The four shook their heads as if they didn't understand.

"Let me do it!" Yun Qianyue rolled up her sleeves.

The four quickly made way for her, but none left and stood to the side watching. They used not to mind not knowing how to cook before, but since yesterday, they felt women should learn how to cook. Secretly making a resolution, they decided to learn cooking too.

"Where are Hua Luo’s people" Yun Qianyue asked as she worked on the meal.

"In the morning, when they were practicing swordsmanship, they discovered an orchard of fruit trees in the back mountains and went there to pick fruits," Hua Sheng said with a smile.

Yun Qianyue nodded. The Half Slope Cliff was different from the Ten Miles Peach Forest; it had real four-season plants unlike the peach forest, which was controlled by an array to ensure its flowers were in bloom all year round. It being autumn now meant there should be ripe fruits they could eat.

Subsequently, Yun Qianyue, who barely knew a little about cooking, started teaching these women how to cook meals. They learned with great interest and the small kitchen became lively with activity.

Unknowingly, Rong Jing appeared at the doorway, glanced at them, and leisurely said, "Yun Qianyue, do you know that you're misleading others"

"Young Master Rong!" The four turned around to greet him together.

Rong Jing stood at the door smiling in response.

Yun Qianyue’s face reddened. She admitted she was barely competent with cooking and yet teaching others, which could indeed be considered misleading them. She glared at him and said, "Is there any Lady Chu who mocks you like that If I’m misleading people, shouldn’t you teach me"

"Forget it! Not all women in the world need to learn how to cook!" Rong Jing shook his head with a smile. Clearly, he was very satisfied with the mention of "Lady Chu," even displaying a hint of happiness on his face.

Yun Qianyue huffed and continued her work, ignoring him.

Ren Jing did not come in either and watched her bustling about with a warm gaze.

The four people—Hua Sheng, Feng Yan, and Cang Lan—looked at each other and continued to watch Yun Qianyue's actions with smiles. They realized that the little lady was indeed very intelligent; she could make something roughly similar after watching her master do it just once last night. They wouldn't be able to do so.

Half an hour later, a group of people came out from the small kitchen. This was when Hua Luo, Feng Yan, and Cang Lan also returned with their bounty—mountain pears, apples, red fruits, and much more, filling up a large bag.

Seeing these fruits, Yun Qianyue couldn't resist making a fruit platter.

The seven of them were now familiar with Ren Jing and didn't have the initial restraint anymore. It was like a big family, lively as ever with nine people sitting down for another meal. During the meal, Hua Luo said, "When they came back from picking fruits, they heard news that the Seventh Prince and Zhan Xiaorong had encountered bandits on their way back to the capital. Zhan Xiaorong was severely injured while the Seventh Prince also got hurt but less seriously than Zhan Xiaorong."

Yun Qianyue paused upon hearing this, "Is it confirmed that they are bandits Not assassins"

"It's probably assassins disguised as bandits," Hua Sheng replied.

"Indeed, where in the world could there be such capable bandits to injure Zhan Xiaorong and the Seventh Prince" said Hua Luo.

How do you see it Yun Qianyue looked at Ren Jing with a faint guess in her mind.

Ren Jing smiled, "He gave a great gift to Prince Rui. Even though he didn't hurt Prince Rui, he injured Feng Jin. Would Prince Rui not retaliate He who receives must give back!"

"I think so too," Yun Qianyue nodded. Her brother was no pushover and now that her mother is by his side, it's like finding a powerful backing. Not using this would be uncharacteristic of him. Seeing Zhan Xiaorong injured worse than Ye Tianyi made her frown, "It seems the old emperor has bound Zhan Xiaorong to Ye Tianyi!"

"The Prince De王府 originally supports the royal family and whoever is the Emperor will receive their support. With Ye Tianyi being chosen by the old emperor as his successor, now that Ye Tianqing and Ye Tiandu have been eliminated from contention, Zhan Xiaorong becomes a future pillar of the Prince De王府. It wouldn't make sense if he didn't align with Ye Tianyi," Ren Jing said indifferently.

Yun Qianyue fell silent.

"Furthermore, do you think that Ye Tianyi and Zhan Xiaorong haven't had any private dealings over these years" Ren Jing raised his eyebrows again.

Yun Qianyue remained silent. There were some things about Zhan Xiaorong she really didn't want to think about. But not thinking about it doesn't mean she doesn't understand in her heart of hearts.

Ren Jing said nothing and the atmosphere grew a bit tense.

After a while, Yun Qianyue pursed her lips and told Hua Luo, "Send word to Young Master Third and have him quickly inform Ye Tianyi and Ye Tiandu about their injuries. I'll give them another gift as the first transaction of mutual benefit."

"Yes!" Hua Luo immediately nodded and left with his chopsticks to send the message.

Are you willing to take action Ren Jing seemed slightly surprised that Yun Qianyue acted so quickly, having thought she would need some adjustment time despite her resolve.

What's there to hesitate about Yun Qianyue looked at him with cool eyes. It has to be done sooner or later; the timing doesn't matter. If others start on the first day of the month, I'll act on the fifteenth. The wind and water turn. It remains to see if Ye Tianqing and Ye Tiandu have what it takes to take their lives!

"Probably not, but a hit is still better than nothing. They can use this time to stall," Ren Jing said.

Yun Qianyue nodded without further comment.

In no time, Hua Luo returned with the message and the nine of them resumed their meal. Since Yun Qianyue was determined to act, she was now open about it and the others gradually let go of the matter too, returning to liveliness. Feng Lu praised her as a young lady for cooking well even if not as good as her master; she resolved to learn how to cook. The rest also complimented heartily.

Yun Qianyue smiled at Ren Jing proudly, but he raised an eyebrow, making her immediately sober up. Comparing herself to him was like comparing a little witch to a great one—pride vanished instantly. She felt somewhat depressed; some people are just born to disappoint others.

After the meal, the sky turned gloomy and rain arrived soon after. The nine of them retreated into their rooms. Soon enough, heavy rain poured down, pattering on the rare plants in the courtyard.

Ren Jing and Yun Qianyue stayed indoors; Ren Jing read while Yun Qianyue stood by the window watching the rain out of boredom but soon found it too dull to watch. She turned to Ren Jing and said, "What should we do"

Ren Jing's eyes flickered as he looked up from his book and at Yun Qianyue, "Do what"

"Casino games, can you play them" Yun Qianyue was momentarily dazed by the flash of his gaze.

Ren Jing lowered his head to cover a light cough with his hand before saying after a moment, "I should be able to.

"What do you mean by 'should know'" Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. "Have you never been to a casino"

"Such places, of course I would not go!" Rong Jing shook his head.

"You're overly clean! Don't you know that gambling also has its own charm." Yun Qianyue rebuked him. She asked with great interest, "Do you want to play Anyway, there's nothing much to do here and this place is so quiet and relaxing. We can call over Hua Sheng and the others and have some fun together. Old Man Snow Mountain loves gambling too; he has cards and dice."

"Tell me what kind of game you want to play first." Rong Jing put down his book with a smile.

"We can play Nine Cards, Bulls, Dragon Tiles, Dice Throw, Four-Color Cards. There are many ways to play. Do you want to try" Yun Qianyue adopted the demeanor of an old wolf.

Rong Jing saw that Yun Qianyue was in high spirits and was infected by her enthusiasm too. He nodded with a smile. "Alright!"

Yun Qianyue immediately turned to call out, “Hua Sheng, Hua Luo, Cang Lan, Feng Yan, Yi Xue, Ling Lian, Feng Lu, come over! We're going to gamble!”

Rong Jing heard her cheerful shouts and smiled lightly.

From each room came the excited or curious responses of the seven people. In no time at all, they had arrived in the room.

Yun Qianyue started rummaging through the boxes and drawers; she indeed found dice and cards as well as other gambling items. She cheerfully called everyone over to play with great enthusiasm. The stakes of her game were not like those in ancient times, where winning or losing was a matter of gold and silver. Since everyone present in the room was family, there was no need for formality, so she decided that the loser would have paper stickers pasted on their face. And she had drawn little turtles on them.

With this rule, the seven people suddenly became nervous, especially the four women who did not want to be plastered with little turtle stickers.

"Heh, interesting! Let's do it this way!" Rong Jing chuckled. His eyes shone with interest for the first time.

"Don't get tense; don't get tense. Being too nervous is a big no-no in casinos. Who wins or loses isn’t certain yet! You might lose but you mustn’t lose face." Yun Qianyue shook the dice while smiling. Seeing how deftly she handled them, her slender hands gripping the pot and her face beaming like that of a little fox, it made everyone even more nervous. She laughed with greater guile, squinting at Hua Sheng and the other four women: "As they say in casinos, there are no fathers or sons, so although you are my people, I won't go easy on you."

"Young Master, you’re too evil; I don’t dare to play anymore!" Feng Lu immediately complained.

"Those who don’t want to play can keep Little Black company; he’s been having trouble finding a companion to play with!" Yun Qianyue said with a smile.

Feng Lu looked at the tiger crouching by the side. The tiger immediately glared at her, and she shook her head repeatedly: "I’ll play!"

"What about you three Do you want to go and keep Little Black company" Yun Qianyue turned to Hua Sheng, Ling Lian, and Yi Xue.

The trio immediately shook their heads. When they arrived yesterday, they had seen how well-behaved Little Black was in the young master’s arms. Although he was large, he looked very cute and so they couldn’t help but play with him after dinner. They didn't know that when it came to them, he would pounce like a tiger. Terrified by this, they fled but he chased relentlessly. When they used their martial arts skills, they were surprised to find his body was extremely agile despite its large size; clearly, the old man had trained him thoroughly with high-level masters for years. They realized that Old Man Snow Mountain's kung fu was incredibly high level and not to be underestimated, even by a tiger! Since none of them could subdue Little Black, it was only after Yun Qianyue called out to him did he finally calm down. After being chased around so much, they successfully entertained Hua Luo and Nan Ling Rui.

Hua Luo, Cang Lan, and Feng Yan not only didn't help but watched with great interest. This was a first for them all. Especially Hua Luo who laughed heartily when he saw Little Black play-fighting: he either pulled out someone’s hair or tore off their sleeves or sent them sprawling on the ground; he then gave an earful of “stupid” to whoever fell victim. Feng Lu received most of his verbal abuse, which infuriated her.

In comparison, Nan Ling Rui was even more despicable. He said with a debonair laugh: "From today onwards, he will inherit my reputation for being flirtatious; this tiger only pounces when it sees beauty. Truly kindred spirits."

Upon hearing this, Rong Jing reminded him: "It’s an animal!"

The Crown Prince was enjoying the spectacle and blurted out without thinking: "Then we’re kindred spirit animals."

This statement pleased Yun Qianyue. She laughed heartily.

Nan Ling Rui only then reacted; he turned around with a murderous look at Rong Jing before suddenly breaking into a smile: “If I am an animal, and my sister is my blood relative, what would that make Lord Shizi Please tell me your Excellency.”

Yun Qianyue’s laughter abruptly stopped; she looked at Nan Ling Rui with black lines.

Rong Jing remained unperturbed. With a pleasant tone he said: "Brother Ying is absolutely right, we are all animals!"

Nan Ling Rui’s skin crawled again and he slapped himself twice before turning his head away in silence; clearly the term 'brother Ying' had frozen him.

Yun Qianyue thought that Rong Jing really knew how to get under Nan Ling Rui's skin. He was easily put off by just four words, "Brother Ying."

One could only imagine the fright the four women received yesterday; they now dared not mess with Little Black.

Since Yun Qianyue couldn't play the gambling game, she ended up playing with Little Black. This left no room for compromise for them. They would rather be pasted with stickers and drawn as little turtles than play with Little Black. Thus, the situation was one-sided. The eight people, including Rong Jing, all had no objections except Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue still had a conscience. Before they started playing, she explained the rules to everyone and didn’t even try to block any of them in two rounds of practice games. This gave the four ladies some confidence. Soon after, the nine people played with great enthusiasm.

The first person to get pasted was Feng Lu. The little girl looked at her face as a sticker was plastered on it.

Hua Luo mocked her with a big 'stupid' and added that she indeed resembled a turtle.

"You wait!" Feng Lu glared fiercely at Hua Luo.

Hua Luo raised an eyebrow, indifferent to her threats.

Yun Qianyue looked sideways at Hua Luo with meaningful eyes. Sensing this, he turned and said nervously, "Young Miss, you can't cheat!"

"Don’t worry, I won’t," Yun Qianyue smiled sweetly.

Hua Luo was unnerved by Yun Qianyue’s smile, feeling that she was about to get unlucky. He hurriedly said, "Young Miss, you can't take advantage of me just because you know how to play this game."

"Don’t worry, I won’t! I always act in good faith." Yun Qianyue shook her head and still smiled sweetly.

"Why do I feel so skeptical" Hua Luo muttered while staring at Yun Qianyue’s face carefully.

Yun Qianyue innocently blinked at him.

The gambling continued.

Different people had different thoughts. Some were highly tense, some were waiting to watch the show, some felt confident, and others didn’t care much. The only sound in the room was the clattering of dice.

In the second round, Hua Luo looked at Yun Qianyue with a bitter expression. He couldn’t understand how she could have outwitted him while he had been staring at her and hadn’t even blinked. He was sure that she must have done something underhanded.

"Haha, Brother Hua Luo, your karma is coming! Quick, put on the sticker! Young Miss, give me the paper; I’ll stick it for him!" The happiest person was Feng Lu who laughed and shouted as she took the paper.

Yun Qianyue gave the paper to Feng Lu and innocently shrugged at Hua Luo. "Brother Hua Luo, fortune favors those who wait. Accept your misfortune."

Rong Jing smiled lightly.

Cang Lan, Feng Yan, Hua Sheng, and others all laughed simultaneously. They were well aware that it must have been the Young Miss’s doing, but none of them had noticed how Hua Luo got fooled. Thus, they all remained vigilant.

Feng Lu successfully pasted a sticker on Hua Luo’s face and echoed his own words loudly, "Brother Hua Luo, you are so stupid! I kept looking at this little turtle, and it seems to resemble you. How is that Young Miss gave me this one which I drew myself. Ha ha, the more I look, the more it resembles you."

Hua Luo smiled bitterly and looked at Yun Qianyue with a grievance.

Yun Qianyue patted his shoulder and laughed like a fox, nodding emphatically, "You do resemble it."

Hua Luo turned away from Yun Qianyue but soon returned to look at Rong Jing. "Prince Jing, I think Young Miss is right. Fortune will always turn around. What do you think"

Rong Jing’s eyes twinkled and he smiled as he looked at Yun Qianyue before nodding, "Yes, fortune does turn."

Yun Qianyue felt a chill in her heart but she boasted of having experience in gambling for many years. Thus, she didn’t believe that Rong Jing, who was new to this game, would be able to outsmart her. Still, Hua Luo was indeed a talent! Knowing he couldn’t beat Yun Qianyue at the game, he had quickly found a protector. She huffed and smiled as she continued with the next round while secretly thinking of how good it would have been if Rong Jing had gotten stuck with the sticker.

Extracurricular note:

Here’s some news! Dear beauties, please check out chapter announcement in public section!

The publication of "The Tyrant's Consort" is soon to be launched. Those who want to purchase the physical book can join our QQ group at 34476623 and register with group administrator Lu Nainai. You don’t need to join if you’re already in Xiaoxiang V group as we will organize a bulk order there too. That’s all I could say here due to character limit; please check the announcement for more information!

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