Yen Bing's body had been trembling, whether from anger or fear, for two to three minutes. Suddenly, she stopped and raised her head. Though her face was still flushed, her expression took on an unmistakable determination, tinged with a chilling despair. "Rest assured, I, Yen Bing, am not the kind to go back on my word. Even though I don't know what you've done, I'm willing to concede defeat."
"Um..." Xiao Kai was taken aback.
"Don't waste any more time, Mr. Conman. Today's events should be part of your plan. Congratulations," Yen Bing said coldly. "Let's go now. There's a room I know of—there's not only a bed but also chairs, whips, syringes, candles. You won't only get to bed me, you can play with whatever you want." She looked at Xiao Kai with disdain. "You don't have to be delusional. I guarantee you'll feel accomplished because I'm truly a virgin."
"Yen Bing, you misunderstand," Ning Yuan's face turned serious. "We were merely..."
"No need to say more," Yen Bing cut Ning Yuan off, her gaze even more disdainful. "I've always thought of you as my idol, but I never imagined you were like this!"
Ning Yuan opened his mouth, but all his words were choked back. There was nothing more he could say.
"Sigh, so boring," Xiao Kai suddenly sighed listlessly. "I was just joking with you, Yen Bing. Look at how disheartened you are—it's no fun at all."
Shaking his head, he pulled Ning Yuan along. "Let's go, play somewhere else." Both of them didn't bother with Yen Bing anymore, walking straight towards the exit.
As she watched their receding figures, about to exit the door, Yen Bing suddenly shouted, "Stop!"
Both of them halted, and Xiao Kai asked, "What's the matter?"
"I don't care if you were joking with me or playing some high-level game of cat and mouse. I only know one thing—Yen Bing keeps her word," she said decisively. "If you want to sleep with me, come find me anytime."
"Crazy!" Xiao Kai again gave her the middle finger and left without looking back.
Xiao Guan laughed heartily in the silent script: "Hey, what do you think of my move, is it cool enough?"
"Very cool indeed!" The erudite real person watched with excitement: "Gosh, this live broadcast is more enjoyable than reading a novel."
"Indeed, modern society is quite interesting," the Mahjong real person said thoughtfully. "If given the chance, I hope to see more shows."
"What's the point of watching shows? It's more fun to make up your own," the secluded real person joined in. "I mean, do you guys know what I do when I'm secluded every day?"
"What?" Everyone asked in unison.
"Actually, I'm writing stories, in other words, novels," the secluded real person said with a proud look. "To use the trendy phrase, I'm also a writer now, hahaha!" He patted the erudite real person on the shoulder. "After this, you won't need to watch that 'Wandering Journey,' just reading my book is enough."
Suddenly, the Lord Zhen Yuan exclaimed, "Everybody, don't make noise, the good show is starting again!"
He was right, outside, the good show had indeed started again.
Xiao Kai and Ning Yuan's first trial ended in a draw, both wounded. As Ning Yuan put it, "I won her heart, but you won her body. Neither of us truly succeeded, so let's call it a tie." Xiao Kai then suggested going to the casino.
Although Xiao Kai had never been to a casino, having seen so many TV and movie shows, he had a general impression of gambling. To increase the chance of winning, going to a casino was definitely better than going to places for activities such as horseback riding, archery, or even sadomasochism.
Compared to the stadium, the casino was much livelier. Xiao Kai's head spun from the variety of gambling games, and the butterfly-like waitresses coming and going left him spellbound. These waitresses all sported long bunny ears, and wore extremely short skirts and small pink tops, looking youthful and lively, exuding endless sensuality. The gamblers, apart from betting money, frequently reached out to grope the passing waitresses. The beautiful ladies did not get upset, but laughed and flirted, carrying occasional coquetry. As a bystander who had never been before, Xiao Kai had to admit that the owner of this place was indeed very business-savvy. The atmosphere in the entire casino was so good that even losing money felt worthwhile for the guests.
Ning Yuan surveyed the area and fixed his gaze on a particular slot machine. "She is the one."
The girl sitting at the slot machine was dressed in a tight-fitting top and jeans, looking capable and neat. Her form-fitting clothes outlined her perfect figure. Her slender waist flexed as she vigorously fed coins into the slot machine and pulled the lever, appearing lithe and agile. Her pert backside was especially captivating, full and round. Xiao Kai couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva and nodded, saying, "Alright, she's the one."
Ning Yuan smiled slightly, feeling a little bit of triumphant malice in his heart.
Ning Yuan had deliberated over choosing this girl. During a previous competition with Xiao Kai on a yacht, there was an aspect of card gambling, and at that time he had known that Xiao Kai's memory for poker was almost miraculous. If he hadn't installed a camera, victory would have been impossible. And now, in the casino, gambling, whether poker, mahjong, or Pai Gow, all involved memory in some way, so Ning Yuan had no confidence in surpassing Xiao Kai. After pondering, Ning Yuan chose the slot machine.
Only a slot machine, a game of chance, was something Xiao Kai couldn't exploit to his advantage.
Moreover, the girl playing the slot machine seemed very young. The younger the girl, the more likely she was to daydream, to fantasize, to play, to yearn for romance, to like handsome men, and to only see the surface and not the depth of a man's heart.
With such a naive and inexperienced girl, Ning Yuan had the confidence to easily win her over.
Ning Yuan said, "Who will go first?"
"I will," Xiao Kai said.
He knew Ning Yuan's methods very well. If he allowed Ning Yuan to go first, he probably wouldn't get a turn. So, he straightened his collar, wiped his face with a napkin, cleared his throat, raised his head, and with a cool posture he had seen on TV, swaggered over to the girl by the slot machine.
The girl remained focused on her slot machine, one hand continuously pressing the buttons on the console, the other eagerly putting coins in. Her bright, watery eyes darted around as she concentrated, completely unaware of Xiao Kai standing proudly next to her.
Xiao Kai's eyes rolled, and he coughed loudly a couple of times.
The girl quickly turned to look at Xiao Kai, then turned back to her slot machine, continuing to play.
Xiao Kai was a little annoyed. He thought for a moment, then daringly reached out, pressing the side of the slot machine with one hand. His arm was now less than ten centimeters away from the girl. He then leaned directly against the machine, using one arm to support his weight. This was a posture often seen in Hong Kong movies when cool guys flirt with girls.
However, it was obvious that this move was ineffective. The girl looked at Xiao Kai, pouted, then turned back to focus on her game, ignoring Xiao Kai's presence.
Xiao Kai gritted his teeth and had to speak, "Hey, beautiful lady, want to be friends?"
But before he could finish his sentence, there was a clattering sound under the slot machine. The girl happily bent down to retrieve her winnings, having just hit it big.
Xiao Kai watched the girl's swaying hips, remarkably sensuous. It was clear that she hadn't paid any attention to what he said. She was engrossed in her own happiness.
Xiao Kai's elbow began to feel sore, and he realized that he had to resort to more drastic measures. Summoning up his courage, he crouched down also and brazenly laid a hand on the coin box of the slot machine. He said, "Beautiful lady, can we be friends…"
But before he could finish saying the four words, the girl suddenly sprang up as if she had taken firecrackers, and her small fist accurately struck the area between Xiao Kai's nose and eyes. Although the force wasn't strong, it was an attack on a vulnerable area. Xiao Kai saw so many stars that he couldn't continue speaking. His thinking and body paused, and as he stumbled, his elbow, no longer able to support over a hundred pounds of weight, buckled and he fell backward.
Luckily, his instinct was still normal, and in this critical moment, he remembered to use his elbow to soften the fall, otherwise, his head would have hit the ground first. Even so, his elbow made painful contact with the soft, warm carpet, immediately causing piercing pain.
In a daze, he heard the crisp voice of the girl, "You big bad guy, trying to steal my coins, those are my hard-earned winnings!" Then came the sound of two slaps, followed by the crisp voice again, "You've been hovering around me all this time, I knew you weren't a good person. Hmph, I haven't fought anyone for a long time. If a tiger doesn't show its might, you take me for a sick cat! Let me tell you, I'm Tian Tian, not to be trifled with!"
"Tian Tian," Xiao Kai's head swam, lying on the ground and feeling something warm trickling from his nose. He touched it and found his fingers stained with blood. He couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Such a sweet name for this girl, but her personality is really too fiery."
"Wow, you're still laughing. Seems I haven't disciplined you enough," Tian Tian, not relenting, saw Xiao Kai's expression and was about to erupt. Lifting her slender high-heeled shoe high, it looked as if she was about to stomp down. Seeing the several-inch-high sole of her shoe, it was clear that if she really stomped down, the man below wouldn't be able to stand up again.
Everyone looked over in a cold sweat. They had seen many formidable women, but one so fierce was rare. The women who came to the Gold Bar either were extremely wealthy or held high status, or they were mistresses of the big bosses. It was truly a rare sight to see such a fierce, fiery woman among them.
Seeing this scene, Ning Yuan dared not stand by. After all, Xiao Kai was a divine being. If he truly got upset, the Gold Bar would be thrown into chaos. As the one who brought Xiao Kai in, Ning Yuan had to take responsibility too.
So, just as Tian Tian's foot was halfway down, she felt a hand suddenly reach around her waist from behind, pulling her backward.
Tian Tian was dragged back a step, her anger surging. Just as she was about to curse, she felt a warm, magnetic voice near her ear, saying, "A girl shouldn't be too violent, you know."
Along with the voice came a good smell of a man, instantly melting away all of Tian Tian's anger. The girl looked up in surprise and saw a pair of gentle, focused eyes gazing at her face.
The eyes were inexplicably gentle, and the man had a handsome face almost comparable to Léon's. But most importantly, even though the man did something abrupt, his face was exceptionally calm, as if what he did was nothing out of the ordinary.
Because of this calmness, the girl inexplicably felt a very different feeling, thinking that this strange man beside her had an indescribable sense of tranquility, and that everything he did was really quite ordinary. He was simply preventing her from hurting others; he didn't have the slightest intention of taking advantage of her.
So as the girl calmed down, a certain feeling began to stir in her heart.
As her heart settled, the previously high-pitched Tian Tian almost unconsciously murmured, "I… I didn't mean it."
"I know," Ning Yuan said in a soft voice. "You're probably a very good girl, aren't you?"
Tian Tian's face flushed, hesitated for a moment, and then shyly nodded. Her voice was hardly louder than a mosquito, "Hmm… you… let go of me first."
Ning Yuan smiled even more gently, feeling exceedingly pleased. When dealing with these budding young girls, he always felt he had plenty of experience and just needed a few intimate actions and a gentle gaze. This kind of mature and elegant attitude was enough to conquer these inexperienced young girls.
While Tian Tian spoke in a tone that was initially high-pitched, she gradually cooed, "I… I didn't mean it."
"I know," Ning Yuan said in a soft voice. "You're probably a very good girl, aren't you?"
Tian Tian's face flushed, hesitated for a moment, and then shyly nodded. Her voice was hardly louder than a mosquito, "Hmm… you… let go of me first."
Ning Yuan smiled even more gently, feeling exceedingly pleased. When dealing with these budding young girls, he always felt he had plenty of experience and just needed a few intimate actions and a gentle gaze. This kind of mature and elegant attitude was enough to conquer these inexperienced young girls.
Tian Liwen stood quietly behind everyone, feeling speechless and scared. Cold sweat covered his entire body. As the manager of this casino, only he knew how dangerous the situation had just been.
Everyone who could enter the Golden Palace had great power. If Tian Tian's foot had truly landed, the boy on the ground might have been at least half dead. If it came to light, Tian Tian would definitely be implicated.
If Tian Tian was also a guest of the Golden Palace, then the casino could stay out of personal matters between guests, at most it would be considered negligence.
But the key issue was that Tian Tian didn't have a membership card. She was able to enter because her uncle, Tian Liwen, had brought her in through the back door. Because, Tian Tian happened to be Tian Liwen's niece, and Tian Liwen had brought her in today with a selfish motive: he wanted to help his pretty niece secure a job at the Golden Palace, so he brought her in to get introduced.
If it weren't for the handsome man standing behind his niece who had helped, Tian Liwen wouldn't just lose his job, but he might also lose his life.
The owner behind the Golden Palace clearly had the capability to quietly eliminate a person.
Xiao Kai lay on the ground, stunned. Seeing Tian Tian, who had suddenly transformed from a potential explosion to a gentle kitten, made him unable to resist. He carefully appraised Ningyuan and discovered that he was indeed a charming man.
Ningyuan's hand didn't let go. Instead, it slid along the girl's slender waist without any excess fat, ultimately wrapping around her waist with his entire arm, and he smiled, "How could I bear to let go of such a beautiful treasure like you?"
"You!" Tian Tian became flustered, her cheeks growing increasingly red. She tried to push away but felt the strength in the man's arm behind her. She placed her hand on Ningyuan's chest, pushing with force, but it had no effect. Instead, she felt as though all the strength had left her body, and she was completely enveloped in a strong masculine aura. She almost collapsed, her hands unintentionally changing from pushing to grabbing Ningyuan's other arm.
This goes to show that handsome men take advantage. The same moves, if used by some, would result in getting beaten up as a hoodlum, while others would be successful. Just talking about picking up girls, some people are called scoundrels, while others are said to navigate the romance world.
If just a moment ago Ningyuan forcefully held the girl, at this moment, the girl was already hanging onto Ningyuan. In this brief moment, all the bones in Tian Tian's body seemed to have melted like spring water, making it hard for her to even stand.
Although the young girl was only eighteen years old and had received numerous flowers and love letters, this stirring moment was the first of its kind for her. Suddenly, all her resolutions melted away in an instant, and she feared that Ningyuan would even take her away, and she would agree willingly.
"Darling, accompany me for a drink and a chat, alright?" Ningyuan said softly.
"Mm." Tian Tian obediently nodded.
"Well then..." In the midst of his busy schedule, Ningyuan glanced at Xiao Kai and deliberately lowered his voice so that Xiao Kai could hear, "Tonight, I'll take you to see the stars..."
"Mm."
"And then we'll..." Ningyuan's voice finally became inaudible, but the blush on Tian Tian's face grew deeper, filled with expectation, fear, and shyness. After hesitating for a while, she finally nodded lightly, "Mm."
Xiao Kai couldn't bear to watch any longer and suddenly got up, loudly declaring, "No, absolutely not. You can't go to bed with him!"
Such an embarrassing matter being called out by Xiao Kai made Tian Tian immediately embarrassed and angry. She gave Xiao Kai an indignant glare, saying, "My affairs are none of your business."
Perhaps due to just finding her Prince Charming, the previously hot-tempered Tian Tian now said this sentence weakly and even with a hint of flirtatiousness, giving Xiao Kai goosebumps.
"I definitely have to interfere," Xiao Kai said, puffing up his chest and hesitating for a while before finally managing to blur out, "Because I've fallen for you!"
"Shhh..." The entire casino erupted into whispers. Tian Liwen thought for a moment and decided to stir the pot a bit. Making sure these two men didn't spark anything over his pretty niece, and so from the crowd, he shouted, "You're in love with her, but she might not feel the same way about you!"
"Ha ha ha ha." Everyone in the hall burst into laughter. The people playing mahjong, poker, and other games all stopped to watch this much more interesting display than gambling. Some recognized that one of the men was Ningyuan, the young master of Zhonghang Real Estate, and whispered among themselves. They looked at the embarrassed Tian Tian, all thinking she was quite lucky, and she might have a genuine chance to become a rich man's wife.
Ningyuan, in the real estate industry, was known for being a good man, never indulging in frivolous pursuits. Today, openly showing jealousy in public for a girl meant he was really determined and had fallen in love.
Tian Liwen was trembling all over, unable to believe that his niece, on her first day here, had managed to catch the attention of the young master. If she really became his wife, what need would there be for her to find a job? She wouldn't have to worry at all for the rest of her life.
Xiao Kai was now determined and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't like me, as long as you agree to sleep with me."
"Boom!" There was an instant burst of laughter from the crowd. Each person looked at each other, all filled with amazement. They wondered, "So they have been battling it out for so long. It seems that this Tian Tian is indeed a special girl. I wonder which rich family she belongs to, to make even the young master of Zhonghang chase after her."
Ningyuan felt a little frustrated and said, "Alright, let's let her choose for herself, alright?"
"Absolutely not," Xiao Kai didn't mind losing face and said, "She might not be able to decide for herself. Marriages like this often involve business, and she actually has very little freedom to choose."
This wasn't wrong. For rich children, marriages were often tied to business, and they indeed didn't have much freedom to choose.
"Uh..." Ningyuan was a little frustrated by this persistent pursuit, "So what do you suggest?"
Ningyuan was confident in his own conditions, but the problem was that he only wanted to make a bet, not genuinely pursue Tian Tian. If a bet led to actual confession, he would never agree to marry this young girl. Xiao Kai had caught on to this, that's why he dared to say such things to Ningyuan.
After a brief moment, Ningyuan gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, let's call it a draw this time."
"I don't mind," Xiao Kai smirked proudly, "Anyway, she doesn't want to sleep with me. We can just call it even."
Once Ningyuan made his decision, he immediately let go of Tian Tian's arm, took a few steps to the side, and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Tian, I've offended you."
Miss Tian was still immersed in the sweet romantic love story and was taken aback by Ningyuan's actions. "What do you mean by this?" she asked.
"Miss Tian, it appears we don't have any fate," Ningyuan's attitude changed completely as soon as he decided to give up the bet. Although still polite, the distance between them was suddenly clear. Tian Tian also realized this and her face turned rather pale. "You... you're not going stargazing with me anymore?"
"No, we won't," Ningyuan said apologetically, "It seems we're not meant to be. Let's talk about it some other time."
Tian Tian's complexion grew even paler. "Are you saying... you don't want me anymore? But you just said you wanted to be with me..."
Ningyuan fell silent, and while he looked apologetic, he appeared resolute.
Tian Liwen was left dumbfounded, his mind still reeling from what had just transpired. Was it really over? This couldn't be serious, could it?
Tian Tian looked at Ning Yuan, then at Xiao Kai. His frail body appeared somewhat helpless under the gaze of everyone. After a moment of daze, he suddenly pointed at Xiao Kai and said to Ning Yuan, "Is it because of him?"
A feeling of schadenfreude surged in Ning Yuan's heart. He nodded and said heavily, "Yes."
Tian Tian's tears gushed out instantly. Her true nature was revealed immediately. With a step, she rushed towards Xiao Kai and grabbed a large wooden cup from the nearby gambling table, the kind used for rolling dice. With tearful eyes, she said, "You scoundrel, why did you hurt me like this? I'll kill you!"
Xiao Kai hadn't expected this girl to be so violent. As he saw her pouncing towards him, the large cup emitting a red glow was raised high above her head, and it came whistling towards Xiao Kai's head!
"Stop it!" Tian Liwen exclaimed miserably, finally regretting allowing his violent niece to enter the scene.
After several twists and turns, she was about to cause trouble.
At a critical moment, Xiao Kai's reaction was quite quick. He swiftly raised his arm to block the blow. With a loud "thud," the wooden cup bounced high into the air. Xiao Kai let out a cry of pain, staggered back a few steps, and finally fell down.
With a "clang," his fall coincidentally knocked over a small cart pushed by a waitress behind him. Bananas, cola, red wine, lighters, cigars... all sorts of small items and liquids of various colors rained down, showering Xiao Kai.
"It's over... it's over..." Tian Liwen sat on the ground, unable to say another word.
Tian Tian, after hitting with the cup, was also a bit stunned.
Struggling to get up, Xiao Kai shook his body, getting rid of the various scattered small items, and then raised his head to look at the dazed Tian Tian, clenching his fists.
Although Xiao Kai had a good temper, he also had a temper. First he was punched, then he was hit with a cup. If it weren't for Ning Yuan, he may have even been viciously trampled on. One could say he was being miserably bullied by this young girl today. He looked at his own miserable appearance and decided to lose his temper.
"Whoosh!" Xiao Kai wiped his face heavily and then spat a thick sputum onto the pristine golden-red carpet. He said fiercely, "It's all your fault!"
"Poof!" With this swipe, a small, emerald-green object flew out, drawing a graceful arc before landing between him and Tian Tian, presenting itself to everyone.
Tian Liwen suddenly gasped and said, "Young Master!"
"Young Master? Hmph, even calling me 'Master' is not acceptable!" Xiao Kai walked over menacingly, raising his palm high, his face covered in blood, looking particularly ferocious. "Today, I will definitely take revenge!"
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a "thud," and Tian Tian actually knelt down.
"What... what are you doing?" Xiao Kai couldn't bring himself to deliver the slap: "Just because you're begging, I won't spare you..."
"Tian Tian was wrong," tears suddenly gushed out of her eyes. The once unruly girl had turned into a docile little cat: "Tian Tian didn't know the young master had arrived. It's all a misunderstanding. Tian Tian only hopes the young master won't blame her. No matter what the young master requests, Tian Tian dare not disobey."
Tian Liwen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "At least she knows her limits. It seems there's still hope."
Xiao Kai was a bit stunned, unable to help but carefully size up the girl in front of him. "Are you alright?" he asked.
Tian Tian's tears gushed even more urgently as she cried, "I just hope the young master won't blame me. Tian Tian was really wrong."
Everyone in the casino was well-versed, and all their eyes were fixed on the small, emerald piece. It was a jade ornament that appeared ordinary and was covered in grease as if it hadn't been cleaned for a long time. It didn't look like anything special, but they were all discerning people. They could tell that the significant change in Tian Liwen and Tian Tian's emotions was all because of this jade.
However, even with the scrutiny of these experienced individuals, they couldn't figure out the mystery behind the jade ornament.
"Could it be... could this jade represent the incredibly mysterious owner of the hidden treasury?" Many people's minds had such a thought.
Xiao Kai wasn't a cruel person. He had indeed suffered some serious injuries. However, upon seeing Tian Tian's appearance, he couldn't bring himself to deliver the slap. He sighed and said, "Forget it, forget it. If I'm unlucky, so be it. Get up."
However, Tian Tian didn't get up. She said in a low voice, "Just now, Tian Tian didn't know the young master had arrived. Now that I know, I will naturally obey the young master's orders. If the young master has any requests, Tian Tian won't dare to oppose."
"Uh..." Xiao Kai was a bit bewildered. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is," Tian Tian looked up and glanced at Xiao Kai with a calm gaze, "Doesn't the young master want to be with Tian Tian? Whether it's now or later, please let me know. Tian Tian will definitely serve the young master well."
Xiao Kai was at a loss for words.
Ning Yuan was also at a loss.
Tian Tian continued, "Tian Tian doesn't dare to hope to truly gain the young master's favor, nor does she dare expect to become the young master's companion. Tian Tian just hopes that the young master will remember there was once a girl like me. That would be enough."
"You... you..." Xiao Kai stuttered, "Let me make it clear first, this jade ornament isn't mine. It was given to me by someone else."
"Even so," Tian Tian paused for a moment, then firmly said, "Since the young master has received a token, in my eyes, you're the same as the young master."
When Yao Yuan gave the jade ornament to Xiao Kai, Xiao Kai only thought it was a regular trinket. It wasn't until now that he suddenly realized the gift from Yao Yuan was actually an extraordinary treasure. He walked over and picked up the jade ornament, unable to help but ask Ning Yuan, "How do we handle this?"
"Of course, this doesn't count."
"Why not?"
"You're not trying to pick up a girl, right?"
"But she's willing to sleep with me."
"This is clearly for a special reason," Ning Yuan said, blushing.
"Hehe," Xiao Kai laughed. "I also don't want to take advantage of you. Let's make it the deciding factor in the third game."
Ning Yuan nodded, heaving a sigh of relief.
He thought he would win the bet today, only to be troubled twice by Xiao Kai. They ended up with two draws, and in the second game, he even went from winning to losing. Today was his last chance, and he couldn't afford to fail again in his pursuit of Xiao Yun.
To be entirely sure, this time, he absolutely had to clarify the rules in advance.
"Hey, let's make the rules clear again," Ning Yuan said. "We agreed that as long as the target agrees to sleep with one of us, the other can't say anything like 'I don't allow it'. What do you think?"
"Isn't this just a case of 'first come, first served'?" Xiao Kai laughed. "I'm fine with that."
"Also, no coercion, no use of status, and you can't use spells to compete and then use sex as a wager," Ning Yuan continued to add.
"Alright, alright," Xiao Kai felt he was in a dominant position. He chuckled, "Are you insisting on fair competition? Then I will compete with you fairly!"
"There is one more thing," Ning Yuan said. "We must determine the outcome in this round. If neither of us is successful, then we'll see who is closer to success."
Ning Yuan carefully thought it over and brought up some additional finer points, such as "No using enchantment to hypnotize the target" and "No deliberately using spells to disrupt my actions." After ensuring that there were no loopholes in the rules, he nodded and said, "Our final destination is the underground arena."
Xiaokai followed the service lady from the Xiating Gold Cave and went to take a good bath and changed clothes before setting off to the destination with Ningyuan.
The underground arena is also a very bloody place. It is said that many people die on the underground arena every day, and the chances of the fighters surviving are very slim. Xiaokai had read many novels about this, and he always felt a bit repulsed, thinking that those who enjoy watching life-and-death struggles were a bit mentally distorted. He also did not think there would be any beautiful women worth pursuing here. Following behind Ningyuan, after many twists and turns, they finally arrived in the main hall of the underground arena.
The underground arena in the Xiating Gold Cave was not as rough as the typical ones described in books, and there were not too many people inside. The spacious hall, rather than a hall, seemed more like a square, with tiered seats on all sides. In the middle, there was a large area enclosed with wire mesh, approximately the size of half a basketball court, giving it a bit of a sports stadium vibe. Inside the wire mesh, it wasn't two fighters battling but a person and a tiger.
The tiger seemed to have been fed with some stimulating food, appearing extremely frantic. Despite the spacious square, it was still terrifying, its body moving as fast as lightning, continuously targeting the fighters on the arena. Xiaokai couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for the fighter on the platform upon seeing the tiger's tail sweeping by, the roaring wind, the claws swiping, and the blood-curdling sound it made, with its jaws wide open, exposing its glaring white teeth.
Ningyuan, however, was unaffected. His eyes roamed the platform, searching everywhere, and suddenly landed on a girl in a red dress, unable to look away.
The girl was wearing a pink long dress, with shiny black hair cascading down softly. She had no earrings, bracelets, rings, or any other miscellaneous items. Her fair face was devoid of any powder, appearing plain and fresh. Wearing a pair of semi-transparent flat sandals, she resembled a girl-next-door, a typical portrayal of "naturally unadorned," and was truly pleasing to the eye at first sight.
Now, this girl was holding her chin in her hands, watching the performance on the platform absentmindedly. Her eyes were calm and poised, seemingly unaffected by the bloody atmosphere around her.
Ningyuan's gaze was a bit complicated. He had come into contact with this girl before, albeit only once, but the impression was deep. According to the agreement, he should not target a girl he knew. However, on the other hand, he no longer had the same confidence in today's bet and felt that, for victory, targeting a girl he knew would undoubtedly be a good tactic.
Moreover, he knew this red-dressed girl very well. She was definitely a virtuous girl and her illustrious background and outstanding ability made her not easily swayed or attracted. With Xixiaokai's unorthodox approach to courting and his stubbornness, he would never be able to win her over. Choosing this girl, he had at least an eighty percent chance of winning.
But his inherent pride and dignity made it difficult for him to do something so dishonorable.
Ningyuan clenched his fists silently and Xiao Kai's eyes returned to the stage, where the tiger had successfully knocked down the dodging fighter, biting his throat and beginning to chew loudly, a bloody scene that made many people scream.
"Our target is her, look," Ningyuan pointed to Xiao Kai, "that girl in the red dress."
"Alright," Xiao Kai said, "I just want you to be decisive; I trust you."
Ningyuan's face was somewhat hot and slightly embarrassed, "Or...shall you go up first?"
According to the rules they set, going up first would definitely be an advantage, and Ningyuan, a person with some toughness, was not willing to take advantage a second time after taking advantage in secret just now.
Xiaokai shook his head, "This is the final game; it's not fair for whoever goes first. Let's go up together."
"Ok, let's go up together!"
Seeing the tiger eating on the stage, the girl in the red dress couldn't help but lower her eyes. Suddenly, she heard a voice, "Miss, can I sit here?"
She glanced up suddenly and saw Ningyuan. Xiao Kai was hiding behind Ningyuan and in his rush, she did not get a clear look at Xiao Kai's appearance.
The girl in the red dress was slightly surprised, obviously recalling Ningyuan and yet he showed a demeanor of "I've never seen you before." Her eyes turned a bit brighter, unable to help but look at Ningyuan deeply, softly saying, "I didn't expect Mr. Ning to have such a compassionate sentiment. Tianran dislikes seeing bloodshed, yet comes to this place whenever he's at the Xiating Gold Cave. It seems to be quite insightful, so I couldn't help but come here to reminisce."
Ningyuan's expression was somewhat embarrassed, "Miss, do you know me?"
Seeing his bewildered look, the girl in the red dress couldn't help but smile gently, "Mr. Ning has many noble friends, Tianran remembers it clearly. Zhonghang Real Estate and our family have had cooperation, and I had witnessed Mr. Ning's demeanor a year ago. I've also heard stories about Mr. Ning several times from my younger brother, our friendship is long-standing."
Ningyuan's expression showed a bit of embarrassment, but immediately showed a look of sudden realization, "It seems that I underestimated Miss Tianran's knowledge; I regret it deeply."
Tianran shook her head slightly, indicating that she didn't mind, and then continued the conversation, "I'm here today to contemplate life and also to pray for those who died here, hoping that they will have a good start in their next lives. I wonder what your attitude is in coming here?"
Ningyuan smiled slightly, "Miss Tianran, don't think too highly of me. I didn't come to pray. I brought a friend here to broaden his horizons." As he spoke, he reached back to pull Xiao Kai forward.
Xiaokai's behavior was quite strange, hiding behind, not wanting to come out, and when Ningyuan exerted force, he pulled Xiao Kai out, "Miss Tianran, let me introduce my friend, Yan Xiaokai."
Xiaokai's expression was strange and embarrassed, smiling at the girl in red, "Hello, nice to meet you."
Tianran's gaze touched Xiaokai's face and suddenly paled, and then took a step back hesitantly, before timidly saying, "Hello."
After saying these two words, she immediately tightly closed her mouth, as if there would be some terrible disaster if she didn't close it in time.
Xiao Kai couldn't help but smile wryly. The world's events are truly coincidental and he never imagined that in such a place, at the critical moment of the bet, he would encounter an old acquaintance.
Over a month ago, Xiao Kai had joined forces with Xiao Guan to impersonate a "computer fortune teller" to enter Chi Xiaozhu's family to foil the plot of three monsters. That day, as an emergency measure, Xiao Guan had once hijacked a red BMW car, and using that car, had brought a lot of computer equipment, successfully aiding Xiao Kai in the entire "computer fortune-telling" process. At the end of it, they had entered the Chi Zhu family and exposed the plot of the three monsters.
The owner of that BMW car was none other than the beautiful lady in red dress in front of him, Miss Tianran!
Episode 6,