"466, Big!" the dealer's voice rang out.

We lost again.

Wu Laosan stared blankly at the gambling table in front of him, his face flushed red.

Zhu Jiayu walked over and handed him another money bag, this time containing ten taels of silver.

Old Wu accepted it with tears of gratitude, and thanked God profusely once again.

He went all in this time.

But things didn't go as planned. The three dice in the dice cup were 1, 3, and 3, and this time it was a low score.

He rubbed his hands together, his eyes bloodshot, and walked up to Zhu Jiayu: "Miss, I..."

Zhu Jiayu sighed and said:

“Old Wu, you should know that I was willing to give you gambling funds because I didn’t want to see you, at your age, without even a place to shelter from the wind and rain. But you’ve already lost fifteen taels of silver. If you had those fifteen taels, you could have used them to start a business or redeemed your ancestral home. Now I’m giving you another fifteen taels. Are you still going to gamble with it?”

Wu Laosan was honest by nature, and when facing Zhu Jiayu, he couldn't say much more, only repeating over and over:

"No, miss, believe me, I can win this time. I've lost enough, it's time to win... I will win this time... I can win..."

His eyes were unfocused, his lips trembled, and he looked at her expectantly, his outstretched hand shaking shakily.

Zhu Jiayu lowered her head, took out a third pouch from her waist, and handed it over: "There are twenty taels in here. Think it over carefully, do you want to leave this place and start a new life, or continue to stay here and squander everything?"

Upon hearing the words "deficit," Wu Laosan paused, abruptly raising his head to glare at Zhu Jiayu with hatred. However, in the next instant, he reached out and firmly grasped the purse in Zhu Jiayu's hand.

"Thank you so much, Miss! You are such a kind person!" He left with profuse thanks and returned to the gambling table.

Qiu Songdao stared at her in disbelief, unable to believe that she had already given away thirty-five taels of silver in such a short time. That was three months' worth of his monthly allowance.

"Are you crazy?" he whispered. "If you have this spare money, you might as well give it to me if you don't want it!"

Qiu Zhuqing frowned as well: "Ayu, what exactly do you want to do?"

Zhu Jiayu smiled at them, put her index finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, and said, "Second cousin, fourth cousin, don't say anything. Wait a moment, I want to see whether he will win or lose this time?"

Qiu Songdao was already traumatized by her words.

I immediately wanted to leave, whether it was to go home or back to the academy; I just didn't want to stay in this place any longer.

He recalled how, every time he gambled with his friends, he would wonder whether he would win or lose. What used to seem like such an ordinary question now sounded like a curse tormenting him.

Wu Laosan was so obsessed with gambling that Zhu Jiayu made him his object of amusement. Before each gambling game, they would wonder whether they would win or lose.

But Zhu Jiayu held his hand firmly. He didn't know where a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl got such strength, and he was held so tightly that he couldn't move at all.

Just as he was secretly struggling with Zhu Jiayu, the gambling game at Wu Laosan's table ended, and almost unsurprisingly, Wu Laosan lost again.

He walked over, a hint of calm mixed with his timid gaze, and looked earnestly at Zhu Jiayu: "Miss...I..."

Zhu Jiayu smiled at him and said, "I've already seen the result. You still lost. We're not related, and I can't keep helping you like this forever. Wu Laosan, I should go back now. As for your ancestral home and even your future livelihood, I'm afraid you'll have to figure that out yourself."

"No, Miss, I'm really confident this time... Give me one last chance, and I promise I won't let you down... Miss..." Wu Laosan stammered, hoping to move Zhu Jiayu so that she would help him one last time.

But this time, Zhu Jiayu seemed determined. She even turned and walked away, refusing to give him even a glance.

Wu Laosan watched her departing figure, his deeply lined face hidden in the shadows under the lamp, his expression so obscure that it was impossible to discern his thoughts.

In the next instant, something unexpected happened!

He pulled out a knife from somewhere and slashed straight at Zhu Jiayu, yelling, "You filthy bitch! Die! You think you're so great just because you have a few stinking coins? I just wanted to borrow a few coins from you—"

In a flash, Zhu Jiayu turned around abruptly and kicked the knife out of Wu Laosan's hand.

The snow-white cleaver fell to the ground with a crisp sound, clearly reflecting Zhu Jiayu's face, which was as beautiful as a peach blossom.

Before Wu Laosan could react in time, Qiu Songdao rushed forward and pinned him down, ensuring he couldn't cause any more trouble. At the same time, he felt a pang of resentment towards Zhu Jiayu; if it weren't for her meddling, this whole farce wouldn't have happened!

Soon, the news of Wu Laosan injuring someone with a knife reached the ears of the casino manager. After he and his guards subdued Wu Laosan, he apologized to Zhu Jiayu and the others, saying, "We apologize for the fright caused by our negligence. We hope you gentlemen and ladies will forgive us."

Zhu Jiayu shook her head and said softly, "May I ask if you could speak to me in private? I am truly frightened."

Qiu Songdao: ?

He could hardly believe that these words came from the mouth of a woman who had just kicked a cleaver away from a burly man. Even if they came from him, they would probably be more believable.

Qiu Zhuqing stood silently to the side, his face expressionless, and no one could tell what he was thinking.

The manager bowed and said with a smile, "Of course, please come this way, Miss."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!