Although 30,000 taels is not a large sum, it is still heartbreaking to see it thrown away so casually.
Lynn thought he was hallucinating and stammered, "Really... betting on you?"
An Honghan remained expressionless as before, but a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. "Place your bet." He then pinched the child's chin. "I'm lending you the capital to gamble. How much interest do you plan to give me?"
Xi Xizhi stared wide-eyed in surprise. How come An Honghan didn't suffer any loss at all?
How about a 50/50 split?
"What if we lose... how do you plan to repay my investment?" An Honghan gently stroked Xi Xizhi's cheek with his fingers.
Xi Xizhi blinked her long, dark eyelashes and said confidently, "I will definitely win. I'm sure of it. If I really lose, I'll just return the treasure I hid under the bed to you as payment."
An Honghan shook his head, coaxing Xi Xizhi into his trap, "I'm not short of money. If you lose, just kiss me."
"It's not like we haven't kissed before," Xi Xizhi was about to nod immediately.
Suddenly, An Honghan leaned close to her ear and whispered, "This time, it's not just a matter of a dragonfly touching the water."
Xi Xizhi turned to look at An Honghan in surprise and whispered, "Then how do we kiss?"
"A deep, loud kiss, the kind that makes a sound."
Xi Xizhi stared intently at his cheek, and said somewhat uncertainly, "Is it the 'kiss' kind?"
Xi Xizhi pouted, mimicking the sound with onomatopoeia.
After imagining that scenario for a while, I felt a little embarrassed. "Could we change the terms?"
Xi Xizhi slowly lowered her head.
As far as she knew, only lovers and family members would kiss like that in the mortal world. Although it was common for owners to kiss their pets, the problem was that she used to be a human. She always felt strange about it, and the more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. Xi Xizhi's face became redder and redder.
"Your Majesty, the competition is about to begin. Should we place our bets or not?" Lynn asked.
As time became increasingly tight, the people downstairs had already started shouting at the top of their lungs. The gambling tables were completely surrounded; there wasn't even a place to stand on the first floor. It was a sea of heads, packed tightly together.
An Honghan sat up straight without any panic, his sword-like eyebrows and cold eyes looking down, a faint smile on his lips.
"If we don't make a decision soon, we'll just be spectators today." An Honghan deliberately urged Xi Xizhi to make a decision.
The thought of missing out on such a great opportunity to make money made Xi Xizhi feel a pang of regret, and she felt an irresistible urge to participate. Gritting her teeth, she stood up from An Honghan's lap. "I want to participate! I'll bet!"
An Honghan's smile deepened, and he clapped his hands encouragingly, "Then you agree, Lynn. Go downstairs and place your bets."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Lynn glanced fearfully at the dense crowd. He thought that once he squeezed his way to the other side, he wouldn't even be able to breathe.
Not long after Lynn left, a deafening sound of gongs and drums erupted downstairs, the booming sounds echoing throughout every corner of Fengxianju.
A high-pitched female voice rang out, "It's almost time. Today is the tasting competition that Fengxianju holds every five years. Please come up on stage if you wish to participate. We will be arranging the first round of selection."
The woman was dressed in red, looking very festive. She had an extremely beautiful face, and her speech was very fluent, able to liven up the atmosphere of the entire room.
Besides the twenty participants, others will also be selected through on-site screening to participate in the competition.
However, not everyone could participate in the competition. Before stepping onto the stage, regardless of winning or losing, a registration fee of twenty taels of silver had to be paid. After all, Fengxianju was a place for business, and they were unwilling to operate at a loss.
Xi Xizhi pointed to the competition platform, "I want to go down."
"Perfect, I'll give it to you."
Xi Xizhi couldn't figure out what An Honghan meant. Before she could come to her senses, An Honghan had already grabbed Xi Xizhi's waist and leaped from the third-floor railing to the first floor.
This scene attracted the attention of the entire building. Many people were shocked and applauded when they saw An Honghan's superb martial arts skills and how he soared like an eagle looking down on everyone.
Another private room on the third floor.
Dongfang Youyu sat quietly watching this scene, "His Majesty of Fengze Kingdom is truly remarkable..."
"What are they trying to do?" the guard beside him asked in confusion. Dongfang Youyu smiled slowly, picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Of course they're participating in the competition. Since they've come to Fengxian Residence, why would they want to be just ordinary spectators?"
These two people, whenever they stand in front of others, can attract everyone's attention.
Dongfang Youyu was unwilling to remain sitting quietly, so he stood up and smoothed his robes.
"They all went, how could I not go?" His robes fluttered even without wind as Dongfang Youyu stood lightly on the railing, his silver-white brocade robe drawing attention. His dark hair flowed behind him, and a faint smile played on his handsome features.
An Honghan landed with Xi Xizhi in his arms. As soon as he turned around, he saw Dongfang Youyu standing on the third floor.
Xi Xizhi had already guessed that he would return, so she was not surprised at all.
An Honghan gently squeezed Xi Xizhi's shoulder, "You think it will be a bit difficult to win today."
Xi Xizhi looked at him, puzzled. "Why?"
"You'll find out soon enough." An Honghan pursed his lips tightly and said no more.
With a smile, Dongfang Youyu leaped down and bounded towards the platform.
Xi Xi blinked repeatedly, never expecting that Dongfang Youyu, who usually appeared to be a refined gentleman, also possessed excellent martial arts skills.
Dongfang Youyu landed beside the two, smiled and nodded to them as a greeting.
Since all three of them are outside the palace, they must abandon those formalities; otherwise, their identities will be exposed, and that won't be fun.
The woman hosting the competition smiled so broadly her eyes narrowed into slits when she saw two handsome men come on stage. Not only her, but countless other women were captivated by the looks of An Honghan and then Dongfang Youyu.
An Honghan walked to the side and handed over the silver, tossing out a hundred-tael silver note and having the people at Fengxianju register it, saying, "Three people."
Xi Xizhi blinked and tugged at An Honghan's sleeve. "There are no three people, it's just me."
Dongfang Youyu understood, and waved his folding fan back and forth, "So you are all interested in participating. Thank you for the twenty taels of silver."
An Honghan remained silent. The other party was the Crown Prince of Luyun Kingdom. Although twenty taels of silver was not much, since An Honghan, the ruler of the country, was present, it was impossible for the other party to pay out of his own pocket.
"You two are also participating?" Xi Xizhi looked at An Honghan and Dongfang Youyu in surprise. These two people's status and position were far above ordinary people, and they were not short of money. Why would they come to join in the fun?
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