Qin Kou'er maintained her smile, calm and elegant, but remained silent.
Lan Linxue slowly closed the fan in her hand and placed it on the table. She narrowed her eyes and said in an increasingly cold voice, "Third brother, why do you always let women take the lead when you're doing things? Are you short of money or short of women?"
Lacking women? Lan Linxue turned her head sharply to look at Qin Kou'er. Could it be that Lan Jiayuan, that beast who can walk, has taken a fancy to Qin Kou'er?
Upon realizing this possibility, Lan Linxue's expression immediately turned even more unpleasant.
This time, Lan Jiayuan wasn't in a hurry. He released Liu Tao'er and leisurely walked to sit opposite Lan Linxue, smiling as he said, "Could it be that brother is afraid? Or has he suddenly taken pity on this lady and is treating this Pavilion Master Qin with special consideration?"
As he spoke, Lan Jiayuan's venomous eyes quickly fixed on Qin Kou'er.
"Afraid?" Lan Linxue laughed, a laugh that was both breathtakingly beautiful and irresistibly charming. "I'm afraid you can't afford to gamble!"
"Alright! Since you're so generous, brother, let's make a bet. I may not have mountains of gold and silver, but I've never backed down at the gambling table. Best two out of three..."
"Do we still need so many?"
Lan Linxue interrupted Lan Jiayuan, a sly smile playing on her lips as she stared intently at Lan Jiayuan: "Two rounds! One round will be between Qin Kou'er and that vixen beside you, to satisfy you! The other round will be between the two of us."
Lan Jiayuan frowned slightly. This ghost, Lan Linxue, was known for her ruthlessness; if you didn't make any demands, it was usually someone else who died. He had suffered countless losses because of this.
Raising an eyebrow, Lan Jiayuan gave Qin Kou'er another cold look. This woman was said to be a highly skilled gambler, and also quick-witted and unpredictable. Could it be that Lan Linxue had done something to her?
Qin Kou'er saw Lan Jiayuan looking at her and nodded with a smile.
"Third brother, if you haven't brought enough money to gamble, you can still get out and act like a coward!" Lan Linxue glanced at Lan Jiayuan with disdain.
“Alright! I’ll do as my elder brother says, two rounds! But the rules of the game are up to me. Since you’re such a skilled gambler, you should let me win a little!” Lan Jiayuan smiled shrewdly.
"Okay!" Lan Linxue agreed without hesitation. "You decide the rules of the game, and I'll decide the stakes. That way, it'll be fair and reasonable! Let's begin!"
"I will obey my brother's orders!" Lan Jiayuan waved to Liu Tao'er, then looked at Lan Linxue and said with a smile, "For the first round, we will follow what I just said: dice against dice, the one with the lower number loses! Tao'er, go and show off your skills, and stop making others ask for instructions all the time!"
"Yes, sir!"
As Liu Tao'er spoke, she twisted her slender waist and headed towards the dealer's location.
Qin Kou'er smiled gently, lifted the hem of her skirt and was about to walk to the lower part of the gambling table, but was grabbed by Lan Linxue.
"Even the dogs in my Crown Prince's residence are one rank higher than a third-rank official in the court. What are you, daring to stand in the position of the dealer? Get out!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Tao'er immediately smiled charmingly and said, "Brother, even if I am the thirty-eighth concubine in the Prince's mansion, I am still a secondary wife, and my rank is what it is. Even if you want to side with Pavilion Master Qin, it's still... ah!"
Before Liu Tao'er could finish speaking, a young man in blue robes walked past Shuanghua expressionlessly and slapped her hard across the face, knocking her to the ground. Five deep handprints instantly appeared on her left cheek.
"If I say you're worse than a dog, then you're worse than a dog! If I tell you to get out, then get out! If you don't, I'll skin you alive!"
Lan Jiayuan stood up abruptly, glaring at Lan Linxue, about to speak.
Lan Linxue looked at Lan Jiayuan without saying a word, fiddling with her fan, her gaze becoming dangerous and profound.
Lan Jiayuan recognized that gaze; it was the same gaze every time his father, the emperor, killed someone. A sense of dread crept into his heart.
Slowly, Lan Jiayuan sat down again.
Lan Linxue curled her lip in a mocking smile, then turned to look at Qin Kou'er, her gaze softening instantly. She squeezed Qin Kou'er's hand reassuringly, "Go! Win or lose, it's up to you! I'll take care of everything!"
Qin Kou'er looked at Lan Linxue and was taken aback. Was the man in front of her, whose eyes were full of confidence and domineering, still the same Lan Linxue who had always been capricious with her? His hands were warm and strong, and the softness hidden in her heart instantly felt a sense of security.
Nodding, Qin Kou'er smiled genuinely and gently. Releasing Lan Linxue's hand, Qin Kou'er calmly walked to the dealer's position.
Seeing that Qin Kou'er was ready, Lan Linxue looked at Lan Jiayuan again: "The stakes remain the same! It's still the Treasure Bowl. Let's begin!"
"yes!"
Immediately, someone below presented three dice to Qin Kou'er and Liu Tao'er.
Liu Tao'er's face was now swollen on one side, resembling a peach, making her look ferocious and frightening. She dared not vent her hatred on Lan Linxue, but could only fiercely prepare to vent her anger on Qin Kou'er.
"The game begins, please throw!"
Liu Tao'er revealed a ferocious smile, her hand trembled instantly, and a die flew out at an astonishing speed, heading straight for Qin Kou'er.
Qin Kou'er remained in the same position, as if she hadn't seen anything, and didn't move at all.
Liu Tao'er then threw her second and third dice, aiming straight for Qin Kou'er's eyes.
Instantly, everyone realized that Liu Tao'er's methods were indeed superb. Whoever touched such dice was doomed, due to their incredible speed and force. And according to casino rules, catching dice with one's hands was a foul. As a result, Qin Kou'er's eyes were in imminent danger of being blinded.
Apart from Lan Linxue, everyone else started to feel anxious for Qin Kou'er.
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