“You… what are you doing? Isn’t this… a little too fast?” The boy chuckled mischievously.
“B-but I guess fast has its perks too. If you’re into it, I’m game, hehe…”
Jiang Fuyue gave him a puzzled look. “I just want you to stop pressing things randomly.”
“Huh? Pressing things… randomly?”
Jiang Fuyue had already lowered her head, studying the flower-gifting and reward features.
It took a while for Zhong Ziang to realize, his eyes suddenly full of embarrassment and his face flushed even redder.
N-no! That’s not what she meant at all…
Jiang Fuyue: “How many times have you been here?”
“Just once.”
“With Yu Jiaze?”
“Yup.”
“Did you place a bet?”
Zhong Ziang held up one finger. “Just once.”
Jiang Fuyue frowned.
He quickly explained, “I didn’t even want to play, felt like horse betting — gambling, really…”
Jiang Fuyue nodded. “Better to be called naive than greedy. And then?”
Zhong Ziang gave a sheepish laugh. “Then Yu Jiaze said he’d show me how it worked. The guy was buying me dinner — I couldn’t really refuse, right? So I put in 3,000 yuan to join him just that once. Considered it paying back the favor. It was only 3,000. Worst case, I skip buying a pair of shoes. It’s the experience that counts…”
“So Yu Jiaze was the one actually handling the bets?”
“Yeah. The process is pretty simple though. I could tell just by watching. I can teach you in a bit, yeah?”
Jiang Fuyue curled her lips and glanced at the betting button in the bottom right corner. “No need. I know how.”
“…Oh.” The boy looked a little disappointed.
“So, did you and Yu Jiaze win or lose?”
“We won! From 3,000 we made 12,000 in profit — got 15,000 in total.”
Jiang Fuyue wasn’t surprised. Her lips curved into a half-smile. “He didn’t try to get you to keep betting?”
“He did. But then I got a call from my uncle telling me to come home for dinner. I didn’t dare hang around, so I left.”
“What about Yu Jiaze?”
“Of course he left too. But before that, he introduced me to Manager Huang and said that next time I could just call ahead and they’d reserve the best private room for me. See—” Zhong Ziang spread his hands, “we’re here now. This one’s even fancier than last time’s.”
“Yu Jiaze sure is thoughtful…”
“Thoughtful?” Zhong Ziang didn’t catch it clearly.
Jiang Fuyue shook her head. “Let’s go.”
“Huh? N-now?”
“Yes.”
“But the race hasn’t even started—”
“If we don’t go now, we won’t be able to leave at all. Think it over. I’m heading out.” She turned and left.
Zhong Ziang stood there, dumbfounded, then hurried to catch up. “Wait, I’ll go with you. Not that fun here anyway…”
….
Downstairs, in a certain office.
Manager Huang was holding his phone, reporting in with a respectful tone and serious expression: “…Yes, he’s with a girl. The surveillance shows they’re about to place a bet… Don’t worry, we’ve maxed out the leverage. The moment he places a bet, there’s no way he’s getting out!”
The voice on the other end said only: “Keep a close eye, report any updates immediately.” Then hung up.
Manager Huang let out a long breath.
Suddenly—knock knock knock.
“Who is it?!”
“Manager, it’s me.”
“Come in. What’s the matter?”
“Race hasn’t even started, but those two in the top suite suddenly want to leave!”
“What?!” The man paled. “Where are they now?”
“They’ve already gone down to the lobby. We didn’t get any orders, so we didn’t act.”
“Go! Stop them! Do whatever it takes,” Manager Huang’s expression turned vicious. “Even if you have to tie them up, don’t let them leave!”
“Yes!”
….
Lobby.
Jiang Fuyue walked briskly, each step firm and purposeful.
Her figure moved like the wind.
Zhong Ziang trailed behind in a half-jog. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
“When you’re running for your life, how could you not be?”
“What? Running for our lives?” The young master blinked in confusion.
“Shut up and move faster.”
“…Okay.” If you can’t understand, best just follow orders.
But… it was already too late.
A group of burly men in suits blocked the exit, faces unfriendly, eyes sharp.
Jiang Fuyue came to a halt, her gaze calm.
Zhong Ziang stopped too, frowning at the group barring their path.
“Move—”
They didn’t budge an inch.
Just then, Manager Huang walked out, hands folded, smiling like a fox: “You’re leaving already, Young Master Zhong? Why not stay and have a bit more fun?”
“I play when I want, I leave when I want. You got a problem with that?” The moment the words left his mouth, the arrogance of a pampered princeling from the capital shone through.
Manager Huang swallowed hard. He was definitely nervous.
Zhong Ziang’s status and backers — he knew all of it. But he also couldn’t afford to offend the Yu family, so he had no choice but to tough it out.
“You’re our guest. If you’re leaving, perhaps I haven’t done my job well.”
“Glad you know. Now move!”
Manager Huang’s smile froze. “Zhong Ziang, don’t be ungrateful.”
“Hah, who the hell do you think you are? I need you to give me face? Screw off!”
That sharp capital accent, the lofty tone — he really did have the air of a spoiled elite brat.
Cold sweat started forming on Manager Huang’s forehead. “I… I only wanted you to stay a bit longer, no malice intended.”
He was trying to back down.
But Zhong Ziang didn’t buy it. “No malice? Then why block the exit? Manager Huang, you sure have guts!”
“I—I…”
“This is your last warning. Move. One more block, and you’re dead meat.”
Just as Manager Huang’s momentum began to collapse, a woman stepped forward and handed him a phone.
He took the call. Who knows what the person said on the other end, but after a few grunts, he hung up — face hardened.
“Don’t let them take another step out of here!”
Jiang Fuyue’s eyes narrowed. Looks like the person on the phone gave him some promises and backup.
Zhong Ziang also sensed something was wrong. Words weren’t going to cut it anymore.
Sure enough—
Manager Huang: “If you feel we’ve been poor hosts, why not stay a bit longer and let us make up for it? There’s just two minutes until the race starts. Ah Shan—”
One of the suited men immediately stepped forward.
“Bring the mobile betting machine. Let Young Master Zhong enjoy a few rounds right here.”
“Yes!”
Soon, a robot-like machine rolled itself over in front of Zhong Ziang.
He didn’t flinch. “Huang, what the h*ll do you mean?”
“Didn’t I say? We’re here to serve you and your friend with the best service. Now please, place your bet. Personally, I recommend Horse No. 3 — great track record, high potential.”
Zhong Ziang understood. “So you’re forcing me to bet? This was a trap from the start?”
Manager Huang smiled without a word.
“Too bad for you — I’ve always been a contrarian. The more you push, the less I cooperate. Want me to bet? I refuse. What can you do?”
“You still don’t get it, Young Master Zhong.” Manager Huang grinned like a Buddha statue. His eyes were no longer nervous, his sweat had stopped. He spoke slowly, clearly: “Today, whether you want to bet or not — you’re betting. Understand?”
“You dare—”
“What wouldn’t I dare?” He raised a hand, and the suited men closed in around them.
Zhong Ziang’s face darkened. He pulled out his phone — no signal.
“Sh*t—”
He cursed under his breath.
Suddenly, he grabbed Jiang Fuyue’s wrist. “Listen. If a fight breaks out, I’ll hold them off. You run. Don’t look back. Call the police as soon as you’re out.”
It was a scene worthy of a movie — tragic, heroic, begging for a soundtrack.
But—
Jiang Fuyue: “You sure you can hold them off?”
Zhong Ziang: “?”
Poof — the drama evaporated. Just like that, the foolishness shone through.
“So what now?! Don’t tell me we really have to bet? I might lose everything — even my underwear!”
“Oh? So you do realize that?”
Jiang Fuyue gave him a sideways glance, meaningful.
“Well of course I do! These people are forcing the bet because they want me to lose. You think they want me to win? That race is definitely rigged. Whoever I bet on is guaranteed to lose. That much is obvious. What, you think I’m dumb?”
Jiang Fuyue smiled faintly.
Well, he is kind of dumb — or he would’ve realized all this sooner.
Zhong Ziang huffed. “And you’re laughing?! We’re in big trouble!”
“Oh.” Calm as ever.
“…”
Manager Huang saw him pull out his phone and sneered, “Useless. You two are trapped like birds in a cage. There’s no way out!”
Zhong Ziang gritted his teeth.
Jiang Fuyue looked up, voice slow and steady. “Is that so?”
No sooner had the words left her mouth—
BOOM! A loud rumble shook the ground. The floor trembled.
Suddenly, a group of men in black stormed in from the hallway and flooded the lobby…
heh heh heh!😈