For the first time in her life, TanTan actually found herself inside an ancient gambling house.
Compared to the gambling houses she had seen in movies and television dramas, this place was surprisingly clean and tidy. It was almost like a modern casino. Different areas were designated for different games, attracting all kinds of people, from ordinary commoners to the wealthy and influential. However, the latter seemed to make up the majority of the customers.
The only thing TanTan couldn't stand was the smoke. It filled the air with an unpleasant, suffocating smell that made her uncomfortable.
There was also something else she couldn't help noticing—the unsettling atmosphere surrounding every single gambling table. The players were completely absorbed in their games, their eyes filled with excitement and anticipation. Some looked almost crazed, as if they had forgotten everything else in the world except the bets in front of them.
Following QingQing, TanTan struggled to make her way through the crowded gambling hall. It felt like trying to push her way through waves of people.
As she squeezed between two gambling tables, one of the players on her right suddenly seemed to win his bet. Overcome with excitement, he instinctively threw his hand into the air to celebrate. Unfortunately, his gesture accidentally struck TanTan, sending her stumbling toward the player at the neighboring table.
The unfortunate man she bumped into had his bet accidentally changed. His betting chip, which had been placed in the circle marked 'SMALL', was pushed into the circle marked 'BIG' instead—all just moments before the bookie signaled for betting to stop.
The man froze in disbelief before immediately turning around in fury.
"You... IDIOT!!!"
He grabbed TanTan by the collar and pulled her toward him.
The man had a thick beard and bushy eyebrows. His fierce glare was intimidating enough, but when TanTan found herself so close to his face, she could also smell the strong stench of alcohol on his breath.
"I'm sorry! It was an accident!" TanTan hurriedly apologized.
She glanced around, hoping QingQing would come to her rescue, but QingQing was still struggling to make her way through the crowd. There were simply too many people separating them.
Just then, the bookie at the table opened the dice shaker and announced the result.
"Six-five-six! BIG!"
The bearded man, who had been on the verge of hitting TanTan just moments ago, suddenly froze.
Then, his expression changed completely.
"Hahahahaha! I WON!"
He immediately released TanTan's collar and threw an arm around her neck in a friendly manner.
"You little fellow! You brought me luck! I finally won! Hahahaha!"
TanTan tried to free herself from his embrace.
"Erm... congratulations on winning, but I really need to go..."
She almost managed to escape when the man pulled her back again, wrapping his arm around her neck.
"Don't be in such a hurry, little friend! Bet for me again! I've already lost so much money today, so you have to bring me more luck! Now, tell me... 'BIG' or 'SMALL'?"
This man is completely drunk...
TanTan was beginning to feel nervous. She knew that dealing with drunk people could be troublesome, especially when their behavior was so unpredictable. Unfortunately, she couldn't seem to free herself from his grip.
"Come onnn! Hurry up!"
The man grew impatient and shook her impatiently as the bookie began counting down the remaining betting time.
"Ugh... too tight... You're squeezing me too tightly..." TanTan struggled and tried to hit the man's arm, hoping he would loosen his grip around her neck.
"What?! Tight? Oh! You mean SMALL?!"
Before TanTan could explain herself, the man suddenly shouted,
"ALL RIGHT! LET'S TRY SMALL THIS TIME!"
He enthusiastically placed his bet in the circle marked 'SMALL'.
The bookie opened the shaker once again and announced,
"One-three-one! SMALL!"
"WOOOO! YEAHHHH!"
The bearded man erupted with excitement.
He grabbed TanTan's shoulders and shook them enthusiastically.
"Oh, man! You're really my lucky bird! Hahahaha!"
TanTan herself was equally surprised.
Wait... Am I really that good at gambling?
"LET'S DO IT AGAIN!!!"
Somehow, TanTan found herself getting drawn into the excitement. She couldn't help wondering whether her luck would continue for a third round.
And unbelievably, it did!
Even QingQing, who had finally managed to stand beside her, was astonished. By the fifth round, TanTan had correctly predicted every single bet. The bookie, meanwhile, was beginning to look increasingly nervous.
"Well, what about this time, little brother?"
The bearded man, who had finally released TanTan's neck, grinned at her expectantly.
"Erm... let's try 'SMALL' again?" TanTan answered with an uncertain smile, showing a little of her teeth.
She could only hope her luck hadn't run out.
"REALLY?! ALL RIGHT! I'LL BET ALL MY MONEY ON 'SMALL'! HEY, BOOKIE!"
TanTan's eyes widened.
"Wait! I don't think it's wise to bet all your money..."
"You really are too green, little brother!" The bearded man laughed loudly. "When it comes to gambling, you have to be bold enough to make big bets! ISN'T THAT RIGHT, EVERYONE?!"
His question was immediately met with enthusiastic cheers and laughter from the surrounding players.
Seeing TanTan's incredible winning streak, the other gamblers began following the bearded man's example. Soon, almost everyone at the table had placed their bets on 'SMALL'.
The bookie's expression grew increasingly uneasy. He hesitated, seemingly reluctant to open the dice shaker.
"OPEN IT! OPEN IT! OPEN IT!"
The impatient gamblers began shouting and crowding around the table, practically forcing the bookie to reveal the result.
Finally, he opened the shaker.
"It's... S-SMALL..."
For a brief moment, there was silence.
Then—
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
The entire table erupted in celebration.
The bearded man was practically jumping with joy. He slapped TanTan's shoulder several times, his excitement seemingly beyond control.
"SEE?! SEE?! I TOLD YOU! THIS LITTLE BROTHER IS MY LUCKY CHARM!!!"
TanTan was also caught up in the excitement, although she couldn't quite believe what had just happened.
Meanwhile, the bookie was beginning to panic. With so many players winning such large amounts, the gambling house stood to lose a considerable sum of money.
The players immediately began demanding their winnings, creating such a commotion that gamblers from neighboring tables started turning their attention toward them.
QingQing tried to get closer to TanTan and shouted above the noise.
"I THINK WE SHOULD LEAVE NOW!"
"What?!"
TanTan couldn't hear her clearly.
"I SAID WE SHOULD LEAVE! NOW!"
Just as QingQing repeated herself, a loud gong suddenly rang through the gambling hall.
BOOOONG!
The sound was so powerful that it immediately silenced the entire hall.
Everyone turned their attention toward the staircase.
Standing in the middle of the spacious upstairs landing was a beautiful woman. She held a mallet in her hand, having just struck the large gong displayed beside her.
TanTan heard several whispers coming from the people around her.
"It's Lady FengHuang... What a beauty!"
"Oh! Lady FengHuang has finally appeared! What a lucky day! I actually get to see her!"
From their reactions, TanTan could tell that this woman was quite famous, especially among the male customers.
QingQing let out a heavy sigh and slapped her forehead in frustration.
"Oh, no... We're too late!"
"What do you mean?" TanTan asked in confusion.
"She's not happy!" QingQing shook her head anxiously. "This can't be good... You really shouldn't have made her angry!"
"Who?"
TanTan didn't really need an answer. She could already guess whom QingQing was talking about.
Her attention returned to Lady FengHuang.
The woman looked as though she might be in her thirties, although TanTan couldn't be certain because of the heavy makeup covering her face.
She wore an alluring dress that exposed her shoulders and beautifully shaped collarbones, revealing just a glimpse of her cleavage. Her hair was styled in an elaborate yet attractive arrangement.
However, the most captivating feature of this woman was undoubtedly her eyes. They were sharp and seductive, almost like those of a cat.
Lady FengHuang slowly surveyed the gambling hall until her gaze finally settled on TanTan and the crowd surrounding their table.
"It seems something interesting has just happened at this table, gentlemen?"
The bookie immediately hurried over to report what had happened.
Judging from his gestures, he was clearly explaining the situation involving TanTan and the bearded man.
Lady FengHuang's eyes gradually narrowed as she looked directly at the two of them.
Meanwhile, QingQing seemed to be doing her best to hide her face.
"Oh... I see that these two gentlemen have brought along a little goddess of luck." Lady FengHuang smiled faintly. "What a waste to have someone so lucky playing such a small game."
She gracefully gestured toward the staircase.
"How about I invite both of you to try a bigger game with me?"
The bearded man immediately perked up.
The opportunity was simply too good to refuse, especially when the invitation came from such a beautiful woman.
"Of course! Why not? Right, little brother? We can't possibly disappoint such a beautiful lady!"
QingQing desperately shook her head, trying to give TanTan a clear warning that accepting the invitation was a terrible idea.
Unfortunately, the bearded man had already grabbed TanTan's arm and begun dragging her toward the staircase.
Whether she was willing or not, she had no choice but to follow.
As TanTan passed QingQing, the latter quickly leaned closer and whispered,
"Don't worry. I'll find a way to help you!"
TanTan could only hope QingQing would keep her promise as she followed the bearded man and Lady FengHuang upstairs.
The room upstairs was decorated in an extravagant style, with purple being the dominant color throughout. A rich floral fragrance filled the air, mixed with the sweet scent of incense that TanTan had never encountered before.
It appeared to be a private room. Two bodyguards stood guard at the entrance, and after everyone entered, they slowly closed the door behind them.
Lady FengHuang gracefully settled onto a long couch before gesturing toward the seats opposite her.
"Please, have a seat, gentlemen."
The bearded man sat down comfortably, pulling TanTan down beside him.
Lady FengHuang then signaled to several pretty serving girls, who promptly brought over drinks.
The bearded man insisted on putting a cup into TanTan's hand.
"Please, have a drink! This is our special wine. You won't find it anywhere else! Consider it my special treat for your wonderful performance just now!"
The bearded man didn't seem suspicious in the slightest. In fact, he looked positively flattered to have the opportunity to drink with such a famous beauty.
"What a lucky day I've had! Not only did I win so much money, but I also get to enjoy a special drink with Lady FengHuang, the phoenix of this gambling house! Hahahaha!"
He raised his cup and drank it in one go.
"Ahhh! What a wonderful wine! Hahahaha!"
TanTan widened her eyes as she watched him finish the entire cup.
Seriously... Is this man stupid or what? How can he just drink something like that without hesitation? Isn't he afraid it might be drugged?
Lady FengHuang noticed that TanTan hadn't touched her drink.
"Oh? It seems this young gentleman doesn't like my wine. What a pity..."
She deliberately put on a disappointed expression.
Seeing this, the bearded man immediately shoved the cup toward TanTan's mouth.
"Don't be silly! He's just shy! Come on, little brother, drink it! Don't embarrass me!"
"Gulp!"
With the man's forceful assistance, TanTan was finally made to swallow the wine.
She shot him an irritated glare, but the man seemed completely oblivious.
The wine tasted sweet, almost deceptively pleasant. However, something felt strange.
Almost immediately after swallowing it, TanTan began to feel an unusual warmth spreading through her body.
Her cheeks quickly turned red, like ripe tomatoes.
She tried her best to remain composed, struggling to keep her mind clear despite the strange sensation.
Lady FengHuang watched them with a satisfied smile.
"Now, I want both of you to listen carefully..."
TanTan was beginning to feel dizzy. Perhaps it was because she wasn't much of a drinker. Even a small amount of alcohol could easily make her tipsy.
She glanced at the bearded man beside her.
He was showing similar symptoms, his head gradually drooping until he finally lost consciousness.
TanTan, however, was still barely able to hear Lady FengHuang's voice.
"There are two things I hate most in my gambling house..."
Her voice was calm, almost pleasant.
"One of them is a noisy player..."
TanTan struggled to keep her eyes open.
"...And the other is..."
Lady FengHuang paused, her lips curling into a cold smile.
"...A player who is far too lucky."
Before TanTan could fully comprehend those words, her body suddenly became weak. The room began spinning around her, and her vision gradually blurred.
Then everything went black.
Lady FengHuang smiled evilly as she watched both TanTan and the bearded man collapse unconscious.
"How foolish..."
She turned toward her guards and issued her next order without the slightest hesitation.
"Guards, take everything from them. Then strip off their clothes. I want them thrown naked onto the street as punishment for causing trouble in my gambling house!"
"Yes, Lady!"
The guards immediately stepped forward to carry out her orders.
However, before they could do anything, one of the bookies suddenly rushed into the room.
"Lady FengHuang! Something terrible has happened!"
"What is it?!" Lady FengHuang snapped, clearly displeased by the interruption.
"Prince... Prince Li is here! The Seventh Prince has arrived!"
The announcement caught Lady FengHuang completely by surprise.
Her expression changed almost instantly. The cold, displeased look on her face disappeared, replaced by a mixture of shock and delight.
She immediately hurried toward her dressing table and looked into the mirror.
"Quick! Bring me my finest dress! And fix my hair! HURRY!"
The servants immediately scrambled to carry out her orders.
The bodyguards exchanged confused glances.
"Lady FengHuang... What about these two? Should we throw them out now?"
They gestured toward TanTan and the bearded man, who were still lying unconscious on the floor.
Lady FengHuang grabbed a powder container from her dressing table and threw it toward them in irritation.
"NO! YOU IDIOTS! Take them to another room for now! And whatever you do, DON'T LET THE PRINCE FIND OUT ABOUT THEM!"
"Y-Yes, Lady FengHuang!"
The bodyguards immediately obeyed.
They carried TanTan and the bearded man into an adjoining room, dropped them onto the floor, and locked the door behind them.
Meanwhile, Lady FengHuang returned her attention to the mirror, carefully checking her appearance as she prepared to welcome the arrival of the Seventh Prince.