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The crowd erupted in excitement.
“What the hell? A King of Spades on the last hand??”
“I must be seeing things; this is practically impossible! Is she bluffing?”
“Dude, wake up! Do you really think Miss Ming would cheat?”
Suddenly, the man shot up from his seat, the chair crashing backward with a loud clang.
Ming Zhao felt quite pleased as she watched the colorful peacock’s face gradually turn ashen.
His expression was extremely cold, as if covered by a layer of frost. “Ming Zhao, are you messing with me?”
“Remember, you must accept the outcome, dear brother,” Ming Zhao leisurely rested her chin on her hand, her lips curving up slightly, her eyes holding a hint of mockery. “You’re not going to be a sore loser, are you?”
She urged him again. “Go on, drink up.” Her tone was filled with impatience.
Xiao Shaoxun glared at her with fury.
In truth, he looked down on Ming Zhao. She had nothing but a pretty face, a bad temper, and was lazy and petty—always chasing after Gu He.
He never expected to be played like this.
Pretending to be a naive little rabbit, she had managed to trick him.
The young masters cared deeply about their reputation, and with so many eyes on him, Xiao Shaoxun could not let anyone think he was a sore loser.
After years of frequenting such places, he wouldn’t be completely unprepared. Those around him had already swapped out the tainted drinks when the situation turned unfavorable.
“Fine,” Xiao Shaoxun sneered. “It’s just a few bottles of wine.”
The fact that he was outsmarted by a pampered young lady made him feel utterly humiliated and extremely angry.
With a dark expression, he kicked a nearby chair, sending it crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
The man opened a bottle of wine and tilted it back, drinking straight from the bottle.
One bottle, two bottles, three bottles…
Ming Zhao watched him finish the wine, her beautiful eyes slightly narrowing in amusement.
No matter how good Xiao Shaoxun’s tolerance was, he couldn’t handle several bottles of red wine all at once.
His stomach burned uncomfortably as he tried to maintain a stoic expression, casually tossing the last empty bottle into the pool.
He looked at her. “Are you satisfied now, Your Highness?”
The way he said it made it seem like she was some irredeemable villain.
Ming Zhao gracefully stood up and leaned in to pat his shoulder, her hand brushing against his pocket inadvertently.
“Since you’ve drunk so much, you should stop playing and go back to your room to rest properly.”
In that moment, her sweet scent enveloped him, catching Xiao Shaoxun off guard for a second.
After a moment, he raised an eyebrow slightly. “You’re so concerned about me?”
The people around them had expressions that were hard to describe. Were they crazy? Did hhe really want to get slapped again?
He was really enjoying this.
Men are only well-behaved when they’re hanging on the wall.
Xiao Shaoxun, seeing Ming Zhao’s hand move, didn’t try to dodge. Instead, he lazily raised his voice.
“Did you hear that? Miss Ming told me to go back to my room to rest. Everyone, let’s disperse.”
Ming Zhao simply gave him a meaningful glance before taking Zhou Siyu’s hand and leaving.
Xiao Shaoxun felt a shiver run down his spine from her strange look, but the alcohol was hitting him hard, so he didn’t have time to overthink it. He swayed slightly, being supported as he was led back to his room.
Only after leaving the club did Zhou Siyu truly relax.
Zhou Siyu looked at Ming Zhao with admiration, her tone filled with relief and excitement.
“You’re amazing! They said the probability of that happening is extremely low. Weren’t you nervous at all?”
She herself had been terrified, but Miss Ming had remained unfazed. So cool…
“Yeah, it’s practically impossible.”
Ming Zhao adjusted her hair, the cool night air dissipating the lingering heat from the pool party.
“Ah?” Zhou Siyu paused, slightly confused. “Then…”
Before she could finish, she saw the corner of Ming Zhao’s lips curve up slightly as she casually tossed a deck of cards into a nearby trash can.
*Thump.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Zhou Siyu suddenly understood, her eyes widening.
“You…”
Before she could utter the words ‘cheated,’ Ming Zhao covered her mouth. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t say that! He was the one who cheated first.”
That pompous peacock was definitely seething.
But Ming Zhao had played with far higher stakes in Las Vegas and had seen countless tricks.
She warned Zhou Siyu to absolutely keep it secret. It was fine for others to know, but Zhou Tingyun absolutely could not find out.
In the dazzling capital, the lights were bright, the air thick with the scent of luxury.
Ming Zhao, having won her battle, was particularly happy. She linked arms with Zhou Siyu and walked out, saying she wanted to take her for a drive and late-night snacks.
However, this pleasant mood vanished instantly when she saw the man standing beside a sports car.
Seeing her emerge, the man’s eyes lit up, and he quickly approached.
His tone was urgent. “Zhao Zhao, are you alright?”
Recognizing Ming Zhao’s ex-boyfriend, Gu He, Zhou Siyu silently stood aside, observing everything without interfering.
Ming Zhao frowned. “What could possibly happen to me? Can you stop always wishing bad things on me?”
Her tone was neither cold nor warm, but it relieved him somewhat. He explained, “I heard that Xiao Shaoxun…”
“You’re blocking my car. Can you move?”
Gu He paused, unconcerned about her rejection, and said humbly, “Zhao Zhao, let me take you home, okay?”
His long eyelashes cast a shadow, and his handsome features seemed somewhat vulnerable under the moonlight.
Ming Zhao noticed the watch on his wrist—a Richard Mille worth 3.4 million. She also glanced at his black Cayenne parked by the roadside.
He truly lived up to his reputation as a rising star in the tech industry. He had come so far in just a few years.
She remembered how he had once looked down on her privileged lifestyle, complaining about her being demanding and troublesome, and believing she was good for nothing except her money.
He had coldly rejected her invitation to dinner, giving her a cold shoulder and saying that he had to work and earn money, unlike her who had so much free time.
When she paid off his mother’s medical bills, he had questioned why she would come to the hospital and disturb his family.
Under normal circumstances, she would have exploded.
But that was when Zhou Tingyun had abandoned her.
A wealthy woman in their circle who was known for dating younger men had advised her,
“Zhao Zhao, you should find a diamond in the rough, someone from a poor background who can’t afford college tuition. You pay; he provides emotional value. Isn’t that great?”
“And you might even find a potential winner,” the woman continued, giving an example. “Look at Sister Liu’s husband. He’s incredibly capable. His company went public just a few years after he graduated, and he ended up marrying into her family. Now they have a wonderful relationship, and that young man is completely devoted to her.”
Ming Zhao was quickly swayed.
Who wouldn’t want a handsome guy who was completely dependent on them, obedient, and considerate?
Besides, she had more money than she knew what to do with.
So, she carefully screened potential candidates and immediately set her sights on Gu He, who came from a poor mountain village.
A sick mother, a deceased father, and a broken past.
But in the upper class, it was no different from keeping a pet.
Ming Zhao’s gaze was empathetic—she understood his pride and self-respect. She also admired his unique arrogance.
So, she tried her best to maintain their relationship.
But the harder she tried, the worst things became. It was a complete mess.
And it was all Zhou Tingyun’s fault.
If it weren’t for him, would she have to endure this humiliation?
Ming Zhao frowned, feeling irritated. She wanted to go home and yell at her brother right now.
Her gaze returned to Gu He’s face, and she said bluntly,
“Why would I give up a globally limited-edition sports car to ride in your two-million-dollar car?”
Although her expression remained bright and beautiful, her tone was innocently cruel.
But it left Gu He pale.