Weren't those girls' scathing remarks out of the rules?

Just listen to what they were saying!

The hall was noisy with voices, but no one issued a question.

Miss Jun smiled as she set down her veil.

"If anybody has any doubts, then come check it for yourself. I will throw, free of charge," she said. "Although this is all just for fun, it does involve money, so we must guarantee fairness."

Not waiting for the volume of the discussion to increase, the pitch-pot director standing next to her opened his mouth.

"No, if anyone has doubts, please take it up with the Jinyun Hall. This has nothing to do with Young Miss. Our Jinyun Hall has been running for a hundred years. Although we do not rival the De Sheng Chang, we make quite a bit of money. We do not need to stoop so low as to swindle everyone's money."

His gaze slowly roamed around the hall, his voice enunciating every word clearly, just like an old shopkeeper feeling uneasy because of criticism.

But when he said this, no guest rushed to defend their honor. Instead, the conversation in the hall slowly dissipated.

Cheating is not something one person could do on their own.

You are questioning us?

The Jinyun Hall?

In this stagnant air, Fang Jinxiu's laugh was heard loud and clear.

"That's right, if you don't have money, don't play, if you are a sore loser, don't play. When you don't win, you accuse others of cheating. You may look down on us because we are young, but in any case, the Jinyun Hall is a long-standing organization. Really…"

She clicked her tongue twice.

The implications of her words were too obvious.

Jinchuan couldn't stop herself from tugging on Fang Jinxiu's sleeve and calling her name.

Although Third Miss had a poor temper, she would keep propriety while outside. Perhaps it was because of the excitement of Miss Jun's pitch-pot game, but her speech just now was too extravagant.

Jinchuan eyed Miss Jun who was standing on the stage silently.

To be honest, what Third Miss just did was just like Miss Jun would do.

Ning Yunyan was already struck foolish.

"Sophistry! I said that she cheated, not the Jinyun Hall," she shrieked.

Fang Jinxiu was waiting for her to say this.

"The pitch-pot director was standing right next to her. Would he not be able to see cheating?" She snorted. "You're saying Sir Director has no eyes, that the Jinyun Hall has no eyes?"

What was this girl saying.

"Although the truth is the truth, you shouldn't say it so frankly," the director murmured.

He thought of what he had head heard about the granddaughter the De Sheng Chang Fang Family had taken under their wing. She had an extremely unbridled temperament and knew not of propriety. She started all sorts of trouble with the Fang Family and the Ning Family.

Most likely this was that Miss Jun.

Ning Yunyan almost went mad with anger. Who was this? Who was so blind to oppose her like this?

This voice was coming from...

Ning Yunyan stuck her torso out and caught sight of Fang Jinxiu plastered against the window.

She did not recognize Fang Jinxiu, but she knew that room. Immediately she was struck dumb.

Lin Jin'er?

What was going on? Wasn't that room Lin Jin'er's? She wanted to order a servant to ask what had happened to Lin Jin'er, and why was a stranger in that room!

This situation was not right!

"You…" She opened her mouth to shout when the door to the room was forcefully pulled open. A young man strode in.

The girls crowded together, shrieking out subconsciously.

"Yanyan, don't stir up trouble."

The man in the room had a gentle and mellow voice.

The girls immediately calmed down from their excitement, rus.h.i.+ng to tidy their appearances, while their faces were still white in panic. Though their gazes were already bashful as they looked at the n.o.ble son who had just entered.

They were familiar with this voice.

They had played together with Ning Yunyan for along time, wasn't it to hear this voice, to see this person?

Tenth n.o.ble Son's gaze did not waver in the slightest. Woodenly, Ning Yunyan turned her head.

"Big Brother," she said, a sob threatening to leap out of her throat.

Ning Yunzhao took her into his arms and stroked her shoulder.

Because Ning Yunyan wasn't saying anything anymore, the Jinyun Hall was silent.

In order to prevent that girl from saying anything more provocative, the pitch-pot director spoke first.

"So you're saying you do not accept this young miss' win?" he said calmly, still smiling. "You want our Jinyun Hall to give you an explanation?"

Not waiting for anyone else to say anything, Ning Yunzhao spoke first.

"It was a joke. Kids tend to be hasty with their mouths when they lose," he said. "There's nothing to not accept. Everyone saw what happened. If this could be faked, then you must be an immortal."

After he spoke, the hall swelled with laughter.

"Yes, we all saw it. All this talk of not accepting it was just drivel," someone said.

Fang Jinxiu giggled and smiled with Jinchuan next to the window.

"As expected, no one dares provoke the Jinyun Hall," she said. "A large patron is needed to open a gambling den, after all."

Jinchuan rushed to tell her to be quieter.

"Third Miss, don't say such nonsense," she said.

On the other side, Ning Yunyan who had just heard what was said was being stopped by Ning Yunzhao.

"Yanynan, you're being unreasonable. Don't cause any more trouble," he said seriously. "You didn't lose just a bit of money."

Lose a bit of money?

The girls here lowered their heads, and Ning Yunyan's servant girl couldn't stop herself from sobbing.

"Young Master, Young Master, Young Miss lost a lot of money," she said while kowtowing.

Although the young miss was the one who wanted to bet, as the maid, she definitely did not do her job.

Hearing her say this, Ning Yunyan started to sob harder.

"I was swindled, swindled," she wailed.

Ning Yunzhao creased his brows slightly, then looked at the servant boy behind him. The servant boy hurriedly went to ask the attendant for a copy of the bill that he had made earlier.

The servant's expression was shocked.

"It's not written wrongly?" he blurted out.

The attendant smiled calmly.

"You can challenge this," he said.

Real gambling dens used genuine gold or silver to place bets, or a slip of paper with a signature, but the Jinyun Hall has never had such a rule. They always relied on the verbal promise. This actually was quite unreasonable, but the Jinyun Hall said, that a gentleman must not lose other's faith, his promise is worth a thousand jin of gold, so a verbal agreement was enough for the Jinyun Hall.

This rule was a tradition, a gentleman Jinyun Hall's courtesy to other gentlemen. But if you were not going to act like a gentleman, then the Jinyun Hall would not treat you as such.

Since there were two or three people who lost too much money or refused to acknowledge a debt that met with accidents or suddenly lost their family property, the only ones who came to the Jinyun Hall were gentlemen.

Hearing what the servant boy blurted out, Ning Yunzhao felt his throat grow dry.

What sum of money could make this servant lose all of his manners?

"Bring it here," he said.

The servant lowered his head and presented it with two hands.

Ning Yunzhao took the proffered paper and skimmed it. He first saw  Miss Zuo's close to a two thousand taels sum. Then was Ning Yunyan's.

As he watched the taels of silver gradually get higher, he seemed to see Ning Yunyan's mental state at the time.

Incited, then lured, then angered, then in denial, then the final madness.

Ning Yunzhao silently looked at the end, the total sum.

Five thousand taels.

'And five thousand taels,' Ning Yunzhao thought.

Then he froze. Why did he think 'and'?